ISO 37161:2020

Overview

ISO 37161:2020 - "Smart community infrastructures - Guidance on smart transportation for energy saving in transportation services" - provides high-level guidance for reducing transportation energy consumption in cities and city zones. It covers energy used for passenger travel, delivery items, freight and postal services and addresses both direct vehicle operation and indirect energy uses (stations, ticketing, signaling, maintenance). ISO 37161 suggests energy‑saving options rather than prescribing specific procedures, and it aligns with broader smart transportation principles in ISO 37154 and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Key topics and requirements

ISO 37161 organizes guidance around practical stages and system elements:

• Fundamentals and objectives
  • Goals include lowering environmental load, improving city performance and ensuring affordable, accessible transport.
• Targets of smart transportation
  • Defines target transportation modes, technical/business contents, and service types where energy savings can be pursued.
• Introduction and selection of energy‑saving options
  • Guidance on where to introduce smart transportation (city regions, inter‑regional routes, interfaces) and criteria for choosing options.
• Adoption and performance verification
  • Recommendations on adopting options and confirming energy‑saving performance, including monitoring when multiple measures are combined.
• Maintenance and long‑term optimization
  • Parameters for ongoing quality comparison, modification of systems, and re‑selection of energy‑saving measures as cities evolve.
• Practical example
  • Annex A provides an informative example on rail energy savings by modifying speed profiles.

Note: ISO 37161 is advisory - it lists energy‑saving options (see clause 6.2.2) and criteria/parameters for selection, but it does not mandate specific technical procedures or values.

Practical applications

ISO 37161 supports real-world efforts to design, optimize and evaluate energy‑efficient transport in urban settings:

• Planning integrated urban transportation strategies that reduce total energy usage and environmental impact
• Evaluating energy implications of inter‑modal connections and public/private transport interfaces
• Designing monitoring and performance frameworks to verify energy savings after implementing smart transportation measures
• Informing policy and procurement decisions to prioritize low-energy operations and supportive infrastructure (stations, signaling, maintenance)

Who should use this standard

• City planners and municipal authorities developing sustainable mobility plans
• Transportation operators (public transit, rail, freight/logistics providers)
• Infrastructure designers and systems integrators working on smart community projects
• Policy makers, sustainability officers and consultants assessing urban transport energy strategies

Related standards

• ISO 37154 (guidelines on smart transportation principles)
• ISO Guide 82 (sustainability considerations referenced in development)

By using ISO 37161:2020, stakeholders can align smart transportation initiatives with sustainable cities, energy‑saving transportation services, and measurable performance monitoring for long‑term urban resilience.