Public Transport Accessibility Research Articles

Unlocking Urban Accessibility: Proximity Analysis in Bangkok, Thailand’s Mega City

Accessibility serves as the fundamental link for mode shifts, enabling access to activity areas and facilitating connections to other forms of travel. However, navigating the transportation network in urban areas of Bangkok, Thailand, reveals persistent inconveniences, discomfort, and safety concerns, thereby failing to adequately meet the needs of users. This study aims to examine urban accessibility, focusing on multi-travel connections to amenities and public transport. It focuses on understanding how the level of engagement of road users in social activities contributes to well-being by addressing proximity access through a multidisciplinary approach aimed at enhancing accessibility and integrating the built environment. The comprehensive and inclusive Accessibility by Proximity Index (API) is proposed as a tool to evaluate the level of access to essential services and activities for residents. Additionally, this study acknowledges the impact of the physical and utilization characteristics of urban space and active trajectories by considering various travel needs and daily route patterns. Consequently, the API can inform the development of planning and urban design strategies aimed at enhancing walkability and cycling as non-motorization infrastructures, thereby improving accessibility through active modes of transportation. It was observed that areas with a higher concentration of urban amenities exhibit greater accessibility by walking, cycling, and public transport, particularly in inner-city areas. Thus, envisioning a more sustainable and inclusive city with adequate development of public transportation access is essential in urban areas, prompting policy-level initiatives to enhance the environment and elevate the overall commuting experience.

Smart rest area development to support tourist trip in limited access transport area. Study in the Dieng area, Central Java

The concept of cluster development has characteristics that are identical to tourism activities. Based on the Master Plan for the KSPN Dieng and its Surroundings, the Dieng Plateau is developed with several development strategies, namely the development and strengthening of local potential-based tourist attractions in a sustainable manner, increasing regional carrying capacity and the participation of local communities to support tourism, as well as developing cross-sectoral and regional policies. Accessibility in the Dieng area and its surroundings is supported by road and the availability of public transport. However, accessibility to the Dieng area, which is in an enclaved area, still faces limitations and causes the time and distance to be quite long. Proposal are taken to develop a rest area with many functions. As in Japan, the concept of “michinoeki” or roadside station was developed to provide comfortable facilities for tourists while resting on their way to main attractions or even making “michinoeki” one of the tourist destinations.

Public Transport Accessibility Policy for Disabled Batam City in the Concept of Sustainable Transportation

This study evaluates sustainable transportation development in Batam City, focusing on the accessibility of public transportation for persons with disabilities as a sustainability indicator. Utilizing qualitative research methods, primary data were collected through interviews, complemented by secondary data from various sources such as Department of Transportation reports, Batam City Government documents, and online media. Data analysis employed triangulation, supported by Vosviewer Tools for processing secondary data. Findings reveal inadequate transportation accessibility services for people with disabilities in Batam City. Effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, and equality for this demographic remain suboptimal, indicating a lack of sustainable and inclusive approaches. Regional regulations concerning disabilities are not fully implemented, and there's a lack of management strategies for transportation or Transport Demand Management tailored to assist people with disabilities. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system's ineffectiveness hampers transportation connectivity, exacerbating access challenges. Essential disability facilities like ramps and bell signals are unevenly provided, while the limited number of special seats creates difficulties in prioritizing pregnant women and the elderly. Consequently, the current serviceability access falls short of meeting the standard needs of people with disabilities, as envisioned in Sustainable Transportation frameworks.

Spatial Analysis of Bike-Sharing Ridership for Sustainable Transportation in Houston, Texas

This study aims to analyze bike-sharing information and related urban factors to promote bike-sharing utilization in Houston, Texas. The research was initiated with a descriptive analysis, where the hourly and daily variations in bike demand are investigated, thereby revealing the time-related patterns of bike tours. The models included data on socio-demographics, public transportation availability, land use patterns, tree canopy coverage, bike routes, and job density within 0.25-mile and 0.5-mile buffer zones around each bike-sharing station. Stepwise regression was utilized to examine the effects of urban factors on bike-sharing ridership, and the explanatory power of the model was enhanced by selecting meaningful variables. The analysis found that tree canopy coverage was a significant factor in influencing bike-sharing ridership. Expansion of tree coverage can help make biking a sustainable mode of transportation. These findings have the potential to guide the development of practical policies that aim to promote sustainable urban mobility through bike-sharing programs.

