In many countries around the globe, high-quality bus services are being implemented. Also in the Netherlands, bus operators have implemented services that are classified as Buses with a High Level of Service, BHLS (also Hoogwaardig Openbaar Vervoer, HOV, in Dutch). Upgrading conventional services to BHLS can lead to large ridership increases and modal shift rates from the car to the bus.

The objective of this work is to develop knowledge on the importance of BHLS aspects with respect to ridership and advise bus operators and transit authorities about the implementation of BHLS aspects. To investigate this, first the aspects of BHLS are determined based on a literature review. Then, the performance of bus lines on these BHLS aspects is assessed in a Dutch case study to investigate how BHLS in practice relates to the findings in literature. This is done for BHLS services as well as conventional services. The performances of the different services are compared to each other to explore what BHLS means in practice and how that relates to literature. Once the performance of each line is assessed, the relation of the BHLS aspects with ridership is investigated. This is done using a multiple linear regression model. Lastly, the impact of the deployment of dedicated BHLS vehicles on the operational efficiency is researched. Two sets of vehicle schedules are developed for a scenario where all lines are carried out by one single vehicle type and for a scenario where BHLS services have their own dedicated fleet. A framework is developed which can be used to estimate how much ridership should increase to cover the costs of a dedicated fleet.
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In response to the growing housing shortage in the Netherlands, particularly in urban areas where land availability is constrained, local governments are increasingly considering urban expansion into peripheral areas, even those near freeways. These areas offer convenient car access but pose challenges for sustainable development due to the potential for increased congestion. This research focuses on developing mobility design strategies to reduce car usage and promote public transit in such peripheral areas. The central research question is: "Which mobility design strategies, regarding public transit and car parking planning, should be implemented to reduce car usage and enhance the attractiveness of public transit in a peripheral urban area?" To address this question, a Discrete Choice Model was developed to analyze commuting mode choice behavior under different scenarios. The research began by identifying influencing factors from the literature, including relevant urban transportation modes (bus, light rail, car, and bike), trip characteristics, personal attributes, and environmental factors. The study focuses on Rijnenburg, an outskirt area of Utrecht, which is poised for significant urban development but faces challenges due to its car-friendly location at the intersection of two major highways. Three design scenarios—Conventional, Sustainable, and Ambitious—were developed based on existing municipal development strategies. These scenarios consider various factors such as public transit stop density, line frequency, route planning, vehicle type, parking facility location, and parking costs. A Stated Preference survey was conducted to gather data from 200 respondents, which informed the construction of both a Multinomial Logit (MNL) model and a Panel Mixed Logit (Panel ML) model. While the MNL model was ultimately chosen for its balance of accuracy and interpretability, the study revealed a strong preference for bikes over cars among respondents, highlighting the potential for shifting mode choice through strategic design interventions. The analysis showed that the Ambitious scenario, which includes tougher interventions such as higher parking costs and restricted parking locations, was most effective in reducing car usage. However, the scenario's feasibility was questioned, leading to a recommendation for a hybrid approach combining elements of the Sustainable scenario with stricter car parking measures. The research also highlighted several limitations, including potential biases in the survey sample and the exclusion of certain factors from the model. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that a combination of mobility strategies—focused on optimizing public transit accessibility and increasing barriers to car use—can significantly contribute to sustainable urban development in peripheral areas like Rijnenburg. In conclusion, the recommended strategies, particularly the reduction of transfers in public transit and the strategic location of parking facilities, are expected to play a crucial role in promoting sustainable mobility in Rijnenburg. Further research is recommended to refine these strategies and explore their applicability to a broader range of contexts. ... Read more

Cycling has gained popularity worldwide, but little is known about the choice behaviour of people searching for a bicycle parking spot in the city centre. Formal parking spaces provided in the city centre are currently often underutilised, whilst many people use fly parking, which causes nuisance. This thesis aims to identify the most effective communication strategy to reduce the utilisation of fly parking and whether this differs for distinct user groups. Traffic signs were chosen as a means to present the different communication strategies. Information on choice behaviour was gathered with the use of a stated preference survey. Discrete choice modelling was used to analyse this data. The results show communication prohibiting the use of fly parking work very effectively in reducing fly parking. Interactions of socio-demographics and communication strategies were also found, indicating that belonging to a certain user group affects the effectiveness of the different communication strategies. What should be noted is that the effect of the interactions is marginal compared to the effect of the communication strategy itself. Meaning that the effectiveness of the communication strategy itself is most important. The research also tested how well traffic signs performed as a means of delivering the communication. It was concluded that solely showing traffic signs without providing any prior or other information is not very effective. ... Read more

