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Mobility
ICT
Mobility Hubs are places of connectivity where different modes of transportation - from walking to rapid transit – come together seamlessly.
Sustainable Cities And Communities
Description
Mobility Hubs are places of connectivity where different modes of transportation - from walking to rapid transit – come together seamlessly. One of the key components of mobility hubs is the presence of a large area of influence, which is achieved from the concentration of employment, housing, shopping and/or recreation centres. This integrated suite of mobility services is intended to meet first-last mile needs of transit users through shared and sustainable transportation. It offers different options to users and ensures optimal connectivity. The most beneficial intermodal mobility hubs are mainly implemented close to existing mobility junctions such as train stations, as well as other transit stations.
Other elements of mobility hubs include dedicated curb spaces for taxis, energy generation from solar cells, electric vehicle charging stations, interactive kiosks, and amenities like cafes or plazas to create an active space that is welcoming during layovers.
Problems to be solved
Accessibility
Carbon emissions
Safety & Security
Congestion
Convenience
Wayfinding
Benefits
The main goal of Mobility Hubs is to ease the interchange between different modes of transportation. This improves mobility services for citizens and encourages the use of collective modes of transportation, as opposed to individual modes. Additional benefits of Mobility Hubs are given below, with benefits varying from project to project depending on the scale of implementation.
Main benefits
Improving public transport accessibility
Improving travel safety
Promoting sustainable private transport models
Reducing GHG emissions
Potential benefits
Enabling new business opportunities
Promoting sustainable behavior
Improving life quality
Improving social integration
Improving traffic management
Functions
Functions help you to understand what the products can do for you and which ones will help you achieve your goals.
Each solution has at least one mandatory function, which is needed to achieve the basic purpose of the solution, and several additional functions, which are features that can be added to provide additional benefits.
Mandatory functions
Facilitate seamless integration of different modes of transportation
Connects trains, cars, bikes, etc., and encourages sharing
Provide access to residents from different neighbourhoods
Promotes city-wide inclusion by optimising transport schedules
Ensure safety and security for all travellers
Ensures accountability for vehicle sharing and provides security at hubs
Potential functions
Cater to services that will help cover first and last mile travel for residents
Optimises first and last mile logistics
Provide universal access through mobility cards
Facilitates the use of single payment sytems/mobility cards for as many modes of transportation as possible
Provide healthy spaces to spend time in
Provides free spaces for play and rest
Provide access to toilets, shopping facility, restaurants, cafes, and bars
Provides essential services for travellers during layovers
Provide charging stations for electric vehicles
Facilitates the installation of charging infrastructure
Offer connectivity
Provides WiFi services for travellers
Variants
Based on size and complexity of services offered, mobility hubs can be classified into the following variants:
Description
These are small mobility hubs with some basic services that are usually located in low-density neighbourhoods. All amenities are usually visible generally across the street or within the same block. They have a small footprint and serve smaller access-sheds than large-scale mobility hubs.
Description
These are mobility hubs located in more complex urban environments and encompass one or more stations or bus stops. They usually provide additional services such as car sharing or information on the next connection.
Description
These are large scale mobility hubs usually located in dense urban areas or terminal stations with transit options to regional trains. Major mobility hubs provide services such as secured bike parking and bus layover zones, alongside various other amenities, and infrastructures. They have a large footprint, provide access for high-capacity modes, and serves a large access-shed reflecting regional demand.
Use Cases
ICT
Mobility
Smart Multimodal Mobility Services
In this measure, the city of Turku catalyses and pilots the development of a MaaS system and services in the city area.
E-mobility Stations for the Domagkpark District and Centre-Periphery Integration
Mobility stations, as part of traffic and mobility planning, are a new concept. They enable cost-effective and flexible access to different modes of transport. Two mobility stations are therefore established in the project area.
The Mobility stations in Mülheim provide commuters and residents of the busy district with a location, where they can easily find various alternative transport options. The aim is to encourage behavioral change from using cars towards more active modes of transport like walking and cycling.
Before mobility hubs can be implemented in a city, it is important to assess the specific requirements of the regional population, demography, land use, travel patterns, and regional policy objectives. Correct placement and availability of the right range of services are some of the driving factors for the success of mobility hubs. Clearly, the more services offered, the more complex the operation will be, but also the more attractive it might be. The decision should be based on a thorough analysis of the expected costs and benefits of the possible service offers (financial and non-financial).
