FOSTERING THE ACCELERATION OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT TO REGIONS AND AUTHORITIES THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING AND KNOWLEDGE
Local authorities across Europe are motivated to take bold and swift action now to accelerate the rate of sustainable change in the mobility and transport sector. However, it is not easy for local authorities to keep pace with insights regarding what works, where, why, and how to transform innovations into worthwhile, reliable and rapidly-implemented mobility solutions. Practitioners may lack the time and resources to focus on innovation in their day-to-day work, while limited funding may prevent innovative ideas from coming to fruition.
FastTrack helps local authorities across Europe to accelerate their transformation by addressing these knowledge, capacity, governance, data, evidence and funding challenges, and sharing insights from this process with stakeholders around the world who serve to benefit from them.
FastTrack familiarises practitioners with new areas of innovation, and supports them to develop plans for rapid implementation. The project delves in the marketplace of mobility innovations to help local authorities procure and implement innovation that is appropriate to their local context, fits into their broader Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (where these exist), and address local challenges and opportunities.
FastTrack’s 24 local authorities (including four “Local Ambassadors” and 20 “Local Affiliates”) have identified what “smart and clean innovations” mean to them, and what they need to address the barriers to rapid implementation. This enables FastTrack to respond to real challenges faced by local authorities.
Through connecting and engaging stakeholders, FastTrack develops capacity and shares knowledge to meet the identified needs – both internally and for the benefit of audiences across Europe. Databases of solutions, a best practices portal, and capacity-building and knowledge-sharing events will illuminate new opportunities for technically, culturally and geographically-relevant innovation. Finally, FastTrack local authorities will be supported in action planning to fast track their chosen sustainable transport projects.
The FastTrack LA learning programme features online knowledge-building activities, in-person learning opportunities like site visits, and Capacity Building Weeks that bring the whole FastTrack community together. To ensure that all local areas can benefit from FastTrack – and not just the project’s 24 LAs – FastTrack will share a State of the Art report and online tool, learning reports from each cluster, and final recommendations and fact sheets.
FastTrack’s 24 local authorities (including four “Local Ambassadors” and 20 “Local Affiliates”) have identified what “smart and clean innovations” mean to them, and what they need to address the barriers to rapid implementation. This enables FastTrack to respond to real challenges faced by local authorities.
Through connecting and engaging stakeholders, FastTrack develops capacity and shares knowledge to meet the identified needs – both internally and for the benefit of audiences across Europe. Databases of solutions, a best practices portal, and capacity-building and knowledge-sharing events will illuminate new opportunities for technically, culturally and geographically-relevant innovation. Finally, FastTrack local authorities will be supported in action planning to fast track their chosen sustainable transport projects.
The FastTrack LA learning programme features online knowledge-building activities, in-person learning opportunities like site visits, and Capacity Building Weeks that bring the whole FastTrack community together. To ensure that all local areas can benefit from FastTrack – and not just the project’s 24 LAs – FastTrack will share a State of the Art report and online tool, learning reports from each cluster, and final recommendations and fact sheets.
1. SUSTAINABLE AND CLEAN URBAN LOGISTICS
All local authorities – whether urban, peri-urban or rural – have to contend with local logistics planning when working in the sustainable transport sector. While this can be a challenge, it also presents an opportunity to implement carefully selected solutions with the potential to make great strides in fostering a more sustainable transport system. FastTrack cities are exchanging knowledge to evaluate the local potential of – and methods of accelerating the implementation of – innovative solutions like new IT tools, new ways of organising freight and deliveries through the implementation of microhubs, and public procurement strategies to ensure fleets run on clean fuels.
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2. CYCLING IN THE URBAN AND FUNCTIONAL AREA
The first thing that often comes to mind when discussing innovation in mobility is new mobility technology. Yet whether a measure is innovative depends on the local context. Even a bicycle lane can be seen as an innovation in a city that has not yet established any bicycle infrastructure. Cycling in the urban and functional urban area was explored by FastTrack cities, who focused on the potential of (e-)bike technologies and bike sharing schemes with respect to creating more sustainable mobility systems.
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3. INTEGRATED MULTI-MODAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
Safe, affordale, accessible and well-connected public transportation systems are critical to provide all residents with a convenient alternative to the private car. There are an array of innovative interventions in this field – including those related to: maintenance of transport fleets, ticketing systems, service integration and intermodality, accessibility for people with reduced mobility, new management and financing schemes – which can be applied in local contexts. In particular, FastTrack cities working in this cluster will explore public and shared mobility, multi-modal hubs, integrated network services, so-called Mobility as a Service (MaaS), and integrated e-ticketing systems.
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4. TRAFFIC AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT
Too often, our cities and towns are built to be most conveniently navigable by private car, leading to traffic congestion and a number of knock-on negative impacts on air quality and wellbeing. In order to secure more sustainable mobility systems, we must manage traffic in such a way that leaves space for other modes of transport as well.
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