Innovative transportation researchers are invited to submit abstracts about their industry contributions for the upcoming TRA event which will take place in Budapest, Hungary.
The European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) unites road transport stakeholders in building a common vision for the development of European transport research and invites researchers to participate in the Transport Research Arena (TRA), a flagship event created by the European Commission and various technology platforms, bringing together academics, practitioners, leading mobility experts and fresh research talent.
The next edition of the biennial conference will take place on May 18-21, 2026 and will also feature exciting demonstrations, innovative exhibitions, technical tours, award ceremonies and social events.
TRA conference topics and selection timeline
Preparation is underway to uncover significant contributions to Europe’s transportation sector, with the event presenting an opportunity for researchers to share their work based on the following topics: user centred mobility, green mobility and decarbonization, planning and operation, and transport digitalization.
Interested participants are invited to submit an abstract of 200 words by 15th June 2025 for the first round of selection.
Successful submitters from the first selection round will then be asked to submit a conference paper of up to 4,000 words by 15th September 2025.
Then successful conference applicants will be notified on 31st January 2026, with their final papers to be submitted by 31st March 2026.
More information about the event can be viewed on the TRA website or abstracts can be submitted directly here.
Comments Off on Research reveals low confidence in UK transport sector
Zag Daily reports that a recent study from the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has unveiled a significant trust deficit in the British public towards the national government when it comes to making local transport decisions. Only 13% of Britons most trust the national government with this responsibility, while local councils command the confidence of 37% of the populace.
Regarding political parties’ trustworthiness on improving public transport, 33% of the public trust the Labour Party, contrasting with just 13% who trust the Conservative Party. This information emerges in a context marked by increasing political debate around transport issues, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s remarks about a “war on motorists”, the polarizing implementation of low-traffic neighborhoods, and the Mayor of London’s extension of the ULEZ to encompass all London boroughs.
IPPR Senior Research Fellow and co-author of the report, Dr. Maya Singer Hobbs, provided her insights to Zag Daily, critiquing the governmental rhetoric. “Westminster has attempted to divide people into ‘drivers’ and everyone else, but this is not reflective of how people think of themselves,” she said. “Most people who drive will also walk and take the bus or train, or cycle. This also ignores the fact that the transport system as a whole is failing people.”
The report titled ‘Who Gets a Good Deal? Revealing Public Attitudes to Transport In Great Britain’ also highlights that one in five individuals are concerned about affording necessary transport. Moreover, in the past two years, 71% have modified their travel habits to decrease expenses. It identifies that individuals living in rural areas and those on lower incomes are disproportionately affected by the inefficiencies of the UK transport system, whereas those on higher incomes tend to fare better.
Dr. Hobbs expressed the public’s dissatisfaction with the transport system and their high valuation of public transportation: “People agree that transport isn’t working for them, but the solution to this can be found in how highly people rate public transport,” she explained.
The study also reveals that 53% of the population views public transport as essential for getting to work, significantly more than the 20% who consider car ownership necessary. Furthermore, nearly half of the respondents prioritize public transport over having a phone, and 43% rate it as more crucial than internet access.
In light of these findings, as the UK approaches a general election, the IPPR has proposed six transportation priorities for the next government. These include implementing a comprehensive, shared multimodal transport strategy for England and allocating 10% of the transport budget to active travel by 2029. Additionally, the report calls for all buses in urban areas to be electric by 2030 and for a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
Dr. Hobbs advocates for a shift in funding strategies: “We would like to see an end to competitive short-term funding and move to longer-term, strategic, single-pot funding which in conjunction with greater devolution will allow mayoralties and local authorities to deliver ambitious transport networks,” she stated. “This funding will help ensure a wider network coverage and maintain an affordable bus fare cap. We would like to see greater powers for local transport authorities to franchise bus networks or deliver municipally owned fleets.”
This comprehensive analysis by the IPPR clearly signals a call for sweeping changes in how transport policies are formulated and implemented, aiming for a system that better reflects and serves the needs of all citizens.
The CIVITAS initiative aids cities in accessing innovative solutions and tackling their transportation issues by facilitating activities including twinning sessions, co-creation workshops, and site visits.
A call is open until 16 January 2024 for Champion Cities, to work alongside selected Challenge Cities. These cities must have expertise in one of three areas:
Sustainable urban logistics (Selected Challenge Cities: Funchal (PT), and Bruges (BE))
Placemaking and participatory processes (Selected Challenge Cities: Riga (LT), and Istanbul (TR))
Universal design and accessibility (Selected Challenge Cities: Kadıköy (TR), and Komitini (GR))
Champion Cities will share their expertise and best practices with the selected Challenge Cities. The selected Challenge Cities are listed above with their respective topic area.
From 2023 to 2027, CIVITAS plans to enlist 12 Challenge cities and 24 Champion cities to participate in the programme, involving diverse take-up and transfer activities such as twinning sessions, co-creation workshops, and site visits. Through the CIVITAS Replication and Deployment programme, the 12 Challenge Cities will each craft a Deployment Plan aimed at resolving their specific mobility challenges.
The Federal Administrative Court has reversed Freiburg residents’ parking fees that had been based upon the length of their car, deeming them invalid. The 13th June decision doesn’t influence the standard fee of 360 euros per year, however.
