MMUST (Modèle Multimodal et Scénarios de Mobilité Transfrontalière)

The Greater Region (Walloon Region, Lorraine, Saarland and Rhineland-Pfalz and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) has the largest flows of cross-border workers in the European Union (260,000 expected by 2035). Given the attractiveness of the central metropolitan pole in this territory and its likely short and medium-term development, these flows are sure to grow significantly. In addition to these flows of people, there will also be flows of goods following the recent development of logistics platforms in the Greater Region. There is no standardised, concerted, overall approach to evaluating and anticipating the development of the transport flows. The MMUST tool seeks to respond to this situation and shortcomings.

Under the supervision of the AGAPE (Agency for Urban Planning and Sustainable Development for North Lorraine), the tool will be implemented by several actors including the Cerema (Centre for studies and expertise on risks, the environment, mobility and spatial planning), the LISER (Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research), the Universities of Namur and Liège as well as the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The tool is the result of a 5-stage methodology: preparation of transport-related data (collection and harmonisation), construction of the model using appropriate software, adjustment of the model to the reality of transport in the Greater Region, development of scenarios on the evolution of mobility, and finally, use of the tool by the actors and deciders concerned. The noteworthy specificities of the methodology include, on the one hand, the use of surveys to validate the alternative mobility scenarios most desirable to users, and, on the other, the desire to prioritise alternative forms of mobility ahead of the individual private motorised forms used at the time of introducing the tool.

In the last phase planned, the model is intended to be used as a decision support tool.  Regarding the evaluation of recent measures introduced to improve mobility in the Greater Region, it will be possible, for example, to validate or not validate the doubling of the railway line between Longwy and Rodange, the extension of the A30 motorway or even the extension of the Luxembourg high-speed tram into France. As for the evaluation of future measures, the tool will be able validate the mobility scenarios selected as part of the cross-border Territorial Development Plan and support decision-makers to achieve the ambitious energy transition targets the Grand Duchy has set itself.