Quality of Life Dependence on Public Transport Accessibility

Purpose. Article present the survey on dependency of quality-of-life indicators with transport accessibility. Specific focus is on rural areas. There was hypothesis to prove, that inhabitants of low population density rural areas are facing poor quality-of-life. Design/Methodology/Approach. A representative survey of the population was chosen as the research method. The study area was divided into transport districts, and the representativeness of the survey was ensured in each transport district. Transport districts are divided according to the criterion of travel time and public transport supply. The survey included questions that allowed checking whether and which quality of life parameters correlate with the quality of public services. Findings and implications. The research found that public transport accessibility is closely related with such attributes as education, employment rate and closely related to such attributes of life quality as change of clothes more often or having the proper shoes more often as well as having Internet access. Limitations. The study was conducted in just one country with a very high level of car ownership, which is still growing. Another limitation is that the public transport supply in this country is insufficient due to historical reasons. For a long time, public transport was unsubsidized or weakly subsidized in this country. Originality. The originality of the paper is based on a representative survey conducted by the authors, the results of which linked quality of life indicators with public transport availability indicators. The originality of the work is based on a representative survey conducted by the authors, the results of which linked quality of life indicators with public transport availability indicators.

Co-evolution of public transport access and ridership

While transport infrastructure and travel demand are known to be correlated, their causal relationship has not been systematically investigated. Granger causality tests have been conducted in the context of transport infrastructure and economic growth, and land use and transport. This research extends their application to network investments and travel demand by examining the co-evolution of public transport access and ridership in the Greater Sydney region for a period spanning over a century, from 1855 onward. We hypothesise a mutual feedback between public transport ridership and access, and corroborate the hypothesis in all causal models estimated – between aggregate public transport ridership and access, station ridership and access, and mesh block public transport shares and access. The causality was more evident in disaggregate models and was stronger between ridership and access to jobs than with access to population when employment data were available. Ours is the first longitudinal investigation into the causal relationship between public transport access and ridership. The findings strengthen the case for using access as a planning measure and lay the groundwork for evolutionary strategic transport modelling.

Unveiling the Secrets of Obesity with Machine Learning (ML) Techniques/Algorithms

Obesity is the most significant health threat all over the world as it is considered the mother of all diseases. Recent decades have witnessed an extensive shift towards sedentary lifestyles including adaptation to luxury modes of transportation, processed food, lack of physical activities, and prolonged screen times. The trend of using cars and motorcycles to travel even short distances has emerged as a critical component in Pakistan's obesity pandemic. Whenever the causes of obesity are discussed, the focus remains always on processed food and genetic factors. This study is an effort to exploit a machine-learning-based pathway to predict the major causes of obesity using machine learning (ML) algorithms. For this research, a dataset of 2,111 instances of various age groups and lifestyles was employed. For analysis, three efficient ML algorithms known as k-nearest neighbor (k-NN or KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and decision tree (DT) were utilized. It was observed that the excessive use of personal transport and comparatively limited availability and use of public transport has been a significant cause of obesity in Class II and III obese individuals. From the experimental results, strong association rules with minimum confidence value of 25% and maximum support value of 80% were obtained. Also, DT with random forest technique was found to have the highest accuracy of 90.36%, with the recall factor value of 98.73%. This signifies the fact that sedentary lifestyle and mode of transportation have a significant impact on rising obesity level.

Enhancing school to public transportation accessibility in Solo City: A comprehensive assessment of Batik Solo Trans (BST) bus stop locations

This study primarily aims to evaluate the affordability of Batik Solo Trans (BST) bus stops to school locations within Solo City and to develop a strategic placement plan for enhancing student accessibility throughout the city. The criteria for optimal placement adhere to the Minister of Public Works Regulations, which dictate that bus stops should be within a 400-meter radius or a 10-minute travel time for pedestrians. The research employs a comprehensive methodology, including a census of existing BST bus stops and high schools in Solo City. Using ArcGIS 10.2, we employ Buffer Proximity Analysis and Network Analysis to identify potential new bus stop sites, followed by quantitative and descriptive analysis of the results. The study’s findings reveal that BST bus stop accessibility to high schools in Solo City stands at an impressive 94%, with 350 out of 175 high schools having convenient access to 165 BST bus stop locations. In order to address accessibility gaps, the research suggests integrating 16 additional bus stops, especially at notable high school locations such as SMP Muhammadiyah PK Campus II, SMPN 18 Surakarta, and MAN 1 Surakarta. The proposed strategy aims to achieve full coverage with enhanced accessibility, visualized through cartographic representation.