Some key lessons learnt from the implementation of mobility hubs around the world are:
Mobility hubs work best when they are located within acceptable walking distances to/from accommodations, local centres, and public transport nodes.
With the rapid technological advancements in transportation such as electric vehicles, the need for charging infrastructures, and dynamic digital services, flexible functioning of mobility hubs is crucial.
Joint information and trainings on services offered by all participating actors and how they work should be given to the public.
Business models are dependent on the extent of private sector involvement. An initial assessment of potential stakeholders and scale of infrastructure should be carried out, as well as land use and citizens’ income.
The possibility of external financing through EU-projects or another research financing can be explored.
A budget should be reserved from the start of the project, for assessment and evaluation of the effects of the project on travel habits.
1) Transport White Paper 2011: The European Commission adopted a roadmap of 40 concrete initiatives for the next decade to build a competitive transport system that will increase mobility, remove major barriers in key areas and fuel growth and employment. At the same time, the proposals will dramatically reduce Europe's dependence on imported oil and cut carbon emissions in transport by 60% by 2050.
By 2050, key goals will include:
No more conventionally fuelled cars in cities.
40% use of sustainable low-carbon fuels in aviation; at least 40% cut in shipping emissions.
A 50% shift of medium-distance intercity passenger and freight journeys from road to rail and waterborne transport.
All of which will contribute to a 60% cut in transport emissions by the middle of the century (European Commission).
Eltis facilitates the exchange of information, knowledge, and experience in the field of sustainable urban mobility in Europe. It is an extensive guide with a well-detailed process and was developed with the needs of the small & medium-sized cities in mind.
With the increasing use of digital platforms to manage traveller journeys end-to-end, smart mobility will reshape mobility ecosystems over the next 20 years. According to an analysis done by Oliver Wyman, which includes China; USA; Germany; France; and Italy, the market share of innovative mobility services is projected to quintuple through 2040, while the share of private cars will shrink by roughly a quarter.
Market Share Forecast
To gain a deeper understanding of these developments from a traveller perspective, 7.500 global consumers were surveyed about smart mobility, to assess the smart mobility attractiveness to different traveller groups, consumers’ willingness to pay, potential impacts on modal shifts, and perceptions of companies in the smart mobility space. The results of the survey, as shown in the figure below, revealed that the majority of participants would consider changing their currently preferred mode of travel if an alternative offered smart mobility services.
Survey Results
The above is particularly true for young consumers (18-35). For instance, 96 % and above would consider switching from cars to public transport for access to smart mobility. With increasing age, the influence of smart mobility offerings on individual travel decisions declines, but even so, 84% of respondents over 65 identified smart mobility services as important, and three-quarters of seniors would change their preferred travel mode for access to smart mobility.
The rewards of unlocking smart mobility could be vast, as this market is expected to generate $270 billion in revenues and profits of $125 billion to $150 billion by 2040.
Resources Needed for Mobility Hub Implementation (BABLE, 2021)
Operating Models
High upfront investments that will most likely come from public sources are required initially to set up the infrastructures and amenities for mobility hubs. In the long run, less financing will be required. Other funding sources such as flexible ticketing models (subscriptions), parking tariffs, pricing models from vehicle sharing, revenues from advertising and electric vehicle charging infrastructures will be possible. Anticipated incomes from the operation can be used to attract external investors or serve as a basis for value-capture mechanisms. Government subsidies are likely to play a bigger role in small, neighbourhood mobility hubs, in the absence of private sector involvement.
With the proliferation of electric vehicles (EV), developing infrastructures that allow for faster charging times is one of the issues that the industry is currently facing, as well as precise business model of how EV charging can be monetized. Mobility hubs must therefore find a balance between integrating EV charging infrastructure with options for filling up on petrol since fossil fuel vehicles will not disappear anytime soon.
Legal Requirements
Some of the regulations and standards set up by the European Commission to drive the adoption of innovative transport technologies whilst ensuring data protection are:
1) Intelligent Transport System (Directive 2010/40/EU): It was adopted on 7 July 2010 to accelerate the deployment of innovative transport technologies across Europe. This Directive is an important instrument for the coordinated implementation of ITS in Europe, and aims to establish interoperable and seamless ITS services while leaving Member States the freedom to decide which systems to invest in.
