Introduction Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4) unattended metros remove onboard staff from routine journeys, so passengers must judge whether a staffless trip feels manageable, supported, and useable. This study examines how system cues are associated with intention to use GoA4 unattended metros. Methods We integrated TAM with SDT and service/automation perspectives. System autonomy support (SAS) and system relatedness support (SRS) were modeled as cues for independent trip management and the visible availability of help. Cross-sectional online survey data from four Chinese megacities (N = 347) were analyzed using covariance-based SEM and exploratory multigroup analysis with false discovery rate adjustment. Results Behavioral intention was positively associated with PEOU (β = 0.446, p < .001), perceived enjoyment (PEN; β = 0.382, p < .001), and PU (β = 0.140, p < .05). PEN was positively associated with PEOU (β = 0.192, p < .05) but not PU. SAS and SRS were positively associated with PU, PEOU, and PEN. After adjustment, experience-based differences remained for the PEN-PU and PEN-PEOU associations; among self-reported gender groups, only the PU-BI difference remained significant. Conclusions Intention to use GoA4 unattended metros was associated mainly with ease of use and anticipated positive travel experience, with a smaller association for usefulness. System cues such as clear wayfinding, visible help resources, remote-support information, and fallback procedures may help make unattended journeys feel more manageable. Direct health outcomes were not measured; the findings indicate acceptance mechanisms related to perceived safety/security, travel stress, accessibility, and willingness to use sustainable mass transit.
Background In the context of population aging and longer working lives, increasing attention is being paid to safe and sustained functioning in transport-related work. Functional fitness to drive is multidimensional, and laboratory motion extrapolation represents only one perceptual-cognitive component that may contribute to driving performance. Objective To examine whether age, trait anxiety, and fluid intelligence are associated with motion extrapolation performance in professional drivers. Methods A total of 294 male professional drivers aged 25–75 years completed the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), and a laboratory motion extrapolation task assessing anticipatory timing under temporarily occluded motion. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test main and interaction effects. Results Higher fluid intelligence was associated with more favourable performance. Higher STAI-X2 scores were associated with poorer performance on selected outcomes and moderated the association between age and performance, indicating less favourable age-related differences at higher STAI-X2 levels. Conclusion The findings concern performance on a laboratory motion extrapolation task and do not establish overall fitness to drive or on-road safety. They may inform research on perceptual-cognitive components that may contribute to functional fitness to drive.
Introduction Subjective well-being (SWB) serves as an important indicator of quality of life. However, previous studies have rarely analyzed the interaction effects of commuting and built environment (BE) on SWB. Methods To address this gap, this study uses 9389 samples from the 2018 China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS) and applies the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model to examine the nonlinear associations of commuting and BE characteristics with SWB, as well as their interaction effects. Results The results reveal an inverted S-shaped relationship between commute time and SWB, with an empirical threshold around 25 min, beyond which the interaction effects change markedly. SWB declines significantly when population density exceeds 18,000 persons/km2 or the green coverage rate falls below 5%. Improvement measures such as enhancing public transport accessibility, optimizing street lighting, reducing environmental pollution, and elevating community cleanliness may partly offset the burden of longer commutes by mitigating their negative effects on SWB. Conclusions These findings suggest a preliminary estimate of a 25-min threshold at the national level. Transport and planning policies should carefully consider both commuting burden and BE conditions in different urban contexts to better support residents’ SWB.
