Projects

Successful cycling promotion ultimately depends on high-quality facilities. In order to increase the modal share of cycling in the German speaking countries the existing cycling network has to be substantially improved with regard to quality and connectivity. The effect of such interventions can hardly ever be sharply determined, due to numerous inter-dependencies, rebound effects and correlations. Hence, it is difficult to measure the contribution of single interventions to mode shifts. Against this backdrop it is necessary to consider potential co-factors in the estimation of expected effects. This should enable an optimal use of financial resources for an effective and efficient mode shift towards cycling.

Adequate data bases are essential for evidence-based policies and measures. However, for many challenges of mobility policy and other related fields, the current data situation in Austria must be considered as insufficient. Ubiquitous Internet, mobile sensors or extensive sensor networks and the popularity of digital services have led to a veritable deluge of mobility-related data. However, the potential of this data is not yet sufficiently exploited and put to good use in Austria. Access to mobility data is crucial in mobility research, in the development, provision and scaling of mobility services and other data-based products, as well as in transport policy and related fields, in planning processes and in citizens’ participation.

Our contractor, TraffiCon - Traffic Consultants GmbH, is responsible for the thematic focus on mobility in the project “Spatial Energy Planning for Energy Transition” (GEL S/E/P II). The aim of this project is to consider electricity and mobility as relevant variables in energy spatial planning. In order to estimate the suitability of road space for pedestrians and cyclists and to calculate the respective potential for sustainable mobility, the project consortium needs evaluation models that have been developed at the University of Salzburg in recent years. In order to ensure that the spatial assessment models (walkability and bikeability index) can be used as easily and sustainably as possible, the code base will be made available as an OpenSource project.

In previous research projects, the foundations were laid for a web-based journey planner that optimizes routes in terms of travel time efficiency and potential health effects. These research results will be implemented in a free web service hosted by the Austrian Energy Agency (klimaaktiv mobil). This implementation will be supported scientifically to facilitate the transfer of know-how and the quality of the result.

Business locations (from individual companies to industrial and technology parks) in rural and sub-urban areas are often dependent on the car as the main transport mode for commuting mobility. In many cases, the availability of adequate public transport connections is insufficient. In addition, we are faced with different working time models and individually different requirements, preferences and behaviour patterns with regard to mobility. Against this backdrop, reducing the number of trips made by car represents a particular challenge.

The effects with regard to mobility behaviour that can be achieved by nudges heavily depend on the respective situation. Over the past years, the knowledge on nudging mechanisms and effects in the mobility domain has increased substantially. In parallel, the number of sensors and the amount of mobility-related data being generated, partly in real-time, has seen a huge upsurge. However, these two research and development strands have not been tied together yet.