The world is changing and becoming more digitalised, so it’s time for public transport to become digitalised and automated as well. Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) is an excellent solution for improving the transport system and helping citizens make their mobility easier and safer. With the help of the SINFONICA Project, it will be possible to understand how people envision the future of public transport, their stance on these improvements in the automated public transport system, and how CCAM can improve public transport, making it more accessible and user-friendly for all people, especially those from vulnerable groups.
Hamburg is actively working on many other projects to improve the transport system, make mobility more accessible to different target groups, and enhance safety for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs).
PrioBike-HH is a project with the primary goal of integrating digital technologies to increase comfort and safety in bicycle traffic. The project develops solutions that help cyclists travel safely and comfortably. Therefore, it aims to adjust traffic lights to prioritise bikes at intersections, improve traffic flow for cyclists by giving them a green wave, develop an app for cyclists with real-time traffic information and warn car drivers about cyclists at intersections for safety.
The SharedGuideDog project is developing an assistance system for blind and visually impaired people in urban areas. Similar to bike sharing, “Guide Dog” could be available to many people, reducing costs. For example, it could pick up blind people from subway stations or accompany them to the doctor. The “Guide Dog” can automatically calculate and navigate routes like delivery robots.
The BiDiMoVe project’s name stands for bidirectional multimodal connection. The main focus of this project is to improve bus communication with the traffic lights to enhance public transport. This way, the bus will be prioritised at traffic lights, travel times will be shortened, punctuality will be improved, and travel comfort will be expanded. Furthermore, this project tested a VRU-protection system for drivers, warning them of cyclists crossing in parallel for road safety.
MODI is a European initiative to make transportation smarter and more efficient using connected and automated technology to enhance logistics. It focuses on heavy-duty vehicles and CCAM solutions for logistics. To increase the road safety of VRUs, infrastructure-supported perception enhancement is being tested in MODI with two truck manufacturers.
With the help of the technologies already developed and the data collected within the SINFONICA project, it will be easier to understand the needs of people who have difficulties using public transport in different countries. The SINFONICA project helps us better understand the direction in which improvements need to be made. It will help us analyse the work we have already done, reflect on ongoing projects, and think about new projects for a better, safer and inclusive life and mobility in the city!
Keywords: CCAM, SINFONICA, vulnerable road users, inclusive mobility
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