Wendy Verity , Zoé Poirier Stephens , Helena Lin , Callista A. Ottoni , Eve Bourgeois , Yan Kestens , Daniel Fuller , Kevin Manaugh , Meghan Winters
{"title":"Health and equity considerations in policy and practice related to sustainable transportation interventions in four Canadian cities","authors":"Wendy Verity , Zoé Poirier Stephens , Helena Lin , Callista A. Ottoni , Eve Bourgeois , Yan Kestens , Daniel Fuller , Kevin Manaugh , Meghan Winters","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cities around the world are making major investments in sustainable transportation infrastructure in response to diverse societal challenges. These projects have the potential to advance healthy cities, but it is unknown to what extent municipalities incorporate health and equity goals into sustainable transportation policy and practice. We provide an empirical analysis of how health and equity were understood, operationalized, and measured in the planning, design, and implementation of four sustainable transportation projects in four Canadian cities, Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, and Montreal, as part of the INTerventions, Equity, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) project. We reviewed nine policy documents that guided the sustainable transportation interventions and conducted content analysis to understand how health and equity were referred to within public-facing policy documents. We also interviewed 23 city staff, councillors, or members of advocacy groups who were involved in the planning, design, and implementation of these interventions and conducted framework analysis on the transcripts. We developed themes from integrated findings of our policy scan and interviews with practitioners. We found that health was broadly used in the policy framing, and that safety and modal shift towards active modes were key health outcomes in both policy and practice. Other health outcomes were described as co-benefits but were minimally operationalized and had limited influence on the prioritization of municipal investments. Equity priorities in policies and practice centered on design and implementation features geared towards equity-deserving groups and accessibility for all ages and abilities. Participants emphasized the importance of policy and political will for advancing equity goals and navigating trade-offs between prioritizing high-use or equity-focused routes. Participants also described challenges with measuring health (due to institutional mandates) and equity (due to lack of disaggregated data). These findings highlight the opportunities for clearer direction in policy and practice in relation to health and equity goals in sustainable transportation interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102009"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on the influence of commuting time on workers' health status and its mechanism","authors":"Yu Gan, Jing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>With the advancement of China's urbanization, the separation of employment and residence makes individual activity locations more dispersed, urban traffic becomes more congested, and residents' commuting efficiency is seriously affected.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This research, using data from the China Labor Dynamics Survey (CLDS) in 2018, aims to investigate the effects of commuting duration on workers' health and the underlying mechanisms. Workers' commuting time and health were measured in a regression model, controlling for personal, job, and lifestyle factors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings highlight a significant negative impact of longer commuting time on personal health. The analysis of mediation effects reveals that reduced physical activity due to extended commute durations contributes to poorer health outcomes. Moreover, the study identifies gender and working hours as factors that influence the relationship between commute duration and health standards.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Based on these findings, the following recommendations are proposed: 1) improving the alignment between housing and employment opportunities to achieve a balance between working and living arrangement; 2) Amplifying commuting efficiency by refining traffic plans and upgrading traffic conditions, and 3) Implementing flexi-time work policies to mitigate the potential impact of commuting duration on employees' health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102010"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bonnie Das Neves , Amanda Timmer , Saumya Kaushik , Poonam Singh , Carolyn Unsworth
{"title":"‘By us, for us’; Co-designing disability inclusion training for bus drivers","authors":"Bonnie Das Neves , Amanda Timmer , Saumya Kaushik , Poonam Singh , Carolyn Unsworth","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Passengers with disabilities report being driven past, denied bus access, inappropriately assisted, and rudely addressed by bus drivers. Bus drivers report their behaviour in encounters with passengers with disabilities is impacted by their limited understanding of their passengers' needs. This study aimed to create a bus driver training program targeting how bus drivers engage with passengers with disabilities.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Drawing from co-design and inclusive research approaches, a team of seven researchers, transport advocates with lived experience of disability, and bus drivers, collaborated for 30 h over approximately twelve months to co-design a bus driver training program and evaluate the design process. Participant evaluations of the co-design process and resulting training program were completed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Team evaluations indicated the co-design process was inclusive and collaborative, with key challenges including resource constraints and a hard-to-navigate university payment system. A 90-min online training program, and one-hundred-and-eighty-minute face-to-face training program, were developed using a slide-deck and role-play activities to support drivers when interacting with passengers with disabilities. Named the Better Transport Inclusivity for all Passengers (Better Trip) Training Program, the prototype is ready for small-scale implementation, revisions, and wider rollout.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The Better Trip Training Program offers bus companies and the wider transport community the opportunity to increase their inclusion of people with disabilities. The co-design process ensured people with disabilities and bus drivers' needs were reflected in the final product. Further research is required to test and refine the newly developed training program.