Mobility management

Mobility management describes the goal-oriented influencing of individual mobility behavior. This includes the application of measures that influence the perception and evaluation of transport opportunities by individuals or target groups.

Mobility management works at the level of spatial mobility and thus enables the targeted design of traffic even before it occurs.

In addition to infrastructure planning and traffic management, mobility management represents the third dimension of modern traffic planning. The common goal of these design dimensions is determined by traffic policy and is usually based on contemporary models, such as environmentally friendly traffic or the humane city .

Theoretical foundations

Concept development

Originally conceived in the United States as Transport Demand Management , mobility management was described in more detail as a term in Germany in 1995 as part of a working paper of the Research Association for Roads and Transport (FGSV). In this paper, mobility management is viewed as a complementary field of design to classic traffic management with the specific aim of relocating and reducing motorized traffic. Initially, the focus is on the areas of operation, communication and information about available mobility offers. This understanding of the term was further developed in 2001 in a basic paper by the Federal Environment Agency and mobility management was described as a “systematic procedure for planning, implementing, commissioning and evaluating measures to solve urban and traffic planning problems”. In this context, mobility management is understood for the first time as a systematic approach to implement transport development planning integrated into administration and politics .

At the European level, the common concept of mobility management was developed in the EU projects MOMENTUM and MOSAIC at the end of the 1990s and is based on the American Transport Demand Management approach . In the European approach, the focus is more on mediating between the political and operational levels. Mobility management describes a demand-oriented approach in the field of passenger and freight transport , which initiates new collaborations and provides a package of measures to stimulate and promote efficient, environmentally and socially compatible (sustainable) mobility. The measures are essentially based on the fields of information , communication, organization and coordination and require marketing . This definition includes the shortcoming that in the translation from English promotion was translated as “Marketing”. This does not fit with the expanded understanding of marketing. The integration of freight transport into mobility management is also worth considering, as this rarely takes place in practice.

Over the years, the concept of mobility management has become more and more differentiated. In particular, the differentiation criteria that distinguish mobility management from the classic design dimensions have in some cases been defined very differently. The connection of mobility management with the firmly defined goal of reducing motorized individual traffic was also problematic in many understandings of terms. This meant that mobility management could not be integrated into planning without value, but always dependent on a specific political target definition. Finally, both in the final report of the research project Mobility Management in Germany at the TU Berlin and in the recommendations for the application of mobility management by the Research Association for Roads and Transport (FGSV), the link between mobility management and traffic shifting / avoidance was canceled.

Definitions

From the development of the term over the last few decades, a research-theoretical definition ( TU Berlin ) and a practical planning definition ( FGSV ) for mobility management have been established for the German area :

The Mobility 's management includes the operational design of the subjective conditions of locomotion possibilities. This includes the development and implementation of measures that shape the subjective perception of opportunities to change location in accordance with strategic goals.
Mobility management is the goal-oriented and target-group-specific influencing of mobility behavior with coordinating, informational, organizational and advisory measures, usually involving other actors beyond transport planning.

The first definition comes from the context of university research and classifies mobility management in the context of current scientific findings in mobility research. The second definition, on the other hand, emerged from the environment of practicing planners and is more aimed at users of mobility management in cities and municipalities. This practical planning understanding already links specific categories of measures and groups of actors with mobility management, whereas the research theory view leaves the exact design of the measures open. In the understanding of mobility management as the design of subjective framework conditions, people instead play the decisive role as the target of the measures. In contrast to infrastructure and traffic management, mobility management should explicitly influence the subjective perception of individuals or target groups. Despite the different perspectives on mobility management, the two definitions do not contradict each other in principle. The following five mobility management requirements can be found in both definitions:

goal orientation
Mobility reference
Planning integration
Stakeholder cooperation
continuity