2) General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679): It lays down rules relating to the protection of natural persons about the processing of personal data and rules relating to the free movement of personal data. It protects the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons and in particular their right to the protection of personal data.
3) Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (Directive 2014/94/EU): It sets out minimum requirements for the building-up of alternative fuels infrastructure, including recharging points for electric vehicles and refuelling points for natural gas (LNG and CNG) and hydrogen, to be implemented by means of Member States' national policy frameworks, as well as common technical specifications for such recharging and refuelling points, and user.
The creation of this solution has been supported by EU funding
Use Cases
Mobility
Mobility Station in Mülheim
The Mobility stations in Mülheim provide commuters and residents of the busy district with a location, where they can easily find various alternative transport options. The aim is to encourage behavioral change from using cars towards more active modes of transport like walking and cycling.
On-call company transport as a flexible and sustainable alternative to company cars
Thanks to digitalisation and optimisation, a total of 14 accessible vehicles have been successfully operating between the Bonn, Darmstadt and Frankfurt sites. Since then, the company transport service has offered Telekom employees a flexible and sustainable alternative to a company car.
The new 'Wittlich Shuttle' can be booked on demand and via the app. It has been successfully in use since 2018 and has seen an increase in passengers of up to 400% compared to the previous city bus. Even during the Corona crisis, the concept has proven to be safe, needs-based and flexible.
Integrated on-demand mobility for a strong public transport system
The on-demand service has been successfully on the road since 2018 and was expanded to Billbrook in 2019. As a result, ioki Hamburg now not only improves the accessibility of public transport in the inner city, but also the connection in the surrounding areas (Stormarn and Harburg districts).
Supporting New Mobility and reducing parked cars in the streets of Schwabing West, Munich
Mobility behaviour in densely populated cities needs a change towards a higher use of New Mobility. By presenting the full range of alternative mobility, this pilot project in Munich helped residents to change their daily mobility usage.
In April 2021, the Zaragoza City Council and Avanza announced the launch of the ZUM app, integrating different modes of transport in the Aragonese capital and allowing users to plan, book and pay for multimodal routes.
ATUS is a Smart Public Transportation System developed by Konya Metropolitan Municipality in order to provide convenience to public transportation users.
Mobi Lab built a mobile phone application for Tartu Smart City for citizens to access real-time bus schedule information and find the closest bus stops.
Smart public transit - NFC+QR stickers for Tartu Smart City
Mobi Lab installed smart stickers on every one of the 294 bus stops in Tartu. The stickers have pre-programmed NFC chips and QR codes to load real-time data of upcoming buses. The system uses GPS data from moving buses and helps daily commuters be aware of any delays in the schedule.
Dundee Mobility Innovation Living Lab (MILL) & ShareMORE (Shared Mobility and Resource Efficiency)
Dundee is an ideal testbed to demonstrate the integration of smart mobility projects and solutions to address many of the complex social and economic challenges facing cities today.
Launched in November 2022 Edinburgh's new Operations Centre receives real-time data from the CCTV network 24/7. This will integrate with other technologies and help to improve traffic flow, transport infrastructure and city planning - subsequently improving the city’s collective carbon footprint.
The main objective of the mobility innovation selected by TPBI is to create an Integrated Mobility Center to ensure the electronic collection of public transport and mobility data from all sources and IT systems in order to obtain coherent, integrated information to assist decision making.
Within the FastTrack Project, the Municipality of Budapest focused on public and shared mobility and multi-modal hubs by
further developing the mobility-points approach, with a focus on the software side (MaaS) and on integration with public transport.
Connecting the dots: Mobility hubs as a game changer
In the framework of FastTrack, the team from Debrecen, now part of the city’s public transport company (DKV), has worked on the creation of integrated mobility hubs in Debrecen.
Edinburgh's ERDF-funded project uses smart sensors for efficient waste management and housing upkeep, boosting services and citizen well-being in alignment with the 8th City program.
The project establishes a wireless mesh infrastructure for smart city services, enhancing transport management, traffic flow, and public information dissemination, fostering a more connected and efficient urban environment.
Perth's Innovation hub, with ERDF grant, PKC match-funding, and wider support, created the Famous Grouse Ideas Centre, fostering creative business growth in the Tay Cities Region. The hub bolsters arts, economy, and partnerships, catalyzing local impact.
