Funded: Horizon Europe project Safestar coordinated by Transport Studies group

The Transport Studies Group is happy to share that the Horizon Europe project SafeStar – Safe Streets for People Who Walk, Cycle, and Use Micromobility has been selected for funding by the European Commission under the HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-13 call. SafeStar will be coordinated by the Transport Studies Group (Baran Ulak and Karst Geurs) and we will work together with a group of 20 partners and 4 associated partners from 12 countries (Belgium, Germany, UK, Japan, Estonia, Norway, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey). 

People who walk, cycle and use micro-mobility are directly contributing to EU’s climate, health and liveability objectives. Nonetheless, they remain disproportionately exposed to road risks, despite progress under the Safe System Approach. Fragmented data, limited consideration of perceived safety, infrastructure gaps, and increasing vehicle mass and speed continue to undermine the safe uptake of active modes, particularly in urban areas. SafeStar responds to these challenges by advancing a human-centred, inclusive and data-driven evolution of the Safe System Approach that addresses both objective and perceived safety. The SafeStar Framework aims to close persistent gaps in road safety by combining multi-source data fusion, behavioural interventions, inclusive infrastructure and vehicle design, affordable smart safety technologies, underpinned by long-term governance and policies. 20 partners and 4 associated partners from research organisations, including public authorities, advocacy organisations and industry will co-create, implement, and evaluate solutions in Oslo, Fingal, Milan and Budapest. These pilot cities represent diverse urban contexts, mobility cultures and safety challenges, and are complemented by a Network of Cities and Regions for mutual learning, transferability and replication beyond the pilot sites. By engaging public authorities and diverse users, SafeStar delivers validated guidelines for safer infrastructure and street design, harmonised safety data standards, policy and regulatory recommendations, and practical tools to embed safety of pedestrians, cyclists and micro-mobility users into SUMPs. The project targets a measurable increase of >20% in the safety and uptake of active and micro-mobility in pilot areas, alongside reductions in conflicts and near-misses. By strengthening institutional capacity, decision-making and long-term policy integration, SafeStar supports Vision Zero objectives and enables a just and scalable transition towards healthier urban mobility systems across EU.

SafeStart Partners: European Cyclist Federation, VIAS, Rupprecht Consult, Walk21 Foundation, Toyota Mobility Foundation, Van Raam, Stichting Youth for Road Safety, TOI, Oslo Kommune, University College Dublin, Fingal County Council, FIT Consulting, Urban Bike Messenger, Bax Innovation Consulting, BKK, VOI, UITP, ADI, Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar, TPBI Bucharest, Gemeente Enschede.