The "goal orientation" ensures that mobility management is always embedded in the context of current transport policy goals. In addition, environmental and health policy goals can also be found in the context of mobility management measures, but the “mobility reference” must still be present. This means that the measures relate not only to traffic, but also to people's spatial mobility in particular . In contrast, mobility management, in contrast to infrastructure planning, also enables certain forms of transport to be avoided. In order to prevent counteracting effects on mobility, "planning integration" is a central requirement. The embedding of mobility management within an integrated planning not only enables a coordination of the common goals, but also coordinates the measures with neighboring planning fields, such as urban, social or environmental planning. Individual mobility is determined by a large number of influencing factors, which is why particular attention is paid to "stakeholder cooperation" in mobility management. Since, in contrast to classic transport planning, a large number of different groups of actors, such as employers, organizations or educational institutions, exert direct or indirect influence on mobility behavior, the various actors must be included in the conception and application of mobility management. The task of bringing the various actors together and setting up a common mobility management concept usually falls to the municipalities. In order to guarantee an effective and long-term effect of the mobility management measures, the "continuity" in process and application plays a key role. The processes of change in mobility behavior can only have a lasting effect if the measures are applied regularly and continuously. Particularly because mobility management unfolds its effect on a subjective level, it can take a considerable amount of time before individual routines and habits change in line with transport policy goals. In order to ensure this continuity in planning and management, a fixed institutionalization of mobility management within the administrative bodies is advantageous.

The three planning fields including the push & pull measures within the integrated planning model

Theoretical planning classification

In the understanding of integrated traffic planning, mobility management can be positioned as a third pillar alongside infrastructure and traffic management. The three planning dimensions form the operative triad of modern traffic planning and enable an integrated design of all dimensions of the traffic system: infrastructure, traffic flow, people.

The measures of the corresponding planning dimensions can in turn be divided into two categories: supply-oriented measures (pull) and restrictive measures (push). This classification can be found in the integrated planning model, which represents the operational spectrum of integrated traffic planning . The integrated planning model enables an equal consideration of mobility management, for example in the evaluation criteria, in addition to the fields of traffic and infrastructure. However, it also clearly defines the vertical separation from the strategic level of integrated traffic planning, which in the past often led to conflicting goals, particularly in mobility management.

In the context of integrated traffic planning, there is also coordination with planning areas outside of traffic , such as education or health care, where there are close interactions with mobility. Mobility management in particular opens up new perspectives for the planning of mobility and traffic, in which neighboring fields of action can also be included in the design.

Practical use

Fields of action

In practical application, a distinction is usually made between municipal mobility management and corporate mobility management . The primary task holder is relevant for the distinction : is it the municipality, is it spoken of municipal mobility management, is it a company or a company, is it referred to as operational mobility management. This differentiation plays a major role in the operationalization of mobility management, as the goals of the municipality ( common good ) and the company ( profit maximization ) differ in principle. Exceptions are the public companies , which on the one hand can pursue a corporate mobility management concept, but on the other hand are nevertheless committed to the common good. Nevertheless, corporate mobility management can also represent part of a higher-level municipal mobility management for private-sector actors by supporting the municipal mobility goals at the company level.

Possible fields of action for municipal mobility management

Municipal mobility management

The task of municipal mobility management is to coordinate the planning and action of the departments of the municipal administrations relevant for mobility and transport and to align them with the transport policy objectives. This requires a continuous and interdisciplinary coordination and decision-making process within the administrations. The medium to long-term framework for mobility management and its measures is set at the higher level of the city administration. The result of this process is the creation of a communal mobility concept. The following points should be defined in this mobility concept:

the goals of mobility management
the fields of action
the specific individual measures
those responsible for the individual fields of action
the necessary human, financial and instrumental resources

Corporate mobility management

The corporate mobility management deals with the influence of the mobility behavior of employees at company level. In contrast to communal mobility management, environmental and socio-political goals are in the background. Instead, the focus of corporate mobility management is on cost efficiency and employee health. Nonetheless, comprehensive and long-term institutionalized measures at company level can make a significant contribution to sustainable transport design. However, it is important for the public planning authorities to find incentives that bind the companies to the measures, regardless of the economic situation. A full-fledged mobility management can only be spoken of if at least the five requirements of goal orientation, mobility reference, planning integration, stakeholder cooperation and continuity are met.

