Accessibility planning – page 1

Accessibility planning

Introduction
Introduction Accessibility is defined as the ease with which people are able to reach key services
and destinations. Access to these activities, including work, education, health care,
shopping and recreation, is fundamental to personal, economic and community
wellbeing.

The level of accessibility of any given service or destination can be influenced by a

number of factors, including:

 its location in relation to that of those needing to reach it

 availability of transport alternatives

 physical accessibility of the destination and/or transport available

 travel time

 travel cost

 knowledge

 personal safety and security concerns.

Using evidence Accessibility planning is a structured, evidence-based approach that identifies the
access-related barriers to participation and solutions to these barriers. It uses
empirical data, mapping and qualitative information to identify:

 the make-up of a community

 where people live in relation to key destinations

 what they need to access

 how they can access the destination or service.

Transport is one means of enabling access to activities and services. Improving

access can be achieved by increasing and/or improving the transport options
available, giving people more choice as to how they meet their transport needs.

Good accessibility is also a function of the spatial distribution of activities – their

size, quality, character and ease of reach. Accessibility can be improved through
assessment of the urban form to identify how to make better use of existing
services and facilities and to inform future design and policy initiatives.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 2

Objective
Assessing accessibility focuses attention on the level of service of the system as a
whole, rather than on aspects of the transport system only. This allows for the
evaluation of trade-offs between land use, transport and social needs.

It differs from traditional transport planning, which tends to focus on improvements

to the transport system that facilitate mobility, without considering the access needs
that drive travel behaviour. Accessibility planning assesses the characteristics of
people and businesses, and their access needs, and identifies barriers to achieving
these needs. Any solutions identified can be implemented in a way that also
addresses wider policy objectives, such as improving road safety by reducing the
need to travel.

Non-transport While improved access can be achieved through improved transport options, tools
solutions that reduce the need for personal travel may also have a role to play.

Advances in telecommunications facilitate solutions like teleworking, online

shopping and distance learning and social networking sites like Skype, Twitter and
Facebook all enable individuals to carry out transactions without leaving home.
Mobile services such as dental clinics and libraries can also replace personal travel in
rural areas and for those unable to travel long distances to reach them.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 3

Benefits
Collaboration As an integrated planning tool, accessibility planning has the potential to increase
collaboration between the traditionally disparate disciplines of transport, land-use
planning and social services. In this way, accessibility ceases to be perceived as
solely a mobility or physical access issue, since non-transport perspectives and
solutions are an integral part of the assessment process. It also permits the
identification of the social impacts of changes to land-use and transport project or
service changes.

Accessibility planning can reduce duplication of effort and cost by being integrated
into existing local government planning cycles (ie Long Term Plans and Regional
Land Transport Plans). Its outputs can inform the Regional Land Transport Plan
prioritisation and funding process and help deliver community outcomes.

Modal choice Accessibility planning identifies opportunities for service delivery and infrastructure
efficiencies. Improved transport network efficiency will be a result of increased
mode choice and better public transport.

The process also provides targeted improvements to roading networks, walking

and cycling routes, public transport service and infrastructure, in conjunction with
the needs of a community and businesses.

Accessibility planning also helps determine the economic viability of an

infrastructure project by accurately mapping the potential number of transport
users and the ease with which they can access a proposed facility (whether a
transport network/service or a destination).

Social equity Accessibility planning can deliver more equitable access by considering the needs
of all groups in society, and not just those with cars. Improving accessibility for ‘at
risk’ groups reduces their social exclusion and increases their life chances.
Addressing access needs for specific groups of the population, eg disabled people,
is likely to result in improved access for all segments of the community.

Cost savings As accessibility planning uses socio-demographic and economic data to help
identify access needs of different community groups, it can use trends in this data
to inform long-term planning decisions. This helps future-proof key infrastructure.

Enabling all sectors of society to access key services also saves money in the long
term by boosting access to employment, health services and education.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 4

Strategic interventions for accessibility planning

Maps Enhanced Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) maps are an essential tool for
accessibility planning that capture the characteristics of origins and destinations,
and the transport networks (all modes) linking them. The resulting maps combine
socio-demographic information, the location of key destinations and the transport
options available to access them.

These maps are used in conjunction with existing regional and local documents and
knowledge to provide local and central government, transport planners, community
groups, transport operators and service providers with clear evidence of barriers to
access and possible solutions to address them.

