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To improve the traffic efficiency of bus at a group of intersections and reduce their delay, this paper develops a speed guidance strategy for buses under travel time control at intersection groups. The approach considers the influence of bus departure time, bus station arrival rate, and bus station dwell time. Simulation experiments are carried out on three consecutive intersections along Jinshan Avenue in Fuzhou, China. Results show that the average travel time of buses, the average delay of buses, and the average delay per capita in the priority direction are reduced by 5.5%, 9.9%, and 9.4%, respectively. The optimal rate of the average number of bus stops reached 15.2%. The indicators of the non-priority direction of social vehicles are not significantly affected. It shows that the efficiency of buses has improved after implementing the speed guidance strategy at the intersection groups without affecting the social vehicles as far as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travel times between different locations form the basis for most contemporary measures of spatial accessibility. Travel times allow to estimate the potential for interaction between people and places, and is therefore a vital measure for understanding the functioning, sustainability, and equity of cities. Here, we provide an open travel time matrix dataset that describes travel times between the centroids of all cells in a grid (N = 13,132) covering the metropolitan area of Helsinki, Finland. The travel times recorded in the dataset follow a door-to-door approach that provides comparable travel times for walking, cycling, public transport and car journeys, including all legs of each trip by each mode, such as the walk to a bus stop, or the search for a parking spot. We used the r5py Python package, that we developed specifically for this computation. The data are sensitive to diurnal variations and to variations between people (e.g. slow and fast walking speed). We validated the data against the Google Directions API and present use cases from a planning practice. The five key principles that guided the data set design and production – comparability, simplicity, reproducibility, transferability, and sensitivity to temporal and interpersonal variations – ensure that urban and transport planners, business and researchers alike can use the data in a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban (suburban) railway is a fast and convenient rail transit system connecting urban and suburban areas, and a refined analysis of the diversity of public service facilities around its stations can help to promote the intensive use of land around rail stations. However, the differences in the diversity of public service facilities in the railway life circle between urban and suburban railway stations and the factors affecting them are not clear. This paper takes the Beijing Suburban Railway Line Sub-center (Line S1) as a case study, uses the Shannon-Wiener index to measure the spatial diversity characteristics of public service facilities, and utilizes a multi-scale geographically weighted regression model to explore the influencing factors. The findings indicate that: (1) Centered on the stations, all six stations show a "less-more-less" ring or half-ring to the left distribution structure of the comprehensive diversity index of public service facilities within their study areas, with an increase followed by a decrease. (2) The influence of each influencing factor on the diversity of market-featured facilities exhibits significant differences. The most substantial spatial heterogeneity is observed in the distances to the nearest subway stations and bus stops. Distances to subway and urban (suburban) railway stations exhibit different spatial distribution characteristics within urban and suburban areas on Line S1. In urban areas, the closer the distance to the subway station or the further the distance to the railway station, the greater the diversity of public service facilities. Conversely, in suburban areas, the opposite is true. The conclusions of this research provide a scientific methodology and improvement measures to facilitate the construction of railway life circles in suburban regions of megacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, dockless bike-sharing (DBS) systems are acclaimed for their convenience and seamless integration with public transportation, such as buses and metros. While much research has focused on the connection between the built environment and the metro–DBS integration, the influence of urban road characteristics on DBS and bus integration remains underexplored. This study defined the parking area of DBS around bus stops by a rectangular buffer so as to extract the DBS–bus integration, followed by measuring the access and egress integration using real-time data on dockless bike locations. This indicated that the average trip distance for DBS–bus access and egress integration corresponded to 1028.47 m and 1052.33 m, respectively. A zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model assessed how urban roads and other transportation facilities correlate with DBS–bus integration across various scenarios. The findings revealed that certain street patterns strongly correlate with frequent connection hotspots. Furthermore, high-grade roads and 'dense loops on a stick' street types may negatively influence DBS–bus integration. The increase in the proportion of three-legged intersections and culs-de-sac in the catchment makes it difficult for bus passengers to transfer by DBS. These insights offer valuable guidance for enhancing feeder services in public transit systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of urbanization intensifies the urban heat island, outdoor activities (especially the road travel) are seriously affected by the overheating environment, and the comfort and safety of the bus shelter as an accessory facility of road travel are crucial to the passenger's experience. This study investigated the basic information (e.g., distribution, orientation) of 373 bus shelters in Guangzhou and extracted the typical style by classifying the characteristics of these bus shelters. Additionally, we also measured the thermal environment of some bus shelters in summer and investigated the cooling behavior of passengers in such an environment. The results show that the typical style of bus shelters in the core area of Guangzhou is north–south orientation, with only one station board at the end of the bus, two backboards, two roofs (opaque green), and the underlying surface is made of red permeable brick. The air temperature and relative humidity under different bus shelters, tree shading areas, and open space in summer are 34–37 °C and 49–56%, respectively. For the bus shelters with heavy traffic loads, the air temperature is basically above 35.5 °C, and the thermal environment is not comfortable. During the hot summer, when there is no bus shelter or trees to shade the sun, the waiting people adjust their position with the sun's height, azimuth angles, and direct solar radiation intensity to reduce the received radiation as much as possible, which brings great inconvenience to them. When only bus shelters provide shade, people tend to gather in the