ERRIN participated in the RECIPROCITY Mobility Mission held in Istanbul from 23 to 26 May. The mission provided an excellent platform for participants to explore Istanbul’s innovative mobility ecosystem and engage in knowledge-sharing and best-practice discussions.  

During the mission, ERRIN members from Nord Est Romania, Department of Yvelines (Ile-de-France region) and Olsztyn Municipality (University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn) gained valuable insights and experiences that can be replicated in their respective cities to enhance smart and clean mobility solutions. 

During the mission, participants had the opportunity to visit key institutions and learn from successful mobility initiatives:  

- They discussed the central road mobility management system at the Mobility Management Center of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), which utilises an extensive network of cameras and real-time monitoring to ensure smooth traffic flow.  

- They also explored the integration of urban marine mobility with other transportation modes at Istanbul Şehir Hatları Genel Müdürlüğü, the City Lines Marine Transport Authority. With 29 ships and 53 piers, the authority operates 933 trips daily, serving approximately 40 million passengers annually. The e-taxi project, including vessels for 10 passengers and a mobile application for reserving and paying for e-taxi services, was discussed. The integration of urban marine mobility with other modes of transportation, such as micro-mobility options, trams, metros, and buses, was of particular interest to the participants. 

- The participants engaged in discussions about micro-mobility development and cycling culture at Yapıdrom, the first micro-mobility company in Turkey.  

- They also visited Fark Labs, an innovation and transformation hub actively involved in mobility-related initiatives and technological development for smart and clean cities. 

- The participants visited Istanbul Okan University, where Konya Metropolitan Municipality presented their Konya Bicycle Transportation Master Plan (BİSUAP) 2030 and related projects. The plan includes initiatives such as bicycle lanes, bike trams, biker-empathy training for heavy vehicle drivers, and drawing competitions for school children to promote biking. The presentation generated significant interest among participants from various EU cities. 

In addition to the Mobility Mission, the RECIPROCITY project offers further opportunities for cities and municipalities. The Funding and Legal Helpdesk provides support to cities in navigating legal and financing issues related to the replication of smart and clean mobility projects. This assistance enables participants to overcome potential barriers and implement innovative solutions in their local contexts. Submit your enquiry here!  

Moreover, the RECIPROCITY project produced a Catalogue of Mobility Solutions collecting local innovative mobility cases to cluster and transfer knowledge and make it easy, digestible and replicable in other cities/regions. The catalogue will be published on the RECIPROCITY website, social media accounts, and on a matchmaking platform shared with other mobility projects to increase the visibility of innovative mobility solutions. 

ERRIN members can also benefit from the ARRIVAL platform, resulting from the collaboration between RECIPROCITY and ENTRANCE projects, which serves as a European gateway for innovative and sustainable mobility solutions.

Looking ahead, the RECIPROCITY Final Event will take place from 28-29 September 2023. The event will unveil the key findings of RECIPROCITY, including good practices, policy recommendations and tools for replicating successful mobility initiatives. It will also provide a platform for participants to explore the local urban mobility ecosystem and engage with relevant actors in the sector. This event presents a unique opportunity for ERRIN members to broaden their knowledge and network within the smart and clean mobility domain. 

 About RECIPROCITY 

The project's goal is to initiate and support replication projects in at least 20 cities and municipalities varying in size, location, degree of urbanisation and mobility demand. They will be equipped with the tools, knowledge and contacts to accelerate the process of replicating innovative mobility solutions. Therefore, the project will establish the format of Mobility Missions and Mobility Assemblies. 

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