SMART MOBILITY

Action plan 2016 - 2018

Cover: © Walter Dresscher, denatuurlijkestad.nl on
behalf of Amsterdam City Council

Is this what Amsterdam will look like in 2025? The

front cover shows how, if we look ahead to future
innovations, the Vijzelstraat-Herengracht junction will
appear in 2025. The council will be smarter through
the use of data and will have a real-time view of
the city. Mobility will be a custom-made service for
everyone, with shared and emission-free cars that drive
themselves. More room for pedestrians and bicycles
(shared or otherwise), more greenery, and less room
for parking spaces.
CONTENTS

Foreword 5

Introduction

1 MOBILITY DEVELOPMENTS in Amsterdam 9

2 INNOVATION AND MOBILITY 12

3 STRATEGY 20

4 THEMES AND PROJECTS 21

5 ORGANISATION 39
FOREWORD

There is a lovely series of French prints dating from 1900 With the Smart Mobility programme, I want to make
showing how life would be in one hundred years’ time accessibility to Amsterdam smarter, and thereby make
– in the year 2000, in other words. Barbers with heavy- it more future-proof. I want to look ahead and identify
looking cutting machines, but no clippers. Fire fighters the options that we already have. The link with the
with wings so that they could get to the uppermost Uitvoeringsagenda Mobiliteit (mobility implementation
floors, but no modern fire-resistant clothing. And of agenda, or UAM) is obvious. After all, a vision, plans, and
course there would be cars that could fly in 2000. implementation cannot exist without each other.
Predicting the future is a complicated business, because
you hardly ever get it right. Our cars do not fly, and I Deputy mayor Pieter Litjens
do not know whether that would be a solution to our
mobility issues or indeed an additional problem. But
almost all of us carry a smartphone, something which Traffic, Transport, and Organisation
is actually more fascinating than a flying car. That’s
because there is so much more you can do with it.
Taking selfies, looking up sports results, making phone
calls. But also finding your way.
That is what smart mobility means to me – using smart
technology and the opportunities that innovations
and the use of data offer. That way, we can organise
traffic more efficiently. Giving more room to cyclists, to
pedestrians – or even to cars – in the places where it is
necessary. It means, for example, that we can provide
better transport for particular groups, and that we will
change our approach to traffic flows in the city.
The developments relating to autonomous transport are
fascinating. Many new cars already have autonomous
functions – parking themselves, remaining within road
markings, smart cruise control. Completely autonomous
cars that drive in cities with centuries’ old street layouts,
such as Amsterdam, present new challenges.

5
INTRODUCTION
Technological developments are moving fast and
innovations are appearing in rapid succession, all of
which offer opportunities for Amsterdam. Self-driving
cars are getting closer all the time; during the Dutch
Presidency of the EU in April 2016, they were used to
transport various ministers from EU countries around
the city. Smart electric bicycles that can be shared are
also under development.
We are also gaining a better real-time view of what is
happening in the city thanks to data and information,
which enables us to make smarter use of the limited
amount of available space. Mobility is increasingly
becoming a service that you pay for when going from
A to B, based on personal needs and smart and up-
to-date information. ‘I Mobility’ – what for me is the
smartest, most efficient, cleanest and least expensive
option at this time?
It is necessary to respond to and to anticipate
technological developments. The UAM has led to the
launch of some important measures in order to keep
Amsterdam accessible, in both the short and long
term. Decisions have been made regarding priorities
for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport in the
city centre. However, the city continues to grow, and
more quickly than expected. The concentration of
businesses, organisations, and housing is resulting
in a lively dynamic and development. People want to
work here (5% more jobs since 2008), live here (10%
more inhabitants since 2008), and spend time here (2
million more nights spent in hotels since 2008). At the
6
same time, the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis is
predicting organic growth in personal mobility of 23 to
50% up to 2050 in the Netherlands.
This growth will add value to Amsterdam, making the city
even livelier. The prediction by the Bureau for Economic
Policy Analysis, the increasing growth of Amsterdam and
the limited amount of public space will mean a greater
accessibility challenge that we have to face up to.
It’s in the city’s DNA: freedom, enterprise, and creativity,
and the council is responding to innovations and its
challenge of keeping the city accessible through its
2016-2018 Smart Mobility action programme. The Smart
Mobility programme is an elaboration of the UAM.
We are learning by doing. This means that the Smart
Mobility programme is not a vision or policy document.
It provides an insight into the most important
developments in the area of Smart Mobility and related
projects in Amsterdam. Projects that have already
been started will, where possible, be strengthened,
accelerated, and linked up. The programme also involves
a select number of new projects aimed at achieving
results within the term of office of the current council.
Goal
To improve the safety, accessibility,
air quality, quality of life, and
attractiveness of Amsterdam.

• Objectives for the action programme
The objectives of the Smart Mobility action programme
contribute towards the objectives in the UAM and
the Sustainability Agenda: to improve the safety,
accessibility, air quality, quality of life, and attractiveness
of Amsterdam.
the Amsterdam Economic Board, Amsterdam Smart
City, GVB (Municipal Public Transport), THNK, private
partners in projects, and various organisational bodies in
the Amsterdam City Council. The council is open to and
is actively looking for new partnerships with public and
private-sector organisations.

Specifically for this action programme:

1. Gaining an understanding of technological and other
developments and innovations in relation to mobility
and their significance to the city
2. Anticipating technological innovations and using
them in order to realise objectives
3. Encouraging and accelerating innovations in the city
4. Strengthening working partnerships with knowledge
institutes and parties in the private sector
5. Becoming smarter, as a municipal organisation,
by working in a data-driven manner and by working
together with knowledge and private-sector parties. This
is all subject to ever-greater protection of privacy and
commercially-sensitive information

The action programme is intended to deliver smart

mobility solutions for Amsterdam – with one major
effect being that of cleaner air – but does not involve
the taking of any specific measures, given that these are
already provided for in the Sustainability Agenda.
The Smart Mobility action programme has been
devised in cooperation with Stadsregio (city region)
Amsterdam (SRA), Amsterdam knowledge institutes,

7
• Duration and follow-up

The programme is intended to achieve results within

the term of office of the current council. It is not
exhaustive in its overview of Smart Mobility projects and
nor is it complete. Amsterdam is showing where it is
using the opportunities for innovation and is continuing
discussions with knowledge and market parties in order
to follow innovations and developments and to assist
them where possible, and to link and accelerate them
with policies, projects, pilot schemes, and research.
Given the speed of the developments, it is not
inconceivable that the Amsterdam City Council will
review or bring up to date its mobility strategy in 2018,
partly as a result of insights obtained through this action
programme.