Introduction Cross-sectional studies have reported associations between subjective memory concerns (SMC) and self-reported crashes in older drivers; however, the effect of SMC on driving performance remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in on-road driving performance characteristics (error types and context of errors) by the severity of SMC among older drivers. Method This study used a cross-sectional dataset of 277 non-demented current older drivers (age, 75.7 ± 6.1 years; 40.8% female; and years of education, 15.7 ± 3.9) recruited through the community and primary and tertiary care clinics in Canberra, Australia. An on-road driving test along a 20 km route by a driver-trained occupational therapist assessed error types (such as observation and lane position) and traffic contexts of errors (such as roundabout and straight driving). SMC was scored using a Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q). Results For error types, multiple regression analysis showed no linear associations with MAC-Q score were found. For traffic context, in exploratory analysis by multivariate analysis of covariance considering each question separately, there was a significantly higher percentage of reversing errors in those who perceived their memory as poorer compared to their high school age than those who perceived as the same or better memory, even after Bonferroni adjustment within the question's domain; however, this was a hypothesis-generating finding (adjusted mean difference [95% confidence interval] = 20.0% [6.6% to 33.4%], P = 0.004). Conclusions SMC assessed using MAC-Q had no statistically significant associations with poorer driving performance across a range of measures. An exploratory MAC-Q item-level analysis identified a possible association between SMC and more errors on the reversing task. Future studies should explore whether additional driving performance assessments can capture SMC-related driving traits. Practical applications These findings may help guide future research examining the relationship between SMC and driving performance.
Purpose Premature mortality is disproportionately high in rural U.S. counties, yet the contribution of transportation-related barriers to this problem remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining the associations among commuting patterns, socioeconomic conditions, obesity, and premature mortality, accounting for rural-urban differences. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional ecological analysis of 2900 U.S. counties using data from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (2025), the American Community Survey (2017-2021), and the USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (2023). The outcome was years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population. Predictors included commuting duration, driving alone, obesity prevalence, and socioeconomic indicators. Linear regression with robust errors and mediation analyses were used. Findings Longer commuting burden, higher obesity prevalence, lower socioeconomic status, and greater rurality were each associated with increased premature mortality (p < 0.001). Counties with higher educational attainment or income exhibited lower mortality. Obesity was a strong independent predictor but did not mediate the association between long commutes and premature mortality. Rural counties experienced significantly higher mortality burdens than metropolitan areas, even after adjustment. Conclusions Structural determinants such as transportation patterns, socioeconomic disadvantage, and rural residence substantially shape premature mortality in the U.S. Findings suggest that long commuting burden contributes directly to mortality risk beyond obesity-related pathways, potentially through psychosocial stress, reduced time for preventive health behaviors, and limited healthcare access. Interventions to reduce commuting burdens, strengthen rural infrastructure, and address socioeconomic inequities may be critical strategies for narrowing rural-urban mortality gaps.
Introduction Electronic scooters (e-scooters) have become increasingly prevalent around the world, particularly in Ontario, Canada. Due to this popularity, e-scooters have become the purview among policymakers and researchers due to both intended and unintended outcomes related to their use. Despite the increase in use, there is a lack of program evaluation, particularly on how use contributes to increases in injury risk. Methods This study used thematic analysis, structured with the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to better understand the facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of the e-scooter pilot program in Ontario. Key informant interviews as well as an online survey were used to collect data on factors that contribute to implementation efforts, from both participating and non-participating municipalities. Results Overall, factors that acted as both facilitators and barriers spanned existing policies, organizational readiness, knowledgeable staff and partners, and implementation processes. Independent barriers included several constructs across both the outer (e.g., partnerships and external factors) and inner setting (e.g., infrastructure) focused on infrastructure-policy mismatch and the need for increased collaboration to address program fit. Conclusions This study found several facilitators and barriers toward implementation of the e-scooter pilot program in Ontario. Interestingly, no independent facilitators were reported by participating or non-participating groups. Further, the number of reported barriers outweighed the number of facilitating constructs. Data suggests there is space for refinement to the existing e-scooter pilot program in Ontario; these data provide some insight on specific mechanisms to improve implementation.
