· Background materials for the media Country sheets Urban Mobility EU-27_EN Page 1/38 · Introduction ‘What can be done to promote environmentally friendly public transport, car-sharing, walking and cycling? How can we make more use of clean technologies? What information systems can be put in place to keep us better informed while on the move? What can be done to improve our safety and security when travelling in town and city centres?’ On 25 September 2007, the EU Commission adopted a Green Paper “Towards a new culture for urban mobility” which aims to open a debate on the key issues regarding mobility in European towns and cities. The Paper aims to stimulate dialogue among both citizens and all relevant stakeholders in order to find solutions and improvements to a range of issues affecting people’s urban mobility. Freedom to move: Urban Mobility across the EU Free-flowing and greener towns and cities, smarter, more efficient ways of travelling and accessible, safe and secure public transport are cornerstone themes to improve urban mobility across the EU. Indeed, the efficient movement of people and goods is one of the main challenges facing most European towns and cities today. The EU Commission remains committed to improving urban mobility in the EU and, rather than imposing measures on towns and cities within Member States, it aims to enable and encourage the search for common solutions to urban mobility problems, promoting the sharing of good practices across borders, providing financial support, raising awareness among the general public and simplifying legislation in this sector, or in certain cases, introducing new legislation. Shared solutions for a new mobility culture A vast majority of EU citizens live in urban areas. On average a European citizen makes 1 000 journeys per year, with half of these less than 5 km. But how many of these shorter trips are made on foot, by bicycle, or using public transport? In the EU the car is dominant, with around 75% of all trips within urban areas made in privately owned vehicles. Within the confined space of our towns and cities, such a volume of car traffic causes significant congestion, higher stress levels, safety and environmental problems. Based on the input received during a six month consultation with stakeholders, the Green Paper presents a set of issues for urban mobility and includes 25 open questions acknowledging these common problem areas. The questions address issues such as how the quality of public transport can be improved, how clean and energy efficient technologies can be best used, how walking and cycling can be promoted and how passenger’s rights can be protected. Other questions look at the idea of a “labelling” scheme to recognise the efforts of cities already combating congestion and improving living conditions, the introduction of urban Green Zones with various traffic restrictions and improvements to pedestrian and cyclist safety, or charging schemes for urban areas. The Green Paper addresses all forms of transport, including walking, cycling, motorcycles and motor vehicles; addressing passenger transport as well as urban freight and logistics. The Paper also examines potential obstacles to a successful urban transport policy and how these can be overcome through consensus building and the joint development and implementation of solutions across the EU. Key themes: Addressing the challenge Urban mobility contributes to quality of life for European citizens, but must adequately respect the environment, while stimulating economic development. With these requirements in mind, EU towns and cities face five main challenges: Country sheets Urban Mobility EU-27_EN Page 2/38 First, to facilitate free-flowing towns and cities, solutions to traffic congestion must be found. Throughout Europe, permanent congestion in our city centres has negative economic, social and environmental impacts, costing almost EUR 100 billion annually. A fluid, properly functioning transport system allows people and goods to arrive on time and to limit the negative effects of congestion. Possible solutions include making alternatives to private cars attractive and safe, including public transport, car-pooling, walking and cycling. Other solutions may include Park and Ride facilities, urban charging schemes, better traffic management and information, and efficient freight transport. Secondly, to facilitate greener towns and cities, solutions to the growing problem of harmful vehicle emissions, particulate matter (harmful mixtures of particles suspended in the air we breathe) and excessive noise levels must be found. Possible solutions include the development of clean and energy efficient technologies, the implementation of traffic restrictions in town and city centres, such as the setting up of Green Zones to include pedestrianised areas, lower speed limits and charging for vehicle access. Thirdly, to facilitate smarter urban transport, solutions must be found to cope with the increase in both freight and passenger transport in our towns and cities. With space increasingly in short supply and environmental constraints at the forefront of modern urban development, possible solutions include the development of Intelligent Transport Systems and urban management control applications such as better travel information for drivers and public transport passengers. Fourthly, to facilitate more accessible urban transport, solutions must be found towards the adequate provision of public transport and safe infrastructure for walking, cycling and driving. Particular attention must be paid to members of our society, including the elderly and those with disabilities, for whom mobility is often the key to their independence. Possible solutions include the development of quality, frequent, reliable collective transport, good links between suburban and urban transport facilities, good connections to airports, railway stations and ports, and good parking facilities on the outskirts of towns and cities. Finally, to facilitate safe and secure urban transport, vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists must be better protected. With over 40 000 people killed on EU roads each year, a range of solutions covering behavioural, vehicle and infrastructure measures must be found to reduce fatalities and complement the strict enforcement of traffic regulations. Possible solutions include road safety campaigns to encourage conscious, responsible behaviour from both drivers and pedestrians, the promotion of safe behaviour among cyclists to include the use of helmets, and the development of technologies to make driving safer, such as collision avoidance, brake assistance and sleep warning systems. Stepping out with the new Green Paper In preparation for the launch of this Green Paper, the EU Commission organised an intensive consultation process between January and June 2007. This included two stakeholder conferences, four technical workshops and an Internet consultation which all helped to better understand the expectations of Europe’s citizens. The Green Paper takes on the board the results of this consultation and heralds the beginning of a new consultation phase, with stakeholders encouraged to share their views with the Commission until 15 March 2008 in preparation for the publication of an Action Plan in early autumn 2008 which will outline tasks and a timeframe, in order to make concrete progress on key issues affecting urban mobility in Europe. Achieving excellence: EU Success Stories Many initiatives to improve the mobility of people, the efficiency and safety of transport, as well as to reduce the environmental impact of transport have already been launched over the past few years, with Europeans increasingly aware that good urban mobility helps to bring about growth and employment, strongly impacting the sustainable development of their towns and cities. Initiatives, Country sheets Urban Mobility EU-27_EN Page 3/38 such as the Civitas, EU demonstration and research programme, have helped numerous cities to achieve a more sustainable, clean and energy efficient urban transport system by implementing, demonstrating and evaluating an integrated mix of technology and policy based measures. Hundreds of EU cities are currently undertaking measures which aim to improve mobility and quality of life, and to reduce air pollution, noise, traffic congestion and accidents. With people across the EU sharing many similar problems caused by transport and traffic, the Green Paper will focus attention on these key areas, while also highlighting innovations and measures from across Europe. With this in mind, a selection of projects examples from each of the EU’s 27 Member States is detailed in the following pages. These case studies1 illustrate the future potential benefits of the Green Paper in practice. More specifically they also represent solutions to the five challenges outlined earlier, namely towards free flowing towns and cities, towards greener towns and cities, towards smarter urban transport, towards accessible urban transport, and towards safe and secure urban transport. Above all, it is hoped that examples of successful measures such as these, that have clearly made a difference to quality of life and the environment, can act as an inspiration to citizens in other EU towns and cities in thinking about the development of a new, sustainable urban mobility culture. 1 Sources : - http://www.eltis.org - http://www.civitas-initiative.org - http://www.steer-snowball.info - http://www.start-project.org/riga.html