2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

2012 MobiliteitsAanpak Amsterdam Nieuwe Mobiliteitsstrategie Amsterdam

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Smart Mobility

Timeline for Development of Amsterdam Mobility Approach

8
• Guide for the reader

We start with a description of how mobility in

Amsterdam is developing. This paints the context and
the challenges in relation to mobility in the city. We then
set out the most important innovations and changes,
as well as the strategy that Amsterdam has adopted in
order to respond to and anticipate them.
In the final part of the action programme, we describe
how Amsterdam is anticipating the larger-scale changes
on the basis of concrete projects. We describe what has
already been done, what investments have already been
made, and what extra resources will be needed in the
next two years in terms of projects and investments.

9
1. MOBILITY DEVELOPMENTS
in Amsterdam
Fig. 1: Summary of influences on Amsterdam Accessibility Thermometer.
1.1 The city is growing in many respects, and
more quickly than expected.
Not only is the number of inhabitants on the rise, but
also the number of visitors, and therefore employment
and mobility (Figure 1). The number of overnight stays
in hotels and the rate of private letting has increased
too (Figure 1). What do these trends and developments
tell us about how the future might be, what are the
challenges for keeping Amsterdam accessible and
attractive, and how do we compare to cities in other
countries in these respects?
10
Amsterdam continues to grow on almost every front.
The population has maintained its growth; the city
currently has 838,338 residents (1 April 2016, Statistics
Netherlands). Traffic is getting busier all the time, with
cyclists especially – the Amsterdam population owns
764,000 bicycles, and there are also 1,600 electric
bicycles and 24,000 scooters.
The people of Amsterdam prefer to move around by
bicycle and to walk (Figure 2). The number of cars in
the city is growing, but ownership is in decline, while
car sharing is increasing sharply – by 376% since 2008 –
although only 1% of cars are actually shared.
Fig. 2: Number of journeys (x 1000 from/to/within Amsterdam) by residents per working day, according to mode of
transport, 1986 – 2013 (the modal split is shown in brackets).
1.2 Growth will continue to increase in the
future as well
There is a visible worldwide trend for cities to continue
growing, and it is expected that more than 60% of the
world’s population will live in cities by 2050 (Figure 3).
Europe has been the most visited continent for
many years now. Amsterdam, too, attracts visitors and
businesses from elsewhere in the Netherlands and
beyond. On the international benchmarks, Amsterdam
achieves good scores in terms of accessibility, such
as international connectivity (Amsterdam Airport
Schiphol), good public transport infrastructure (trains,
metro, buses, and trams), and digitally (AMS-IX internet
exchange).
11
Moreover, the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis is
predicting that the distances covered by cars in the
Netherlands will rise by between 23% and 58% by 2050.
This is apart from the development of self-driving cars
which, in the early stages especially, will result in more
car traffic.
The Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis is also
predicting that freight transport (road, rail, and
waterway) will have grown by between 14 and 52%
by 2050 (to more than 1,200 to 1,600 millions of tons
a year), depending on domestic and international
economic developments.
 Challenge

How do we keep Amsterdam

accessible and safe, with attractive
public spaces and clear air?

4
7
3
6
2
5
1
4

1 stedelijke bevolkin g
landelijke bevolkin g

stedelijke bevolkin g
Fig. 3: Urbanisation; cities
landelijke continue
bevolkin g to grow.

The prediction by the Bureau for Economic Policy

Analysis and the increasing growth of Amsterdam and
the limited amount of public space present a major
challenge.

As is clear in the UAM, the challenge in the next few

years is:

How do we keep Amsterdam accessible and safe, with

attractive public spaces and clear air?

12
2. INNOVATIE EN MOBILITEIT
Elevated bus
China is developing a bus that carries people above existing traffic.1
Innovations in mobility are appearing in rapid
succession. This means that new modalities could
appear that may have a significant impact on the
mobility sector in the future. Several international
examples can be seen in the red sections.
13
These developments are moving faster than was the
case in the previous century. In the past, TU Delft had
the idea of moving transport through tunnels. The idea
was not taken any further. The difference with today’s
innovations is that they are going beyond the idea stage
into reality. For example, the Hyperloop is currently
being tested in Nevada and is undergoing further
development. It is not clear whether this will become a
commonly used mode of transport, but what is certain
is that we are on the threshold of a change to the
world of mobility. Thanks to exponential4 technological
developments, money being invested, and the efforts
of talented individuals from all over the world, ideas are
being turned into reality more quickly.
 Hyperloop
The Space X aerospace company, owned by Elon Musk, is developing a train in a tube that can reach
speeds of in excess of 1600 km/h, and which will be able to transport people and packages alike in the
future.2

As well as these international examples of innovation

and mobility, there are four major and distinctive
moves afoot in Amsterdam that are leading to changes
to the mobility sector in the short and long term.
We will describe these developments and explain
what developments and projects are taking place in
Amsterdam. The boxes on the pages that follow contain
examples of Smart Mobility research projects being
carried out in partnership with Amsterdam knowledge
institutes.

Personalized Drone
The first drone to have been tested for transporting
people was able to do so for 23 minutes3

1
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia- 4 Exponential growth is a mathematical term that
china-36961433 denotes an increase that is proportional to its own
2
https://hyperloop-one.com/ number or size. Every quantity that grows by the same
3
http://www.extendlimits.nl/nl/artikel/test-met- percentage every year (or every month, day, hour, etc.)
autonoom-personen-drone-gestart undergoes exponential growth.