Public transportation is essential for older adults' mobility, access to health services, autonomy, and social participation, yet non-collision injuries and falls inside buses represent a major and under-recognized barrier to its use in later life. Contributing factors are well documented separately, but how they interact to create compounded barriers remains poorly understood. Without an integrative approach, single-factor interventions are unlikely to reduce injury risk or prevent mobility loss. This review adopts an ecological framework of five thematic clusters to synthesize these interactions. Methods This structured narrative review searched PubMed, AgeLine, Web of Science, and Scopus alongside Google Scholar, covering 2000 to 2026. Non-collision injuries and falls in public buses were examined through five thematic clusters: vehicle interior design; driver behavior and operations; instability, fear, and avoidance; digital ticketing and information access; and ecological determinants and transport equity. After deduplication, 31 references were retained. Papers covering multiple clusters formed the basis for the ecological synthesis. Results No retained paper covered all five thematic clusters. Coverage reached a maximum of two, most commonly vehicle interior design and driver behavior. Social determinants and transport equity appeared exclusively in gerontology literature, absent from transport engineering databases. Digital and information barriers were represented by no retained paper, confirming that a full ecological synthesis has never been attempted. Conclusions Non-collision injuries are predictable and preventable yet remain under-recognized in transport safety frameworks. Age-inclusive transportation requires reframing interior stability as a core accessibility dimension through proactive universal design, reflecting a broader societal commitment to transport equity.
Introduction: Providing dedicated route planning for sensitive groups, such as people with asthma, pregnant women, and older persons, requires intelligent systems capable of guiding them toward healthier mobility choices (minimizing pollution exposure) in urban environments. At present, no applications fully account for the needs of these groups. Methods: The proposed Healthy Route Planner (HRP) assists citizens in planning walking and cycling trips based on Air Quality (AQ) criteria and can also incorporate additional parameters such as allergens (e.g., pollen) and comfort-related factors. We present insights from the theoretical and implementation aspects, in particular the definition of an ad-hoc Personalized Complex Metric (PCM) used in the routing algorithm according to the user’s preferences. This metric is defined as a weighted average of normalized and adjusted critical pollutants. The HRP is built on an open, scalable, cloud-native Microservices Architecture (MSA). It enables efficient, real-time geospatial processing of large volumes of Air Quality Monitoring Station (AQMS) data, estimating pollutant concentrations to produce high-resolution AQ maps. Results: The HRP is validated in Valencia, Spain, using both real and synthetic scenarios. Results show up to an 11.60% reduction in pollution exposure under heavily polluted conditions, with a corresponding travel-distance increase of 23.07% for the asthmatic profile (worst case). The system efficiently handles concurrent user loads with response times below 1 s. Conclusion: These results endorse the HRP’s usefulness as a decision-support tool for sensitive groups, integrating real-time AQ-aware routing and health-profile-driven PCM in smart-city environments, with an 11.60% reduction in pollution exposure.
Introduction Ensuring equitable access to public transport is central to social inclusion and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.2. However, current policy and practice often prioritise visible impairments and narrowly defined categories of need, emphasising measurable aspects of provision. This paper examines how people with non-visible disabilities, including post-cancer exhaustion and acquired brain injury, experience exclusion in Hong Kong's public transport system, arguing that these approaches overlook how accessibility is enacted in practice. Methods The study draws on qualitative research in Hong Kong (2023–2025), comprising 50 semi-structured interviews and a three-month ethnography, with detailed analysis of two analytically generative encounters. Informed by Wittgensteinian practice-theoretic and non-representational perspectives, the analysis treats interviews as sites where accessibility becomes visible in use, enabling close examination of how access is negotiated through everyday interactions, judgments, and adaptations. Results Accessibility is shaped not only by formal provision but by how passengers interpret and respond to one another. Norms privileging visible disability make non-visible impairments hard to claim, and participants describe anticipated misrecognition, psychological distress, and health-compromising adaptations including avoidance of priority seating, rerouting to escape scrutiny, and mode substitution that increases physical burden. Conclusions Accessibility is not secured through infrastructure alone but accomplished or denied through everyday practices of recognition and moral judgment under uncertainty. The paper identifies three practical entry points: redesigning eligibility-based signage toward inclusive invitation; training frontline staff to respond to observed need without requiring visible proof; and complementing SDG 11.2.1 proximity metrics with experiential indicators of usability.
