4th European Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans

Four years after the publication of the European Commission’s Urban Mobility Package (2013) and related Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans Guidelines (2014), there is now a large and expanding network of cities committed to preparing and implementing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans through their involvement in various EU projects and initiatives, designed to drive forward mobility planning research, practice and innovation.

8th International Congress on Transport Research

The Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Institute for Sustainable Mobility and Transport Networks are co-organizing the 8th International Congress on Transport Research, focused on “The future of transportation in Greece: visions for 2030”. The congress will be held at the premises of the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Thermi, Thessaloniki, on the 28th and 29th of September, 2017.

The Congress aims at presenting the recent research activity in the field of transportation nationally and internationally, at correlating the research with the transport policies, at exchanging opinions and finally at determining the best ideas for the future of transportation and its infrastructures in Greece.

All interested parties are invited to submit their abstracts (in English or Greek) no later than December 15th, 2016.

For more information: click here.

Directive for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure development in Greek legislation

The proposal regarding the incorporation of alternative fuels infrastructure Directive into the Greek legislation has been given for public consultation a few days ago. The Directive’s goal is to minimize the dependence on conventional liquid fuels and to limit the environmental impact of the current transportation system.

The proposal, among others, sets the minimum requirements for constructing the alternative fuels infrastructures, as well as the technical specifications regarding the recharging and the refuel points. Moreover, it defines the most convenient means to be adapted, in order to properly inform the users.

For more information: click here.

Slovenj Gradec wins Slovenian mobility award

The municipality of Slovenj Gradec in northern Slovenia has won the 2016 European Mobility Week award for its work on transforming areas with traffic into areas for pedestrians and cyclists, and for actively involving citizens in these activities to help improve their quality of life.

ITS Seminar on Intelligent Transport Systems

The Greek Intelligent Transport Systems Organisation, ITS Hellas, is organizing for the second consecutive year a two-day seminar on the topic of “Intelligent Transport Systems and progress in Greece”, under the aegis of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks, the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Greek Cold Storage & Logistics Association.

CZECHBUS, the specialized trade fair for buses and public transport, will be organised on 22.-24.11.2016 in Prague in Czech Republic

Professional visitors from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Austria and Germany.
Regularly presented are over 20 bus and coach brands and many manufacturers and producers of bus parts and components. The trade fair is accompanied by a 3 all-day conferences, seminars and workshops.
The trade fair is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Association of Regions of the Czech Republic, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and Association of Public Transit Companies and Road Transport Operators.
For more information: click here.

Cleaner transport in Europe

Europe will see more than half a million electric vehicles (EVs) on its roads by the end of 2016, as revealed by a study conducted by Transport & Environment (T&E), an organisation that campaigns for smarter, cleaner transport in Europe.
Including Norway (and other non-EU members) Europe is the second largest market for purely electric cars in the world.

European Conference on Mobility Management 2017

The ECOMM conference (European Conference on Mobility Management) is one of the most important European platforms for policy makers, traffic engineers and scientists in the field of mobility. The 21st ECOMM will take place in Maastricht in the Netherlands, from 31 May - 2 June 2017 and is hosted by Maastricht Bereikbaar (Accessible Maastricht), City of Maastricht, Province of Limburg and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.

Greece 2017: a transport paradise

The transformation of the Greek intercity highways into a transport paradise is about to commence on 2017. Until March, multiple sections of the Greek highways will be delivered and, up to August, a total of 2.500 km of the road network will be ready.
The improved road network is expected to change the existing transport habits on human transportation and on logistics, while it will also affect the country’s tourism.

Zaragoza wins award for tram system for lowering emissions

The operator of Zaragoza’s tram system, Tranvía Zaragoza, has won an international award for the contribution it has made to lowering emissions in the Spanish city.

Data from the University of Zaragoza’s CIRCE institute, a research centre that creates and develops innovative solutions in renewable energy, showed that Zaragoza’s tram network is responsible for reducing 482 tonnes of NOX, 293 tonnes and 17 tonnes of PM10 a year.

Public consultation for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of Larissa

The mayor of Larissa announced the beginning of the public consultation of the city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan and referred to the important projects and actions that will be implemented in the forthcoming months.

In specific, in the frame of the city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, 17 million Euros are planned to be invested for improving the city’s accessibility and the transport-traffic conditions.

New software displays city bike availability on Vienna buses

Vienna has introduced new software on trams and buses that shows passengers the number of bicycles available at upcoming stops with bike-sharing terminals. The software has access to the Citybike Wien server, which allows the screens to show passenger real-time information on the number of bicycles currently available at each stop.

