A case study catalogue of the SASMob (Smart Alliance for Sustainable Mobility) project has been published, summarising the main results of the 4-year long cooperation. The publication presents 12 good practices which were realized by the cooperation of the seven employers and other project partners. Let’s have a look at them!
1. Traffic counting system with smart tools
One of the goals was to ease Szeged’s transport organisation. By today there are accessible up-to-date traffic data: an automated passenger and traffic counting system was set up based on a patented technology developed by the Department of Software Engineering of the Faculty Science and Informatics of the University of Szeged.
2. Smart City Data Centre (SCDC)
Another goal was to make city life and operations more transparent. As a response, the pilot of the Smart City Data Centre, operated by the Szeged-based Ritek Zrt. was established with the aim of combining several databases: weather measurements, employees’ commuting habits, parking data and traffic data.
3. Increasing bicycle shelter capacities at workplaces
The project’s main aim is to raise awareness and promote sustainable mobility. To promote biking as one of the most sustainable and climate-friendly transportation modes, infrastructural investments were needed: that is why altogether 400 new bike shelters were built by the seven employers.
4. Company bikes and electric scooters to rent
To serve the previous goal, evosoft Hungary, Szegedi Környezetgazdálkodási Nonprofit Kft. and Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions purchased bicycles and e-scooters to motivate their employees to use them.
Fotók: Papdi Balázs (left) evosoft Hungary Kft. (right)
5. Establishing bicycle service point
To make bicycle use easier, three companies (evosoft Hungary, Pick Szeged Zrt. and Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions) established bicycle service points on site so that employees can carry out minor repairs.
6. Campaign to promote biking
Campaigns to promote biking were realized at each employer, but in different ways. The most popular tool was participating in the country-wide Bike to work! campaign. There were companies who campaigned at a Health Day or a Sport Day; and other companies contributed by creating a pocket map for bikers.
7. Children’s drawing campaign
Public transport is another important pillar of sustainable mobility. Therefore, six of the seven employers organized a children’s drawing competition titled „Public transport in Szeged now and in the future – how do you see and/or imagine transport in the city in 20, 50 or 100 years?” among the employees’ children (regardless of age). Each of the drawings was displayed on the side of a tram, a trolleybus, or a bus for several months, with the name of the artist.
8. Ticket and season pass vending machine at workplaces
9. Wall maps presenting public transport options on display
The University of Szeged Szent-Györgyi Albert Clinical Centre and Pick Szeged Zrt. – based on the needs of their employees – decided to improve the accessibility of public transport by installing a vending machine at their premises. Furthermore, wall maps, which were displayed within the frame of the project, also help commuters to be able to orient themselves easier.
10. Sustainable mobility management – university course
This good practice, as a result of this project, was realized at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the University of Szeged. The course is open to all students as well as for professionals and is offered every semester.
11. Research about the impacts of the lockdown on workplaces
The research was an unplanned by-product of the project: by studying the impacts of the first lockdown among the employees, the goal was to learn about the subjective well-being of the employees and how the lockdown affected their commuting habits. The results come from an online survey and several focus group discussions and can be found HERE.
12. Traffic light phasing to promote public transport
The traffic lights settings in Szeged were not always matching the needs of public transport. That is why the local authority together with the transport companies assessed where there needs to be rephasing and found 18 spots, out of which 9 have already been reprogrammed.
The interactive publication can be viewed here.
You can read more about the project here: http://sasmob-szeged.eu/en/
