Evaluation of Barrier-Free Facilities of Metro Stations Based on AFC Data: A Case Study in Shenzhen, China

The metro is the main component of public transportation in China's large cities. However, the existing Chinese standards for barrier-free facilities in metro stations have no uniform requirement for the number of barrier-free facilities. This paper uses automatic fare collection (AFC) data to study the usage of accessible elevators at entrances of Shenzhen metro stations and the characteristics associated with usage. An evaluation system was proposed from the perspectives of supply types and facility layout. It was found that the usage is distributed in a strip, which is concentrated in the stations along Metro Line 1 in Luohu District, Futian District, and Nanshan District. The usage on working days is small and variable, while that on non-working days is large but relatively stable and the usage changes periodically. The results of this study can serve as a reference for the construction and improvement of metro barrier-free facilities in other cities.