PEDESTRIAN URBAN ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE ELDERLY TO BUS PUBLIC TRANSPORT BOARDING POINTS IN BELO HORIZONTE, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Abstract

This study investigates pedestrian urban accessibility for the elderly population to bus public transport boarding points in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The research is framed within the context of accelerated population aging and urban development marked by socio-spatial inequalities, which present significant challenges to equitable urban mobility. The main objective was to develop a synthetic indicator — the Elderly Accessibility Index to Boarding Points (IA_pe) — capable of measuring pedestrian accessibility for individuals aged 60 and over, considering variables such as walking time, terrain slope, and the spatial distribution of the elderly population. The methodology employed data from the National Register of Addresses for Statistical Purposes (CNEFE/IBGE), static GTFS data on public transport boarding points, and the road network from Open Street Map. Travel time estimation was performed using the R5R computational package, which simulates walking speeds adjusted for slope, assuming an average speed of 2.7 km/h for elderly individuals. Spatial analyses were conducted using H3 hexagons (0.11 km²) and integrated techniques of regression, interpolation, and statistical normalization. The results indicate that, although most areas in the municipality present satisfactory levels of accessibility, low accessibility levels persist in peripheral regions and high-slope areas, particularly those with lower income. It is concluded that the IA_pe is a robust and innovative tool for informing public policies aimed at inclusive urban mobility, contributing to the development of just cities capable of accommodating the demands of an aging population.