Comillas University’s Kapsch Chair Highlights Key Research on Reducing Urban Congestion
Madrid, November 26, 2024 – In a recent event organized by the Kapsch Chair for Sustainable and Smart Mobility at Comillas University, researchers and urban mobility experts explored innovative strategies for managing urban congestion.
The event, titled “Experiences in Congestion Reduction in Cities”, featured research insights shedding light on the effectiveness of various policies aimed at reducing traffic congestion.
Alfredo Escribá, CTO of Kapsch TrafficCom, emphasized the importance of such research in advancing sustainable urban mobility: “By understanding what works – and equally, what doesn’t – in cities facing diverse challenges, we can build better frameworks for congestion management. The research conducted at Comillas University helps pave the way for smart, resilient solutions that benefit both the environment and urban life.”
Natalia Collado of the Kapsch Chair presented empirical findings on the complex factors contributing to urban traffic issues, emphasizing that congestion is not solely an infrastructure problem but often exacerbated by demand-driven phenomena. “Increasing road capacity alone doesn’t solve congestion; in fact, it frequently encourages higher traffic volumes – a concept known as induced demand,” Natalia Collado explained. Her research highlighted three primary approaches to managing congestion: encouraging public transportation over private vehicle use, implementing pricing mechanisms like urban tolls, and restricting access through low-emission zones.
Collado shared real-world examples demonstrating the benefits of redesigned public transit networks and congestion pricing, as well as findings on low-emission zones that reduce air pollution but may not fully address traffic volume. “Each policy impacts urban mobility differently, and effective congestion management often requires a combination of strategies tailored to local conditions,” she said.
The event also included a roundtable featuring urban mobility leaders from Madrid, Barcelona, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Málaga, who offered practical insights and shared their cities' experiences with innovative congestion-reduction measures.
About the Kapsch Chair for Sustainable and Smart Mobility
The Kapsch Chair at Comillas University is dedicated to advancing research on sustainable mobility and intelligent transport systems, working with industry and urban planners to develop solutions that promote efficient, environmentally-friendly city transportation.
Kapsch TrafficCom is a globally renowned provider of transportation solutions for sustainable mobility with successful projects in more than 50 countries. Innovative solutions in the application fields of tolling, tolling services, traffic management and demand management contribute to a healthy world without congestion.
With one-stop-shop solutions, the company covers the entire value chain of customers, from components to design and implementation to the operation of systems.
Kapsch TrafficCom, headquartered in Vienna, has subsidiaries and branches in more than 25 countries and is listed in the Prime Market segment of the Vienna Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: KTCG). In its 2023/24 financial year, about 4,000 employees generated revenues of EUR 539 million.