Sinziana Rasca

• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2026). Insights into transport mode choices of Norwegian employees for their work commute: a qualitative study using the COM-B model. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (TRIP). 40. doi: 10.1016/j.trip.2026.102262. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite growing environmental awareness, car dependency remains high in non-metropolitan regions. This study addresses the research problem of why professionals in polycentric regions persist in car-oriented commuting despite often having environmentally conscious attitudes. The primary aim is to identify the behavioural determinants that hinder public transport (PT) adoption among employees living over 10 km from work in Agder, Norway, and to use the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) to define interventions and policies to overcome barriers to using PT for work-commuting. To achieve this, the study pursues two objectives: first, to map the barriers and incentives of mode-choice onto the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour) framework; and second, to identify how these factors interact within the unique spatial constraints of small cities and towns (SCTs) in order to propose interventions and policies for behaviour shift. The study employed a qualitative approach, using data from 32 semi-structured interviews, followed by thematic COM-B coding. Findings reveal a complex hierarchy of barriers, dominated by Physical Opportunity (with PT service and accessibility limitations driving car use) and Reflective Motivation factors (characterised by deep-seated car use habits and associations of car use with flexibility, utility, and freedom). The study contributes to existing research by adapting the COM-B model, typically applied to health research and only recently adopted within the transportation sector, to a polycentric, low-density context. The results demonstrate that the barriers in SCTs are structurally distinct from those in large cities. Furthermore, a roadmap for policymakers to develop targeted interventions is proposed.

• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana; Hu, Bin; Biesinger, Benjamin & Prandtstetter, Matthias (2024). Agent-based decision-support model for bus route redesign in networks of small cities and towns: case study of Agder, Norway. Public Transport. ISSN 1866-749X. doi: 10.1007/s12469-024-00358-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana; Markvica, Karin & Biesinger, Benjamin (2023). Persona Design Methodology for Work-Commute Travel Behaviour Using Latent Class Cluster Analysis. Multimodal Transportation. ISSN 2772-5871. 2(4). doi: 10.1016/j.multra.2023.100095. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The present study proposes a new methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative data for the generation of representative personas for commuters. The profiles can be used to better understand their travel behaviour and mode choices. The research is based on the example of the region of Agder in Norway and aims to overcome the persona development shortcomings identified by previous researchers. Data from a regional travel behaviour survey (N= 1 849) is analysed using latent class cluster analysis (LCCA), and enriched with qualitative input from 32 interviews, and information provided by an expert panel. This results in a set of 20 representative persona profiles for the case study region. The proposed methodology is easily replicable in other urban networks and has the potential to provide insight into the mobility behaviour and needs of specific groups of people in order to adapt the transport services and encourage climate-friendly behaviour.

• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2022). Numerical estimation of travel mode preferences for agents in agent-based simulations. In Ruzicka, Jiri (Eds.), 2022 Smart Cities Symposium Prague (SCSP). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781665479233. doi: 10.1109/SCSP54748.2022.9792570. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Passenger flows predictions or forecasting are a critical element in the planning, dimensioning, and operating of transport systems. Agent-based simulation models are the first models that forecast travel behavior based on a mix of data that includes both behavior patterns and daily schedules of individual users in the prediction algorithms, plus an element of randomness. Nevertheless, agent-based simulation models only use quantitative data to design the profile of the agents. Researchers agree that qualitative, experiential, and consultative methods are critical to transport and urban planning. Therefore, we propose a simple methodology that can support a numerical estimation of the preference for different modal choices of an archetypal user. The estimation is done based on existing travel behavior data and can provide input for updating agent profiles used in agent-based simulations in the field of passenger transport. The results of our study suggest that the proposed methodology is accurate in estimating the travel mode preference of predefined persona profiles and translating it into a numerical format. Our findings set a solid base for bridging persona generation models, based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, with defining agent profiles and rules for agent-based simulations for the field of passenger transport.

• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana & Saeed, Naima (2022). Exploring the factors influencing the use of public transport by commuters living in networks of small cities and towns. Travel Behaviour & Society. ISSN 2214-367X. 28, p. 249–263. doi: 10.1016/j.tbs.2022.03.007. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The use of public transport is directly associated with a reduced environmental impact for satisfying daily mobility needs. Current research has focused on identifying the factors affecting the use of public transport, elements such as age, car ownership, travel distance, or parking availability having been associated with a direct impact on an individual’s transport mode choice. However, most of these studies focused on the travel behaviour of individuals living in large cities, where the population density is high, and public transport is usually more developed than in small cities and towns. The present study provides additional insights into the impact of eleven different factors on the use of public transport by employees living and working in networks of small cities and towns in Northern Europe. The study uses ordered logistic regression to analyse the data collected in 2019 through a regional travel survey conducted in Agder, Norway. The results reveal that the choice of public transport as a daily commute mode is significantly affected by car ownership, distance to work, parking availability, and ticket prices. Additionally, the results indicate that the odds of employees using public transport increase when the respondents do not have persons in care. On the other hand, factors such as low bus frequency and long walking distances to the home bus stop show a negative impact on the use of public transport. Based on these results, regional and local policy actions are proposed.

• Abeyrathna, Kuruge Darshana; Rasca, Sinziana Ioana; Markvica, Karin & Granmo, Ole-Christoffer (2021). Public Transport Passenger Count Forecasting in Pandemic Scenarios Using Regression Tsetlin Machine. Case Study of Agder, Norway. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies. ISSN 2190-3018. 231, p. 27–37. doi: 10.1007/978-981-16-2324-0_4. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana; Markvica, Karin & Ivanschitz, Bernd Peter (2021). Impacts of COVID-19 and pandemic control measures on public transport ridership in European urban areas–The cases of Vienna, Innsbruck, Oslo,and Agder. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (TRIP). 10. doi: 10.1016/j.trip.2021.100376. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana & Major, Jonas (2021). Applicability of Existing Public Transport Sustainability Indicators to Norwegian Small Cities and Towns, 2021 Smart City Symposium Prague (SCSP). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781665415248. doi: 10.1109/SCSP52043.2021.9447387. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2020). Do International Urban Sustainability Monitoring Frameworks Respond to the Perceived Needs of Norwegian small and mediumsized cities? – Results of a Workshop. In ., . (Eds.), IEEE Forum on Integrated and Sustainable Transportation System (FISTS), November 3-5, 2020, Delft - The Netherlands. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781728195032. p. 315–322. doi: 10.1109/FISTS46898.2020.9264876. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Cities are estimated to have a 70% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. This makes urban sustainability monitoring necessary, but are urban sustainability monitoring frameworks applicable to cities of all sizes? And do they offer a consistent overview of the sustainability status of core urban development areas, such as transport? The present research tests if the specific needs of small and medium-sized Norwegian cities, as perceived by local stakeholders, are consistently covered by the indicators of urban sustainability monitoring frameworks. To this purpose, four international frameworks were evaluated in the frame of a workshop: Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities, Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable Cities, ISO 37120:2018 Sustainable cities and communities - Indicators for city services and quality of life, and LEED for Cities (pilot phase). The evaluation was done by local and regional representatives of academia, the private sector, and public authorities with expertise in urban planning. A set of dedicated transport indicators was also evaluated. The results highlight the alignment between urban and transport sustainability indicators and the perceived needs of Norwegian small and medium-sized cities. These results pave the road for urban sustainability monitoring frameworks to better shape their tools towards the needs of small and medium-sized cities.

• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana & Waeben, Jan (2019). Sustainable Development of Small and Medium Sized Cities: Use of Monitoring Frameworks in Reaching the SDGs. In Ruzicka, Jiri (Eds.), 2019 Smart Cities Symposium Prague (SCSP). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781728104973. doi: 10.1109/SCSP.2019.8805693. Full text in Research Archive

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• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2022). Numerical estimation of travel mode preferences for agents in agent-based simulations. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana & Dahl, Sandor (2021). Studie viser nå hvordan man kan få et busstilbud med lavere kostnad, sier stipendiat. [Internet]. Avisa-Vest. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2021). Monitoring the Sustainable development of Transport in Norwegian Small and Medium Sized Cities- Results of a Workshop. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana & Markvica, Karin (2021). Learning from the past: understanding ridership changes in public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2020). The Small City Public Transport Challenge. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2020). Do International Urban Sustainability Monitoring Frameworks Respond to the Perceived Needs of Norwegian small and mediumsized cities? – Results of a Workshop. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana (2019). Mobility in Agder- now and in the future. Full text in Research Archive
• Rasca, Sinziana Ioana & Waeben, Jan (2019). Sustainable Development of Small and Medium Sized Cities: Use of Monitoring Frameworks in Reaching the SDGs. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA