Spatiotemporal patterns and factors influencing metro ridership of people with disabilities

Rail transit’s safety and convenience have made it a preferred option for people with disabilities. In this study, utilizing the geographically weighted regression based on the network weight matrix (NWM GWR) model, we investigated the spatiotemporal patterns and influencing factors of metro ridership among this group in Nanjing, China. Our findings revealed significant fluctuations in metro ridership across seasons, with a decrease observed during summer. We also discovered that people with disabilities had evening peak hours one hour earlier than regular peak hours on weekdays, while weekends did not exhibit a significant peak. Geographically, metro trips of individuals with disabilities were concentrated in Old City and Main City. Furthermore, the results revealed that except distance to CBD and access to barrier-free facilities, the other factors positively influenced weekday and weekend ridership of people with disabilities. These insights provide valuable guidance for enhancing the mobility and accessibility of people with disabilities.