Natalia Tzellou, Head of the Department of Development Planning of Directorate of Development Planning, Information & Transparency, Municipality of Karditsa (Greece), discusses the city's recent EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award for smaller municipalities victory

What activities did Karditsa undertake to help it win the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award? Were there any activities that you are particularly proud of?
During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2019, we organised numerous activities for citizens of all the ages, with special attention paid to people with disabilities. Every morning during the week of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, we carried out educational activities at schools across the city, and in the afternoons, we organised many recreational activities at different venues across the city.

In addition, we partnered with dozens of organisations including schools, music academies, government departments, police, fire brigade, civil society organisations and businesses, all of which were invited to participate in a festive week of mobility celebrations. Other initiatives included financial benefits for companies introducing sustainable mobility measures and days off work for employees who commuted by bicycle or on foot – to show that safe walking and cycling are appealing for reasons beyond health and well-being.

What has the reaction been among citizens and stakeholders to Karditsa winning the award?
The citizens of Karditsa were very happy to hear the good news and felt great satisfaction that out of the 3,135 other European Municipalities who participated in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2019, a small municipality like Karditsa, could take home the first place position! We all are very proud to have won the award and our work is not going to stop here! Over the coming years, we are going to work much harder to promote sustainable mobility.

What does winning the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award for smaller municipalities mean to the city?
Winning the award is a great distinction for our city! The award is very prestigious and has a strong reputation across Europe. Securing the first place prize makes our city and Municipality stand out in Europe, and highlights its advantages in Europe. This award recognises and rewards all the projects and measures we have undertaken to promote sustainable mobility in our city. But at the same time, it encourages us to work harder to promote sustainable mobility further in the city and to implement new permanent measures, in order to make our city accessible to all, to reduce the number of cars, and to provide more sustainable means of transport.

Over the next three years, we have planned to construct new infrastructure, such as bicycle paths, and pedestrian crossings for disabled people at roads and at schools. In addition, we have plans to redesign many squares and central roads in the city. By next spring, we are going to upgrade the existing bike sharing scheme and supply 23 electric bicycles, 2 electric bicycles for disabled people, and 9 electric cargo bikes. Four of these will be placed at the bus and rail station to ensure travelers’ mixed transportation needs are met. The rest will be used in a pilot programme for free haulage in the city center.

By August, we are going to permanently reduce the speed limit in the city from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. The Mayor of Karditsa, Vasileios Tsiakos, is very supportive of new ideas and suggestions. This is one of the reasons why Karditsa won the award, and it encourages us to make our Municipality a role model and to raise its ambitions and reputation even higher in the future.

What are the benefits of taking part in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK for smaller cities?
Through participating in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, we have learned and found new ways to make our lives better and every year have implemented new permanent measures that help to promote sustainable mobility and improve the quality of the environment. EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK acts as a strong motivation to do all of this.

What advice would you give to smaller cities that are looking to follow in your footsteps and take home the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award?
To cities that are looking to follow in our footsteps, we would encourage them to try hard during the whole year and not just during the week of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK itself. Equally, we would encourage them to take steps to improve the quality of life of their citizens’ and also of visitors to the city. The city needs to have a dream and goals, as we did, and needs to try to make them a reality. They need to work as a strong team - sometimes even working day and night, in order to succeed.

The European Commission has announced the winners of four sustainable mobility awards.

Kruševac (Serbia) was revealed as the winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2019, with Karditsa (Greece) taking home the award for smaller municipalities. The 8th SUMP Award was won by Brussels Capital Region (Belgium), and the 1st EU Urban Road Safety Award went to Pontevedra (Spain).
 
Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean said: “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the winning cities – your actions are powerful examples illustrating the leading role local leaders can play in making our cities cleaner, safer, and more sustainable. I hope this can serve as inspiration for towns and cities who are rethinking their mobility strategies, not least in the wake of the current pandemic.”
 
Kruševac, Serbia – winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2019 for larger municipalities
The Serbian city of Kruševac impressed the jury with its wide range of activities, underpinned by strong citizen participation and political support from the local government. Even the mayor was ‘walking the walk’, coming to work by foot to help spread this year’s mobility message. During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2019, the city streets enjoyed a new burst of life without cars, not only in the centre – which was taken over by pedestrians – but also in the suburbs, where people organised a variety of activities. The face of the city was also transformed, with the installation of new cycle paths, walkways, public squares, urban parks, benches and even swings.
 
The other finalists are Rethymno (Greece) and Wrocław (Poland).
 
Karditsa, Greece – winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2019 for smaller municipalities
Karditsa impressed the jury with its use of promotional materials and partnerships to support sustainable mobility. During EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2019, the city partnered with dozens of organisations including schools, music academies, government departments, police, fire brigade, civil society organisations and businesses, all of which were invited to participate in a festive week of mobility celebrations. Other initiatives included financial benefits for companies introducing sustainable mobility measures and days off work for employees who commuted by bicycle or on foot – to show that safe walking and cycling are appealing for reasons beyond health and wellbeing.
 
