The Agenda vol 66 - One less car: Imagining the transit of the future

For the time being, North Americans remain a largely car-dependent bunch, with many sustainably-minded motorists opting to purchase electric vehicles rather than forego car ownership. But globally, attitudes are shifting, with the prospect of easy and affordable mobility getting people excited about using public transit options. And that’s good news, because if we’re to have any hope of meeting the target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5℃, governments need to ensure that people living in urban areas have “safe, frequent, affordable and accessible public transport within a 10-minute walk from their homes.” Transportation currently accounts for about a quarter of global fossil fuel emissions.

In this month’s Agenda, a look at how communicators are encouraging more widespread public transport use in cities around the world.?

Competing on convenience: SL campaign presents alternative to the pitfalls of car commutes

Though environmental concerns are among the most often cited as reasons to take public transport, a campaign for Stockholm’s network SL opted to focus instead on increased convenience for commuters as they avoid the pitfalls of driving private cars. Swedish agency Familjen Sthlm was SL’s partner in the campaign, strategically placing ads about traffic jams, parking fines and soaring fuel prices in places where stuck car commuters were likely to see them, along with the tagline “Ride with us instead.” An accompanying video features a painful, four-minute attempt at parallel parking set to elevator music.

Public transport comes to the rescue in Stockholm campaign

What happened when the world’s richest nation made transit free

Prior to launching free public transport in 2020, Luxembourg bore the dubious distinction of having the highest car density in the EU: 696 per 1,000 people versus the average 560. Along with this density, the country suffered from bad traffic conditions and high levels of emissions. The government responded by making all public transport free in February of 2020. Passengers only purchase tickets if they wish to travel first class, and the costs of maintaining the system are covered by taxpayers. Though impacts are tricky to measure since the new system was introduced right before the pandemic, a number of riders have celebrated the change and come to see easy, affordable transportation as a right. Public perception is that it allows citizens to travel easily and is a boon for the environment.?

The world’s richest country made public transport free: Here’s what happened next | Euronews

McKinsey survey: consumers excited about shifting transportation habits?

As part of its annual consumer mobility survey, McKinsey looked at global attitudes toward private car use and discovered that, though owned vehicles still account for the most popular form of mobility worldwide, a large population of car owners is excited to make a shift toward public transport use. This will likely impact the development of roadways, parking garages, and other emissions-supporting infrastructure. The survey found that 30 percent of respondents planned to increase their use of micromobility aids such as e-bikes or scooters, and 46 percent were open to replacing their private vehicles with other modes of transportation in the coming decade. How will comms campaigns capitalize on these trends? Time will tell.?

The future of mobility in 2035

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Thanks for reading,

— Ashley Letts, Managing Editor