How data can shape urban mobility in a climate-friendly way in Bogotá

By Karla Hernandez and Lena Plikat

In today’s world, data is more accessible than ever and can dramatically improve operations in almost any field. The mobility sector is no exception. Real-time, Up-to-date and accurate information on movement patterns and existing transportation infrastructure forms the basis for efficient urban planning decisions. While digitization and digital data is not the cure-all for the global transportation transformation, it enables more efficient, sustainable, and resilient transportation planning and implementation.

The Problem

However, data and up-to-date information are not equitably distributed around the globe. Cities with highly function transport system- such as Hamburg in Germany – have and use this information. Other cities have the information, but they are operating siloed, leading to inefficiencies within administrations. The best solution for such problems are open Data Portals, as can be found in cities like Hamburg, Bogotá or São Paulo, for example. On a global scale, however, most cities have neither sufficient mobility data nor a good data portal to access the available data.

Our Work

Recognizing the urgent need to improve access to mobility data, TUMI has partnered with CAF – Development Bank for Latin America – to jointly create the TUMI Data for Sustainable Urban Mobility project.

The initial project outputs consist of these main components:

1. The establishment of the TUMI Mobility Data Hub that will broadcast mobility data for all to use.
2. Using data and technology, the project team will support cities to introduce specific solutions that are prototyped within the cities.
3. Capacity development/ Capacity building to support the collaborative use of mobility data and strengthen standards in data collection, storage and documentation.

The TUMI Mobility Data Hub is currently being built. It aims to promote the use of open data and new technologies to make informed and better decisions about mobility by providing cities with the necessary platform. A key success factor for the active use of data hubs within cities will be to demonstrate the added value of integrating and maintaining data sets. For this reason, CAF is working with three prototype cities to identify relevant use cases for the advancement of sustainable mobility planning with the help of digital data.

Today we are presenting Bogotá and their data driven project

Bogotá has a clear strategy for sustainable transportation and clean mobility. The Secretariat of Mobility of Bogotá has been developing different initiatives and strategies aimed to mitigate traffic congestions and to reduce emissions and other negative effects.

Mobility in Bogotá ©Juan Manuel Prado/ GIZ

Besides their Pico y Placa system, the system restricts access by car to a pre-determined area of the city for vehicles with license plates ending in specific digits on pre-determined days and during certain hours, the city has recently developed further initiatives. Currently, the average car occupancy in Bogotá is 1.52, the District Development Plan (Plan de Desarollo Distrital 2020-2024), seeks to increase it to a value of 2.0. In order to achieve this increase, the city is taking the following approaches:

• Pico y Placa Solidario: This mechanism seeks to make car drivers internalise part of the negative impacts they generate on society by a payment through a web-based platform to be able to drive during the Pico y Placa restriction. In a next phase, this project seeks to migrate to a distance-based charging scheme.
• High occupancy exception: In addition to the Pico y Plaza Solidario, the administration incorporated in September 2020 an additional exception to the Pico y Placa restriction for private cars, that drive with three or more people (including the person driving) in the entire route of these vehicles (from origin to destination). Those interested in making use of this exception must register their cars on the platform provided by the Secretariat of Mobility.
• Measure congestion: This project seeks to test alternative solutions for managing externalities charges in Bogotá through the use of technological solutions.
• Shared mobility pilot project: The pilot was launched on May 20 2022 and aims at promoting a culture of shared mobility among employees from the partaking private companies by providing two carpooling applications. Within the pilot it is expected to obtain information that will serve as input for the adjustment and development of shared mobility policies in the district.

How does TUMI Data complement Bogotá’s transition to sustainable mobility?

As part of the city’s mobility management, the piloting under TUMI Data will build on these efforts. Together with the city of Bogotá, the involved project partners defined how the project can support the positive impacts, such as reducing emissions and other negative effects.

Specifically, the piloting will include the following pillars:

1. Analysis of existing data from current shared mobility pilot projects and the “Pico y Placa” driving restriction measure.
2. Elaboration of messages that can lead to a behavioral change towards Shared Mobility.
3. Identification of measures for the implementation of control instruments.
4. Supporting the formulation of guidelines for the permanent implementation of these measures through economic incentives and regulations.

Kick-off Workshop in Bogotá © CAF

Kick-off Workshop in Bogotá © CAF