You are here

Publications

A Study on Accessibility Assessment for the Mobility Handicapped in Seoul Metro

Author: 
Sinhae Lee · Chunghan Ryu

This study aimed to develop an accessibility assessment model for the mobility handicapped in Seoul Metro and verify its validity. Based on the result of ‘Developing an Accessibility Assessment Index for the Mobility Handicapped Using the Public Transportation of Seoul: A Focus on Metro Stations(2020),’ a preliminary multidimensional accessibility assessment model was developed and the final assessment model was confirmed through on-site verification at Seokchon Station. Basic principles of the final accessibility assessment model for the mobility handicapped in Seoul metro are inclusive design, cooperative relationships with the stakeholders, and application of system perspective. Furthermore, the model was designed to be analyzed in four dimensions: space(a radius of 500m for a metro station), plane(assessment area), line(movement of getting on and off), and point(convenience facilities and services). The detailed manual of the assessment model consisted of 7 assessment locations, 40 assessment areas, and 463 objective assessment items with a 5-point rating system. The accessibility for the mobility handicapped was verified on-site at Express Bus Terminal Station and Seoul Station by applying the final assessment manual. The results of applying the assessment model are as follows. First, the accessibility for the mobility handicapped in the space dimension(a radius of 500m for a metro station) was B- for Express Bus Terminal Station and B0 for Seoul Station. In terms of the grade distribution of accessibility by the type of the mobility handicapped, Express Bus Terminal Station appeared as C0~C+ and Seoul station appeared as C0~B-. Based on the results, it is possible to not only comprehensively assess the accessibility for the mobility handicapped in the station(a radius of 500m) but also to perform a detailed assessment reflecting the characteristics of each type of the mobility handicapped. Second, in the analysis of the plane dimension(assessment area) at Express Bus Terminal Station and Seoul Station, the accessibility ratings of ‘between the turnstile and platform(assessment area 4)’, ‘transfer passageway(assessment area 5)’, and ‘metro trains(assessment area 6)’ tended to be higher than those of other assessment areas while the ratings of ‘entrance from outside the station(assessment area 1)’, ‘waiting room from an entrance(assessment area 2)’, and ‘facilities(assessment area 3)’ tended to be low in both stations. The subjective ratings also indicated a similar tendency to objective ratings. These results suggested that this assessment manual could classify the accessibility for the mobility handicapped by plane dimension(assessment area) and make it easy to identify the priority of improvement in each assessment area. Third, based on analyzing the line dimension(movement of getting on and off) and point dimension(convenience facilities and services), it was possible to design the actual movement by checking the accessibility for the mobility handicapped. In addition, the subjective accessibility of the movement for each type of the mobility handicapped was identified. In order to improve visibility, the accessibility of actual movement for the mobility handicapped was marked with intuitive symbols and colors on the detailed map of the two stations. Finally, we propose the accessibility map of Seoul Metro for the mobility handicapped. This map can be the fundamental data for establishing a mid-to-long-term improvement plan for accessibility of the mobility handicapped in Seoul Metro and utilized as essential traffic information for the actual movement of the stakeholders.