The technology was trialled in August and fully introduced across the city earlier this month.

For more information: click here.

Three-month traffic restriction at Brno main railway station was ended on 9th September

Since June, the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration was repairing platforms No 2 and 3, adjoining tracks, the catenary over these and the bridge over Špitálka Street. Repairs required financial costs amounting almost up to CZK 92 million.

Training: Horizon 2020 public transport projects (submission & management)

The Horizon 2020 training programme, organised jointly by UITP (International Association of Public Transport) and D’Appolonia, provides comprehensive guidelines on how to successfully submit a proposal and manage the project within the public transport area in the Horizon 2020 programme.

Transport innovation for sustainable cities and regions: 2016 Annual Polis Conference

Polis is a network of European cities and regions cooperating to develop innovative technologies and policies for local transport which was founded in 1989.The 2016 Polis Conference connects transport innovation professionals who work in local and regional governments and related organisations.

Real time traffic application @ Iraklio city in Crete, Greece

The new real-time mobile application for the traffic congestion in the streets of Iraklio, Crete, is now available to the public. The application was developed in the frame of the project RERUM, which is being implemented by the municipality of Iraklio in cooperation with the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), foreign Universities and companies.

Energy and Transportation in Greece

The Energy Committee of the Academy of Athens is organizing a conference entitled: “Energy and Transportation in Greece: Conditions and measures for a clean and sustainable energy in road, railway and maritime transportation”. The conference will be held on Friday October 7th, 2016, in the amphitheater of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA) and the registration is free.

The main purpose of the conference is to discuss quantified data and justified proposals about the policies, the size and the kinds of energy used in the Greek Transport sector. The presentations will deal with energy resources and measures to be adopted taking into account the Greek techno-economic context and capacity along with the commitments of Greece towards the European and international regulations.

For more information, click here.

Reykjavík, carbon neutral city by 2040

Transport is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest challenge for the city. In the city‘s Municipal Plan 2010-2030, the goal is to change travel modes so that public transport usage rises from 4% to 12% and the ratio of pedestrians and cyclists rises from 19% to over 30% in 2030.

Reykjavík‘s goal is to increase the use of bicycles and buses as primary means of transport and to ensure that people have the chance of commuting to work on foot. With electric cars becoming more common, Reykjavík will increase the availability of charging stations. These goals are intrinsically linked to urban densification which also produces opportunities for a more efficient public transport system through the use of either light railways or a bus rapid transit system.

For more information, click here.

GYM makes Intercity Transportation more efficient!

Passengers who want to take an intercity journey via public transport in Greece, should use either the Railway Network (TRAINOSE) or the Intercity Bus network (KTEL). 

However, neither one of those networks cover all the possible transitions from each city to another throughout the country. Thus, some journeys involve changing modes— from say a bus to a train or vice versa (co-modal travelling or co-modality). That can only happen in stations that are part of both TRAINOSE and KTEL (intermediate nodes).

Journey Planner – An opportunity for passenger and public transport companies

In the past, a public transportation transit would require a route map, perhaps a contact via telephone with the route operator, or even a visit from the operator's agency. For an intercity route, a prospective passenger would have to plan ahead, in order to successfully combine multiple tour operators, which made the transit process complicated. European Passengers Federation believes that the success of a JP platform based on the amount of included data, especially for cross borders. Also important is and the maintenance of the platform with updated data.

A new software package to automate train delay refund process

One of the biggest problems in railway industry comes from delays. Delays are a real headache for passengers and companies. In a co-modal route a delay means that the passenger will lose the next transport mean. From company side this is a difficult situation because it has to reimburse the angry passenger.

ESP Group’s Joyrneycall business and Barclays designed a new software package to serve this problem. DelayCheck software verifies the delay and refund the ticket to the passenger. This new app works in more than one operator and automatically finds the correct company and applies the appropriate policy.

Managing Director of Journeycall believes that this new app is going to help the costumers and reduce the operating cost of operators.

The presentation of DelayCheck has been attended by 30 representatives of rail industry. The app will be ready for the passengers from 1st of October.

Automatic Ticketing System in public transport

The president of OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organisation), Tassos Tastanis, has given an interesting interview regarding the “smart” cards that are expected to replace the regular paper tickets in public transport. The project “Automatic System for Ticket Validation” is expected to be implemented in all means of public transportation after the end of 2016.

The “smart” card will be personalized and will be loaded with an amount of money which will be decreased every time the passenger uses the card to the new validation devices. The new system will give the opportunity to issue a single ticket for all means of public transportation. It will be more fair since new charging policies will be applied depending on the travelling distance, while it is also expected to reduce the phenomenon of fare evasion.

For more information, click here.

Smart urban mobility: opportunities for cooperation and finance conference

Prague is hosting third 'Smart urban mobility: opportunities for cooperation and finance' conference which will be held on 22 September 2016.

This workshop is the last of a series of smart cities and mobility outreach events that were held in December 2015 in Gothenburg and in May 2016 in Genoa, which also included a mayors roundtable, interactive group discussions and practical demonstration activities. The aim of the event is to discuss how investments in electric mobility and in smart mobility services in European urban areas can be increased.

More information regarding the event you can find on European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities initiative official website where registration form is also available.

EU funds support sustainable public transport in Czech Republic

Czech Ministry for Regional Development (MMR) has ready 8,5 billion CZK from European funds to promote public transport. This amount is intended to be spent on building new transfer terminals, car parks or purchase low-emission vehicles. Applications shall be submitted through the Ministry for Regional Development (MMR) until 29th December 2017, minimum or maximum fund amount is not specified.

MMR announced two calls, both will encourage the construction and modernization of transfer terminals and autonomous parking systems, transport telematics (intelligent transport systems) for public transport, purchase of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles, reconstruction, modernization and construction of roads for pedestrians and cyclists.

Mobility alert for urban zones - Urban Mobility Plan Awards

The European Commission has launched the 5th edition of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMPs) Awards. Each year, the award highlights a different aspect of mobility planning. The 2013 award recognised successful territorial and policy integration, while the 2014 edition looked at monitoring implementation with an eye to making improvements.

Tram extension in Piraeus

Attica’s public transport network is enhanced by the tram’s extension. In specific, extension works take place from Neo Faliro to the centre and the port of Piraeus. Two tramways have already been completed across Mikras Asias and Grigoriou Labraki streets, while tramway constructions are being continued on other roads as well.

For more informatio, click here.

Where research, policy and practice in transport intersect – ETC 2016

The Association for European Transport hosts the 44th European Transport Conference in Barcelona in Spain from 5th to 7th of October and welcomes researchers to get challenged by policy makers and practitioners in the field of transport.

The Conference’s added value is the interface between research, policy and practice. Speakers are asked to draw out the policy implications of research – not to only concentrate on the design and operation of a model, for example. Equally, practitioners and policy makers are encouraged to relate their presentations to the research behind the implementation of schemes and policies.

The Conference programme covers supra-national issues, national and local policy, and the implementation of projects at a local level. Issues of key importance are picked out each year for special examination and will be introduced in daily plenary sessions.

For more information visit http://etcproceedings.org/.

CIVITAS INSIGHT 15: Linking intermodal services better

Intermodal transport has the potential to contribute to a cleaner, smarter and more sustainable transport, shifting the mobility of passengers and goods from the road, making the optimal use of infrastructure and reducing costs. This requires developing integrated solutions, linking vehicles and infrastructure, and creating an interface between users and multimodal services. Moreover, it requires promoting strategies for people and organisations to embrace the concept. This CIVITAS Insight focuses on intermodal passenger transport and emphasizes the need to make the interchange as seamless as possible, because switching transport modes can very often be a nuisance for travellers.

Intermodal passenger transport is often used to combine the strengths (and offset the weaknesses) of various transport options. A major goal of modern intermodal passenger transport is to reduce people’s dependence on cars as the major mode of ground transport and increase use of public transport. In CIVITAS insight 15 the reader can examine tools and support mechanisms for multimodal solutions.

Download the CIVITAS Insight 15 here: http://civitas.eu/sites/default/files/civitas_insight_15_linking_intermodal_services_better.pdf.

LDz and CZ Loko reconstructing a diesel locomotive so to work with hydrogen

The new trend for all transportation companies is to reduce oil and diesel consumption and replace it with “greener” one like electrical energy, biodiesel and hydrogen.
Now, good news comes from Latvian Railway –LDZ. LDZ, CZ Loko and Ballard Power Systems signed a memorandum of understanding for producing a hydrogen fuel cell locomotive using components from an old CME3 diesel shunting locomotive.

Beijing exploits re-generative power with ultra-capacitor usage

Lot of efforts have been given in rail braking power usage. Using re-generative power reduces the energy consumption of a train and the temperature inside the tunnels.

