Designing Maps for Bicycling Simulator Studies – three practical Approaches

Bicycle simulator studies result from attempts of solving various novel problem statements of modern transportation-related research questions. Examples imply the evaluation of novel traffic control strategies for prioritizing urban bicycle traffic, novel bicycle infrastructure (such as bicycle highways) and the interaction and communication of vulnerable road users with automated or autonomous vehicles. As one of classical disciplines of transportation research, namely traffic engineering, and less related to human factors research, automotive research, geography, urban planning or citizen science, we want to point out those bicycle simulator studies design approaches, which are more related to testing novel traffic control strategies for cyclists, experiencing changing traffic-efficiency and –safety-related parameters in ongoing interfaced microscopic traffic flow simulations. We believe that this is a key factor in experiencing various traffic situations and the evaluation of thereof. In this research, we introduce three practical approaches of how to design maps for bicycling simulator studies. This is mainly resulting from manifold practical experiences from already conducted simulator studies beginning from the year 2018.

Nursing Homes and COVID-19: Staff Experiences

Nursing homes (NHs) faced an unprecedented crisis during the rapid spread of COVID-19. This pandemic has had a devastating impact on both NH residents and workers who are often on the frontlines providing hands-on care. These workers are vulnerable to the health risks of COVID-19 due to daily exposure to residents with COVID-19, residence in areas with high infection rates, and challenges specific to low-income workers (e.g. reliance on mass transportation). Research has highlighted the experiences of NH workers during the pandemic to learn how to better support them now and during future pandemics. This symposium will add to this research and present new findings from studies conducted in the United States to capture the unique experiences of NH employees. First, Bryant illustrates specific COVID-19-related challenges that NH frontline workers faced and how these workers’ experiences compare to workers in other long-term services and support settings. Reinhardt reports findings from a qualitative study examining the multi-level challenges experienced by nursing assistants during the pandemic. Cimarolli examines if quality of employer communication and workers’ perceived COVID-19-related preparedness mitigate the impact of work-related stress on NH workers’ decision to resign. Franzosa shares recommendations based on priorities identified by nursing assistants and administrators to build future resilience based on lessons learned. Finally, Simpson identifies factors associated with states’ decisions to adopt COVID-19 testing mandates for workers in NHs. Dr. Zimmerman discusses study findings and their contributions for creating supportive NH work environments to ensure most optimal NH worker and resident quality of life.

The 2019 Conference on Health and Active Transportation: Research Needs and Opportunities

Active transportation (AT) is widely viewed as an important target for increasing participation in aerobic physical activity and improving health, while simultaneously addressing pollution and climate change through reductions in motor vehicular emissions. In recent years, progress in increasing AT has stalled in some countries and, furthermore, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created new AT opportunities while also exposing the barriers and health inequities related to AT for some populations. This paper describes the results of the December 2019 Conference on Health and Active Transportation (CHAT) which brought together leaders from the transportation and health disciplines. Attendees charted a course for the future around three themes: Reflecting on Innovative Practices, Building Strategic Institutional Relationships, and Identifying Research Needs and Opportunities. This paper focuses on conclusions of the Research Needs and Opportunities theme. We present a conceptual model derived from the conference sessions that considers how economic and systems analysis, evaluation of emerging technologies and policies, efforts to address inclusivity, disparities and equity along with renewed attention to messaging and communication could contribute to overcoming barriers to development and use of AT infrastructure. Specific research gaps concerning these themes are presented. We further discuss the relevance of these themes considering the pandemic. Renewed efforts at research, dissemination and implementation are needed to achieve the potential health and environmental benefits of AT and to preserve positive changes associated with the pandemic while mitigating negative ones.

Transport behavior-mining from smartphones: a review

Background Although people and smartphones have become almost inseparable, especially during travel, smartphones still represent a small fraction of a complex multi-sensor platform enabling the passive collection of users’ travel behavior. Smartphone-based travel survey data yields the richest perspective on the study of inter- and intrauser behavioral variations. Yet after over a decade of research and field experimentation on such surveys, and despite a consensus in transportation research as to their potential, smartphone-based travel surveys are seldom used on a large scale. Purpose This literature review pinpoints and examines the problems limiting prior research, and exposes drivers to select and rank machine-learning algorithms used for data processing in smartphone-based surveys. Conclusion Our findings show the main physical limitations from a device perspective; the methodological framework deployed for the automatic generation of travel-diaries, from the application perspective; and the relationship among user interaction, methods, and data, from the ground truth perspective.

Shared Mobility: Evolving Practices for Sustainability

This introductory paper to the Special Issue “Shared Mobility” aims (1) to present and differentiate the diversity of practices and services that constitute the shared mobility sector; (2) to emphasize the contribution of each published article; and (3) to identify knowledge gaps of knowledge and provide further research avenues. With the contribution from 29 authors affiliated to social sciences and transportation research institutions in seven countries (Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Norway, and Australia), new understandings of the potential, drivers, barriers, and limitations of diverse shared mobility solutions for a more sustainable society are presented. The common message across the special issue is that the shared mobility sector is constantly evolving, while aiming to attain sustainability goals. Several papers have taken a psychological approach to explain the adoption of shared mobility practices (e.g., carsharing), yet these findings may be context-dependent, which future research should further investigate (e.g., differences between platform-based and self-service modes). We also call for researchers to pay attention to how traditional transit services can be combined with newer shared mobility services (e.g., micro-mobility), but also to informal public transport systems, as we identify these as important developing areas.