This study investigates pedestrian walking speed across three overhead pedestrian footbridges in Freetown, Sierra Leone, considering demographic and temporal variation. Pedestrians were observed manually over seven consecutive days, with walking time measured across the entire footbridge. A total of 3,094 valid observations were recorded, and walking speed was estimated from crossing time and bridge length. Three-way factorial ANOVA was complemented by heteroscedasticity-robust and linear mixed-effects modelling following assessment of model assumptions. Estimated marginal means and Tukey-adjusted pairwise contrasts were used to interpret significant interactions. Age group was revealed as the dominant determinant of walking speed, with elderly pedestrians consistently walking substantially more slowly than children and youth/adults. A significant age × gender × day-group interaction indicated that demographic effects varied across temporal conditions. Female youth/adults walked faster than males on weekdays, while elderly females walked faster than elderly males on weekends. Weekday speeds were higher among female children and elderly males. Although the observed speeds were substantially below conventional normal walking speeds reported for controlled walkway conditions, unit and plausibility checks confirmed the measurements. The findings represent facility-specific operational walking speeds and highlight the need for locally derived and demographic-sensitive pedestrian speed parameters for safe and accessible overhead pedestrian infrastructure.
Urban travel behaviour is often assumed to reflect diverse daily experiences that enhance well-being, yet this view overlooks the repetitive structure of everyday life. This study examines the relationship between travel behaviour, activity monotony, and life satisfaction among urban youth, using longitudinal data from 693 individuals, covering over 440,000 trips and 390,000 activities across more than 150 days. The study was conducted in Makassar, Indonesia, a rapidly growing city characterized by motorcycle dominance and limited public transport provision. Monotony is a multidimensional construct that includes spatial concentration, activity diversity, routine structure, and leisure allocation. The results show that activity-related monotony is the most consistent factor associated with life satisfaction. Greater activity diversity is positively related to well-being, whereas dominance of a single activity type is negatively associated. Spatial concentration shows a weaker negative relationship, while leisure share is strongly and positively associated with life satisfaction. Importantly, monotony does not uniformly produce negative outcomes. Although a stronger routine is associated with lower life satisfaction, temporal structure itself is not significant, suggesting that routine may also provide stability. A threshold-guided typology further identifies distinct daily life patterns, showing that more diverse and leisure-oriented lifestyles are associated with higher life satisfaction.
Black carbon (BC), a major component of PM2.5 produced by incomplete combustion, is associated with asthma, cognitive deficits, and elevated blood pressure. This study assessed childhood BC exposure in Brooklyn, NY, an area with historically high asthma rates, to examine whether community open space influences exposure after accounting for traffic volume. BC was measured along five community-selected routes near schools using a microAeth AE51 aethalometer. Sampling occurred during the morning and afternoon periods on two weekdays and one weekend day across four separate weeks. The traffic volume was recorded with the Counter + app, and route/time tracking was conducted with MyTracks. The exposure maps were generated in ArcGIS Pro, and the statistical analyses were performed in GraphPad Prism. BC levels varied significantly by route and time of day and were consistently higher in areas with greater traffic counts. Intersections showed significantly elevated BC concentrations compared with walkways (p <0.001). No significant association was observed between community open space and BC levels. Overall, exposures were highest at high-traffic intersections. These preliminary findings highlight the influence of traffic on localized BC exposure and support further investigation into potential health impacts for children in this community.
This study examines the factors influencing bicycle-sharing travel behavior using structural equation modeling (SEM), with a particular focus on user satisfaction. The model includes four latent variables – behavioral attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and shared bicycle satisfaction – each measured by three observed variables. For shared bicycle satisfaction, the observed indicators are safety, convenience, and economy. Based on survey data collected in Beijing, China, the model is estimated, tested, and refined using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software. The findings highlight the multidimensional factors that shape residents’ decisions to use shared bicycles, offering practical insights for operators and policymakers.
Modern literature emphasizes the importance of giving Transportation Demand Management solutions precedence over conventional transportation strategies, which use ‘supply-side’ approaches to address transportation-related problems, particularly in rapidly growing developing countries. This study is therefore being conducted to find appropriate TDM techniques for Addis Ababa city to ensure sustainable transportation. To find regional and international best practices, a comprehensive literature review with case studies was carried out as part of this study's qualitative methodology. Purposefully selected experts from the city planning office, transport office, traffic management and academics were interviewed to collect qualitative data. To determine significant themes and recommendations for the qualitative data analysis, the study employed thematic analysis. Accordingly, the results show that some of the most important applicable mobility management strategies that should be put into place in the city are the following: congestion pricing; vehicle restrictions; parking management; school transport management; car sharing; alternative work schedules; telework and regulatory and institutional reform. This is because these strategies have the potential to assist in improving the city's urban transportation systems and overcoming present challenges. Therefore, the study recommended that appropriate TDM strategies for the city's transportation system be used in place of the conventional transit system management models.
