Why It Matters Public Transport Underground Rail
Summary
We have scored the ease of access to, service frequency, and average distance from public transport in your postcode.
Definition
We have determined how far you must walk to the nearest bus stops and the other nearest forms of transport (overground, underground, and trams).
This is measured as:
The straight line distance to the nearest Underground rail station to the given postcode, presented as a distance in metres.
The walk time to the nearest Underground rail station to the given postcode, presented as a numerical value in minutes.
The frequency of Underground trains at the nearest Underground rail station to the given postcode, presented as a numerical value referring to vehicles per hour (vph).
The standard waiting time at the nearest Underground rail station to the postcode before an Underground train arrives, presented as a numerical value in minutes.
Interpretation
London Underground Transport Access
| Dataset | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Mode | Which mode of public transport does this relate to. |
| Stop | The name of the stop that the mode of transport relates to. |
| Distance | How far the average dwelling in this postcode is from this transport connection. |
| Difference from the average | How far above or below the London-wide average distance to an underground station, your nearest underground station is (i.e. +/- distance from this transport connection within this postcode. Calculated as deviation from the mean distance to a public transport connection). |
| Walk Time (mins) | The average time it takes for a person dwelling in this postcode to walk to the nearest public transport connection. |
| The quartile (25% band) your postcode falls into comparted to the Average Walk Time | This shows whether the the average walktime to an underground station in this postcode falls in the bottom, middle or top 25% compared to the rest of London (the lower the quartile, the less your relative walk time). |
| Waluelel Custom Transport Accessibility Score | Score out of 9 that tells you how easy it is on average to access the public transport network from this postcode. 1 is the most accessible and 9 is the least accessible. |
| Walulel Custom Composite Transport Score | Score out of 100 detailing how frequent and how close public transport network service is from this area. Simply put, the lower the score here the better your experience of using public transport from this postcode will be with 1 being the most abundant and 100 the least abundant. |
Why the metric matters from a commercial inhabitant’s perspective
The connectedness of a given neighbourhood impacts the local economy in many ways. Mobility shapes land use and future developments and this can create or discourage commuting to work in the area, promotes trade and access to markets, and also affects energy use, air quality and Co2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions. If a neighbourhood is well-connected, you can expect a much higher number of people to be willing to commute to work there, or to come and use the facilities of an area on the weekend, thus boosting commerce.
What kinds of companies, shops, and markets are in your area? How would a much better (or a much worse) public transport affect how these were run? The proximity of your business to key public transport hubs will also affect the amount of people that pass by your shopfront each day, therefore if you are a general goods seller, strategic positioning in between or outside of these areas can greatly boost business. For more specialised businesses, you will want to consider how far your clientele are willing to travel to access your services.
Why the metric matters from a residential inhabitant’s perspective
High number of public transport links within a given location will increase the number of opportunities residents have to access education, employment, markets, and many other facilities. However, this can also create the feeling of a more transient community, with a high volume of residents and visitors moving in and out of the neighbourhood at all times. A less-well connected area may conversely have a stronger community feel, due to the increased probability of random and unplanned interaction between residents.
Communities with good public transport links are also likely to be more secure and have lower crime rates, as buses and trains have better overall security than private motor vehicles. Higher levels of public transport is also directly linked to reduced traffic congestion, air pollution, noise pollution, and healthier communities.
(Photograph: Wikimedia Commons)
General Commentary
Public transport is increasingly important as urban centres such as London continue to rapidly expand. Personal vehicles are incredibly inefficient, causing congestion, unexpected delays, significantly increased air pollution, and costing commuters much more. It makes sense that a smaller number of large vehicles is a better way to move people around a city. The desirability of public transport, however, is highly dependent on density. For example, in Barcelona, 30% of daily trips are made using public transport, whereas only 4% are in Atlanta.
This is because Barcelona is around 30 times denser, making public transport much more efficient. Another key factor is accessibility. Let’s compare the city centres of Beijing and London. Beijing is considerably denser than London, yet the number of workplaces that can be reached by a 20-minute walk inside the central business area of Guomao are much lower than Oxford Circus in London. This is because London has much narrower streets and roads, making the walkability of the city much better, and thus making public transport more preferable. If there are lots of nice, convenient places to walk around, private vehicles are seen as a drawback.
Trivia
Public transport operators are the biggest employers in Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Paris, and employ over 7 million people worldwide.
History
Public transport in London began in 1829 with the horse-drawn omnibus, which could seat 4-6 passengers inside the carriage, and sometimes a few more on the roof! Almost two decades later, in 1854, permission was granted to build the first underground railway. Opening in 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon, the first underground was a huge success, carrying 38,000 passengers on its first day. Horse-drawn carriages fell out of favour with the advent of the motor omnibus in 1902, however, this became highly problematic by the early 1920s, as there were no restrictions on competition. ‘Pirate’ buses were said to spring up during peak times, causing widespread congestion.
In 1924 the London Traffic Act was passed, bringing control to routes and transport operators, and later placing the control of all public transport in London into the hands of the government, which would later become the publicly owned corporation, Transport for London (TfL). The transport network continued to be expanded throughout the capital but was largely hindered by the outbreak of the two World Wars in the first half of the 20th century. During this time many of the underground stations were used to shelter civilians during bombing raids, and despite several casualties occurring, they mostly did an excellent job of keeping people safe. In the wake of WWII, the post-war growth of the UK economy saw authorities hurry to compensate for lost time, building the majority of the transport infrastructure that serves central London to this day.