EU plans to reform urban mobility

"Towards a new culture for urban mobility" is the title of the Green Paper adopted by the European Commission to open a debate on the key issues of urban mobility: free-flowing and greener towns and cities, smarter urban mobility and an urban transport which is accessible, safe and secure for all European citizens.

In it's response to the document, Hungarian National Heart Foundation emphasizes that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Sedentary lifestyles are a key contributing factor to the increase in CVD, obesity and other chronic illnesses across Europe. The cost of treating these diseases is likely to overwhelm health systems and negatively impact economic growth if current trends are not reversed. CVD cost the EU economy over 192 billion Euros annually.

Unfortunately the urban environment is not always conducive to this choice, with fast-moving traffic, insufficient cycle lanes or pedestrian walkways, and air pollution discouraging people from choosing active transport solutions, such as walking and cycling. The most important measures that could be taken to promote walking and cycling as real alternatives to the car are to:

• place walking and cycling as two central components at the heart of urban transport policy;
• implement physical improvements to the urban environment, which work to 'lock in' travel behaviour change, thereby making sustainable transport choices the more attractive, healthier, safer and smarter choice;
• employ 'soft measures' such as travel behaviour change programmes, which aim to work with people's perceptions, provide appropriate information, and overcome barriers to bring about a change in travel behaviour towards more sustainable, 'smarter' choices;
• place sustainable transport at the heart of urban transport policy, as it is the key to long-term modal shift;
• redesign residential neighbourhoods, which is a powerful way to facilitate a shift in mode choice;
• introduce road user charging, since it can play an important role in sustainable urban transport policy, by helping to change how and how much we travel;
• encourage greater use of public transport, which will also promote a modal shift.

Read our complete response to the European Comission’s Green Paper "Towards a new culture for urban mobility"

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2008-07-09 | Refreshed: 2009-12-30 16:31