Informal vending in transport environments remains insufficiently integrated in urban research. This study examines how informal vending in four Jordanian bus terminals—Ajloun, Zarqa, Irbid, and Amman North—is produced through interaction between spatial enabling conditions and governance dynamics. Using spatial mapping, structured observation, surveys, and interviews, the paper analyzes why vending emerges in three terminals but is absent in the fourth. Findings demonstrate that informal vending requires spatial enabling conditions—pedestrian interface, urban adjacency, and micro-territorial opportunity—to become viable. Where present, governance contradictions modulate morphology, producing three configurations: clustered formations under patronage tolerance (Ajloun), linear arrangements under institutional inertia (Zarqa), and edge encroachments under performative enforcement (Irbid). The study introduces governance traps—stabilized configurations where fragmented authority and selective enforcement reproduce informal occupation without formal resolution. Each trap variant operates through feedback mechanisms locking both parties into tolerated informality. The negative case (Amman North) establishes spatial viability as a necessary precondition: governance contradictions alone cannot generate informality where spatial conditions preclude economic viability. By integrating spatial morphology and governance analysis, the paper reframes informal vending as a spatially enabled phenomenon negotiated through fragmented authority. The study recommends spatial design interventions and negotiated management strategies tailored to specific governance-spatial configurations, moving beyond enforcement-centric approaches.
School travel mode choice remains comparatively underexplored, particularly in developing countries and in studies comparing conventional discrete choice and machine-learning approaches. To address this gap, this study compares the effectiveness and robustness of Multinomial Logistic Regression (MNL) and a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) Neural Network in predicting and explaining students' mode choice in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A household-based questionnaire survey yielded 370 valid observations; 80% of the data were used for model training/calibration and 20% for validation. Slovin's formula was used to calculate the sample size. A multinomial logistic regression model was estimated using SPSS Statistics, while an MLP Neural Network was developed in Python for predictive evaluation. The logistic regression model observed that age, gender, travel length, travel time, travel cost, parking availability in the dwelling area, and the waiting time for public transport were important factors influencing mode choice behavior. In predictive evaluation, the MLP model outperformed the MNL model in classification accuracy and ROC-AUC, indicating better predictive reliability under class-imbalanced conditions. This study suggests incorporating the MLP model as a complementary tool alongside MNL for mode choice modeling in urban transportation systems and planning.
This study investigates the spatial and temporal variability of Land Surface Temperature (LST) in the Lake Tana catchment, Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia, utilizing data from Landsat 8, MODIS and Sentinel-3. The analysis covers two distinct seasons: winter (January-April) and summer (June-August) of 2021. LST was derived using the Split Window Algorithm (SWA) applied to the thermal bands of these satellites. The results reveal notable Spatial and seasonal variations, with the highest LST recorded in April at 51 degrees C, as measured by Sentinel-3, and the lowest LST in February at 5 degrees C, as measured by Landsat 8. In the summer, the highest LST was observed in June at 42 degrees C from Landsat 8, while the lowest was recorded in July at 8 degrees C from Sentinel-3. The spatial distribution of LST showed higher temperatures in the peripheral regions of the study area, with cooler temperatures around Lake Tana, largely due to its cooling effect. Correlation analysis between LST and mean temperature data from NASA POWER revealed strong correlations (r > 0.5) for most months, particularly for Landsat 8, which demonstrated the strongest association with mean temperature across both winter and summer seasons. These findings underscore the significance of satellite-derived LST in monitoring regional climate dynamics, supporting sustainable agricultural practices, and informing water resource management strategies. The study highlights the potential of remote sensing technologies for evaluating the impact of climate variability on ecosystems and land use in the context of climate resilience and environmental sustainability. LST monitoring becomes an indispensable tool for achieving sustainable development objectives, particularly in improving resilience to climate risks (SDG 13), enabling sustainable agricultural and water practices (SDGs 2 and 6), and supporting environmental conservation (SDG 15). Therefore, this study fills a region-specific gap in understanding LST dynamics and provides valuable insights for sustainability policy and planning in data-scarce areas.
