EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK 2019: promoting walking and cycling for better towns and cities

The 18th edition of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK(, the European Commission’s flagship campaign promoting clean and sustainable urban transport ran from 16-22 September, almost 3,000 towns and cities from about 50 countries joined with their activities promoting safe walking and cycling with the call to action “Walk with us!”. EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK culminates each year in the well-known Car-Free Day when streets close for traffic and open for people!

Speaking about EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2019, EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said: “This year we would like to remind EU citizens that walking is enjoyable, healthy and completely free of charge. Many times it’s also a connecting mode for a smooth multimodal journey. The EU has invested a lot of effort to make it safe as well. So put on your walking shoes and walk with us!” Violeta Bulc also features in a video message about the campaign which can be viewed and downloaded with subtitles in other official EU languages from the European Commission's Audio Visual services. 

Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said: “When it comes to clean transport, walking is the most environmentally friendly way to move around our towns and cities. Local governments can do a lot to encourage walking in urban areas, pedestrianising streets, creating low-emission zones, and allocating more space to walkers. It’s great for your health, but walking also means doing your bit for your city’s air quality, one step at a time.”

Local authorities that make significant efforts to promote sustainable urban mobility during the campaign can apply for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards from 23 September until 23 October 2019. In 2018, the award for larger cities was presented to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, while the German city of Lindau won in the category for towns and cities with less than 50,000 inhabitants.

Local authorities can also apply by 31 October 2019 for the SUMP Award, which is presented to local and regional authorities that have achieved excellence in sustainable urban mobility planning.

In addition, local authorities can also apply for the EU Urban Road Safety Award. The award rewards local authorities for implementing innovative measures to improve road safety. The call for applications is open until 16 December 2019. More details can be found at www.mobilityweek.eu/Urban-Road-Safety-Award