14

2.1 From a physical to a connected city – the
Internet of Things
Thanks to the arrival of the internet and the possibility
of connecting ‘things’ to the internet – the Internet
of Things – it is now possible to link everything to
everything else. The number of sensors in ‘things’ is
rising exponentially. For example, all new cars are better
‘connected’ and can be linked to such roadside systems
as traffic lights, road closures, and street lights. As soon
as objects in the city are connected to the internet,
they will be smarter and more information will become
available. This will create many opportunities and
perhaps new business models.
• Developments and projects in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is taking part in the national Beter
Benutten (optimising use) programme of the Ministry
of Infrastructure and the Environment, an important
part of which is the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)
programme. Ten million euros is to be invested in
the next two years in the Amsterdam Metropolitan
Area (AMA), half of which is coming from the central
government. Amsterdam is involved in a project for
making traffic lights smarter and to link them to vehicles,
so that they can operate more smartly and more
dynamically. A sum of 750,000 euros has been set aside
through the UAM for equipping C-ITS applications
15
Research: SAILOR
SAILOR (Smart Last Mile Commerce)
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences,
Technolution, Dalarna University (Sweden)
(€ 0,5mln. EU subs)
Smarter use of loading and unloading spaces.
Loading and unloading spaces are important
for the free flow of freight transport. The city
council will assist drivers regarding available
loading and unloading spaces with the help
of ‘open data’. Transport companies lose a lot
of time in the city because they do not have
the right information. They are affected by
roadworks, temporary road closures, events,
accidents, or loading and unloading spaces
being occupied, and are forced to cover
extra distances unnecessarily. This research is
reducing the distances covered unnecessarily,
and is leading to better use of available loading
and unloading spaces, less freight traffic being
obliged to unload on the highway, and dealing
more effectively with improper use.
on 38 VRIs, in Amsterdam Zuidoost and elsewhere.
This is due to be implemented in 2017. In addition,
Amsterdam is participating in the Amsterdam Practical
Trial, together with Rijkswaterstaat, the Stadsregio
Amsterdam, and the province of Noord-Holland.
The trial involves both the testing of new smart traffic
management methods (coordinated network of broad
traffic management) and the linking of the data about
the roads and traffic to information in the car. The trial
has yielded valuable information on both fronts, during
phases 1 and 2. In the near future, Amsterdam will be
examining which applications can be developed further
and applied on a structural basis. Consideration will also
be given to how phase 3 is to be organised.
At the same time, Amsterdam is creating a public
beacon network. By way of an experiment, the city will
be hanging up various beacons, devices measuring
four by eight centimetres. They will continuously give off
signals and function as a kind of ‘trigger’. Developers
can incorporate the use of transmitters in their
applications. Passers-by will then receive, for example,
a notification on their mobile phones as soon as they
are in the vicinity of a beacon. Amsterdam would like
to use the miniature transmitters to develop services

that would make it easier to navigate quickly through
public transport, for example, using the most up-to-date
information, or for discovering sites of interest and for
planning the best route.
Another Amsterdam initiative is ‘the things network’. It
is developing an open, free-to-use and crowdsourced
Internet of Things data network (LoraWan network) that
devices can use to communicate with each other. The
Port of Amsterdam, for instance, is setting up an all-
encompassing Things network of gateways and sensors
for the purpose of, say, reporting damage to objects in
the port or the level of usage of a particular terminal.
16
2.2 From estimates to information – to a clearer
picture of the city and smart use of space
Because more and more ‘things’ are connected to
the internet, there is more and more data that can be
converted into information, such as on how the city is
used. This information is invaluable for the city council,
people themselves, and businesses.
New insights can be created by linking and combining
various data sources from telephones, for example,
car navigation systems, and cameras. In an increasing
number of cases, it is possible to access information in
real-time. On Google Maps, for example, you can see
what your best route is, your expected journey time, and
any delays you may encounter. The Amsterdam-based
Tom Tom company offers real-time information on traffic
situations and is able to forecast how busy the roads will
be.
This offers opportunities for managing traffic differently
in the future, for responding to busy areas, for
predicting congestion, and for taking policy decisions
based on increasingly accurate information. The city
council also needs to be smarter and more innovative
in order to be able to work effectively with these parties.
 Research: Allegro
ALLEGRO is a five-year research project
into the behaviour of pedestrians and
cyclists in the city. The project was secured
by AMS Institute and TU Delft (Professor
Hoogendoorn) (2.9 million in EU subsidies)
New scientific and policy insights can be gained
by gathering and using big data from day-
to-day reality in Amsterdam. This means that
cycling and walking must become safer and
more attractive modalities, so that liveability
objectives can be realised more quickly. The
project is also aimed at spreading congestion
during events. By way of example, an
experiment was carried out around King’s Day
for the purpose of analysing pedestrian flows
and using insights for targeted communications.
Smart also means taking account of the risks and
protecting and not sharing private and commercially-
sensitive information, proper security for systems, and
being able to deal with, process, and analyse large
quantities of data.
• Developments and projects in Amsterdam
Crowd management: during Sail 2015, the
Amsterdam City Council, in cooperation with the
Amsterdam Institute for Amsterdam Metropolitan
Solutions (AMS institute) and private-sector parties,
carried out a test using various techniques to get a
picture of pedestrian flows in real-rime, to predict
congestion, and to manage slow-moving traffic.
Cameras, social media, data, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth
were used for the purpose. As a follow-up to this,
a plan of action was devised for building a crowd
management monitoring system that can be used in
every situation that requires crowd management, both
during events and day-to-day situations.
17
Research: Smart Cycling
Smart Cycling Futures UvA
Smarter on the bicycle. Cycling has an
enormous potential for liveable and sustainable
urban regions. This project is looking at the
opportunities for and the effects of a ‘smarter’
cycling system. Science and real-life practice
will be working closely together in ‘living labs’
where social and technological innovations will
be tried out, as they will in Amsterdam.
Innovations can contribute towards cycling
safety and better services (such as parking
bicycles), which will stimulate cycling, and help
improve the health and liveability of Amsterdam.
An example of a Smart City initiative by the
Amsterdam Arena is the Mobility portal, which is part
of the ‘Beter Benutten’ programme. This is an online
platform on which visitors can find everything about
traffic to and from the ArenAPoort area. It allows you
to pay for your bus journey, parking space, or train
ticket in advance. Because you register when you
pay and enter your postal code at the same time,
we know where you come from. Using a postal code
matrix, we send travel advice to visitors by e-mail
which we base on traffic intensity and historic data. It
means, therefore, that we can guide people to take
certain routes to reach us, and that prevents traffic
congestion.
Strong growth in shared cars, but still
limited numbers overall

