Policies for public transport and walking support sustainable mobility in urban contexts. While public transport necessitates walking, policies that integrate both modes in a cohesive manner remain scarce. To raise awareness and illustrate the symbiotic relationship between walking and public transport, we analyse data from 7,919 public transport (PT) trips comprising 38,933 trip legs. To address the challenge of diverse PT travel chains, a cluster analysis identifies four distinct PT trip types within the data. They vary in their temporal composition and mode usage across the door-to-door trip leg sequence. Two shorter, everyday PT trip types account for 89% of trips, with nearly all access provided by walking. For these trips, travellers spend 48% and 64% of their total travel time as pedestrians within the public urban realm, which includes walking, waiting and transferring. For the 10% of longer trips involving faster PT modes, walking remains the dominant access mode at the home end of the trip, and the share of bike and car usage exceeds 50% only at access distances greater than 1.5 kilometres. Access at the activity end of these longer PT trips is exclusively on foot, with travellers spending 32% of their total travel time as pedestrians. A small proportion (1.3%) of PT trips involves modes other than walking for access at the activity end of trips, with 22% of total travel time spent as pedestrians. Specific transfers from bike or car to PT require walking between parking facilities and PT stops or platforms. Walking times of 1.5 to 2.4 minutes for longer PT trips underscore the importance of short walking distances as a prerequisite for accessing PT via other modes. This points to both the potential and the limitations of integrating additional modes into PT trips. The data and methodology used in this study provide generalizable insights into the role of walking in PT trips. Overall, the results underscore the synergistic potential of integrated policies for walking and public transport, which holds true across all 12 urban contexts in the dataset. • Over 95% of urban public transport trips involve walking. • Walking, waiting, and transfers take up 48–64% of total travel time. • Walking dominates access for distances up to 1,500 metres. • Results show walking and public transport coexist symbiotically. • Coordinating walking and public transport policies can maximise synergies.

Shared e-scooters have been introduced in many cities since 2019, with the potential to solve first/last mile challenges in public transport (PT). However, Norwegian data shows a decline in e-scooter trips combined with PT over time, and such combined trips remain limited overall. Research indicates that the relationship between PT and shared e-scooters is complex and context-dependent. This study explores factors influencing the integration of e-scooter use with PT, aiming to identify measures that can promote such combined usage. We draw on three years of annual survey data from 6458 unique Norwegian e-scooter users, examining how and why they use e-scooters with PT, and what might encourage more integration. We analyse the issue through the lens of Generalised Cost (GC), considering how fare, physical, and information integration impact users. The findings indicate that fare integration is the most influential factor for increasing combined usage, as supported both by user responses and GC modelling. On a seven-point Likert-scale, fare integration scores one or more points higher than other measures. While physical and information integration matter, they are less impactful. Implementing fare integration, however, raises the question of how revenue losses are shared between PT providers and e-scooter companies.

• Accessibility is evaluated using two scenarios constructed from a single recent public transport timetable, created by removing the Elizabeth Line while keeping all origins, destinations and other timetable information constant. • In the scenario with the Elizabeth Line, job accessibility increases substantially across Greater London, with some outer London neighbourhoods experiencing travel time reductions of more than 40 per cent to key employment hubs. • A gravity-based accessibility metric and a modified Palma-style ratio show that accessibility gains are uneven but the scenario with the Elizabeth Line includes a modest redistributive effect. • Despite improvements in the with-Elizabeth-Line scenario, significant variation remains across socio-economic groupings, underscoring the need for complementary policies alongside major transport investments. In London, where a large share of employment opportunities is concentrated in the City of London and Canary Wharf, the public transport system plays a key role in connecting people to these jobs. With the opening of the Elizabeth Line in May 2022, parts of East and West London have seen improved travel times to these employment hubs. In this paper, we compare spatial accessibility to employment opportunities using two scenarios constructed from a recent public transport timetable: one representing current conditions with the Elizabeth Line, and a counterfactual scenario created by removing the line while keeping origins, destinations and all other timetable information constant. Using the r5r package for R, we generate public transport travel times and use these to calculate a gravity-based accessibility metric, allowing us to compare job accessibility across the two scenarios. We find that the Elizabeth Line improves job accessibility across Greater London, with the largest gains in Outer London boroughs such as Newham, Ealing and Redbridge, and travel times to the City of London and Canary Wharf reduced by more than 40 per cent for some neighbourhoods. In addition, a Palma-style ratio signals a meaningful redistributive effect in the modelled accessibility gains, although overall accessibility remains slightly higher in the least deprived neighbourhoods in both scenarios. However, as the analysis is based on a single recent timetable, it does not incorporate wider adjustments to other public transport services, and results should be interpreted with this in mind.

