Sustainable urban transport across Europe has come a very long way in recent years, thanks to the intense efforts of the CIVITAS initiative and its projects. One of these outstanding projects, which just reached its point of completion, was 2MOVE2, involving eight partners in four different cities: Brno, Malaga, Stuttgart and Tel Aviv-Yafo.
The project led to the implementation of 22 measures to promote sustainable urban transport, covering topics such as E-mobility, high-tech traffic management, freight traffic, cycling, corporate mobility management, and new or updated Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) for these cities. By supporting each other and exchanging a wealth of information and best practices under 2MOVE2, the cities reaped the rewards across three main themes.
THEME 1: CLEAN ENERGY-EFFICIENT VEHICLES AND TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
In Stuttgart, this theme led to the implementation of a strategic campaign for e-mobility. The related measures involved awareness-raising among students, elderly people and migrants, a cargo bike event for citizens, a workshop on the inclusion of e-mobility in urban planning, and a new network of stakeholders that brought the private sector and researchers together.
In Brno, the theme saw the development of a concept for the support and use of electric technologies for private and public transport, along with a study on e-mobility. Malaga on the other hand implemented a campaign that encourages the use of more efficient and sustainable means of transport, promoting monitored routes to school by bus, bike, or foot. Last but not least, Tel Aviv-Yafo conducted a feasibility study on deploying charging stations and infrastructure, in addition to adopting e-motorcycles into the municipality’s motorcycle fleet.
THEME 2: TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
In its quest to reduce traffic management, Stuttgart proposed a new road network for heavy goods vehicles, ensuring shorter, more efficient routes in urban areas, in addition to upgrading its traffic control system. Other measures in the city saw the introduction of a dynamic speed limit which eased traffic, while the city’s mobility surveys for employees of companies and organisations in the social and cultural sectors helped improve transport for commuters. 
This led to better signalling equipment, new mobility offers for employees more frequent public transport.
Malaga also implemented a new priority network for heavy goods vehicles, successfully regulating around 1,000 such vehicles within urban areas. It then set specific times for transport of goods to and from the port. The Spanish city also implemented advanced traffic control tools to reduce stop-and-go traffic, optimise average speed and reduce emissions, installing air quality measurement sensors on its buses.
Brno on the other hand conducted a feasibility study to improve logistics in the city which demonstrated that trips within the city ring and especially the city centre can be reduced, with plans to implement the new findings and recommendations. It introduced a new parking strategy and system in addition to optimising its central traffic management control centre. The city introduced smart parking by informing travellers about empty parking spaces through an online application. Lastly, it successfully extended the use of bicycles on public transport.
In its turn, Tel Aviv-Yafo developed a roadmap to create more efficient freight movement and organised a logistics forum that brought together all stakeholders. It also improved ITS-based transport information through an online application, helping users choose shorter routes and avoid closures or roadworks.
THEME 3: HUMAN-CENTERED MODES OF TRANSPORT
Highlighting the importance of people and their comfort in promoting sustainable urban transport, Stuttgart’s mobility surveys led to bike to work schemes at companies, a significant increase of subsidized public transport tickets, and sustainable mobility services for employees that are developed by newly installed working groups. It ensured better access to information on public transport at work, improving or building in parallel new bike parking facilities. Furthermore, an extensive media campaign based on the motto of ‘Travelling together’ was carried out aiming to motivate Stuttgart citizens and commuters in the region to use car sharing & pooling.
Continuing the biking trend, Brno in the meantime improved the transport of bicycles in its buses which gives bikers better access to outlying areas and contributes to reducing traffic. On a similar note the city of Malaga implemented a new public bicycle scheme, increasing the share of bicycles in public transport by expanding on existing bicycle lanes and infrastructure.
Tel Aviv-Yafo also encouraged cycling and walking, in addition to raising awareness on green arteries for cars. It then responded to users’ preferences and needs in high-density employment areas by increasing shuttle bus services and addressing the challenge of the ‘last mile’. Lastly, the city investigated the effectiveness of non-financial incentives to promote the use of sustainable transport.
All the measures adopted under 2MOVE2 brought benefits to people, communities and the four cities on the whole, not only for residents but also for visitors. This has raised the standard of living in the cities involved and rendered them more attractive for business, tourism and of course habitation. The detailed measures and their results can be found on www.civitas.eu.
