Flying the gap: Evaluating the impact of aerial cable car on accessibility to discretionary activities: The case of TransMiCable in Bogotá

Abstract

Transport equity is a fundamental policy goal that seeks to fairly distribute its benefits among the population segments in greatest need. This article quantifies the accessibility effects on transport equity brought by TransMiCable, an Aerial cable car (ACC) in Bogotá, Colombia. We consider the spatial and individual distribution of benefits, using location-based (potential accessibility and cumulative opportunity) and person-based accessibility (spatio-temporal accessibility) measures to evaluate the impact of accessibility to discretionary activities presented by the ACC. Two scenarios were evaluated. The baseline scenario considered the public transport system without the ACC, while the ‘after’ scenario considered the ACC. Additionally, the Concentration Index (CI) was calculated to assess the transport equity levels for each scenario and accessibility measure. The ACC slightly increased accessibility to discretionary activities, independent of the accessibility measure. The benefits are concentrated around the ACC stations, reaching an average increase of 15.1% in the potential accessibility measure, 23.7% in the cumulative opportunity measure, and 18.6% in the spatio-temporal accessibility measure. Although the city's transport inequity (CI) is reduced with the ACC, the accessibility distribution continued to favour the high-income groups. Regarding individual benefits, teens, individuals who are occupied with household chores, and households with children or cars all benefited less from the ACC. Remarkably, low-income households benefited more in the ACC's area of influence. We conclude that while TransMicable contributes to a more equitable transport at the city scale and delivers the greatest benefits for disadvantaged communities at the local level around their stations, its benefits do not translate to other neighbourhoods where accessibility disparities persist.