Mayara Moraes Monteiro

The introduction of autonomous vehicles will revolutionize transport in urban and rural areas. Nevertheless, before we allow autonomous vehicles to roam our streets, we should strive to predict the impact that they could have and prevent as many negative externalities as possible. Moreover, it is expected that the ability to let go of the wheel and multitask could substantially decrease the in-vehicle value of time, triggering travel behavioral changes, which could in turn have a negative impact on the environmental sustainability of the transport system. Thus, we tried to estimate the environmental rebound effect linked to behavioral changes caused by shared autonomous vehicle deployment. This study presents results of a simulation of the transport system of Santander (Spain), performed by linking the activity-based demand estimation developed in SimMobility to microsimulation in Aimsun and its battery consumption and pollutant emissions models. The results yielded by the study present the magnitude to which identified travel behavioral changes could affect the environmental performance of the transport system, as well as the overall outcome of all identified behavioral changes. The outcomes show that the rebound effect could increase the CO ₂ emissions by almost 40% compared with a scenario with no behavioral changes. We believe this topic to be particularly interesting for policy makers, urban planners and regional authorities.

There has been a growing interest in understanding the interdependencies between urbanisation and mental health. Although transportation in cities is complex and of foremost importance to support the mobility of goods and passengers, little is known about how it relates to individual psychological distress. This review aims to provide an up-to-date synthesis of research evidence about the influence of transport infrastructure and operational performance (congestion, delays and reliability) on mental health/wellbeing. It is structured around three main interacting concepts that determined the search/selection of articles: identification of the above-mentioned transport-related exposures; use of psychological and physiological validated instruments; and the outcome on mental health/wellbeing. Ultimately, 69 studies were identified involving an empirical quantitative focus that met the inclusion criteria. We summarise the instruments most reported in these studies and the findings linking transport indicators and psychological and physiological outcomes. Across the review, we identified evidence of the contribution of key transport infrastructure, congestion and delay indicators on negative affective states and psychophysiological distress. Regarding transport reliability, the scarce number of studies identified did not allow for drawing similar firm conclusions. We conclude by discussing some limitations and providing recommendations for future research and policy-making agendas.

Travel behavior adaptations resulting from international temporary relocation is understudied, despite their increasing relevance. The scarce published literature on the subject overlooks the local contexts and ignores aspects related to the adaptation processes and motivations. This study aims to partially fill this gap by addressing the travel behavior adaptation of international students and researchers, focusing on public transport (PT) frequency of use and satisfaction. To investigate this, a Bayesian Structural Equation Model was estimated using data collected from a tailor-made online survey answered by temporary international exchange students and researchers. The model confirms that (i) travel behavior habit in the city of origin influences the residential location choice in the host city; (ii) the higher the frequency of PT use in the city of origin, the higher the PT use in the host city; (iii) the residential location in the host city affects individuals’ frequency of PT use and satisfaction; (iv) perceiving technology as helpful to move around leads to perceiving the PT system as easier to use at the beginning of the stay; (v) perceiving the PT as easier to use, leads to a higher frequency of its use and a higher level of satisfaction with the PT system.

Temporary opportunities for studying and working abroad have been growing globally and intensifying the movement of highly skilled temporary populations. To attract this group, cities need to address their residential and mobility needs. This study focuses on factors influencing residential and travel satisfaction of transnational temporary residents, highlighting the occurrence of residential self-selection, its impacts on residential and travel choices and on derived levels of satisfaction. We have estimated a Bayesian Structural Equations Model and found that lower levels of residential satisfaction (residential dissonance) are associated with lower rents, living farther away from the place of study or work, and having higher transport expenditures. In contrast, higher levels of residential satisfaction (residential consonance) are related to individuals’ stronger preferences for active modes, lower levels of public transport use, and reduced transport monthly expenditures, which suggest shorter commuting distances. These findings reveal the tradeoffs involving residential location, monthly rent, and transport expenditures, highlighting that providing good public transport connections can reduce the burden of commuting distances. Our results indicate that better transport supply and land-use balance near the residence can improve both residential and travel satisfaction.