• Relocation to a car-reduced neighbourhood improves commute satisfaction. • Relocation shifts commuting to public transport and cycling, away from the car. • Commute satisfaction increases compared to previous place of residence. • Commute satisfaction is equally high for car, public transport and cycling. • Commute distance explains satisfaction better than the commute mode. In the pursuit of sustainable urban mobility, car-reduced neighbourhoods have been developed to discourage private car ownership and use. They limit parking spaces while providing their residents with car alternatives, e.g., public transport and shared modes. While mode use has been analysed in such settlements, little is known about whether the car-reduced design influences the residents’ commute well-being. Drawing on a quasi-longitudinal survey of 264 recently relocated residents of the car-reduced Lincoln neighbourhood in Darmstadt, Germany, this paper examines commute mode use and commute satisfaction. Bivariate difference tests and OLS regressions indicate that, upon relocating, commuting by car and walking decrease, while public transport use and cycling increase. Commute satisfaction improves across all modes except walking, with changes largely explained by commute distances. This study contributes new evidence that car-reduced neighbourhoods can simultaneously foster sustainable mobility and enhance travel well-being, given that workplaces remain accessible, e.g., via compact urban development.

Modeling heterogeneity in fault attribution of Pedestrian-Vehicle crashes using a Random parameter Binary Logit approach.

In times defined by a rapid transition towards a smart technology paradigm, accessibility remains a key prerequisite for social inclusion, equity and quality of life, especially for populations with special mobility needs like older adults and people with disabilities. This study meticulously reviews the existing literature to identify barriers and opportunities related to the mobility of these vulnerable groups within urban transport systems. Using systematic, narrative, thematic and bibliometric literature review tools, the study synthesises the findings of 60 studies from various disciplines, including transport, urban planning and social sciences. The outcomes illustrate that inadequate road infrastructure, such as poorly maintained sidewalks, inaccessible public transport stops and vehicles as well as insufficient tactile and auditory aids, severely limit mobility and independence. Public transport systems often lack user-friendly design, functional support for mobility aids and adequately trained staff. Technological advances, while promising, pose a challenge in terms of compatibility and accessibility for these groups; digital literacy and ease of use are factors that cannot be ignored. Policy recommendations are proposed to address these barriers, focusing on improving infrastructure, adopting inclusive design principles and enhancing services, affordability and staff training. Also, integrating and simplifying innovative transport technologies, like Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs), Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and digital mobility tools, to support equitable and inclusive mobility is a critical way forward. This study's findings highlight the interdisciplinary nature of transport accessibility research and the need for a holistic and universal approach to urban and transport planning. By addressing these challenges, policymakers and practitioners can significantly improve the autonomy, participation and well-being of older adults and people with disabilities, promoting a more liveable built and road environment. • Accessibility and mobility are two interlinked societal needs that may define not only access to travel and destinations but for some vulnerable populations even their quality of life per se. • This study reviews narratively and systematically 60 studies to identify and contextualise the transport barriers that older adults and people with disabilities face in urban eco-systems. • Infrastructure, socio-psychological, financial and service barriers are recognised spanning from concerns around inadequate road infrastructure and digital illiteracy to unaffordable travel and problematic public transport provision. • Targeted solutions are proposed around improving infrastructure, inclusive design and technology adoption and enhancing services, affordability and staff training. • Building accessible urban transport for all is a pathway to more liveable cities.

