Factors Affecting Accessibility

Name	Description	Current Consideration
Transport Demand	The amount of mobility and access that people and businesses would choose under various conditions (times, prices, levels of service, etc).	Motorized travel demand is well studied, but nonmotorized demand is not. Travel demand is often considered exogenous rather than affected by planning decisions.
Mobility	The distance and speed of travel, including personal mobility (measured as person-miles) and vehicle mobility (measured as vehicle-miles).	Conventional transport planning primarily evaluates mobility, particularly vehicle mobility.
Transportation Options	The quantity and quality of access options, including walking, cycling, ridesharing, transit, taxi, delivery services, and telecommunications. Qualitative factors include availability, speed, frequency, convenience, comfort, safety, price and prestige.	Motor vehicle options and quality are usually considered, using indicators such as roadway level-of-service, but other modes lack such indicators and some important service quality factors are often overlooked.
User information	The quality (convenience and reliability) of information available to users on their mobility and accessibility options.	Frequently considered when dealing with a particular mode or location, but often not comprehensive.
Integration	The degree of integration among transport system links and modes, including terminals and parking facilities.	Automobile transport is generally well integrated, but connections between other modes are often poorly evaluated.
Affordability	The cost to users of transport and location options relative to incomes.	Automobile operating costs and transit fares are usually considered.
Mobility Substitutes	The quality of telecommunications and delivery services that substitute for physical travel.	Not usually considered in transport planning.
Land Use Factors	Degree that factors such as land use density and mix affect accessibility.	Considered in land use planning, but less in transport planning.
Transport Network Connectivity	The density of connections between roads and paths, and therefore the directness by which people can travel between destinations.	Conventional planning seldom considers the effects of roadway connectivity on accessibility.
Roadway Design and Management	How road design and management practices affect vehicle traffic, mobility and accessibility.	Some factors are generally considered, but others are not.
Prioritization	Various strategies that increase transport system efficiency.	Often overlooked or undervalued in conventional planning.
Inaccessibility	The value of inaccessibility and external costs of increased mobility.	Not generally considered in transport planning.

Source: Introduction to Multi-Modal Transportation Planning, Victoria Transport Policy Institute. 2012

Transit Level-of-Service Rating Factors

Feature	Description	Indicators
Availability	Where and when transit service is available.	§  Annual service-kilometers per capita. §  Daily hours of service. §  Portion of destinations located within 500 meters of transit service. §  Hours of service.
Frequency	Frequency of service and average wait time.	§  Trips per hour or day. §  Headways (time between trips). §  Average waiting times.
Travel Speed	Transit travel speed.	§  Average vehicle speeds. §  Transit travel speed relative to driving the same trip. §  Door-to-door travel time.
Reliability	How well service actually follows published schedules.	§  On-time operation. §  Portion of transfer connections made. §  Mechanical failure frequency.
Boarding speed	Vehicle loading and unloading speed.	§  Dwell time. §  Boarding and alighting speeds.
Safety and security	Users perceived safety and security.	§  Perceived transit passenger security. §  Accidents and injuries. §  Reported security incidents. §  Visibility and lighting. §  Absence of vandalism.
Price and affordability	Fare prices, structure, payment options, ease of purchase.	§  Fares relative to average incomes. §  Fares relative to other travel mode costs. §  Payment options (cash, credit cards, etc.). §  Ticket availability (stations, stores, Internet, etc.).
Integration	Ease of transferring between transit and other modes.	§  Quality of connections between transit routes. §  Quality of connections between transit and other modes (train stations, airports, ferry terminals, etc.).
Comfort	Passenger comfort	§  Seating availability and quality. §  Space (lack of crowding). §  Quiet (lack of excessive noise). §  Fresh air (lack of unpleasant smells). §  Temperature (neither too hot or cold). §  Cleanliness. §  Washrooms and refreshments (for longer trips).
Accessibility	Ease of reaching stations and stops.	§  Distance from transit stations and stops to destinations. §  Walkability (quality of walking conditions) in areas serviced by transit.
Baggage capacity	Accommodation of baggage.	§  Ability, ease and cost of carrying baggage, including special items such as pets.
Universal design	Accommodation of diverse users including special needs.	§  Accessible design for transit vehicles, stations and nearby areas. §  Ability to carry baggage. §  Accommodation of people who cannot read or understand the local language.
User information	Ease of obtaining user information.	§  Availability and accuracy of route, schedule and fare information. §  Real-time transit vehicle arrival information. §  Information available to service people with special needs (audio or visual disabilities, inability to read or understand the local language, etc.).
Courtesy and responsiveness	Courtesy with which passengers are treated.	§  How passengers are treated by transit staff. §  Ease of filing a complaint. §  Speed and responsiveness with which complaints are treated.
Attractiveness	The attractiveness of transit facilities.	§  Attractiveness of vehicles and facilities. §  Attractiveness of documents and websites.
Marketing	Effectiveness of efforts to encourage public transport.	§  Popularity of promotion programs. §  Effectiveness at raising the social status of transit travel. §  Increases in public transit ridership in response to marketing efforts.

Source: Introduction to Multi-Modal Transportation Planning, Victoria Transport Policy Institute. 2012