Eliciting the weights of attributes is a key step in multi-attribute decision-making methods. The weights usually represent the relative importance of the attributes or the tradeoffs among them in forming a decision. Various weight elicitation methods exist, each based on different assumptions and procedures. Still, many of these methods do not explicitly account for the potential influence of cognitive biases in their design. This study examines the anchoring bias, a well-known cognitive bias, in the weight elicitation step (the Tradeoff procedure) of multi-attribute value theory (MAVT). We developed the following three hypotheses: (i) Using the most important (best) attribute to construct the indifference pairs in the Tradeoff procedure leads to higher weights for the best and worst attributes and lower weights for the other attributes, (ii) using the least important (worst) attribute to construct the indifference pairs in the Tradeoff procedure leads to lower weights for the best and worst attributes and higher weights for the other attributes, and (iii) using both best and worst attributes to construct the indifference pairs (i.e., the best–worst tradeoff: BWT) mitigates the anchoring bias. To test the hypotheses, we conducted an experiment by designing a questionnaire based on MAVT and collected data from 336 participants for a decision problem. The findings indicate that the anchoring bias has a significant impact on the Tradeoff procedure and that the BWT is effective in mitigating this bias.

Noise pollution negatively affects health and well-being, making its monitoring important for effective mitigation strategies. Sensor systems such as sound level meters have long been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, dependence on grid power, restricted metrics beyond loudness, and high costs per unit limit current solutions. This paper presents an open hardware, off-grid sound sensor to measure loudness and complementary noise metrics. The sensor detects eleven common urban sound events, calculates acoustic sharpness, and the intermittency ratio of the acoustic environment. The sensor is based on an ESP32-S3 microcontroller on a customized printed circuit board, optimized to address the current limitations. The board includes a battery management circuit for solar charging, a real-time clock for accurate time keeping, and supports LoRaWAN to send aggregated metrics. The latter allows remote monitoring, while more detailed metrics are stored on a microSD card. A solar panel and up to two 18650 Li-Ion or LiFePo4 batteries allow the sensor to be deployed independently of mains power. The open hardware is accompanied by open firmware, which has been organized into multiple components to allow easy changes and extensions for other use cases. A lab validation showed a deviation below 2 dB for a 1 kHz test tone compared to a calibrated sound level meter.

As claimed by the aviation industry, sustainable aviation fuels offer significant environmental benefits, yet their impact on travel behavior remains underexplored. The current study investigates potential shifts in travel behavior in response to the introduction of zero-emission flights. A stated choice experiment using a sample from the UK general public evaluates preferences for flights, trains, and cars based on travel time, cost, and carbon emissions. Covariates, such as attitudes towards zero-emission flights, flight-shaming norms, and sociodemographic factors, are incorporated into a latent class choice model. Results reveal heterogeneity in zero-emission flight preferences, with subgroups showing high sensitivity to travel cost and distance. Overall, travel choices remain stable even with longer zero-emission flight durations, highlighting ticket price as a primary concern. A group with less sustainable choices, characterized by unfavorable attitudes and flight shame norms, leans towards cars if zero-emission flights are costly for short-haul journeys. Notably, this subgroup with limited preference for zero-emission flights, predominantly male and high-income, shifts strongly to zero-emission flights for long-haul journeys, displaying the lowest price sensitivity.

Many studies have investigated how digital engagement, new ways of working, and automated vehicles (AVs), are reshaping travel behaviour. However, their findings are frequently divergent or inconclusive. This work proposes that three emerging time-use patterns (TUPs) – multitasking, flexibility and fragmentation of activities – can help to explain the divergent results. To assess this notion, we systematically investigate the mediating role of TUPs in the relationship between digital engagement/telework/AVs and four key travel outcomes (trip frequency, travel distance, mode choice, and value of travel time). Using empirical data from 2019 to 2024, we find that TUPs can be seen as a mediator in shaping travel outcomes. For instance, when digital activities or telework increase activity fragmentation, they are associated with increased trip frequency. When digital activities or telework have been shown to increase flexibility, that has resulted in lower trip frequency. We notice that a potential reason for divergent results is that different configurations of digital engagement, telework, and AVs correspond to distinct TUPs, leading to opposite travel effects. We recommend that future studies integrate TUPs into assessments of travel behaviour change to better interpret causal relationships and address inconclusive findings.

