Access & Terms of Use
embargoed access
Embargoed until 2026-02-19
Copyright: Del Rosario, Lauren
Embargoed until 2026-02-19
Copyright: Del Rosario, Lauren
Altmetric
Abstract
Lengthy motorised public transport travel times can decrease opportunities for physical activity. However, public transport use includes incidental exercise to, from and between stops, forming an important component of meeting physical activity recommendations. The aims of this thesis are therefore to estimate public transport commuter travel time and physical activity in Sydney, Australia.
Chrono-urbanism targets, measuring time travelled from home to destinations, like the 30-minute city promise average commuting times of one hour per day. However, existing 30-minute city calculations either do not include first- and/or last- public transport segments or transfers. Most research examining public transport-related physical activity relies on expensive travel survey data. Studies using GPS or accelerometers have higher accuracy but typically smaller sample sizes. Smart card data provide a cost-effective approach to modelling door-to-door travel times for the 30-minute city and public transport-related physical activity.
Travel times and physical activity were modelled using GIS and Python scripting. This involved generating and matching a synthetic population to smart card data, using a trip planning API to estimate motorised public transport times, conducting network analyses, and distance conversions to steps and/or MET minutes.
The 30-minute city goal for public transport commutes in Sydney is yet to be realised when a door-to-door approach is used. For public transport commuters, while the median commute time for the analysis without the first- and last-segment was 25 minutes, the door-to-door median was 44 minutes. Such varying estimates could influence different infrastructure policies.
A mean of 2400 steps per day weighted across modes was modelled for public transport commuters. A mean of 89.1 MET minutes per day from walking and/or cycling components was modelled. An additional 36.5 and 116.3 MET minutes per day could be gained by commuters with a potential mode shift from private transport as the feeder mode to walking and cycling respectively.
Novel ways for measuring public transport-related travel times and physical activity for the 30-minute city have been demonstrated. This research can assist policy-makers to understand where public transport commutes exceed 30 minutes so that interventions may be targeted in these areas to encourage public transport-related walking and cycling.
Novel ways for measuring public transport-related travel times and physical activity for the 30-minute city have been demonstrated. This research can assist policy-makers to understand where public transport commutes exceed 30 minutes so that interventions may be targeted in these areas to encourage public transport-related walking and cycling.
