Some small- and medium-sized Global South cities have unsustainable transport systems and no information to plan interventions in addition to having limited resources for data collection. This study proposes a method to understand Public Transport (PT) ridership in cities of these characteristics, based on previous studies and by analysing available indicators related to Manheim’s macro-variables, to identify their influence on the PT ridership. The method was applied in the city of Mexicali, Mexico. The results help to understand the causes of the low PT ridership and have implications for achieving sustainable urban mobility in the city. Findings reveal that mobility planning in Mexicali has been occurring without properly considering activity system related variables, so it is necessary to integrate urban and transport administration. Moreover, to increase PT demand in Mexicali, mobility strategies to discourage the use of private cars are necessary. The proposed method can be applied in other cities of the Global South with characteristics similar to the case study to understand the causes of PT ridership, so these can be considered by the agencies responsible for the planning of the city’s transportation system to promote a sustainable urban mobility.

Expanding the road network is inevitable due to the accelerated economic growth of countries. However, the development of road infrastructure has generated considerable concern among society, governments, and environmental organizations. This concern mainly stems from the significant environmental effects and the omission of the sustainability of materials associated with road construction. Current literature suggests Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a solution to address greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts of road infrastructure. This research uses the PRISMA-SCR methodology to identify strategies to mitigate environmental impact during the life cycle stages of asphalt pavements and emission-generating activities. This study identifies the critical life cycle stages responsible for the largest amount of emissions, highlighting “material extraction and production” and “transportation” as key areas of intervention. The results demonstrate how the incorporation of recycled materials (RAPs) and warm mix asphalts (WMAs) can reduce between 15% and 45% of total emissions. It is concluded that it is possible to develop asphalt pavement construction projects with a sustainability perspective, allowing not only to identify opportunities to optimize construction processes but also to establish a reference framework for transportation agencies to integrate more sustainable practices, including the reduction of emissions, the responsible use of non-renewable resources and proper waste management.

The objective of this research is to develop a useful procedure to assess and identify risks that promote accidents by road users, with the vision of improving safety through the implementation and technical employment of operative strategies. The relevance of this proposal lies in the fact that the issue of traffic accidents is a global problem. This project is located in the mountain range of Baja California, Mexico, in the Centinela–La Rumorosa highway and integrates accidental and pavement surface condition data, geometric design performance, analysis of traffic signals, and road safety devices present on the road using geodetic techniques. It is concluded that this procedure contributes to determining risk areas that promote accidents and generate a risk reduction plan to support future decision-making that guarantees better performance for road users. Furthermore, it is highlighted that the analysis of road safety must be a permanent process for those who operate, design, and build the road system.

The growing environmental impact of plastic waste and the high energy consumption in traditional asphalt production have driven the search for more sustainable alternatives in road construction. This systematic review evaluates the incorporation of recycled plastics into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) and Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA), focusing on their effects on mechanical performance and environmental outcomes. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA/ScR) methodology, 39 studies published between 2012 and 2023 were analyzed to compare plastic types, incorporation methods (dry, wet, and pyrolysis), and dosage levels. Results show that plastics such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and Polypropylene (PP) can improve stiffness, rutting resistance, and fatigue life. WMA technologies, while less commonly applied, offer significant environmental advantages by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. The review highlights the critical role of plastic type, blending method, and local conditions in optimizing performance. Overall, integrating recycled plastics into asphalt mixtures presents a promising pathway toward more durable and sustainable pavement infrastructure.

El impacto de la red carretera federal en la calidad de vida de la población urbana y suburbana en las localidades de Baja California, México, se evalúa mediante un análisis de las condiciones de accesibilidad relativa y absoluta que presenta la red, así como de las intervenciones en materia de conservación carretera en una década. Asimismo, se miden los Índices de Marginación Urbana (imu) a una escala territorial denominada Área Geoestadística Básica (ageb), en una situación ex ante y ex post. Se observa que la prioridad ha sido intervenir sobre la red carretera primaria, y que en ciertas localidades de los cinco municipios de la entidad se requiere intervenir en la red alimentadora y secundaria. Se concluye que aquellas localidades con mayor accesibilidad a la red carretera son las que presentan los menores niveles de imu, principalmente aquellas que hacen intersección con una carretera con anchos de sección transversal más amplios.

In this research, an analysis of the socio-environmental vulnerability in the urban area of the border municipality of Tijuana, Baja California (BC), in Mexico is carried out with data from the year 2020. Currently, this municipality is the most populated in the country, housing a population of just over 1.9 million inhabitants, characterized by being a city in constant urban growth due to its geographical location and various social, cross-border and productive dynamics directed by industrial development. However, Tijuana presents territorial problems related to lack of urban planning, overpopulation, urban marginalization, topographic conditions, urban waste management, air quality and lack of infrastructure and basic services. The proposed methodology develops a socio-environmental vulnerability index (SEVI), based on the evaluation of critical or extreme demographic and urban aspects, including social, economic, environmental and physical variables of the territory with the support of the Geographic Information System (GIS). This index is composed of a total of 19 indicators related to education, health, employment, housing conditions, infrastructure, population settlement, industrial concentration and some factors regarding environmental quality, especially focused on the disposal of urban solid waste (USW) in clandestine sites, garbage collection service coverage and flood risk. This analysis allowed us to determine the groups most vulnerable to socio-environmental risks in 692 Basic Geostatistical Areas (AGEB, the acronym in Spanish) of nine city delegations. The results of the research highlight that 14.78% of the population is between a situation of high and very high socio-environmental vulnerability, representing just over 284,000 inhabitants. It is concluded that the use of GIS in spatial planning allows us to identify risk areas and thereby promote more sustainable measures to ensure the well-being of the population.