EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK 2016: sustainable transport is an investment for Europe

The European Commission today launches the 15th annual EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, with activities taking place across Europe from 16 to 22 September. The theme of this year is ‘Smart and sustainable mobility – an investment for Europe’.

The main aim is to promote awareness of the economic benefits of investing in safe, clean transport for people and companies. Making energy and transport more affordable and sustainable is also one of the priorities of the Juncker Commission. Action in cities is particularly important as urban transport is responsible for 23 percent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.

As in previous years, local authorities and individuals across the continent are encouraged to think about what they can do locally, to make an impact globally.

Speaking at the launch of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2016, Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport said: “This week is about getting individuals and local authorities big and small – on board. We are moving towards smart mobility, by integrating technology into transport. Smart mobility can reduce traffic jams in European cities and help cut the €100 billion congestion price-tag, making our cities more liveable!”

Getting out of the car and walking, cycling or taking the bus can have benefits such as improving our health. But research shows that smarter mobility can also make the public finances healthier. The Commission estimates* that road congestion costs 1 percent of the EU’s GDP per year – that’s €100 billion euro last year, this year and every year. Smarter mobility can reduce traffic jams in European cities and help cut that 100 billion euro congestion price-tag.

The culmination of the week is the Car-Free Day, during which designated areas of towns and cities are closed to car traffic and open only for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK is a highlight in a year-round drive for more sustainable mobility. The campaign serves to encourage and inspire those involved, to think about more long-term, permanent changes that could be made to improve transport.

For example, since April 2016 the University of Aveiro, Portugal has been recording large amounts of data on transport habits to help policy makers’ work towards a low carbon economy; in the Spanish city of Albacete a group of people have created a company called Urbanciclo to transport goods by cargo-bike; in the Italian town of Casalmaggiore, the NGO Slow Town presented in May 2016 a 2km children’s ring road along the bank of the river Po, creating a safe route closed to road traffic to get to school, the library, the gym and downtown; campaigners from Spain, Sweden and the UK joined forces to ride 2000km from Stockholm to Brussels last summer to advocate for safer cycling; between March and October 2016 Natuur & Milieu organised the ‘car sharing award for Dutch municipalities’ to stimulate the use of this transport method in the Netherlands.

Il cabarettista Gerardo di Liberto a bordo di una bicicletta “fiorita”

“Rilanciamo l’economia con la mobilità sostenibile”. La città di Palermo aderisce con questo slogan alla Settimana Europea della Mobilità 2016, in programma dal 16 al 22 settembre, in parallelo con Festambiente Mediterraneo, l’iniziativa di Legambiente che negli stessi giorni, si svolgerà ai Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, per promuovere una mobilità intelligente per una economia forte.
Il sindaco Leoluca Orlando e l’assessore alla mobilità Giusto Catania sottolineano “il legame inscindibile tra la mobilità sostenibile, la qualità della vita e la qualità dell’ambiente”.

Si calcola che la congestione urbana costi addirittura l’1% annuo del PIL

Allo scopo di contrastare il traffico l’Amministrazione comunale rilancia gli strumenti di mobilità condivisa e la promozione della cultura della mobiltà dolce promuovendo modelli culturali e stili di vita più sostenibili.

Giornata senza auto

Domenica 18 settembre dalle ore 08:00 alle 20:00, tutte le 2250 città europee aderiranno all’iniziatica car-free day   chiudendo alle auto una zona delle città. A Palermo sarà chiuso alle auto il tratto di via Libertà, che parte da piazza Mordini/Crispi (escluse) a Piazza Ruggero Settimo/Castelnuovo, e via Ruggero Settimo, da P.zza Ruggero Settimo a via Cavour.

Avranno luogo conferenze e seminari su tram, pedonalizzazioni, piste ciclabili, ztl, car/bike sharing e quant’altro collegato al comparto della mobilità urbana.

Saranno presentati progetti e proposte in collaborazione con l’Università di Palermo, Il Comune e l’AMAT, terranno conferenze sull’ambiente e manifestazioni per incentivare l’uso delle biciclette,  sui fondi europei per i trasporti, ai quali è prevista la partecipazione di esponenti del Governo, tecnici e delegati di società del settore e rappresentanti di varie amministrazioni locali italiane.
Inoltre, seminari, rassegne cinematografiche e concerti fanno parte del nutrito programma di Festambiente Mediterraneo di Legambiente, che avrà luogo ai Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, in via Paolo Gili 4.

https://www.comune.palermo.it/js/server/uploads/_14092016074451.pdf L