ANNEX

Updated concept for sustainable urban mobility plans

1.   INTRODUCTION

A sustainable urban mobility plan (SUMP) is a strategic plan designed to satisfy the mobility needs of people and businesses in cities and their surroundings for a better quality of life. It is a single framework for tackling all common urban mobility challenges for the entire functional urban area. A SUMP offers a comprehensive, vision-led, flexible and resilient approach by serving as a long-term mobility plan that includes packages of measures addressing short-term objectives and targets the reaching of which can be fast-tracked in response to changing needs.

Since 2013 the Commission has been encouraging the widespread uptake of SUMPs as the bedrock of its urban mobility policy. This reflects a SUMP’s potential to help towns, cities and regions address common challenges in their transition towards sustainable urban mobility, and to ensure a better quality of life. The 2013 Urban Mobility Package (1) called on local authorities to place SUMPs at the centre of their approach to addressing urban mobility issues. Related EU guidelines were published to support local authorities throughout the SUMP process.

Over the past few years, a vast amount of advice and guidance has been developed with the urban mobility planning community, and a subsequent set of complementary guidance documents on specific aspects related to SUMPs has been made available to cities and stakeholders in the EU Urban Mobility Observatory (2). There is also a self-assessment tool to help cities understand the strengths and weaknesses of their SUMPs (3).

The original SUMP concept (4) emerged in the 2013 Urban Mobility Package and consisted of eight main guiding principles. The current SUMP concept retains them while updating what needs to be updated.

1.1.   Context

In accordance with the New Leipzig Charter (5), Cities need to establish integrated and sustainable urban development strategies and assure their implementation for the city as a whole, from its functional areas to its neighbourhoods.

Sustainable urban mobility planning is therefore crucial for effective and sustainable mobility in cities, including the TEN-T urban nodes, as well as being important for the overall functioning of the network and ensuring contingency and resilience in the event of major challenges.

It is proposed that urban nodes fulfil the essential SUMP-related requirements in Annex V to the Commission’s proposal for a revised TEN-T Regulation (6). This concept is without prejudice to any binding obligations for urban nodes concerning the adoption of SUMPs and their content laid down in the future revised TEN-T Regulation. While building on these proposed requirements, this concept gives more information and sets out the recommended components required to develop a SUMP whether a city is an urban node or not.

1.2.   Reasons for updating the SUMP concept

Taking into account the major developments of the past few years and the practical experience acquired over the last decade from implementing the concept, there is now an opportunity to update it, so that SUMPs can contribute more effectively to delivering on the EU’s increasingly ambitious transport, climate, health and societal objectives and commitments.

The current policy lines are set out, in particular, in the European Green Deal (7), the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (8), and the New EU Urban Mobility Framework (9). In the Fit for 55 package (10) and the Green and Efficient Mobility and the REPowerEU packages (11), the Commission recently put forward relevant legislative proposals. Most importantly, the SUMP concept needs to better incorporate climate and energy aspects while addressing safety, inclusiveness and accessibility as well as the freight transport and logistics aspects of local transport.

More specifically, the New EU Urban Mobility Framework says that the upgraded SUMP concept should make it clear that the priority is to favour sustainable solutions including active, collective and public transport and shared mobility (including for urban-rural linkages), fully integrating resilience aspects as well as sustainable urban logistics plans (SULP), based on zero-emission vehicles and solutions. It should be further complemented, anticipating the need for specific indicators and requirements on SUMPs for the TEN-T urban nodes (12).

Finally, planning tools in the areas of mobility, energy, sustainability and land use need to complement each other more. This way, the revised concept will also create closer links between SUMPs and other relevant urban plans covering energy and climate, in particular Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP).

2.   A CONCEPT FOR SUMPs

This concept presents a recommended approach to SUMPs for urban areas irrespective of their size. A SUMP should be developed and implemented in accordance with the following guiding principles.

2.1.   Clear and measurable goals and objectives

A SUMP’s main aim is to make the functional urban area (13) it is intended for more accessible and to provide high-quality, safe and sustainable low-emission mobility to, through and in that area. It should in particular support zero-emission mobility and the implementation of an urban transport system that contributes to better overall performance of the transport network, in particular through the development of infrastructure for the seamless circulation of zero-emission vehicles and multimodal passenger hubs to facilitate first- and last-mile connections, and of multimodal freight terminals serving urban areas.

