Over the last years, transport policies have promoted a renaissance of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), for the great operational performance they ensure, and the opportunities of urban redevelopment they provide. However, to make sure that such systems meet users’ need and – mainly – are effectively used, it is of utmost importance to assess how their access point (i.e., the stops) are perceived, being the first contact-point with the users. With this aim, the research proposes a methodology to quantitatively return a measure of the perceived accessibility of a MRT stop, based on socio-economic factors and urban characteristics that may affect users’ perception. More precisely, two composite indices are computed: the People Index and the Place Index. The methodology was applied to the project of the T2 “Pendolina – Fiera” tramway line of Brescia, as an ex-ante evaluation. Indeed, still being at a project-phase (the line is expected to start the service in 2030), the analysis allowed to identify which factors can influence user’s perception of each stop and, therefore, define strategies to improve the values obtained for the different indices.
Assessing the Perceived Accessibility of a Future Mass Rapid Transit Infrastructure: The Case Study of the New T2 Tramway Line of Brescia
Michelangelo Fusi;Michela Bonera
2026-01-01
Abstract
Over the last years, transport policies have promoted a renaissance of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), for the great operational performance they ensure, and the opportunities of urban redevelopment they provide. However, to make sure that such systems meet users’ need and – mainly – are effectively used, it is of utmost importance to assess how their access point (i.e., the stops) are perceived, being the first contact-point with the users. With this aim, the research proposes a methodology to quantitatively return a measure of the perceived accessibility of a MRT stop, based on socio-economic factors and urban characteristics that may affect users’ perception. More precisely, two composite indices are computed: the People Index and the Place Index. The methodology was applied to the project of the T2 “Pendolina – Fiera” tramway line of Brescia, as an ex-ante evaluation. Indeed, still being at a project-phase (the line is expected to start the service in 2030), the analysis allowed to identify which factors can influence user’s perception of each stop and, therefore, define strategies to improve the values obtained for the different indices.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
