Mix and move! That is the theme of this year’s EuropeanMobilityWeek, which takes place this week, from 16-22 September. With multimodality in mind, the organisers of the 2018 campaign wish to encourage cities and towns in Europe to inspire their residents to use a variety of transportation means to get around. Examples are sharing a ride and then walking to the office, cycling to the train station and then jumping on the train, and driving to the city outskirts and catching a bus to the center.
Cities and towns participating in the campaign must agree to carry out at least one of three initiatives in order to register: a week of activites that celebrate sustainable urban transport, permanent measures that contribute to people making sustainable transport choices, or a car-free day, instituted by closing one or more streets to traffic and opening it to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. Over 2,400 towns and cities from 50 countries will hold events this week to mark the celebration.
Cities and towns that fulfill all three criteria qualify to apply as nominees for the European Mobility Awards. Did you know that Malmö, which is located in the North Sea Region Programme’s area, won the award in 2016?
Organisations of all sizes and types can also actively participate in the campaign by registering their MobilityAction, which is an action that promotes a behavioural shift towards a more sustainable urban mobility culture and is of a promotional rather than a technical nature. Examples include a company’s initiative to encourage sharing rides to work, a cycling challenge, or a discount on public transport tickets.
As European roads become increasingly crowded, initiatives like EuropeanMobilityWeek go a long way in raising awareness of the alternatives. Consider how you get around and try a new mode of transport…or two…or more!