Public transport planning evaluation tools and their data requirements and availability

This paper describes two different public transport planning evaluation tools that are used to support planning activities in The Netherlands and Brazil. In the paper extra attention is paid to data requirements and availability. The Dutch tool generates so-called Public Transport Potential Maps that present the potential of public transport at the level of 6-digit postal code zones based on area and public transport related characteristics. With the Brazilian tool, existing and new implemented public transport routes can be evaluated. To identify urban features that influence the performance of the public transport system, the tool compares characteristics of the urban spaces with the different typologies of public transport routes. Examples of the use of both tools including data requirement and availability are shown in this paper, stressing the fact that GIS is currently an essential and universal tool for public transportation planning, despite the conditions of the site and the complexity of the model under analysis.