Shaping Passenger Experience: An Eye-Tracking Study of Public Transportation Built Environment

TL;DR

This study investigates how passengers visually engage with six public transportation cabin designs using webcam-based eye-tracking. Using a within-subject design with $N=304$ participants (after quality filtering to $N=273$) and metrics including Fixation Counts, Time to First Fixation ($TFF$), First Fixation Duration ($FFD$), Stationary Gaze Entropy ($SGE$), and Gaze Transition Entropy ($GTE$), it quantifies attention patterns across designs. Alternative designs yield shorter $TFF$ and lower entropy ($SGE$, $GTE$) relative to the Current Version, with Biophilic, Enhanced, Bike, and Productivity layouts showing clearer, more structured gaze; Poorly Maintained increases entropy. Demographic factors, notably ethnicity and public-transport-use patterns, modulate some metrics, underlining the importance of inclusive, accessible design that can attract broader ridership and advance sustainable mobility.

Abstract

Designing public transportation cabins that effectively engage passengers and encourage more sustainable mobility options requires a deep understanding of how users from different backgrounds, visually interact with these environments. The following study employs eye-tracking technology to investigate visual attention patterns across six distinct cabin designs, ranging from the current and poorly maintained versions to enhanced, biophilic focused, cyclist-friendly, and productivity-focused configurations. A total of N:304 participants engaged with each cabin design while their eye movements such as Fixation Counts, Time to First Fixation (TFF), First Fixation Duration (FFD), Stationary Gaze Entropy (SGE), and Gaze Transition Entropy (GTE) were recorded. Results revealed that alternative cabin configurations consistently exhibited shorter TFFs and lower entropy measures compared to the baseline current version. Specifically, designs incorporating natural elements and biophilic aspects, streamlined layouts, or functional amenities, facilitated quicker orientation and more structured gaze patterns, indicating enhanced visual engagement and possibly reduced cognitive load. In contrast, the poorly maintained cabin design was associated with higher entropy values, suggesting more scattered and less predictable visual exploration. Demographic factors, particularly ethnicity, significantly influenced FFD in certain designs, with Non-white participants showing reduced fixation durations in the enhanced and poorly maintained environments highlighting the importance of inclusive design considerations. Moreover, transportation-related demographic factors such as frequency of public transport use, trip purpose, and duration of use significantly influenced visual attention metrics in various cabin designs.

Figures (13)

• Figure 1: Overview of the various aspects affecting user experience in public transportation
• Figure 2: The study design framework is illustrated, with blue sections indicating the RealEye platform and gray sections representing Qualtrics. The images were presented in a randomized order within RealEye.
• Figure 3: Visual comparison of cabin designs used in the study, illustrating a variety of interior layouts as well as the Area of Interest Boundary in different cabin designs; a: Current Version, b: Poorly Maintained Current Version, c:Bike-Centered Design, d: Biophilic Design, e: Enhanced Version, f: Productivity-Focused Design
• Figure 4: Participant spread across the US
• Figure 5: Heatmaps of fixation points in the Area of Interest in different cabin design a: Current Version, b: Poorly Maintained Current Version, c:Bike-Centered Design, d: Biophilic Design, e: Enhanced Version, f: Productivity-Focused Design