The European Commission has announced the winners of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Award for 2013 – Rivas Vaciamadrid (Spain) – and of the European Mobility Week Award – Ljubljana (Slovenia). Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas and Commissioner Janez Potočnik presented the cities with their awards at a joint award ceremony in Brussels, Belgium.
Vice-President Siim Kallas, Commissioner for mobility and transport, said: “I am impressed by the commitment of all the finalists to working across different areas to improve urban transport. Looking beyond transport is vital if we are to tackle our cities’ mobility challenges. This is also why we are reinforcing our support for coordinated action, as described in our recent communication on urban mobility. Rivas Vaciamadrid is a very deserving winner because it stands out for the joint efforts of its mobility department and the environment, safety, education and health sectors, as well as for its actions for better road safety.”
Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik said: “As every year, the European Mobility Week award finalists push the ambition and innovation always higher. I am delighted to see the campaign programmes produced that are a great contribution to the promotion of sustainable living in the EU. Sustainable cities are essential if we are to ensure their liveability for future generations.”
Ljubljana — the capital and largest city of Slovenia — confirmed its commitment to the European Mobility Week campaign by setting up an extensive programme of activities and events promoting sustainable travel, and by introducing permanent measures in favour of public transport, cycling and walking. While maintaining a consistent focus on the 2013 theme — ‘Clean Air, It’s Your Move’ — the city successfully engaged a wide variety of stakeholders, including research centres, schools, kindergartens, sports associations and citizens associations. By extending the existing noise and air quality measurements, Ljubljana was able to get a better overview of the impact of motorised traffic on public health and quality of life. The city also used the occasion to carry out research on travel behaviour and gather data on bicycle usage. On the occasion of car free day, Ljubljana restricted car access to Slovenska Street, one of the main boulevards of the city that was heavily affected by car traffic. This area will now be gradually redesigned as a pedestrian zone.
