Rethinking Smart Mobility at the Bus Stop Level: Developing a Readiness Index for Interchange Stops in Jeddah

Smart mobility strategies often emphasize digital information, applications, and data-driven transport management, while giving less attention to the stop-level conditions that shape passengers’ everyday experience. This study develops and applies a Smart Bus Stop Readiness Index (SBSRI) to assess seven interchange bus stops in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The index integrates five weighted dimensions: Passenger Information and Digital Readiness; Physical and Thermal Comfort Provision; Pedestrian Accessibility and Universal Design; Safety and Security; and Land-Use and Activity Integration. Data were collected through field audits, spatial mapping, passenger observations, and a short survey of 71 users. The results indicate that the selected stops have operational interchange importance but generally limited readiness. The mean SBSRI score was 39.07/100; under the adopted planning-oriented classification scheme, only Al-Balad Main Station A achieved moderate readiness, while the remaining stops were classified as showing low or very low readiness. Physical and Thermal Comfort Provision was the weakest dimension, particularly in relation to shade, seating, shelter, and shaded waiting areas. Passenger information and pedestrian accessibility also showed substantial deficiencies. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the principal stop rankings remained stable under alternative weighting scenarios, although category labels were more responsive to threshold selection. This study concludes that smart bus stop readiness should be assessed as a socio-technical condition integrating digital systems with climate-responsive waiting provision, pedestrian accessibility, safety, and the surrounding urban context.