The University of Minnesota’s Accessibility Observatory will receive more than $1.2 million over five years to create a new, national accessibility dataset at the Census block level.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is the lead agency and coordinator for the national pooled-fund study. Other participating agencies are the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the DOTs of California, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“Accessibility metrics indicate how well a transportation system fulfills the goal of connecting users to valuable destinations,” says Observatory director Andrew Owen.
Updated annually, the new dataset will describe accessibility to jobs for both driving and transit. Study partners will be able to use the dataset for local transportation system evaluation, performance management, planning, and research efforts. Each partner will have direct digital access to the accessibility datasets for the jurisdictions of all partners and will receive detailed reports of local accessibility trends and patterns.
“Today’s transportation user wants more than mobility; they want accessibility and they want MnDOT to invest in the appropriate solution, at the right place, at the right time, and at the appropriate cost,” says Tim Henkel, division director of modal planning and program management at MnDOT. “These demands require MnDOT to expand our decision-making data and measures and improve our decision-making tools. The Accessibility Observatory offers solutions to these decision-making challenges and is an excellent example of the timely and practical solutions that research partnerships provide MnDOT.”
The study will also produce and publish a series of reports summarizing the accessibility datasets for the 50 largest metropolitan areas.
Observatory staff led by Owen will perform the accessibility calculations using commercially available, GPS-based speed measurements and published transit schedules. The Observatory has completed a licensing agreement with TomTom, a global leader in navigation and mapping products, for use of its map and historical speed data.
“We’re excited that the Accessibility Observatory has selected TomTom to help provide geospatial and transportation information for this project,” says Ralf-Peter Schäfer, head of traffic at TomTom. “We are confident that the TomTom map and traffic content will contribute to a better understanding of job accessibility nationwide.”
The Transportation Pooled Fund Program, part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, allows state DOTs, FHWA program offices, and other organizations to combine resources and achieve common research goals. Additional partners are welcome to join the study.
