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[2602.15470] The Skeletal Trap: Mapping Spatial Inequality and Ghost Stops in Ankara's Transit Network
Summary
This article explores Ankara's public transport crisis, attributing it to structural issues rather than mere inefficiencies. It highlights spatial inequalities in transit access, particularly affecting peripheral districts.
Why It Matters
Understanding the structural causes of transit inequality in Ankara is crucial for urban planners and policymakers. This study provides empirical insights that can inform more equitable transportation solutions, addressing the needs of underserved communities.
Key Takeaways
- Ankara's transit issues are rooted in structural and morphological factors.
- Peripheral districts face significant service gaps compared to central areas.
- The study utilizes a Connectivity-Based Weighted Distribution Model for analysis.
- Findings reveal persistent center-periphery asymmetries in transit access.
- Addressing these inequalities is essential for improving urban mobility.
Physics > Physics and Society arXiv:2602.15470 (physics) [Submitted on 17 Feb 2026] Title:The Skeletal Trap: Mapping Spatial Inequality and Ghost Stops in Ankara's Transit Network Authors:Elifnaz Kancan View a PDF of the paper titled The Skeletal Trap: Mapping Spatial Inequality and Ghost Stops in Ankara's Transit Network, by Elifnaz Kancan View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Ankara's public transport crisis is commonly framed as a shortage of buses or operational inefficiency. This study argues that the problem is fundamentally morphological and structural. The city's leapfrog urban expansion has produced fragmented peripheral clusters disconnected from a rigid, center-oriented bus network. As a result, demand remains intensely concentrated along the Kizilay-Ulus axis and western corridors, while peripheral districts experience either chronic under-service or enforced transfer dependency. The deficiency is therefore not merely quantitative but rooted in the misalignment between urban macroform and network architecture. The empirical analysis draws on a 173-day operational dataset derived from route-level passenger and trip reports published by EGO under the former "Transparent Ankara" initiative. To overcome the absence of stop-level geospatial data, a Connectivity-Based Weighted Distribution Model reallocates passenger volumes to 1 km x 1 km grid cells using network centrality. The findings reveal persistent center-periphery asymmetries, structural bottlenecks, and spa...
