Strategic Bus Stop Allocation for Enhanced Accessibility in the Amman Bus Rapid Transit

Currently in the initial operation phases, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) of Amman, the capital city of Jordan, is facing low-ridership and efficiency challenges and may not be living up to its goals of reducing congestion, increasing mobility options, and addressing transportation equity challenges. Although Amman is a highly dense city, with multiple centers and mixed-use land use around the BRT line, the first-mile/last-mile (FMLM) gap remains a primary barrier to achieving its compactness and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) goals. In light of these challenges, this paper examines the location of BRT stops/stations, which play a significant role in enhancing the accessibility and walkability to the BRT and allowing for efficient mode integration. Using Urban Network Analysis (UNA) toolkit, this paper explores optimal locations for bus stops along the pre-determined BRT route. With a particular emphasis on achieving improved last-mile accessibility, which focuses on travel distance and routes to and from transit stations, namely, the first or last leg of a trip, we focus on three centrality indices to locate accessible areas: (1) reach, (2) gravity, and (3) straightness. Considering the optimal distances between BRT stops, we divided the areas around the BRT line into zones of 2*2 km2 and identified 3 to 6 hotpots representing optimal stop locations. The paper concludes with a suggested allocation of BRT stops that increase the accessibility and efficiency of BRT, which pose to support Amman in achieving TOD goals.