Abstract
Accessibility is a valuable indicator for assessing the effectiveness of a transport network.
Nevertheless, its analysis can lead to very heterogeneous results depending on the method
adopted, thus still struggling to be considered by policy makers and in planning processes. This
article contributes to the development of an accessibility analysis as a planning tool, by proposing
an alternative model to estimate the relative accessibility of a destination by public transport
(PT). Indeed, PT is a mobility paradigm that has been supported to reduce the negative externalities
produced by private transport, especially in environmentally fragile contexts. The
model includes a set of eleven factors affecting public transport operation which refer to four
macro topics: connectivity, multimodality, tariff/ticketing, and info-mobility. They are integrated
into a Public Transport Accessibility index which analyses a series of nodes along a route
and detects the progressive variation of accessibility. Eventual shifts are highlighted, including
information about the factors feeding them. The model is tested for the Lana-Zurich (IT-CH)
connection, showing how the most relevant issues are caused by difficulties in the transnational
and transregional integration of the services. Through this process, the model aims at backing
policy makers in the detection and understanding of public transport barriers and related causes.