MEASURING ACCESSIBILITY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

This thesis assesses spatial accessibility to electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Kentucky by investigating methodological approaches to measure accessibility: provider-topopulation ratios, regional accessibility metrics, and several methods in the family of gravity models. The Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method was employed to measure electric vehicle charging station accessibility across Kentucky using a network-based approach in ArcGIS Pro. The analysis integrated 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Census block group data, Kentucky road network datasets, charging station locations from the Alternative Fuels Data Center, and Alternative Fuel Corridor designations. We examined existing infrastructure and proposed stations outlined in the Kentucky electric vehicle charging plan, and Spatial accessibility indices were calculated for all census block groups. This research also assessed the accessibility of electric vehicle charging stations across household income categories. To identify underserved areas, spatial accessibility maps were overlaid with the Alternative Fuel Corridor network. Results indicate increased accessibility in urban centers such as Lexington and Louisville, while rural regions—especially Eastern Kentucky and growth corridors like the Audubon Parkway—continue to face charging infrastructure gaps. Shortage areas along major highways are identified for additional charging infrastructure deployment if the opportunity arises. This research identifies ongoing challenges to the reconciliation of infrastructure development with geospatial and socioeconomic needs. With the addition of advanced methodologies to geospatial analysis, the study furnishes a data-driven framework to analyze the accessibility of electric vehicle charging stations and to inform planning of future EV charging infrastructure in the state.