Introduction Many older adults are unprepared for driving cessation, but mobility transition counseling may help to alleviate this. But to be most beneficial, this process should be tailored to the individual. The Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition (ARMT) tool offers potential to guide this process. While previous work has demonstrated that personal factors contribute to ARMT scores, external factors have yet to be explored. Methods A series of hierarchical regressions explored how external factors (such as availability of alternate transportation or speaking to a doctor about driving) contribute to ARMT-16 scores. Demographic, physical, cognitive, personality and attitudinal variables were included first (Model 1), and external variables were then added (Model 2). Results Model 1 explained 47.6% of variance in overall ARMT-16 scores. Explained variance rose to 51.1% in Model 2, marking a statistically significant change (ΔR2 = 0.045, ΔF (6, 257) = 4.16, p = .001). Within Model 2, those with limited availability of friends and family to provide rides demonstrated average ARMT scores 0.22 points higher (reflecting lower readiness) than those who always had this option (95% CI = 0.046, 0.400) while those living in a multi-person household had average scores that were 0.20 lower than those who lived alone (95% CI = −0.349, −0.042). At the domain level, the addition of external factors was associated with anticipatory anxiety and perceived burden. Conclusions Readiness for driving cessation is associated with internal and external factors unique to the individual. Recognizing this is important to the development of successful transition plans.
Background Low physical activity contributes to chronic disease and premature death. Public transport can integrate activity into daily routines, but robust methods are needed to estimate physical activity during public transport trips. This study quantified duration, intensity, and steps taken during active travel bouts to bus stops by linking accelerometer data with transport smartcard-recorded bus boardings. Methods Participants (aged ≥ 15 years) from two Tasmanian trials of a financial incentives program to increase public transport use (trips4health and Get BusActive!) wore accelerometers for up to 7 days at three timepoints. Timestamped bus boardings were obtained from smartcard records. Active travel bouts to bus stops were identified using a time-based linkage window and bout intensity was classified using Freedson cut-points. Mixed-effects models estimated bout duration and steps, accounting for repeated measures within individuals. Results 298 participants completed 1396 bouts to bus stops. Most bouts (93%) were of moderate intensity. On average, bouts lasted 6.8 min (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.6, 7.1) and comprised 473 steps (95% CI = 445, 502). Estimates were robust to alternative assumptions. There were no differences by study, treatment group, or timepoint. Assuming similar access and egress activity, round-trip bus use on four days per week could contribute ∼75% of recommended physical activity for adults. Conclusion Walking to and from public transport stops can contribute to meeting physical activity guidelines. Further studies across settings and transport modes are needed to inform health impact modelling, targeted interventions, and public health messaging.
Introduction To develop sustainable, walkable neighborhoods, it is essential to understand how amenity loss in residential areas affects older adults' active travel behavior, as measured by step count. The impact may be less pronounced in neighborhoods with high baseline amenity accessibility. Older seniors (aged ≥75) may be more affected by such losses than their younger counterparts (aged 65–74), likely due to age-related functional decline. Gender-differences in amenity use may also shape individual responses. However, few studies have directly examined changes in neighborhood amenities; the impact of amenity loss on older adults’ step count remains underexplored. Methods This study measured changes in accessibility to neighborhood amenities during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed their association with step count decline among 12,330 older adults in Yokohama, Japan, between 2017 and 2022. Results A greater decrease in accessibility was associated with a larger reduction in step count, although the relationship was nonlinear. Over time, the rate of decline in step count slowed among older adults in neighborhoods with reduced accessibility. In neighborhoods with initially high accessibility, decreases in amenities had a minimal impact on step count. Although the effect was more pronounced among older seniors, the decline in their step count decelerated over time, suggesting adaptive behaviors such as longer or more flexible walks. Maintaining access to a diverse range of amenities is particularly important for promoting walking among older women. Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of preserving neighborhood amenity access as a strategy to sustain daily walking among older adults.
