Optimise Citizen Mobility and Freight Management in Urban Environments (OPTICITIES)

Research Project, 2013 – 2016

OPTICITIES vision is to help European cities tackle complex mobility challenges.

OPTICITIES strategy focuses on the optimisation of transport networks through the development of public/private partnerships and the experimentation of innovative ITS services.

OPTICITIES addresses both passenger and freight transport issues supporting a user-centred approach.

OPTICITIES delivers significant innovation breakthroughs:

• New governance scheme between public and private stakeholders through a contractual architecture fostering data quality and implementing data access policy
• European standard for urban multimodal data set including interfaces with information services
• Decision support tools based on predictive data for proactive transport management and Multimodal Traffic Control Systems connecting road traffic and public transport data in cities
• Multimodal real-time urban navigator interfaced with in-car navigation systems as a first world trial
• Urban freight navigator to support drivers and fleet operators in optimising their deliveries.

The European dimension of the project is ensured by a consortium of 25 partners from 8 EU member states. The consortium includes 6 city authorities, major ITS actors (research institutes, information service providers, car industry) and the most important networks of European cities and international public transport operators.Led by public authorities the consortium supports 3 key approaches: effectiveness of solutions ensuring deployment perspectives of maximum 5 years scalability of services tailored to diverse European urban typologies transferability of results to foster further deployments in other European cities.

OPTICITIES main expected impacts are:- 6% modal shift inducing a yearly gain of 1.5 MT of CO2- Increase in market size (211 M per year) thanks to the new governance scheme and implementation of innovative services- 10% decrease in private car use generating a gain of 3.6 M m2 of public space

The vision of OptiCities is to help European cities tackle complex mobility challenges. The strategy focuses on the optimisation of transport networks through the development of public/private partnerships and the development and test of innovative ITS services in six different European cities, of which Gothenburg is one. OptiCities addresses both passenger and freight transport. A user-centred approach is essential.

Chalmers has a particular responsibility for the evaluation of the Gothenburg site.

Project leader: Jean Coldefy, Grand Lyon