Community Structure Division and Ridership Characteristics Analysis of Rail Transit Stations Based on the Louvain Algorithm

Abstract

Expansion of the rail transit network has increased public transportation accessibility, and the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of ridership have become more complex. Herein, the characteristics of rail transit origin-destination (OD) ridership distribution were analyzed using a drift power law distribution model, and the robustness of ridership distribution in three periods (weekdays, weekends, and holidays) was investigated. A Louvain algorithm-based community detection method divided the rail transit network into different community structures. This division was generally consistent with the established rail transit line layout. However, central city communities were more dispersed, and the rail transit stations of different lines may have belonged to the same community, revealing the spatial correlation between different stations from the perspective of OD ridership. The outcomes of this division were stable for the different periods. This study contributes to the precise configuration of transportation facilities around rail transit stations and the formulation of rail transit operation management strategies.