Exploring the Spatial Variation of Access/Egress Distances of Subway Stations Using Mobile Phone Positioning Data in Chengdu, China

Abstract

The distance from the origin or destination to or from the subway station is defined as the access or egress distance, which determines the service coverage of the subway station. However, little literature studies the distances at the station level, and they may vary from station to station. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influencing factors and spatial variation of the distances at the station level by using the mobile phone positioning data of more than 1.2 million anonymous users in Chengdu, China. First, this study proposes a method to extract the access and egress trips of the subway. Next, the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models are carried out to select the significant explanatory variables. Finally, the geographically weighted regression (GWR) models are used to model the spatial variation relationship between the 85th percentile access/egress distances and the selected explanatory variables. The results show that different stations’ access/egress distances vary significantly in space. Hotel, residence, life, finance, road density, and mixed land use are found to be negatively correlated with distances, while education, 36–45 years old, male, and high education are positively correlated. In addition, the GWR model reveals that the influence of explanatory variables on access/egress distance varies from space to space. The results further promote the understanding of the existing system and provide a relevant reference for planners and transportation departments to optimize land use and public transportation planning.