A SUMP should therefore include specific goals and objectives to support the development of an urban transport system that:

—	is safe, accessible, affordable and inclusive for all users, including disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and that takes into account the gender perspective and demographic change;

—	serves all users’ mobility needs, including cycling and walking, urban logistics, long-distance freight and passenger flows on the TEN-T network, as well as flows from peri-urban and rural areas around a city, covering the whole functional urban area (the city and its commuting zone);

—	meets sustainability, climate protection and resilience requirements, balancing the need to ensure economic viability, social equity and the protection of health and environment;

—	optimises the efficiency of urban mobility systems, taking into account cost-effectiveness as well as the transport externalities of different modes linked, in particular, to congestion, air and noise pollutants, CO2 emissions, traffic fatalities and injuries, and their impact on biodiversity;

—	contributes to making the urban environment more attractive, including by better sharing of public space;

—	increases quality of life and benefits public health, taking into account the UN Sustainable Development Goals (14), and ensures that urban transport infrastructure and services are safe, secure and comfortable for all, including for vulnerable groups in society and women;

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improves traffic safety and security, particularly for active and vulnerable road users (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists, older people, children, people with disabilities and reduced mobility), services and public spaces, striving to achieve Vision Zero (15) in urban road safety in line with the Valetta Declaration (16);

—

reduces all sources of transport pollution, such as air, noise, particulate and microplastic, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from transport, as well as increases its energy efficiency, aiming for zero-emission urban mobility in line with the European Green Deal goals, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (17), the Zero Pollution Action Plan (18) and the Climate Law, taking into account national energy and climate plans, Air Quality Plans and local Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans;

—	contributes to better connectivity and overall performance of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), and Europe’s transport system as a whole, for both passengers and goods.

2.2.   Long-term vision and a clear implementation plan

A SUMP presents, or is linked to an existing, long-term strategy for the future development of the functional urban area and, in this context, for the future development of transport infrastructure and multimodal mobility services. It also includes a delivery plan for the strategy’s short-term implementation. It should be incorporated into an integrated approach to sustainable urban development and linked to relevant land use, spatial planning and sectoral policy planning (e.g. for climate and energy).

A SUMP should therefore contain the following:

—	a timetable and budget plan, with sources for the necessary funding properly identified; the delivery plan should ideally cover 3-10 years;

—	clearly defined responsibilities and resources, including identified resources required for each actor.

2.3.   Assessment of current and future performance

A SUMP should be based on a careful assessment of the present and future performance of the urban transport system and supported by a comprehensive monitoring system, covering the following:

—	a status analysis, baseline and final scenario, starting with a comprehensive review of the current situation and the establishment of a baseline against which future progress can be measured; it should also include an assessment of the impact of the proposed measures;

—

specific objectives and targets: a SUMP should identify specific and realistic performance objectives that are linked with to the status analysis and are ambitious in terms of a SUMP’s goal and general objectives. It should also set measurable targets where appropriate, based on a realistic assessment of the baseline and available resources and reflecting the specific objectives;

—	performance indicators, preferably based on the Sustainable Urban Mobility Indicators (SUMI (19)), to describe the current status of the urban transport system and monitor progress towards achieving the set objectives.

2.4.   Integrated development of all modes of transport while prioritising the most sustainable ones

A SUMP should promote multimodal transport through the integration of the different modes and measures aimed at facilitating seamless and sustainable mobility. It should include actions to increase the modal share of more sustainable forms of transport such as public transport, active mobility, shared mobility (20), zero-emission urban logistics and, as appropriate, inland waterway and maritime transport.

It should also include actions to promote zero-emission mobility, in particular with regard to the greening of the urban fleet, to reduce congestion and to improve road safety, in particular of vulnerable road users.

The plan puts forward an integrated set of technical, infrastructural, policy-based and soft measures to improve performance and cost-effectiveness with regard to the stated goals and specific objectives.

A SUMP should therefore cover the following:

—	public and collective transport services as well as shared mobility, with a dedicated strategy aiming to improve their quality, coverage, security, integration and accessibility;

—	non-motorised transport, with a plan to make walking, cycling and micromobility more attractive, safer and more secure, striving for a comprehensive and high-quality network;

—	multimodality, to better integrate the different modes of transport for both passengers and goods;

—	urban road safety, aiming to achieve Vision Zero in relation to fatalities and serious injuries, in particular of vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

—	reducing congestion and optimising the use of infrastructure linked to parking management measures, including optimising charging infrastructure, exploring the potential for reallocating road and urban space to non-motorised modes or non-transport uses;

—

urban logistics including home deliveries and management of commercial vehicles fleet (e.g. taxis), with measures to improve efficiency while reducing externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants, noise and congestion (a SUMP and any specific sustainable urban logistics plan should be aligned with each other in an integrated way);

—	mobility management plans, with actions aimed at effecting a change towards more sustainable mobility patterns for commuters, consumers and students (including those coming from surrounding peri-urban and rural areas) in sectors such as employment, education, health, retail and tourism/events;

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digitalisation, including intelligent transport systems (ITS), such as multimodal digital mobility services facilitating the ability to access information, book, pay journey and retrieve tickets in all modes, and the gathering of data (for example, from private operators, big data, artificial intelligence, digital twins, internet of things etc.), in order to support the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the measures included in a SUMP.