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102012"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143519315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of demand-responsive transport on daily waking steps in Senboku New-Town: A cohort study using propensity score matching","authors":"Souta Nakajima, Haruka Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>First- and last-mile mobility is an urgent urban issue in urban residential areas with increasingly older populations. Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is gaining attention as a means to resolve the urban issue. This study aimed to clarify the effect of DRT on residents' average daily walking steps. This study analyzed the case using the DRT demonstration project in Senboku New Town.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A cohort study design was employed, and participants were recruited from users of a local smartphone application called “Health-Smart-Senboku.” An online questionnaire was administered to the participants. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the effects of potential confounding factors. Subsequently, a difference-in-differences analysis was performed on the changes in daily walking steps of DRT user and non-user groups.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>The results indicated that DRT operation significantly increased the average daily walking steps by 628.16 [95%C.I. −231.37 to 1487.70, <em>p</em> = 0.009] steps/day. These results are interesting because people in the DRT user group walked fewer steps than people in the DRT non-user group before the DRT operation period but walked more steps during the DRT operation period, increasing to the same level as the DRT non-user group. Furthermore, the average EQ-5D-5L score, a widely accepted index to assess health-related quality of life, is significantly higher in DRT user group (0.88) than in DRT non-user group (0.93) at a 5% significant level (<em>p</em> = 0.033). The results also indicated that the DRT user group took a private car significantly less often than the DRT non-user group. However, there were no significant differences between driver’s license possession in the DRT user and non-user groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study concluded that DRT operation promoted walking among those with health-related problems who could not use private cars. These findings are significant because they indicate the social impact of DRT on well-being by increasing daily step counts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102011"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrew Hellinger , Johnathon P. Ehsani , Jeffrey Michael , Meg Young
{"title":"Equity zone policies in Baltimore City for shared E-scooters: Notes from the field","authors":"Andrew Hellinger , Johnathon P. Ehsani , Jeffrey Michael , Meg Young","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.101995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.101995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>E-scooters are transforming urban environments by improving mobility for those without access to a motor vehicle or in areas underserved by transit. Shared e-scooters are not often distributed equitably throughout cities, so state and local policies that govern their distribution could be a viable public health intervention that helps create a more equitable transportation system. Baltimore City, Maryland, USA requires shared e-scooter vendors to deploy e-scooters to predefined equity zones at the beginning of each day. This study reports on the equity zone policies established by Baltimore City, shared e-scooter use in these equity zones, and suggestions for improvement from shared e-scooter users.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We worked with two shared e-scooter vendors to survey e-scooter users who began their ride in one of the equity zones defined by Baltimore City. The survey included questions about the frequency and purpose of their shared e-scooter use, the availability of alternate transportation options, and how likely proposed changes to e-scooters and the road environment would increase their use of shared e-scooters.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Valid survey responses were obtained from 98 individuals. Most respondents reported using shared e-scooters at least a few times a week, and over half of all respondents reported travelling for work or school on their e-scooter trip. Most participants agreed that shared e-scooters make it possible to get to places they otherwise couldn't go and easier to get to places they need to go. When asked what changes would increase their shared e-scooter ridership, respondents favored making shared e-scooter rentals less expensive, adding dedicated e-scooter/bicycle lanes, allowing riders to carry things more easily on e-scooters, and increasing shared e-scooter availability.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Our findings suggest that e-scooters are being utilized in equity zones, helping facilitate travel and access to work and school destinations. Similar policy approaches can help improve transportation equity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 101995"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143471415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Systemic inequalities in road safety outcomes across high income countries and lessons from intervention approaches","authors":"Nicola Christie , Sarah Jones , Sarah E. O'Toole","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Road safety inequality refers to the systematic and avoidable differences in road safety exposures and health outcomes among various demographic groups, influenced by social, economic, environmental, and structural factors.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A narrative review approach was employed, integrating a systems perspective to examine the interplay of social, economic and environmental factors. Literature searches were conducted across academic databases and grey literature, over the last 15 years yielding 42 sources after applying exclusion criteria. The review was guided by research questions focusing on demographic and geographic disparities, the underlying risk factors, and the effectiveness of interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Findings highlight that most studies concentrate on risk factors rather than interventions. Key risk factors, especially for the young as pedestrians and cyclists, included living in hazardous built environments with high traffic levels and being more exposed to antisocial and illegal driving behaviour. For interventions the evidence suggests the need for multifaceted interventions supported by multi-agency efforts. Effective communication, community engagement, and recognition of broader systemic issues were critical for intervention success.