Urban mobility refers to the ability to travel within urban environments either independently or collectively, via different transport modes.
Many established megacities are using creative solutions to shift hundreds of millions of trips away from privately-owned cars toward public transit, cycling and walking.
Pedestrians
As urban transportation systems increasingly prioritize people over cars, pedestrians have an integral place in urban mobility systems. This has become evident as politicians support walkable policies and urban renewal projects which prioritise walkability over cars.
Microscopic models used to analyze pedestrian movement are based on queueing theory and optimization techniques [41], such as using dynamic cellular automata simulations or disaggregating traffic flows at congestion points [42].
Agent-based models allow for the simulation of individuals in various environments and how they interact, with particular emphasis on human interactions in cities. When combined with dynamic geographic information system data from volunteers, agent-based models can simulate pedestrian movement within any city network imaginable; but at present their use remains limited due to factors like lack of sensor hardware to capture microclimates during walking travel or difficulty accessing wide variety of individual characteristics of pedestrians.
Cars
Automobiles remain one of the primary sources of traffic congestion and air pollution in cities worldwide, accounting for an estimated 85-89% of greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport-related greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
With the emergence of robo-taxis and shared SDVs, policymakers are hopeful about their potential to enhance road safety, address mobility inequality, reduce pollution levels and vehicle ownership costs, make cities more livable, as well as make cities less congested. Yet some worry about potential impacts on public transit services or increased urban sprawl.
City planners and officials are taking measures to address the impacts of SDVs and their use by the general public, such as redistribution of street space, parking policies changes, pricing structures adjustments and land-use planning.
Buses
Urban buses are one of the key ways of mitigating mobility’s negative impacts, providing cheap, accessible, and sustainable modes of transport for urban citizens. Therefore, increasing bus usage is one way of decreasing personal car ownership rates.
Oviedo’s public transportation system relies heavily on buses that follow set routes – known as guided light transit (GLT) vehicles – for most of its transportation needs. GLT buses operate more efficiently than traditional ones by taking up less space and not needing to navigate intersections.
This paper uses Exploratory Factor Analysis to uncover hidden factors influencing user satisfaction with public transport services in a medium-sized European city, while remaining methodologically rigorous so as to be transferrable across cities facing similar challenges.
Trains
Trains play an invaluable role in urban mobility. Their speed makes getting from one point to another faster than driving or flying; and, they may be more cost-effective than owning a car.
Train systems also reduce air pollution and climate emissions, freeing up space for other modes of transport on their dedicated tracks. Finally, trains are generally safer than cars thanks to advanced safety systems and operator training programs.
As cities emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, UITP advises rail transit systems to prioritize customer experience and end-to-end connectivity with other transport modes. They should upgrade stations into smart multimodal hubs with on-demand buses and cars as boarding points as well as e-bike parking and roof spaces for advanced vertical takeoff and landing airplanes.
Airplanes
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is an aviation transportation system designed to ease congestion and environmental pollution in large cities. People using their own personal aerial vehicles (PAVs) will be able to use UAM to travel from home to work or other important destinations while commercial services will transport goods or passengers using this transportation method.
Start-up eVTOL companies are actively developing UAM services. While much remains to be done – including ensuring safe operations on demand and controlling noise from vertical lift vehicles – it seems likely that we will see air taxis operating on city streets and rooftop landing pads within a decade or two.