ATAC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Measuring Transportation Accessibility for MPOs and for the State of ND
Authors:	Diomo Motuba
Publication Date:	Aug 2020
TRID #:	01940882
Keywords:	accessibility, grocery stores, jobs, medical services, metrics (quantitative assessment), metropolitan planning organizations, regional planning, transportation modes
Type:	Research Report

Abstract

This project covers the development of Accessibility measures for the State of North Dakota at the county level and for the three North Dakota Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). It explains the procedures, constraints and considerations for the use of the model as an evaluation tool to measure the effectiveness off the transportation system to meet the needs of residents.

Transportation accessibility is an important component of the transportation planning process. Accessibilities can determine what mode of transportation we need to have a livable society. It measures the ability for people to reach various activities. Within North Dakota, the transportation plans typically include a section about accessibility. However, these have not been explicitly measured. This report details the development of a model to effectively measure transportation accessibility for North Dakota and for the MPOs. For North Dakota, census tracts are used to measure accessibilities whereas the transportation analysis zones for each MPO are used for the MPO geographies. Accessibilities are measured for different modes – auto, transit –(fixed route transit), walk/bike for different activities. These activities include jobs, medical services and grocery stores. As we move forward, it will be important to measure access to other types of activities that the NDDOT and the MPOs deem important.