EXPLOITING ITS TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH A TRAFFIC SUPERVISOR SYSTEM TO SUPPORT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

In the last decade, a big European effort has been made in terms of research, strategies and initiatives to boost new forms of sustainable urban mobility, in order to reduce the externalities associated with the transport sector. Among the other instruments identified to achieve this goal, the European Commission (EC) emphasizes integrated planning at all mobility levels, to be realized through Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PUMS) and its management and also through Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). In fact, although the EC considers that urban planning is the result of a joint effort on several fronts, on the other hand it is equally important to make technologically modern mobility system, in order to maximize its efficiency. With regard to this technological modernization, the introduction of ITS systems, based on interaction between computer technology and telecommunications, makes it possible to tackle mobility problems in an innovative way, with a systemic approach, considering transports as an "integrated system", in which information, management and control synergistically work, optimizing the use of infrastructures, vehicles and logistics platforms. Based on this premise, this work provides a discussion about the introduction of ITS as a tool to be exploited for the promotion of sustainable urban mobility with ITS technologies' support, particularly referring to the case of a municipality of the metropolitan area of Catania (Italy). Sensors traffic data are obtained through the implementation of a real-time traffic monitoring system with related infomobility services, and through heedful analysis and interpretation, they will constitute the basis for monitoring actions with before-and after- analysis and making the users more informed. Furthermore, these data can be profited to assist traffic planners and managers in their decision-making procedures and improve the support traffic management system.