shaded space, and cooling measures such as umbrellas, hats, and small fans are still needed to alleviate thermal discomfort. However, the aforementioned various spontaneous cooling behaviors still cannot effectively alleviate overheating, and it is very important to increase auxiliary cooling facilities in bus shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter of 2.5 µm and smaller (PM2.5) is known to cause many respiratory health problems, such as asthma and heart disease. A primary source of PM2.5 is emissions from cars, trucks, and buses. Emissions from university transit bus systems could create zones of high PM2.5 concentration at their bus stops. This work recruited seven university students who regularly utilized the transit system to use a low-cost personal aerosol monitor (AirBeam) each time they arrived at a campus bus stop. Each participant measured PM2.5 concentrations every time they were at a transit-served bus stop over four weeks. PM2.5 concentration data from the AirBeam were compared with an ADR-1500 high-cost monitor and EPA PM2.5 reference measurements. This methodology allowed for identifying higher-than-average concentration zones at the transit bus stops compared to average measurements for the county. By increasing access to microenvironmental data, this project can contribute to public health efforts of personal protection and prevention by allowing individuals to measure and understand their exposure to PM2.5 at the bus stop. This work can also aid commuters, especially those with pre-existing conditions who use public transportation, in making more informed health decisions and better protecting themselves against new or worsening respiratory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City-wide near-miss data can be beneficial for traffic safety estimation. In this study, we evaluate urban traffic safety and examine spatial patterns by incorporating city-wide near-miss data (59,277 near-misses). Our methodology employs a grid-based method, the Empirical Bayes (EB) approach, and spatial analysis tools including global Moran's I and local Moran's I. The study findings reveal that near-misses have the strongest correlation with observed crash frequency among all the variables studied. Interestingly, the ratio of near-misses to crashes is roughly estimated to be 1957:1, providing a potentially useful benchmark for urban areas. For other variables, an increased number of intersections and bus stops, along with a greater road length, contribute to a higher crash frequency. Conversely, residential and open-space land use rates show a negative correlation with crash frequency. Through spatial analysis, potential risk hotspots including roads linking bridges and tunnels, and avenues bustling with pedestrian activity, are highlighted. The study also identified negative local spatial correlations in crash frequencies, suggesting significant safety risk variations within relatively short distances. By mapping the differences between observed and predicted crash frequencies, we identified specific grid areas with unexpectedly high or low crash frequencies. These findings highlight the crucial role of near-miss data in urban traffic safety policy and planning, particularly relevant with the imminent rise of autonomous and connected vehicles. By integrating near-miss data into safety estimations, we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of traffic safety and, thus, more effectively address urban traffic risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To unravel the general relationship between bus travel and land use around bus stops and along bus routes and to promote their coordinated development, this paper explores a method to estimate passenger flow volumes from and to bus stops based on land use types, intensities, and spatial distributions around bus stops and along bus routes. Firstly, following the principle of the gravity model, which considers traffic volumes analogous to gravity based on trip generation and distance impedance between traffic analysis zones (TAZs), a gravitational logic estimation method for passenger flow volumes from and to bus stops was constructed with land use elements between bus stop TAZs and the upstream and downstream collections of bus stop TAZs. Building upon this, the passenger flow volumes from and to 38 bus stops in the Xueyuan Square area of Dalian during weekday morning peak hours were taken as the experimental objects. The basic estimation models of two gravity sets corresponding to passenger flow volumes from and to bus stops were constructed using the bus travel generation based on the aggregation of area-based origin unit method and the bus travel distance impedance based on the probability density method. Finally, the reliability of the estimation method of passenger flow volumes from and to bus stops was verified by regression fitting between the surveyed values of passenger flow volume and the estimated values of the basic models. The results indicate that the fuzzy estimation and transformation of bus travel based on land use elements, which serves as a crucial lever for facilitating strategic alignment in transit-oriented development (TOD), can be effectively achieved by using the area-based origin unit method to aggregate bus travel generation and the probability density method to evaluate the bus travel distance impedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a multi-objective integrated optimization method for feeder buses of rail transit based on realistic considerations. We propose a bus stop selection method that considers the influence of shared motorcycles, which can score the importance of alternative bus stops and select those with the highest scores as objectives. The objective of the model in this paper is to minimize both the travel costs of passengers and the operating costs of the bus company. This is achieved by optimizing feeder bus routes, the frequency of departures, and interchange discounts to enhance the connectivity between feeder buses and rail transit. In addition, to ensure the feasibility of generated routes in the real road network, a genetic algorithm encoded with priority is used to solve this model. We use the Xingyao Road subway station in Kunming as an example, and the results show that the optimization method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the research is to determine the efficiency in population and area coverage of the set of bus stops to existing land uses in the city, allowing the identification of possible shortcomings, which leads to the formulation of restructuring proposals in terms of the location of the stops. The research methodology to be applied includes the use of geostatistical models of accessibility based on GIS-type digital tools, supported by the collection of field information and road inventories. As a main result, it is obtained that the stop-system coverage allows the access of more than 80% of the population in a trip time by walking less than 5 minutes. Likewise, it is possible to identify a robust redundancy concerning the system of stops. Thus, it is concluded that the research process facilitates the evaluation and identification of possible interventions, guaranteeing a better coverage of the stops set regarding the city's existing activities.