Exemplary goals for corporate mobility management:

Cost savings (company side)
Increase in employee motivation (on the company side)
Image gain (company side)
Cost savings on the way to work (on the employee side)
Improving accessibility (on the employee side)
Promotion of physical activity and health prevention (on the employee side)

activities

The mobility management measures are characterized by an essential feature: the influence of individual mobility behavior with no direct effect on the flow of traffic ( traffic signal ) or infrastructure ( road construction ). According to this rule of thumb, a wide range of measures opens up from which mobility management can draw to achieve transport policy goals. This includes measures of coordination, information and organization as well as regulatory and tax policy measures. As in other planning fields, it is also true of mobility management that the effectiveness of the effects depends heavily on the combination of voluntary and restrictive measures. A bundle of measures that is based only on voluntary offers does not manage to change the existing routines for mobility behavior in the long term. Conversely, the sole use of restrictive measures leads to excessive demand for alternatives that do not exist in the absence of supply-oriented support. Accordingly, it is necessary to design a suitable mix of measures in a target-oriented manner, which corresponds to the local conditions and promises effective target achievement.

The following list gives an overview of possible target fields with corresponding mobility management measures. Here it becomes clear that the most effective achievement of the goal can only be guaranteed together with traffic and infrastructure management.


Target field	supply-oriented measures of mobility management	restrictive measures of mobility management	supporting measures for infrastructure & traffic
Increase in the share of local public transport	New Citizen Ticket Schoolchildren / student ticket digital information platforms	mandatory job ticket Beneficiary Financing Reduced space	Public transport priority at traffic lights (traffic) Bus lane (infrastructure)
Increase in the proportion of cycling	Image campaign Wheel counting stations Bike sharing offer	Minimum key for bicycle parking facilities Company bicycle compulsory Minimum coverage of bicycle maintenance stations	Redistribution of road space in favor of cycle paths (infrastructure) Green wave for cyclists (traffic)
Increase in the proportion of foot traffic	Mobility education in schools / retirement homes Reduction of anxiety dreams Making the footpaths more attractive	Extension of alternative transport routes Exclusive foot access Charges for parking other means of transport	Redesign of pedestrian crossings into pedestrian crossings (infrastructure) Area-wide Tempo-30 in urban areas (traffic)
Reduction of environmentally harmful commuter traffic	Teleworking Job ticket Improvement of bicycle and public transport accessibility	mandatory business travel guidelines Reduction of the flat rate for distance Limit value for parking spaces at employers	Financing participation by employers for infrastructures in peripheral locations (infrastructure) Prioritization of car pools in road traffic (traffic)
Reduction of environmentally harmful commercial traffic	Subsidy for cargo bikes Establishment of logistics nodes Reduction of the business tax of environmentally friendly suppliers	Pollution limit value for companies with a vehicle fleet Reduction of the delivery time window for environmentally harmful vehicles	Reserved charging zones for battery electric vehicles (traffic) Entry ban for certain vehicle sizes (infrastructure)

actors

Mobility Management Actors

While the actors and authorities in infrastructure planning and the organization of local transport are determined by laws and other legal norms, very different constellations of actors exist in mobility management. The actors can be divided into four categories:

Each of these groups of actors represents different goals and interests in relation to mobility management. Despite these diverging interests, cooperation and networking between the various actors is an essential success factor. The "public sector" has the task of containing the various actors within a common mobility concept and of safeguarding transport policy goals and social interests. The “private transport service providers” usually represent private-sector interests and appear, for example, in the form of car-sharing operators or consulting companies. In order to play a role in the German transport market in the long term, the transport service providers must cooperate with the city and municipality and jointly expand the public transport market with target-oriented innovations and offers. The "associations and interest groups" have the task of representing the interests of transport users or the transport environment. The associations play a key role in networking the various actors and in public relations work, as they usually have the means and knowledge to use them effectively. The “traffic generators” include all those institutions which, due to their function (work, education, culture), exert a great influence on the generation of traffic flows. Due to the increasing problem pressure from traffic, especially in cities, traffic generators are now also forced to play an active part in shaping the traffic situation. Public institutions in particular, but also more and more private companies, are being integrated into the mobility concept of municipalities and cities , for example through corporate mobility management .

