Understanding passenger experience in public transportation built environment through eye tracking

Understanding how people visually engage with public transport cabins is essential for designing environments that encourage sustainable mobility. This study used eye-tracking to examine visual attention across six cabin designs: current, poorly maintained, enhanced, biophilic, cyclist-friendly, and productivity-focused. A total of 304 participants viewed each design while their eye movements were recorded, including fixation counts, time to first fixation, first fixation duration, stationary gaze entropy, and gaze transition entropy. Compared to the current version, alternative designs showed shorter TFFs and lower entropy, indicating faster orientation and more focused gaze patterns. Cabins with natural elements or functional layouts increased engagement, while poorly maintained designs led to scattered gaze. Ethnicity significantly affected FFD, with non-White participants showing shorter fixations in certain environments. Transportation habits also influenced visual attention: infrequent riders oriented more quickly in improved designs. These results highlight how design can improve user experience and support broader transit adoption.