"We Just Stand There and Wait." Experiencing Transportation-Related Social Exclusion and Heat-Related Health Risks: A Qualitative Study of Public Bus Riders in a Southern U.S. City

Background and Purpose:
As climate change accelerates, extreme heat events are becoming more frequent, prolonged, and severe across U.S. cities. These conditions pose increasing public health risks, particularly for transit-dependent populations who often lack access to private vehicles, air-conditioned spaces, or flexible travel options. Daily exposure to high temperatures while walking to bus stops, waiting in unshaded areas, or riding inadequately cooled buses transforms basic mobility into a site of environmental vulnerability. This study explores how public bus riders experience extreme heat and manage its health impacts, drawing on the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) framework and the concept of Transport-Related Social Exclusion (TRSE).

Methods:
This phenomenological qualitative study involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight transit-dependent adults in a midsized Southern U.S. city. Participants were recruited through community-based networks serving low-income and transit-reliant populations. Interviews explored participants’ lived experiences with extreme heat, including daily travel routines, coping strategies, and perceived impacts on physical and emotional well-being. Transcripts were thematically coded using both inductive and theory-informed approaches to identify patterns across narratives.

Results:
Five key themes emerged: 1) Time Management Takes All Day – Participants described the extensive time and planning needed to coordinate trips under infrequent transit schedules, intensified during heatwaves; 2) Drained by the Heat – Riders reported feeling physically exhausted and emotionally depleted by persistent heat exposure; 3) Personal Problem-Solving in the Absence of Adequate Infrastructure – In the absence of formal supports, individuals relied on self-devised strategies such as altering travel times, carrying water, or seeking shaded detours; 4) Discomfort by Design through Hostile Architecture – The lack of basic amenities like shade, benches, and water fountains at bus stops was seen as intentional and exclusionary, worsening riders’ heat stress; and 5) Feeling Socially Excluded by the Infrastructure – Participants expressed the belief that transit systems neglect the needs of low-income and marginalized riders, reinforcing feelings of invisibility and exclusion.

Conclusions and Implications:
These findings reveal how climate change and structural transportation inequities converge to exacerbate health disparities for transit-reliant populations. Public bus riders are not only exposed to physical risks from extreme heat but also endure social and emotional burdens resulting from inadequate infrastructure and institutional neglect. To advance climate justice and public health equity, transit systems must invest in climate-resilient infrastructure—such as shaded shelters, cooling access, and hydration stations—and adopt empathetic transit planning that reflects the lived realities of marginalized communities. This study highlights the urgent need to center rider voices in transit adaptation strategies and prioritize those most affected by environmental and social injustice.