To ease congestion and reduce emissions, mega cities from New York to Tokyo are experimenting with novel mobility approaches and smart tech solutions.
With 65% of the world population projected to live in cities by 2050, aging infrastructure the stress of climate change, and rising population bring forward the need for next-gen smart mobility transportation.
In the 1960s, there were two megacities with more than 10 million population. By 2050, there will be around 50 such cities, most of them in the developing world. High-rises and great density concentration bring forth the need for better public transportation in most metropolitan cities. This would require increased reliance on smart mobility solutions.
Behind the veil of smart mobility, the connotation ascribed to innovative, optimal, futuristic paradigms, which are redefining the way people live and commute, there lies the convergence of geospatial with frontier technologies such as AI, 5G, and IoT. All of it hinges on fast and real-time data analytics.
Regarding smart mobility solutions, location Intelligence plays a critical role in creating well-versed mobility solutions.
“Location intelligence is key to building mobility infrastructure of the future as it enables effective planning, be it for electric vehicle charging or hydrogen supply. It also helps to plan better and build supply in areas affected by demographic change,” says Henning Hollburg, Founder and Managing Director, Targomo.
Novel Solutions
Countries around the world are piloting novel projects and test programs to gauge the nature and feasibility of their social and environmental impact. This gets all the more crucial at a time when urban congestion and global warming are afflicting urban spheres globally.
When it comes to fast-paced technology adoption, some countries are at the forefront, while others are expected to follow suit. As technology adoption accelerates, the gap will be gradually overcome. The front-runners in this space are technologically advanced countries such as Japan, Singapore, the United States of America (USA), Hong Kong, South Korea, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Taking the example of New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, what stands out is the railway network which acts as the backbone of public transport. Furthermore, buses and shared vehicles are the other important parts that help keep these cities afloat.
Shared Mobility, Autonomous Driving, and Vehicle Electrification are some of the other emerging mobility trends.
A report by McKinsey highlights “In 50 metropolitan areas around the world, home to 500 million people, integrated mobility systems could produce benefits, such as improved safety and reduced pollution, worth up to $600 billion.”
This becomes a focal point in enhancing smart mobility practices and technology to aid better lifestyles amongst the citizens as well as keep sustainability in check.
“Smart Mobility technologies give a lot of power to urban mobile options and push them on the path to work better for not just consumers but also the environment, by being aware of the best possible solutions to the existing problems and being prepared for the challenges ahead,” says Amit Gupta, CEO, Yulu.
Let’s have a look at the innovative mobility approaches of five countries:
Singapore
Being a city-state, Singapore has been pioneering various facets of public living; from housing to business districts. However, the business powerhouse has one major problem – land scarcity. With a growing population, the demand for housing and transportation faces a challenge like no other.
The Singaporean government has identified Smart Urban Mobility as one of its strategic national projects to enhance reliability, comfort, and public convenience in their transportation methods.
Another aspect of Singapore’s leap in mobility transition has been self-driving vehicles. The government has been conducting self-driving shuttle trials to assess the feasibility of the autonomous technology in terms of longevity and safety.
The government has also developed a special research and test circuit for autonomous driving called CETRAN that spans 1.8 hectares and collects data such as traffic behavior, rule adherence, and road design optimization of these vehicles.
The government of Singapore is looking into the feasibility of On-demand self-driving public buses. According to the authorities, this would enable anyone to book a ride at their doorstep to the desired train station or other bus stop. “A real-time, demand-driven intelligent transport system like this could be our reality in the not-so-distant future.”
In June 2018, MOT and ST Engineering started on-road testing of autonomous shuttles along a 1km road at Tanjong Beach, Sentosa. In 2019, this was extended to cover a 5km route.
The trial allowed visitors to book these autonomous shuttles as and when they require them, using their smartphones,” a Singaporean government agency states.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, the world’s biggest megapolis with more than 30 million residents, has one of the most efficient and innovative transportation systems in the world. However, Japan is coping with a declining birth rate, aging citizenry, and dwindling population.
