United States Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx last week completed a multi-day visit to Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Oslo, Norway, as part of an ongoing effort to learn from international partners about innovative ways to meet the transportation challenges of the future. Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Oslo are considered some of the smartest cities in the world.
They face many of the same challenges as cities in the U.S., including: rapid growth; urbanization; congestion; climate change; increased freight traffic; and risks to pedestrian and bicycle safety. In addition to meeting with government leaders, Foxx engaged in a series of discussions and meetings with city officials, architects and planners about their efforts to meet these challenges with creative and multi-modal solutions.
“We moved safely through these cities the way so many residents do, on a bike, and we looked at how data and technology are shaping transportation systems for the better,” said Foxx. “I’m excited to put these ideas into practice and continue the conversation in the United States about making our neighbourhoods more inclusive and multi-modal, and to improve access to economic opportunity.”
During his visit, Foxx also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with each of the three countries, formalizing cooperation with each nation on a range of transportation priorities, including automated and connected vehicles, smart cities and multi-modal urban mobility.
