METROPOLIS: Enhancing Urban Mobility through Cooperative Applications and Data-Driven Approaches
Financing entity:
This publication is part of the R&D project PLEC2021-007609 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.
The METROPOLIS project aims to develop cooperative applications to make the movement of passengers and goods in urban areas more efficient, more sustainable, safer and more equitable in order to be scaled up and replicated in other metropolitan areas around the world. This project has been in development since the 22nd of November 2021 under the leadership of CARNET.
The project, in collaboration with Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), TRANSyT-UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia (UPV), Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), ALSA and AMB Informació, is led by CARNET and financed by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, European Union Next GenerationEU, Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia and Agencia Estatal de Investigación.
As cities continue to grow, the challenges of providing efficient mobility services that meet the needs of residents while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and human settlements become more present.
Madrid and Barcelona, two of the largest metropolitan areas in Spain, will be the two cities chosen to carry out two pilot studies to improve mobility. The studies aim to improve both passenger and freight transport and will involve the collaboration of universities and private companies.
The first pilot study will focus on passenger transportation and will take place in Madrid. The study will be conducted by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and ALSA, a Spanish transport company.
The aim of this case study is to check the potentialities of the Cooperative Model for Corridors and Interchange areas (CM-CI) in a real instance. This model will facilitate joint, integrated and efficient management of vehicles, infrastructure and passengers. The model will promote the 3S dimensions of the upcoming metropolitan mobility: smart, sustainable and safe.
The second pilot study will focus on freight transportation and will take place in Barcelona. The study will be conducted by CARNET, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), and AMB Informació.
The aim of this pilot is to analyse the freight movement patterns, to lead the implementation of innovative cooperative measures. Two datasets will be used:
A network of 120 surveillance video cameras, scattered over the whole low emissions zone (LEZ), is able to register the license plate of all vehicles passing through the measurement points. This information is centralized in the Control centre of AMB Informació where the vehicle typology corresponding to every plate number is identified. This project will focus on the spatial and temporal analysis of those license plates accessing the LEZ that correspond to commercial fleets.
The raw data obtained from the observation of freight vehicles accessing the city will be complemented with the information provided by the SPRO software. The utilization of this smartphone-based application is mandatory for all carriers’ vehicles, and industrial fleets parked in On-street Loading/Unloading parking areas. The driver is obliged to register the license plate, the parking slot reference and the arrival time of the commercial vehicle in the application.
The insights and outcomes gained from these pilot studies will provide valuable knowledge for future transportation initiatives prioritising residents’ well-being, the environment, and the economy. As cities continue to grow and evolve, initiatives like the METROPOLIS project are crucial for ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for all.
