MaaS and Smart City Traffic Solutions Workstream

There is a shift from individually owned vehicles toward interconnected shared mobility solutions used as an if-and-when needed service [Mobility as a Service (MaaS)]. Drivers will be operators and eventually passengers. Smart cars will interact with the physical and digital road infrastructure in many ways. Services provided by road operators will optimize traffic flows and improve safety. Road operators will also support automated driving in different operational design domains, e.g., on highways or in cities.

• MaaS providers typically act as intermediaries and offer smartphone applications for real-time and on-demand mobility services including end-to-end ticketing and payment.
• User-centric, demand-driven multi-modal MaaS offers seamlessly integrated private, shared, and public means of transportation to conveniently move from a to b. MaaS enables inclusive mobility for anyone and, in particular, for elderly or disabled people.
• Autonomous vehicles may be used for the last mile e.g., from a railway station to the final rural destination. However, autonomous vehicles also open up more, currently unknown opportunities for end-to-end MaaS.

• The physical road infrastructure is increasingly complemented with digital infrastructure. Road operators invest in communication and sensor networks as the backbone and data source for sophisticated traffic monitoring and traffic management systems in order to optimize the traffic flow.
• Traffic signs may be displayed as augmented reality applications in the windshield of a vehicle. Cars communicate with smart traffic lights to jointly coordinate and optimize the traffic flow.
• Road operators may exploit their rich data to offer different service levels to assist automated driving in specific road sections. They may also tele-operate individual cars or platoons of connected vehicles in emergency situations.

• City administrations want to improve mobility as well as the safety, accessibility, and appearance of public spaces in order to offer more quality of life to residents and commuters.
• Currently a lot of public space in cities is occupied by individually owned parked cars. Valet parking in car parks and car or even ride sharing are therefore attractive alternatives to free up public spaces for community life and leisure pleasures.
• Light e-mobility solutions including e-bikes and e-scooters are emerging and are increasingly adopted by residents.
• There is a move from transportation on the ground to commercial low-altitude air transportation. Urban air mobility allows vertical takeoff and landing. Various multicopters for passengers, flying robotaxis, volocopters, and all kinds of drones to transport people or goods in megacities are under development.
• There are many low-speed environments in cities, like airports, harbors, campuses, hospitals, etc. Unmanned automated shuttles moving at low speed are regarded as promising mobility solutions in these places.