55% van de Nederlandse volwassenen voldoet niet aan de beweegrichtlijnen, die minimaal 150 minuten matig intensieve beweging per week voorschrijven. Actieve vervoerswijzen zoals fietsen, e-fietsen en lopen zijn cruciaal om deze norm te halen: een derde van de Nederlanders voldoet hier al aan puur door zich actief te verplaatsen. Toch is er zorg over een daling in het actieve vervoer, vooral onder jongeren.

Dit paper onderzoekt trends in het gebruik van fiets, e-fiets en lopen in Nederland aan de hand van data van Onderweg in Nederland (ODiN) over de periode 2018-2023. Vier onderzoeksvragen staan centraal: (1) hoeveel minuten besteden Nederlanders gemiddeld aan actieve vervoerswijzen en hoe verschilt dit per leeftijdsgroep? (2) hoe ontwikkelen deze trends zich door de tijd? (3) welk aandeel van de bevolking voldoet uitsluitend door actief reizen aan de beweegrichtlijn? en (4) welke mobiliteitsprofielen ten aanzien van actief vervoer bestaan er onder jongeren (15-17 jaar)?

De resultaten laten zien dat het gemiddeld aantal actieve minuten per persoon per dag licht steeg, van 29,9 minuten in 2018 naar 32,5 in 2023. Dit komt vooral door meer lopen, met een piek tijdens de coronajaren. Het gebruik van de gewone fiets daalde echter, vooral bij jongeren en ouderen, terwijl e-fietsgebruik toenam (van gemiddeld 3,3 naar 5,2 minuten per dag). Ondanks deze verschuiving is het totale aantal MET-minuten stabiel gebleven rond de 150. Circa 39% van de bevolking voldoet aan de beweegrichtlijn enkel via actieve verplaatsingen.

Een analyse van verschillende leeftijdscategorieën laat een tweedeling zien: volwassenen van 30 jaar en ouder behalen vaker de norm dankzij meer lopen en e-fietsen, terwijl jongeren (6-11, 15-17 en 20-24 jaar) juist minder actief reizen. Vooral 15-17 jarigen fietsen aanmerkelijk minder met de gewone fiets (-9 minuten per dag), wat leidt tot een daling in het percentage dat de norm haalt.
Een latente klasse analyse voor 15-17 jarigen identificeerde vijf mobiliteitsprofielen: fietsers, niet-actieven, gecombineerde fietsers-lopers, wandelaars en e-fietsers. Opvallend is dat jongeren met een e-fiets gemiddeld langere afstanden afleggen en meer actieve minuten maken dan gewone fietsers, wat de hypothese dat e-fietsen “te weinig beweging” opleveren weerlegt. De echte zorg ligt bij de groei van de niet-actieve groep, die veel reist als autopassagier.

Conclusie: actief vervoer blijft een belangrijke bijdrage leveren aan de fysieke activiteit van Nederlanders, maar de daling in fietsgebruik onder jongeren vraagt om aandacht. Beleidsmatig ligt de oplossing echter niet in het ontmoedigen van de elektrische fietsen.

Het gemak waarmee bestemmingen bereikt kunnen worden krijgt steeds meer aandacht in transportonderzoek en -beleid. In tegenstelling tot ‘berekende’ bereikbaarheid stelt ‘ervaren’ bereikbaarheid ons in staat om te toetsen in hoeverre het bereiken van bestemmingen als gemakkelijk wordt ervaren door individuen. Daarnaast kunnen mensen in dezelfde gebieden eenzelfde bereikbaarheidsniveau op een andere wijze ervaren, wat een verklaring zou zijn voor de mismatch tussen berekende en ervaren bereikbaarheid.

Uit eerder onderzoek weten we dat sociaal-demografische kenmerken, het bezit van vervoermiddelen, en attitudes variaties in ervaren bereikbaarheid tussen personen verklaart. De factoren die veranderingen in ervaren bereikbaarheid binnen een individu verklaren zijn echter nog nauwelijks onderzocht.

