Measuring perceived long-distance accessibility

Source abstract

Over recent years, perceived accessibility has gained interest, yet is primarily studied in the context of daily travel. Relatively little is known about perceived long-distance accessibility, that is, the perceived ability to reach distant destinations of at least 100 km away. This paper develops and tests a measurement scale for perceived long-distance accessibility using data collected in 2025 among long-distance travellers in the Netherlands. First, we conduct an exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying factors of perceived long-distance accessibility. Next, we apply a confirmatory factor analysis to validate the factor solution. Lastly, we explore relations between perceived long-distance accessibility levels and background information (among others, gender, age, educational attainment, employment status, household income, and level of urbanity) using a linear regression model and latent class analysis. Our analysis reveals four key dimensions of perceived long-distance accessibility among Dutch long-distance travellers: travel options, digital skills, needs and desires, and time availability. Overall, the measurement scale developed in this paper allows to quantitatively identify differences in levels of perceived long-distance accessibility among individuals, which in turn equips policymakers and practitioners with insights necessary to promote a more inclusive long-distance passenger transport system.