Modal shift key to CO2 reduction – How LAirA is bringing solutions to achieve that
New results and enhanced efforts of the project partners are getting the LAirA project closer to reaching its objective: the integration of low carbon transport solutions in the mobility systems of airports and urban areas.
The latest LAirA project meeting was held on 15 and 16 April 2019, in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and was organised by Dubrovnik Airport and City of Dubrovnik Development Agency (DURA). During this meeting, the partners of the project presented their latest results: a transnational action plan for multimodal, smart and low carbon accessibility in airport areas, a mobile application for mobility planning, several car-pooling platforms and a model for local strategies for airport long-term mobility integration.
The LAirA transnational action plan for multimodal, smart and low carbon accessibility in airport areas defines actions for sustainable surface access in seven key topics: electric mobility, air-rail links, walking and cycling, shared mobility, intelligent transport systems, wayfinding and road-based public transport. You can read the action plans here. They provide guidance not only to the LAirA partners, but the knowledge can also be transferred to non-partners. By looking at both the local situations and the European policies, the aim of this action plan is to help airports and regions better understand the gaps in landside accessibility and it offers concrete best practices for improving this aspect.
Furthermore, the surveys carried out in LAirA project show that passengers overwhelmingly tend to travel to the airport by personal car. Changing this mobility choice is generally the greatest opportunity to reduce CO2 related to airport access. LAirA partners are working on building ride-sharing platforms and also a mobile application that encourages green mobility planning.
A first mock-up of the mobile application was presented by its developer, SEA Milan Airports, at the Dubrovnik meeting. This mobile application could considerably contribute to the low carbon mobility objective, as it works with an algorithm that combines different transport modes and it indicates the greenest possible route. This mobile application also includes a CO2 emissions calculator, in order to make users more aware about their impact on their environment.
As for ride-sharing platforms, Budapest Airport, the Regional Government of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship and AustriaTech (the Federal Agency for Technological measures of Austria) are focusing their efforts to make shared mobility more efficient and accessible for airport employees. These platforms will allow employees to share their planned journey’s starting point and destination and organize common travels in order to reduce the environmental effects of transportation at the airport and its catchment area.
Moreover, a model for local strategies for airport long-term mobility integration in urban areas’ mobility systems was elaborated by the City of Dubrovnik Development Agency (DURA). Based on this model, the LAirA partners will collect best practices in a governance process involving airports, authorities, agencies, transport providers, associations and nodes. The results of the local strategies will be transposed into a common transnational strategy with the aim of enhancing integrate environmental management of urban areas with regards to mobility.
