What is mobility management? And how can it help Europe’s towns and cities to reduce traffic, lower pollution and create better environments to live and work in?
More local and regional governments, businesses, universities, and organisations are realising the untapped potential of mobility management as an approach to support the effectiveness of “hard” measures such as permanent infrastructure. Mobility management is “a concept to promote sustainable transport and manage the demand for car use by changing travellers’ attitudes and behaviour, in particular at the level of companies, organisations and institutions” (EU Urban Mobility Framework). Sustainable transport shifts include public transport, local exhaust ventilations (LEVs), cycling, walking, along with clean transport solutions like carpooling, incorporating remote work, and reducing travel needs. The concept revolves around supportive “soft” measures, including information and promotional measures, education and training programmes, organisational-level policy changes, as well as more concrete measures such as assessing public transport accessibility, scheduling and placement.
MOBILITYACTIONs are EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK’s answer to highlighting the growing importance of mobility management. In 2023 over 800 MOBILITYACTIONs have already been registered by NGOs, schools, companies, and local authorities. These actions promote behavioural shifts toward a sustainable urban mobility culture. The MOBILITYACTIONs platform of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign provides a space to promote and share initiatives, and to learn about local solutions to various mobility challenges.
For example, the City of Rome (Italy) collaborated with Dublin (Ireland) and Lisbon (Portugal) for the Bicycle Heroes project which aims to engage with children between the ages of 10 - 14 to solve urban mobility challenges related to cycling. The MOBILITYACTION identifies barriers for cycling and smart design solutions to overcome these obstacles, which are then shared with the public. The scheme promotes cycling and active mobility from a young age and strives to make cities safe for other vulnerable groups such as the elderly or disabled. By helping road users understand the unique view children have of modern mobility challenges, this mobility management concept increases awareness of sustainable mobility that is accessible to all.
Meanwhile, in France, a MOBILITYACTION registered by the French association Mollow focuses on creating sustainable travel itineraries to encourage people to choose public transport, or active mobility modes, for weekend excursions, holidays, or business trips. Mollow partners with the French railway network (SNCF) to offer discount codes through the platform so that travellers can benefit from their choice to use sustainable transport.
Unlike costly infrastructure solutions, which, while incredibly necessary, are more difficult to plan and implement, mobility management measures do not necessarily require large financial investments.
As part of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign, innovative MOBILITYACTIONs that demonstrate clear and effective mobility management concepts have a chance to win the coveted MOBILITYACTION award. Applications will be accepted from 1 October 2023 until 31 October 2023.
To learn more about MOBILITYACTIONs and how to register, click here.
To learn more about the MOBILITYACTION award, click here.