Understanding which aspects can have the greatest influence on the performance, comfort and safety of a public transport system can be of great help in improving its operation and promoting more sustainable mobility. To find out more about these aspects, a survey was carried out among more than 180 drivers of urban bus transport systems in seven medium-sized cities in Spain. The drivers' perspective has been insufficiently taken into account in previous research, despite the fact that these workers have a high and direct knowledge of the operation and problems directly affecting the service. The data collected through this survey have been analysed using descriptive statistics and an Ordered Probit model. The results have allowed us to detect specific aspects to improve the performance and comfort of users and drivers such as the correct location and length of bus stops and enforcing regulation to ensure that buses have priority in traffic and that illegal parking does not interfere with their operations. In addition, bus lanes were seen as important by drivers to improve the comfort and safety of the service. Other factors related to safety were generally highly rated and there was little dispersion in the responses about their importance, although aspects such as proper visibility, avoiding illegal parking, and campaigns to encourage bus users to be aware of their surroundings stood out in the answers. Finally, the payment system was highlighted as very relevant to ensure the performance and comfort of users and drivers during the operation at bus stops. Improving this system was identified as the measure that could have the greatest impact on the performance of the service as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of new towns is one of the main measures to evacuate urban populations and promote regional coordination and urban–rural integration in China. Mining the spatio-temporal pattern of new town hot spots based on multivariate data and analyzing the influencing factors of new town construction hot spots can provide a strategic basis for new town construction, but few researchers have extracted and analyzed the influencing factors of new town internal hot spots and their classification. In order to define the key points of Wuhan's new town construction and promote the construction of new cities in an orderly and efficient manner, this paper first constructs a space-time cube based on the luminous remote sensing data from 2010 to 2019, extracts hot spots and emerging hot spots in Wuhan New City, selects 14 influencing factor indicators such as population density, and uses bivariate Moran's index to analyze the influencing factors of hot spots, indicating that the number of bus stops and vegetation coverage rate are the most significant. Secondly, the disorderly multivariate logistic regression model is used to analyze the influencing factors of emerging hot spots. The results show that population density, vegetation coverage, road density, distance to water bodies, and distance to train stations are the most significant factors. Finally, based on the analysis results, some relevant suggestions for the construction of Wuhan New City are proposed, providing theoretical support for the planning and policy guidance of new cities, and offering reference for the construction of new towns in other cities, promoting the construction of high-quality cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most ultralong bus lines, low punctuality rates and vehicle bunching are two main challenges. One potential strategy to solve these two problems is to split an ultralong line into two or three shorter lines according to historical passenger flow patterns as well as other presetting objectives and constraints. Thus, in this paper, a multiobjective optimization model is first established in consideration of both passenger flow distribution and coline metro networks. Then, the optimal truncated stop is determined by estimating the model results generated by enumerating each potential bus stop derived from related metro stops. The nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is applied to solve the model efficiently. A case study conducted on a real bus line associated with metro networks in Beijing, China, demonstrates the efficiency of the optimization strategy adoption in terms of operating cost and passenger travel time, even with a slight increase in passenger cost. Besides, the multivehicle type is also referred in the experiments to verify economic efficiency to reduce operational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife mortality due to collisions with vehicles (roadkill) is one of the predominant negative effects exerted by roads on many wildlife species. Reducing roadkill is therefore a major component of wildlife conservation. Roadkill is affected by various factors, including road attributes and traffic volume. It is theorized that the effect of traffic volume on roadkill probability should be unimodal. However, empirical evidence for this theory is lacking. Using a large‐scale roadkill database of 18 wildlife species in Israel, encompassing 2846 km of roads over 10 years, we explored the effects of traffic volume and road attributes (e.g., road lighting, verge vegetation) on roadkill probability with a multivariate generalized linear mixed model. A unimodal effect of traffic volume was identified for the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), whereas 5 species demonstrated a novel quadratic U‐shaped effect (e.g., golden jackal [Canis aureus]). Four species showed a negative linear effect (e.g., wild boar [Sus scrofa]). We also identified varying effects of road attributes on roadkill. For instance, road lighting and roadside trees decreased roadkill for several species, whereas bus stops and concrete guardrails led to increased roadkill. The theorized unimodal effect of traffic volume may only apply to large, agile species, and the U‐shaped effect could be related to intraspecies variability in traffic avoidance behavior. In general, we found that both high‐traffic and low‐traffic roads can pose a high mortality risk for wildlife. It is therefore important to monitor roadkill on low‐traffic roads and adapt road attributes to mitigate roadkill. Road design for effective roadkill mitigation includes reducing the use of concrete guardrails and median barriers where possible and avoiding dense bushes in verge landscaping. These measures are complemented by employing wildlife detection systems, driver warnings, and seasonal speed reduction measures on low‐traffic roads identified as roadkill hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the research is to determine the efficiency in population and area coverage of the set of bus stops to existing land uses in the city, allowing the identification of possible shortcomings, which leads to the formulation of restructuring proposals in terms of the location of the stops. The research methodology to be applied includes the use of