2.3 From payment for possession to payment

for usage – to mobility as a service

Amsterdam children who are now growing up are
used to watching films that they want to see, via online
providers like Netflix, Pathé Thuis, etc. Or to listening
to music via other providers such as Apple Music or
Spotify, and to using a telecom provider to make their
phone calls on the basis of a contract. Using services is
becoming more important than owning them.
People want to pay for what they need at the time. As a
result, the provision of services through a large internet
platform is taking off. Worldwide, the top ten fastest
growing companies are all internet platforms, including
Github, Airbnb, Google, and Uber5.
It is expected that similar developments will occur in
the mobility sector and bring about major changes. The
sums involved in the mobility sector are considerable –
44 billion euros in the Netherlands every year, or 15%
of total household consumer expenditure. For Dutch
companies, the social importance of mobility amounted
to at least 53.5 billion euros a year, of which 28.3 billion
relates to the purchase of transport services, and
around 25.2 billion accounts for additional costs (freight
transport, business travel, and company car)6.
And a great deal of capacity remains unused: for
18
example, cars are not used for 23 hours a day, on
average7. Under-capacity is exactly what the internet
platforms are tapping in to. They bring supply and
demand together, in a smart way, and make new
business from unused capacity. A number of internet
platforms are offering taxi rides less expensively by
optimising supply and demand, while the degree of
occupancy of the taxis is much higher on average than
is the case with other taxi companies.
Here, by way of illustration, are the investments made
by car manufacturers in sharing concepts: Toyota is
investing in Uber, Volkswagen in car company GETT,
General Motors in Lyft, BMW in Drive Now, and Daimler
in Car 2 Go8. Apple, Google9 and Uber are investing
in self-driving car software so that in due course, self-
driving taxis will be available on call.
 Research: U-SMILE
VU University Amsterdam and U-SMILE
(SURF, NWO grant, €1.4 billion, with
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences,
Amsterdam Zuidas, ArenA)
A study into the possibilities of new
innovative policy measures for influencing
mobility behaviour in busy urban areas.
Examples that come to mind are new price
incentives (information, different rate, and
rewards) for road traffic and when parking.
By carrying out pilot schemes around the
Zuidas and Arena areas, the consortium is
hoping to learn more about how behaviour
can be influenced so that goals relating to
accessibility and air quality can be attained
more quickly.
• Developments and projects in Amsterdam
Currently, 1%10 of the population of Amsterdam share
their cars, but it is expected that sharing concepts
and the use of mobility as a service will increase. Car
manufacturers, technology firms, and public transport
companies are responding to this expectation and are
investing heavily in new mobility services.
Public transport companies are expanding their
services to more and more total solutions – for example,
GVB and NS with the Mobilitymixx ticket, which
can be used to travel on services of affiliated public
transport companies, paying as you go11. Meanwhile,
Connexxion has launched the new Abel concept, with
which you can use a taxi more cheaply by sharing it.
They are also investing in a total mobility solution that
has already been launched in Finland – MAAS, Mobility
as a Service12. With MAAS, an app on your smartphone
and a subscription enable you to use every modality as
a service, paying for what you use.
19
Research: SCRIPTS
SCRIPTS AMS Institute (SURF, NWO grant,
€1.7 million)
Study into public transport of the future. It
is expected that, in future, people will order
their journeys as part of a combined service
(public transport, bicycle, or e-bike). This
research project is examining how transport
services of this kind can be developed in a
sustainable manner, taking the preferences
of citizens and businesses into account. For
Amsterdam, it is relevant to investigate what
these developments mean in the context
of the arrival of the North-South Line; how
can this all be coordinated as effectively as
possible? New services can also make the
transport of target groups more efficient. A
pilot scheme is currently being devised for
an area of Amsterdam.
5
http://top100.exponentialorgs.com/
6
https://www.raivereniging.nl/nieuws/nieuwsberichten/
gomobility/0511-maatschappelijk-belang-mobiliteit-74-
miljard-euro.html
7
http://www.anwb.nl/auto/nieuws/2015/april/
connected-car-proef-anwb
8
http://www.volkskrant.nl/tech/ook-toyota-en-
volkswagen-investeren-nu-in-deelauto-s~a4308001/
9
http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/16/10309960/
google-vs-uber-competition-self-driving-cars
10
Zie ATB.nl
11
https://www.ovmagazine.nl/2016/04/mobility-as-a-
service-alles-in-een-app-1459/
12
http://www.businesswire.com/news/
home/20160208006468/en/MaaS-Finland-Oy-Maas-
Finland-Revolutionize-Global
 Research: STAD

STAD VU University Amsterdam and AMS Institute (SURF, NWO subsidy €7.5 million)


This project is looking at the effect of self-driving cars on people’s and companies’ transport and
location choices and on the spatial design of cities and roads. This is highly relevant for cities like
Amsterdam for the purpose of gaining insights as they prepare for the arrival of the self-driving
car. What does this mean with regard to the number of parking spaces that are needed? What does
the self-driving car mean for how people behave and for the safety of cyclists, for example? These
questions are definitely relevant to a busy city like Amsterdam that we will hopefully see answered.

