Public Transport Environment Research Articles

Sexual victimization of college students in public transport environments: a whole journey approach

Sexual victimization of female students during the commute to college is a common and sometimes serious problem. This small-scale study that gathers victim survey data from a sample of 140 female college students in New York City provides insight into their experiences of sexual victimization during the commute to college. It is informed by a “whole journey” approach that includes walking to and from the bus/subway stops as well as waiting for and riding on the bus or subway. The study findings highlight extensive patterns of victimization during all stages of female students’ subway commute to and from college. It is important for colleges and universities in the cities to learn about and deal with off-campus sexual victimization and work with other stakeholders to enhance the safety of commuting students by developing effective and appropriate measures to reduce the opportunities for sexual victimization.

Policy, Research and Residents' Perspectives on Built Environments Implicated in Heart Disease: A Concept Mapping Approach.

An underrepresentation of stakeholder perspectives within urban health research arguably limits our understanding of what is a multi-dimensional and complex relationship between the built environment and health. By engaging a wide range of stakeholders using a participatory concept mapping approach, this study aimed to achieve a more holistic and nuanced understanding of the built environments shaping disease risk, specifically cardiometabolic risk (CMR). Moreover, this study aimed to ascertain the importance and changeability of identified environments through government action. Through the concept mapping process, community members, researchers, government and non-government stakeholders collectively identified eleven clusters encompassing 102 built environmental domains related to CMR, a number of which are underrepresented within the literature. Among the identified built environments, open space, public transportation and pedestrian environments were highlighted as key targets for policy intervention. Whilst there was substantive convergence in stakeholder groups’ perspectives concerning the built environment and CMR, there were disparities in the level of importance government stakeholders and community members respectively assigned to pedestrian environments and street connectivity. These findings support the role of participatory methods in strengthening how urban health issues are understood and in affording novel insights into points of action for public health and policy intervention.

ENGLISH

The advancement in the computer technology has led to the development of many computing devices and software which are helpful to the society. One such technology is ambient intelligence.This paper describes the general purpose multi agent layered architecture of ambient intelligence. It is known as the HI3 architecture. It is built by considering the criteria such as scalability, modularity, fault tolerance etc. Ambient intelligence is one of the most important advancements in information technology. Ambient intelligence is an approach in which there is an easy interaction between the people and the surroundings to enrich their lives. The idea can be applied in many sectors like the public transport, factories, military, hospitals and other environments. Ambient intelligence pattern builds upon ubiquitous computing where the computing is made to appear everywhere. The paper is organised as follows: The general ambient intelligence architecture followed by the HI3 architecture.

Travel behaviour change in old age: the role of critical incidents in public transport.

Older people’s travel behaviour is affected by negative or positive critical incidents in the public transport environment. With the objective of identifying such incidents during whole trips and examining how travel behaviour had changed, we have conducted in-depth interviews with 30 participants aged 65–91 years in the County of Stockholm, Sweden. Out of 469 incidents identified, 77 were reported to have resulted in travel behaviour change, 67 of them in a negative way. Most critical incidents were encountered in the physical environment on-board vehicles and at stations/stops as well as in pricing/ticketing. The findings show that more personal assistance, better driving behaviour, and swift maintenance of elevators and escalators are key facilitators that would improve predictability in travelling and enhance vulnerable older travellers’ feeling of security. The results demonstrate the benefit of involving different groups of end users in future planning and design, such that transport systems would meet the various needs of its end users.

Traffic Conditions in Emerging University Campuses: King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Universities worldwide face growing problems of traffic congestion and parking shortages due to the increased usage of private automobiles and the decline of public and non-motorized transport systems. This paper addresses transportation system challenges facing university campuses. As a case study, it addresses King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. The fast growth of King Saud University Campus during the last 5 years had profound impacts on its transportation system.The study adopts two methodological approaches. Theoretically it reviews and analyzes several studies and published reports related to KSU campus and other international campuses. The empirical approach emphasizes the analysis of field data gathered by relevant KSU departments. The paper intends to analyze changes in traffic conditions and transportation systems within the KSUC and draw conclusions on the current and future issues facing the campus and other similar campuses. For a more sustainable campus, KSU has to adopt a balanced transportation system. The new system should not be based solely on improving vehicular circulation and parking provisions. It should enhance public transportation and pedestrian environment within the campus. The university should embark new sustainable policies to curtail demand on vehicular trips and parking spaces and increasingly rely on environmental-friendly modes of travel.

Design & Implementation of Real-Time Broadcast System of Urban Public Transport Crowding Index Based on the Internet of Things

Real-time broadcast system of public transport crowding index belongs to the broadcast system of urban public transport environment in ITS. The remaining seats and vehicle weight of the bus can effectively reflect the current crowding of public transport. This paper proposes a real-time broadcast system about the crowding index in public transport based on the Internet of things. The system can be divided into four submodules: wireless sensor network node, Sink node, terminal analysis and evaluation system and site display platform.Operating datas in public transport collected by wireless sensor networking node are sent to terminal analysis and evaluation system by GPRS wireless communication mode. This system can help people choose the best travel route. It may be helpful for managers to make a better traffic assignment.

Cooperative Intersection Negotiation for Multiple Autonomous Platoons

This paper presents a strategy for autonomously resolving intersection contention between platoons of autonomous vehicles. Each member of a platoon is represented by a dynamic model and a path tracking controller as well as a vehicle gap controller. These models and controllers are incorporated in simulation environments. Multiple vehicles in convoys simultaneously arriving at an intersection are simulated to ensure an optimized intersection negotiation taking into account a raft of widely varying requirements that exist in a public transport environments. A set of concepts such as initiative, infrastructure adaptation, and priority propagation are introduced and used to promote globally and locally optimal crossing patterns, avoiding vehicle stoppage in most circumstances. Results from a multiple convoy dynamic model simulation validate the strategy presented.

O ambiente no entorno da escola está associado ao deslocamento ativo para escola em pré-escolares?

5 Abstract - Available studies show that environmental factors may influence how parents choose to commute their children from home to school. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the association between the characteristics of the physical and social environment near school and active commuting to school among preschool children. A school-based cross-sectional study with a sample of children aged 3 to 5 years (n=914) was undertaken. Participants were selected by a single-stage cluster sampling process. To obtain data on commuting to school and demographic and socioeconomic variables, a previously validated questionnaire was used while an audit tool was used to assess the environment near school. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association and results were presented as Odds Ratio values. Results showed that 28.3% (95%CI 25.5-31.3) of the children were active commuters from home to school. A positive association was found between public transportation (p=0.002) and social environment (p=0.004) domains and active commuting. However, this association was found only among children from families that did not have a car. The likelihood of a child being an active commuter was higher among those who are enrolled in schools with better environmental surround- ings (OR=1.88; 95%CI 1.31-2.70). It was concluded that there was a positive association between some of the environmental factors near school and active commuting to school among children from families that did not have a car.

Urban image analysis through visual surveys. Craiova town (Romania) as a case study

The cities were affected by the processes of urban revitalization, aiming to be included in the global market competition where they try to attract more economic resources and to achieve an important position, thus transforming their perceptual urban representations. Some cities opted to reshape their urban spaces, projecting an image that attracts the visitor and the resident, while at the same time they try to manage the issues and tensions associated with this process of urban transformation. Thus, the city image is increasingly exposed to recent progresses and transformations of infrastructures and land use. This article aims to outline the perception of the urban image at microlevel scale with the help of data analysis resulting from the VPSVisual Preference Survey, conducted in Craiova town, Romania. A new urbanistic approach to measure the urban image, avoiding the classical Lynch model of analysis, is the VPS, developed by Anton Nelessen, which is a process that allows the residents to take part in the urban assessment and to create a new development vision for the future. By ranking different images of places, people from Craiova express their perception on the urban image, taking into consideration four urban aspects: public spaces, built environment, transportation and sociocultural environment, and building in this way the community they want to see in the future. The results show that the city image needs some major urban interventions in terms of design, architecture and functionality of the public urban spaces. Consequently, some principles are proposed to public actors for improving the four main sections discussed in the survey.