The safety concerns in urban transport constitute a significant barrier to social and economic participation, disproportionately affecting women. In October 2019, the Government of Delhi introduced the Pink Pass policy, granting fare-free access to women in public buses. The policy reform had two objectives: (i) to improve financial accessibility through fare-free travel and (ii) to enhance safety through introducing bus marshals, surveillance, and gender-sensitive operations. This research examines women's safety perceptions after the introduction of the Pink Pass policy in Delhi. I use primary data from the Delhi Women Survey (2023) [N = 2,142] to evaluate the impact of the policy on women’s perceived safety and mobility outcomes. Multinomial logistic regression and structural equation modeling are employed to examine both direct and mediated effects. The findings suggest that fare-free transport, when combined with safety interventions, enhances women’s perceived safety and supports their social and economic participation. This study contributes to the literature by providing one of the first empirical assessments of fare-free public transport and women’s safety perceptions in India, with broader implications for gender-sensitive urban transport policy design in the Global South.
This study is aimed at assessing the status and prospects of the intelligent transport system (ITS) supply in Addis Ababa. It uses a mixed method approach, and data are collected from primary and secondary sources, which include survey questions, interviews and literature reviews. Simple random and purposive sampling were employed to select passengers and interviewees, respectively. SPSS 23 and NVivo 14 software were used for analysis. Binary logistic regression was employed to measure the effects of age, prior awareness of intelligent transport systems and income on ITS use. This study has identified opportunities, challenges and strategies of ITS adoption. It analyzes the advantages of ITSs, such as service reliability, accountability, safety and improved revenue generation. The study highlighted the challenges in ITS adoption, such as the absence of sustainable financing mechanism, skill gaps, digital connectivity failure, institutional fragmentation, the absence of coordinating institution and leading policy. The study has identified strategies to address these challenges, including the introduction of proper ITS policy, the devising of sustainable finance sources, improvements in digital connectivity, skill training and institutional integration. This study contributes by bridging the global framework and local reality through data-driven context sensitive road maps for integrating ITS technology in the management of public transport supply in Addis Ababa.
Urban populations continue to rise and the frequency that pedestrians are exposed to vehicular traffic continues to increase. The result is an increase in automobile versus pedestrian collisions. This study aims to determine the efficacy of pedestrian bridges in reducing the rates of automobile-pedestrian collisions. Data for all automobile versus pedestrian collisions and injuries from July 1997 through December 2023 at four distinct intersections along Las Vegas Boulevard were retrieved from the Nevada Department of Transportation. These sites were chosen because of their historically high rates of automobile versus pedestrian incidents and the construction of pedestrian bridges at three of the intersections during the time period being investigated. Difference-in-differences regression models and before-after comparisons were performed. Every intersection studied demonstrated a decrease in the rate of incident, and we found an estimated incidence rate ratio (IRR) for the bridge installation effect was 0.68 (p = 0.056). The data suggest that, among many other factors, the construction of pedestrian bridges at highly trafficked intersections may be an effective way to increase public safety and reduce the rate of automobile versus pedestrian incidents.
In the transition to sustainable mobility, many cities aim to reduce motorised transport and promote active modes of travel. In June 2021, the city of Aachen, Germany, together with citizen and student associations closed a section of the inner-city ring street ‘Templergraben’ to individual motorised transport (IMT) by implementing a modal filter for IMT through traffic as a ‘hard measure’. The street section and its surrounding infrastructure were transformed into a living lab. This paper aims to assess the impact of the hard measure on individuals’ mobility behaviour as pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) in relation to their environmental concern (EC). We conducted a survey (N = 1243) in autumn 2021 to measure the respondents’ acceptance of the modal filter, their EC, and their mobility behaviour. We operationalise cost through transport equity and perform various linear regression models to enable empirical validation of the low-cost hypothesis within high-cost subgroups. Our findings demonstrate how inequitable burdens disrupt the connection between environmental concern, acceptance of a modal filter, and PEB in high-cost mobility situations. We conclude that hard measures alone fail to induce PEB in high-cost contexts, but equity-centred soft measures could facilitate the translation of EC into PEB via increased acceptance.
