Improving Urban Mobility Management

Abstract

Congestion, energy consumption, pollution, and the need to increase transport system sustainability are top-priority problems in urban areas. Most European cities are beset with these issues; hence, the European Commission financially supports projects aimed at reducing the negative effects of vehicles on the environment by increasing accessibility, optimizing economic resources in transport management, and improving citizens’ quality of life. Presented are the main findings of one of these projects, Multi-Initiatives for Rationalised Accessibility and Clean Liveable Environments (Miracles), which focused on the measures implemented by the Rome municipality during the project, including incentives to attract passengers to transit and disincentives to the use of private cars. In particular, the most relevant aspects, such as restriction of vehicle access to the city center, road pricing, goods delivery reorganization, and the development of collective taxis, are analyzed because of their innovative features and their potential to achieve improvements. Also discussed is the suitable methodology, applied in the Rome case study, for controlling and validating all the implementation steps. Particular attention was paid to the simulation of scenarios that can be used to assess the feasibility of pricing-related measures and how they can affect the built environment. In conclusion, the paper outlines users’ reactions to the restriction policy changes.