Evaluation of accessibility of urban transportation networks

A framework is presented for evaluating the accessibility of urban networks to the transportation needs in urban areas. Accessibility has been defined from the point of view of the network configuration and its relationship to key factors influencing travel demand. The definition is a departure from the traditional methods of accessibility, which primarily describe the interaction of people and places. The definition in this study helps in assessing the interaction between the trip maker and the transportation network, thus helping in an evaluation of the utility of the network to trips in a study region. The methodology uses the computational capabilities of a geographic information system and relates them to the traditional urban transportation planning process. Specific indexes are presented to quantify the accessibility of the network with respect to key factors influencing trip production and attraction. The methodology presented is applicable to the analysis of accessibility of other transportation system networks and to comparisons of the accessibilities of networks of different urban areas.