Projects
CIVITAS MIMOSA
Better Mobility, Better City
CIVITAS, better and cleaner transport, originates from the words CIty – VITAlity - Sustainability.
The CIVITAS initiative, launched by the European Commission in the year 2000, aims to:
- Promote and implement effective, sustainable, and clean energy urban transport measures;
- Implement integrated packages of technological and policy measures in the field of energy and transport;
- Create a critical mass and markets for innovation.
The project CIVITAS MIMOSA - Making Innovation in Mobility and Sustainable Actions, developed under the European CIVITAS PLUS Program (within the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme), integrates a European consortium consisting of the cities of Funchal (Portugal), Bologna (Italy), Gdansk (Poland), Tallinn (Estonia), and Utrecht (Netherlands).
The consortium in Funchal is led by Horários do Funchal and includes partnerships with the Funchal City Council and Madeira Tecnopólo. It should be highlighted that the city of Funchal, besides being the first island city, is one of the first three Portuguese cities to participate in the CIVITAS initiative.
Duration: October 2008 to February 2013
Objectives:
The CIVITAS MIMOSA initiative aims to support European cities in promoting mobility policies that develop ambitious and innovative measures in the area of sustainable mobility, for a city with a better quality of life, namely through measures that contribute to the reduction of pollution and the reduction of dependence on individual transport, increasing citizen awareness for the sustainable development of cities.
The project fundamentally aims to improve the urban mobility of the City of Funchal, with a view to reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions in the transport sector, through technological innovation applied to the transport sector and mobility in general.
Activities:
1. Measures under the responsibility of Horários do Funchal
Sustainable Fleet – Renewal of the heavy and light fleet of Horários do Funchal and the light fleet of the Funchal City Council through the promotion of alternative technologies.
Green Line – A less polluting public transport route with better information.
Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) – Introduction of a call-based service in urban areas and equipping the control center.
Public Transport Service Planning Center – Optimization of performance levels of urban public transport using modern and sophisticated network planning devices.
Mobi Park – Integration of peripheral parking infrastructures with the public transport network and introduction of a connection service to the main schools.
Eco-Driving – Training for drivers of the Funchal City Council and Horários do Funchal aiming at more economical and safer driving.
Bicycle Transport – Integration of a bicycle transport system in public transport.
2. Measures under the responsibility of the Funchal City Council
Creation of a rental service for hybrid and electric bicycles/scooters – Providing a rental service for light and environmentally friendly vehicles and pursuing measures to promote the acquisition and use of more ecologically efficient vehicles in Funchal.
Introduction of a new entry control system in the historical center's pedestrian zones – Acquisition of automatic bollards to better operationalize access restrictions in central areas of the city.
Dissemination of awareness campaigns for sustainable mobility – Development of a vast array of initiatives aimed at promoting a new culture of urban mobility.
Mobility Observatory – Creation of a center for planning and monitoring urban mobility, equipped with simulation and scenario projection tools, tasked with collecting, processing, and disseminating information and data important for the definition of public policies in the area of mobility, as well as for the general public.
3. Measures led by Madeira Tecnopólo
Creation of an information service for citizens via SMS, integrated into the Mobility Observatory – Development of a system for the instantaneous sending of SMS messages related to mobility.
Development and testing of a pilot project for research and guidance based on GPS/Galileo georeferencing – Development of a georeferencing service for points of interest in the city, primarily for tourism purposes.
Useful Links:
CIVITAS-MIMOSA consortium sites:
http://www.civitas-mimosa.eu/main http://www.civitas.eu/project_sheet?lan=en&id=11
European CIVITAS-Plus initiative site:
http://www.civitas.eu
Regional project site on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Civitas-Mimosa-Funchal/107026139343879
European Commission - CORDIS:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html
Regional partners: Funchal City Council:
http://www.cm-funchal.pt Madeira Tecnopólo: http://www.madeiratecnopolo.pt