Revealing accessibility disparities

Abstract

The last decade denoted a growing interest in perceived accessibility, yet the link between perceived and objective accessibility measures is understudied. This paper aims to address accessibility poverty by identifying groups with different levels of perceived accessibility. To achieve this aim, we develop a latent class model that relates perceived accessibility patterns to social, transport, and geographical conditions encountered by individuals. To support the specification of the latent class model, we develop a theoretical framework that links transport, social, and geographical conditions with perceived inaccessibility. Data is obtained from the Dutch National Travel Survey, which includes information on travel patterns and preferences. In total, 20,020 participants are included in the analysis. The latent class model identified six social groups with varying levels of perceived accessibility. Notably, while 89% of the individuals perceive excellent accessibility, a minority of 11% experiences different forms of inaccessibility. In addition, the latent class model showed that social rather than transport or spatial conditions encountered by individuals determine perceived inaccessibility. The results lend support to tailored policies aimed at reducing accessibility poverty and social exclusion for specific segments of the population.