In deze studie analyseren we daarom longitudinaal de veranderingen in ervaren bereikbaarheid en de factoren die deze veranderingen verklaren. Ten behoeve van dit onderzoeksdoel hebben we een panel analyse uitgevoerd met data over 543 personen van het Mobiliteitspanel Nederland (MPN) in 2020 en 2023. Specifiek genomen maken we gebruik van een longitudinale latente klasse analyse om longitudinale profielen in ervaren bereikbaarheid voor verschillende groepen te identificeren. Vervolgens is een fixed effects panel regressie geschat om de factoren die veranderingen in bereikbaarheidspercepties verklaren te analyseren en te identificeren.

De longitudinale latente klasse analyse bracht zes ervaren bereikbaarheidsprofielen aan het licht. Drie van deze profielen (61% van de steekproef) bleven relatief stabiel over tijd, terwijl de andere profielen duidelijke verschuivingen tussen 2020 en 2023 lieten zien. Eén cluster (12% van de steekproef) ervaarde een toename in ervaren bereikbaarheid, terwijl twee clusters (27% van de steekproef) een afname rapporteerden. Het fixed effects-model identificeerde determinanten van deze veranderingen. Veranderingen in vervoermiddelenbezit hebben een aanzienlijk effect op veranderingen in ervaren bereikbaarheid. Daarnaast droegen veranderingen in de afstand tot nabijgelegen voorzieningen zoals de supermarkt, middelbare school en treinstation ook bij aan veranderingen in bereikbaarheidspercepties. Echter speelden zij een minder prominente rol dan een verandering in vervoermiddelbezit.

De relatie tussen feitelijke en ervaren bereikbaarheid onderstreept dat de bereikbaarheidsperceptie van individuen zal verslechteren naarmate voorzieningen wegvallen. Het beschikken over vervoermiddelen zoals een auto wordt dan essentieel om toegang tot locaties te behouden. Het is juist deze wisselwerking tussen nabijheid van voorzieningen en reismogelijkheden die als cruciaal moet worden gezien in transportbeleid.

Bert van Wee, professor in Transport Policy at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, faculty Technology, Policy and Management, is retiring. Given his large contributions to EJTIR as Editor-in-Chief, editorial board member, author and reviewer, this Editorial Note is dedicated to his work for EJTIR. Over 25 years, van Wee published 18 papers and 1 book review in EJTIR covering a wide range of topics from road pricing to urban rail transport, vehicle automation and port throughput. What his studies have in common is that they explore how transport policies affect land-use and travel behaviour, as well as the economic and wider societal impacts of those policies. Bert van Wee’s generalist view on the transport system is rare, but, given the rising complexity of the system, increasingly needed to indeed be able to address the future challenges.

A biased preference for the status quo could explain the increased support for policies following their implementation. However, the influence of status quo bias on support for transport policies has been analysed to a limited extent only. The counterfactual test serves as a potential method to empirically explore this influence by framing policies as the existing or alternative situation. This paper employs the counterfactual test to ascertain whether individuals disproportionately favour the status quo. To this end, we have designed separate experiments focusing on three transport policies: road pricing, speed limits, and train ticket fare differentiation. The results indicate that status quo bias does indeed influence support for transport policies. Participants prefer each policy option when framed as the status quo. In contrast, support for the same policy option declines when presented as the alternative situation. These findings underscore the irrational tendency to adhere to the status quo, which may stem from psychological commitments or cognitive misperceptions. Therefore, politicians, policymakers, and practitioners should anticipate a bias towards the status quo when introducing controversial transport policies.

