MOBILIDATA
In Flanders, we strive to work on tomorrow’s mobility today. That includes the Mobilidata programme. With this programme, various levels of government, companies and researchers are jointly developing innovative, technological traffic solutions for road users, such as better route advice, tailored traffic notifications and intelligent traffic lights. New connected mobility and know-how do not stop at our national borders however, so international collaboration is needed to exchange knowledge and set up joint projects to implement it.
Objectives
In densely populated Flanders, urbanisation is constantly on the rise. However, our traffic infrastructure is not prepared for this. As a result, we all end up stuck in traffic more and more often. We aim to make our traffic safer and more efficient again, through knowledge and technology for generating, managing and sharing smart data.
► We can make traffic safer, smoother, more sustainable and comfortable by smartly organising the public data, businesses and road users and sharing real-time, relevant information with each other.
► This will lead to increased road safety, time savings, stress reduction, efficient communication and better air quality.
► In turn, strong mobility also ensures economic and social stability and stimulates growth.
Data as the basis for traffic solutions
Within the Mobilidata programme, 31 traffic solutions were developed in 5 categories: intelligent traffic lights, risk and hazard notifications, navigation and parking management, traffic rule notifications and policy support. Data sharing and collection are the basis for communication between the smart road infrastructure and the road user. These solutions will be available to Flemish road users from 2023 and 2024 on. Beyond the rollout of those identified traffic solutions, Mobilidata also focuses on further research into new traffic solutions and their market uptake, that have distinct societal value, such as accommodating cycling groups, supporting vulnerable (groups of) road users such as the blind and visually impaired and encouraging modal shift among commuters.
Collaborate on tomorrow’s mobility
Before we can safely implement tomorrow’s mobility, we need to provide a strong physical and digital base. In addition, international coordination and cooperation are essential, as future (eventually autonomous) mobility extends beyond our national borders. That is why we are happy to share best practices from the Mobilidata programme, but also look for interesting cross-border projects.
Latest insights & stories
SMART SHIPPING
With a navigable waterway network of over 1,000 km, inland navigation in Flanders is an interesting alternative to road freight transport. With Smart Shipping, we want to improve the efficiency of that inland shipping network. Data sharing, logistics innovation and vessel automation are a core part of this. Our waterways and the inland waterway transport do not stop at our Flemish borders. That is why working with our international partners is essential.
CLEAN POWER FOR TRANSPORT
To fulfil climate targets, we need to make mobility greener. In doing so, we need to focus not only on making current mobility solutions greener, but also on shifting to more environmentally friendly forms of transport. Thus, the Clean Power for Transport action plan focuses on greening the vehicle fleet across all segments and rolling out the necessary infrastructure. For this, the Department of Mobility and Public Works also works together with foreign partners where possible for knowledge exchange and cross-border solutions.
MOBILITY AS A SERVICE
To promote sustainable combimobility, we are working on Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in Flanders. MaaS gives users access to multimodal transport solutions with greater user-friendliness, putting the end user at the centre. But organising mobility is a complex task. Users want control and reliability, but also freedom and flexibility. For this, we need reliable apps and agreements with providers and all MaaS actors. A full-fledged MaaS ecosystem, as it were. We are on the lookout for international knowledge sharing and cooperation to ensure combimobility reaches far beyond our own borders.