arXiv subjects

Sanaz Sadat Hosseini

Publications and source records attributed to Sanaz Sadat Hosseini.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

From Community Values to AI Design Constraints: A Mixed-Methods Study of a Proposed AI-Driven Wildfire Risk Assessment Tool in Los Angeles County

AI-driven hazard tools are increasingly proposed for resident-facing risk communication. However, residents are often asked for feedback only after decisions about data use, privacy, and explanation have been made. This study takes an earlier approach by examining residents' values, concerns, and practical expectations for a proposed AI-based risk assessment tool before a predictive model or functional interface is developed. The proposed smartphone application would use property photographs to estimate parcel-level wildfire risk and provide an interpretable risk score, uncertainty information, and mitigation recommendations. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, we surveyed 30 Los Angeles County residents, seven of whom also participated in a virtual town hall. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics, exploratory FDR-adjusted Spearman correlations, and inductive thematic coding of open-ended and town hall responses. Participants were cautiously receptive: 66.7% said they would be very likely or likely to use the tool. They linked fair risk assessment to whether the tool considered relevant property and neighborhood conditions. Privacy and data security were the most common concerns (64.3%), while cost was the main barrier to acting on recommendations (65.5%). Likelihood of using the tool was strongly associated with likelihood of saving or sharing risk results ($ρ= 0.752$, $p_{\mathrm{FDR}} < .001$). We translated the findings into the AI Value Map, a community-grounded artifact with nine value dimensions. The Map connects participant findings to provisional design requirements and possible consequences if they are not addressed. This study provides exploratory evidence on residents' responses to a proposed AI wildfire tool and offers a pre-model procedure for translating early community input into traceable design constraints for resident-facing AI hazard tools.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

Community-Led AI Integration for Wildfire Risk Assessment: A Participatory AI Literacy and Explainability Integration (PALEI) Framework in Los Angeles, CA

Climate-driven wildfires are intensifying, particularly in urban regions such as Southern California. Yet, traditional fire risk communication tools often fail to gain public trust due to inaccessible design, non-transparent outputs, and limited contextual relevance. These challenges are especially critical in high-risk communities, where trust depends on how clearly and locally information is presented. Neighborhoods such as Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, and Altadena in Los Angeles exemplify these conditions. This study introduces a community-led approach for integrating AI into wildfire risk assessment using the Participatory AI Literacy and Explainability Integration (PALEI) framework. PALEI emphasizes early literacy building, value alignment, and participatory evaluation before deploying predictive models, prioritizing clarity, accessibility, and mutual learning between developers and residents. Early engagement findings show strong acceptance of visual, context-specific risk communication, positive fairness perceptions, and clear adoption interest, alongside privacy and data security concerns that influence trust. Participants emphasized localized imagery, accessible explanations, neighborhood-specific mitigation guidance, and transparent communication of uncertainty. The outcome is a mobile application co-designed with users and stakeholders, enabling residents to scan visible property features and receive interpretable fire risk scores with tailored recommendations. By embedding local context into design, the tool becomes an everyday resource for risk awareness and preparedness. This study argues that user experience is central to ethical and effective AI deployment and provides a replicable, literacy-first pathway for applying the PALEI framework to climate-related hazards.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2025

Real-Time Bus Departure Prediction Using Neural Networks for Smart IoT Public Bus Transit

Bus transit plays a vital role in urban public transportation but often struggles to provide accurate and reliable departure times. This leads to delays, passenger dissatisfaction, and decreased ridership, particularly in transit-dependent areas. A major challenge lies in the discrepancy between actual and scheduled bus departure times, which disrupts timetables and impacts overall operational efficiency. To address these challenges, this paper presents a neural network-based approach for real-time bus departure time prediction tailored for smart IoT public transit applications. We leverage AI-driven models to enhance the accuracy of bus schedules by preprocessing data, engineering relevant features, and implementing a fully connected neural network that utilizes historical departure data to predict departure times at subsequent stops. In our case study analyzing bus data from Boston, we observed an average deviation of nearly 4 minutes from scheduled times. However, our model, evaluated across 151 bus routes, demonstrates a significant improvement, predicting departure time deviations with an accuracy of under 80 seconds. This advancement not only improves the reliability of bus transit schedules but also plays a crucial role in enabling smart bus systems and IoT applications within public transit networks. By providing more accurate real-time predictions, our approach can facilitate the integration of IoT devices, such as smart bus stops and passenger information systems, that rely on precise data for optimal performance.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

