European Mobility Week

European Mobility Week serves as an opportunity for participating cities to show how matters related to the environment concern them.

Organisations and associations may use the week to:

• promote their existing policies, initiatives and best practices related to sustainable urban mobility;
• contribute to raising citizens' awareness on the damages that current urban mobility trends generate on the environment and the quality of life;
• establish performing partnerships with local stakeholders;
• be part of a Europe wide campaign, sharing a common goal and a common identity with other towns and cities;
• emphasize the local commitment towards sustainable urban transport policies; and
• launch new longer term policies and permanent measures.

FOCAL THEME: 'CLEAN AIR FOR ALL'

Since the early 1970s, the EU has been working to improve air quality by controlling emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, improving fuel quality, and by integrating environmental protection requirements into the transport and energy sectors. Therefore, the European Mobility Week campaign 2008 will focus on this topic and will encourage local authorities to organise awareness-raising activities around the theme of air quality as well as to launch permanent measures that will help reduce the level of air pollution and CO2 emissions linked to the transport sector.

A wide range of activities and measures are available for local authorities to tackle this problem:

• technical improvements of the public transport fleet
• investments in infrastructure for cycling and walking,
• regulations for reduced speed limits and traffic calming,
• mobility management measures,
• installation of low-emission zones and congestion charging schemes.
• In short: all measures that contribute to a shift to more sustainable transport modes, to reduce travel distances and to reduce specific emissions of vehicles.

Potential Alternatives

• Limit car park access
• Promote car pooling/ car sharing
• Promote benefits and availability of the travel tax saver ticket
• Promote availability and accessibility of local cycle lanes
• Promote availability and accessibility of local bike racks
• informational campaigns to change travel behaviours

For further information:

European  Mobility Week Handbook 2008

www.mobilityweek.eu

www.powerofone.ie

www.onesmallstep.ie

www.dto.ie

www.change.ie