geostatistical models of accessibility based on GIS-type digital tools, supported by the collection of field information and road inventories. As a main result, it is obtained that the stop-system coverage allows the access of more than 80% of the population in a trip time by walking less than 5 minutes. Likewise, it is possible to identify a robust redundancy concerning the system of stops. Thus, it is concluded that the research process facilitates the evaluation and identification of possible interventions, guaranteeing a better coverage of the stops set regarding the city's existing activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Electric Bus Dynamic Wireless Charging (EB-DWC) system is a bus charging system that enables electric buses to receive power wirelessly from ground-based electromagnetic induction devices. In this system, how to optimally configure the charging infrastructures while considering the unpredictable nature of bus movement is a great challenge. This paper presents an optimization problem for an EB-DWC system in urban settings, addressing stochastic elements inherent in the vehicle speed, initial charging state, and dwell time at bus stops. We formulate a stochastic planning problem for the EB-DWC system by integrating these uncertainties and apply Monte Carlo sampling techniques to effectively solve this problem. The proposed method can improve the system's robustness effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "INVINCIBLE: CALLING IN THE GUARDIANS AND WITNESSES" is published in the International Journal of Child, Youth & Family Studies. It discusses the INVINCIBLE project, which is an arts-based storytelling project featuring the stories and artwork of Indigenous youth in care. The project is youth-led, with the INVINCIBLE youth researchers imagining, designing, and creating the stories and artwork. The article emphasizes the importance of refusal as an anticolonial strategy and highlights the power of storytelling in reclaiming Indigenous practices of well-being. The authors express their gratitude to the ancestors and families of the lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ nations, as well as to all Indigenous children and youth who have grown up in colonial systems. [Extracted from the article]

High sunlight and poor air quality in the city of Bandung affect the level of visual comfort. In designing bus stops, space is needed that has visual comfort so that the facilities are maintained and can function well. This research was conducted to determine visual comfort as measured using the Daylight Factor (DF) at bus stops in Bandung. The method used is a quantitative experiment using Drajmarsh and Ladybug software. To identify a bus stop design with stable visual comfort, analysis was conducted at various times and places. The results of the study are guidelines for creating publicly accessible spaces, such as bus stops, in Bandung that make utilization of natural light from the sun from morning to night. This light is crucial for visual information, thermal comfort, and building energy efficiency.

The bilateral Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is a kind of BRT system in which the stops are located in the middle of the transit lane. By simultaneously serving transit lines in opposite directions, it is particularly designed to save space resources and enhance service quality. To improve the operational efficiency of the bilateral BRT, this paper optimizes the operational performance of bilateral BRT with elastic demand. The objective is to minimize the generalized time cost per passenger of the system by jointly optimizing the headway and number of stops of bilateral BRT. The cost includes the agency operating and user travel. The optimal design model is formulated as a mixed-integer program and solved using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and a genetic algorithm (GA). We conduct a case study and sensitivity analysis to show the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach. We conclude that the optimized minimum generalized cost per passenger is lower than the actual case for all demand levels, especially at off-peak hours, by about 22.5%. In addition, we find that the weights of agency and user costs have the most significant impact on headway, whereas the influence of walking, vehicle speed, and route length is minimal. In contrast, the optimal number of BRT stops is mostly influenced by the route length, and walking speed has essentially no effect on the optimal number of stops. Finally, we find that the generalized cost per passenger at peak hours is 10% to 15% smaller than at off-peak hours in various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban transportation is pivotal in facilitating citizen mobility, and within this sphere, the thermal comfort experienced at bus stops significantly impacts pedestrians' well-being. This research delves into the analysis of direct sun glare at bus stops utilizing Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) point clouds. Solar angles are calculated to evaluate sun rays, focusing particularly on the summer solstice, and considering the integration of trees to alleviate direct sun glare. The methodological approach comprises four stages: 1) Semantic segmentation of the bus stop environment, 2) Sun glare analysis, 3) Sun glare analysis integrating trees, and 4) Subsoil investigation with Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR). Various algorithms, including DBSCAN and filters for height, width, and intensity, are employed to classify different elements contained in the bus stop. Sun rays are then derived based on sun angles, identifying intersections with street elements and vertical structures like bus stops or facades. Subsequently, these intersections are recalculated, incorporating trees in the bus stop vicinity. Finally, GPR is utilized to assess the viability of adding trees. Three bus stops in Vigo, Spain, serve as the focal points of analysis. The study delineates specific time intervals when sun rays either encounter new vegetation obstacles or remain unobstructed. While both small and large trees show potential in reducing sun glare, larger trees notably exhibit greater effectiveness in blocking sun glare for extended periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing is crucial to combat childhood obesity. We aimed to estimate the reduction of children’s exposure to food marketing under different policy scenarios and assess exposure differences by socio-economic status. Design: Data on children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing were compiled from a previous cross-sectional study in which children (n 168) wore wearable cameras and Global Positioning System (GPS) units for 4 consecutive days. For each exposure, we identified the setting, the marketing medium and food/ beverage product category. We analysed the percentage reduction in food marketing exposure for ten policy scenarios and by socio-economic deprivation: (1) no