2.4 From vehicles with software to computers

on wheels – self-driving vehicles

The development of self-driving vehicles is • Developments and projects in Amsterdam

proceeding at a very rapid pace. All over the world, car
manufacturers, public transport providers and software
companies are investing in self-driving vehicles (cars
and buses). The transition from a car with a few useful
functions on the dashboard to a computer on wheels is
already underway. At present, vehicles assist users, who
consequently travel more safely and more cleanly, but
this is set to change as time goes by. As an example, the
Tesla car can be seen as a computer on wheels that is
linked constantly to the user. You can see, among other
things, the state of its maintenance remotely, send a
software update and, in the case of car manufacturer
Tesla, make the car self-driving. Other car manufacturers
like BMW and Ford have stated that they are currently
putting significant energies into developing self-driving
cars and that they would like to bring them onto the
roads in 2021. Singapore is the world leader, with the
introduction of 50 fully self-driving taxis in 2019.
Almost every car manufacturer has self-driving cars
to at least some degree and last year in Amsterdam,
EU ministers drove hands-free and signed the
Declaration of Amsterdam13. The declaration sets out
the agreement made by the EU member states on
the steps that need to be taken for the development
of self-driving vehicle technology. A self-driving bus
was also recently tested on a bus lane from Haarlem
to Schiphol14. As a result of the rapid progress in the
development of self-driving vehicles and the impact on
the city’s policy objectives, Amsterdam has carried out
an impact study. Targeted research and pilot schemes
will be launched on the basis of the results of the study,
and the information gleaned will be incorporated in
long-term investment and policy decisions.
• ‘Cleaner’ as an important precondition

One development that Amsterdam is supporting and

This will have an impact on car-driving habits, car
ownership, and use. It will also affect how people use
public transport and the delivery of packages, for
example. Self-driving cars really are coming our way
and will have a radical effect on how we travel. The
question is not whether they will be a reality, but when;
where can they go and when does the vehicle take
over responsibility from the driver? If every vehicle is
completely self-driving and is available on call, this will
change the entire mobility system.
accelerating through its Sustainability Agenda is the
transition to more and more clean and, specifically,
electric mobility. This action programme contains no
measures for cleaner air. Nonetheless, ’cleaner’ is an
important precondition for every project. The results
have to be ever-smarter and, consequently, cleaner. This
can be achieved, for example, by reducing the distances
covered by vehicles in the city.

13
https://www.eu2016.nl/actueel/nieuws/2016/04/14/ 14
http://www.nu.nl/gadgets/4295070/daimler-test-
eu-ministers-ervaren-zelfrijdende-auto%E2%80%99s-in- zelfrijdende-bus-busbaan-van-schiphol-haarlem.html
amsterdam 20
3. STRATEGY
Learning by doing
The Smart Mobility action programme does not
contain some all-encompassing vision for the future,
because innovations in the mobility sector are following
each other in rapid succession. More insights are
needed. Amsterdam is planning ahead on the basis
of technological and other innovations that could
improve the quality of life and international competitive
position of the city. We are doing this by strengthening
and facilitating innovation. This means learning by
doing, researching, connecting, testing, and by
building alliances. It’s about making the city a ‘living
lab’. This should lead to more effective interventions
and investments for the people of Amsterdam and its
visitors and businesses, as well as partners from the city
and beyond.
Our starting point is Amsterdam’s DNA – its creativity,
entrepreneurship, and freedom. It is important in this
context that we continue to be an inclusive city in
the future, with an as efficient and bespoke transport
system as possible for everyone. This might appear
contradictory and it can only be achieved if we are
smarter, anticipate the opportunities for technological
innovation, and if we make the right decisions. These
decisions involve the limited amount of available public
space where people can meet and, to a large degree,
making Amsterdam a city for pedestrians, cyclists, and
effective collective transport.
21
Partnership: De Ovale Tafel
Partnership with Amsterdam knowledge
institutes – ‘De ovale tafel’.
The Amsterdam City Council is working closely
in partnership with Amsterdam University of
Applied Sciences, the University of Amsterdam,
VU University Amsterdam, AMS Institute, and
the CWI. There is a need for gaining greater
in-depth knowledge by carrying out research
into the various developments, and by gaining
more understanding of the effects and impacts
of the innovations on the city. Meetings are held
once every six weeks in order to coordinate
the demand for and supply of knowledge and
research, and to discuss joint projects, EU and
national calls for proposals, and other matters.
As well as an exchange of knowledge, the
meetings actually produce concrete results.
For the city, these include new and useful
insights and knowledge, and for the knowledge
institutes, more research funding through joint
calls for proposals. This means that Amsterdam
is aware of and up to date with international
developments, has access to this knowledge,
and is working together with partners in leading
scientific and practical consortia, and learning
from other cities. In the past year, for example,
several million euros’ worth of research funding
has been allocated to Amsterdam by NWO and
from European resources. There is of course
healthy competition between the knowledge
institutes, but the research competencies and
expertise are more complementary, as a result
of which Amsterdam as a whole is better able to
compete on the international stage.
4 THEMES AND PROJECTS
Amsterdam has chosen four themes that are relevant to
the more major developments – the Internet of Things,
a view of the city and smart use of space, mobility as a
service, and self-driving cars. Using these four themes
as our basis, we are casting light on projects that have
already started, and we are also launching a number
of new projects that will contribute to meeting the
accessibility challenges facing the city. We are learning
by doing. This means executing and monitoring
projects as quickly as possible, and evaluating the
methods, results, and impact. We set out how we
will do this when structuring the organisation of the
programme.
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4.1 Internet of things
The Internet of Things offers many opportunities for
Amsterdam. The city has opted for a targeted approach
in order to respond to this development. This involves,
on the one hand, targeted solutions for parking,
logistics, and cycling. For parking, the emphasis is on
reducing the amount of traffic looking for spaces and
making better use of space by acting more effectively
against illegal parking in public spaces. On the other, it
involves investing in digital infrastructure as a means of
improving the city’s own mobility applications (that is,
traffic control installations, etc.). At the same time, we are
challenging the market to come up with smart mobility
solutions via an open beacon network.
1. More effective enforcements and making better use of parking spaces
Explanation

1. There are around 5,000 parking spaces for certain special groups in Amsterdam. These are spaces for
shared and electric cars, as well as spaces for the disabled and loading and unloading spaces. In addition, there
are drivers who park their vehicles in public areas that are not actually parking spaces. There is a need for real-
time enforcement and clear information about these spaces.

2. The car parks on the periphery of Amsterdam are still not being used to the full. Providing information
about available spaces on the edge of the city and attractive pricing will reduce the numbers of cars going
into the city centre. The possibility of whether the project could be expanded using experiments that affect
the accessibility of the Amsterdam region is currently being explored with the SRA. This means more costs for
experiments, which the SRA intends to cover.

