As the world’s population continues to grow, cities face a variety of transportation issues. From traffic congestion and unreliable public transportation to rising commute times, these challenges are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Transit solutions can help alleviate these problems and bring better quality of life to communities. But how can we best prepare our cities for the future?
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Technology
The next generation of urban transportation is bringing with it new technologies like smart cars that use machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze their surroundings in real-time. They can identify and warn people of obstacles ahead, detect if they are about to hit a pedestrian, or alert emergency services in case of an accident.
Technology also helps improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution. It also helps cities become more flexible and resilient in the face of natural disasters by enabling them to respond quickly to problems with utilities or roads.
A number of cities around the world are preparing for the next generation of wireless technology by joining industry-led initiatives such as the Next G Alliance. This group, which is composed of leading U.S. telecom, tech and hyperscaler companies, is focused on establishing North American leadership in 6G. The initiative is comprised of Working Groups in Applications, Green G, National 6G Roadmap, Societal and Economic Needs, Spectrum and Technology that are developing a vision for 6G, with 47 key technological areas outlined in a recently published report.
Safety
As cities prepare for the next generation of transportation, safety is playing a crucial role. From city buses and taxis to ride-hail vehicles, autonomous shuttles and even connected cars, safety solutions are changing the way we think about urban mobility and how we plan for transportation.
Safety practitioners are collaborating with other disciplines to develop and implement safety enhancements in all aspects of the transportation system. This includes roadway design, traffic law enforcement, road user behavior, and emergency response.
Increasing awareness of risky behaviors and educating the general public about the hazards of driving, riding, and walking are vital to safety. Education programs are designed and implemented by DOTs, MPOs, State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO), hospitals, advocacy groups, and others.
The Federal highway safety regulations require that States establish and maintain a comprehensive, data-driven SHSP that identifies and corrects safety issues on all public roads and adopt performance-based goals. The SHSP must include a safety data system to perform problem identification and countermeasure analysis on all roads; a railway-highway crossing program to increase safe and efficient rail travel; and a safety improvement project program to identify, implement, and assess projects that can reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
Flexibility
Flexible urban mobility is a key part of the future of transportation in cities. As a way to reduce commuting times and congestion, cities are increasing access to new forms of transport such as bikeshare, e-bikes and e-scooters.
These new options can revolutionize transportation for low-income city residents. They’re easy to use and allow people to travel from their home to a public train station or other transit hub without ever having to get into a car.
However, the ability to achieve flexible mobility requires new forms of private-public collaboration and a lot of planning. It’s an opportunity that’s been underestimated in many countries but has a significant potential to benefit society.
At the earliest masterplanning stage, flexibility should be a major consideration to ensure the successful delivery of large scale development schemes. With markets shifting, demand profiles changing and the economic, political and physical environment constantly evolving, flexibility is key to delivering success.
Sustainability
Considering the world’s population will increase to 9 billion by 2050, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for cities. As the population increases, cities will need to implement strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.
While transportation is often seen as a driver of climate change, it can also help alleviate congestion and improve air quality by promoting alternative modes of transport such as walking and cycling. In addition, cities can improve mobility options for non-drivers through smart city platforms that offer live information about pricing, schedules and real-time conditions.
Sustainable transportation requires a more comprehensive planning perspective than commonly practiced. This is because impacts and objectives often interact, so solutions must reflect integrated analysis.