Launching of the First Mobility Point in Riga

The Riga Municipal Agency “Riga Energy Agency” has launched the first mobility point in Riga and Latvia in the VEF district, connecting different sustainable modes of transport and offering convenient access to micro mobility and public transport opportunities. The mobility point will also serve as a pilot area for deployment of innovative, data-based solutions, with both a bicycle and pedestrian counter and a testbed for smart city solutions.

The newly established mobility point infrastructure at the intersection of Brīvības gatve and Gustava Zemgala gatve offers convenient bicycle parking spaces, a bicycle repair station, an electric scooter and bicycle sharing rental point, as well as a smart solar bench, providing free Wi-Fi and solar charging for smart devices.

The mobility point in the VEF district has been implemented to promote sustainable transportation by connecting the public transport system with shared transport modes and cycling network. The overall strategic objective for development of the mobility points network in Riga city is to provide unlimited opportunities for fast, convenient, safe and comfortable commuting in the city without the use of conventional fossil-fuel vehicles, thus contributing to the achievement of the climate neutrality goals of the City of Riga.

Compared to other mobility points in Europe, the solution developed in the VEF area is unique in terms of target audience, as it has taken into consideration not only the mobility needs of citizens, but also the interest of scientists and entrepreneurs involved in data collecting, opening up and promoting innovative data solutions. A newly designed pedestrian and bicycle counter has been installed at the mobility point, answering the need for long-term data processing on the intensity of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in Riga. There is also a testbed station with electrical connection - for piloting the Internet of Things (IoT), machine vision and other solutions, as well as for collecting various open data of the city.

There are two sensors currently installed at the VEF mobility point test bed station, the data of which will be published on Internet. Data is collected on more than 10 different indicators, including air pollution, noise level and movement, air temperature, humidity, as well as photosynthetically active and total solar radiation.

The technology testbed station allows to improve performance of the systems, makes the solutions more resistant to environmental influences. The involved partners are expressing satisfaction with the activity and development of the VEF ecosystem, as it is essential for both entrepreneurs and scientists in testing prototypes and proving concepts.

As noted by the Riga Municipal Agency “Riga Energy Agency”, the VEF district mobility point is a prototype, results of which will serve as the basis for further development of mobility points in Riga and potentially also in other cities in Latvia. The City of Riga has already earmarked municipal funding for deployment of the next mobility points in other neighbourhood centres of the city.