To curb these problems in the long run, an initiative called the Smart Mobility Challenge was launched by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
This project supports local government and private efforts to solve regional challenges and revitalize regional economies through the introduction of transport services equipped with technologies such as IoT, AI, and automated driving, as well as, catalyzing data-sharing for greater interoperability.
New York City, New York
Being the financial district of the world, New York City is a one-of-a-kind metropolitan ridden with traffic and mobility problems.
NYC has some of the largest networks of public transit, yet, the city often faces traffic jams and overcrowded buses and rails.
New York City has 6,000 miles of streets that must accommodate more than 5,000 public buses, 13,000 taxis, 60,000 for-hire vehicles, and millions of commuters daily.
The problem gets more compounded on roads where vehicles face unbound congestion. To curb these issues, the Department of Transportation (DOT) established Midtown in Motion, a technology-enabled traffic management system that uses real-time traffic information from a variety of sources to monitor and respond to various traffic conditions.
The system incorporates microwave sensors, traffic video cameras, and tag readers to gather traffic flow information, which is then transmitted wirelessly to the DOT’s Traffic Management Center (TMC).
As vehicles sit bottlenecked in traffic, they emit a range of greenhouse gases and particulate matter associated with air pollution. Midtown in Motion mitigates this effect by reducing vehicle idle times, helping to keep New York City’s air clean, according to a report by Hellman Electric.
These technologies save the average commuter nearly 15 minutes a day in the city while also helping the environment.
New York City has also launched a program to gather crucial data in road vehicles to aid better traffic management through automated sensing hardware and computer algorithms which are proven to reduce time-intensive jams of people and vehicles in priority intersections.
“Municipal Testbeds will be designated throughout New York State for testing and validating smart cities solutions developed by Technology Companies. Under this pilot, Technology Companies will be eligible to apply to implement their smart cities solutions for projects proposed by Municipal Testbeds,” states a New York government report.
Automated data collection can be run through existing CCTV feeds or site-mounted sensors to collect continuous counts and other data in an accurate, flexible, and lower-cost method. The project will drive a greater understanding of travel trends and improve safety.
London, United Kingdom
The UK government has realized the true potential of smart mobility and has been bringing out policies to aid the same.
One case for furthering next-gen mobility is the Smart Mobility Living Lab (SMLL) initiative, wherein public and private roads are being used to develop and validate new mobility and transport technologies in a real-world connected environment.
SMLL aims to create future innovative ideas into a sensible reality. It provides solutions to major problems, especially in the autonomous vehicle sector which faces crude barriers in real-world situations.
By providing facilities to test in real-life situations or simulate through software, the cause of smart mobility gets realized in a shorter period. “The concept of SMLL was co-created by an industry-government joint initiative as part of a multi-million pound, ongoing strategic investment in future transport options which will be more automated, and more carbon neutral,” stated an SMLL report.
London also offers various e-bikes and bicycles for the masses that help in sustainable mobility across the city.
Hong Kong
As per statistics, an average of 10.6 million people use public transit daily. Whereas, there are 373 licensed vehicles for every kilometre of road.
The need for better transport management across the board is vehement in the case of Hong Kong, which boasts one of the densest populations in the world.
The process of making Hong Kong a less congested city has been long ongoing, with the city completing the installation of around 1200 traffic detectors for the collection and dissemination of real-time traffic information.
In 2022, the government of Hong Kong introduced a bill to provide legal backing for wider trial and use of autonomous vehicles. It further issued 62 movement permits to 13 autonomous vehicles for trials.
The government also established a real-time information system for green minibusses while encouraging public transport operators to keep their data open.
The country has also set up a $1 billion Smart Traffic Fund for promoting research and development of vehicle-related innovations. So far, 24 projects have been approved by the Management Committee involving a total grant of around $129 million.
Conclusion
The new age of smart mobility and autonomous technology that is fuelling the next generation of smart vehicles may seem to be on the verge of exploding to the masses. However, the security and feasibility of autonomous vehicles still require more sophistication in technology as well as real-world testing.
The plausible technologies that have found their way into some automatically working cars and trucks have shown promise but still remain in the distant future as being a real alternative to the human-controlled cars we have around us. With indications suggesting turbulent times for autonomous technology, the larger goal still remains distant.