Analytical Research of Public Transportation Accessibility on the Wushan Campus of South China University of Technology

Analytical Research of Public Transportation Accessibility on the Wushan Campus of South China University of Technology

Triggers for feelings of insecurity and perceptions of safety in relation to public transport; the experiences of young and active travellers

ABSTRACT A key aspect of an attractive and accessible public transport system is that passengers feel safe and secure, not least from a travel chain perspective. The aim of this paper is to provide an increased understanding of triggers for feelings of insecurity and perceptions of safety in relation to public transport, with a special focus on larger public transport nodes in the city of Malmö, Sweden. The study draws on a map-based online survey (public participatory GIS) which was designed to allow people to contribute their experiences and reflections. An online survey was distributed through social media, and the collected data is of both a quantitative and a qualitative nature. The sample consists of 290 students and workers between the ages of 21–35 who frequently use public transport. The findings show that one in ten respondents have often to very often avoided public transport because of feelings of insecurity. Thematic analysis revealed a variety of triggers, covering aspects from the physical dimension to the social dimension. Some examples include the design of bus stops, the surrounding traffic environment, and other people. The presence of guards and the police force seems to increase the feelings of insecurity for some, while the opposite was true for other respondents. The findings emphasize the importance of further research to illuminate different parts of a journey at a micro level, i.e. from the person-environment relationship, as well as to further highlight the issue of who transit environments are planned and designed for.

Оценка обеспеченности территории Санкт-Петербурга наземным общественным транспортом с использованием геопространственного подхода

The authors propose a method for evaluating the public transport accessibility of a city, based on the spatial distribution of real estate and commercial property in its territory, it enables making a rating table of routes and stops. The relevance of the study is related to the high social importance of mass transit, since its accessibility creates a more comfortable urban environment and offers new opportunities to the residents. The significant growth of research on this topic is a result of the social need to improve the use of urban space. The rapid development in the field of big data processing makes it much more relevant to the real situation than any previous models. However, researchers often lack up-to-date information on the distribution of the population in a given territory, because the concept of state open spatial data in Russia is currently in its early stages, and city authorities may decide to make it confidential. The proposed quantitative approach to assessing the provision of urban areas with land transportation means is based on using spatial data available in open sources, as well as methods of geospatial analysis and modelling. It is used to study the public transport in St. Petersburg, RF; the technique has enabled identifying the main municipal routes as well as the parts of the city requiring network expansion

Measuring public transport accessibility to fixed activities and discretionary opportunities: a space–time approach

The Space–Time Accessibility (STA) model is broadly used to measure person-based accessibility based on the space, time, and transport constraints experienced at the individual level in connection to the actual modal choices of observed individuals. In this paper, we propose to adjust the STA model (by introducing a so-called PT-STA model) with three core purposes: (1) focusing on public transport accessibility specifically, (2) measuring accessibility to both fixed activities and discretionary opportunities, and (3) integrating travel-time thresholds in the accessibility measurement. These three elements aim to make the PT-STA model a suitable tool to evaluate the impacts of public transport interventions on person-based accessibility and extend the evaluation of public transport accessibility to its fixed and discretionary dimensions. The PT-STA model is tested with a sample of 118 residents of the rural municipality of Mühlwald (South Tyrol, Italy). Results show that the accessibility to fixed activities and discretionary opportunities are limitedly correlated. It is possible to identify people with high accessibility to fixed activities and poor access to discretionary opportunities (typically pensioners and homemakers living in remote locations) and vice versa (e.g. people with articulated rural–urban commutes but daily visiting locations with several amenities). These results preliminarily confirm the importance of combining both accessibility dimensions in the PT-STA model since they tell complementary and not overlapped stories that are relevant for policymakers to evaluate the pros and cons of alternative public transport interventions.

