Gravity-Based Accessibility Indexes for Evaluating Impacts of Transportation Projects using GIS:Method and Application to City of Kinshasa

Abstract

This research proposes an accessibility oriented method for evaluating impacts of transportation improvement projects based on accessibility performance indexes developed using gravity-based accessibility model. An analysis tool combining GIS and EMME3 was built for applying the proposed method to a practical case of Kinshasa city in order to show its usefulness and applicability in solving problems and reaching planning goals. Impacts of two proposed major road infrastructure improvement projects on accessibility to jobs are evaluated, using data collected from government agencies and other sources. Finally, the developed accessibility indexes are used to identify scenarios that improve mobility and best increase the accessibility of less accessible zones. Results of this case study show a consistency with previous studies and the theory of gravity based accessibility in addition to solve the problem of analyzing both mobility and accessibility solutions at the same time. However, further research is needed to consider more precise units such generalized cost instead of travel time cost

and also to consider other options such as various transport modes and planning of new land use pattern.