Day 2 of Velo-city 2018 started with a stimulating discussion about Technology.

In a nutshell, the plenary explored how new technologies could revolutionize mobility in the next few years, as well as the relevance of 200-year old technology like cycling.

In this plenary, global leaders in the field discussed some of the emerging challenges for governance, cities and advocates as new technologies go live.

Discussions included:

• The direction of Artificial Intelligence and automated vehicle technology and the broader opportunities of AV technology and active transportation.
• Leading cities like Copenhagen are adopting leading Intelligent Transport Solutions for mobility, especially some of the unique innovations for cyclists’ traffic management. Opportunities and challenges are offered for any city in the new technologies, but what are the best ways in which cities can react to promote and protect active mobility?
• Successes of cycling as a new technology have included services such as e-bikes, bike sharing and routing. There is further potential for cycling in technological fields such as Mobility as a Service and sharing systems through bike sharing, but how can they be exploited?
• Should there be health warnings to cycling advocates and policy makers not engaging with emerging policy challenges and leaving it all to the automotive, freight or public transport sectors?
• Which are the new tools and new opportunities in areas such as MaaS and electric assistance for cycling?

The plenary was moderated by Lake Sagaris, associate adjunct professor of transport engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, affiliated with the Centre of Excellence in BRT and the Sustainable Urban Development Centre (CEDEUS).

The speakers for the plenary “Technology” were:

• Tim Papandreou, from non-profit organization City Innovate, focused on innovative public-private partnerships helping governments and companies to work together in order to find win-win solutions.

Mr. Papandreou provided personal insights drawn from his Waymo experience and as the Chief Innovation Officer with the City of San Francisco, Transportation Agency. He focused on the direction of AI and automated vehicle technology and the broader opportunities of AV technology and active transportation. Mr. Papandreou helped us get a real sense of where this is going and the attitude of the car sector to other modes of transportation.

“Automated technology is not a vehicle; it is a platform that can be applied to everything that moves.”

• Nina Hedeager Olsen, Senior of Technical and Environmental Affairs at the City of Copenhagen and Head of the Technical and Environmental Committee.

Ms. Olsen brought a perspective about the way Copenhagen is adopting leading Intelligent Transport Solutions for mobility, especially some of the unique innovations for cyclists’ traffic management that she is implementing. Ms. Olsen discussed the opportunities and challenges for a city in the new technologies which are being offered.

“Technology is not important by itself, it is important when it is used to make people’s lives easier and more comfortable. We need technology only if it makes our life better.”

• Kevin Mayne, Development Director ECF, responsible for the programmes “Smarter cycling”, “Cycling as a new technology” and the Platform for European Bike Sharing and Systems.

Mr. Mayne concentrated on cycling. He highlighted the successes of cycling so far such as e-bikes, bike sharing and routing. He also highlighted the potential for cycling in technological fields such as Mobility as a Service and sharing systems through bike sharing. He set out ECF’s warnings about many cycling advocates and policy makers not engaging with emerging policy challenges and leaving it all to the automotive sector.

“We will not put microchips on our kids: if automation cannot solve the problem, they shouldn’t be allowed in our cities.”

The “Technology” plenary took place during Day 2 of Velo-city 2018; Wednesday 13^th June 2018 at 9:00-10:00.