Measuring the long-distance accessibility of Italian cities

Long-distance accessibility is a crucial element for economic development and for territorial cohesion. However, an accurate and realistic measure of accessibility must consider not only the distance or travel time of a single mode, but also the fare levels, the frequency and the interchanges of all modes available. The paper aims at answering at the question whether and where there is a problem of accessibility to Italian regions, thanks to a comprehensive measure of accessibility of the entire Italian territory. The measure used in the paper is potential accessibility, with exponential decay impedance function. Differently from similar studies, we go more in detail in the definition of impedance parameters, thanks to the availability of a transport model, including the entire Italian long distance supply (roads, coaches, long distance rail services, air services, ferries). The opportunities at destination are proxied by population, private and public sector employees. The main paper outputs are detailed maps of accessibility, much more realistic than using simple infrastructure indicators. Modal maps clarify also the different roles of the modes in the different areas of the country. Finally we draw some policy conclusions, in terms of past and future investment policies. In particular, we show that the geography of inaccessibility is more complex than the expected one, based on the rough North/South opposition.