Transportation innovation

Substantial European investment in innovative transportation technologies has yielded numerous new concepts ready for general implementation. The EU-funded project 'Transport innovation deployment for Europe' (TIDE) aims to facilitate the transfer and uptake of the concepts.

The undertaking focuses on a set of 15 urban transportation and mobility concepts that address key challenges of urban transportation. Highlights include energy efficiency, carbon scrubbing and safety. The list is grouped into five themes: financial models, non-motorised transportation, network management, electric vehicles and public transportation organisation. The project plans to refine existing transfer methodologies, and to integrate them into a handbook.

A further goal is overcoming barriers to implementation, to be accomplished via training and exchange events, plus other learning resources. The 13-member TIDE project began in 2012 and will conclude in September 2015.

Work began with selection of the concepts most promising for project activities. The team canvassed opinions, and 324 individuals in 27 countries contributed. Ten innovations were chosen. For these, the team developed and published implementation guidelines and a transferability methodology. Participants at an expert workshop assessed the results. The method was subsequently released as a handbook, and similar handbooks address potential impact and costs and benefits.

The project issued an open call for proposals, leading to the selection of 10 cities interested in developing certain shortlisted innovations. Work established the foundations for subsequent development of implementation scenarios, based on local conditions. TIDE researchers advised the cities about costs and benefits as well as impact issues.

Team members selected 50 cities for potential training. After assessing the needs of each, the project developed a training programme.

TIDE will smooth and simplify the uptake of key innovative urban transportation technologies. Concrete roadmaps have been prepared for 10 European cities, and 50 more will receive training in use of the TIDE methodologies.