To address transport injustice and social exclusion, the needs and perceptions of different groups of individuals seem indispensable. Consequently, perceived accessibility has received a growing interest in recent years. While it is well established that transport and social disadvantages cause transport poverty and perceived inaccessibility, only recently the relevance of geographical disadvantages has been addressed. This paper explores the idea that an individual is more likely to experience inaccessibility if they face transport, social, or geographical disadvantages in at least two of these dimensions of transport poverty. For instance, while living in a rural area or lacking the ownership of a car may not translate into low perceived access on themselves, the combination of the two might lower perceived access. To empirically assess whether and which disadvantages indeed lower perceived accessibility further, the effect of combinations of disadvantages on perceived accessibility in rural and urban areas of the Netherlands are systematically explored using a regression analysis. Data is retrieved from the Dutch National Travel Survey. This survey includes a 1-day travel diary, measures both objective and subjective accessibility, and is administered among a representative sample of the Dutch population. In total, a large and representative sample of 22,742 participants is included in the analysis. Results highlight that rural-living individuals only perceive inaccessibility if they indeed encounter one or more transport and/or social disadvantages as well. Also, not possessing a driver's license determines perceived inaccessibility to a larger extent than a lack of car ownership. Lastly, possessing an e-bike is beneficial for the elderly in both rural and urban Dutch areas. The research findings may support policymakers and practitioners in tailoring policy interventions towards the needs of individuals who suffer from multiple disadvantages.

BACKGROUND: Long-term noise annoyance can be expected to have worse outcomes than short-term annoyance. This study investigates noise annoyance over time, its association with personality traits and potential reciprocal effects between health outcomes and noise annoyance. METHODS: Firstly, we conducted a Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis to identify noise annoyance profiles. We further analysed the effect of Big Five personality traits on the likelihood of belonging to these annoyance profiles. Secondly, we used Cross-lagged Panel Models to analyse whether changes in noise annoyance precede changes in health outcomes or vice versa. For both analyses, we used 8 years of data from the Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel. Between 2708 and 11,068 subjects were included (this varies between models). RESULTS: We found three profiles of noise annoyance, namely, chronically, occasionally and never annoyed. Among all participants, 12% were chronically annoyed by neighbour noise and 6% by street noise. Extraversion and emotional stability decreased the chance of belonging to the cluster of chronically annoyed, while openness had the opposite effect. Chronic noise annoyance showed a significant effect on self-reported heart complaints and sleeping problems, while the effects of noise annoyance profiles on high blood pressure and heart attacks were insignificant. Some potential indications for a reverse effect from health outcomes on noise annoyance were found. CONCLUSION: Noise annoyance was relatively stable over time possibly because of its correlation with personality traits. Noise had a small negative effect on health outcomes, and some health outcomes affected noise annoyance. Further research should be conducted to collect dedicated panel data.

The last decade denoted a growing interest in perceived accessibility, yet the link between perceived and objective accessibility measures is understudied. This paper aims to address accessibility poverty by identifying groups with different levels of perceived accessibility. To achieve this aim, we develop a latent class model that relates perceived accessibility patterns to social, transport, and geographical conditions encountered by individuals. To support the specification of the latent class model, we develop a theoretical framework that links transport, social, and geographical conditions with perceived inaccessibility. Data is obtained from the Dutch National Travel Survey, which includes information on travel patterns and preferences. In total, 20,020 participants are included in the analysis. The latent class model identified six social groups with varying levels of perceived accessibility. Notably, while 89% of the individuals perceive excellent accessibility, a minority of 11% experiences different forms of inaccessibility. In addition, the latent class model showed that social rather than transport or spatial conditions encountered by individuals determine perceived inaccessibility. The results lend support to tailored policies aimed at reducing accessibility poverty and social exclusion for specific segments of the population.

Anchoring bias refers to the human tendency to rely heavily on an initial piece of information when making judgments. This bias has significant implications for decision analysis methods that rely on human judgments. This study examines the influence of anchoring bias in the value function elicitation step of the multiattribute value theory, specifically within the midvalue splitting procedure. We hypothesize that the starting point provided by the analyst during elicitation creates a bias in decision makers’ judgments, leading to distorted value functions and ultimately affecting decision outcomes. We also hypothesize that counter-anchoring and avoiding the use of anchors mitigate the effect of anchoring bias. To test the hypotheses, we designed an experiment and collected data from 320 subjects. The findings show that the starting point in the midvalue splitting procedure could change the attribute-specific value functions and, consequently, the overall value of the alternatives. Additionally, two debiasing strategies, counter-anchoring and avoiding the use of anchors, were found to be effective in reducing the effect of anchoring bias. The implications of this study can extend to other structured value function elicitation methods.

