Proximity Indexing of Public Transport Terminals in Metro Manila

Despite the extensive transit network in Metro Manila, intermodal connections between public transportation services are still fragmented. In response, authorities proposed various multimodal transport terminals around the periphery of the metropolis. However, there is a need to understand how these proposed terminals will impact existing transportation infrastructure and services as well as the current travel demand. This paper proposes a method that quantifies the nearness of any subject to any metric of interest, or in this case, the location of the terminal based on its proximity to existing transit supply and demand at different points in the transport network. It involves a simple methodology that requires only the spatial distribution of relevant transport planning data (e.g., public transport services, public transport passenger activity). It was found that the spatial distribution of the transport terminals in the study area is more closely related to the transit supply. Using the same methodology, several potential locations in Metro Manila (e.g., central terminal, terminal along a major junction) were assessed to see whether these are viable sites for a multimodal terminal. One scenario configuration was found to be better integrated with where trips start and/or end, while another seemed to improve integration of the existing railways.