Current research projects
Read about our current research projects.
Pedestrian traffic, bicycle traffic, and traffic safety
Senior pedestrian and cyclist interactions
Senior pedestrians are overrepresented in collisions with cyclists. In a study, co-financed by The Swedish Transport Administration Traffic Safety Fund (Trafikverkts Skyltfond), Trivector studied senior pedestrians’ involvement in incidents with cyclists in order to see if the design of the walking and bicycling environments affect interactions. The study also examined senior pedestrians’ mobility and risk compensating strategies regarding perceived safety issues.
The study tested the following hypotheses:
- Senior pedestrians are more often involved in accidents and incidents with cyclists compared to other age groups.
- Seniors feel a greater worry/insecurity connected to interactions with cyclists and therefore limit their mobility to a greater extent.
- The design of walking and cycling environments impacts the interaction between senior pedestrians and cyclists more than it does for other age groups.
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg, +46 10 456 56 08.
Safety risks and increased knowledge about faster and more powerful electric bicycles
The sales of speed pedelecs (pedal-assisted electric bicycles) and motorised bicycles are increasing fast in countries such as Switzerland and The Netherlands. These faster and more powerful electric bicycles look like regular electric bicycles, but are in many ways more like mopeds, leading to traffic safety problems. High-speed electric bicycles are most often sold in bicycle shops where the salespeople often do not have adequate knowledge of the safety aspects for different types of electric bicycles.
The research project financed by The Swedish Transport Administration Traffic Safety Fund (Trafikverkts Skyltfond) aimed to increase understanding surrounding the safety risks of faster electric bicycles in Sweden by:
- Mapping the knowledge of safety risks of high-speed electric bicycles.
- Examining the legislation and its application in Sweden and other countries.
- Mapping the knowledge of salespersons who sell high-speed electric bicycles in Sweden.
- Giving advice and recommendations as to how the safety of new types of faster and more powerful electric bicycles can be increased.
For more information, contact Lena Smidfelt Rosqvist, +46 10 4565610.
A variation of cyclists in the same lane
The trend is positive for cycling in Sweden, especially in the larger city regions. This trend means that there is a larger number of cyclists but also an increasingly varied array cyclist types. Electric bicyclists, cargo cyclists, senior cyclists, people with disabilities (paracycling), high-speed long commuters, exercise and competitive cyclists, children on the way to school, parents with trailers, etc. are united in the same space despite their different needs. They are often treated as a homogeneous group in cycle planning.
Through financing from The Swedish Transport Administration Traffic Safety Fund (Trafikverkets Skyltfond), various bicycle groups’ needs and conditions were studied from a traffic safety perspective with the aim to provide a better understanding of:
- The extent of different forms of cycling in Sweden and anticipated trends for the future.
- The traffic safety situation for various cyclist groups.
- Various cyclist groups’ specific needs, interests, and possible conflicts of interest between cyclist groups and other road users.
- Advice and recommendations of how we can better manage cyclists needs and conditions in the planning process.
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg, +46 10 4560 56 08
Safe and secure crossings between cyclists and pedestrians
Urbanisation means densification and an increase in the number of pedestrians and cyclists. In Sweden, pedestrians and cyclists most often use mixed infrastructure and are managed as one homogenous group, despite having different needs and expectations of the infrastructure. At crossings where pedestrians cross the cycle lane, at walking and biking tunnels, or in connection to road intersections, for example, problems between the two transport modes are particularly apparent.
Through financing via the Swedish Transport Administration, crossings between pedestrians and cyclists were studied in order to increase the knowledge of the problem as well as to create design principles to better manage crossings from a safety and security perspective.
Empirical studies were conducted in Stockholm. The results, conclusions were developed into recommendations that were also discussed with other municipalities and regions to create design principles that can be applied throughout the country.
If you have any questions, contact Erik Stigell, +46 10 456 56 79.
PASTA: Are we more physically active if the conditions improve?
Are people more physically active if the conditions to walk and cycle improve? This is the main question for the four-year-long European research project, Physical Activity Through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA). Extensive studies were conducted with a total of 14 000 participants in seven European cities, including Örebro, London, Barcelona, and Zurich.
The main aim for the research project, PASTA, was to examine which conditions for walking, bicycling, and public transport promote physical activity. The project also developed a tool which can be used to calculate the costs and benefits of investments in infrastructure for active mobility (walking, cycling also in combination with public transport). The project made informational material and a collection of good examples which can be used by decision makers at different levels.