A further investigation of the various actor constellations in mobility management in the context of mobility research was able to identify 14 different groups of actors in Germany. The groups differ in that they each combine their own interests and goals with mobility management. A holistic strategy concept is therefore necessary for goal-oriented mobility management, which harmonizes the interests of the various groups of actors with the goals of transport policy. A more detailed description of the stakeholder groups shown, their interests and corresponding recommendations for action can be found in the final report of the research project Mobility Management at TU Berlin. The individual concepts and a strategy concept can be found in the publicly accessible brochure “Managing mobility successfully” from the Integrated Transport Planning department.

literature

Research Society for Roads and Transport: Recommendations for the application of mobility management. FGSV-Verlag, Cologne 2018.
Integrated Transport Planning: Managing mobility successfully. Concepts and strategies for a sustainable transport policy with mobility management . Berlin 2018.
Oliver Schwedes, Benjamin Sternkopf, Alexander Rammert: Mobility Management - From Planning Ideal to Transport Policy Instrument. In: O. Schwedes (Ed.): Transport policy. An interdisciplinary introduction. 2nd Edition. Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2018.
Future Network Mobility NRW: Cost efficiency through mobility management. Handbook for municipal practice. Ministry for Building, Housing, Urban Development and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Düsseldorf 2016.
Mechtild Stiewe, Ulrike Reutter (Ed.): Mobility Management - Scientific Basics and Effects in Practice. Klartextverlag, Essen 2012.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Research Society for Roads and Transport: Local public transport. Mobility management - a new approach to the environmentally friendly handling of traffic problems. In: FGSV (Ed.): Working paper 38 . Cologne 1995.

↑ Federal Environment Agency: Mobility management for dealing with municipal traffic problems . Ed .: UBA. Berlin 2001.

↑ European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM)

↑ Armin Langweg: Mobility Management, Mobility Culture, Marketing & Mobility Marketing - An attempt to clarify terms . In: City - Region - Country. Issue 82. Berlin 2007.

↑ ^a ^b Oliver Schwedes, Stephan Daubitz, Alexander Rammert, Benjamin Sternkopf, Maximilian Hoor: Small concept canon of mobility research . Ed .: TU Berlin. 2nd Edition. Berlin March 1, 2018 ( tu-berlin.de [PDF]).

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Research Society for Roads and Transport: Recommendations for the application of mobility management . Ed .: FGSV eV R 2. Cologne 2018, ISBN 978-3-86446-214-6 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Oliver Schwedes, Benjamin Sternkopf, Alexander Rammert: Mobility Management. Possibilities and limits of transport policy design using the example of mobility management. In: TU Berlin (Ed.): Final report . Berlin 2017 ( tu-berlin.de [PDF]).

↑ Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg: Specialized information on municipal mobility management: possible course of the project in the model municipalities . Ed .: VRS, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg. Cologne 2012.

^ Christian Holz-Rau: Traffic and traffic science. Transport policy challenges from the perspective of transport science. In: Oliver Schwedes (Ed.): Transport policy. An interdisciplinary introduction . 2nd Edition. Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2018, ISBN 978-3-531-92843-2 .

↑ Oliver Schwedes: Managing mobility successfully. Technische Universität Berlin, 2017, accessed on September 28, 2018.

[1] Research Society for Roads and Transport: Local public transport. Mobility management - a new approach to the environmentally friendly handling of traffic problems. In: FGSV (Ed.): Working paper 38 . Cologne 1995.

[2] Federal Environment Agency: Mobility management for dealing with municipal traffic problems . Ed .: UBA. Berlin 2001.

[3] European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM)