Analyzing income-based inequality in transit nodal accessibility

Abstract

Public transit is the main travel mode for residents in major urban areas to access different socioeconomic resources. Nodal accessibility can be used to measure the level of transit-based connectivity for residents from one neighborhood to socioeconomic resources in other neighborhoods. While many existing studies have measured the spatial inequality in nodal accessibility, few have comprehensively explored income-based inequality in nodal accessibility, especially between the richest and poorest of the population. This study examines the income-based inequality in nodal accessibility in Hong Kong using both the Gini coefficient and the 20:20 ratio. Our study shows that except Kowloon City, Sai Kung and Kwai Tsing, all districts suffer from some degree of inequality either among its middle-income residents or between its richest and poorest 20% residents. Besides, among all 18 districts, the poorest 20% living in Islands District not only have the lowest median monthly household income but also are most disadvantaged in terms of nodal accessibility compared to the richest 20% living in the same district. Overall, the results indicate that the Gini coefficient alone is inadequate in revealing the inequality between the richest and poorest of the population, while the 20:20 ratio can complement such inadequacy. Our results can inform policymakers to develop measures to alleviate income-based inequality in nodal accessibility.