Intended impact Finance

1.Fewer vehicles looking for parking spaces 2016 n/a

2.Improvement to traffic flows 2017 € 200.000
3.Improved air quality
Still to be achieved
4.Effective enforcement
Urban Mobility Fund €200,000
5.More efficient use of spaces for special groups
Subsidy Stadsregio Amsterdam € PM
6.Reduction in city centre congestion

2018 € 200.000
Still to be achieved
Urban Mobility Fund €200,000
Subsidy Stadsregio Amsterdam € PM

23
2. Open Call Mobility
Explanation

On behalf of the AMA, the Amsterdam City Council is launching a competition that will lead to innovative
mobility solutions for the AMA. Mobility in the city of Amsterdam cannot be viewed separately from the
surrounding region. It is closely interwoven with the fabric of the region. The ‘daily urban system’ functions at the
level of the AMA, which means that urban journeys are often linked with mobility outside the city itself.

Intended impact Finance

1. Smart mobility solutions 2016 n/a

2. Strengthening of economic structure 2017 € 750.000 (max)
3. Acceleration of new mobility concepts
Funding allocated
PRES funds €750,000
(PRES resources, regional budget, AMA, local
authorities)
2018 nvt

3. BikeID
Explanation

Application that ensures that owners can find

their bicycles at the cycle depot in the event that
they have been removed by enforcement officers.
Born from the Startup in Residence programme.

Intended impact

1.Relocating bicycle after removal by enforcement

officers
2.Potentially pay, found after theft, sharing, etc.

Finances
2016 € 50.000

Funding allocated
Urban Mobility Fund (bicycle programme)
€50,000

2017 PM
2018 PM

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4. Amsterdam Beacon Network
Explanation

Amsterdam is creating a public beacon network. The city is going to hang up various beacons by way of
experiment. The beacons will continuously give off signals and function as a kind of ‘trigger’. Developers can
incorporate the use of transmitters in their applications. Passers-by will then receive, for example, a notification
on their mobile phones as soon as they are in the vicinity of a beacon. With the help of the small transmitters,
Amsterdam would like to develop services like real-time public transport journey time and applications in public
spaces for the benefit of travellers in, visitors to, and residents of the city.

Intended impact Finance

1. Navigable through public transport in real-time 2016 € 75.000

2. Discovering interesting sights Funding allocated
3. Planning the best route CTO €75,000

2017 nvt

2018 nvt

5. P+R – check on visit to Centrum

Explanation

Visiting Centrum is a condition of the inexpensive P+R rate. Checks are made using public transport data (use of
public transport is compulsory); P+R is made more attractive due to choice of transport mode to Centrum. With
the help of a pilot scheme, we are looking at other ways of checking on visits to Centrum (use of beacons, see
project 4, Amsterdam Beacon Network).

Intended impact Finance

1. Increase in use of P+R 2016 € 60.000

2. Making P+R more customer friendly Gerealiseerde dekking
3. Fewer visitors per car in Centrum Stedelijk Mobiliteitsfonds € 60.000
(vernieuwing P+R)

2017
Gereserveerde dekking € 140.000

2018

Gereserveerde dekking € 15.000

25
6.Traffic management practical 7. Public lighting and connectivity
experiment
Explanation
Explanation
There are 130,000 street lights in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is taking part in the Amsterdam
If they are connected to the internet and
Practical Trial. New traffic management methods
provided with energy, then you can see (in
have now been tested, and in-car tests have
modular terms) what mobility and other
been carried out during events and day-to-
applications are desirable. It is possible that
day situations; tests have also been performed
the approximately 2,450 interactive parking
during events to see what private parties can
machines could be involved in this as well.
add to what the city council already does.
Intended impact Intended impact

1.Insight into coordinated traffic management 1.Incorporating opportunities for innovation and
across the network; what works, and what does smart network in public lighting tenders
not? 2.Smart mobility applications in the network
2.Insight into the effect of in-care information 3.Stable network Amsterdam

Finances Finances
2016 € 150.000 2016
Funding allocated 2017
Urban Mobility Fund €150,000
2018
2017 € 200.000
Costs should fit within existing maintenance
Funding allocated budgets, in accordance with regular
Urban Mobility Fund € 200.000 replacement.
2018 nvt

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8. Better use of CITS 9. Electronic stop detection by tourist
coaches
Explanation
Explanation
National networks are being rolled out in the
CITS programme for connecting vehicles with In 2016, electronic detection systems are being
traffic management installations, linking and installed at ten busy tourist coach stops in
sharing data, and for ensuring that more traffic the city centre. They automatically show the
information reaches road users through service maximum permitted parking time for coaches
providers. and, with the help of the Lora network, whether
the spaces are occupied or not. They are also
connected with the enforcement services
Intended impact and a new online information system for
Better organisation of traffic on routes with smart stricter regulation of tourist coach traffic. The
junctions. information will be publishd as open data.

Intended impact

Finances 1.More efficient use of tourist coach stops in the

2016 na city centre
2.Fewer tourist coaches in the city centre
2017 € 500.000 3.More efficient enforcement, more incident-led
Funding reserved 4.Online communications with coach drivers
Urban Mobility Fund (UAM) € 500.000
Finances
2016 € 100.000
2018 € 250.000
Funding reserved Funding allocated
Urban Mobility Fund (UAM) € 250.000 Urban Mobility Fund €100,000
(traffic management impulse funds)

2017 n/a

2018 n/a

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 10. Doorontwikkeling Tourbuzz

Explanation Intended impact

An online web application has recently been
made for tourist coach drivers with up-to-date
information (as open data) on road closures,
diversions, and information on the availability of
parking spaces (www.tourbuzz.nl). The application
is set to be developed further in the near future as
a web portal that can be used for providing other
services. Examples include offline navigation and
push notifications, and a link to the environmental
zone and the ‘Electronic tourist coach stop
detection’ project.

