Prioritizing active transport network investment using locational accessibility

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/9174
Keywords: walking, biking, street network, accessibility, urban planning

Abstract

This research explores prioritizing network investment to improve walking and biking access in a suburban area with a poorly connected street network. This study's methods provide a systematic approach to design and prioritize the potential links to improve active travel in the suburban environment. An access-oriented ranking system is proposed to prioritize the contribution of links in two evaluation processes for different travel time thresholds. One of the developing suburbs in Sydney is selected as the case study, and a list of potential links is identified. Results indicate that links with the highest added access per unit of cost are the links that have the highest impact if all links are built. However, the locational network structure surrounding the point of interest may affect the order. For a radial network, closer links lead to higher access, while for a tree-like network structure, connecting branches improve access significantly. Also, farther potential links are significantly dependent on the closer links in increasing accessibility for a specific location. This suggests that in order to utilize the network, there should be a sequence in constructing the potential links. The application of access-oriented network investment is also discussed.

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Author Biographies

Bahman Lahoorpoor, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia

Bahman Lahoorpoor is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney with the background in Civil and Transportation Engineering. His research interests include Transport and Land Use Interaction Models, Network Econometric Models, Simulation of Network Evolution, and Urban Accessibility.

Hao Wu, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia

Hao Wu is a Research Associate in the City Futures Research Centre, the University of New South Wales. Prior to joining the UNSW team, he completed his PhD degree in 2021 with the University of Sydney on the subject of Ensemble Forecasting. Hao's research focuses on accessibility, and the related transport, land-use and mode choice issues.

Hema Rayaprolu, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia

Hema Rayaprolu is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. She has a Master of Science degree in Transportation Systems from the Technical University of Munich. Her research interests include Transport Network Evolution, Travel Demand Modelling, Transport and Land Use Interaction, and Planning for Walking and Cycling.

David Levinson, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia

David Levinson joined the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney in 2017 as Foundation Professor in Transport Engineering. He was a Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering at the University of Minnesota, from 1999 to 2016. He conducts research on Accessibility, Transport Economics, Transport Network Evolution, and Transport and Land Use Interaction. He is the Founding Editor of Transport Findings and the Journal of Transport and Land Use. He is the author of several books including: The Transportation Experience, Planning for Place and Plexus, A Political Economy of Access, Elements of Access, and The End of Traffic and the Future of Access. He blogs at http://transportist.org.

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Published
2022-08-31
How to Cite
LahoorpoorB., WuH., RayaproluH., & LevinsonD. (2022). Prioritizing active transport network investment using locational accessibility. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, 15(2), 179-192. https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/9174
Issue
Vol 15 No 2 (2022): The city challenges and external agents. Methods, tools and best practices
Section
Focus

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