product packaging, (2) no merchandise marketing, (3) no sugary drink marketing, (4) no confectionary marketing in schools, (5) no sugary drink marketing in schools, (6) no marketing in public spaces, (7) no marketing within 400 m of schools, (8) no marketing within 400 m of recreation venues, (9) no marketing within 400 m of bus stops and (10) no marketing within 400 m of major roads. Setting: Wellington region of New Zealand. Participants: 168 children aged 11–14 years. Results: Exposure to food marketing varied by setting, marketing medium and product category. Among the ten policy scenarios, the largest reductions were for plain packaging (60·3 %), no sugary drink marketing (28·8 %) and no marketing in public spaces (22·2 %). There were no differences by socio-economic deprivation. Conclusions: The results suggest that plain packaging would result in the greatest decrease in children’s exposure to food marketing. However, given that children are regularly exposed to unhealthy food marketing in multiple settings through a range of marketing mediums, comprehensive bans are needed to protect children’s health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes sexual themes in two major works by William Inge, a Kansas playwright and closeted homosexual noted for his sympathetic portrayals of lonely, frustrated women. More specifically, it focuses on the highly differentiated descriptions of male and female characters in Come Back, Little Sheba and Bus Stop, as well as the portrayal of male-male relationships in the latter. Both plays (along with Picnic and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs) were among the remarkable string of Broadway successes enjoyed by Inge during the 1950s. Although Inge's sexuality is not directly mentioned in any of his major plays, there are subtle references to it in these two, at least, especially in the lavish attention shown by Inge to male bodies in the stage directions of both, and the surprisingly tender relationship between the cowboys Bo and Virgil in Bus Stop. Before beginning our analysis of sexual themes in these plays, we shall examine the more forthright treatment of homosexuality in some of Inge's minor works, including several one-act plays and the two novels he wrote towards the end of his life. Inge has been unjustly overlooked in critical and theatrical circles since his death in 1973, and it is hoped that the greater interest being shown today in LGBTQ+ artists may lead to a revival of interest in his work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research showed that living closer to bus stops could be a factor in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. However, most of the studies relied on self-reported measures of distance, which might be affected by several confounders. In this study, self-reported distances among study participants were compared to actual ones, computed by the use of GIS (Geographic Information System) technology and routing algorithms. We tested whether distance to the bus stop is associated with health and socioeconomic conditions of the respondents, using data among 2398 older people (75–90 years) in three cities in Sweden. We found that several variables including older age, female gender, living alone, and worse health status are associated with an over-estimation of bus stop distance. People who use public transport daily or several times a week and are satisfied with the walking environment in the neighbourhood tend to underestimate bus stop distances. Evidence based on self-reported measures only should be treated cautiously. Considering the limitations still present in open-data-based routing algorithms, the best indication is to combine the subjective with the objective measure of distance. Having the possibility to combine the two measures appears as a sound strategy to overcome the limitations associated with each single measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholders expect emerging urban air mobility (UAM) services that use electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to revolutionize transportation systems. However, to be effective, eVTOL facilities, known as vertiports, must seamlessly integrate with the existing multimodal transportation infrastructure. This research analyzes how to best integrate vertiports with the existing public transit network of a city, with San Francisco in the United States as a case study. This study developed a composite optimization model to identify the locations for an optimum number of vertiports within each of the eleven (11) supervisorial districts of San Francisco that would minimize the network distance to its bus stops. The results revealed that 38 locations for vertiports covered 3245 bus stops with an average walk time close to 10 min. Walking 10 min from each vertiport would cover 41.6% of the total road network length and 49.8% of all bus stop locations. Power-law regressions of the average distances as a function of the number of vertiports will help planners to make informed decisions about the optimal vertiport placements in each district by identifying diminishing returns in travel-time savings, and adjustments that consider income and population as additional demand factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in automobiles within rapidly developing nations in SubSaharan Africa necessitates the exploration of sustainable transportation alternatives, especially in urban regions. Walking and cycling are essential active modes of transport that can improve city residents' well-being and economic vitality. However, their adoption as mobility choices depends on infrastructure limitations and residents' perception of their safety. This study investigates the impact of socio-demographic and neighborhood characteristics on the safety perception of active mobility within the Accra metropolis of Ghana. The study utilized survey data on residents' mobility habits and willingness to use active transport modes for daily commutes. Most of the respondents are permanent residents of Accra, and 51% are between 18-35 years old. The developed random parameter ordered logit model reveals that the perception of safety varies across the population and is influenced by respondents' demographic characteristics and neighborhood configuration. Notably, factors related to walking duration to bus stops, income level, and household size, unplanned neighborhoods, among others, decrease residents' safety perception of active mobility. The study offers valuable insights that can aid in planning future urban active mobility systems in Accra to establish safer and more sustainable transportation choices for the city's residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of shadows is one of the main disadvantages of photovoltaic solar panel installations in urban environments. This article analyses their effect on solar installations performed on urban elements where the use of solar energy can be considered novel: bus shelters. For this purpose, the PVGIS