A HISTORICAL-GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECT OF ROAD TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT IN PENZA REGION
Background. The transport system of Penza region has been forming along a long history of economic development of the territory and plays an important role in the economic development. The current stage of economic development is characterized by economic and environmental problems. The transport system development should follow the path of improvement and contribution to sustainable development of the region. The present work aims to identify spatial characteristics of transport networks, their impact on economic development and analysis of regional differences in the development of road transport in Penza region. The present work is devoted to a spatial-temporal analysis of the road transport network within geographic forecasting of Penza region’s development. Materials and methods. The research is based on an analysis of primary statistical data of the territorial body of the Federal Statistical Service in Penza region. To determine the road network development the authors used the Engels coefficient. Results. The study analyzes main statistical indicators characterizing the development of transport infrastructure and identifying the main factors of spatial differentiation of transport in Penza region. The article reveals area-based differences in length and thickness (density) of transport routes and gives a classification of districts according to the degree of road security. Conclusions. The study has identified that the administrative districts of Penza region are characterized by significant territorial differences in availability of transport routes. The work presents a calculated ratio of roads with hard surface, an analysis that shows that from 2010 to 2016 the extent of such roads has increased, which is a positive trend. Moreover, the coefficient calculated on the basis of the amount of rural population is higher almost in all areas than the coefficient calculated taking into account the total population.