The containment measures against the coronavirus are radically changing the style of mobility of citizens, forcing a rethinking of the logics that have been consolidated for years in the transport sector. Deserted streets and public transport, movements mostly limited to proximity and mainly on foot or by bicycle. The data (aggregated and anonymised) made available by large operators such as Google and Apple clearly show that in less than a week starting from 8 March 2020, travel for work reasons has decreased by 45%, while travel on public transport by 53%. On the one hand, this has had positive impacts on air quality with a -40% reduction in CO2 concentrations, on the other, it has the already precarious economic balance of public transport is at risk, which posted losses of 200 million a month in March and April, as reported by ASSTRA.
The so-called "phase 2" presents further specific criticalities. From an analysis carried out by our researchers on the sentiment of operators and institutions, and on the measures promulgated to date, it emerges that local public transport will see a sharp contraction in its modal share for all types of travel, mainly due to the necessary distancing. The consequences on mobility will largely depend on the ability of cities to react promptly with ambitious interventions on infrastructure and traffic regulation, as well as on the effectiveness of any government measures to support soft mobility. In fact, some Italian and European cities have already taken steps to extend cycle paths and widen sidewalks, create preferential lanes for essential workers and introduce specific rules of conduct on public transport. However, all these measures cannot fail to be accompanied by the consolidation of the smart working models that were adopted in the most acute phase of the crisis.
The choices cities will make in the coming days and weeks they will be crucial for tracing a path that leads to a new model of mobility. Ensuring the optimal distribution of mobility demand will make it essential to strengthen modal integration, suitably supported by a high level of digitalisation. But to do this, cities will have to clearly define their strategy. The Agici OSMM research center has identified the choices underlying successful cases globally (e.g. Lisbon, Los Angeles, London, Tel Aviv, Barcelona):
• Mobility management must be public, centralized and driven by strong political will with a vision and the means to implement it.
• The approach must be systemic so as to increase the efficiency of the entire travel network.
• Innovation is essential, in terms of new modes of transport (eg shared micromobility) and new forms of planning and communication (eg apps), and can be stimulated by attracting private operators and creating clear and coherent rules.
• Proper data management is essential; open and secure sharing standards must be adopted to unlock fruitful sharing with stakeholders and start-ups.
These strategic choices are then complemented by other enabling actions: the push towards greater physical integration of infrastructures (eg the creation of intermodal hubs); better planning of routes and traffic; digitization through Apps and "digital duplicates" of the entire system. We will discuss these topics and the initiatives of the operators with the protagonists of the sector: Andrea Gibelli of ASSTRA, Gianfranco Pignatone of RFI, Riccardo Breda of CISCO and Antonella Galdi of ANCI. The director Stefano Clerici and Federico Montanaro, Senior Analyst, will speak for the OSMM. At the end, a discussion will be opened with the participants.
