A multimodal approach to sustainable transport in Tomorrow.Mobility

BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU, is driving the necessary shift towards a greener future for urban mobility by co-organising with Fira de Barcelona, Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress (TMWC). TMWC, serves as an essential platform for global leaders, experts, and visionaries to convene and foster collaborative efforts aimed at reshaping the future of urban mobility. From 7 to 9 November in Barcelona, this congress, in the framework of Smart City Expo, facilitates knowledge-sharing and drives innovative solutions for a smarter, cleaner, and more interconnected urban mobility landscape.

As CEO of EIT Urban Mobility and President of the TMWC Advisory Board, Maria Tsavachidis emphasises said: “We stand at a pivotal moment, where the urgency of climate action demands a radical shift in the way we approach urban mobility. With the transportation sector identified as a significant contributor to the climate crisis, EIT Urban Mobility advocates for a reimagined and integrated approach to mobility in cities, emphasising the importance of multimodality. This strategic approach leverages the unique strengths of various transport modes, enabling a seamless and sustainable transition towards environmentally conscious urban transportation systems.”

According to the findings from a study by EIT Urban Mobility, the transition towards sustainable urban mobility in Europe is expected to necessitate an additional €86 billion by 2030. This investment is projected to yield returns, with each euro allocated to the transition potentially generating up to €3.06 by 2030. Results^[1] show that by 2030 pricing schemes (congestion and pollution charging, parking pricing, public transport integrated ticketing and tariff schemes) is the set of measures with the highest net benefits in small and medium cities, while innovative services (Demand Responsive Transport, autonomous vehicles, Intelligent Transport Systems) are the better choice for large cities’ transition.

EIT Urban Mobility releases during the event its latest study on “Unlocking the Future of Mobility with European Data Spaces” in collaboration with Factual and i2CAT. With at least 400 mobility data sharing initiatives currently active in Europe, today’s mobility data landscape is scattered and requires better interoperability to deliver its full potential and enable seamless multimodality. As mobility is not only a strategic sector but also a vector that connects other economic areas of activity, the relevance and potential of data spaces for mobility is even greater. At a macroeconomic level, the European Commission estimates that the access to real-time information on traffic avoidance and train delays could save up to 730 million euros and 27 million hours, respectively, equivalent to more than €20.74 billion in labour cost savings. The significance of the Mobility Data Space (MDS) framework include:

Optimisation of mobility strategies through enhanced access to high-quality data.
Simplification of navigation across various transportation networks, leading to improved services and sales forecasts.
Empowerment of citizens through improved mobility options, reduced journey times, and access to reliable traffic information.
Enhancements in safety through up-to-date road condition data, facilitating informed decision-making for safer journeys.
Business opportunities for data vendors, cost savings through shared resources, and the fostering of joint innovation for enhanced user experiences.

European cities today face the fundamental challenge of empty, single, and low occupancy passenger transport vehicles, a trend that is worsening every year, with more than 560 passenger car and 81 commercial cars per 1000 inhabitants (2022). This escalating trend underscores the necessity for sustainable, accessible, and inclusive transportation solutions, emphasising the importance of tools such as mobility data space and comprehensive multimodality planning.

[1] 779 European cities of more than 50K inhabitants

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