UNLOCKING SUSTAINABLE FUNDING: CIMNE’S COLLABORATION WITH ATM FOR FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODELS

In order to define a sustainable, permanent, sufficient, and stable funding model for public transport until the year 2040, the ATM (Autoritat del Transport Metropolità) has considered it beneficial to seek external support to have access to accurate expertise in the economics of public transport, risk analysis, and financing structuring, among other aspects. Furthermore, there is no established clear methodology for formulating the model, as it depends on the specific characteristics of the territory.

The need for specific knowledge and uncertainty in methodology and results make collaboration with a research organization specializing in transport necessary. In this regard, the Generalitat de Catalunya (Department of Territory and Sustainability) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia are part of the research consortium CIMNE, where one of its specialties, led by its research group CENIT, is transport and mobility. As an example, a couple of years ago, this group drafted an analysis for the ATM (Metropolitan Transport Authority) to assess the feasibility of implementing a tax on companies for the parking offered to their employees, aimed at financing public transport. Additionally, in 2018, a report was prepared for the European Commission on the “Pilot Project Study on Innovative Ways of Sustainably Financing Public Transport.

This support from CIMNE to the ATM comes in the form of a doctoral program, with CIMNE, through its CENIT group, providing scientific guidance and expert support to the candidate from various team members. Ultimately, the results of the doctoral program will enable the ATM to establish the scientific and technical foundations upon which to define the future model of public transport financing.