Numerical Simulation and Spatial Distribution of Transportation Accessibility in the Regions Involved in the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Chinese strategy, proposed to strengthen the connectivity and cooperation among BRI countries. Under this circumstance, many transportation projects are planned to be carried out, which means the transportation accessibility evaluation is of significance in providing valuable suggestions for transportation construction. This research established a global transportation accessibility index (GTAI) model in the BRI region using raster data. Based on its gridded outputs, we conducted classification evaluation, autocorrelation analysis, and a geographical weighted regression model to explore the spatial characteristics of the GTAI distribution and its correlation with population density. The results show that: (1) most countries in Europe and the Middle East, western Russia, and eastern China enjoy high accessibility, while central regions (e.g., Central Asia and western China) have poor access to destinations; (2) the GTAI values are distributed as a spindle, where about 60% areas belong to the middle transportation accessibility region, mapped as a non-significant type; and (3) there is a positive relationship between transportation accessibility and population distribution, but their connection tends to be weaker as socioeconomic development increases. Finally, several policy implementations are provided: (1) give a priority to road or railway construction between China and Central Asian countries; (2) establish an innovative transportation system and introduce advanced technologies to enhance the exchange and cooperation among the BRI countries; (3) improve public transport management in well-developed regions, and introduce talents and strengthen transportation infrastructure construction in developing regions.

China’s One Belt and One Road Initiative and Outward Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Europe

“…In 2013, China's president, Xi Jinping, proposed building the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", also known as the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI). This initiative involves infrastructure construction and also seeks to establish a widespread setup for economic cooperation, policy cooperation, trade and business collaboration, and everlasting cultural cooperation [1,2]. Through open, transparent, and efficient cooperation, participating countries are likely to avail themselves of substantial mutual economic benefits from the Belt and Road Initiative.…”

The Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on the Air Transport Network in Central Asia: A Case Study of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

“…In order to visualize the transportation accessibility of the BRI region using grid cells (Lobyrev et al, 2018). Shi et al (2019) suggested a global accessibility index. The density of the roads, railroads, and waterways is calculated and then combined to produce the impact.…”

“…The average of the transportation convenience and density indices is known as the global accessibility index (Liu, 2018). Grid-based or area-based assessment approaches have been utilized by both Chhetri et al (2018) and Shi et al (2019), but little has been known about the connectivity linkages in transportation networks. Derudder et al's (2018) study of the six BRI routes' cities' centrality.…”

The Issue of Urban Transport Planning in Saudi Arabia: Concepts and Future Challenges

“…In a study it was noted that people should be able to reach their destinations with minimum limitations or delays, regardless of the direction of their travel [14]. It is evident from the available literature that the notion of accessibility includes the end-user, the transport system, travel time, and land use [15]. Nevertheless, the issue is even more complex because accessibility may depend on additional factors such as leisure activities, housing, wellbeing, and available health services [16].…”