Neighborhood telecommuting centers (NTCs) are professional workplaces located in residential areas that offer a closer alternative to long-distance commuting. By integrating telecommuting with mobility services, NTCs have the potential to support sustainable travel behaviors, reduce commuting burdens and alleviate space constraints for organizations. This paper adopts a longitudinal, mixed-methods living-lab approach to examine factors influencing NTC use compared to employer offices and home offices. Data from a real-life NTC living lab in Stockholm, Sweden, were analyzed using a three-week time-use diary (27 participants; 572 day-level observations) and panel regression models to identify determinants of workplace choice. Qualitative interviews were used to contextualize inconsistencies between participants' expectations and actual usage. Findings indicate that NTCs can reduce commuting times and provide a professional environment closer to home; however, adoption is constrained by organizational norms, logistical barriers and continued reliance on private cars for trip-chaining. The results suggest that embedding NTCs within mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) like frameworks, through coordinated workplace access, public transport subscriptions and micromobility solutions, while aligning employer policies and institutional practices, is critical for supporting hybrid work models and advancing sustainable urban mobility.
This paper develops a Central Business District (CBD)-specific walkability index to address limitations of standard metropolitan-wide indices that mischaracterize employment-dominant CBDs. The index is applied to CBDs in 50 U.S. state-representative cities using standardized 1-mile diameter CBD windows (land area excluding water). Network permeability is captured through densities of 4 + leg and 3-leg intersections, and activity intensity is represented by employment and population densities. To avoid penalizing legitimate job surpluses, a population-to-employment ratio adjustment is applied only when CBDs become unusually resident-heavy (T = 0.35, R_max = 10). Criterion weights, derived using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (CR = 0.013), are 0.46 (4 + intersection density), 0.14 (3-leg intersection density), 0.30 (employment density), 0.05 (population density), and 0.05 (resident-heaviness score). Validation uses commute mode shares for workers 16+, including walk-only and walk-plus-transit trips. A regression model with all five components explains walk + transit share well (R & sup2; = 0.752, n = 50). Rank agreement between the index and walk + transit shares is strong (Spearman rho approximate to 0.75), and mean walk + transit shares drop sharply across index tiers. The method offers a transparent CBD walkability benchmark, highlighting the importance of connected street networks and mixed-use intensity.
Ride-hailing is becoming popular among students in motorcycle-dependent Southeast Asian countries. This development calls for a shift from conventional motorcycles to greener options, such as e-motorcycles. So far, little is known about the factors associated with the adoption of e-moto ride-hailing in Vietnam or similar contexts. This study aims to determine the prevalence of e-moto ride-hailing use among students in Hanoi, while also exploring their characteristics and motivations. A primary survey (N = 516) reveals that nearly a third of students use e-moto ride-hailing services. The application of binary logit regression to the survey data shows that those most likely to use these services share the following characteristics: they are female, have lower incomes, are not employed, live in shared housing far from the university, and lack other transport options (such as public buses or private motorcycles). They are attracted to e-moto ride-hailing platforms for their low prices, app quality, service convenience, and driver behaviour. Their personal values reflect a mix of hedonism and environmentalism. Based on these findings, we recommend a set of policy interventions to boost e-moto ride-hailing use among students in Vietnam and neighbouring countries. These include offering student discounts; enhancing driver training and recruitment; and promoting the environmental benefits of e-moto ride-hailing.
Despite growing recognition that aberrant driving behaviours contribute significantly to road traffic accidents in Low to Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), most interventions are adapted from developed nations without adequate consideration of cultural context. This systematic review examines how cultural factors influence aberrant driving behaviours and their incorporation into intervention design and effectiveness. Following PRISMA guidelines, 161 studies (2,367,804 participants) from 47 developing countries (2020–2025) were reviewed using narrative synthesis. Social norms (43.5%), risk perception (30.4%), and occupational culture (9.9%) were the primary cultural determinants. Asian studies more frequently addressed occupational culture and optimism bias, while African studies emphasised enforcement perceptions and fatalistic risk orientations. Cultural and behavioural approaches were the most common intervention type (25.47%), followed by policy strategies (14.91%). Only 28 studies (17.4%) provided quantitative effectiveness data, with community-based interventions reporting speeding reductions of 15–30% and seatbelt use increases of 20–40%. Evidence comparing culturally adapted versus non-adapted interventions remained sparse. Professional drivers (33.54%) and young drivers (8.07%) exhibited distinct cultural patterns requiring tailored approaches. Evidence quality was low to moderate, driven by cross-sectional designs, self-reported measures, and limited quantitative outcomes. Combining cultural adaptation with policy, enforcement, and community co-design offers the most promising approach to reducing aberrant driving in LMICs.
