UrbanAccess: Generalized Methodology for Measuring Regional Accessibility with an Integrated Pedestrian and Transit Network

2017 ◽  
Vol 2653 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel D. Blanchard ◽  
Paul Waddell
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
San Francisco Bay Area ◽  
Transportation Network ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Transit Accessibility ◽  
Fine Spatial Resolution ◽  
Operational Schedule

Measures of accessibility have long been an important metric in regional transportation planning and modeling. However, new methods are needed to provide computationally efficient, multiscale, free, transparent, and customizable tools that harness open and disparate sources of transportation network data at fine spatial resolution over large geographic extents. This research presents a new open source tool, UrbanAccess, which uses a generalized and scalable methodology to measure transit accessibility with a multimodal network comprising both pedestrian and operational schedule transit networks at a fine spatial scale over large metropolitan extents. A typical use for this tool is illustrated in a case study that characterizes regional transit accessibility in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Assessment of Regional Transit Accessibility in the San Francisco Bay Area of California with UrbanAccess

2017 ◽  
Vol 2654 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54
Author(s):  
Samuel D. Blanchard ◽  
Paul Waddell
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
San Francisco Bay ◽  
San Francisco Bay Area ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Transit Network ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Transit Accessibility ◽  
Block Level ◽  
Operational Schedule

Accessibility is an important metric in regional transportation and land use planning and as a component in equity analyses. Accessibility in the San Francisco Bay Area of California was characterized with a new multimodal network accessibility tool, UrbanAccess. Accessibility was measured with open pedestrian and operational schedule transit network data at the Census block level across a large metropolitan extent. In addition, a framework was developed to assess changes in accessibility that resulted from alternative transit network structures. Results indicated that accessibility to jobs in the Bay Area was relatively high by walking and by taking transit. However, accessibility varied significantly by annual household income and geography. Disparities in job accessibility were most pronounced between Census blocks that were in poverty and Census blocks that were not in poverty.

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