SMILE - Sustainable Urban Transport for the Europe of Tomorrow
Overview
Background & policy context:
SMILE is part of the group of CIVITAS integrated projects dealing with transport measures to improve the urban environment. It is one of four projects in CIVITAS II (2005-2009).
With CIVITAS (CIty-VITAlity-Sustainability), the European Commission aims to generate a decisive breakthrough by supporting and evaluating the implementation of ambitious integrated sustainable urban transport strategies that should make a real difference for the welfare of European citizens.
Objectives:
The objectives of Civitas SMILE were improved urban air quality, creation of a sustainable, safe and flexible traffic system that improves the quality of life in two leading cities, Malmö (Sweden) and Norwich (UK), and in three follower sites, Tallinn (Estonia), Suceava (Romania) and Potenza (Italy).
It aimed to cut the current trend of increased use and ownership of cars, promote sustainable alternatives and stimulate efficient and clean city distribution of goods. Civitas SMILE cities typify the urban policy issues facing the many historic medium sized cities in the European Union and in Accession Countries, giving a level of transferability.
SMILE contained 20 demonstration measures, which aimed to directly lower the hazardous emissions from city traffic. In the long run it should create a modal shift towards public transport, cycling and car-sharing.
The project developed and implemented an advanced training model to exchange know-how between Malmö and Tallinn. The results aimed to have wide transferability in Europe, with particular focus on the new Member State cities. It demonstrated how small and medium sized European cities reach EU-objectives and the Kyoto treaty through an intelligent sustainable city traffic based on intermodality.
Methodology:
The strategy was to combine a set of measures to develop intelligent, sustainable and intermodal city traffic that makes it possible to live an active life independently of use and ownership of private cars. The measures followed the policies of the Civitas programme.
The aims of the measures were to:
- stimulate biofuels and clean vehicles through technical and policy measures, focusing on both cars and heavy vehicles;
- improve the efficiency in city distribution through transport management and new logistic solutions;
- stimulate public transport, car-sharing, cycling through improved intermodality between these transport modes, i.e.priority systems, advanced information technology/new services and security in public transport, improved interchanges between public transport/cycling and introduction of car-pools;
- develop sustainable travel behaviours through a wide scale mobility management and educational scheme directedto citizens, companies and the municipal organisation.
Specific measures in Civitas SMILE were:
- clean Municipal Fleet
- biogas on the net
- clean heavy vehicles with CO2 cooler
- environmentally adapted cars
- extended environmental zone for heavy goods vehicles and enforcement
- marketing of clean vehicles through subsidised parking
- marketing of a new bus route system
- improved safety and security on buses
- integration of cycling with public transport
- freight driver support
- satellite based traffic management for SMEs
- sustainable SME logistics for the food industry
- mobility management
- traffic monitoring
- mobile internet service with bus information
- internet tool for traffic planning
- bus priority system
- Eco-driving
- heavy goods vehicle eco-driving
- alternative fuel vehicle fleets
- introduction of a low emission zone
- introduction of time controlled access restrictions
- influencing the choice of vehicle towards smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles
- rail station interchange
- on-street ticket vending machines
- linking individual passenger transport information with healthcare appointments
- development of a city centre car sharing club
- development of
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