REACTIVITY: Rewarding Intermodal Active Mobility in Braga, PT
REACTIVITY is the project by EIT Urban Mobility rewarding intermodal active mobility (walking, micromobility, public transport, carpooling) with economic prizes to spend in local shops in Braga (PT) and Lecce (IT).
Optimisation and Digitalisation of an Existing Regular Service in Appenzell, Switzerland
After the initial launch the service was booked by over 16,000
passengers. The advance booking function in particular is very popular and has
been used for almost 90% of journeys. This allows residents and tourists in the
region to plan their journeys ahead of time and safely.
The city of Konya has adapted one of their busiest tram lines to allow for an easier onboarding and more comfortable ride for bicycle owners. This project intends to promote the use of active modes of transport.
Föli: Single ticket experience for multi-modal travel and events in Turku region
City of Turku started with PayiQ city when it and surrounding municipalities wanted to offer mobile ticketing originally to the handheld generation and casual travelers. PayiQ was chosen as a development partner through competitive tendering.
Mobility Subscription on Local Travel in Stockholm
In Stockholm, UbiGo is developing and aiming to launch one of the world’s first real MaaS services. The service is built on a flexible subscription model that can meet the everyday travel needs of entire households.
The app includes corresponding local options such as ride sharing companies, electric mobility services or a gateway to relevant public transport. In addition the app includes other mobility related information for the area and a function to display a heat map of exhaust pollution in the city lab.
E-mobility Stations for the Domagkpark District and Centre-Periphery Integration
Mobility stations, as part of traffic and mobility planning, are a new concept. They enable cost-effective and flexible access to different modes of transport. Two mobility stations are therefore established in the project area.
The port area is currently not easily accessible by bike. Therefore, sustainable solutions for cycling commuters will be developed to overcome land and water barriers, improve cycling conditions and encourage commuters to travel to work via bike.
Antwerp wants to provide locations – such as P&R’s in the city outskirts – where commuters can easily switch from one transportation mode to a more sustainable other when traveling to and from their work in the city or port area.
'Mobility stations' make environmentally-friendly urban travel possible and offer sharing alternatives to buying one's own vehicle. Eight multi-modal mobility stations were built in the project area, two of which also include Shared District Boxes. Additionally, the stations offer free wifi.
Klaipėda wants to promote cycling as a safe and affordable means of transportation for its citizens. Therefore, bike storage systems have been made available in different areas of the city, protecting the bikes from thieves and harsh weather conditions.
Trafiklab - Together we Create the Future of Public Transport
Trafiklab gathers, in a single open data platform, information about transport in Sweden and makes Application Programming Interfaces (API’s) available to everyone, so that users can develop and share smartphone apps.
Aberdeen is undergoing a series of major transformative projects. Work is therefore underway to identify the measures required to ‘lock in’ the benefits of the new bypass and transform the urban core into a much more pleasant place to visit and spend time in.
Enhanced wayfinding provision would assist in delivering economic benefits, such as those sought within the Regional Economic Strategy, by encouraging those on foot to explore, linger and engage with the city centre beyond the demands of their immediate schedule.
The city of Tallinn has introduced a smart solution for public transportation payment-as-you-go, with EMV cards to quicken and facilitate its ticketing.
REACTIVITY: Rewarding Intermodal Active Mobility in Lecce, IT
REACTIVITY is the project by EIT Urban Mobility rewarding intermodal active mobility (walking, micromobility, public transport, carpooling) with economic prizes to spend in local shops in Braga (PT) and Lecce (IT).
Vehicle sharing systems allow customers to use various vehicles without the need to own each vehicle. There are different types of vehicle sharing systems on the market. Differences can include the type of vehicle shared, like car sharing, bike sharing, scooter sharing or electric vehicle sharing.
The current EU regulation on emissions for cars is the strictest worldwide. Along with further restrictions the thresholds cannot be meet with conventional cars only anymore. One alternative technology, reducing the local emissions, are electric vehicles.
An intelligent and connected public space collects data in public areas and displays or reacts on the data. The data can be securely transferred via Wi-Fi or other similar technologies to be, i.e. combined with a central system.
A bike sharing system intends to provide a community with a shared fleet of bikes. Therefore, individual users do not have to own a bike, but rather everyone can use the fleet flexibly.
A Smart Parking System makes use of sensors or other technologies to determine the availability of parking lots in cities. This information can be shared with drivers, reducing the time spent looking for parking, and thus reducing traffic congestion.