Background and aim Mobility is fundamental to social inclusion and sustainable urban development, yet persons with disabilities in African cities remain largely excluded from public transport systems. Building on a previous study that examined the mobility experiences of persons with disabilities, this study explores transport operators and persons with disability's awareness, perceived efficacy, and practical difficulties in implementing disability-inclusive interventions in Ghana's public transport sector. Methods The study adopted a three-phase approach (pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention evaluation) involving participatory collaboration with disability groups, transport operators, and city authorities. Data were collected through unstructured interviews with 90 persons with disabilities, 45 transport operators, and selected policymakers, and analysed using thematic content analysis in MAXQDA. Results Findings show that all participant groups recognised the interventions as valuable in reducing mobility barriers and fostering a more positive attitudes towards the disability community. Priority seating and landing pads notably enhanced accessibility for physically and visually impaired commuters, while push bells and signage addressed communication challenges for hearing-impaired commuters. However, design inadequacies (e.g., fragile landing pads), limited coverage, weak inter-stakeholder collaboration and ambiguous legislation constrained broader impact and scalability. Implications This study offers evidence-based guidance for scaling inclusive transport through universal design principles, disability-awareness training, and legislative reforms to strengthen enforcement and incentivise inclusive practices among transport operators.
Introduction Red-light running by food delivery riders contributes to crashes at signalized intersections. Although several studies have examined its influencing factors, few have investigated the differential effects at various times of the day. Given that the travel characteristics of riders vary considerably throughout the day, overlooking such variations may lead to biased model estimates and ineffective interventions. Thus, the study aimed to explore the time-of-day variations of factors affecting food delivery riders’ red-light violations. Methods A field survey was carried out at six signalized intersections in Jinhua, China. Four statistical models were employed to identify the factors affecting the red-light running behavior, including the binary logit model, random parameters logit model, random parameters logit model with heterogeneity in means, and random parameters logit model with heterogeneity in means and variances. Meanwhile, likelihood ratio tests were conducted to check the time-varying differences of the factors among midday rush hours, non-peak hours, and evening rush hours. Results 1) The red-light running behavior of food delivery riders is affected by factors such as the behaviors of riding the wrong way and stopping beyond the stop line, pedestrians' red-light running, presence of non-motorized vehicle lanes, long red-light duration, and location near schools or residential areas. 2) The effects of these factors are not consistent across the midday rush, non-peak, and evening rush hours. Conclusions The study confirms the significant time-varying characteristics of factors influencing food delivery riders’ red-light running behavior, which can be valuable in developing differentiated countermeasures to reduce traffic violations.
Aim To examine associations of neighbourhood greenery, tree canopy, traffic-related air pollution and walkability with cardiometabolic disease among adults (≥45 years) admitted to hospital in the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region, Australia. Few multi-exposure studies on this topic exist. Methods Our cross-sectional study assessed mean annual neighbourhood greenery using the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); tree canopy (% area); traffic-related air pollution (PM2.5; NO2) using land-use regression models, and walkability using Walk Score®. Hospital admissions (in 2021) among patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) were identified using ICD-10-AM admission codes in electronic health records data. Using multilevel logistic regression we examined associations between environmental exposures and odds of having T2D or CVD, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Results Our sample comprised 14,378 admitted patients (mean age 65.8 (SD 12.7) years; 47% male), residing in 697 neighbourhoods with mean (SD) values: NDVI, 0.47 (0.09); tree canopy, 21.7 (13.2)%; PM2.5, 8.5 (0.6) μg/m3; NO2, 5.2 (1.6) ppb. NDVI was associated with lower odds of having T2D, Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.39 [0.18, 0.82], as was tree canopy quintile OR = 0.95 [0.91,0.99]. PM2.5 and NO2 were associated with higher odds of T2D, OR = 1.26 [1.15,1.38] and OR = 1.06 [1.02,1.10], respectively; and with higher odds of CVD, OR = 1.10 [1.02,1.18] and OR = 1.03 [1.01,1.06], respectively. Walkability quintile was associated with higher odds of CVD, OR = 1.04 [1.01,1.08]. Conclusions Greenery and traffic-related air pollutants were associated with lower and higher odds, respectively of admitted patients having T2D or CVD. Further exploration with stronger, longitudinal study designs is required to inform public health policy/directions.
