College - Author 1
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Department - Author 1
City and Regional Planning Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in City and Regional Planning
Date
3-2021
Primary Advisor
Cornelius Nuworsoo, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, City and Regional Planning Department
Abstract/Summary
The purpose of this study is to assess the pedestrian and bicycle accessibility of rail stations in California by providing a sketch planning toolkit enabling planners and decision-makers to compare various accessibility factors and to develop and compare metrics.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accessibility is a highly important area of transportation planning, especially as it pertains to rail stations. While a well-planned rail network can serve many people, travelers must get to and from rail stations on either end of their trip in order for the rail service to be of any use. The mode by which travelers make these trips varies depending on the station, but walking and biking are common, especially in urban areas. The nature of the built environment can play a large role in determining what modes are used to access rail stations. For example, dense urban areas with highly connected street networks and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure encourage non-motorized station access. However, stations in less-dense areas lacking in street connectivity and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure tend to encourage more automobile access.
To the degree that these factors can be quantified, rail stations can be assessed on various accessibility factors, and problems can be identified. With this knowledge, planners can better address station area access issues. While this project provides background information on station access and describes some of the most important data in determining accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians, it primarily provides a technical methodology to quantify station area accessibility as well as a sketch planning toolkit to carry out the analysis. This project is intended to assist practitioners who are already familiar with accessibility issues in their area of work, but who may lack the technical resources and or data to carry out a large-scale analysis.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/crpsp/218