Reliability of Accessibility: An Interpreted Approach to Understanding Time-Varying Transit Accessibility

Abstract

Variable traffic conditions cause travel time uncertainty and further lead to time-varying accessibility. Most current studies do not fully consider fluctuations in accessibility and use complicated methods that likely overestimate the level of accessibility and hinder the application of accessibility measures. To address this issue, we utilized large-scale open-source data and proposed an interpretation of the reliability of accessibility concept that incorporates reliability, travel time uncertainty, and a cumulative opportunity measure. We examined the reliability of accessibility to Shenzhen, a major city in China, focusing on transit accessibility and job opportunities. The results demonstrate that the reliability of accessibility displays a bimodal distribution along urban railway lines and can be used to calculate the impact of urban railways in terms of punctuality. The new approach illustrates time-varying characteristics in the form of probabilities and provides further guidance on accessibility for governments.

Evaluating Locational Preference of Urban Activities with the Time-Dependent Accessibility Using Integrated Spatial Economic Models

“…Constant travel time metrics may overestimate accessibility, undermining the credibility of accessibility studies. This overestimation may lead commuters to underestimate their travel time; consequently, they may not reach their destinations on time [ 77 , 78 ]. The result of the current study also contradicted a previous study that examined urban accessibility in Madrid, Spain.…”

Analyzing Spatial Location Preference of Urban Activities with Mode-Dependent Accessibility Using Integrated Land Use–Transport Models

“…Constant travel time metrics may overestimate accessibility, undermining the credibility of accessibility studies. This overestimation may lead commuters to underestimate their travel time; consequently, they may not reach their destinations on time [15]. Accessibility of activity locations (households, commercial, and firms) and advances in the formulation and estimation of econometric models have led to tremendous development in urban planning/modeling in recent years [16].…”

“…Traditional accessibility parameters do not adequately account for the short-and long-term needs of urban activities. Accessibility is a dynamic attribute of locations that fluctuates by mode as a result of changes to the transport network and varying activity distribution patterns [15]. In principle, most economic activities are dependent on an acceptable level of accessibility in order to survive and develop, so a range of accessibility measures need to be considered rather than static accessibility.…”