September 2018 - GreenYourMove

Α) Identity of the project

Description/Aim

GreenYourMove main objective is the development and promotion of a co-modal journey application to minimize GHG emission in Europe. GreenYourMove develops a multi-modal transport planner (both routing & ticketing system) considering all kinds of urban public transportation (urban and sub-urban buses, metro, tram, trolley, trains), where the user gets alternative routes combining more than one transport modes if necessary. The routes are the environmentally friendliest ones, since emissions are calculated for different scenarios.

Detailed

The aim of GYM is to:

• enhance sustainable mobility in European cities and especially in Greece,
• reduce pollution and minimize public transport emissions in urban environment by delivering an environmentally friendly co-modal transport planner for passengers that will be demonstrated in Greece, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic,
• contribute to the implementation of EU greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments under UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol, and
• help establish by 2020 the framework for a European multimodal transport information, management and payment system. 

Following the aim, the specific project objectives are:

• To develop tools that will accurately measure the emissions of public vehicle circulating in the EU public transport networks under consideration.
• To develop tools that will provide the environmentally friendliest journey from any point of the network under consideration (at least Czech, Dutch and Slovak) to another by using public transport and optimize passengers’ logistics.
• To develop, demonstrate and promote an integrated platform that will lead to the decrease of GHG emission production and energy consumption (per kilometre travelled, per passenger) in the European transport sector by reducing the demand for travel by car, making public transport greener, more efficient, accessible and attractive.
• To change the culture and the commuting habits of passengers by providing an easy-to use service while raising awareness on the environmental benefits.
• To decrease the CO2-eq per passenger and kilometer.
• To introduce an innovative policy in the pan-European transport system, based on the efficient co-modality scheme and EU emission regulations.
• To bring together business, scientists, local and national authorities to deal with impacts of transport on air pollution and climate change in urban zones.
• To raise awareness and mobilise key local, regional and national actors in order to adopt environmental measures towards sustainable urban mobility.
• To support networking and exchange of practices at transnational level with the target of environmental integration in policy areas related to transport.

Β) Best Practices

Development of web service for the digitization of transport operators network.

Development for the first time a country level journey planner available as web and smartphone application

Environmental thinking of passengers

C) Results

The results till now are:

Implementation level:

• A database covering 70% of Greek public transport network for the 1^st time;
• Novel co-modal energy consumption and GHG emission calculation models for European public transport means;
• An improved modelling and solution approach for the environmental co-modal vehicle routing problem, which is the basis for energy efficient sustainable transport;
• Demonstration of the first national co-modal environmental public transport planner in Greece in 16 major cities;
• Improved results and higher accuracy of the COPERT emission calculation software coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) via the adoption of GYM models.

Impact level:

• Seamless door-to-door urban mobility by creating the framework conditions and a strong mechanism of cooperation between stakeholders of different administrative level and transport operators. 

Future results will be:

Implementation level:

• Demonstration of a pan-European journey planner service via a web platform replicated in at least 4 journey planners in EU countries (e.g. Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia).
• Make GreenYourMove journey planner a useful tool for Greeks, tourists visiting Greece and students move in another city for studying.

Impact level:

• Change the culture of the passengers and encourage them to shift their habits from using the car to using the public transport by promoting co-modal and environmentally efficient transport patterns.
• Reduction of air pollution and emissions in cities: Reduction of at least 2,699 Mt CO2 eq. during the lifetime of the project (Action C1). Annual reductions in emissions in Greece using GYM could reach 2,980 Mt CO2 eq. after the end of the project.
• Introduction of an integrated policy for sustainable urban mobility based on the efficient co-modality scheme and EU emission regulations at least in 5 countries via 5 journey planners within the funded period.
• Share new scientific solutions and best practices in EU level and promoting the implementation of a Union air quality policy: 3 publications in scientific journals of high impact factor, 14 participations in conferences, one special issue collecting world-wide publications (at least 12) in a scientific journal of high impact factor, a book focusing on co-modal environmental journey planning.
• Raise awareness on the environmentally-friendliest journey planning decisions and highlight the importance of co-modal transport, in terms of environmental impact via numerous dissemination actions targeting at least 100.000 persons in 12 EU countries.

During the 83rd TIF that will be held for the 83rd time from 8 to 16 September 2018, the LIFE GreenYourMove web platform and smart phone application will be presented. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/248256039118473/

The prospects of urban and intercity transportation will be presented on Sunday 9^th September at 18:00 till 20:00. Two representatives from Hellenic Federation of Urban Transportation (Mr. Sakelariou) and Hellenic Federation of Intercity Transportation (Mr. Kolindrinis) will talk about the evolution of transportation in the last decades and the challenges that we need to deal with. The application "GreenYourMove "developed by the University of Thessaly will be presented by Assistant Professor Dr. Georgios K.D. Saharidis.

https://www.facebook.com/events/233467857295332/