Overcoming these challenges requires guidance of our mobility transition, both by introducing technological developments such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS), as well as improving sustainable developments such as cycling mobility.

But how do we do this in a way which creates healthy, liveable and sustainable cities? At Velo-city, the global cycling summit which took place in Dublin last month, I presented our view on guiding this mobility transition, particularly when it comes to incorporating cycling and MaaS.

In this blog I will share the three most important lessons learnt from our market experience in the Netherlands.

1. Understand ongoing developments

Mobility doesn’t change overnight. For decades, we have seen developments move towards a more integrated, efficient and sustainable mobility system. The ‘OV-fiets’, the largest Dutch bike sharing scheme that connects bike and train, is currently available at over 300 locations in the Netherlands and is used more than 3 million times annually.

Aside from that particular scheme, we are also seeing a rapid implementation of other bike sharing schemes throughout the country. And we have Swapfiets, the Dutch start-up where you can lease a bike for just €15 a month. They grew to over 100,000 users in less than two years.

Regardless of which mode of public transport you choose to use in the Netherlands, the ‘OV-chipkaart’, the payment method for public transport across the country, eases our travel across various transportation modes.

However, because of successes such as these, some of the cycle paths here in the Netherlands reached their maximum capacity after the introduction of e-bikes, speed pedelecs, cargo bikes, mopeds and soon even scooters.

So future developments are not just adding new services, such as bike sharing, MaaS or new mobility forms – but our understanding of these developments is key to creating an efficient, effective and inclusive mobility system. One area of this is that we need to make deliberate choices about the use of physical space. For example, the decision taken to move speed pedelecs and mopeds (in Amsterdam) to use the road rather than cycle paths in order to free up space for cyclists.

2. Define a framework of minimal requirements

When adding new initiatives to ongoing developments, it’s also important to understand the city’s needs. We need an open dialogue between regional governments, transportation providers and other stakeholders. New innovations – whether bike sharing, MaaS or new mobility forms – will only be a success if they accommodate the city’s higher goals, such as liveability, accessibility and sustainability.

We increasingly see these frameworks emerging, for example with the Open Bike agreement which accommodates the end-user by integrating the services of multiple bike share providers through one API. Another development is the creation of guidelines for bike sharing policies in order to help cities benefit from bike sharing while at the same time limiting any negative effects.

3. Learn and test innovations

And finally, we need to improve our understanding of the real effects of the mobility transition. Currently, almost all our ideas about innovations such as MaaS are based on small pilots, countries with very different contexts or stated preference research. This is not yet enough, because MaaS is not just a technological innovation, but more an innovation in terms of institutions, governance and responsibilities. Balances will shift, company cultures will have to change, and public spaces will need to be reinvented.

The seven national MaaS pilots that are currently being rolled out are a great step forward. Using a similar framework, a central learning space for these seven different contexts will lead to an enormous increase in our understanding of the real effects of MaaS.

Mobility in transition: a three-pronged approach

Guiding the mobility transition means that we need to carefully balance the needs and preferences of the individual with our society’s wider mobility goals.

We’re paving the way by driving extensive collaboration through a three-pronged approach to future mobility. By bringing together cutting-edge technology with tailored strategy and expert implementation, we develop a programmatic approach to enable our clients to optimise their mobility network. Here at Royal HaskoningDHV, we believe that making a success of the mobility transition will require top-down understanding of an individual city’s policies and vision, combining this with a bottom-up approach to truly drive adoption and behavioural change.

We still have a lot to discover when it comes to the mobility transition, but by learning these three lessons, together we can make a real difference to the mobility ecosystem in cities across the world.

Want to discuss this further? Get in touch with me by e-mail or phone.