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The review underscores the importance of integrating road safety within wider social and environmental strategies to maximize co-benefits. System-wide interventions targeting young pedestrians and cyclists, are recommended. Future research should address gaps in understanding the multifaceted nature of road safety inequalities and develop comprehensive, scalable interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102006"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143428024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Planning, transport, and healthy ageing in Asia","authors":"Guibo Sun , Charles Musselwhite","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-density built environments in Asian cities and regions such as Hong Kong and Tokyo have significantly influenced the travel behaviours and health outcomes of older adults. Rapid urban development has led to substantial changes in transport systems, often making travel behaviour complex and, at times, overwhelming for older populations. The rapid growth of ageing populations in these cities presents major public health challenges that demand in-depth research and evidence-based solutions. This special issue brings together studies that explore how transport and urban planning and design in Asian cities can promote healthy ageing. These studies aim to enhance scientific understanding of the health impacts of transport infrastructure in the region. We discussed planning and design contexts, the provision and modification of transport infrastructure, public transport usage behaviours, and their broader implications for health outcomes and well-being among older adults. This paper addresses the unique opportunities and challenges, including large-scale transport infrastructure interventions, health impact assessments, causal inference, and planning and policy recommendations, to support sustainable urban development and improve transport planning for the health and well-being of ageing populations in Asia and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102007"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ning Sun, Linquan Chen, Wanting Liu, Zhenhua Zheng
{"title":"Gender differences in campus walkways: Exploring the relationships between perceived walking environment, exercise and academic self-efficacy in China","authors":"Ning Sun, Linquan Chen, Wanting Liu, Zhenhua Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.102005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aimed to explore the relationships between perceived campus walking environment and exercise and academic self-efficacy among university students, with particular emphasis on different gender groups.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The data were based on a cross-sectional survey of 45 universities in China. The assessment of the perceived campus walking environment primarily included scenic beauty, pedestrian safety, walkability, road cleanliness, facility adequacy, and convenient resting areas.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results indicate that the perceived campus walking environment positively influences university students' academic self-efficacy through the mediating role of exercise. Compared with male university students, female university students generally exhibit lower levels of academic self-efficacy. The perceived campus walking environment has a more significant direct influence on the academic self-efficacy of female university students. Exercise plays a more pronounced mediating role in the academic self-efficacy of male university students.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Based on our research findings, the study encourages campus administrators to pay special attention to the campus walking environment in future campus development, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of female students. Simultaneously, there should be a focus on improving the physical activity environment and enhancing sports facilities for male students. These measures will contribute to an overall enhancement of university students' academic self-efficacy and campus walkways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 102005"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143403196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alice Miller , Emma Osborne , Richard Edwards , Alex Macmillan , Caroline Shaw
{"title":"The road lobby and unhealthy transport policy discourse in Aotearoa New Zealand: A framing analysis","authors":"Alice Miller , Emma Osborne , Richard Edwards , Alex Macmillan , Caroline Shaw","doi":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.101999","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jth.2025.101999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transport is an important determinant of population health. Decarbonisation of the transport system is also a critical part of climate policy with additional health co-benefits to be gained by reducing car dependence. Despite this knowledge, there has been inadequate progress in transport policy to protect the health of people and the planet.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To discover whether commercial entities in the road transport sector of Aotearoa New Zealand are using techniques common to other harmful commodity industries to influence transport policy to further their interests at the expense of health.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used qualitative document analysis to describe a sample of road transport interest groups and analyse the framing and arguments these organisations used in submissions to national transport and climate change policy consultations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The examined “road lobby” included commercial organisations representing the automotive, road freight and energy industries. These organisations were well-resourced and undertook political activities intended to influence government policy. They supported policies that promoted private vehicles and investment in their supporting infrastructure whilst opposing the reallocation of transport funding from roads to low-carbon transport modes and tighter regulation of vehicle emissions. Submissions used similar framings to those commonly used by other unhealthy industries but with different arguments relating to road safety and transport funding. We identified some “circular policy-blocking arguments” that countered policies designed for mode shift and climate mitigation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Public health should use commercial determinants of health frameworks to guide action on transport. Transport policymakers should ensure that vested interests do not distort policy choices and that decision-making frameworks accurately reflect the short and long-term harms of different transport modes. Further research is needed to determine to what extent the “road lobby” influences policy outcomes, and if other techniques of influence are being employed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47838,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Transport & Health","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 101999"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}