Gap assessments · First/Last Mile Gaps Analysis Guide

Each assessment asks one question of the connection between a Priority Area and the subject, answered with a verdict: Not a gap, Moderate, or Severe. The evidence shows where to look. The guiding questions help pin down what is failing and how severely, using other available data and local knowledge.

The typical responses name the class of intervention a gap implies, not a specific project.

Standard first/last mile gap assessments

Assessment	What it asks	Evidence	Guiding questions	Typical responses
Pedestrian environment	Is the walk inside this area comfortable?	A walk-comfort score for each unit, built from its streets, tree canopy, and paved surface.	Where the walk is exposed, is it from a lack of tree canopy or from building forms? How complete, wide, and buffered from traffic are the sidewalks? Are there major barriers, such as high-speed roads or multi-lane arterials, on the most direct routes to transit?	Shade · streetscape · buffered sidewalk
Travel-time competitiveness	Is transit here competitive with the alternatives?	Door-to-door time of the fastest transit trip between the area and the subject, beside the fastest trip by other means.	What door-to-door transit options are available, and how long does each take? How does that time compare with driving, given how far the area is from the subject? Is there a transit option at all at the times the area’s objectives need?	Direct feeder · route restructuring · speed or reliability improvement
Transfer burden	How many times must a rider change vehicles to get here?	The number of transfers on the fastest transit trip between the area and the subject.	Which services must a rider take to reach the subject, and where do they change? How long are the waits at each transfer, and are the connections timed? Could a direct service remove the transfer?	Network restructure · direct feeder
Service frequency	How long is the wait in the window that matters?	How often the least frequent route on the fastest transit trip runs.	How often does each service on the trip run at the times the area’s objectives need it? Does frequency drop off in the evening or on weekends? Which leg of the trip has the longest wait?	Frequency increase · BRT upgrade
Service span	Does service run when this area's objectives need it?	The hours and days each route on the fastest transit trip runs.	Does service start early and run late enough for the trips the area’s objectives imply, such as shift work or evening retail? Does it run on weekends? Which trips does the timetable leave unserved?	Span extension
Access distance	How far must a rider walk to use transit here?	Total walking on the fastest transit trip: to the first stop, between stops, and from the last stop.	How far must a rider walk to the first stop and from the last? Is the walk direct, or does the street network force detours? Is there a closer stop, or could one be moved or added?	Stop siting · path connection · microtransit