A USER-CENTRIC FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING LAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE QUALITY: A FOUNDATION FOR INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY METRICS

Abstract

Comprehensive assessment frameworks are critical for transitioning towards sustainable urban mobility, yet existing models often fail to integrate user-perceived service quality with environmental performance. This study aims to develop and validate a holistic Level of Service (LOS) model for land public transport that prioritizes the passenger experience, creating a foundational framework for future ecological integration. We propose a novel two-block assessment model (Movement and Accessibility) comprising 12 weighted indicators—including journey duration, stop accessibility, information availability, and vehicle occupancy—derived from sociological surveys and calibrated against urban design standards. The model was tested on multiple routes in Moscow, Russia, and its outputs were validated against established methodologies (HCM, TCQSM) and direct user evaluations. Results demonstrate a strong correlation between the proposed model and user perceptions, confirming its efficacy in capturing the holistic passenger experience where traditional carrier-focused models fall short. While the current model focuses on service quality, its structured, weighted design provides a direct pathway for incorporating environmental metrics—such as emissions per passenger-km—into a unified sustainability score. This work provides transport planners and policymakers with a robust tool for evaluating and improving public transport systems, explicitly designed to be expanded upon to meet the integrated social and environmental goals of sustainable urban development.