Transactions on Transport Sciences

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2026, 17(1)

Editorial

Karel Pospíšil

Scientific journals play an essential role in connecting research communities, sharing new knowledge, and fostering dialogue across disciplines and regions. Our journal aims to serve as an international platform for the exchange of ideas in the field of transport systems, mobility planning, and infrastructure development. By publishing contributions from different parts of the world, the journal seeks to bridge diverse research traditions and practical experiences, while supporting evidence-based approaches to the complex challenges facing contemporary transport systems. The international diversity of the contributions published in this issue clearly reflects this mission. The papers originate from research teams in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, and together they address a wide range of topics including infrastructure design, pedestrian behavior, transport policy acceptance, travel behavior, public transport quality, and emerging mobility technologies. Despite the geographical diversity of the case studies, a common theme connects the contributions: the need to balance efficiency, safety, sustainability, and inclusiveness in modern mobility systems. Infrastructure design and operational performance form one important theme of the issue. Kusuma R. Haratama (State University of Surabaya, Indonesia), Peter Furth (Northeastern University, Boston, USA), and Anita Susanti (State University of Surabaya, Indonesia) analyze the effects of road diet strategies combined with signal timing optimization on urban intersections in Boston. Their simulation-based study demonstrates that carefully designed lane reallocation can simultaneously improve traffic capacity and pedestrian safety, challenging traditional assumptions about the negative impacts of road diets on vehicular throughput.  Pedestrian movement in transport facilities is further examined by Jagannath Pattanaik and Ujjal Chattaraj (National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India), Aarohi Kumar Munshi (Birla Institute of Technology Mesra and Usha Martin University, India), and Ashish Kumar Patnaik (Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, India). Their study focuses on pedestrian behavior on railway station stairways in several Indian cities, providing empirical insights into pedestrian flow characteristics, congestion formation, and bottleneck effects in vertical circulation facilities. Several contributions address the behavioral dimension of mobility and the acceptance of transport policies. Alireza Mahpour (Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran), Saeede Saeedi Sharivar (Institute for Management and Planning Studies, Tehran), and Parsa Zamania examine the cultural and psychological determinants influencing public acceptance of restrictive transportation policies in Tehran, Iran. Using the Value–Belief–Norm theoretical framework, their study highlights the importance of environmental awareness, personal norms, and economic factors in shaping attitudes toward transportation demand management measures. Travel behavior and mode choice are further explored in two studies focusing on rapidly developing urban contexts. Everardt André Burger (Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria) and Alison Chetty (University of Pretoria, South Africa) analyze transport preferences in Bloemfontein, a medium-sized South African city. Their research shows that accessibility, reliability, and affordability remain key determinants of transport mode choice. Complementing this perspective, Tanika D. Sofianti (Swiss German University, Tangerang, Indonesia) investigates commuter mode-shift behavior in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area using the push–pull–mooring framework, identifying the crucial role of perceived service quality and infrastructure accessibility in encouraging shifts toward public transport. Another important aspect addressed in this issue concerns the inclusiveness of public transport systems. Georgios Georgiadis, Gavriella Gargani, and Christos Matzaras from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece present a structured mystery-shopping survey tool designed to assess the quality of service at bus stops from the perspective of vulnerable users, including older adults, women, and people with disabilities. Their proposed checklist provides a practical instrument for identifying deficiencies in public transport environments and supporting evidence-based improvements in accessibility and service quality. Finally, the issue also reflects the growing interest in emerging mobility technologies. Md Rizwane Muztaba Khan (East West University, Bangladesh; Yonsei University, South Korea), Md Hishamur Rahman (University of Utah, USA; IUBAT, Bangladesh), Jinhee Kim and Jin-Hyuk Chung (Yonsei University, South Korea), and Joonhong Park (Yonsei University, South Korea) examine public perceptions of autonomous vehicles in Seoul. Their analysis demonstrates that socio-demographic characteristics, safety concerns, and perceptions of technological reliability significantly influence the acceptance of different levels of vehicle automation. Taken together, the contributions in this issue illustrate the multidimensional nature of contemporary mobility research. Infrastructure design, behavioral responses, policy instruments, inclusiveness considerations, and technological innovation are increasingly interconnected elements of transport systems. Addressing the challenges of sustainable mobility therefore requires integrated approaches that combine engineering solutions with a deep understanding of human behavior and societal context. We believe that the studies presented in this issue will contribute §to the ongoing international dialogue on how to develop transport systems that are safer, more efficient, and more inclusive.

Published: March 23, 2026  Show citation