The effect of locating public transit stations on their walking accessibility using an actual street network

Transit-oriented development is a need of the modern world. It not only has the potential to solve traffic-related problems but also needs to comply with sustainability and equity. As a case study, bus rapid transit of the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan is examined. The study utilizes a GIS-based analysis that quantifies the impact of street network attributes surrounding transit stations on pedestrian accessibility to optimize the station location in an urban environment. A GIS application is used to model the actual pedestrian network around transit stations, where street network attributes like density, connectivity and configuration are evaluated. Walking accessibility indices are estimated based on street network attributes. Results revealed that there exists a trend in accessibility index values and street network attributes, where network configuration is the most significant aspect in explaining accessibility. The actual network-based analysis demonstrated in this study can assist planners and policy makers in the strategic positioning of future transit stations while selecting network attributes that are crucial for walking accessibility.