Intelligent Transport: How Cities Can Improve Mobility

For this study, IBM conducted in-depth research in more than 50 developed and developing world cities, followed by in-depth interviews with senior transport officials in 16 selected cities around the world, revealing that although cities face unique transportation challenges, their leaders share common ambitions.

Virtually every city in IBM’s study is developing a vision and strategy to improve mobility, typically by changing modal shares and delivering improved transport services. In addition, nearly all of the city leaders interviewed highlighted the importance of ITS in addressing their transport challenges.

Intelligent transport systems can include integrated fare management, enhanced customer relationship management, traffic prediction, improved traffic management, traveler information, and road user charging. Such smarter systems apply advanced technologies to collect more and better data, analyze it more intelligently and connect it through more effective networks. The result is more efficient, effective and targeted services for citizens on the move.

The majority of cities are at an early stage in understanding and realizing the full potential of ITS. There are significant gaps between the progress of the typical city and the leaders.

To close that gap, the IBM report cites five mandates for smarter municipalities:

• Developing and implementing comprehensive intelligent transport strategies that are long-term, flexible and integrated with the city’s transport vision;
• Adopting customer-centered approaches to improve services, understand customers and influence traveler behavior patterns;
• Integrating services across transport modes;
• Securing funding and applying innovative business models;
• Effectively managing implementation by addressing the complexity of ITS projects.

More details about the report, and IBM’s Smarter Mobility projects, are available on IBM.com.