1 More efficient use of tourist coach stops and
parking spaces in the city
2. Less need for tourist coaches to look for parking
spaces
3. Fewer tourist coaches in the city centre
4. Cleaner tourist coach traffic in the city
5. Better online communications with coach
drivers
Finances
2016 € 40.000

Funding allocated
Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management impulse
funds) €40,000

2017 PM
2018 PM

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11. Optimising the routes taken by rubbish collection vehicles in Amsterdam
Explanation
Amsterdam zamelt het merendeel van
het huishoudelijk afval in via onder- en
bovengrondse containers. Inzamelauto’s
legen deze containers en brengen restafval
en grondstofstromen naar de verwerkers. De
gemeente wil dit logistieke proces slimmer
en efficiënter uitvoeren. De gemeente
gaat oplossingen inkopen om dynamisch
(datagestuurd én ervaringsgestuurd) in te
kunnen zamelen. Dat wil zeggen op tijd, zodat
containers niet te vol en niet te leeg zijn. En
slim: zodat we én veilig rijden én minder
kilometers afleggen.  
29
Intended Impact
1. Emptying Just in Time – no containers that are
too full
2. Emptying safely, adopting the routes to the
times at which children are arriving and leaving
school
3. Smart routes, over city district boundaries,
leading to fewer journeys, lower emissions, and
less fuel consumption
4. Contributing to cost-efficient waste chain
Finances
2016 € 200.000
Funding allocated
Measures for making waste chain sustainable
Waste levy 2016 €200,000
2017 n/a
Funding reserved
Measures for making waste chain sustainable
Waste levy 2016 €200,000
2018 n/a
4.2 Clear picture of the city and smart use
of space
By having more and more information, we can gain
a clear picture of the city. Using big data analyses, we
can better understand how the city was used in the
past, is used today, and will be used in the future. This
is necessary in order to make well-founded investments
and interventions in public spaces and infrastructure,
and to make carefully considered policy decisions.
Having a clearer picture of what is going on in the city
means that spaces are used more smartly and flexibly.
In addition, it means that traffic in the city can be better
managed.
12. Crowd management
Explanation
Because of the increase in visitors to the city, crowd management is not just relevant during events, but more
and more in everyday situations, including on Rokin, Damrak, Kalverstraat, and around Central Station. To gain
an idea of pedestrian flows and of when interventions are needed, OOV, EB, and V&OR are developing a crowd
manager monitoring system in collaboration with AMS.
Intended Impact
1. Picture of pedestrian flows in busy areas and
during events
2. Assistance on decision-making in relation to
measures to be taken here and now
3. Evaluation analysis tool
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The network that is currently visible is limited and aimed
primarily at the flow of car traffic. That is why we are
committed to acquiring more data sources. It is also
about linking existing data and information in order to
carry out analyses and to be able to make estimates
of congestion at Christmas, for example, or during
events like King’s Day, or during road works, as well as in
everyday situations. Not just cameras and the detectors
in the roads provide important data, but partners from
inside and outside the city also have very valuable
information.
Finances
2016 € 150.000
Funding allocated
Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management
impulse funds) €150,000
2017 € 200.000
Funding reserved
Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management
impulse funds) €200,000
2018 € 200.000
Funding reserved
Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management
impulse funds) €200,000
13. Clearer real-time picture of the city
Explanation

Tom Tom and Google are two large data companies that are prepared to work together, subject to
conditions imposed by Amsterdam, and to share their data with the city council in the context of research and
experimentation. The collaboration means, among other things, that the city council will gain access to traffic
data, subject to conditions. We are going to start pilot schemes based on urban accessibility issues.

Intended Impact Financiën

1. Collaboration and data agreements 2016 € 75.000

2. Sharing data in the right conditions (such as Funding allocated
privacy, etc.) CTO €75,000
3. Insight into origin and destination
4. Real-time picture of the traffic
2017 € 75.000
Funding allocated
CTO €75,000

2018 PM

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14. Zuidas accessibility platform 15. Predictive Parking

Explanation Explanation

Many innovation projects and initiatives have
been launched in collaboration with partners in
order to keep Zuidas accessible. There is a need
for an online platform, where ideas and what
has been learned from pilot schemes can be
exchanged, and which creates a good overview.
This project is examining whether the degree
of occupancy of street parking spaces can be
predicted by combining data and parking rights
with data from observations (control scans)

Intended Impact Intended Impact

1: Exchanging ideas online 1:Fewer vehicles looking for parking spaces

2: Feedback loop for pilot schemes in Zuidas 2:Improvement to traffic flows
area 3:Improved air quality
3; Overview of Zuidas accessibility projects

Finances Financiën
2016 PM 2016 € 80.000

2017 PM Funding allocated
2018 PM Urban Mobility Fund (UAM) €80,000

2017 PM
2018 PM

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 Anna the first Cycle Mayor of Amsterdam

16. Stimulating and promoting bicycle innovation (in 2016 Cyclespace)

Explanation

There are more bicycles in the city than there are residents. More than one hundred delegations come to
Amsterdam every year to see how cycling is organised in the city. There is a demand for a place for cycling
innovation, professional reception of the delegations, and for promoting Amsterdam as the cycling capital.
The objective of encouraging cycling innovation is greater use of bicycles, fewer abandoned bicycles, less
but smarter use of space (by parked bicycles, for example) and assisting with cycling traffic flows.

Intended Impact Finances

1.Putting cycling on the international map – such 2016 € 150.000

as the De Fiets BM and annual CycleHack Event Funding allocated
2.On- and offline innovation platform for General resources – V&OR budget €75,000
bicycles Subsidy Stadsregio Amsterdam €75,000
3.Professional reception of international
delegations
2017 € 75.000
Still to be achieved
PM €75,000
Subsidy Stadsregio Amsterdam €75,000

2018 € 75.000
Still to be achieved
PM €75,000
Subsidy Stadsregio Amsterdam €75,000

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17. Monitoring Zuidas
Explanation

Given all the work taking place in the Zuidas area, it will be increasingly important in the next few years to
gain a clearer idea of the current traffic situation, to make analyses of the effects of measures taken, and to
be able to predict what traffic policies will be. In partnership with TU Delft, Amsterdam is going to investigate
whether the development of such a chart and tool is possible. The DiTT-Lab data system, which has been
developed by TU Delft, will be used for this.

