From May 12 to 15, 2025, representatives of the Kurzeme Planning Region—Project Manager Anna Margreta Vērdiņa, Mobility Expert Gints Birzietis, and GIS Specialist Jānis Puga—went on a business trip to Linköping, Sweden, to participate in the face-to-face partner meeting of the cross-border project “SuRuMo” (Sustainable Rural Mobility). The project aims to develop and test sustainable mobility solutions in rural areas.
The meeting took place at the project’s lead partner, the Östgötatrafiken Public Transport Authority, where the project’s progress so far was evaluated and the next steps discussed. During the sessions, partners analyzed multimodal mobility habits, the process of selecting pilot areas, public information and engagement, as well as approaches to monitoring and evaluating the pilot projects.
As part of the visit, project partners also toured the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), where they learned about research in the field of autonomous vehicles and tested a bicycle simulator—an interactive tool for studying user behavior in various traffic conditions.
In a practical workshop, partners tested the Freelway mobility app, gaining valuable insights into its adaptability to each partner’s pilot area. The readiness of the pilot projects was also assessed, and the next stages of the project were discussed, including refinements to both internal and external communication strategies.
Participation in the partner meeting provided an opportunity not only to share experiences with other project partners but also to strengthen international cooperation, which is essential for the development of sustainable regional mobility.
About the project
The project “SuRuMo” (Sustainable Rural Mobility) is implemented to conduct research in pilot areas, collect and analyse data, and develop a unified digital platform, thereby finding solutions to ensure sustainable mobility in rural areas.
The project activities are carried out with the support of the Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027.
Information prepared by:
Anna Margreta Vērdiņa
Project Manager of “SuRuMo”
Kurzeme Planning Region
Tel. +371 27000178
E-mail: anna.verdina@kurzemesregions.lv
