Cities all around the world are observing increasing levels of urban freight activities owing to the growth of internet shopping combined to the traditional distribution to shops, creating additional problems in terms of congestions and environmental impacts. This study, developed within the European Project SUITS framework, aims at showing how Local Authorities can effectively observe freight flows from the demand side. This led to the design, implementation and testing of a spatial cluster analysis approach to understand which are the most important loading/unloading parking spots in an urban setting by processing the GPS traces of a fleet of logistic vehicles. Later field activities should focus on these important areas to maximize the efficiency of the survey. A survey of retailers and shops in such areas to observe delivering activities is then proposed. The whole process,namely the spatial analysis and the field survey, was then tested to the real case of an Italian city (Turin) to assess the potentiality of the methods. The methodology proposed can give useful insights to Local Authorities on a way of monitoring the freight distribution patterns at the more disaggregated individual loading/unloading area.

During the two days, project’s work for the last six months was presented and scrutinized by SUITS partners. Major accomplishments  of SUITS project were high-lighted and ways to publicize them were discussed thoroughly. Planning for the next six months was presented and fine-tuned.

Although the aims of this meeting were fulfilled, partners did realize the difference of the previous physical meetings and the virtual one, as human interaction is augmented by physical presence.

During the meeting, the consortium reviewed the project’s last six months’ progress and discussed next steps for the advancement of smart mobility through the tools of Gender Mainstreaming in European transport. Discussions, related  to open-source data repository by using (real-time) survey tools to augment existing data sets in TInnGOcities, accessible through the TInnGO Observatory were carried out. Innovative outcomes from desk research were intensively discussed among partners and the timing of their public release, was decided.

A web-based tool for the selection and extraction of global user mobility traces (GPX files) from a database of over half a million traces; a presentation of MyPolisLive.net, a web platform for real-time and historical urban traffic monitoring; the results of a pilot implementation of urban traffic monitoring through crowdsourcing, using MyPolisLive.net, in the city of Kalamaria (Greece); a case study of how to exploit the data collected through the tools at municipality level, presenting the results of a pilot study in the city of Turin, showing benefits and applicability of the data collection tools in the development of transport measures in European cities; summarizing impact and usability of data management at city level.

You can watch the webinar here!

 More information

The COVID-19 outbreak represents a serious threat not only to public health, but also to the European economy. Lockdowns and other restrictive measures that are necessary to save lives also severely slow down the economy and may delay the transport of goods and services.

With a view to ensuring the uninterrupted transport of critical goods across the EU’s internal land borders, the GSA and the Commission are working on the “Galileo Green Lane” app – a solution to monitor and facilitate freight traffic and reduce waiting times at Green Lane border crossings.

“At the GSA, one of our key roles is to promote the use of Galileo and to address the economic and societal challenges that Europe faces. The European Commission´s Galileo Green Lane initiative fits this profile exactly,” said Pascal Claudel, Acting Executive Director at the GSA. “By supporting a solution that eases the transport of critical goods across borders, Galileo is making its contribution to help reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the EU’s economy and its citizens,” he said.

Read the full story at GSA post.

Three self-driving vehicles, an on-demand mobile app and a Remote Control Centre (RCC) are all part of the trial, making it possible to test “the whole self-driving value chain for the first time,” according to a news release. The goal of the pilot, which is part of the EU funded FABULOS-project, is to research the feasibilities of autonomous driving in a public transportation network.

All three vehicles are equipped with Sensible 4’s automated driving software and technology and will operate in Pasila, a busy business district that offers a complex testing environment. Pedestrians, trams, bicyclists and a train station will provide real-world situations for the vehicles to navigate.

Read more in the press

will advocate crowdsourcing as a sustainable and low-cost method to acquire mobility data and it will present a data modeling approach to minimise traffic delays. The webinar will also discuss approaches to effectively handle the potential for “big data” that may result from the proposed data collection methodologies.

The webinar will take place on 05 May 2020, at 2pm (CET).   

The detailed agenda can be downloaded here. Please note that prior registration for the webinar is essential. Please register

Developing public policy for SUMP implementation, that balances the needs of citizen mobility with urban freight logistics and land-use conflicts, requires extensive traffic data collection and traffic monitoring. Only through the close and continuous monitoring of such a complex system (in a sustainable way) can this system be improved and the effectiveness of public policies be properly assessed.

This webinar will present tools and methodologies for the collection, modeling, management and exploitation of urban mobility data that can maximise the effectiveness and sustainability of urban transport measures and policies. The webinar is targeted at local authorities (mainly transport and mobility departments), as well as researchers and other stakeholders, whose work focuses on urban mobility planning, optimisation and policy-making.

The webinar will be complemented by an e-learning course.  More information about the e-learning course will follow soon.

During this time the citizens have to be accurately informed, for the necessary changes in their everyday life for adapting with patience and endurance in order to protect their health. The European Commission has taken measures to ensure continued and uninterrupted land, waterborne and air cargo services. These services are of crucial importance for the functioning of the EU’s internal market and its effective response to the current public health crisis.

Read here the constantly updated information for Travel and transportation in EU during coronavirus pandemic

Please check the restrictions on Mobility on the following link: Mobility measures implemented or announced by Member States

As cities’ local authorities are stepping forward into the frontlines, POLIS network collects examples of how local authorities are keeping things moving despite the Covid-19 crisis

The online consultation is open until 27 April 2020.

Check the Observatory way forward and the news from French hub. Consider the TInnGO roadmap on conceptual and methodological framework

Read the Newsletter here