Introduction exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) and Black Carbon (BC) is associated with adverse health effects, principally in low- and middle-income countries. This paper outlines the first empirical evidence in Latin America on traffic-related air pollution exposure within informal motorized three-wheeled vehicles (MTWs) and the health inequalities arising from this public transport mode. The objective of this research is to investigate the intersection of urban mobility, social determinants of health, and personal exposure to PM2.5 and BC. Methods a cross-sectional study was conducted in Soledad, Colombia, a city characterized by rapid urban expansion and population growth with a high reliance on public buses and informal transport (38.1%). Data collection involved 21 O-D pairs using portable low-cost sensors and a microAeth, including GPS devices to capture real-time concentrations across three modes: buses, MTWs, and private cars. Inhaled doses were estimated by integrating pollutant concentrations with user demographic profiles and activity-specific inhalation rates. A Bayesian Neural Network Classifier (BNNC) was developed to model and predict high-risk exposure scenarios based on route, mode, and travel period. Results mean concentrations varied by mode, with buses and MTWs reporting the highest PM2.5 levels of 33.0 and 27.5 μg/m3, respectively. Spatial analysis identified hotspots with peak MTW exposures of 959 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 545 μg/m3 for BC during rush hours. Results reveal that women may inhale doses PM2.5 and BC up to 68 times higher than those inhaled by men across all transportation modes evaluated. A Bayesian Neural Network achieved 70% accuracy in predicting high-exposure scenarios. Conclusions These findings underscore that most commuters in the study area are exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidelines, especially those who use public and informal transport. The study highlights how urban mobility choices intersect with social factors, thus reinforcing structural socio-economic inequalities. These results demonstrate the pressing need for more equitable and sustainable urban transportation policies, and cleaner transportation strategies in rapidly developing cities.
Introduction Road traffic noise is a major source of urban noise pollution and represents a significant public health concern, particularly in areas where populations are exposed to elevated noise levels. In this context, analyzing sound pressure levels across different traffic systems, especially at urban intersections such as signalized intersections and roundabouts, is essential for assessing noise exposure and supporting mitigation strategies. Methods This study conducts a systematic literature review based on pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria to synthesize findings on road traffic noise around urban roundabouts. The reviewed studies primarily rely on field measurements, with widespread use of noise prediction models (e.g., NMPB-Routes, RLS-90, CNOSSOS-EU) and computational simulations. Results Most studies are concentrated in Europe and Asia, using tools such as CadnaA and Predictor LimA for sound mapping. Noise monitoring is commonly conducted during three daily periods with a sound level meter positioned at 1.5 m in height. Findings indicate that roundabouts generally present lower noise levels than signalized intersections, due to smoother traffic flow and fewer stopping, acceleration, and deceleration events. However, the literature remains methodologically fragmented, with limited standardization of measurement and modeling procedures. Conclusions Although roundabouts are generally associated with lower traffic noise levels, the presence of traffic lights may reduce or even reverse these acoustic benefits by modifying vehicle dynamics. These dynamics highlight the need for further investigation into the interaction between traffic control devices and noise levels in urban contexts.
Introduction On-demand microtransit has the potential to enhance the mobility of older adults, especially for those who do not prefer driving or face difficulty accessing conventional public transportation. Past studies have focused on the adoption of public transportation and autonomous vehicles, but less attention has been given to the adoption of on-demand microtransit by older adults. Methods This study uses data from 193 respondents aged 55 and above in Mississippi to examine their usability perceptions and willingness to use an on-demand microtransit service. Respondents' socio-economic and built environment (urban, suburban, or rural) characteristics, as well as travel-related attributes, were collected. A structural equation model (SEM) is developed with, difficulties in using current modes, smartphone adaptation, monetary considerations of car use, and public transportation use as mediators. Results Difficulties in using current modes, smartphone adaptation, monetary considerations regarding cars, and frequency of public transportation use significantly influence the usability perceptions and willingness to use on-demand microtransit. The findings also suggest that people residing in less urbanized areas (rural or suburban) are less likely to experience difficulties in using current modes than urban residents. Males reported significantly greater public transportation use than females. Usability perceptions and willingness to use on-demand microtransit in rural areas were mediated through difficulties in using current modes and public transportation use. Conclusions Microtransit can be particularly useful for older adults facing difficulties in using current modes. Income-based parking pricing can help shift towards on-demand microtransit. The findings from this study can help address attitudinal barriers to adopting microtransit and make microtransit older-adult-friendly, ensuring smooth operation and success in future pilot projects.
