Last December, the European Commission published a Communication on the establishment of an Urban Mobility Package. The new Communication seeks to involve all governmental levels. Thus, the Commission will consolidate its support provided in the areas with added value in the EU, while member states are encouraged to create the right framework-conditions for local authorities to develop and implement integrated and comprehensive strategies for an improved, sustainable urban mobility.
To facilitate a closer exchange between the Commission and member states, the Commission proposes hosting a group of experts on urban mobility in member states.
Thus, the Commission will establish in 2014 a European platform of sustainable urban mobility plans to coordinate cooperation in the EU on developing the concept and the relevant instrument, to set up a one-stop shop and to extend the current www.mobilityplans.eu website, transforming it into a virtual centre of knowledge and competence.
The development of a sustainable urban mobility should build on a careful assessment of the present and future performance of the urban transport system.
The Commission recommends the adoption of a concrete set of measures at different levels to deal with several relevant issues, such as urban logistics, urban access regulation, implementation of ITS solutions (intelligent transport systems) in the urban environment, and will closely monitor subsequent actions.
A Eurobarometer poll (also published in December 2013 which can be consulted on the Commission’s web page) reviewed the attitude towards urban mobility. Thus, the majority of citizens believe the major problems are congestion, cost, as well as the negative effects of urban mobility and of current transport models on the environment. Most respondents were rather pessimistic about the improvement prospects of traffic in their cities. “Transforming urban mobility requires coordinated action by decision makers and competent authorities at all levels of government”, says the Commission.
New approaches to urban mobility planning are emerging as local authorities seek to break out of past silo approaches and develop strategies that can stimulate a shift towards cleaner and more sustainable transport modes, such as walking, cycling, public transport, and new patterns for car use and ownership. Many cities across EU have experimented with innovative solutions for urban mobility and shared their experience through various cities networks.
Thus, the Commission proposes in its Communication a series of measures that member states should consider. We can talk about conducting a careful assessment of the present and future performance of urban mobility in their territory, also in view of key EU policy goals. The second measure implies developing an approach to urban mobility which ensures coordinated and mutually reinforcing action at national, regional and local level. The third measure refers to ensuring that Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans are developed and implemented in their urban areas and that they are integrated into a wider urban or territorial development strategy. The fourth measure refers to reviewing – and amending where necessary – the technical, policy-based, legal, financial, and other tools at the disposal of local planning authorities. And the final suggestion refers to measures to avoid fragmented approaches to ensure continuity and compatibility of urban mobility measures to safeguard the functioning of the internal market.
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