With an increase in interest in putting people on bikes instead of driving vehicles for day-to-day transport, new regulations are being implemented to make roadways safer for cyclists while also encouraging cycling behavior among various segments of the population. The perception of safety has been proven to play a significant role in the decision to adopt active forms of transportation. The significance of this feeling is underlined even more when it comes to vulnerable road users, in this case, cycling children. This study seeks to provide a better knowledge of the road conditions that increase the perception of road safety in order to establish a safe and encouraging cycling environment for adolescents cycling to school. The preferences of different categories of the population toward various measures are explored using the stated preferences experiment. Furthermore, with the adoption of the new lowering of the speed limit policy, the attitude toward a growth in the usage of bicycles is done. According to the findings of this study, different sectors of the public have distinct perceptions and preferences toward the numerous aspects shown on the highways. The presence of separated bike lanes, a speed restriction of 30 km/h, and a priority for crossing rule for cyclists are discovered to be components that all groups in the sample strongly prefer. Parking on the country road is limited to the groupings of parents and road designers. Finally, the presence of speed displays is discovered to be negligible for all subgroups in the sample population as a measure that has no influence on making roads safer for children to cycle on. Furthermore, it has been discovered that parents who bring their children to schools that
are now located near unsafe GOW50 roads have a more positive attitude toward cycling following the implementation of the speed limit policy. More aspects that were discussed in the GOW30 debate could be included in a future study to gain a better understanding of the impact of the various elements on providing a safe cycling environment for children. Furthermore, a recommendation is made to examine the behavior of parents in other locations that are also in close proximity to hazardous GOW50 roads and to incorporate the features of other respondents in order to corroborate the findings of this study. ... Read more

Deze scriptie beschrijft een onderzoek naar de toepasbaarheid van verschillende pop-up fietspaden. Dit zijn fietspaden welke in zeer korte tijd kunnen worden aangelegd en in een latere fase definitief worden gerealiseerd of weer verdwijnen uit het straatbeeld. Aangezien pop-up fietspaden in de meeste gevallen op dezelfde rij loper liggen als auto’s voorheen gebruikte is een rijbaanscheiding van belang.
Eerst is onderzocht welke type pop-up fietspaden bestaan en hoe deze onderverdeeld kunnen worden. Voor dit onderzoek is gebruik gemaakt van een enquête welke is verspreid in Duitsland, Frankrijk en Nederland om de gebruikerservaringen van pop-up fietspaden te bepalen.
Uit dit onderzoek blijkt dat Barrières afgezien van kosten erg goed scoren. Een parkeerstrook als rijbaan scheiding is een goede optie mits voldoende ruimte aanwezig is en de weg geen stroomweg is.
Lijn markering zijn qua kosten voordelig maar moeten desondanks zo min mogelijk gebruikt worden. Net als bij normale fietspaden is de ligging van invloed op de veiligheid van fietsers. In verschillende landen hebben fietsers verschillende voorkeuren voor de ligging van een fietspad. Ook de regelgeving
is verschillend hierover tussen verschillende regio’s. Uit dit onderzoek blijkt dat rijbaanscheidingen inwisselbaar zijn per type wegindeling. Om een keuze voor een optimale rijbaanscheiding te maken kan gebruik gemaakt worden van een keuze diagram op basis van snelheid van auto’s en beschikbare
ruimte. Voor de wegindeling hebben alle types specifieke karakteristieken. Afhankelijk van de intensiteit lokaal of doorgaand fietsverkeer kan gekozen worden welk type wegindeling het beste bij de weg past aan de hand van een keuze diagram. ... Read more

This research investigates the speed behaviour and safety effects on cyclists and mopeds sharing the cyclist T-Intersection with and without the application of a lane marking nudge. Unsignalised cyclist T-Intersection gives rise to more safety-critical instances, which include unsafe braking and evasive maneuvers. It is also found that uncontrolled T-intersection can create an issue when priority is assigned to the intersecting (right) arm because drivers on the straight road have a high perception of priority and fail-to-yield. Even though many studies have analysed the positive influence of the lane markings for cars, the influence of it on cyclists have not been explored. The safety criticality in this research is investigated using critical deceleration and jerk as Surrogate Safety Measures, because they are found to perform better at identifying potential conflicts compared to other time proximity measures, such as Time to Collision. Based on the results, the nudge did not show any strong evidence for reducing the speeds or safety criticality at the T-Intersection. So, it cannot be implemented as a traffic calming measure at the T-intersection without further research or modifications. So, this research also suggests key improvements with the lane marking nudge, and some crucial changes have to be implemented to avoid these kinds of unexpected outcomes in future. So, an elaborate discussion is made on what could be the possible changes with the implementation of the nudge for further investigations. Few intervention functions from the MINDSPACE framework and improvements from the behavioural change wheel have to be considered in the future researches with nudges. ... Read more

To intrigue more people to cycle, it is essential to assess the current design of the cycling infrastructure to guarantee the efficiency and safety for the users. A credible simulation of cyclists is helpful to evaluate different designs of infrastructure and point out the problem. A valid simulation model requires proper verification and validation. However, there was hitherto no standard procedure to conduct model verification, and limited studies were found related to the verification of cyclist simulation models. To fill this gap, this study develops a verification framework for traffic simulation models based on the methodologies used in the literature. It also briefly discusses the difference to verify a cyclist simulation model. The framework is assessed by applying to a case study of the cyclist-queue-formation simulation model. The results prove the applicability of the framework to verify a cyclist simulation model. The organised structure of the framework provides a systematic measure for the verification of traffic simulation models. Furthermore, the cyclist-queue-formation simulation model is verified within the study area, where its conceptual model is proposed. The room for improvement of the simulation model regarding the relatively slow correction behaviour in steering and pedalling of the cyclists was also indicated. ... Read more