2.5.   Integrated approach to passenger mobility and urban freight transport and logistics

Urban logistics, as well as links to long-distance freight transport, should be fully considered and integrated into a SUMP to ensure a systematic approach to all aspects of a city’s mobility and to achieve the objective of zero-emission urban logistics and last-mile deliveries. Specific urban logistics matters could be addressed in a dedicated and aligned sustainable urban logistics plan.

For the relevant urban areas, a SUMP should duly take into account the impact of various urban measures on passenger and freight traffic flows and the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), to ensure seamless transit through, bypass of, or interconnection through and around urban nodes, including of zero-emission vehicles. It should in particular include actions to alleviate congestion, improve road safety and remove bottlenecks affecting TEN-T traffic flows.

2.6.   Participatory approach and coordination with other relevant initiatives

The development and implementation of a SUMP should be based on an integrated and participatory approach, with a high level of cooperation, coordination and consultation between the different levels of government and relevant authorities. The general public, representatives of civil society and economic actors should also be involved.

To this end, local planning authorities should put in place appropriate structures and procedures.

This process should entail in particular:

—	the proper involvement of relevant actors in the functional urban area, such as residents, representatives of civil society organisations and economic actors, in developing and implementing the plan from the outset and throughout the process to ensure a high level of acceptance and support;

—

interdepartmental consultation and cooperation at local and regional level to ensure consistency and complementarity with local and regional policies, strategies and measures, in particular those concerning land use and spatial planning; Urban Greening Plans (21), energy; health; education; social services; law enforcement and policing;

—	close exchange with relevant authorities responsible for providing transport infrastructure and services in the functional urban area (neighbouring urban, peri-urban and rural areas) and at different levels of administration and government.

2.7.   Monitoring, review, reporting and quality assurance

A SUMP should include objectives, targets and indicators underpinning current and future performance of urban transport systems, at the very least for greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, road deaths and serious injuries, modal share and access to mobility services, as well as data on air and noise pollution in cities. The implementation of a SUMP should be monitored using these performance indicators.

In particular, local authorities should put in place mechanisms to monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of their SUMP and take timely corrective action when needed. Member States should support cities in this task and ensure a SUMP’s quality and its compliance with the requirements of the SUMP concept, in line with the Commission Recommendation on national SUMP support programmes.

Progress towards achieving the goal and specific objectives of a SUMP and reaching the targets in it should be assessed regularly using selected result indicators (22). Appropriate action should be taken to ensure timely access to relevant data and statistics. A monitoring report should provide the basis for a review of the SUMP’s implementation.

To Support monitoring, the use of predictions should be encouraged to anticipate future needs and challenges. Such prediction can be supported by digital tools such as local Digital Twins.

2.8.   Guidance and support at European level

The European Commission will continue to provide information on SUMPs through the European Local Transport Information Service – the European Mobility Observatory (23). This information includes the process-related SUMP Guidelines and reference material on specific aspects of SUMPs (24).

The Commission expert group on urban mobility (25), established following the adoption of the New EU Urban Mobility Framework, will help to complement and streamline this material.

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(1)  COM(2013) 913 final

(2)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/sump-guidelines

(3)  https://www.eltis.org/resources/tools/sump-self-assessment-tool

(4)  Annex 1 to the Commission Communication Together towards competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar%3A82155e82-67ca-11e3-a7e4-01aa75ed71a1.0011.02/DOC_4&format=PDF).

(5)  https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/brochure/new_leipzig_charter/new_leipzig_charter_en.pdf

(6)  COM(2021) 812/2.

(7)  COM(2019) 640 final.

(8)  COM(2020) 789 final.

(9)  COM(2020) 811 final.

(10)  COM(2021) 550 final.

(11)  COM(2022) 230 final.

(12)  Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, COM(2021) 812 final.

(13)  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Functional_urban_area#:~:text=Short%20definition%3A%20a%20functional%20urban,city%20(OECD%2C%202012)

(14)  https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals

(15)  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/strategies/news/2019-06-19-vision-zero_en

(16)  https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9994-2017-INIT/en/pdf

(17)  COM(2020) 789 final.

(18)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en

(19)  https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/clean-transport-urban-transport/sumi_en

(20)  Shared mobility refers in this document to shared use of transport modes, such as sharing of vehicles for rental (e.g. bikes, scooters, cars), ride-sharing/car-pooling (i.e. shared space within a vehicle) as well as transport-on-demand services (e.g. ride hailing services like taxis).

(21)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/urban-environment/urban-greening-platform_en

(22)  Such as the sustainable urban mobility indicators available at: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/urban_mobility/sumi_en.

(23)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans

(24)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/topic-guides; https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/practitioner-briefings

(25)  Group E03863 (https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=3863).