Towards Understanding the Benefits and Challenges of Demand Responsive Public Transit- A Case Study in the City of Charlotte, NC

Access to reliable public transportation is essential for addressing socio-economic disparities, particularly in low-income communities that rely heavily on transit for accessing jobs, healthcare, and essential services. This study investigates the challenges faced by transit-dependent populations in Charlotte, NC, focusing on the spatial and service-related inequities within the current public bus system. Our research initially evaluates critical issues such as extended wait times, unreliable schedules, and limited accessibility, which significantly impact the daily lives of low-income residents. In response to these challenges, we gathered data to assess the potential for a connected, demand-responsive bus system designed to minimize transit gaps and enhance service efficiency in the future. This evaluation included an analysis of the existing Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) mobile applications and the exploration of user acceptance for a proposed smart, on-demand transit technology. Through surveys conducted across key bus lines-including the Sprinter line and Bus Lines 7, 9, and 97-99-we identified significant shortcomings in the current system. However, our findings also indicate a strong willingness among participants to adopt new transit solutions, provided that they effectively address current issues and alleviate concerns related to smartphone accessibility, privacy, and trust. This research contributes valuable insights into the modernization of public transit systems in Charlotte, highlighting the importance of user-centric approaches in developing innovative, equitable, and efficient transportation solutions.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2024

Understanding the Transit Gap: A Comparative Study of On-Demand Bus Services and Urban Climate Resilience in South End, Charlotte, NC and Avondale, Chattanooga, TN

Urban design significantly impacts sustainability, particularly in the context of public transit efficiency and carbon emissions reduction. This study explores two neighborhoods with distinct urban designs: South End, Charlotte, NC, featuring a dynamic mixed-use urban design pattern, and Avondale, Chattanooga, TN, with a residential suburban grid layout. Using the TRANSIT-GYM tool, we assess the impact of increased bus utilization in these different urban settings on traffic and CO2 emissions. Our results highlight the critical role of urban design and planning in transit system efficiency. In South End, the mixed-use design led to more substantial emission reductions, indicating that urban layout can significantly influence public transit outcomes. Tailored strategies that consider the unique urban design elements are essential for climate resilience. Notably, doubling bus utilization decreased daily emissions by 10.18% in South End and 8.13% in Avondale, with a corresponding reduction in overall traffic. A target of 50% bus utilization saw emissions drop by 21.45% in South End and 14.50% in Avondale. At an idealistic goal of 70% bus utilization, South End and Avondale witnessed emission reductions of 37.22% and 27.80%, respectively. These insights are crucial for urban designers and policymakers in developing sustainable urban landscapes.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2024

Real-Time Bus Arrival Prediction: A Deep Learning Approach for Enhanced Urban Mobility

In urban settings, bus transit stands as a significant mode of public transportation, yet faces hurdles in delivering accurate and reliable arrival times. This discrepancy often culminates in delays and a decline in ridership, particularly in areas with a heavy reliance on bus transit. A prevalent challenge is the mismatch between actual bus arrival times and their scheduled counterparts, leading to disruptions in fixed schedules. Our study, utilizing New York City bus data, reveals an average delay of approximately eight minutes between scheduled and actual bus arrival times. This research introduces an innovative, AI-based, data-driven methodology for predicting bus arrival times at various transit points (stations), offering a collective prediction for all bus lines within large metropolitan areas. Through the deployment of a fully connected neural network, our method elevates the accuracy and efficiency of public bus transit systems. Our comprehensive evaluation encompasses over 200 bus lines and 2 million data points, showcasing an error margin of under 40 seconds for arrival time estimates. Additionally, the inference time for each data point in the validation set is recorded at below 0.006 ms, demonstrating the potential of our Neural-Net-based approach in substantially enhancing the punctuality and reliability of bus transit systems.

cs.LG↗