Spatial Analysis for Determining Accessibility to Bus Stops in Kaduna Metropolis

Abstract

Bus stop accessibility is a vital component of a successful transportation system. This study aimed at spatially analyzing bus stops to determine their physical accessibility considering the connecting roads surrounding the bus stops. This research used satellite imagery, Global Navigation Satellite System and Kaduna State Traffic and Environment Law Enforcement Authority documents. The spatial analysis covered bus stop accessibility and obtained data of transport routes, bus stop coordinates, bus stop spacing and physical characteristics of bus stops. GIS buffer, network and area analysis was used in measuring bus stop accessibility considering the road network surrounding it. The ratio of ideal access coverage to the actual access coverage of a stop was calculated. Paired sample statistics were used to compare ideal and actual access coverage; the finding revealed a significant difference between the ideal and actual access coverage. A range of 0 - 1.0 was used in the analysis where, a bus stop is less accessible the closer the value is to 0, and more accessible the closer the value is to 1.0. Linear regression statistics was used to determine if the level of accessibility of a bus stop is dependent on the length of roads within the buffer. This revealed that at R = 0.694, a strong degree of correlation exists between the level of accessibility and road length within the buffer. The study concluded that before siting bus stops, surrounding road networks need to be considered in order to make them accessible.