EU funding for urban mobility by Eltis

Eltis platform provides an overview and an explanation of all the key sources of EU funding for urban mobility. Public sector and local authorities, private sector and SMEs, research institutes and universities can examine their eligibility in funding sources such as the  EU Cohesion Policy, the European Investment Bank, LIFE, CEF (Connecting European Facility), Horizon 2020 and various other funds. Eltis provides links and guidance to all bodies interested to receive funding in favour of urban mobility.

Visit Eltis resources here http://www.eltis.org/resources/eu-funding.

Ministerial Conference on Water and the informal EU Environment Council in Bratislava (11 to 12/07/16)

Up to 70 million persons in EU are affected by water problems especially during the summer periods. Shortages are already being perceived in north states of EU, while the Baltic States are affected frequently by floods. Europe spends 5 billion Euros per year to deal with the consequences of floods and 3 billion Euros for drought damage.

Ministers agreed on the need to improve water recycling estimating that about 17% of water could be recovered and reused. EU

2016 European Strategy for low-emission mobility

The European commission recently published the EU strategy for low-emission mobility (Download the strategy here). The strategy sets clear and fair guiding principles to Member States to prepare for the future and shift to low-emission mobility in terms of carbon and air pollutants. 

The ambition is clear: by mid-century, greenhouse gas emissions from transport will need to be at least 60% lower than in 1990 and be firmly on the path towards zero. Emissions of air pollutants from transport that harm our health need to be drastically reduced without delay. 

The main elements of the Strategy are to:
increase the efficiency of the transport system,
speed up the deployment of low-emission alternative energy for transport, and
move towards zero-emission vehicles.  

For more information, visit http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/strategies/news/2016-07-20-decarbonisation_en.htm

Extension of the trans-European Transport Network

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks, Mr. Christos Spirtzis has, along with six other ministers, signed a declaration for the Railway Freight Path ORIENT/EAST MED during the trans-European Transport Network session – TEN-T Days, that took place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on June 20th-22nd, 2016.

VW lags as rivals' Europe sales accelerate

This article indicates the impact of the Volkswagen emissions scandal in the sales of the manufacturer. Comparing December 2014 and 2015 it is obvious that their competitors increased their sales with impressive numbers, whereas Volkswagen almost froze their sales for this certain period.

For more information click here.

Making cities smarter

The main topic of this article is how the transportation of the future cities should be organized in order to improve the quality of urban life. Autonomous vehicle technology and a mathematical model which promises to remove the traffic lights is described in order to be achieve a pleasant and low-impact transportation. These cars are as convenient as privately owned car and as sustainable as public transportation.

For more information click here.

GYM will be presented in EMISIA's booth in Lyon

Emisia will participate in the 21st International Transport and Air Pollution Conference (TAP 2016), which will be held in Lyon, France. The aim of TAP 2016 is "Towards energy transition and cleaner transport".

For more information click here.

Calculate and compensate for your CO2 footprint

The Swiss Non-Profit Organization, myclimate provides an on line tool where anyone can calculate his/her own CO2 footprint from a large variety of activities like a flight or a car trip etc. The amounts of the compensation will be used in climate protection projects or in the promotion of energy-efficient technologies.

Furthermore, there are educational programs that aim at delivering knowledge relating to climate protection.

Elon Musk Talks About Bringing Autonomous Transport to Cities

Elon Musk shows his concern for the greenhouse gas emissions and proposes solutions for reducing them. He has not yet provided details about his new project but he is thinking about creating autonomous vehicles which would solve the traffic problem for inner city situations.

Find out more details here.

Open platforms for transport saves millions for bus companies

Transport companies and public transport authorities are using more and more ICT platforms. It has been calculated that these organizations can benefit from the use of innovative ICT platforms.

For more information click here.

Bus stops in Thessaloniki are turned into innovative libraries

There are not only smart bus stops which provide real time information about the itineraries and oncoming buses, but there are also alternative smart bus stops which provide knowledge and entertainment. Five bus stops in Filiro, Thessaloniki are transformed into innovative sites for reading.

New device offers ‘smart’ vehicle emissions analysis

Based on the fact, revealed by the Volkswagen scandal, that real-world emission can differ from the ones produced in the laboratory, a team from the University of Heidelberg proposed the use of a "smart" device. This device can be fitted in any vehicle and can calculate emission directly from the vehicle.

For more information click here.

Diesel cars' emissions far higher on road than in lab, tests show

After the Volkswagen scandal UK made several investigations to various vehicle manufacturers, such as Ford, Renault and Vauxhall and the results showed that diesel vehicles are producing far more nitrogen oxide emissions in real-world driving conditions than in the laboratory.