Freiburg had charged residents 30 euros per annum to use residential parking spaces. On 1st April 2022 a tiered levy was introduced, dependent on the length of the vehicle; 240 euros (up to 4.20 meters), 360 euros (from 4.21 to 4.70 meters) or 480 euros (from 4.71 meters).
Reduced fees were granted for residents receiving certain social benefits or those with disabilities, including individuals with an orange parking permit. These charges amounted to 60 euros, 90 euros and 210 euros. Those regarded as severely disabled with blue badges remained completely exempt.
Car length charge disparity
As an example of the resident’s park area charges, let’s assume a Freiburg resident applicant owns a motor vehicle that he or she already has a residential parking permit for. The resident’s first protest against the charges was to the Administrative Court of Baden- Württemberg and was unsuccessful. However, on appeal, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig deemed the charges worthless. Residential parking fees are regulated by federal law under the Road Traffic Act and cities need to abide by these laws. The car length charges were regarded as a violation of equality and unrepresentative of fairness, particularly as a 50cm difference in length could see a doubling of the fee in the most extreme cases.
Yearly parking fee
What was deemed as fair and effective by the Federal Administrative Court was the 360-euro annual parking fee. More information on the findings can be found here.
Similar charges elsewhere
Freiburg isn’t the only city to have had logistic charges imposed. In Tübingen, the resident’s parking fee is related to the weight of the car: For SUVs weighing 1.8 tons or more, the annual fee increases by 50 percent.
Comments Off on International Transport Forum publishes ITF Transport Outlook 2023
The ITF Transport Outlook 2023 was launched on 24 May 2023 at the ITF Summit in Leipzig, Germany. This edition of the ITF Transport Outlook examines the impacts of different policy measures on global transport demand and carbon dioxide emissions to 2050.
The analysis covers the movement of passengers and freight across all transport modes. A particular focus is placed on transport policies that make cities more liveable. A second focus is on infrastructure investment decisions and what different policy scenarios mean for them. As a third focus, the report explores regional differences in policy impacts.
The analysis is based on two distinct scenarios for the future of transport, simulated with the ITF’s in-house transport models. The Current Ambition scenario assumes policies to decarbonise transport continue along their current pathway and considers the implications for transport demand, carbon dioxide emissions and further aspects over the next three decades. The High Ambition scenario assumes policies focused on accelerating the decarbonisation of the transport sector and their impact.
Comments Off on TRA VISIONS 2024 contest registration opens to transport researchers
The Transport Research Awards offer accolades for young and senior researchers across 5 categories, plus an honorary award
TRA 2024 (Transport Research Arena) will take place in Dublin, Ireland from the 15th – 18th of April and is the foremost European transport event covering all transport modes and aspects of mobility. The winners of two the two TRA Visions competitions will be announced at the 2024 event, along with an honorary awardee. The registrations are divided as follows:
The TRA VISIONS 2024 young researcher competition: A young researcher competition seeking to stimulate interest among young researchers and students in sustainable transport. The registration period will be open until 30/06/2023.
The TRA VISIONS 2024 senior researcher competition: A competition for senior researchers in the field of innovative transport concepts based on results only from EU-funded projects. The deadline for entry is 14th September 2023 23:59 CEST.
In addition to the above, a “special honorary award” will honoring a “very” senior researcher who is about to complete or has already completed their career, and who has through the years made an outstanding and well-recognized contribution to transport-related research and innovation in their respective field.
The organization explains,
“Both competitions cover all transport modes (road, rail, waterborne, airborne and cross modality) in line with the EC policy objectives for smart, green and integrated transport. The S&T objectives are to nurture the best transport researchers in Europe, promote the alignment of their interests with those of transport stakeholders, encourage them to participate in the conference and celebrate their achievements. The process is two-way: students are inspired by the presentations at the main conference and mature researchers are inspired by the research and vision of the young.”
The competitions are divided into five categories, each per transport mode, with participants being able to choose which of the ways they will submit their project:
Road, Rail, Waterborne, Airborne, Cross-Modality
Interested parties are invited to join a series of half-hour webinars which will detail the application process, timeline, and prize:
MAY:
8th, 13-13.30 CET 17th, 13-13.30 CET 24th, 13-13.30 CET
JUNE:
1st, 13-13.30 CET 8th, 13-13.30 CET 14th, 13-13.30 CET
Comments Off on EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2022 – registration and theme
Towns and cities are warmly invited to participate in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, which takes place from 16-22 September each year. The theme for 2022 is ‘Better Connections’
Registration is now open to the official local authority of towns or cities that may wish to participate.
Participating areas are encouraged to organize activities focusing on sustainable mobility, implement progressive transport measures, and host a ‘car-free day’.
“The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2022 annual theme, ‘Better connections’, seeks to highlight and foster synergies between people and places that are offering their expertise, creativity, and dedication to raising awareness about sustainable mobility and promoting behavioral change in favor of active mobility, in addition to reaching out and making connections between existing groups and new audiences.”
The five pillars of ‘Better connections’ are:
People
Places
Packages
Planning & Policy
Download the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK thematic guidelines document here.