Toward Universal Design in Public Transportation Systems: An Analysis of Low‐Floor Bus Passenger Behavior with Video Observations

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the relationship between ergonomic comfort and the provision of accessibility features for mobility‐impaired persons in the use of public transportation systems in Korea. To deal with mobility issues in a public transportation environment, we chose the low‐floor bus as our research subject because it is the representative of a barrier‐free design solution. We collected data via video observation, which can overcome the limitations of traditional accessibility‐focused studies and laboratory studies by providing data on real usage patterns. We developed a framework to analyze the gathered data which includes user, space, tools, activities, and context. As a result, we observed existing difficulties of mobility‐impaired persons in terms of moving and supporting their bodies on the bus, despite the application of accessibility features. Furthermore, the design only for accessibility of mobility‐disabled persons can cause unexpected predicaments for the passengers who do not have physical handicaps. Drawing on these findings, we concluded that the concept of universal design in public transportation environments must be introduced in Korea. This study suggests video observation as a useful methodology for collecting data in dynamic environments. Additionally, our study is expected to contribute to how the concept of universal design can be implemented, and stimulate issues for ergonomic research based on our behavior pattern analysis.

Real-Time Information System for Small and Medium Bus Operators

The public-transportation sector is in constant development, yet the operating companies need to improve the quality of service they provide to passengers. In order to achieve this goal, they have to increase passenger security, comfort, information access, the destinations offered and extended service schedules. These improvements are very expensive to any public-transportation operator; the companies’ sustainability will be compromised. This paper describes an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that allows public-transportation companies to implement Real-Time Information to Passenger System (RTPI), that also provides monitoring and management tools to optimize service management and administration. The SITREPA System includes a hardware and software combined system that acquires data from vehicles and provides information to the needs of different actors in the public-transportation environment. We have designed a system that with low complexity and with an affordable cost, adequate for most small and medium passenger operator enterprises. The result of the implemented prototype in test scenarios showed that this system can be an important tool to passengers and can improve public-transportation management services.

A Survey of the Elderly in Regional Cities on their Attitudes toward Driving and Giving Up Driving

Elderly drivers are increasing every year in Japan. However, physical depression caused by aging is also a cause of traffic accidents and they will all have to give up driving one day. The aim of this study is to clarify the effects of car dependency and the impact of having to stop driving among the elderly. And to propose alternative transportation options for elderly after having surrendered their driver's licenses. The authors carried out a questionnaire survey and a focus group interview. During this study, the authors sent 1338 questionnaires to people over 60 years old in regional cities that included areas with convenient access and inconvenient access to public transit. From their survey, the authors found that, over half of the elderly drive every day, the older people lower drive frequency. License holder of elderly with feelings of decreased motor skills awareness a decrease in driving ability. Moreover it is clarified that issue of alternative are mobility devices to maintain social and personal relationships and mobility devices as an extension of walking and use the existing public transport environment.

Location-Aware Computing, Virtual Networks

This issue includes four works in process on issues and applications in location-aware computing: letting users set and control privacy policies when they use location-aware applications, cold-starting recommender systems for mobile location-aware services, aggregating contextual information for location-based applications, and applying location-based services to public transportation environments. The department also includes a report on lightweight virtualization of low-power wireless personal area networks.

Can measuring the benefits of accessible transport enable a seamless journey?

For disabled and older people, journeys need to be seamless – with no failures in access from origin to destination. Because the public transport environment, including walking and cycling modes, is not accessible, the use of private cars remains essential to social inclusion. Consequently, social goals relating to private car use in relation to health, environment and land-use will be harder to achieve. Greater attention needs to be paid to the detail of the “journey chain” with access consistently provided throughout, making for seamless journeys. This attention needs to be paid in all aspects of transport planning as well as delivery, including in the appraisal process. In transport projects appraisal, the costs of providing access are monetized, but not the benefits. The author undertook an experiment to value the benefits of step-free access for everyone and found significant economic benefit that enhanced the benefit:cost ratio. Until the benefits of accessible transport are properly considered for everybody across the whole planning process including appraisal, providing access will continue to be an uphill struggle and access throughout the journey chain will remain hit and miss.

