Prabhakar, Grison and Morgagni – SMARTPHONE MOBILITY ASSISTANTS 2022

Description

This study tested whether smartphone mobility assistants can nudge mass-transit users off fastest-but-crowded routes to improve passenger flow. In an online experiment, 582 non‑Parisian participants completed 24 simulated station-to-station choices presented in three formats: spatial (map), temporal (timeline), and symbolic (list). Trips varied by congruency (whether the fastest route was also visually shortest) and by comfort cues (transfer complexity and in-vehicle crowding). Results show two practical levers for demand management: (1) a visuospatial heuristic induced by map displays led users to favor routes that looked shortest on the map—even when slower—reducing selection of objectively fastest options on incongruent trips; (2) explicit comfort information (simpler transfers, lower crowding) shifted many users toward slower but more comfortable routes. Temporal timelines did not increase attention to travel time. Mixed-effects modeling indicated format, congruency, comfort, and age explained substantial variance; older participants were less likely to pick the fastest route and took longer to decide. Findings imply that visual design and comfort cues in apps can help redistribute passengers and mitigate congestion.