Considering the overall performance of public transportation systems is crucial for evaluating a system and is essential for accurately assessing the accessibility of the system. However, most previous studies have measured accessibility from the perspective of stations. Only a few studies have addressed accessibility and its spatial heterogeneity from the route perspective. To fill these gaps, this paper explores the construction and validation of a route-level accessibility measure. First, this study proposes a route-level accessibility measure that holistically evaluates the accessibility level of public transit systems from a route perspective. Second, the proposed measure is applied to assess the accessibility of bus and metro in Beijing, the two most widely used modes in the existing public transit system. Finally, the proposed measure is compared with other route-level accessibility measures from the literature. Machine learning models are used to explore the nonlinear relationship between these accessibility outcomes and land prices. The proposed measure is then validated by comparing its evaluation performance with other methods. The results of the three performance evaluation metrics, namely, R2, root-mean-square error, and relative importance, indicate that the proposed measure outperformed the existing route-level accessibility measure. The proposed measure exhibits stronger predictive power for land prices compared with the existing route-level accessibility measure in the literature. By measuring the accessibility of public transit systems from a route perspective, this study complements the exploration of route-level accessibility measures in the research field, helping planners rationally evaluate the coverage level of urban public transit networks.

• A fine-grained job accessibility index is developed in 140 French areas. • Spatial models capture the impacts of poverty on accessibility in each area. • Higher poverty concentration does not imply substantially better job accessibility. • Accessibility distribution does not meet the equity criteria. • Results stress the need to improve transit accessibility in disadvantaged zones. The distribution of accessibility is a key metric of transport equity. While increasingly studied, current assessments could be enhanced by a clearer framing of the equity principles evaluated, broader sample diversity, and the use of spatial statistics. This research evaluates an equity scenario assuming that the urban system prioritizes the poorest areas. We test whether poorer areas benefit from better job accessibility by public transport than other areas with a similar geographic context. To this end, we compute an accessibility index across 140 areas, combining high spatial resolution with comprehensive nationwide coverage, and analyze it using spatial econometric models. Results show that higher-poverty areas have accessibility levels similar to those in other comparable areas—a pattern that falls short of this equity goal. These findings call for stronger policy interventions targeting disadvantaged neighborhoods. Future research could assess complementary equity criteria, for which we suggest potential avenues.

As cities are the main carriers of carbon emissions, researchers have been continuously exploring the relationship between various elements in cities and carbon emissions. In this study, a multisource data set was produced for the Hefei Municipal District in Anhui Province, China, and the carbon emission data estimated by both direct and indirect methods were fitted and corrected by the function of nighttime lighting data. Carbon emission drivers were established in accordance with the current 5D spatial indicator system. Based on the current 5D spatial indicator system, the carbon emission driver indicators were established, taking into account the complex process of carbon sources and sinks, and incorporating natural spatial factors other than man-made space. The spatial autocorrelation model was used to analyze the distribution of carbon emissions and each indicator separately and spatially, and the driving force of each factor in the driving system was measured and verified by combining the characteristics of multiple models. The results showed that among the five dimensions of urban space, the driving forces of functional composite strength, public transport station density, and road network density are higher, which are 70.2%, 63.3%, and 63.3%, respectively, which are important factors affecting carbon emission intensity. By prioritizing the improvement of these factors and optimizing public transport and land use, valuable lessons can be provided for spatial planning for carbon reduction and the construction of low-carbon cities.

An integrated fuzzy decision-making framework for the evaluation of electric buses in public transportation: A case study in Istanbul, Türkiye

Evolutionary optimization of public transport bus stop locations

Comparing travel behavior of EV and ICEV drivers and households in England

The efficiency of demand responsive transport (DRT) services, such as ridepooling, has garnered significant attention across various (simulation) studies. However, a deeper look into the metrics employed to assess system performance exposes notable discrepancies in their utilization. Notably, certain indicators, such as the pooling rate, demonstrate a susceptibility to manipulation based on input parameters, potentially skewing results to give a more favorable impression of service performance. In this paper, we show that, under such circumstances, achieving a fair comparison between study outcomes and with traditional (public) transport modes becomes challenging. In light of these challenges, this study introduces a novel operational performance indicator: Operational System Efficiency ( OSE ). OSE is tailored to evaluate the operational efficiency of ridepooling systems in a holistic way. In particular, it combines important operational indicators such as detour factor and empty kilometers share, which are considered in numerous analyses. Hereby, OSE is fostering a more equitable assessment of service performance. We applied this methodology and calculated the indicators provided in other studies to two real-world trip datasets from ridepooling services in Berlin and Münster, Germany, and compared the results. Distinct disparities emerge in comparison with conventional efficiency indicators. Consequently, the proposed OSE holds promise for stakeholders, including service providers, public transport companies, and regulatory authorities, as a valuable tool for determining the suitability of a ridepooling service for a given locale relative to other transport modalities, while also providing a transparent assessment of its efficiency.