We propose a methodology for estimating shared e-scooter trip origins and destinations using publicly available General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS) data. This approach tackles challenges including GPS update lags, randomized vehicle IDs, and jurisdictional boundary constraints. By leveraging GBFS attributes, we developed a scalable framework to analyze mobility patterns. Field experiments in Fairfax, VA, validated the algorithm’s accuracy, with cross-verification using provider data confirming reliable trip activity capture. Scalability was demonstrated by applying the methodology to GBFS data in Washington, D.C., showing adaptability to larger, denser urban environments. The results reveal dynamic spatiotemporal patterns, such as concentrated activity in downtown cores during peak hours and heightened recreational demand at locations like the National Mall during non-peak periods. This methodology provides urban planners and activity center managers with actionable insights for optimizing fleet deployment, enhancing first- and last-mile connectivity, and informing infrastructure planning. Requiring no proprietary datasets, it relies solely on public GBFS data, ensuring broad applicability across cities with compatible feeds. The findings advance shared micromobility research by offering a practical, replicable tool for analyzing usage patterns, empowering stakeholders to optimize micromobility systems and integrate them into sustainable, multimodal urban transportation networks.
The transition to electric buses involves a shift in public transport systems, requiring changes to the role of public transport authorities (PTAs). This study analyses how PTAs' role as planners and procurers of public transport is impacted by electrification, employing a sustainability transition perspective. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 25 interviewees involved in eight public procurements, both qualitative and quantitative changes were identified. The findings show that the organisational model influences how electrification changes the role and responsibilities of PTAs, as new technology alters established procurement logics and the reinterpretation of procurement principles. Additionally, this transition necessitates changes in long-term strategic planning, including adjustments in ownership structures and the distribution of responsibilities. The emergence and assessment of new questions and phenomena, for example, regarding battery production and sustainability, further change the role of the PTA. The rapid pace of this technological change challenges PTAs' ability to proactively manage developments, creating a dynamic where PTAs both take on new responsibilities and react to market changes. This study highlights the emerging tensions between PTAs' procurement principles and long-term planning objectives, calling attention to the need for a balanced approach to manage their evolving assignments effectively in the face of new technology.
Motorcycle taxis (MTCs) have become the primary mode of transportation in many African countries. However, implementation gaps and weak enforcement raise concerns about compliance. This paper examines how MTC noncompliance contributes to public health challenges, focusing on rider adherence to traffic laws. It draws on primary data collected from 18th August to 13th September 2025, from policymakers, motocycle users and health officers across seven counties in Kenya. Data were collected through random selection and referral sampling of resourceful individuals through in-person interviews with 17 participants and phone and online interviews with five participants. The findings show that despite robust legislation, enforcement remains limited, leading to noncompliance, especially among riders who often operate unregistered MTCs with illegal plates. This, alongside a lack of governance structure in the sector, exacerbates the risk of a public health crisis. Countering such challenges will involve moving beyond traditional law enforcement toward more innovative governance frameworks through a multi-stakeholder approach, creating specialized motorbike traffic units within various enforcement agencies, fostering collaboration between health institutions and law enforcement, raising awareness of safety issues, and adopting innovative policing tools such as smart cameras. The paper also suggest building dedicated motorcycle lanes and addressing cultural issues that require behavioral change, particularly among riders.
Historic preservation has traditionally prioritized architectural fabric and canonical narratives, often marginalizing the social relations, labor histories, and power structures embedded in heritage sites. This paper advances recovery as a distinct analytical and governance-oriented framework in heritage and planning, moving beyond restoration, resilience, and adaptive reuse by foregrounding relational repair, redistribution of interpretive authority, and heritage as civic infrastructure. Drawing on the 1705 Stone House at Mabee Farm Historic Site (Rotterdam Junction, New York) as a case study, I examine how technical conservation interventions (e.g. masonry stabilization, fenestration remediation, landscape integration) intersect with interpretive and community-based practices, including rotating exhibitions, participatory programming, and the naming of documented enslaved individuals. Through archival research, built-fabric assessment, and analysis of interpretive programming, I identify three constitutive dynamics of recovery: Material re-reading of space, Redistribution of agency, and Structural constraints, including archival silences, funding precarity, and commodification, which delimit the scope and durability of recovery. By framing recovery as an analytical, methodological, and normative framework, this study shifts attention from object-centered preservation toward ongoing processes of social and spatial repair. It further explores implications for heritage governance, planning regulation, and infrastructural decision-making, advocating preservation practices that cultivate shared custodianship, plural memory, and future-oriented civic engagement.
