Seamless sustainable everyday          urban mobility

Stock image of bus and metro, Copenhagen, Denmark

Our research focuses on increasing active and sustainable transport of persons, such as walking, cycling, use of public transport, and transport-sharing solutions.

We are a group of national, regional, and local universities, authorities, transport companies, shared mobility providers, and user organizations in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden that collaborate on research focusing on the traveller’s perspective.

Contact

Otto Anker Nielsen

Otto Anker Nielsen Professor, Head of Division Department of Technology, Management and Economics Phone: +45 45251514

Evelien van der Hurk

Evelien van der Hurk Associate Professor Department of Technology, Management and Economics Phone: +45 45254821

Funded by:

Project

The objective behind EASIER is to make sustainable transport of persons more attractive by combining walking, cycling, public transport, and sharing schemes into seamless transport systems.

Based on the traveller’s perspective, EASIER will focus on:

  1. creating new knowledge about user behaviour and preferences in the new transport landscape 
  2. uncomplicated integration between active and public modes of transport
  3. efficient tariff systems that promote the use of sustainable transport
  4. improving the urban environment so that pedestrians and cyclists have better experiences in traffic 
  5. making the physical environment in railway stations and bus terminals more attractive to improve access to public transport
  6. more efficient regulation of public transport that supports improved mobility.
     

Work packages

The project consists of different work packages.

  • User insights and behavioural modelling
    The work package will obtain further insights regarding passenger preferences via advanced passenger behavioural modelling
    Responsible/contact: Jesper Bláfoss Ingvardson, DTU. Mail: jbin@dtu.dk  
  • Integrated network design
    The work package aims at increasing public transport use by more efficient and user-oriented integrated network designs.
    Responsible/contact: Evelien van der Hurk, DTU. Mail: evdh@dtu.dk

  • Efficient tariff systems
    The work package focuses at using tariff systems more actively and targeted to increase public transport use.
    Responsible/contact: Anita Schoebel, RPTU. Mail: schoebel@mathematik.uni-kl.de

  • Active modes to public transport
    The work package aims on increasing the use of active modes in general, either independently or in connection to public transport. It evaluates the effect of urban environment characteristics on walking and cycling.
    Responsible/contact: Helge Hillnhutter, NTNU. Mail: helge.hillnhutter@ntnu.no

  • Attractive transfers and access to public transport
    The work package focuses on making transport and access to public transport more attractive.
    Responsible/contact: Christian Wolf, DLR. Mail: c.wolf@dlr.dk

  • Regulation and organisation
    The work package focuses on how regulation and organisation can support (or hinder) the real implementation of the recommendations made in the first five work packages.
    Responsible/contact: Lena Hiselius, ULUND. Mail: lena.hiselius@tft.lth.se

The EASIER project consists of several work packages that ensure the interdisciplinary approach.
The EASIER project consists of several work packages that ensure the interdisciplinary approach.

Activities

Project activities

  • Kickoff meeting, Copenhagen, 1 June 2021
  • 1st Project Workshop, Copenhagen, 25th - 26th October 2021
  • Partner meeting, online, 18. March, 2022
  • Partner meeting, online, 25. November, 2022
  • 2nd Project workshop, Lund, 31. May - 1. June, 2023
  • Partner meeting, online, 30. October, 2023
  • Partner meeting, online, 22. February, 2024
  • Final project dissemination conference, Copenhagen, 22-23. April 2024 (Program: here)
  • Annual Advanced Operations Research (PhD) Summerschool, 24-28, June 2024

Communication

Communication about the Project

Project led by DTU will make public transport greener and more attractive: "How do we get more people to jump on their bike, into a metro, or to choose shared mobility instead of a petrol or diesel car when they go to work in the mornings? This, DTU will investigate in the EASIER project which also includes the Capital Region of Denmark and the Danish Metro Company”

This is the headline of the news article in Danish on the EASIER project published by the Greater Copenhagen EU Office at their website. The news release describes the research project, its international partners, scope and potential results for a public audience.

'Large EU project to create attractive green transport'

An EU project will improve sustainable transport alternatives to the car by—for example—focusing on travellers’ preferences, making it easier to get from door to door, and concurrently integrating green transport solutions in the urban environment.

'ENUAC projects catalogue 2021'

The ERA-NET Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (ENUAC) is pooling resources from 23 partners of 16 countries, to implement joint actions in the area of urban mobility, accessibility and connectivity. 

Partners

EASIER consists of an interdisciplinary consortium of leading researchers in the fields of transport behaviour, operations research, psychology, and urban planning. We work closely with national, regional, and local authorities, transport companies, providers of shared mobility solutions, and consumer organizations.

Associated partners

  • National authorities: Rail Net Denmark, Danish Transport Authority, Norwegian Public Roads Administration
  • Regional and urban authorities: METRO, City of Copenhagen, Cycle Superhighways, BVG, SenUVK Berlin, Spandau District, SaarVV; AtB, Greener Trondheim, Rogaland County, Lund Municipality
  • Transport agencies: METRO, MOVIA, Skånetrafiken, VRN, SaarVV, Ruter
  • Shared mobility providers: VOI, VRN, Donkey Republic, Lime, MOVIA, Skånetrafiken
  • User organisations: TÆNK, SS Nature Conservation, Resenärsforum, Fuss e.V., Pro Bahn