Polis contributes positions papers on active travel and open specifications to 2014 ITF Annual summit

On the 22nd of May, the International Transport forum 2014 Annual Summit opens in Leipzig, on the theme of “Transport for a changing world”. Polis has submitted two position papers that reflect on the work being done in the thematic pillars working groups and in European funded projects.

The first position paper, entitled Health and Transport: promoting active travel, draws on the 2012 Polis position paper, Securing the health benefits of active travel in Europe, the Polis Health and Environment Working Group, as well as the work being done in the EU PASTA project and THE PEP – Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme. The paper outlines the challenges, the benefits of active travel – physical activity undertaken as a means of transport – and recommendations, notably to the need to have strong integration and coordination between transport and health policy at EU level (link to the position paper).

The second position paper entitled Open Specifications and standards for more efficient transport systems builds on the work undertaken in the Polis Traffic Efficiency and Mobility Working Group and the EU funded project POSSE (Promoting Open Specifications and Standards in Europe). With the aims of securing the potential of ITS to encourage and maintain more sustainable patterns of travel and reduce environmental impacts, the paper addresses the issue of closed systems in cities and outlines some key elements to support cities and regional transport in implementing open system frameworks (link to the position paper).

For information on the POSSE project, click here, and for further information on the PASTA project, click here.

For any further information, please contact Cleo Davies: cdavies@polisnetwork.eu