Day: April 26, 2022

A guide has been published to support national and local governments, including spatial planning professionals, as well as other organisations, make walking and wheeling more inclusive. The guide, “Walking for everyone: A guide to making walking and wheeling accessible, inclusive, and desirable”, contains recommendations that, if implemented, will help to improve the lives of people who may be marginalised or find it challenging to move around cities on foot or using an assisted mobility vehicle. The guide has been developed by Sustrans (the UK charity working to facilitate walking and cycling for all), the UK walking charity, Living Streets and consultancy, ARUP.

Current urban environments and active travel infrastructure do not always cater for the needs of less mobile travellers. As cities seek to reduce transport-related emissions and cut congestion, equitable and accessible active mobility will be crucial. The report provides guidance on addressing barriers to accessibility and on creating urban environments which work for all user groups.

The guide highlighted many issues. For instance, 72% of disabled people would find fewer cars parked on the pavement helpful in walking or wheeling more. The report also addresses the lack of disaggregated data on mobility patterns, so bringing together existing knowledge is a key area where more research is required.

To address the challenges faced by local authorities, the paper outlines a series of recommendations for local and national governments. Improved governance, planning and decision making, by creating inclusive walking and wheeling plans, supported by long-term funding, as well as ensuring that services and amenities are within walking distance of where people live, are all needed. The guide also called for the creation of better places for everyone to walk and wheel in, supported by the development of national design guidance for walking and wheeling to improve road safety and air quality. Investment in walking and wheeling programmes is also important, as is action to reverse the decline in independent childhood mobility.

This article originally appeared on Polis Network on 4 April 2022.

5G-MOBIX is releasing a survey (available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, French, German, Italian) to assess user acceptance of automated vehicle functionalities using 5G connectivity.

The 5G-MOBIX research project is co-funded by the European Commission to evaluate the benefits of 5G connectivity for connected & automated mobility services in cross-border areas.

This survey’s purpose is to assess people’s opinion about different issues related to automated vehicle functionalities using 5G connection. There are no right or wrong answers and when unsure, please select the alternative that comes closest to your own beliefs.

Answering the survey will not take much of your time (maximum 10 minutes): it consists of a series of statements for which to indicate whether you agree or disagree (don’t be deterred by the long introduction, which includes several illustrations and explanatory text for each scenario provided as reference to answer the survey).

Links to the survey in:

English

French

German

Greek

Italian

Portuguese

Spanish

ERTRAC, as European Technology Platform gathering experts from industry, research and public authorities, provides regular updates of its Roadmap on Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility, delivering a common stakeholder view on the long-term development of CCAM in Europe.

The Roadmap is structured according to a Vision for 2050, with long-term objectives for society. This long-term Vision calls for necessary medium-term actions, the Agenda 2030, allowing then an Outlook to 2040.

Technology enablers have been updated and much extended, with a focus on infrastructure support for automation, and key topics such as Artificial Intelligence and Data. The chapter listing national initiatives taking place in Europe and around the world has also been fully updated.

Download the ERTRAC CCAM Roadmap