Active Labour Market Policies for Rural NEETs in Lithuania: A Case of Rural Municipalities

This article aims to analyse active labour market policy efficiency for rural young NEETs integration into the labour market in the socioeconomic context of rural municipalities in Lithuania. For the empirical analysis, the administrative data of the public employment service concerning active labour market policy measures, e.g., training and mobility support, subsidised employment, and support for establishing or adapting workplaces of 2018 and 2022, as well as Lithuanian statistics data of 2018 and 2020 are used. The socio-economic environment of rural municipalities was analysed using the economic indicators (complex index), public transport accessibility, average wage, and free vacancies indicators. The recipient’s integration into employment after six months of participation in active labour market policy measures is analysed. The data revealed poor economic indicators, undeveloped public transport, lower average salaries, and a need for more vacancies in rural municipalities. The integration into employment fell significantly in two rural municipality clusters after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Conflicting regional policy goals: accessibility and segregation in the Helsinki metropolitan area

ABSTRACT Regional land use, housing, and transport (MAL) agreements between the Finnish state and municipalities in growth regions guide urban policy in the Helsinki metropolitan area towards regional cooperation and densification. Alongside economic growth and connectivity goals, segregation prevention is a visible but ill-defined social sustainability goal in these agreements, and anti-segregation measures lean heavily on providing new social housing in accessible locations. This tool, in turn, leans on a combination of social mixing, a traditional preventive tool in fighting segregation, and a new tool, maximising spatial justice through transit-oriented development. We argue that there is a discrepancy between these goals: while on an individual level, public transport accessibility is meant to reduce transport poverty and provide equal opportunities for employment and services, accessible areas fare lower than others in socioeconomic status. Therefore, increasing social rental housing in areas with lower socioeconomic status may unintentionally amplify segregation. This article asks how actors of different governance levels view concentrating social housing in accessible locations as a risk to segregation. Interviews show a concern of social challenges not being sufficiently addressed.

The Service of Trans Jatim Bus Transportation by means of Public Value Approarch

This study investigates the public value of the Trans Java East bus rapid transit (BRT) system, implemented to address urban congestion in Indonesia. Employing descriptive research methods with data collected through observation, interviews, and literature review, the analysis finds that while Trans Java East meets public value criteria for accessibility, affordability, and comfort, it falls short in fully mitigating congestion. Recommendations for optimization include route expansion, improved integration with other modes of transport, and enhanced operational efficiency. The study concludes that regional BRT systems, despite limitations, offer attractive mobility alternatives and require continuous development to maximize their impact on urban transport challenges. Highlight : Reduces congestion: While not a complete solution, Trans Java East offers a more attractive alternative to private vehicles, potentially easing traffic in the region. Public service fulfillment: Launched by the East Java government, this bus service aims to address the need for reliable and accessible public transportation, fulfilling a crucial responsibility. Promising, but needs improvement: The research finds Trans Java East meets public value criteria in principle, but highlights areas for development, such as further optimization of routes and schedules Keywords: East Java Trans Bus, public value, congestion, accessibility, improvement

Public transport accessibility indicators to urban and regional services in Great Britain

Public transport accessibility to urban and regional services has been found to relate to various social and economic processes, such as unemployment, transport mode choice, property prices, and public health. A frequent type of measures representing accessibility are location-based. While these offer advantages, like flexibility and ease of interpretation, their estimation usually requires specialized skills and substantial computational resources. To lower these barriers, we have prepared a suite of accessibility indicators for key services across Great Britain at a spatially disaggregated level. The dataset includes ready-to-use public transport accessibility indicators for employment, general practitioners (GP, or family physician), hospitals, grocery stores, supermarkets, primary and secondary schools, and urban centres. It also includes the raw travel time matrix from each origin to every potential destination, a primary input for such indicator estimation. Altogether, this resource offers various levels of application, from direct input into a range of research topics to the foundation for creating comprehensive custom indicators.