tool is used in combination with a new methodology for the extraction of the shadow horizon profile from LiDAR point clouds. The results show a 29.90% and 37% reduction of calculated solar radiation using horizon profiles derived from LiDAR point clouds of 0.5 pts/m2 and 1 pt/m2, respectively, versus no horizon profile. By taking shading into account, thanks to this study it is possible to make a more realistic prediction of the use of the electrical energy generated by the sun to cover urban energy consumption in bus shelters. Results show that the energy surplus produced overall allows these elements to be converted into charging points for light electric vehicles, allowing up to 35 units per day/bus shelter to be charged. The use of bus shelters as a place to generate clean energy through solar energy and charge light vehicles makes it possible to move towards sustainable and environmentally friendly cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the pandemic the government has issued some policies, one of which is mobility restriction for people. This restriction affected the public transportation sector, including Trans Jogja Bus for which passengers decreased by 69%. A study was conducted to find reasonable solutions for the emerging problem by using passengers' safety approach and taking health protocols into consideration in both Trans Jogja Bus stop and in the vehicle. Data collection was done online by distributing questionnaire link through social media and targeting 100 respondents. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used in the data analysis. The analysis results show that latent variables 'health protocol implementation by the bus operator' and 'health protocol implementation in the bus stop' significantly affected the passengers' decision to travel by using Trans Jogja Bus during the pandemic. In contrast, the latent variable 'health protocol implementation by the passengers' had little significance to the passengers' decision to travel by using Trans Jogja Bus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban areas, a major source of harmful particulate matter is generated by vehicles. In particular, bus stops, where people often stay for public transportation, generate high concentrations of particulate matter compared to the general atmosphere. In this study, a non-powered type brush filter that generates electrostatic force without using a separate power source was developed to manage the concentration of particulate matter exposed at bus stops, and the removal performance of particulate matter was evaluated. The dust collection performance of the non-motorized brush filter varied by material, with particle removal efficiencies of 82.1 ± 3.4, 76.1 ± 4.7, and 73.7 ± 4.5% for horse hair, nylon, and stainless steel, respectively. In conditions without the fan running to see the effect of airflow, the particle removal efficiency was relatively low at 58.2 ± 8.4, 53.6 ± 9.2, and 58.0 ± 7.3%. Then, to check the dust collection performance according to the density, the number of brushes was increased to densify the density, and the horse hair, nylon, and stainless steel brush filters showed a maximum dust collection performance of 89.6 ± 2.2, 88.3 ± 3.2, and 82.1 ± 3.8%, respectively. To determine the replacement cycle of the non-powered brush filter, the particulate removal performance was initially 88.0 ± 3.2% when five horse hair brushes were used. Over time, particulate matter tended to gradually decrease, but after a period of time, particulate matter tended to increase again. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the particulate matter removal performance using a brush filter that generates electrostatic force without a separate power source. This study's brush filter is expected to solve the maintenance problems caused by the purchase and frequent replacement of expensive HEPA filters that occur with existing abatement devices, and the ozone problems caused by abatement devices that use high voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensing urban vitality is a useful method for understanding urban development. However, the spatio-temporal characteristics of the association between the built environment and urban vitality in Shenzhen, the youngest mega-city in China, have not yet been explored. In this paper, we examined the effects of built environment indicators on urban vitality by using spatial regression models and multi-source geospatial data. The main research findings were as follows. Firstly, urban vitality displayed a consistent high–low pattern during both weekdays and weekends. Differences in the distribution of urban vitality with time between weekdays and weekends were more significant. Secondly, the effects of various built environment indicators on urban vitality exhibited significant temporal disparities. Within a day, population density, building density, bus station density, and distance to metro stations all exhibited positive effects, while distance to the central business district (CBD) exhibited negative effects, with pronounced diurnal differences. Moreover, the effects of road network density and functional mix on urban vitality were both positive and negative throughout the day. Thirdly, besides population density and building density, road network density, functional mix, bus stop density, and distance from metro stations exhibited positive and negative disparities within the study area. Overall, distance to the CBD had a negative effect on urban vitality. This concludes that planning for urban vitality should consider the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the association between the built environment and urban vitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermodal practices are related to the use of several distinct modes of transport during the same displacement. This study analyses the articulation between institutional transport insured by motorbike taxis and the Lomé Transport Company (Sotral) in Grand Lomé. In particular, it explores two intermodal practices between both actors, mainly the drawdown and broadcasting of Sotral users on/and from bus stopping, the main intermodality points after the bus stations in Grand Lomé. The methodology relies on a mixed approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. The first descriptive approach has allowed us to observe the phenomenon, to reinforce knowledge through the analysis of documents, and to obtain actors' opinions. The second quantitative approach is based on the interviews carried out with drivers and motorbike taxi and bus users, the counting of broadcasting and drawdown modes at the stopping points, and the mapping of the study area as well as the Sotral network. The results show that the current facilities of Sotral bus stopping points do not encourage/promote the interaction and/or cohabitation between different modes of transport, such as motorbike taxis. These infrastructures are out of phase with the intermodal practices of the population