“Urban and transportation planning must go hand in hand for liveable cities.”

The Austrian company Doppelmayr is committed to sustainable mobility worldwide. However, according to Reinhard Fitz, Head of International Business Development at Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, we are still miles away from the actual mobility revolution. We spoke to him about the liveable city of tomorrow and why we urgently need leaders to lead the way.

Reinhard Fitz, more than almost any other company, Doppelmayr stands for alternative mobility in a world dominated by motor vehicles. Where do we stand internationally in terms of the mobility transition?

There is still a lot of work to be done internationally to make the desired mobility transition possible. Many megacities do not have the time to develop an appropriate public transport infrastructure. Due to the daily influx into cities, there are major challenges in achieving a mobility transition and high-quality public transport. The pressure on the transport infrastructure, especially the road network, is enormous. The annual increase in traffic figures represents a real challenge for the infrastructure. In addition, the infrastructure is often in need of renovation. This results in a dilemma. On the one hand, traffic should flow, but on the other hand, the flow of traffic is disrupted. We have too little capacity on the roads. And public transport is not always optimally developed. So we have a lot of catching up to do. Especially in our western world, there is a lot of convincing to be done. Decision-makers in particular should address the issues and requirements of people who commute every day, for example. A new, multimodal, networked mobility world is missing. Developing and promoting this, but also using it, should be the goal of everyone. Getting used to the car must be reduced and switching to public transport must be made more attractive.

In your opinion, what is the greatest potential for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the mobility sector? Where do we need to take action?

Around a fifth of emissions are caused by mobility. We need to drive forward the expansion of local and long-distance public transport faster and more intelligently. Private transport, which is responsible for around 60 percent of emissions in the European transport sector, must be significantly reduced. At the same time, efficient and well-connected means of transport such as trains, streetcars, buses and new transport solutions should be better coordinated. It is always worth investing in additional infrastructure and increasing its attractiveness. Of course, you have to ask yourself: How do I travel? Do I take the diesel bus or do I go electric? Greenhouse gases don’t just start during the operating phase, but even before that. To make a long story short: Every contribution counts. By that I also mean pedestrians and cyclists, and their smallest possible footprint. Journeys by bike or scooter and the associated last miles must be ensured by taking them on public transport. Concentrating on public transport would relieve the burden on the roads.

This would allow us to upgrade the city as a living space. It would significantly increase the quality of life if attractive offers were available in the city. Another control lever is directly related to the price of energy and_{CO2 pricing}. If the price of energy rises, mobility behavior will change. People would no longer make every journey by car. At the same time, stricter emissions regulations would also mean that not every vehicle would be allowed to drive into city centers. The use of intelligent traffic control systems that optimize traffic flow helps to reduce congestion and thus minimize_{CO2 emissions}. It is this combination of regulatory, technological and infrastructural improvements that will certainly trigger changes in public perception and influence people’s behavior.

How courageous do you think political decision-makers are in the area of mobility?

Far too little. We are all talking about the mobility transition, climate change and measures to combat climate change. How much longer do we want to wait? Or do we finally dare to take the first steps? We need to act now and create facts in order to get started. In Europe, political decision-making processes are longer due to democratic conditions. That is a good thing. But we need leaders who lead the way and say: “We are changing things for the better”. This should be possible through transparent and open communication with the population. I am convinced that if the public interest prevails, then enforceability must be achieved more quickly.

Anyone who is committed to the mobility transition is also committed to climate adaptation measures. Doppelmayr is making a valuable contribution here in the world’s major cities. At the same time, the company is implementing a large number of projects in ski resorts – and therefore natural areas in the high Alps that are worth protecting. Isn’t this where corporate social responsibility comes in?