Fourteen actors are involved, including the WHO, University of Oxford, and University of Zurich. Trivector Traffic, as one of the actors responsible for the Swedish sub-study, is the only private actor and has co-financing from the Swedish Transport Administration. The PASTA project is co-financed by the EU under the FP7.
For more information, contact Lena Smidfelt Rosqvist, +46 10 456 56 10.
Mobile IT and vulnerable road users
Mobile IT in the form of smartphones, tablets, etc. are a common sight today. It is known that distractions are a contributing reason to a large portion of accidents in which motorists are involved. However, the knowledge of safety associated with vulnerable road users’ mobile IT-use is considerably poorer.
Through the Swedish Transport Administration traffic safety fund (Trafikverkets Skyltfond), this project studied how mobile IT is used by vulnerable road users, as well as judged how large the possible traffic safety problems are. The project also indicated which problems need to be addressed in order to increase traffic safety with regards to the use of mobile IT.
If you want to know more about the project, you can contact Emeli Adell, +46 10 456 56 22.
Collecting Bicycle Data, collecting travel data about cycling through smartphones
In the research project Collecting Bicycle Data (Samla Cykeldata), Trivector successfully collected cycling data from over 800 people in Gothenburg with several different mobile phone applications. This test was evaluated scientifically, practically, and economically to determine if such a data collection method can be a good complement to travel surveys and cycle flow measurements. The project was financed by Trivector in collaboration with the city of Gothenburg and the cycling organisation Cykelfrämjandet.
For more information, please contact Erik Stigell, +46 10 456 56 79.
Making safe traffic environments for children safe! Review of tools for safe routes to school
Safe (and perceived safe) school routes are fundamental for children to be able to walk and cycle to school. This project reviewed the uses and needs of municipalities regarding tools for safe routes to school and similar tools for analysis of children’s traffic environments from a traffic safety and perceived safety perspective. The use of child impact assessment (in Swedish: barnkonsekvensanalyser – BKA) was also examined. Based on this review as well as the results from previous studies and on experiences from safe routes to school analyses, recommendations were given for approaches to safe routes to school and methods (questions, response alternatives, assessment criteria, etc.), both for the survey and inventory, with focus on the Swedish Road Administration method. Influences are also taken from tools in related fields.
The project was financed by the Swedish Transport Administration Traffic Safety Fund (Skyltfonden).
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg (+46 10 456 56 08).
School Mobility Labs: for more sustainable travel to school
An everyday problem that many parents face is transporting their children to school and leisure activities. Giving children rides in a car is to many a rational alternative for balancing family care and work life. This, however, paradoxically creates both concern for the safety of the children in the school’s traffic environment as well as additional stress on an already strained schedule. On the societal level, it places a tension on the transport sector’s emissions problems and deprives children of valuable physical activity through active mobility. In this project, Trivector, in partnership with Eslövs kommun and Eslövs Bostads AB, conducted a norm-creative innovation process in the form of School Mobility Labs, where the solutions that create conditions to enable more people to walk and ride bicycles to the school were identified. Unlike many dialogue methods, School Mobility Labs build on collaboration; the participants, together with experts, formulate the problem, generate different solution options, and determine the design of the solutions. It is also based on a mutual learning process in the context of a shift towards more sustainable mobility. The process promotes environmental protection and increased public health as well as gender equality, equitability, and competitiveness in the municipality and the region.
Financed by: Region Skåne through the call for “Norm Creative Innovation” within the framework for Equal Regional Growth.
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg (+46 10 456 56 08) or Nina Hvitlock (+46 10 456 56 20)
Scaling cycling
- Malmö Bike Freight Company – MOVEBYBIKE
- Region of Utrecht – Bicycle streets
- City of Copenhagen – Crowdsourcing bicycle investment hotspots
- City of Copenhagen – Cycle Superhighways
- City of Copenhagen – Focusing on simplicity
- City of Malmö – Bicycle kitchen
- City of Malmö – Elevated bicycle crossings
- Region of Utrecht – Cycle implementation plan
- Utrecht – Bicycle school – De Fietsmeesters
Don’t hesitate to contact Malin Mårtensson, +46 10 456 56 35 for more information.
