This study investigates the factors influencing access mode choice to Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a focus on perceived walkability and station context. Data collected from three distinct station types—central business district (CBD), residential, and terminal + peripheral—were analyzed using a Hybrid Choice Model, incorporating objective variables and latent perceptions of walkability. Results show a distance-based hierarchy of access modes: walking dominates short trips, rickshaws serve medium-range trips, and buses cover longer distances. Among walkability perceptions, walkway quality significantly influences access mode choice, while street vibrancy and safety have limited effects. Other significant factors include travel time, cost, access time to feeder bus, and station context. Walking is preferred at residential station, while rickshaws and buses dominate at terminal + peripheral station. The findings suggest that developing integrated multimodal transit systems, prioritizing feeder strategies based on station contexts, and revising transit-oriented development (TOD) paradigms are essential for efficient and equitable urban development.

This study examines changes in air quality during anthropogenic restrictions in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the COVID-19 lockdown, with an emphasis on variations associated with reduced human activity. The pollutant levels of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, O3, and CO were collected and compared before, during, and after lockdown. Significant reductions were observed in NO2 (−20.77%), PM10 (−11.47%), SO2 (−12.85%), and CO (−9.03%), but O3 increased by 2.35%. PM2.5 levels exhibited a statistically insignificant decline (−16.44%). To evaluate whether the observed changes deviated from historical patterns, Air Quality Index (AQI) levels for 2020 were forecasted using pre-pandemic data. The forecasts indicated AQI values in the range of 122.24–124.32, compared to the observed value of 107.74 during the same period, suggesting that the improvement in air quality exceeded typical variations. The potential role of meteorological factors was further examined through statistical testing and causality analysis. Although some weather variables showed temporal variation, no significant causal relationships with AQI were identified within the study period, indicating a limited explanatory role relative to other factors. Finally, to determine which policy measures were most strongly associated with changes in air quality, the Random Forest model and ridge regression analysis were employed. The findings consistently identify stay-at-home requirements and the closure of schools and workplaces as the measures most strongly associated with reductions in AQI, with additional contributions from transport and gathering restrictions.

This study investigates the impact of urban meteorological factors on road crash severity in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Using police crash data, and meteorological data from NASA POWER database for years 2011–2022, a generalized ordered logit model was used to analyze crash severity, and interpreted using odds ratio, log odds ratio, predicted probabilities and marginal effects. The results show that land surface temperature (LST), relative humidity, precipitation, surface pressure, and wind speed have significant association with crash severity. Relative humidity, surface pressure and LST exhibited positive relation with higher severity levels of crashes, whereas precipitation had a negative relation. We recommend three actions to lessen the severity of crashes during inclement weather based on the findings: (i) weather-responsive transport safety policies, which incorporate real-time weather data into intelligent transport systems; (ii) law enforcement-oriented policy implications, which include using automated speed cameras and red-light violation cameras to improve compliance consistency and updating driver training courses to include modules on risk perception across various environmental conditions; and (iii) infrastructure and vehicle-related policy implications, which include designing road geometries and surface conditions to prevent the effects of adverse weather conditions and utilizing safety equipment, such as electronic stability control and anti-lock braking systems.