At first glance, it may seem so. We at Doppelmayr are aware that any new infrastructure that is built in nature is an intervention. The desirable regions are there and they attract many people. In most cases, we already have well-developed tourist destinations there. In other words, they are prospering economic regions. The local population would certainly face a challenge if tourism were to disappear. I see the cable car as an infrastructure facility. And the function of the cable car is to provide access to these Alpine regions for the use of these Alpine regions. We are aware of our responsibility to leave a very small footprint in this sensitive area. And this is exactly what we focus on together with our customers. The aim is to have as little impact on nature as possible. When a project is built, it is required by nature conservation law not to worsen the current state or to compensate for the use of land through impact-reducing replacement measures and to comply with previously agreed protection targets. This means that the landscape can recover very quickly after the intervention. High-quality ecology and biodiversity must be present and be in everyone’s interest.

Doppelmayr also builds automated people movers such as the Cable^Liner®. The opening of a corresponding AirTrain in Newark New Jersey, USA, is planned for 2029. Let’s take another look at the USA. The country seems to be making very slow progress when it comes to alternative mobility solutions, but it emits the most greenhouse gases than China and the EU. How do you rate the transport transition in the USA? Especially in comparison to China?

The USA is not a pioneer when it comes to public transportation, but that is due to historical reasons. There are certainly efforts in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. And changes are being brought about relatively quickly. This also comes from the pressure that they no longer have the necessary transportation capacity. But the federal system and to some extent political differences in the USA are hindering this.

China has regulations that can be enforced very quickly and that is the differentiating factor. The USA is focusing on technological innovations and new mobility services. The roads are already overloaded. There will be no significant relief. The attractiveness will not increase, congestion times will not decrease. Commuters will always choose the mode of transportation that gets them from A to B the fastest. And China has already done a good job of this with its transport and urban planning, using the world’s fastest growing urban high-speed rail network to very quickly implement intercity connections and reserve space for mobility – with no ifs or buts.

Between 2030 and 2050, around 250,000 people worldwide are expected to die every year as a result of climate change, including extreme heat. You travel a lot with Doppelmayr in the world’s major cities. What systems, innovations and strategies would you like to see more of in international cities?

I am in favor of more greenery and water than concrete surfaces. Green spaces and windbreaks are absolutely essential in the city. Wind corridors so that the wind can ventilate the city. The heat out and the cold in from the surrounding countryside. Above all, blowing out the smog is a very, very important point in order to achieve better air quality. But this also requires knowledge in the cities. Where are the heat hotspots? We need to loosen up the sealed surfaces and introduce green roofs and façades to improve heat build-up and air quality. Then I see opportunities in the strategic orientation of a city. Urban and transportation planning go hand in hand. Until now, the two disciplines have been considered separately. This can no longer be the case in future. We need a joint approach in order to accelerate coherent and sustainable development in this area in particular. Dedicating land for different uses, including mixed uses, is becoming increasingly important. How do I deal with resources and land resources properly? Who do I give what share to? Mobility is an important economic factor. The cable car can help with a small footprint on the ground. We can leave the green areas below the cable car in place and thus avoid soil sealing. The cable car route and track can also be designed and planned as a wind and cooling corridor. This combines several objectives.

Reinhard Fitz is Head of International Business Development at Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH and leads the development of multimodal mobility concepts with ropeways as an integrated mode of transportation. He has over 25 years of experience in the Doppelmayr Group, ranging from project engineer to key account manager, and specializes in project development, project and communication management for urban infrastructure projects and projects with complex project requirements.

The Doppelmayr Group represents in particular quality, technology and market leadership in the construction of ropeway systems for passenger and material transportation as well as high-tech intralogistics solutions. The company can look back on 130 years of history and a century of experience in the planning, development, design, production and construction of ropeways. This proven technology and the reliability it has achieved has helped to make the ropeway a popular and efficient mobility solution – in ski and excursion areas as well as in cities around the world.

www.doppelmayr.com

This interview is part of the Beat the Heat initiative, which Doppelmayr supports. Find out more about Beat the Heat here.