of Grand Lomé, who use artisanal and structured public transport in their daily movements. In fact, motorbike taxis do not have a dedicated facility for drop-off/pick-up of passengers at the Sotral bus stopping points. The drawdown and broadcasting by these means of artisanal transport at bus stops are generally made on sidewalks and sometimes on roadways, which is a source of road insecurity. This failure leads to friction between Sotral and motorbike taxis on the use of facilities dedicated to Sotral buses, creating an absence of cohabitation between two main actors of mobility in Grand Lomé. An approach focused on the flexibility and efficiency of intermodal points or the connection between motorbike taxis and Sotral allows good coexistence and constitutes a component of a sustainable mobility strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of green roofs in urban areas provides various ecosystem services that help mitigate climate change. They play an essential role in sustainable drainage systems, contribute to air quality and carbon sequestration, mitigate urban heat island, support biodiversity, and create green spaces supporting public well-being. Bus stops provide good opportunities for installing green roofs. Various cities worldwide have started installing green roofs on bus shelters, but often without thoroughly comparing expenses and the resulting benefits. This study quantifies the social and environmental benefits of installing green roofs on bus shelters in the City of Edinburgh. An assessment of the benefits and their monetary values was conducted using the B£ST analysis tool combined with manual calculations, which is easily transferable to other cities worldwide. It was compared to the current situation with no green roofs installed at bus stops. Installation of green roofs on all bus shelters in the City of Edinburgh may result in £12.9 million–£87.2 million in total benefit present value. The total cost was projected to be £15,994,000. By green roof installation, the City of Edinburgh can be closer to being carbon-neutral by 2030, a sustainable city as part of the City Plan 2030 and City Vision 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper presents a study regarding the factors affecting the maximum distance travelers are willing to walk to a bus stop. The study focuses on bus services provided at and walking routes towards bus stops. Travelers’ evaluations are collected using a stated preference experiment. Based on 7911 evaluations of 879 respondents, a latent class ordered logit model is estimated showing that both bus service and walking route related attributes significantly contribute to the maximum distance travelers are willing to walk from home to a bus stop. The parameter estimates show that the most influential attributes are the bus frequency at the bus stop and the presence of street lighting along the route between home and bus stop. The model also shows that based on the evaluations three different classes of respondents can be distinguished. Membership of a class depends on traveler related characteristics: gender, residential area, and bus use.

Abstract In hot‐arid climatic regions like Qatar, it is important to facilitate pedestrians' journeys. One way to do so is by providing them with shelters, that is, from a station to their destination building. It is necessary for such shelters to provide on‐site space cooling and freshwater in an off‐grid condition. In this respect, the proposed off‐grid system in this study includes bifacial photovoltaic (BPV) and a solar thermal collector for energy generation with battery and thermal storage units. BPV with an efficiency of 16% can produce power up to about 6.1 kW on the rooftop, which also reduces the cooling load via effective shading. The ejector‐based cooling system is deployed for efficient space cooling in high ambient temperatures (more than 28°C), while for less than 28°C, both fan and water misting systems are operated for the comfort of pedestrians. Finally, an electrodialysis system is integrated to generate freshwater from seawater to be used for drinking and water misting purposes in the off‐grid sustainable shelter. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are calculated to be 13.2% and 5.29%, respectively. The effects of several parameters are also studied to observe the overall system efficiency and the energy generated and consumed by the system.

To provide data support for developing fixed-route DRT based on FRT to reduce operating costs inside base routes in urban-rural traffic corridors, this paper estimated running time and energy losses due to unproductive stops at bus stations in urban-rural traffic corridors. Firstly, 14 urban-rural bus routes without ticket sellers in Xi'an are selected to demonstrate the universality of unproductive stops at bus stations. Secondly, a model for estimating running time and energy losses based on the VT-CPFM model is developed. Finally, running time and energy losses due to unproductive stops in two representative urban-rural traffic corridors are estimated. Estimated results show that the average running time loss ratios of different rounds in Routes 332, 333, 335, 338 and G1 range from 8.30% to 17.52% and that average fuel loss ratios range from 9.16% to 13.30%. In addition, the monetary loss in energy consumption of Route G1 in 2019 is estimated to be up to 193213 yuan. This study proves that unproductive stops at bus stations generally exist in urban-rural bus routes and can result in significant running time and energy losses and that developing fixed-route DRT based on FRT leveraging V2I with mobile APP in representative urban-rural traffic corridors is very necessary, which is expected to reduce energy consumption and running time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit bus systems are an essential part of public transportation systems and they improve the accessibility of the communities and economical activities. On-street assets, namely bus stops, are key elements of public bus transit systems, but their condition assessment mostly depends on manual efforts that are labor-intensive and expensive. This research proposes a novel system for detection and assessment of the public transit bus stops using captured videos by on-board cameras. This system utilizes deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) to detect bus stop assets and semantically segment pixels in the corresponding video frames. Then, the results of these two modules are further processed to assess the connectivity of the bus stop mobility pads and accessibility level of the bus stops on snowy days. The experimental results showed promising performance of the proposed methods, which have potentials for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) technology has changed the operation characteristics of vehicles. Investigating the traffic capacity of bus stops under a CAVs environment can allocate traffic flow more reasonably, which is effective in alleviating traffic