Commission launches first EU Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan award for local authorities

Within the framework of its Sustainable Urban Mobility campaign, the European Commission today launched the EU’s first award to encourage the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) by local and regional authorities. Under the inaugural theme ‘stakeholder and citizen participation’, local and regional authorities can submit their applications for the award of EUR 10 000 on http://www.dotherightmix.eu.

European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: ‘Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans can help cities and towns offer their citizens integrated mobility options that are sustainable and that really meet their mobility needs. Across Europe, we see that it is essential to engage citizens and stakeholders in order to create awareness, acceptance and ownership at all stages. This provides a plan with legitimacy and enhances its overall quality. The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan award thus aims to recognize and reward excellence in urban mobility.’

Cities within the European Union, the European Economic Area and Croatia are eligible to apply for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan award. In order to encourage a broader range of applicants, local authorities are not required to have completed the entire process of developing and implementing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan in order to be eligible for the award.

Applicants can submit their entries for the award on http://www.dotherightmix.eu. The application process will remain open until 9 November 2012, and the winner of the award for the best plan – as decided by an expert jury – will be rewarded with a prize of EUR 10 000 to support local awareness-raising activities on sustainable urban mobility.

In essence, a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan is a city’s integrated mobility plan for passengers and goods, addressing such sustainable urban mobility objectives as improved safety and security, reduced air and noise pollution, improved cost-effectiveness, enhanced quality of the urban environment, and accessibility of the transport system.