Options for Options that deliver improved access will vary, depending on the specific needs of
improving user groups identified. They can include:
access
 changing the location of key services to better serve the affected community

 providing mobile services that deliver goods and services to the

community/people

 improving telecommunication networks, including providing ‘technology hubs’

(eg internet cafes) in isolated communities

 sharing resources, whether it be physical buildings, transport, technology or

mobile services, eg technology hubs may be at a local school for student use
during the day and community use at night

 providing demand-responsive and community transport

 changing existing public transport services to better suit demand

 reducing the cost of travel, particularly to the ‘transport disadvantaged’

 changing transport infrastructure to improve physical access and movement, eg

low floor buses, segregated cycleways, footpath conditions to suit physical
impairments

 improving urban design, eg crime prevention through environmental design,

pedestrianisation/shared spaces in high pedestrian areas, cycle parks

 changing parking provision to match the mobility needs of different land uses to
the different accessibility characteristics of the location

 providing information that takes into account all users’ needs, eg language
barriers, visual and auditory impairment, lack of home phone or computer, poor
or no reading ability

 changing regulations to enable decision making from an accessibility (rather

than mobility) perspective

 changing funding arrangements to incorporate accessibility-related solutions

and address the whole-of-government nature of solutions.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 5

Strategic interventions for accessibility planning contd

Non-transport While improved access can be achieved through improved transport options, tools
solutions that reduce the need for personal travel may also have a role to play.

Advances in telecommunications facilitate solutions like teleworking, online

shopping and distance learning and social networking sites like Skype, Twitter and
Facebook all enable individuals to carry out transactions without leaving home.
Mobile services such as dental clinics and libraries can also replace personal travel
in rural areas and for those unable to travel long distances to reach them.

Where to apply Depending on the specific situation, measures can be applied when there is/are:

 a large proportion of ‘at risk’ individuals in the community (whether transport

or socially disadvantaged)

 isolation caused by existing access barriers

 specific public policy objectives to be addressed, eg improving health or

increasing employment

 a lack of transport alternatives (to the private vehicle)

 issues relating to the use of public transport

 traffic congestion

 a decision taken to invest in new infrastructure/services or to close an existing

facility.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 6

Case study – Gisborne Integrated Planning (GIP) pilot

The NZTA has partnered with Gisborne District Council (GDC) to trial the
access planning process in Gisborne. Gisborne was selected as an ideal test
site for a number of reasons:
 it has a relatively compact town centre, with a number of outlying
townships, making it a good place to test access mapping in rural
and urban areas
 GDC is a unitary authority which reduces the level of bureaucracy to
be worked through
 GDC was interested in taking part in the pilot and gaining useful
data about access issues in the district
 the process that NZTA developed to pilot the access planning
framework in Gisborne has formed the basis for rolling out access in
other parts of New Zealand.

Working with central government and local stakeholders, GDC and NZTA
were able to identify some major access issues. GIS maps showing the socio-
demographic characteristics of residents and their access to key destinations
were an important aid to workshop discussions and provided a graphic
illustration of groups and areas affected by access problems. The two issues
which GDC selected for further investigation were:
 access to tertiary institutions
 access to medical care for East Coast residents.

The maps below show how difficult it is for some residents to reach doctors'
surgeries.

Sickness & invalids benefits and doctors’ locations



20-40% households
have no access to a car

.
.
. ..
.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 7

Case study – Gisborne Integrated Planning (GIP) pilot.

According to those working in the area, difficulty accessing medical treatment
results in many East Coast residents entering the health system only once their
condition has become extremely serious. This clearly reduces their chances of
recovering fully and increases the cost for both the family and the health
system.

Having identified priority access issues, GDC worked working closely with
stakeholders to find solutions. Partners included:
 the District Health Board
 Primary Healthcare Organisations
 Ministry of Education School Transport Services
 the Polytechnic and Wānanga
 Industry Training Organisations
 Police

Once again maps proved to be an invaluable source of information for GDC and
a way of quickly assessing the impact of proposed solutions.

By May 2010, when the pilot ended, GDC had begun drafting an Accessibility
Plan for the district, together with an action plan for achieving both its own
objectives and the wider outcomes sought by regional and national partners.

Aerial view of Gisborne

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 8

Case study – ABC location parking policy – The

Netherlands
The Netherlands uses a measure known as the ABC location policy to classify land in
urban areas according to its accessibility, with the goal of optimising land use in
relation to public transport supply and demand for car use. It aims to reduce
avoidable car mobility and ensure access to economic activity centres is maintained.
The policy, which came into force in 1989, has two key concepts:

 the proximity principle: the grouping of trip origins and destinations as close
together as possible

 accessibility profiles: the locating of businesses (and urban developments) in the

right places in terms of transport needs.