Elon Musk unveils Tesla Model 3

This video is the presentation of the electric car Tesla Model 3. The range of this car is going to be 215 miles per charge and the price of the model is going to start from about $35,000. The Tesla Model 3 is set to begin deliveries at the end of 2017. More than 115,000 orders had been placed within 24 hours according to the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk.

A methodology for calculating transport emissions in cities with limited traffic data: Case study of diesel particulates and black carbon emissions in Murmansk.

This paper presents a methodology for calculating transport emissions in cities with limited traffic data. It uses the European Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport (COPERT) 4 model, in order to calculate emissions. A case study was reviewed in the city of Murmansk, Russia.

Find out more details here.

Road Transport: Commission adopts common rules to facilitate enforcement and enhance road safety

European Commission aims at providing common rules for the classification of infringements and safer roads. Thus, EU Commission has adopted common rules to facilitate enforcement and to promote road safety. The common classification will result in all Member States using the same infringements and providing incentives for complying with the EU rules.

Bill Gates 'Discovers' 14-Year-Old Formula on Climate Change

Bill Gates has 'discovered' a formula that can reduce the world's carbon dioxide emissions to zero. The truth is that this equation is not 'new' and as Bill Gates has already explained it is not easy to put in action this equation, since an "energy miracle" is required.

Estimating carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants

The content of this article is about the method that should be used for the calculation of carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants. There is a brief analysis of the formula used for the calculation. In addition there is information about each factor used in the formula and also some values that should be used for each factor.

For more information click here.

Commission tightens rules for carmakers

After the Volkswagen scandal was revealed in September 2015, the Commission has proposed in January 2016 to tighten the requirements for the EU type approval framework. It should also be ensured that automotive industries comply with them. This is the only way to gain the customer's trust.

For more information click here.

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions can be decreased through the increase of the public transportation usage. The Federal Transit Administration presents the public transportation as an alternative to automobiles in order to reduce the emissions from the transport sector.  This web page contains activities and research related to climate change, and also information and tools for measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport.

Low Emissions and Delay Optimization for an Isolated Signalized Intersection Based on Vehicular Trajectories

 Figure 1: Contrast of related indices before and after optimization

Traffic emissions contribute a large proportion of the total pollutants in the air of urban cities. The purpose of the study is to establish an effective traffic signal control system that minimizes emissions and traffic. The method, all the parameters, and the equations that are being used for the development of such a system, are discussed analytically in the main section of this study.

Volkswagen: The scandal explained

In September 2015 a violation was detected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in many Volkswagen diesel vehicles. More specifically, it was discovered that Volkswagen installed a software that detected when the vehicle was being under laboratory emissions testing, thus emitting less in order to pass the regulation tests.

For more information click here.

Paris Agreement (COP21)

In December 2015 the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) took place in Paris, where the 195 participating countries agreed on reducing emission in order to limit global warming to well below 2°C. The agreement has opened for signature on 22 April 2016 but will only become binding until 55 countries that produce at least 55% of the greenhouse gases around the world have ratified the agreement.

First electric road inaugurated in Sweden

Electric vehicle technology is the next innovative step in automotive industry. Electricity in transportation is applicable in trams, metros and railways. Since now many famous brands have presented electric cars.

Electric vehicles are mechanically very simple and often achieve 90% energy conversion efficiency.

Guideline for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change released the Guideline for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in December 2015. The purpose of this regulation is to introduce standard quantification methods for a range of activities that are engaged in the GHG emissions.

Maintenance, adaptation and further development of a European ITS Framework Architecture for Intelligent Transport Services (ITS)

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Regulation launches a call for proposals which will contribute to the achievements of the European transport policy objectives and the realisation of a robust and resource efficient European transport system compliant with the European legislations and standards (i.e. the ITS

Intelligent transport systems – C-ITS Initiative Public Consultation

This public consultation aims at collecting the opinions of stakeholders and interested parties, including EU citizens and private and public organisations, with regard to possible actions at EU level to support the accelerated and interoperable deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) in the EU.

Consultation period is open till 16/09/2016. Find the questionnaire here.

Diesel tax impact on sales

All Euro 6 cars should be thoroughly tested and approved against the new standard. This is expected to increase public trust, which was lost after the Volkswagen scandal. On the other hand, hybrid and electric vehicles gain ground and petrol vehicles are also expected to improve throughout the years.

For more information click here.

Overview of Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouses gases include Carbon dioxide, Methane and Nitrous oxide. More information is provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This information includes the effect these gases have to the climate change.

For more information click here.