Sustainable development and transport
Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
Trivector has worked with several different research and innovation projects regarding “Transport as a service” or “Mobility as a service” (MaaS). By tying together different transport solutions into a single bundled service, Maas has a great potential to contribute to a sustainable urban transport system, since it creates a service that makes it possible to access all transport needs without owning a car.
In the IRIMS project, we have, together with researchers from Lund university, K2, and Chalmers, looked at institutional barriers and driving forces for MaaS. In the spring of 2017, we arranged a workshop for exchange of experience on MaaS between cities and public transport operators from the Nordic countries, with financing from the European initiative network EIT Climate-KIC. We were also partners in an EIT Climate-KIC financed demonstration project together with Aarhus municipality, where a MaaS service was be developed and implemented during 2018 and 2019.
Trivector has also developed its own MaaS concept for property development projects, EC2B – Easy to B or Easy to Be – which offers a collection of mobility services for properties. Residents of a property are given access to different mobility services: public transport, rental bikes, car share, rental cars, taxis, carpool, delivery etc. which together become a more attractive alternative to car ownership. In order to get the most benefit out of the service, advice and guidance are also included. With EC2B, fewer parking spaces are needed which can save money and is a common goal for modern urban development projects.
The EC2B concept has been developed over several years as an internal innovation project within Trivector Traffic, some co-financing from EIT Climate-KIC, and support from Future by Lund. In 2017, a subsidiary of Trivector Traffic was started in order to develop EC2B. More information can be found on EC2B’s website.
Through the H2020 co-financed EU project IRIS (Integrated and Replicable Solutions for Co-Creation in Sustainable Cities, we have been given the opportunity to further develop and implement EC2B in Riksbyggen’s property Brf Viva in the neighbourhood of Johanneberg in Gothenburg (http://irissmartcities.eu/). Trivector also received funding from the Swedish Environmental Protection’s City Innovation Program for a project that is preparing for the implementation of EC2B in Lund in LKF Xplorion property in Brunnshög.
For more information, contact Björn Wendle, +46 10 456 56 09 or Emma Lund, +46 10 456 56 30.
Inclusive MaaS- Integrated mobility services for more equitable access.
This research project is co-financed by Vinnova and had the aim to develop a concept for integrated mobility services for socially vulnerable areas from an intersectional perspective – An Inclusive MaaS.
The access to everyday activities is unevenly distributed in Sweden and internationally. Neighbourhoods and groups with high socioeconomic status have generally better access, while at the same time, contribute to higher mobility with negative impacts on the long-term sustainability goals of the transport sector. When investments in new sustainable concepts for transport are made – for example, so called integrated mobility services, MaaS – they are targeted almost exclusively to already privileged areas and groups. The unequal distribution of both accessibility and future-oriented investments is thereby strained.
MaaS generally shows a good potential to address different transport related sustainability challenges which Swedish cities face. However, in socially vulnerable neighbourhoods, there is also a risk that an improved access will increase unsustainable mobility. Earlier experience has even shown that concepts developed for socioeconomically strong areas/groups failed to apply in weaker areas/groups. Concepts for mobility solutions in socially vulnerable areas need to be developed based on knowledge of barriers and conditions relevant to these areas, which has not so far been the case.
The project developed a concept for Inclusive MaaS that increases accessibility for socio-economically weak areas with the aim of equalizing the distribution of accessibility and future-oriented initiatives. In this way, an Inclusive MaaS can contribute to increased participation, inclusion and social capital in socially vulnerable areas as well as strengthens these groups in society.
Project period: 2017-12-01 to 2018-11-30.
Project partners: Trivector Traffic AB (coordinator), EC2B Mobility AB, Malmö City, MKB Fastighets AB, Skånetrafiken, and E.ON Sverige AB.
Reports (Swedish): Vinnova inkluderande MaaS Delrapport1, v 1.0
Vinnova inkluderande MaaS Delrapport2, v 1.0
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg (+46 10 456 56 08) or Lena Smidfelt Rosqvist (+46 10 456 56 10).
Whose job is it?
Together with Lund University, we brought together data from the national travel survey with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency national attitude survey. We mapped who travels unsustainably and sustainably based on estimates from the Swedish government’s study of decarbonised transport (“FFF utredningen”) in Sweden. Based on the climate scenario from the government study, and details on travel behaviour, we identified who is expected to “do the job” in the transport sector’s CO2 emissions reduction.
