Overview
A low-cost approach to more sustainable transport is to make more efficient use of existing transport facilities and minimise the number of vehicle trips to traffic-generating sites (such as schools, companies, hospitals and shopping centres) through the use of organisational, information and awareness tools. This is mobility management. It includes strategies such as better information on sustainable transport solutions, improving collective transport for specific user groups, the co-ordination of car-pooling and public awareness campaigns. The emphasis is on encouraging the private sector to share responsibility in promoting sustainable mobility, and on a voluntary change in individual behaviour, through the use of mobility management centres/ co-ordinators at a regional, local or site level.
The aims of MOMENTUM were to identify and define good practice in mobility management, to demonstrate and evaluate mobility management strategies and tools, and to promote the concept of mobility management across Europe.
Funding
Results
MOMENTUM compiled a survey of mobility management approaches in use across Europe, and beyond. From this, together with its sister project MOSAIC, integrated concepts were defined for mobility management strategies and mobility centres, and for the transfer of strategies between locations. These concepts addressed all types of traffic and trip purposes.
A range of strategies were demonstrated at 13 test sites (Leicester, UK; Leuven, Namur, BE; Graz, AT; Munster, Essen, Potsdam, DE; Bologna, IT; Corfu, GR; Coimbra, PT; Zurich, Zug, SU; Goteborg, SE). These focused in particular on the use of mobility centres and the targeting of commuter trips. The successes and problems at each site were documented in detail to provide guidance to other cities.
During the implementation of the mobility management strategies, the following lessons were learnt:
- The creation of partnerships between stakeholders (including transport operators, community groups, local councils and local businesses) is crucial.
- The need to target effort onto selected users (such as companies or young people), rather than spreading it across a wide range of user groups.
- To establish networking opportunities such as the European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM) to learn from other people's experiences.
- To treat the implementation as an ongoing process rather than a discrete project, for instance, building political support over time.
- To select the strategy according to the national context, such as the attitudes of users and their reaction to 'push' measures, such as car parking restrictions.
- To use promotion and awareness-raising campaigns as a key element for the successful delivery of mobility management schemes.
Project outputs have included a user manual aimed at initiators of mobility management and scheme managers, and a brochure for policy-makers and the owners of major traffic-generating sites (hospitals, companies etc). Dissemination was developed jointly with the project MOSAIC - see http://www.rwth-aachen.de/isb/Ww/mosaic/
Policy implications
MOMENTUM and the parallel project MOSAIC have been influential in raising the awareness of mobility management practices and promoting their acceptance across Europe. Many of the demonstration sites are continuing to operate and expand. Mobility management is also being incorporated in local and regional transport strategies in the EU.
MOMENTUM concluded that the procedures for evaluating the success of mobility management projects needs further development. This will facilitate learning from cross-comparison of projects, and give a broad picture of the current and future return on the investment.