congestion. Therefore, this paper proposes a method that can be used to evaluate the traffic capacity of bus stops under a CAVs environment. First, two evaluation indexes, failure duration time (FD) and forced lane-changing rate (FLR) are proposed. Second, the simulation scheme with ten scenarios is determined, and simulation experiments are conducted. Then, the relationships between FD, FLR, and traffic flow under different penetration rates of CAVs are analyzed. Finally, the relationship models between FD, FLR, and traffic capacity are fitted to verify their validity for traffic capacity analysis. Additionally, a predictive model is proposed for estimating capacity under a CAVs environment using indicators from HV traffic flow. Results indicate that: (i) FD and FLR both positively correlate with capacity, and perform well in capacity evaluation of bus stops; (ii) FD and FLR can be utilized to predict the capacity under a CAVs environment; (iii) the higher the penetration rate of CAVs, the smaller the impact of the bus failure phenomenon and forced lane change on traffic flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on crime on public transport focuses on the specific elements that comprise urban transport, such as stations, stops, and vehicles. Studies have analyzed crime within transport stations, during the journey or passenger transfers, or around public transport stations. However, one area remains relatively unexplored: a comparison of crime levels between different types of stops. This study looks at bus stops and metro stations as crime generators/ attractors. Using systems of geographic information and geo-referenced data on robbery (2013–2016) in Mexico City, the study employs a quasi-natural experiment (the temporary closure of the Golden line of the metro and its replacement by a bus route) to analyze crime behavior in the areas around the stations/ bus stops. Our results indicate statistically significant changes in the frequency of robbery within 250 m (820.21 feet), 304.8 m (1,000 feet), 396.2 m (1,300 feet), and 500 m (1,640.4 feet) of the stations. Evidence shows that following the replacement of the metro by a bus route (with the same stops/ stations), the bus stops generated more crime in their vicinity than the metro stations. One possible explanation is that offenders choose bus stops over metro stations as they offer ease of access and less police control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban renewal provides opportunities to improve urban transport structures during the process of improving built environments. It is necessary to clarify the impact of different elements of the built environment on travel behaviors in the context of urban village renewal. This paper presents a microscopic perspective of individual travel behavior by proposing analytical frameworks to investigate travel behavior in terms of DiDi commuting trips. Considering the effect of spatial dependence, a Spatial Durbin Error Model was established, incorporating a spatial lag and spatial error. Traveling information was employed from the ride-sourcing company DiDi during the morning and evening peaks within in the urban village areas and workplaces of Shenzhen, and the variables of a built environment were scaled within travel analysis zones (TAZs). The results show that the impacts of the built environment on ride-sourced commuting were different between job and housing locations, with more influential factors in residential locations (urban villages). On the other hand, working locations had an influential magnitude more than twice that of residential locations. Alongside that, due to the spillover effect, it was more effective to hinder ride-sourced commuting and promote green traveling modes by increasing the number of bus stops. The findings provide some insights into transit-oriented urban renewal. Therefore, when transforming urban villages, an emphasis should be placed on the enhancement of transit availability, and the mixed land use could be considered last due to limited time and funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease in 2019 (Covid-19), a highly contagious respiratory virus, has spread to more than 200 countries and regions. The high number of Covid-19 cases has led to various regulations regarding social restrictions. Some of the changes that occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic changed the socio-spatial structure and affected physical and psychological well-being and overall quality of life. The impact of Covid-19 has also occurred in the Summarecon Bekasi settlement, which provides facilities, a commercial center, and various public open spaces that the people of Bekasi City widely use to become more restricted. Researchers used a qualitative approach and descriptive qualitative analysis techniques with interview observations and documentation as the data sources. Research on public open spaces in Summarecon Bekasi, including downtown walk, waterfront, pedestrian paths, and bus stop shuttle bus, shows that these public spaces cannot fulfill all variable indicators of public open space readiness in dealing with post-pandemic conditions Covid-19. The results obtained are based on the weighting of values from the results of observational studies and interviews on each variable indicator of public open spaces. The empirical mean value of public open spaces in Summarecon Bekasi is 89, which is still below the hypothetical mean value of 110 and is at the lower limit of the category 'Not Enough .'Thus, to overcome the condition of public open spaces that are not yet adaptive to Covid-19, a structuring model is designed for public open spaces in Summarecon Bekasi. This structuring model is expected to reduce the percentage probability of social disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic or other similar things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation development is one of the parameters indicating the development of any country. Due to improper maintenance of infrastructure, non-eco-friendly designs and practices etc. have led to congestion, accidents and environmental depletion. These problems can be addressed by developing a structured transportation system integrated with sustainability and safety. The aim of this study is to analyze the existing facilities in the study area and to suggest integration of non-motorised transport and public transport through questionnaire survey. The bicycle compatibility index is calculated to find the bicycle level of service of the study area. The bus stop coverage analysis was done by calculating the ideal stop accessibility index, actual stop accessibility index and stop coverage ratio index. From bicycle compatibility index, it can be concluded that the compatibity of the surveyed region was moderately high for bicyclists. Based on bus-stop coverage analysis, Kalyan nagar bus stop is said to have good accessibility whereas ITI layout has poor accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]