All in all, to achieve the transition to a more sustainable transport system, the study’s results show that it is most likely that major efforts, targeted to specific areas, which have the potential to change habitual behaviour need to be done. Measures that are proposed and discussed within transport decarbonisation should include this knowledge, whereby policy decisions must include measures that have the potential to change the population’s long driving distances by car in order to be effective for the transition to a sustainable transport system. Changed societal norms and age structures with associated travel habits indicate interesting implications for total vehicle mileage, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions and should be analysed and discussed further.
The study has so far a published article in Journal of Cleaner Production.
For more information, contact Lena Smidfelt Rosqvist, +46 10 4565610.
Transport policy and justice
Today there is a lack of knowledge on how the collected efforts to achieve a sustainable transport system together affect different groups.
By using new inclusive methods with “mobility-labs,” we have investigated conceivable policy measure packages that contribute to increased acceptance for powerful emission reductions through securing accessibility in a post-fossil fuel transport system.
The goal with the study was to research suggestions of policy measures packages which can better secure sustainable accessibility for all groups in a post-fossil fuel society. Additionally, an objective was further to develop a method for including locally dependent actors in the creation of policy measure packages for the post-fossil fuel transition.
For more information, contact Lena Smidfelt Rosqvist, +46 10 456 56 10.
The relay – Passing on environmental objectives to transport planning decisions
The overall aim of the project was to study how national climate and environmental policy targets better can govern decisions at national, regional, and local levels in Swedish transport planning. Cooperation between IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (project leader), Trivector Traffic, and Department of Technology and Society at Lund University.
For more information: Hanna Wennberg (+46 10 456 56 08), Emma Lund (+46 10 456 56 30)
Financing by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
The EU project SUMPS-Up
The EU project SUMPS-Up – the European Programme for Accelerating the Take-up of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans – is about promoting the development and implementation of SUMP (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans) in European cities. In SUMPS-Up, exchange and collaboration take place with two parallel EU projects on SUMP: Prosperity and SUITS. In SUMPS-Up, Trivector is responsible for the analysis of the results from a comprehensive web-based survey conducted in the spring of 2017. In this survey, European cities answered questions about which challenges, driving forces, and needs they have in the work of SUMPs. Trivector is also responsible for the development of manuals to support municipalities in the choice and packaging of measures for their SUMP as well as a guide on how to create a good measurement plan. Manuals are created for cities with varying degrees of maturity regarding work with SUMPs: one aimed at beginner cities that want to develop their first SUMP, another for cities that want to become more systematic in their work, and a third for more experienced cities that want to become more innovative. The project holds various trainings and workshops aimed at planners within the SUMP Learning Programmes.
Financed by EU’s Horizon 2020 / CIVITAS.
Project coordinator is ICLEI European Secretariat.
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg (+46 10 456 56 08), Rasmus Sundberg (+46 10 456 56 45), Caroline Mattsson (+46 10 456 56 43), Björn Wendle (+46 10 456 56 09).
Read more on the project’s website: http://sumps-up.eu/.
Conflicting policy objectives of infrastructure planning at national and local levels
Trivector Traffic and the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet) together have performed study on conflicts between forecast-oriented planning and backcasting in a research project financed by the Swedish Transport Administration. The starting point for the study was the conflict between municipal goals and ambitions to create attractive urban environments and reduce car traffic, and on the other hand the Swedish Transport Administration’s forecasts which show the continued increase in road traffic. The study identified which policy conflicts arise, and developed suggestions for how to manage them. Together, a total of fifty representatives from municipalities and the Swedish Transport Administration who work with planning of infrastructure and construction participated in interviews and workshops for the study.
Project financed by the Swedish Transport Administration.
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg (+46 10 456 56 08), Lena Smidfelt Rosqvist (+46 10 456 56 10), Christer Ljungberg (+46 10 456 56 01).
Sustainable development and freight transport
Innovative distribution terminals that promote long term sustainability for freight distribution
SMARTSET (EU IEE) aimed to develop market-orientated terminals for a more energy-efficient urban freight transport. The project comprised three parts; business models, energy-efficient vehicle fleets and incentives and regulation. Trivector was leader of the WP on evaluation, and author of the final evaluation report which includes conclusions and recommendations from the 3-year project. For more information, see the website or contact Pernilla Hyllenius +46 10 456 56 07.
