Traffic congestion is a major contributor to pollution, loss of productivity and series of other welfare state problems including health and safety in the North Sea Region and globally. Reports estimate cost to economy sround 1% of Europe's GDP, and research indicates congestion is the cause of as much as 50% of all fuel consumption. The project goal is to reduce traffic congestion by reducing the number of cars on the road by getting citizens to choose other means of transport than a personal car to work, shopping, leisure activities etc.

Research indicates that a reduction of 10% to 15% of cars in rush hour today would eliminate the traffic congestion problem. Previous ICARO project reached 5% reduction of solo-drivers in the city of Brussels.

The project has a present and a future scope. In present scope, the project aims to engage workplaces and communities in engaging citizens in changing driving behavior with already existing means. In future scope the project aims to develop technology and infrastructure to increase citizen engagement and increased use of alternative transport than personal car through addressing four challenges:

1) Awareness

2) Convenience

3) Safety

4) Reward

The project has 3 main areas individually addressing traffic reduction and in combination forming a concept.

1)“Information and Behaviour”, involving campaigns and engagement and education of ‘Driving Habits Ambassadors’

2)“Technology and Infrastructure” addressing convenience, safety and reward related to carpooling, cycling and other transportation means

3)“Business Light Vehicle route planning”, addressing traffic reduction and profit optimization for specific businesses with substantial business driving.

In all three areas, the project will build on existing fundament of experience and recommendations of previous projects and technology and initiated and early stage projects and technology.

The project aims to:

• Increase workplace engagement in traffic reduction encouragement, measured by how many workplaces that has an active traffic reduction policy and proven workplace initiative investments.
• Increase citizen engagement in encouraging driving behavior change, measured by active citizen engagement activities.
• Increase business engagement in effective route-planning, measured by proven route optimization investments
• Increase in choice of alternative transportation to own car, measured by surveys and specific measure point counts of cycles, solo-drivers, etc.
• The End Goal: Reduce Rush Hour traffic, measured by development in number of cars passing specific measure points

The envisaged output is 10% traffic reduction at measure points, with a derived reduction of 25-50 % fuel consumption.

City of Kolding (Kolding Municipality is potential Project Lead Partner)

Statens Vegvesen in Norway

Municipalities and businesses in the North Sea region