Transitioning from gridlock to sustainability: advancing transport strategies for eco-friendly solutions in high-income countries

The study aims to comprehend sustainable behaviors in high-income nations, where human–environment interactions are crucial. Increased transportation needs in industrialized countries highlight the importance of environmental challenges affecting human well-being. Railway passenger carrier, automobile energy efficiency, technology breakthroughs, financial incentives, and public–private partnerships (PPPs) affect congestion and sustainability, which the study analyses for sound policy inferences in a panel of 28 high-income nations from 2000 to 2022. The panel ARDL estimates reveal that railway passenger carrier increases carbon emissions in the short run while it improves them over time, highlighting the importance of urban planning. Environmental pollution, energy use, transportation behavior (including PPPs), and technical innovation have an inverse connection, demonstrating the efficacy of energy-efficient transport methods, research and development, and renewable energy sources. However, economic incentives highly correspond with carbon-intensive habits, emphasizing the need for high-income countries to phase them out.