Transport planning and strategies
Gender equality, transport planning and the climate transition
In several different research projects, financed by the Swedish Energy Agency and K2, Trivector is studying the significance of gender equality for energy efficiency in the transport sector. There are consistently large differences between genders both in terms of travel habits and behaviour, as well as attitudes and values connected to climate and the environment. In addition, the power-structures in the transport sector are far from equal, in that male decision makers and male norms still dominate. The aim with this research project is to better understand how gender and gender norms impact decisions at municipal and regional levels with the long-term goal to contribute to a gender equal transport sector and a more sustainable transport system.
The project has so far published two scientific articles:
Mobility management for national transport administrations
Climate change mitigation and adaptation have become significant challenges for National Transport Administrations (NRAs). Mobility Management can play an important role in tackling them. On the one hand, it can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions of road transport, on the other hand it can be used in reaction to planned and unplanned road events that demand action to sustain accessibility to the NRA’s road networks.
The aim of the Modbear project was to analyse current Mobility Management policies and practices in place across CEDR NRAs, in both the context of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to sustain accessibility and influence travel behaviour during severe weather events. Thirteen European road administrations were studied to create an understanding of how mobility management is used and compares with strategies for traffic management.
The project was financed by CEDR (Conference of European Directors of Roads) within CEDR Transnational Road Research Programme and is conducted in partnership with ARUP, Ireland as well as Hasselt University, Belgium.
For more information, contact Caroline Mattsson, +46 10 456 56 43.
Cost assessments of innovative solutions
Today we need to conduct cost assessments to be included in transport assessments such as Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM-studies) (åtgärdsvalsstudier, ÅVS), or other assessments and appraisals of transport measures in an early planning stage. Trivector was a part of a project group which had the aim to compile the experience that exists regarding cost assessments for innovative measures, and to create a user-friendly tool that can support these cost estimates so that they can be facilitated and reduce uncertainty.
For more information, contact Emeli Adell, +46 10 456 56 22.
Traffic safety
Municipal operation and maintenance of pedestrian and cycling paths and actual injury outcome.
A challenge in traffic safety work is the persistence of serious injuries amongst pedestrians and cyclists and the high number of single accidents. Operation and maintenance of pedestrian and cycling paths are important measures to reduce these types of incidents, and are often the responsibility of the municipality. In the project, a comparison was made between three sources: (1) municipalities’ injury reports according to the traffic accident database STRADA; (2) municipalities’ work on operations and maintenance according to the Swedish Transport Administration’s database to follow road safety targets; and (3) a satisfaction survey by local residents performed by SKL. Do municipalities with good maintenance quality for pedestrian and cycling paths also show a large risk for single accidents amongst pedestrians and cyclists? Are the municipalities with good maintenance quality for pedestrian and cycling paths also the ones with the most satisfied residents with respects to operation and maintenance? And is there a connection between individual assessment criteria in the Transport Administration’s follow-up model with regards the satisfaction survey? The results from the analysis were summarised in a written rapport with conclusions and recommendations.
Project was financed by the Swedish Transport Administration’s Traffic Safety Fund (Trafikverkets Skyltfond)
For more information, contact Hanna Wennberg, +46 10 456 56 08.
Testing new models for increased knowledge on how we travel within the city
According to calculations from the Swedish Transport Administration, carbon emissions from transport can be reduced as much as 15-20 percent purely through work with planning of the physical environment. How we build the physical environment is of great importance to how much car traffic is generated, and understanding the links between the physical environment, car ownership and traffic generation is of great importance for us to achieve Sweden’s energy and climate goals.
During 2019, a model will be developed for three municipalities in order to estimate total travel based on variables of how the environment is built. The results are planned to be generalisable so that municipalities can gain a deeper understanding of how best to build in order to reduce car traffic and increase the use of sustainable modes.
The research project is ongoing until mid-2020. It is the initiative of two research-based consulting firms, Spacescape and Trivector Traffic, together with the three Swedish municipalities, Gävle, Jönköping, and Linköping. The Swedish Energy Agency is co-financing the project.
Contact person: Emeli Adell, project leader Trivector, +46 (0)10-456 56 22
Contact us
Would you like to know more about our research or research projects? Contact our Head of Research or CEO.
Do you have a research degree, and are you looking to work with sustainable development? Let us know! We are always interested in driven researchers who are interested to work on societal challenges to join our group at Trivector.
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