Shaky Foundation
Two shaky methodological fundamentals upon which Metro's network redesign plan and its equity analysis are based are: 1) how proximity is conceived and measured; and 2) how the low income population is conceived and measured when determining equity. Shaky foundations lead to shaky conclusions. How shaky? Sensitivity analyses, often performed by a third party, could provide reasonable estimates. Proximity as Distance and Travel Time "These are simple measures that combine existing distance, time and population information." (p. 40 of the Alternatives Report August 2, 2021) Not simple at all! Let us first consider distance. Distance How realistic is it to consider distance to a bus stop measured with a ruler on a flat map? If measuring distance without consideration for possible impediments is how the Redesign Study came up with its ¼ mile rule, what does one think when reading in the study's own 2021 Alternatives report: For transit, freeways are barriers, not c...