A comfort scale for standing bus passengers in relation to certain road characteristics

Abstract

Traffic calming measures, such as raised pedestrian crossings, chicanes, speed bumps, mini-roundabouts, etc. are contributing to the improvement of road safety in urban areas, but at the same time their diffusion can produce negative effects on the quality of local transport, affecting bus passengers’ on-board comfort.

The present paper aims to propose and give an initial validation of a comfort scale, putting into relation a specific comfort index with the dynamic effects on standing bus passengers and with certain road characteristics, such as the presence of roundabouts.

The results obtained are intended as an initial contribution to identifying general guidelines for drafting local road regulations able to point out the most comfortable bus itineraries.

Keywords:

• Local public transport
• Comfort index
• Bus passengers
• Traffic calming measures

Notes

3 The most commonly known comfort indexes are those described in the European standard on rail transport EN 12299, ‘Railway applications. Ride comfort for passengers. Measurement and evaluation’, 2009.