The policy is applied in cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants. These cities are
encouraged to adopt a location plan that categorises land according to its transport
accessibility. The Dutch government funds projects that contribute to the goals of
the plan, particularly land-use intensification such as inner-city redevelopment.

Locations are graded according to their accessibility by public and private transport,
which creates an ‘accessibility profile’, while businesses are graded according to
their access needs and modal shift potential, creating a ‘mobility profile’. The ABC
policy aims to match accessibility profiles to mobility profiles, ie it seeks to locate
each business at a location with an accessibility profile that matches its mobility
characteristics.

The location accessibility profiles are graded A, B or C:

 ‘A’ locations are highly accessible by public transport, and tend to be located at
major public transport nodes, such as central stations in large urban areas.

 ‘B’ locations are reasonably accessible by both public transport and car, and are
typically located on both public transport and road corridors.

 ‘C’ locations have poor public transport accessibility, but tend to be located on
main roads so are easily accessible by car.

The business mobility profiles are assigned to classes of business and relate to:

 site work intensity (the number of workers by surface unit)

 the mobility of employees (dependence on the car for business activities)

 visitors’ intensity (the number of visitors by surface unit)

 dependence on the transport of freight.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 9

Case study – Accessibility Plan for Rural Torridge, Devon,

England
Rural Torridge was chosen as the first local priority action area for accessibility
planning in the Devon Local Transport Plan. This rural area was chosen as the
pilot because it has a well-established local strategic partnership, is a ‘targeted
community’ and was shown to have significant transport accessibility problems.

Accessibility partners used mapping and local evidence to highlight key access
problems for residents of Rural Torridge and then examined potential short- and
long-term actions to resolve the identified issues. Partners represented health
care providers, employment agencies, county and district councils, community
transport associations, emergency services and religious groups. The following
table provides an example of the issues and solutions identified.

Issue Solution Potential partners

Access to  Car Sharing  Employers

employment
 Workplace Travel Plans  Businesses

 Wheels to Work  Devon County Council

 Travel Discounts  JobCentre Plus

 Better coordination of
timing of services

Access to food  Internet shopping –  Neighbourhood

shopping by provide volunteer Wardens Scheme
older people assistance
 Supermarkets
 Planning process –
 Volunteering bureau
easily accessible
developments  Devon County Council

 Shop mobility  Police

 Demand-responsive,
individualised transport
(eg Ring & Ride)


The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 10

Complementary measures
Public Public transport in general improves accessibility. Specific areas of access need
transport can be improved through additional or more frequent services.

Land use Appropriate land use planning will assist with accessibility.
planning

High-quality The design and function of the urban environment can provide tactile, audible and
urban visual direction and well as quality pedestrian and cycle access.
design

What other polices this may address

Improved As access to health services, recreation opportunities, employment and education
public health increases. Public health levels will improve.

Social equity Access planning provides social equity by enabling all members of a community to
fully participate in that community.

Access to Unemployment due to being unable to attend interviews and travel to employment
employment reduces when access is improved. Accessibility planning reduces unemployment and
under employment.

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014
 Accessibility planning – page 11

Further information
Abley, S. and Halden D. (2013), NZTA research report 512: The New Zealand accessibility
analysis methodology
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/512/docs/512.pdf

Blake, J. and Chapman, S. (2010): Planning for improved access – the Gisborne Integrated
Planning Pilot (paper to the NZPI conference, 2010)
http://www.planning.org.nz/Folder?Action=View%20File&Folder_id=185&File=Blake.pdf

Blake, J. (article in Planning Quarterly 2010):Accessibility Planning – comparing New

Zealand and England

Chapman, S. and Weir, D., Booz and Co. (2006), NZTA research report 253: Accessiblity
Planning Methods http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/363/docs/363.pdf

Devon County Council. Detailed Chapter on Devon’s Accessibility Strategy.

www.devon.gov.uk/dltp-accessibility-strategy-2006.pdf (accessed 20 January 2010)

European Academy of the Urban Environment (1998) Utrecht: 'ABC' planning as a planning
instrument in urban transport policy. An extract from the database 'SURBAN – Good
practice in urban development' at www.eaue.de/winuwd/default.htm].
www.eaue.de/winuwd/131.htm (accessed 20 January 2010)

Kilby, K. (Atkins) and Smith, N. (CRSP) (report for DfT, 2012): Accessibility Planning Policy:
Evaluation and Future Directions – final report
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3190/acc
essibility-planning-evaluation-report.pdf

The NZ Transport Agency’s BCA Strategic Options toolkit

2 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from September 2014