СРАВНЕНИЕ ГОРОДСКОГО ПАССАЖИРСКОГО ТРАНСПОРТА МЕГАПОЛИСОВ НА ОСНОВЕ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ РАЗЛИЧНЫХ ЛЕТ И СПОСОБЫ ВЫХОДА ИЗ КРИЗИСА

. Various indicators of the transport systems of megalopolises – St. Petersburg and Moscow – are considered. The shortcomings of the existing transport system of St. Petersburg are revealed. The existing program for the development of the electric transport carrier St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise «Gorelektrotrans» was also studied. A step-by-step plan for overcoming the crisis based on various methods and practices is proposed: the separation of tram lines and the allocation of lanes for wheeled transport will increase the safety and average speed of transport, the use of the author's corridor-junction method of forming a route network to increase the availability of public transport and reduce individual mobility. The use of the expected results is planned to be expanded in the direction of the development of St. Petersburg, in the future - cities and megacities with negative indicators of the transport system.

Individual accessibility impacts of public transport automation on (groups of) rural dwellers

Rural areas typically register low accessibility. This fact negatively affects their attractiveness, the well-being of their population in general, and population subgroups with limited access to private cars or strong space-time constraints (like minors, the elderly or members of large households). Collective autonomous vehicles (AVs) might improve this situation, e.g. by enhancing standard line-based services or introducing alternative shared schemes. Nevertheless, the collective usage of AVs in rural transport and their potential impacts on accessibility are still underexplored, with most research focused on the urban context. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing the public transport accessibility impacts that five alternative AV supply scenarios might generate in the rural valley of Mühlwald (South Tyrol, Italy). To this end, a variant of the standard space-time accessibility model developed by the authors is used. This focuses on accessibility by public transport specifically, and measures it to both fixed activities and discretionary opportunities. Accessibility impacts are first estimated at the person-based level for a sample of residents. Then, they are aggregated for the whole sample and six subgroups that tend to experience more substantial accessibility issues based on the literature. Results show that line-based AV applications provide limited accessibility benefits. Conversely, time-flexible applications like ride-shared vans or combinations of line-based trunks and on-demand feeders over peak and off-peak hours may provide the most evident advantages, especially for the subgroups with the tightest space-time schedules. Although these results do not reflect other possible impacts of AVs (e.g. environmental effects), they provide policymakers with valuable insights into the collective AV usages that could be most suitable in the rural context regarding person-based accessibility gains.

Examining the impact of the urban transportation system on tangible and intangible vitality at the city-block scale in Nanjing, China

Cities’ transportation systems have substantial impacts on urban vitality. Given the increasing availability of data on residents’ activities, cities’ tangible/intangible vitality can be analyzed more accurately. This study examined the associations of tangible and intangible vitality with transportation system features, specifically exploring various transportation modes’ accessibility, features related to block forms, and border vacuums at a block scale across different urban areas. Nanjing, China, was analyzed as a case study. Our findings reveal a declining gradient of urban vitality from the Old Town to the Main City and the New Area. Consequently, we suggest prioritizing efforts to enhance urban vitality in the New Area, particularly in its low-vitality blocks. Strategies for improvement include increasing public transportation accessibility and road density, which can positively influence the overall vitality of the entire city. Improving active travel accessibility has a positive impact on tangible vitality, while enhancing automobile accessibility potentially contributes to intangible vitality. Negative border effects of large transportation projects on tangible vitality should be mitigated. Interestingly, we found that intersection density has opposite effects on tangible and intangible vitality. These insights offer valuable guidance for urban planners aiming to enhance vitality levels across an entire city or within specific areas.

What are the key and catalytic external factors affecting the vitality of urban blue-green space? a case study of Nanjing Main Districts, China

In recent years, urban blue-green space has received increasing attention as an important carrier of urban spatial vitality. It has become increasingly clear that urban blue-green spaces both cities and citizens, though these concepts of spatial vitality and the underlying mechanisms influencing spatial vitality have yet to be explored in depth. Using blue-green spaces in the Nanjing Main Districts as an example, this study employs precise Location Based Services (LBS) data as a proxy for spatial vitality to explore the influence of external factors and their interaction(s) on spatial vitality. The results demonstrate that (1) functional mixing and walking accessibility are the dominant external factors affecting blue-green spatial vitality; (2) the interaction of external factors has a significant impact on spatial vitality, and finally (3), that public transportation accessibility and regional economic conditions are the catalytic factors affecting spatial vitality, explaining the contradictory research results discovered by other scholars. This study provides a foundation for the planning and construction of urban blue-green spaces.