Key factors for defining an efficient urban transport interchange: Users' perceptions

• Urban transport interchanges are vital elements for reducing transfer inconvenience.
• A travellers' satisfaction survey was done to capture users' perceptions.
• Principal Component Analysis is used to identify the main factors for users.
• Travellers make decisions based on perceived walking and waiting times.
• The overall interchange performance is directly linked to safety and security conditions.

The sustained increase in the urban population and the trend towards urban sprawl in European cities has led to a change in mobility patterns, and many public transport users now need to combine several modes or transport services at urban transport interchanges before they reach their final destination. Therefore, they have become an everyday experience for users where, in addition, users spend time inside. This paper aims to identify the key factors both from a functional and psychological perspective for defining an efficient transport interchange. Since the users' perceptions of their experience are particularly important for achieving the most appropriate policy measures for interchanges, an ad-hoc travellers' satisfaction survey was designed and carried out in three European transport interchanges. The assessment methodology used here – Principal Component Analysis – is proposed as a useful step-by-step procedure. The results of this research highlight the ambivalent nature of the urban transport interchanges. The key functional aspects identified contribute to make easier the transfer and reduce the waiting time, while the psychological factors make the stay more comfortable for users.