IRF Project Manager Iona Kirkpatrick was recently featured by the FEDORA Project, discussing how the initiative is encouraging a new way of thinking about multimodal transport networks.

In the interview, Iona explains that FEDORA is not only making complex mobility systems more understandable and transparent, but also helping cities and public authorities reimagine how multimodal networks can be planned, managed and optimised to support more connected, efficient and resilient mobility.

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This article was republished from FEDORA

Cities and public authorities are at the centre of the transition towards smarter, safer and more sustainable mobility. They understand local transport challenges, shape policy priorities and play a key role in turning innovative ideas into solutions that work in real urban environments.

In this video, Iona Kirkpatrick, EU Project Manager at the International Road Federation, shares her message for cities and public authorities on the importance of FEDORA and the value of their involvement in the project.

FEDORA is developing new approaches to multimodal traffic management by connecting data, optimisation services and simulation tools within a shared framework. This work can support authorities in understanding complex mobility patterns, testing different scenarios and making more informed decisions before introducing changes across transport networks.

The participation of cities is essential to ensure that these solutions respond to real needs, reflect different local conditions and can be transferred to other regions. Their knowledge also helps the project consider the regulatory, operational and organisational factors that influence how new mobility solutions are adopted.

Watch the video to hear why cooperation with cities and public authorities is vital for shaping practical, adaptable and future-ready mobility systems.

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Read the full transcript

Question: What message does FEDORA send to cities and authorities?

Iona Kirkpatrick: As part of FEDORA, the idea is using the pilot sites that we’ve created and that we integrate more actors in the transport scenario. So, many of us may be familiar with people who are engaged in day-to-day commute, possibly using private cars, maybe people who also make use of conventional tram networks to get to work, to take children to school.

The idea of FEDORA is that essentially, not only do we incorporate people who are using their own private vehicle, but also the idea that actually, there are many actors in the transport sphere. For example, also people who are wandering along the road whilst you’re traveling on your car or on the bus – so people who are maybe using – making use of cycle networks.

The idea of FEDORA is to use the pilot sites to encourage people to think also that there are other people also making use of the infrastructure – the road infrastructure that we all know that is being used for conventional vehicles and I think that the idea of that is also maybe to create cities where there are not only very transparent transport networks for those of us who are using it but also that perhaps more vulnerable road users, for example maybe people who suffer from a disability or people who, are for various reasons, may be intimidated to use public transport or their own vehicles – might also be encouraged to use those systems on the basis that really transport and mobility are there for society and if it isn’t there for society then it doesn’t necessarily have a purpose.

As a result, the idea of FEDORA is not only make things more comprehensible and slightly more transparent, but also to encourage people to maybe think about multi-modal networks in a very new way.