Accessibility Observatory

Project summary:

The creation of the Accessibility Observatory will establish an organization within the University of Minnesota focused on the research and application of accessibility-based transportation system evaluation. The Observatory will be guided by a threefold mission: 1) To advance the field of transportation system evaluation through research of new data sources and methods for accessibility evaluation; 2) To develop standards and tools to facilitate the use and communication of accessibility-based metrics in transportation planning, engineering, and evaluation; and 3) To apply tools and expertise in support of continual improvements in the planning, design, engineering, and analysis of transportation systems.

The Observatory's initial goal will be the development, application, and continuous improvement of a system for multimodal accessibility evaluation. Outputs from this system will be publicized through a series of annual reports summarizing trends in accessibility across major U.S. metropolitan areas.