Assessing the link between rail transit usage and multimodal integration

Current planning literature considers rail transit usage a function of neighborhood design (ND) parameters (such as density, diversity, and connectivity) around station areas at a microlevel. However, during the early development stages of a rail transit system in a city, integration with the other modes may be equally influential on the rail transit usage, which must be determined. For this purpose, ridership data of 14 rail transit stations were evaluated based on both (i) ND parameters and (ii) multi-modal integration (MMI) parameters, along two existing urban rail corridors in Ankara, Turkey. A principal component analysis, as a part of quantitative analysis, suggested MMI as one of the three main components. Statistical regression model results also showed a clear relation between the ridership and MMI, which was clearer along the metro corridor, which serves suburban regions.