Intended Impact Finances

1. View of the current situation in the Zuidas area 2016 € 50.000

2. Data to evaluate what the effects of certain Funding allocated
measures have been, in order to learn from this Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management impulse
3. Tool for making predications on the day itself, funds) €50,000
such as making prediction during rush hour in
the morning and evening. 2017 € 50.000
Funding allocated
Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management impulse
funds) €50,000

2018 n/a

Mobility as a service

34
 19. Pilot ride sharing Zuidas
4.3 Mobility as a service Explanation

Amsterdam is aiming to speed up the transition
towards using mobility as a service. After all, reduction
in ownership frees up space and increasing the
occupancy of transport means that capacity and
space are used more effectively. We can achieve
this by buying transport differently for relevant
target groups. There needs to be a greater focus on
decompartmentalisation and on putting travellers first.
Discussions are underway with businesses to
encourage them not to buy a car for each employee,
but for them to be shared or for their employees to
make more use of public transport and the bicycle.
The possibilities for new residents in areas being
developed to buy their mobility on a collective
basis are also being explored. Finally, encouraging
initiatives by transport and technology companies will
result in their transport arrangements being organised
more effectively and efficiently.
In collaboration with Toogethr, people from
the same community (employer or group of
employers) are proactively put in touch with
each other with the help of an app, based on
their wish to travel with others. Communities
will be set up. Partners are PWC, Accenture,
ABN AMRO, Arcadis, EY, and others. Giving it
serious consideration are Deloitte, Houthoff
Buruma, SalesForce, AKZO Nobel, and APG.
Intended impact
1. More shared rides to Zuidas
2. Shorter distances travelled to Zuidas
3. Pilot scheme is aiming for 20,000 users in
2017
Finances
2016
Funding allocated
Zuidas € 30.000
2017 n/a

2018 n/a

18. Pilot accelerating Car Sharing 20. Mobility as a services at Zuidas

Explanation Explanation

Organising a competition to encourage new

Car sharing is on the rise, and yet only 1%
mobility solutions. For access to Zuidas. Based
of people in Amsterdam share their cars.
on data analyses with Google, Tom Tom, and
Amsterdam and Snappcar are investigating
others.
whether the barriers to car sharing can be
eliminated, which would mean more people
sharing. The city is making a select number
Intended impact
of parkingspaces available in car parks for the
pilot scheme, which will start in 2017 and will 1.Innovative mobility solutions for Zuidas
run for six months. 2.PPP
3.Appropriate measures by government bodies
Intended impact
based on market needs
1.Insight into possible barriers to car sharing
2.More shared cars and less car ownership
3.More room due to free spaces on the street

Finances Finances
2016 n/a 2016 n/a
2017 n/a 2017 PM
2018 n/a 2018 n/a

35
21. Improving transport for target groups

Explanation

Need to improve quality, traveller is the priority, decompartmentalisation of rules, increasing occupancy of
vehicles, and fewer vehicles travelling through the city.
(see target group transport management assignment)

Intended impact Financiën

1.Target group with love from A to B – greater 2016 € 200.000*

quality Funding allocated €200,000
2.Shorter vehicle distances covered in the city
3.Constant picture of quality
4.Quality and development driven 2017 € 1.000.000*
5.Decompartmentalisation of supply
Still to be achieved
6.Making vehicles sustainable
Urban Mobility Fund €500,000
Education, Youth and Care, WPI €500,000

2018 € 1.000.000*
Still to be achieved
Urban Mobility Fund €500,000
Education, Youth and Care, WPI €500,000
* total costs of target group transport
€25 million a year

36
 22. Pilot schemes resulting from
impact study
Explanation
As a result of the impact study into self-driving
cars and the experience with EU ministers
during the EU Presidency, we are now exploring
the possibilities for holding pilot studies.
Intended impact
Insight into the implications of the development
for interventions and investments.
Finances
2016 n/a 2016 n/a
2017 PM 2017 PM
2018 PM
4.4 Self-driving transport
The developments surrounding self-driving vehicles
are moving rapidly, but a great deal remains to be
done before they can drive themselves completely and
before self-driving transport can be used by everyone.
This will not happen in the short term. However, a
number of interventions and controllable investments
run for a long time, such as in public transport. In order
to be able to direct the implications of the development
of self-driving vehicles on time, it is necessary to gain a
clear picture of the impact of the development of self-
driving vehicles on urban policy objectives. And what
interventions would help enhance the benefits and limit
the disadvantages?
37
23.Further investigation into impact on
public transport, capacity in the city, and
parking
Explanation
As a result of the impact study, further research
will be proposed.
Intended impact
Insight into the implications of the development
for interventions and investments.
Finances
2018 PM
Amsterdam is anticipating the development of self-
driving vehicles by performing short-term research,
an impact study and long-term STAD research (see
Chapter 3) and by carrying out targeted pilot schemes
in order to gain a picture of the implications of the
development. A close eye is also being kept on
technological developments in collaboration with the
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, car
manufacturers, and others. These insights are being
incorporated into considerations on future investments
and interventions.
24. Impactstudie zelfrijdende voertuigen
Explanation

The development of self-driving vehicles is having an impact on the policy aims of the Amsterdam City
Council and on our long-term investments. There is a need for a realistic picture of this impact and advice on
how to deal with this.

Intended impact Finances

Insight into the impact of the development 2016 € 100.000

of self-driving vehicles on the city and advice
for the follow-up approach and any necessary Funding allocated
follow-up studies Urban Mobility Fund (traffic management impulse
funds) €100,000

2017 n/a

2018 n/a

38
5. ORGANISATION

Organisation

Administrative commissioning party

Deputy mayor Pieter Litjens, Traffic, Transport, and
Organisation

Official commissioning party for development of

programme
Innovation team – Tijs Roelofs

Official commissioning parties for implementation

of programme

V&OR – PM
Innovation team – Tijs Roelofs

Project organisation

Programme manager to be appointed

The action programme crosses RVE boundaries and
project collaboration is with parties inside and outside
the Amsterdam City Council, such as:

V&OR, Enforcement, Education, Youth and Care,

Parking, Zuidas, Space and Sustainability, and CTO

office

Stadsregio Amsterdam, GVB, Amsterdam Economic

Board, and Amsterdam Smart City

Amsterdam knowledge and research institutes,

University of Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam,
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and CWI

Private-sector parties like Tom Tom, Google, and

Snappcar

39