Promoting soft measures in transport, European experiences

Within the framework of the European Commission’s CIVITAS Initiative and the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, the CIVITAS-SUCCESS project organised a training seminar in conjunction with the STEER-MIDAS project on the subject of how best to promote soft measures in transport. The seminar showed how the cities of Liverpool (UK), Preston (UK), Aalborg (DK), Ploesti and Suceava (RO), supported by European programmes, have undertaken actions amongst the most innovative in Europe. The CIVITAS Initiative helps cities to achieve a more sustainable, clean and energy efficient urban transport system by implementing and evaluating an ambitious, integrated set of technology and policy based measures. The European Programme “Intelligent Energy for Europe” through its STEER sub-programme aims at overcoming market barriers to encourage and promote energy efficiency in transport. The audience consisted of professionals from local authorities in UK and Ireland, transport authorities, all interested in the promotion of sustainable means of travel The objectives were:

1. To gain experience and knowledge in the practices of communication and marketing to promote the use of soft measures
2. To liaise CIVITAS / demonstration projects with accompanying measures such as within the Intelligent Energy for Europe projects (from innovation to the dissemination of good practises)
3. To promote a European approach: how to communicate locally on European projects / how to overcome barriers to ensure the greatest impact on the citizens behaviour?

In the field of sustainable mobility, “soft measures” are distinguished from “hard measures” and include promotion, awareness raising, and provision of information with the aim of increasing levels of walking, cycling, car sharing and use of public transport, and encouraging a reduction in the use of the private car. Participants were able to assist to one round table, gathering European experts and animated by a moderator, on the main barriers and factors of success for the promotion of soft measures in transport. All presentations and main results of the day are available on the SUCCESS website.

Authors: Holding Graz Linien, Elodie Richard

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