By properly integrating shared, electric and autonomous SEAM mobility offerings, decision-makers could decrease up to 95% of vehicle emissions by 2050 and free up nearly 90% of space used for parking
· Policy-makers should prioritize policies on higher occupancy and electric vehicle offerings until the technology for future goals of autonomous vehicles catches up
· The World Economic Forum has released a new policy library to help decision-makers achieve mobility goals; a new coalition will form in autumn 2019 to tailor the policy framework to selected pilot cities
San Francisco, USA, 19 July 2019 – To address congestion and pollution, cities must use all the mobility tools available to them, starting with shared high occupancy and electric options and integrating autonomous vehicles as their development progresses. If these three solutions are combined, vehicle emissions could decrease by as much as 95% by 2050. Cities should prioritize the immediate benefits offered by shared and electric mobility policies, adding future goals of autonomous vehicles when feasible. Implementing these mobility opportunities together could free up as much as 90% of parking space and additional road space, putting the focus back on cities instead of cars.
To help decision-makers implement these SEAM mobility options, the World Economic Forum has built a policy library and gathered modelling tools. The Shared, Electric and Automated Mobility Governance Framework is the first set of sustainable mobility policy guidelines to help cities alleviate congestion and reduce pollution. The Forum will convene the new Global New Mobility Coalition in the autumn to tailor this policy framework to three selected pilot cities.
“With this framework, decision-makers do not have to start from scratch,” said Maya Ben Dror, Project Lead, World Economic Forum. “They can pick what is projected as impactful and feasible for their unique context and design it to maximize emissions reduction as well as societal benefits. It anticipates that some cities are more advanced in one of these three categories. But it is flexible enough that a city with no mobility policies can save valuable time and leapfrog ahead.”
Space Allocation Opportunities
The SEAM policy library has two dimensions: space and cost levers; and public and private action. Cost levers include tax exemptions, parking fares and central district tolls. Space-lever policies include passenger load and drop-off zones, dedicated lanes, zoning and parking. The Forum further divides the policies to those that can be introduced by cities and those by the corporation responsible for the movement of many people within the city. The policy library was developed with representatives of the Center of Competence Urban Mobility of BMW, Ford Greenfields Labs, Transport Practice at the World Bank, UC Davis and ClimateWorks.
“The mobility of the future is looking more and more like it will include automation, electrification and shared capacity. As local governments grapple with ways to address challenges arising from implementing solutions, this study supported by the World Economic Forum may provide guidance and lessons learned,” said Joseph Chow, Deputy Director, C2SMART University Transportation Center, New York University. “For example, cities like Los Angeles now employ mobility data specifications to make data interoperability possible for shared data exchanges. Such efforts may benefit from our research at NYU on privacy control for operator data-sharing, which is covered within the governance framework.”
The Global New Mobility Coalition, comprising leading automotive companies, manufacturers, start-ups and academia, will work with cities around the world to test and iterate these policies. New frameworks will be released to reflect key learnings.
