In CIVITAS ECCENTRIC, partner cities Madrid, Stockholm, Munich, Ruse and Turku have recently had many parallel activities as they have focused on implementation reports, fact sheets, peer review process and also on evaluation of measures. The cities’ hard work has paid off as most of the deliverables are done and the documents can now be used for example for replication actions. All the fact sheets and other public deliverables from the project are available at https://civitas.eu/eccentric.
Another positive thing is that almost all the 50 ECCENTRIC mobility measures are well on track and the partners have started to put more effort into dissemination. The partners involved are looking forward to share their experience in several international events in 2019, such as UITP conference in June and CIVITAS Forum in October.
As the City of Turku has set the ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2029, smart mobility is a significant part of the whole. The EU-funded CIVITAS ECCENTRIC project also supports Turku’s strategic goals of attractiveness, where moving is primarily about walking, cycling, electronic public transport and vehicle sharing.
As the CIVITAS ECCENTRIC project is looking into midway of its 4-year life span, it is inspiring to note the work has already created actions beyond the solutions themselves: Several spin-offs and theses have arisen from the city’s needs to develop more smart and sustainable mobility solutions.
CIVITAS ECCENTRIC city Turku welcomes the last two years of the project
The fact sheets mentioned above outline key details relating to Turku’s solutions like the implemented winter cycling route, electric bus line number 1, biogas-powered truck traffic, testing light electric vehicles and smart intermodal solutions for public transport planning, among others. Turku is also replicating sustainable urban mobility measures from other cities, starting from Stockholm’s solutions related to bike traffic management during road constructions.
One of the most visible examples of ECCENTRIC work in Turku is the city’s own bike sharing system called Föli bikes. The system with 300 yellow bikes spread to the streets and markets of Turku in May 2018 allowing citizens to move smart and carefree around the central areas of Turku. Unique in these latitudes, the all-year-round city bike system is now gathering lessons learned from its’ first test winter. Together with the 12 km winter cycling test route Föli bikes have improved the conditions and attractiveness of winter cycling in Turku.
As the City of Turku is adopting a new way of moving, Turku is now focusing to create a completely new market for mobility services (MaaS, Mobility as a Service). Mobility services are also based on the goals of sustainable development and the creation of service chains, making life easier for citizens while reducing the need for passenger cars. The purpose of the Mobility as a Service is to promote public transport services in Turku, including by developing digital information and payment systems and by creating opportunities for the integration of local services as part of the whole service offering. Read more from the recent article by ICLEI Europe.
Now Turku’s ECCENTRIC team is approaching companies in the Kupittaa test area to improve the effectiveness of work and business travels. In a rapidly growing neighborhood, all actors are challenged to develop a smoother and more comfortable everyday environment. CIVITAS ECCENTRIC project experts are there to advise companies and communities to improve their work traffic, free of charge.
Read more: www.turku.fi/en/civitas-eccentric