Understanding Access To Services: Using GIS Tools To Improve Transport Services In Dorset

The case study captures the basics of how the analysis was undertaken and how the use of software tools evolved. There is a summary of the information provided for policy-makers, along with examples of how it is being used to improve regeneration delivery.

Background

Aims

The immediate aims of the research were to identify areas in which there was poor access to services in rural areas for a range of groups that tend to rely more on public transport. The analysis was to inform the local transport plan and time tabling decisions for public transport services in rural areas. 

Challenges

There are data issues that affect the research. Initially there was a lack of public transport data in the analysis. Using Accession provided a solution to this. However, keeping transport timetable information up to date and a geo-coded database of services regularly up dated can be problematic.

History

The standard  tool used to identify areas with poor access to services (the English Indices of Deprivation) highlights very poor access to services in many areas of Dorset, where rural services and facilities have been closing over a number of years. However, using the Indices of Deprivation can only be a starting point. Supporting the development and monitoring of  policies aimed at improving access to services for particular groups who are known to be deprived of it (e.g. young people, older people, those on benefits) requires further systematic analysis of various datasets relating to the  reasons behind poor access.
Therefore, the challenge was to bring together and combine different data sets to provide an evidence base for making decisions on how best to improve access to services for a range of disadvantaged groups in communities across Dorset.

The research enabled a change in the way information was fed into Dorset County Council’s local transport plan. In the past surveys and local knowledge, combined with demand expressed by the public had informed decision-making. A sounder evidence base was wanted, with a more detailed analysis of the needs of different socio-demographic groups.

Research

The research examined where individuals belonging to a particular target group lived in relation to the services they wanted to use. For this purpose, the rural research team developed a simple analytical framework which defined the geographic ‘accessibility’ for an individual as a combination of: -

• Their physical distance from a specific service delivery point, and
• Their mobility  to cover that distance

In a rural county, access to services is more difficult for those without private transport. Key groups include young people, older people and low-income households. However, each group needs to be looked at separately as the types of services they prioritise vary. The initial work looked at young people. It identified where young people live and which services they prioritise. It then mapped the county to highlight areas with poor access to services. The work was then extended to other groups of interest.

GIS mapping software was used to analyse and present the data.

Profiles of people involved

Pete Jackson a Senior Researcher pulled together the data required and did the analysis. Ian Denness heads the Research and Information Team at Dorset County Council.
In addition the Youth and Community Service provided survey results for mapping the access of young people to the services they value. The work was undertaken with members of the Passenger Transport Team (who were very supportive) and various other partners.

Case Study Detail

The case study describes both the research undertaken and how the GIS software used changed as the tools improved. The main description covers the approach used with young people. However the basic approach in terms of the data needed is similar for looking at individual accessibility to services.

The basic approach involves populating the database with  relevant census data as required (age, gender, postcode etc.) and entering the geo-coded information (either postcodes or 50m grid points) on services in the area. The fields and ranges are selected as required and a spreadsheet is generated. This is used to produce thematic maps, using GIS software. The thematic maps are either focused for specific services (e.g. GPs, shops, etc.) or by target group (e.g. older people, young people etc.)

The methodology used to understand young people’s access to the services they most value had three basic stages.

Firstly, the distance of each young person from the nearest delivery points for a range of services is calculated. This gives a distance score. The range of services is weighted according to the importance the target group places on each. In this example a Youth and Community Service survey of young people’s preferences was used to provide the weights for different services such as: schools and colleges, leisure centres, youth clubs, shops, job centres, night clubs and so on.

Secondly, a mobility score is derived using data on the number of cars per household and distance to bus stops. [With the extension of the work using Accession, public transport timetables can be easily incorporated, thus access at different times of day can be compared].

The third step is to combine these scores to produce an accessibility score and a ranked accessibility index.

The research on youth access deprivation in Dorset clearly highlighted the areas and identified the number of young people living in areas with limited services. What was significant was that many of these areas had not been identified in previous accessibility studies.

Using Accession – which is normally available to Local Transport Plan Teams in local authorities – has enabled the research on access and young people to be taken a stage further. The facility of having public transport timetables imbedded in Accession enables the limitation of only using GIS software analysis to be addressed. The arrival of Accession (and its’ improvement as new versions came out) made this type of analysis much easier and more robust.

The initial work took around three months to set up. Updates or further queries are relatively straightforward to undertake once the database has been set up.

Results

A broad theme that emerged was the poor levels of access to services for those living in small towns (i.e. where there is no leisure centre, secondary schools, dentists, cinemas, job centres etc.). This was the first time that more detailed analysis had provided the evidence to back up anecdotal reports. The analysis highlighted small towns as sites for developing local delivery. The findings raised issues of how to promote alternative (non-car) transport. As a result timetables were changed in order to provide better access for target groups.

The use of Accession has enabled other spin-offs to support decision-making. There are examples of big developments on the outskirts of towns being called in for review by government. By providing analysis to district councils about the access to services from proposed new building developments, it is more likely that decisions which support the sustainability agenda, through reducing the need for private transport, may be reached.

Analysis undertaken using Accession has provided baseline data for the Local Public Service Agreement and supports decision-making on where to target resources in order to make progress against national performance indicators.

Pete Jackson feels that in many ways, his recent work has been very focused on ensuring evidence is used to improve  people’s lives. It has been the culmination of his approach to research – this takes the tools available and uses them in an environment with committed management support, where there are strong links with policy and practice. Effective linkages are important: from working with partners to undertake the analysis and present the results through to influencing strategies and local action plans.

Conclusions

Using data management tools like Accession that can combine different sources of data and present the results graphically have a very valuable role in ensuring evidence in brought in to policy making, setting indicators and targets and monitoring impact over time.

The use and subsequent improvement of Accession has made the analysts’ work much easier and their consequent contribution to policy-making more significant.

However, this cannot be done on the cheap. It needs a champion in a research team and strong links into departments that are responsible for policy and delivery. It is important for the research team to be active in bridging the gap with partners responsible for a particular area of local delivery.

In terms of transferability to other organisations –both the approach and the way the software tools are applied – can be used widely. There has been clear value in using this way of presenting evidence to back up, complement or challenge local knowledge.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do

• Get trained in using Accession – contact MVA at www.accessiongis.com
• Network and communicate. Find out who is doing this type of work well, either in your organisation or another, an learn from them
• Present maps at the geography that your audience best understands and finds useful for decision-making: – parish, ward, district, county etc.
• Buy dedicated computers to run the analysis on. Complex queries can take all day to run. It doesn’t make sense to have your analyst’s computer tied up.
• Engage with your GIS section, if you have one, to get technical support and to help in obtaining data
• Invest in a strong research team
  

Don’t

• Be a perfectionist – do the best you can with the data and tools that are available to your team.
• Be put off by entrenched negative views regarding software solutions.
• Neglect the challenge of chasing data providers in order to keep databases up to date
  

Find out more

To discuss the approach used by Dorset County Council contact Pete Jackson.

To find out more about Accession contact GIS, Research & Information or Local Transport Plan Teams in your local authority or go to www.accessiongis.com.