Smart-city digital approaches for sustainable urban mobility in Latin-American cities

Project Summary:

The objective of this grant is to promote resilient, greener, intelligent and sustainable urban mobility models in LAC cities. Many cities in the developing world are embarking on transit reforms, of which Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are key elements. The impetus is driven by the need to address the negative externalities generated by the often low-regulated traditional bus system congestions, traffic-related accidents, GHG and local pollutant emissions. Many reforms are also driven by the notion that restructuring the supply chain, applying stricter quality control and more efficient regulations will ultimately result in meeting passenger needs in terms of improved accessibility, affordability and safety. This activity will promote a resilient, greener, intelligent, and sustainable urban mobility model in LAC cities by developing a toolkit with three modules: (i) a manual to foster diagnosis of ITS systems; (ii) a manual to ease integral implementation of ITS systems, and (iii) an open source platform to support city-wide reform by integrating privately generated data into public planning and operating processes. This activity will be starting with LAC cities such as Mexico (CDMX), the largest and most populated metropolis in Latin America and the output would be reusable and replicable worldwide. 

An international example of how to assimilate a conventional bus system into a city-wide integrated scheme, learned from comprehensive reform undertaken in Seoul, will serve as an important reference.  

List of Activities:

1. Document successful international experiences and client needs 
2. Manual ITS diagnosis
3. Manual for ITS ecosystem improvement 
4. World Bank developed open-source platform to support city-wide reforms 
5. Dissemination

Outcomes:

Output 1:

• International best practice and needs report

Output 2:

• Manual for ITS diagnosis 

Output 3:

• Manual for ITS recommendations on city-wide bus reforms 

Output 4:

• World Bank open-source platform for fleet control developed

Output 5:

• Toolkit, website, and Report 

Outcomes:

1. Improved efficiency:  The outputs of this grant will help improve planning and operation. This allows for efficiency gains on two fronts. First, by making transit systems more attractive to users, it will incite changes in consumer behavior by increasing the number of users that prefer more efficient public transport over unsustainable private modes. In addition, better planning and operation, and proper integration will increase the efficiency in the operation of the transport system. In sum, an integrated, more efficient and attractive public transport is affordable, safe, and effectively reduces congestion, local air pollution and its health impacts, and GHG emissions.     

2. Greater resilience:  Promote increased resilience.  A primary focus will be to make cities, transport systems more resilient against risks arising from past development mistakes and a changing climate. This includes the ability to quickly respond to changing needs, protection against extreme weather events, and even serve as part of a response mechanisms in case of a crisis. 

3. Increased competitiveness: Underpinning the Korean vision of green growth is the notion that a focus on green sustainability need not come at the expense of growth and that greening can also be a source of increased competitiveness. This is particularly true for transport and urban policies where substantial synergies exist between environment, energy efficiency and growth objectives. More efficient planning and operation lead to increased efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness.

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

• Korea World Bank Group Partnership Facility (KWPF)
• Korea Transport Institute (KOTI)
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea (MOLIT)
• ITS Korea
• Valle de Aburra Metropolitan Area (AMVA) Transport Authority in Medellin, Colombia
• Seoul Transport Authority and The Seoul Development Institute (SDI)
• ORT Mexico (Transport Authority)
• Transport for London (TfL)
• International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
• World Resource Institute (WRI)