EU-Project UPPER launched (with UITP as coordinator). Goal? Increasing public transportation use by more than 30%

UITP is coordinating the new EU-project UPPER, whose focus is to “Unleashing the Potential of Public transport in EuRope”

The goal of the project is to increase the use of public transportation by more than 30% and user satisfaction by more than 25%, while ensuring that no one is left behind in the process

UITP coordinates UPPER project

The UPPER project aims to lead a revolution in public transportation that will enhance its role as a symbol of sustainability and innovation in urban mobility. The project is closely aligned with the goals of the Cities Mission, which supports the transition towards zero-emission transportation, a crucial aspect of achieving climate neutrality by 2030.

The UPPER project is being launched through a two-day conference in Brussels on January 24th and 25th 2023, and will be led by UITP with a consortium of 41 partners from various sectors of public transportation. The project will run for four years.

UPPER plans to implement a range of measures to encourage people to use public transportation instead of private cars in cities across Europe. The measures will focus on increasing the share of public transportation and will target various market segments.

UPPER project: 84 pull and push measures in 10 cities

A key aspect of the project will be participatory governance and involving citizens to ensure that decisions are made in line with the needs of different target groups. The 84 pull and push measures will focus on five “innovation axes” that influence users’ choices: 1) Mindset and culture 2) Urban mobility planning 3) Mobility services ecosystem 4) Road network management 5) Democratic governance.

These measures will be tested in UPPER Living Labs (Valencia, Rome, Ile de France, Oslo, and Mannheim) and UPPER Twinning Cities (Lisbon, Leuven, Hannover Region, Budapest, and Thessaloniki) across Europe, and will be adapted to the local context and objectives. The goal of the Living Labs and Twinning Cities is to increase the use of public transportation by more than 30% and user satisfaction by more than 25%, while ensuring that no one is left behind in the process.

The project aims to facilitate cooperation among authorities and operators and provide a physical and digital environment to test the measures, update existing SUMPs, and optimize the public transportation offer in line with passenger needs and patterns.

“To strengthen the role of public transport as the backbone of mobility in cities is of the utmost essence to address pollution, emissions and congestion. UITP is proud to coordinate UPPER and work with our members, the project partners, the EC and CINEA, and the wider mobility community on this important project that will benefit not only public transport users, but society as a whole”, says Umberto Guida, Head of Projects Strategy, UITP