MobiCascais

• City: Cascais
• Size and population development: 215 000
• Population composition: 21 000 immigrants from all over the world
• Main functions: Commerce and service centre
• Main industries / business: Tourism, service, commerce, research and development
• Political structure: Mayor and City Council
• Administrative structure: 1 municipality and 4 parishes
• Website: www.cm-cascais.pt

Cascais is one of the Portuguese municipalities that registers the highest motorisation rates, due to an overdependence on car use and increased commuting to Lisbon. This has generated an overload of the current infrastructure. However, the Municipal Council is strongly committed to dealing with this situation.

According to data collected in 2015, the road transport sector contributes to 47% of the CO2e emissions produced (CA, 2017). An estimate indicates that around 254.2 thousand tons of greenhouse gases are produced per year by the Municipality's households, just by using the car. Therefore, the reduction potential to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector is immense (CA, 2017).

The vision of MobiCascais is to be the best option for sustainable mobility for the people and its main goals are the reduction of congestion, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, road accidents and the requalification of urban environment. Therefore, the MobiCascais system pursues the following five main objectives:

1. Promote mobility as a service, diversify the modes of transport and intensify the use of public transport, shared and micromobility, properly articulated with the Safe System Approach;
2. Increase the use of the train as the structuring public transport mode, by diversifying the offer of modes of transport at the rail interfaces;
3. Foster carbon neutrality in the transport and urban logistics sector, by promoting micro and green mobility and improving the support infrastructures;
4. Integrate and articulate the parking policy in the sustainable mobility strategy;
5. Introduce and develop smart mobility management systems, including new autonomous and connected mobility systems. Display the conditions and service levels of the transport network to the public in real time.

The MobiCascais system enabled to increase the offer of bus lines in Cascais, with a renewed fleet of vehicles with low greenhouse gas emissions, and to start new routes with the integration of other operators. In terms of micromobility, a shared bicycle service has been developed with three distinct services: shared leisure bicycles, bike sharing and also bike parking, an innovative system allowing the parking of private bicycles in the bike sharing stations.

MobiCascais also integrates parking management, which is decisive for modal choice. To encourage the use of the train, parking facilities were implemented near the train stations. Other modes of transport are also being integrated, such as car sharing, transport of non-urgent patients, school transport and flexible transport on-demand.

At the basis of MobiCascais system is a web platform and a mobile application (both Android and iOS). The MobiCascais system connects all mobility devices and the transport infrastructure, and establishes an ecosystem where users have access to all services from different mobility operators via a single authentication mechanism, while choosing the preferred payment and billing method.

The MobiCascais app is a key component, providing real-time transport schedules, bus locations, and estimated arrival times at specific stops through a map. It also allows users to check parking space availability, bike availability in stations, and even reserve bikes at preferred stations. The app facilitates route planning by integrating various public transportation options and provides estimated travel times and service disruption alerts.

Technological innovation is highlighted through the adoption of solutions like the ticketing system and smart parking management. The latter optimizes time, reducing CO2 emissions by offering real-time parking space information and payment options through the app. Furthermore, Cascais is developing connected mobility with an intelligent traffic light monitoring and control system that prioritizes buses to reduce waiting times and greenhouse gas emissions at intersections.

MobiCascais, as an integrated sustainable mobility management system, has at its disposal a technological platform that integrates several transport service operators and different services, which contribute to accelerate the growth of public and private investments, boosting resources, talents and the appearance of startups and highly innovative SMEs such as Cascais Próxima Municipal Company, CEiiA, Card4B, iParque, TML, Ubirider, Wolfd.

MobiCascais stimulated partnerships with technology companies and promotes synergies between different actors in the innovation ecosystem, from the public, the industry, the civil society, the citizens up to the academic community, while contributing to the development of the municipality through the following international initiatives: C-Streets, C-ROADS PORTUGAL, CIVITAS, POLIS.

MobiCascais has created a brand to advertise the system, that became a national reference. For this purpose, several marketing campaigns were run through social media and a website with daily updates was created. All the information regarding MobiCascais can be viewed in detail on the Facebook page: https://pt-pt.facebook.com/mobicascais/, and also at the website http://www.mobicascais.pt/where both citizens and users have access to real-time communication and information.

The cost of the MobiCascais System is around €15M and is entirely supported by the City Council of Cascais through two main sources of revenue: the operation of on-street parking and municipal car parks, and the income from the Vehicle circulation tax (IUC). Therefore, the sustainability of the model, in economic and financial terms, is totally supported by individual transport.

-  In the scope of micromobility, MobiCascais deployed a shared bicycle service that was developed from the ground up. Since 2016, approximately 50.000 users have subscribed to the service;

- The bike sharing service has 87 stations spread throughout the municipality and along the 90 km of bicycle paths. Around 523 bicycles and 895 scooters can be picked up and delivered at any station by the users;

-  There is also a shared leisure bicycle system available in five rental stations, with personal assistance, and 218 conventional bicycles, that the users can pick up and deliver to any of the stations;

- Regarding the car parking operation, which conditions the use of individual transport and is, therefore, a decisive element for the regulation of modal choice, in Cascais there are over 7000 on-street parking spaces and around 1500 more in nine off-street car parks;

- Also, dynamic information panels that display the availability of car parks have been installed in strategic locations throughout the Municipality;

- The centre of operations, designated as C2, ensures the integrated operational management of mobility in real-time to help solve immediate situations and provide medium term planning support.

- Deployment of innovative solutions such as the ticketing system and management systems for smart parking;

- To reward users who opt for sustainable modes of transport, like public transport or micromobility, a Gamification System was also created, and can be accessed through an App called City Points. The points earned can then be exchanged for many offers provided by the Municipality, such as tickets to concerts, museums, merchandise, etc;

The MobiCascais ecosystem presents a key challenge in integrating all services into a single platform while fostering continuous innovation and partnerships with technology companies. This has led to increased resources, talent, and the emergence of start-ups and innovative SMEs. The goal is to enhance the MobiCascais system by integrating all mobility services and operators into one platform to better serve the community's mobility needs. The municipality acknowledges the importance of involving the local community, promoting collaboration between different stakeholders, including industry, civil society, and academia. Participation in international initiatives also contributes to Cascais' development.

One particular challenge faced by the municipality was the disruption caused by bikesharing stations on sidewalks and scattered bikes and scooters. To address this, they opted for a new approach by reforming the bikesharing system, relocating stations to the public road, and restoring sidewalks for pedestrians' use.

-https://pt-pt.facebook.com/mobicascais/

-http://www.mobicascais.pt/

Paulo Marques Augusto
Director of Mobility
Cascais Próxima E.M. S.A
paulo.marques@cascaisproxima.pt
Tel: + 351 21 464 77 60

Paula Faria
Director of the Transport Department
Cascais Próxima E.M. S.A
paula.faria@cascaisproxima.pt
Tel: + 351 21 464 77 60