Exploring the Impact of Different Cut-off Times on Isochrone Measurements of Accessibility

Isochrone analysis and assessments of cumulative opportunities are a common way to quantify accessibility. However, different time cut-offs have been used by different researchers, with little investigation into what is the ‘best’ cut-off time. Outstanding questions remain concerning the most effective or predictive cut-off time and the potential implications of choosing one time limit over another. The primary objective of this paper is to explore how different cut-off times affect the calculation of isochrone-based accessibility measurements and their potential to predict travel-mode choice. Fifty dissemination areas (DAs) within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) are selected to test the impact of different isochrone cut-off times in 5-minute intervals for public transit, automobile, and walking accessibility. The relative predictive power of 30- and 45-minute isochrones in modeling mode choice is also examined. This paper finds that different cut-off times do impact the interpretability of accessibility measurements in the isochrone approach, but a defined cut-off time for general use cannot be determined based on the analysis.