World Economic Forum Releases Shared, Electric, Automated Mobility Governance Framework

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released The Shared, Electric and Automated Mobility (SEAM) Governance Framework – a set of modeling tools to form a framework to help cities achieve their mobility goals. The Forum will meet this fall to tailor this policy framework to three selected pilot cities.

The framework highlights the fact that if cities are to address congestion and pollution they must use all the mobility tools available to them – including shared high occupancy and electric options and the integration of autonomous vehicles. Potentially – if these solutions are combined – vehicle emissions could decrease by as much as 95% by 2050 and could also free up as much as 90% of parking space and additional road space.

“With this framework, decision-makers do not have to start from scratch,” said Maya Ben Dror, project lead, World Economic Forum. “They can pick what is projected as impactful and feasible for their unique context and design it to maximize emissions reduction as well as societal benefits. “It anticipates that some cities are more advanced in one of these three categories. But it is flexible enough that a city with no mobility policies can save valuable time and leapfrog ahead.”

WEF also produced the SEAM policy library covering space and cost levers; and public and private action. Cost levers include tax exemptions, parking fares, and central district tolls. Space-lever policies include passenger load and drop-off zones, dedicated lanes, zoning, and parking.

“The mobility of the future is looking more and more like it will include automation, electrification and shared capacity,” said Joseph Chow, deputy director, C2SMART University Transportation Center, New York University. “As local governments grapple with ways to address challenges arising from implementing solutions, this study supported by the World Economic Forum may provide guidance and lessons learned.”