September was an exciting month for those interested in sustainable urban mobility in Europe. Throughout the month, the residents of the Haenggung-dong neighbourhood in Suwon, South Korea, were inviting visitors from around the world to celebrate their new ecomobile lifestyle with them.

The EcoMobility World Festival 2013 has given us a glimpse at how the cities of the future may be transformed into people-oriented neighbourhoods. For those of you who weren’t able to make it to Korea, the EcoMobility website www.ecomobilityfestival.org gives the opportunity to explore some of the features of an ecomobile neighbourhood.

In Europe, over 1,880 cities celebrated European Mobility Week. In this update, we will showcase some of the activities carried out in European cities.

Your Eltis Team

Car use and ownership in Vienna declines, public transport benefits (Austria)
According to Vienna’s public transport operator Wiener Linien, the use of private cars costs up to 15 times more than public transport.  Current car use and ownership statistics demonstrate a trend away from the car. An owner of a Viennese annual public transport pass spends around €1 per day on transport, while running a standard private car with annual distance travelled of 10 000 km costs €4 500 for the year.
>> read more

City region Arnhem-Nijmegen extends subsidy for CNG vehicles to private households (The Netherlands)
The city region of Arnhem-Nijmegen is granting a subsidy for private cars powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). Businesses as well as private households can apply for the subsidy. In the past, only vans, taxis, trucks and buses could apply for the subsidy.
>> read more

New Cycling Action Plan for Aalborg (Denmark)
Just before summer 2013, a new Cycling Action Plan was approved by the Aalborg technical committee. The action plan is the third of its kind (following similar plans in 2005 and 2009). The mobility office in Aalborg has been working on the Action Plan since spring 2013, together with representatives from all relevant technical departments, who came together to form a project group.
>> read more

Road users encouraged to get along and follow the Nice Way Code (UK)
A ground-breaking new campaign aimed at all road users was launched on 5 August in Scotland. The Nice Way Code campaign will target pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and ask them to respect one another while out on the road and to make small changes to their behaviour in order to make the road a safer and more pleasant place for everyone. >> read more

European Commission launches two new tenders
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) has launched two new tenders related to mobility planning. >> read more

Tale of new cities reveals trillions in savings on energy for urban transport
Policies that improve the energy efficiency of urban transport systems could help save as much as USD 70 trillion in spending on vehicles, fuel and transportation infrastructure between now and 2050, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. >> read more

How to transform the European transport system
A new EU-funded project has been launched, aimed at providing a platform for stakeholders of all areas in the European transport sector. The aim of TRANSFORuM is to develop a common view and strategies on how four key goals of the 2011 White Paper on Transport can be achieved. >> read more

European Mobility Week

European Mobility Week puts focus on link between clean air and transport

European Mobility Week (EMW) 2013 saw citizens from over 1 880 cities take to the streets to explore the relationship between clean air and transport choices. Running since 2002, this Europe-wide campaign encourages citizens to try out alternatives to private vehicles, and prompts local leaders to take steps to create a more sustainable mobility culture.

Through a range of activities and events, participants looked at creating healthier, more pleasant urban environments through sustainable mobility. Andria, a city in the region of Apulia (Italy), put the focus on public transport, setting up a series of themed buses to transport passengers. Musicians played in the "music bus", a library was installed in the "book bus" and live performances were staged in the "theatre bus".

In Limerick (Ireland) activities included a bicycle repair workshop for children, and a class for school pupils on how to safely take the bus. Hunedoara (Romania) held public Zumba classes, while in Ronneby (Sweden) gift bags were given out to cyclists as part of the EMW celebrations.

Students in Brussels (Belgium) learned about "walking buses" and "Vélobuses" (cycling buses) as a means to get to school, while in other Belgian cities "Freezemobs" took to the streets. These flash mobs froze on the spot, like breathing statues, to raise awareness of sustainable mobility.

Larnaka (Cyprus) held a variety of activities, from awarding citizens that chose to cycle at a special press conference, to travelling by boat for Car Free Day. Budapest (Hungary) invited young citizens to take part in an art competition on the theme of clean air, among other EMW events.

This year’s edition ran from 16 to 22 September under the slogan ‘Clean air – It’s your move!’ and coincided with the European Year of Air, an area EU policy makers are currently reviewing through the Thematic Strategy on Air Quality. Air pollution continues to have a major impact on the health of European citizens, leading to respiratory and cardiac complications, premature deaths and shorter life expectancy. It also causes environmental problems, such as acidification, biodiversity loss, ozone depletion and climate change.

Urban traffic is a growing source of air pollution – specifically when it comes to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Local authorities therefore have the responsibility to develop urban transport strategies that meet mobility demand, protect the environment, improve air quality and make the city a better place to live.

By adopting the slogan “Clean air – It’s your move!” European Mobility Week underlined that we all have a part to play, and that even small changes, such as commuting by bicycle rather than taking the car, opting for public transport, or choosing to walk, can significantly enhance the quality of life in European towns and cities.

Confirming his support for the campaign, Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, said: “This year, we put an emphasis on the impact that transport and our daily choices have on the quality of the air we breathe and our health. By raising awareness and offering alternative transport options, cities can become more attractive places for people to live, they can make a major contribution to protect our health and promote a more sustainable future for all of us.”

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