The other finalists are Alfândega da Fé (Portugal) and Paide (Estonia).
 
Brussels Capital Region, Belgium – winner of the 8th Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP)
Brussels Capital Region has set itself clear and ambitious sustainable mobility goals, which include having zero road traffic deaths by 2030, restricting car usage, reducing the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour by 2021, and increasing the number of pedestrianised zones. The jury was particularly impressed by its approach to reaching these goals, which sees the city as an ‘ecosystem’. The city’s achievements are underpinned by strong stakeholder outreach, impressive citizen participation, and the implementation of “superblocks”, an innovative urban planning concept.
 
The other finalists are Kaunas (Lithuania) and Wrocław (Poland).
 
Pontevedra, Spain – winner of the first EU Urban Road Safety Award
Pontevedra reduced road fatalities in the city consistently since 1999, impressively achieving zero road deaths between 2011 and 2018. A host of measures ensure that safety and sustainability go hand-in-hand. The city used a clear and careful monitoring strategy to identify which policies are effective and which need to be updated, resulting in increased active mobility, such as walking and cycling: In Pontevedra, 80% of children aged 6-12 walk to school by themselves. The jury was impressed by Pontevedra’s use of a broad array of measures, including reducing speed limits to 10-30 km/h and creating more public spaces that are attractive for pedestrians.

The other finalists are Jaworzno (Poland) and Ordu (Turkey).

The European Commission has released guidance on how to safely resume travel and tourism as COVID-19 restrictions begin to soften. As part of this, the Commission is encouraging and supporting the progress of new urban mobility solutions, such as extending pavements and bicycle paths or even adapting timetables.

Even though public transport has continued to run in many cities, measures to ensure safety will be necessary as passenger numbers begin to rise. These include:

• Upholding safe minimum distancing;
• Minimising contact between drivers and passengers;
• Increasing and adapting operational frequency;
• Using automatic or driver operated doors to avoid passengers touching door handles;
• Optimising passenger flows to avoid overcrowding.

Communication of measures taken is essential to enable smooth execution and reassure citizens. Campaigns such as ‘stand on stickers’ have proven to be successful. These measures could fall outside the remit of public transport so consultation with health authorities and stakeholder will be necessary. The costs could be combined into public service contracts.

Shared mobility companies should help protect users from infection. Rental vehicles should be thoroughly cleaned on return, whilst shared vehicles should be cleaned at least once every day of use. Station based services such as shared bicycles should be cleaned more regularly. E-scooters and e-bikes should be clean at least after every battery charge.

Temporary enlargements of pavements and bicycle lanes will help make active mobility users stay safe. Reducing speed limits of vehicles in heavy traffic areas will also help.

Platforms for sharing best practices are available but should still be developed further. The Commission is planning to gather Member States, local authorities and urban mobility stakeholders to analyse the impacts of COVID-19 and guide future sustainable mobility solutions in the EU.

Read the "COVID-19: Guidelines on the progressive restoration of transport services and connectivity" here.

Towns and cities across Europe and further afield can now register their participation in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2020.

The annual campaign, which takes place from 16-22 September each year, is organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport and seeks to improve quality of life through promoting clean mobility and sustainable urban transport. This year’s campaign puts the spotlight on ‘zero emission mobility for all’. For more information about this year's theme, take a look at our Thematic Guidelines.

To respond to the uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, registration by towns and cities this year has maximum flexibility to cover events and measures as usual, or online alternatives and all innovative COVID-19 transport solutions, with no obligation to select any of the three options – holding a week of activities focused on sustainable mobility, implementing one or more permanent transport measures, or holding a ‘Car-Free-Day’

Last year’s EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK saw a record-breaking 3,135 towns and cities from 50 countries take part in the campaign.

Businesses, NGOs, schools and other actors, including cities, who want to get involved in the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign are also invited to register their MOBILITYACTION online.

A MOBILITYACTION is any action that promotes the idea of sustainable urban mobility. It can be limited to a specific day or last for several weeks/months and can take place at any moment of the year.

For more information and to register for EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2020, click here

Helsinki (Finland) and Oslo (Norway) have spent years working to become global leaders in safe and sustainble urban mobility. In 2019, they achieved a new milestone along this path, recording zero pedestrian and cyclist deaths.

Achieving this road safety milestone was the product of a number of transport interventions.

Helsinki cites speed reductions as being essential to achieving road safety. Much of the city centre is now a 30km/h zone, and speed limits have been gradually reduced across the city over the past few decades. Speed is also controlled via speed bumps, elevated pedestrian crossings, and roundabouts, among other measures.

In a press release, Deputy Mayor Anni Sinnemäki notes, “Enhanced traffic safety is the sum of several factors. Traffic safety has improved due to improvements to the street environment, increased traffic control, the development of vehicle safety measures and technology, and better rescue services.”

Meanwhile, Oslo's safety measures have helped Norway to be the country with the lowest road mortality in all of Europe. To protect vulnerable road users, Oslo has reduced car traffic, improved infrastructure, enforced lower speed limits and introduced "heart zones" (hjertesoner) near schools.

For more information, read here.