Palermo: Roadmaps for Energy during the European Week of Sustainable Mobility

From 16 to 22 September 2016, it was also the “European Sustainable Mobility Week” in Palermo, during which the Municipality of Palermo, together with the city’s environmental association, organised several events to raise awareness of the use of public transport and, in general, the use of means of transport with low or zero C02 emissions, called E-BIKE 0.

In order to add further substance to the initiative, the Mayor Leoluca Orlando has inaugurated an innovative “home-work place” mobility system, consisting in the use of electric bicycles and included in the charter of intent for the “Roadmaps for Energy” Project. In fact, the Palermo project includes a vision of the city in 2050, with particular reference to sustainable mobility and energy efficiency. The signing of the letter of intent demonstrates the particular importance participation in the European project has for Palermo.

The event was also attended by the Deputy Mayor for Energy and Technological Innovation, Prof. Gianfranco Rizzo, the Chief of the Municipal Police, Dott. Vincenzo Messina, and Eng. Antonio Mazzon, Manager of “Roadmaps for Energy” project, who explained the technical details of the initiative.

The E-BIKE 0 is part of a program financed by the Ministry for the trial by the Italian municipalities of a pedal assisted prototype bicycle with high efficiency and zero emissions. The project is the identification of three automated racks around the city that allow the charging of 30 electric bicycles, tracking the distance travelled and the pollutant concentrations measured during the moving around the city.

Volunteers were selected previously, a sample of employees that includes 10 members of the Municipal Police, through an online survey, made with a special web-based application. People were selected based on their willingness to abandon the use of their car to travel to their workplace and use the electric bicycle instead. In addition, the automated racks have been installed in public buildings with closed garages to ensure the safety of the bicycles and shelter them from the weather and secure the electronic equipment in the data monitoring system.

Palermo participates in a research project for the development of sustainable mobility, the identification of people’s behaviour during their commute and the struggle against pollution and emission of greenhouse gases. After one year of testing a report will be prepared in every participating Italian city which will be published with all data concerning not only environmental benefits, but also the barriers for a large scale implementation of this system of sustainable mobility.

The initiative falls within the provisions of the Project “Roadmaps for Energy” and will be included in the “portfolio” of projects for Palermo 2050 – “Social and Cultural Harbour”.