About

Seamless Shared
Urban Mobility (SUM)

By 2050, the urban population is expected to account for 82% of the world’s population, posing major challenges for sustainable urban mobility. A shift from private cars to public and shared transport is essential to address problems such as air pollution, congestion and energy consumption. The EU co-funded Seamless Shared Urban Mobility (SUM) project aims to transform existing transport networks by introducing New and Shared Mobility (NSM) integrated with public transport (PT).

Information on the project agreement

SUM operates under the Innovation actions funding scheme, as facilitated by HORIZON and the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under Grant Agreement No 101103646. The project started in June 2023 and will run until May 2026.

Objectives

The overall objective of the SUM project is to facilitate the transformation of mobility in 15 European cities by 2026 and in 30 European cities by 2030. This transformation involves the integration of new shared mobility modes with public transport, focusing on innovation, interconnectivity, environmental sustainability, safety, resilience and replicability.

In order to achieve this overall objective, the SUM project has formulated 7 specific objectives:

1. Improve the operational competitiveness of NSM compared to private cars

• Increase the use of NSM services by 25%
• Improve their financial viability and integrate them seamlessly with public transport.

3. Encourage travellers to use NSM through pricing and integration

• Through price sensitivity surveys and dynamic pricing algorithms.

5. Provide policy recommendations and integration guidance

• Provide practical guidance on how to integrate NSM measures into Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs).

7. Ensuring the economic and financial sustainability of the project results

• Through the development of business models, scaling-up strategies and exploitation plans, and a roadmap for the uptake and replication of project results.

2. Improve NSM infrastructure to increase acceptance and safety

• By redesign transport infrastructure (streetscapes and mobility hubs) in collaboration with cities, citizens and service providers.

4. Evaluate the increase in the use of NSM through different interventions

• By Quantify the impact of interventions on the uptake of NSM.
• An open data platform and a standardised impact evaluation framework will be used to measure the effectiveness of the interventions.

6. Engagement and dissemination of project results

• Active communication and dissemination of the project results.

Methodology

The project addresses key barriers to the adoption of New Shared Mobility (NSM) solutions, including personal vehicle preference, integration issues with public transport, cost concerns, uncertainty of availability and limited parking. The five SUM pillars address these challenges:

1. Prediction of passenger demand and shared vehicles: Predicting vehicle availability and demand increases reliability and attracts users.

2. Managing shared mobility on demand: Tailoring shared mobility services increases attractiveness.

3. Integrated timetables and ticketing: Bringing NSM and public transport together eliminates integration issues.

4. Co-creation of mobility hubs and streetscape: Redesigning the infrastructure promotes NSM as an alternative to the car.

5. Mobility management and pricing: Innovative schemes reduce cost barriers.

Key outputs

1. Reducing congestion and air pollution, social inclusion, accessibility

• Measures such as improved cycling infrastructure, co-creation of mobility hubs and parking restrictions to reduce car use.
• Targeting urban and suburban residents, workers, families and tourists to improve social integration.

2. Increased NSM, financial viability

• The aim is to increase the uptake of NSM by about 25% through user-centred approaches and economic analysis.
• Focus on making NSM financially viable for both users and stakeholders.

3. Integration of NSM in public transport, connectivity

• Integrating NSM into public transport, filling gaps in services at peak times and sharing data.
• Improving connectivity in remote and peri-urban areas for more inclusive mobility solutions.

4. Redesign infrastructure for NSM

• Co-create adaptive streetscapes and mobility hubs to enable NSM solutions.
• Prioritise safety and climate resilience in infrastructure design.

5. Guidelines and recommendations for NSM integration

• Develop tailored guidelines for integrating new transport modes into SUMPs.
• Engage policy makers, urban planning services and mobility providers to promote harmonised mobility policies.

6. Knowledge sharing and communication

• Participate in knowledge sharing, exchange of experiences and best practices in networks such as CIVITAS, POLIS and ERTICO.
• Participate in relevant fora and work with cities, businesses and communities to promote effective mobility solutions.