A Multicriteria Analytical Framework for Site Selection of Mobility Hubs

Abstract

Mobility hubs (MHs) have emerged as a novel concept to enhance multimodal travel. A MH provides supporting infrastructure, amenities, and services for multimodal travelers at strategic locations, facilitating seamless integration of various modes. Despite growing interest in MHs, cities and transit agencies lack an established analytical framework for selecting optimal MH locations. To address this gap, we propose a multicriteria approach to identify locations for MH development within an existing or planned transit network. Our approach consists of four steps: 1) determine key criteria and collect data, 2) compute MH index for multiple scenarios, 3) identify MHs and assign typology, and 4) determine MH sites with community engagement. Our approach differs from existing methods by using transit stop clusters (obtained using a density-based clustering algorithm) as the unit of analysis, explicitly incorporating first-/last-mile connectivity as a primary consideration, and distinguishing the typology of each hub. We demonstrate and validate the approach by conducting case studies in Gainesville, Florida, and in West Palm Beach, Florida. In both cities, we have engaged the local transportation agencies and residents, whose inputs verified the desirability of the identified MH locations and confirmed the usefulness of the proposed approach. By combing data-driven analysis with community participation, our approach offers a valuable tool for transportation planners and policymakers in MH planning and development across diverse contexts. We acknowledge several limitations of the proposed approach and emphasize the role of this method as one step in a broader, stakeholder-driven planning process.