The impact of measuring internal travel distances on selfpotentials and accessibility

Authors

  • Ana Margarida Condeço Melhorado University Complutense of Madrid
  • Hande Demirel Istanbul Technical University
  • Mert Kompil European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre (JRC)
  • Elena Navajas European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre
  • Panayotis Christidis European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18757/ejtir.2016.16.2.3139

Abstract

Internal travel distances are fundamental in accessibility measurement, as they affect the weight of the intra-regional interactions, especially when using a gravity formulation. The contribution of the internal accessibility of each zone to its overall accessibility is known as self-potential. Several studies demonstrate its importance in accessibility analyses, especially in the most urbanized regions. It is precisely in urban regions where internal travel distances are more difficult to estimate due to congestion, which in turn may be influenced by factors such as urban density, urban morphology, network infrastructure, etc. Accessibility analyses usually use coarse estimates of internal distances, generally based on the regions' area and in some cases considering its level of urbanization. In this study we explore different forms of estimating internal travel distances in accessibility analysis and reflect on their advantages and drawbacks. One of the main difficulties that arise when measuring internal travel distances is the lack of data. However, the growing potential of ICTs in providing new sources of data can be used to improve representativeness of data. In this study we used speed profiles data from TeleAtlas/TomTom to calculate internal travel distances for European NUTS-3 regions and we compare this measure with three other metrics traditionally used in the literature. Following this exercise, we discuss the conditions under which it is advantageous to use more complex measures of internal travel distance. Finally, we test the sensitivity of potential accessibility indicators to the combined effect of different internal distance metrics and distance decay factors.

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Published

2016-04-01

How to Cite

Margarida Condeço Melhorado, A., Demirel, H., Kompil, M., Navajas, E., & Christidis, P. (2016). The impact of measuring internal travel distances on selfpotentials and accessibility. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.18757/ejtir.2016.16.2.3139

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Section

Research articles