In theory, the unidirectional relationship between perception and behavior has been well established. In this line, the relationship between perceived accessibility and travel behavior has also gained traction in the transport domain. There is, however, less knowledge regarding the dynamic of bidirectional effects between these two variables and (in)consistency over time. Employing the Netherlands Mobility Panel data, we investigate the direction of the (causal) effect between perceived accessibility and travel behavior/travel preference. Using a two-wave cross-lagged panel model, we test how this theory works among urban travelers (n = 4,946). The findings show that the relationship between perceived accessibility and travel-related decisions varies depending on the transport mode and whether it is about travel behavior or preference. The effects might show bidirectionality, unidirectionality, or neither. Findings highlight that the perception-behavior theory is primarily consistent with revealed travel behavior as opposed to stated preferences. We find a bidirectional perception-(travel) behavior relationship. Unlike conventional wisdom and commonly used theoretical links, we find that travel mode use has a larger impact on perceived mode-specific accessibility than the reverse effect (the more expected link). Travel behavior also shows consistently lower levels of perception-behavior dissonance than preferences do. The study finds that perception consistently influences public transport use and preferences, unlike for cars and bicycles. Policy-wise, this implies that efforts aimed at correcting misperceptions about the accessibility of public transport could still have a positive impact on individuals’ decisions to choose public transport.

Sound source classification is a valuable addition to noise monitoring, providing ‘further insights into local soundscapes. For privacy preservation, this classification often must be conducted on the edge, i.e., in real time on noise sensors. This puts constraints on the size and complexity of the classification models that can be used. Furthermore, there is a trade-off between accuracy and efficiency, which needs to be balanced on battery or solar powered sensors. However, little is known about this trade-off under consideration of constraints imposed by such sensors. In this paper, we explore the scope of sound classification models that can run efficiently on low-cost sound sensors. Specifically, we investigate the Pareto frontiers between model accuracy and computational complexity, providing insights into the trade-off necessary for deploying such models on very constrained hardware. Building on these findings, we train new classification models optimized for edge devices. The models are trained on publicly available audio samples and a new Dutch Urban Sounds dataset specifically collected to enhance the accuracy of sound source classification in urban environments. The models and implementation are open source, enabling researchers and practitioners to adopt, adapt, and build upon our work.

A lack of accessibility can lead to social exclusion and lower quality of life. While research has shown that objective accessibility measures influence well-being, few studies have examined the role of perceived accessibility. In this study, we test the notion that activity participation might play a mediating role in the relationship between perceived accessibility and well-being. In addition, we hypothesize that perceived accessibility may also directly influence well-being, assuming that a sense of residing in an accessible place has intrinsic value to people. Using data from the 2022 Netherlands Mobility Panel (n = 4,222), we test these chain relationships: perceived accessibility-activity participation-life satisfaction. The results of the structural equation modeling show that higher perceived accessibility by cars and bicycles directly enhances life satisfaction, while perceived accessibility by walking influences life satisfaction only indirectly, through increased activity participation. Accessibility by public transport, however, has no direct/indirect significant effect on well-being.

A biased preference for the status quo could explain the increased support for policies following their implementation. However, the influence of status quo bias on support for transport policies has been analysed to a limited extent only. The counterfactual test serves as a potential method to empirically explore this influence by framing policies as the existing or alternative situation. This paper employs the counterfactual test to ascertain whether individuals disproportionately favour the status quo. To this end, we have designed separate experiments focusing on three transport policies: road pricing, speed limits, and train ticket fare differentiation. The results indicate that status quo bias does indeed influence support for transport policies. Participants prefer each policy option when framed as the status quo. In contrast, support for the same policy option declines when presented as the alternative situation. These findings underscore the irrational tendency to adhere to the status quo, which may stem from psychological commitments or cognitive misperceptions. Therefore, politicians, policymakers, and practitioners should anticipate a bias towards the status quo when introducing controversial transport policies.