Indecent assault on the public transport in Hong Kong

It cannot be denied that an efficient and safe public transport system is fundamental to the economic well-being of any progressive society, and personal security is one of the important factors that influence people when deciding whether or not to use public transportation. However, it also cannot be denied that crime and social disorder problems that occur in the community occur equally in the public transport environment. Examples of such crimes and social problems include graffiti, pick-pocketing, criminal damage, robbery and indecent assault. The public transport environment is particularly conducive to these problems as a result of overcrowding especially during peak hours exacerbated by the lack of supervision by transport staff. This paper begins by providing briefly the criminologists’ views with regards to indecent assaults and why they occur. Having considered some of the psychological and sociological factors to the problem, the paper discusses what amounts to indecent assault and assesses the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200) in Hong Kong for the protection afforded to victims of sexual assaults, especially women. With reference to a number of cases, an evaluation is then made as to the extent to which the courts in Hong Kong embrace the deterrence theory in sentencing offenders for indecent assault.

Ambient Intelligence: Concepts and applications

Ambient Intelligence aims to enhance the way people interact with their environment to promote safety and to enrich their lives. A Smart Home is one such system but the idea extends to hospitals, public transport, factories and other environments. The achievement of Ambient Intelligence largely depends on the technology deployed (sensors and devices interconnected through networks) as well as on the intelligence of the software used for decision-making. The aims of this article are to describe the characteristics of systems with Ambient Intelligence, to provide examples of their applications and to highlight the challenges that lie ahead, especially for the Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering communities. In particular we address system specification and verification for the former and knowledge acquisition from the vast amount of data collected for the latter. .

PRISMATICA: Toward Ambient Intelligence in Public Transport Environments

On-line surveillance to improve safety and security is a major requirement for the management of public transport networks and other public places. The surveillance task is a complex one involving people, management procedures, and technology. This work describes an architecture that takes into account the distributed nature of the detection processes and the need to allow for different types of devices and actuators. This was part of a major European initiative on intelligent transport systems. Because of the dominant nature of closed circuit television in surveillance, This work describes in detail a computer-vision module used in the system and its particular ability to detect situations of interest in busy conditions. The system components have been implemented, integrated, and tested in real metropolitan railway environments and are considered to be the first step toward providing ambient intelligence in such complex scenarios. Results are presented that not only deal with detection performance, but also on the perception of people who used the system on its effectiveness and potential impact.

Tracking-based event detection for CCTV systems

This paper presents a description of an event detection algorithm based on trajectories designed for closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems. Following the foreground segmentation, blob and scene basic characteristics—blob position or speed and people density—are used to create low-level descriptions of predefined events. Comparing sequence parameters with the semantic description of the events associated with the current scenario, the system is able to detect them and raise an alert signal to the operator, the final decision-maker. In the approach presented here, the specific demands for CCTV surveillance systems applied to public transport environments will be analysed, together with the appropriate image processing techniques in order to build an intelligent surveillance system able to detect “potentially dangerous situations.”

Advanced Surveillance: From Tracking To Event Detection

The authors suggest an automatic surveillance system based on a robust and simple algorithm for foreground detection and tracking of multiple objects in complex environments. It is possible to obtain enough information from the characteristics of the detected objects, their centroid's position and their trajectories as to detect some predefined events. Working without the operator supervision the application analyses the video streams from the CCTV surveillance system, discarding empty scenes for monitoring or recording, showing to the operator those fulfilling predefined requirements, like crowding, and rising an alarm to call the operator attention when it decides that an event may be taking place. The application is based on very simple algorithms in order to allow a single computer the analysis of up to eight video streams in real-time. Blob and scene characteristics are used to create a low-level description of predefined events. The application detects events by comparing the sequence's parameters with those associated with the events for the current scenario. The provided examples are tailored to the specific demands of a surveillance system in a public transport environment.

The Bus Rapid Transit System in Taipei City —ridership forecast for the New Light Industrial area in Neihu

The paper outlines the history and bus rapid transit (BRT) system development in Taipei City. The system performance is illustrated based on the figures derived from official reports, and ridership is forecast for a new light industrial area in the Neihu district of the city if the BRT strategy can be implemented there. The paper also proposes a set of feasible strategies for creating an ameliorated public transportation environment which will ensure a sustainable transportation development in Taipei City.