How can we capture the value of rail transit to improve spatial equity across income groups?

Integrating soil-structure interaction and intelligent critical speed control for monorail networks: Design charts for enhancing the sustainability of autonomous trains

Shifting daily commutes from private cars to walking, cycling, or public transit can simultaneously reduce household expenses, ease pressure on public budgets, and mitigate social and environmental externalities. Using an origin-destination survey combined with administrative data for Quebec, this study develops an integrated cost-benefit framework to evaluate modal-shift scenarios. Results indicate that up to one-third of car commutes in the province's largest metropolitan area (Montreal) could potentially shift to sustainable alternatives, generating annual public savings of about CAD 1.2 billion, reduced external costs of CAD 2.5 billion, and lower commuting-related carbon emissions by 12 percentage points. Extending the analysis to the provincial level doubles total savings to nearly CAD 7 billion per year and cuts total carbon emissions by roughly 1 p.p. Modest active mobility infrastructure upgrades along key routes could unlock about 20% of this potential, while achieving the full triple-win will require more ambitious and coordinated policies. • Modal shifts to active and public transportation reduce private, public, and external costs. • Walking and cycling save up to $0.07 per dollar spent, while driving costs $0.78. • Shifting car trips under 5–10 km could cut Quebec's annual GHG emissions by 1%. • These shifts could save $4–$7 billion annually, including $1.8–$3.4 billion in external costs. • Modest active mobility infrastructure upgrades could unlock about 20% of this potential. • Achieving the full triple-win will require coordinated policies targeting infrastructures and behaviors.

Multi-activity accessibility by public transit: Regional disparities in daily access to essential services

Urban river-crossing corridors, such as bridges and tunnels, are critical yet vulnerable links in metropolitan transportation networks, where disruptions can cause severe system-wide impacts due to limited redundancy and concentrated traffic flows. This study proposes a novel dual-indicator framework integrating vehicle detour efficiency and public transportation substitution capacity to comprehensively evaluate the vulnerability and substitutability of urban river-crossing corridors. The methodology is empirically applied to Wuhan, China—a megacity characterized by a dense network of river-crossing infrastructure. Using extensive ride-hailing trajectory data, multitemporal travel simulations, and spatial analysis of traffic analysis zones (TAZs), we systematically assess the vulnerability patterns and substitution dynamics of nine key Yangtze River crossings. Our findings reveal significant heterogeneity in vulnerability levels: peripheral corridors exhibit markedly higher vulnerability and wider impact zones than central corridors due to lower bridge density and insufficient public transit alternatives. The study also identifies spatially contiguous strip-shaped vulnerability impact areas and highlights that residents in peripheral zones face greater challenges in shifting from private vehicle to public transit during corridor disruptions. These insights provide critical implications for enhancing the resilience of river-crossing networks while also informing strategic urban transportation planning in riverine cities.

Vulnerability assessment of urban road networks under extreme weather events

This paper presents a dataset of real-world Ghanaian environmental soundscapes intended to support machine-listening research and sound-event classification in low-resource contexts. The collection contains 22,193 uncompressed 44.1 kHz/16-bit WAV recordings, captured using mobile devices across diverse environments, including urban spaces, educational institutions, marketplaces, transport hubs, and human non-verbal acoustic settings. Recordings were obtained under natural field conditions to retain authentic background noise, reverberation, and overlapping sound events. Each file is accompanied by structured metadata specifying category, class, subclass, location, and context, and all annotations have been manually verified to ensure label consistency and quality. The dataset addresses a critical geographic gap in global audio resources and provides culturally and acoustically representative material from Sub-Saharan Africa. It offers strong potential for applications in environmental monitoring, sound event detection, accessibility tools, hearing-assistive technologies, and broader audio-based AI systems.