Car sharing contributes to reducing emissions, resource depletion, and land take, by promoting more efficient use of vehicles that on average sit idle 96% of the time. But consumer adoption remains limited. User segmentation studies can inform efforts to mobilize potential users to join car sharing, and to anticipate what their needs and usage characteristics will be. This paper proposes a comprehensive segmentation method based on socio-demographic variables, which reveals differences in preferences for car sharing platform type, usage characteristics and societal outcomes of car sharing use. To do so, we apply a three step Latent Cluster Analysis to a nationwide sample of active car sharing users. This method results in a set of user segments that reflect distinct life phases, with different needs in terms of the frequency and type of trips made by car sharing. This is reflected in different preferences for car sharing platform types, as the likelihood to use peer-to-peer car sharing as opposed to business-to-consumer car sharing differs by user segment. The segments do not differ substantially in their motivations for engaging with car sharing. Yet, environmental motivations for car sharing outrank financial motivations, while social motivations play no substantial role. The clusters do show substantial differences in the changes in car ownership that occur while being an active car sharing member as well as the likelihood to use car sharing in place of a private car rather than public transport or walking and biking. We conclude that a comprehensive segmentation method based on socio-demographic variables provides actionable insights for upscaling car sharing adoption, as well as targeting specific user segments in order to optimize societal outcomes from car sharing use.

Noise annoyance and its relation to health outcomes have been studied extensively. The vast majority of studies in this field use cross-sectional data. Such data does not allow investigation of temporal effects or the direction of these effects. It is reasonable to expect that the effects of noise on health build up over time. Moreover, noise may not only impact health outcomes, but health outcomes may also impact the sensitivity to noise – hence flipping the direction of the effect. Further adding to the complexity of the relationship between noise and health outcomes is the fact that personality traits may influence re-ported noise annoyance. This study aims to shed light on the accumulative effects of noise annoyance on health, as well as the bidirectional relationships between noise annoyance and health. To do so, we analyze eight years of data from the Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel. Specifically, we conduct a Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis to identify annoyance profiles and analyze the effect of Big Five personality traits on the likelihood of belonging to the different annoyance profiles. Furthermore, we use Cross-Lagged Panel Models to analyze whether changes in noise annoy-ance precede changes in health outcomes or vice versa. We find three different profiles of noise annoy-ance, namely chronically annoyed people, occasionally annoyed people, and people who are generally not annoyed. Noise annoyance was found to be relatively stable over time. Regarding personality traits, we find that extraversion and emotional stability decrease the chance of belonging to the cluster of chronically annoyed persons, while openness has the opposite effect. Finally, chronic annoyance shows a significant effect on self-reported heart complaints and sleeping problems, while the effects of noise annoyance profiles on high blood pressure and heart attacks are insignificant.

Attitudes have been used as explanatory variables of travel behaviour for decades, typically under the assumption that there is a causal effect of attitudes on behaviour. However, recent research has shown that the relationship between attitudes and travel behaviour is bi-directional. In this study we use a longitudinal modelling technique on panel data to 1) separate within-person effects from between-person associations and 2) test whether the within-person effects changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that the within-person effects were weaker during the pandemic than they were before the pandemic. In addition, the within-person effects were much smaller than would be expected based on methods that do not separate within-person effects from between-person associations. This means that researchers should be careful when basing policy recommendations on cross-sectional correlations between attitudes and behaviour for two reasons: first, the problem of endogeneity, and second, the highly relevant separation of within-person effects from between-person relations.

Gender violence encompasses a multitude of morally problematic psychological, physical, and sexual behaviors that, in most countries, constitute criminal offenses. In this study, we investigate the association between moral foundations (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) and punitive responses to gender violence offenses. Our case study focuses on gender violence in Portugal, a country in which these offenses are a prevalent social problem. We collected data on gender violence legal cases decided in Portuguese courts between 2002 and 2022, and we used a latent class cluster analysis model to identify the complex patterns in the data and reduce such patterns to a distinct number of clusters. Four main clusters unravel latent relations between the foundations mapped in the legal narratives and corresponding punitive responses: (i) Affirmative with suspended prison time (moral rhetoric rooted in Authority); (ii) Mixed outcomes but no prison time (moral rhetoric rooted in Sanctity); (iii) Affirmative with lengthy prison time large compensation (moral rhetoric rooted in Loyalty and Care); and (iv) Affirmative with court fines (moral rhetoric rooted in Fairness). The moral foundations provide a valuable lens to understand the problem of gender violence, but further research is needed to establish the causal mechanisms between morality and punitive responses to gender violence.