On 3 February 2021, Eixo Atlantico presented to its members its Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, a unique document elaborated by 11 experts in mobility and sustainable issues. The Plan presents the common guidelines for the cross- border territory Galicia-North Portugal that each city will be able to develop individually or together with other cities.
The project coordinator explained to the cities of the Eixo Atlántico that it is a matter of very little time before urban mobility patterns changes. In the future, transport will be electric and collective, allowing the recovery of urban space for citizens. It is not about demonizing the private vehicle, but about combining it with multiple mobility options that the future offers.
Some dysfunctions of the current models are the loss of habitable urban space, excessive energy consumption, air pollution, commercial relocation or noise and vibrations, among others. In this context, the Eixo Atlantico Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan has three main pillars:
- Context: Urban Agenda (horizon 2030), SDG (mainly SDG 11: Sustainable cities), previous Eixo Atlantico studies in this area (e.g. Cross-border Urban Agenda) or the White Paper about Transport (horizon 2050), among others.
- Strands for action: safe, healthy, sustainable, equitable and smart mobility. The urban model to be achieved is a compact, diverse, efficient and socially cohesive city.
- Characterization and diagnosis of mobility in the Eixo Atlántico and proposal of strategic actions.
In this sense, the Eixo Atlantico Urban Sustainable Mobility Plan presents the basis for interested cities to develop a new mobility model based on:
- Reduction of dependence on the private car;
- Increase opportunities for alternative transport, with less environmental impact;
- More value to proximity;
- The street as a space for living and living together;
- Improve accessibility;
- Offer a real public transport network (instead of the sum of several lines);
- Improve air quality, less noise, more space for pedestrians and more space per inhabitant.
The document was really appreciated by the 39 Eixo Atlantico members that, during the debate after the presentation declared to be totally conscious about the need of:
- Promote new living habits;
- Ensure that mobility does not become a factor of social exclusion;
- Encourage mutual mobility and increase shared and collective transport;
- Greater involvement of the regional administration to consolidate a sustainable and efficient metropolitan transport.
Thus, the Eixo Atlántico Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan born as a common framework that each city will be able to develop individually or together with other cities, as a living document that must be modified and updated periodically.
Eixo Atlantico considers sustainable mobility as a priority and, as a consequence, will go in deep working on this area in the future.
Download the full report in Galician or in Portuguese.
