When is European Mobility Week? 
European Mobility Week takes place every year from 16 to 22 September. The 22 September represents the highlight of the Week as participants organise “In Town Without My Car” day.

Who can participate? 
All cities, towns or local authorities are encouraged to participate in European Mobility Week, once they submit a national or European charter.

What are the criteria for participation? 
Participants commit themselves to organising an entire week of activities, taking the focal theme into account. They are also required to implement at least one new practical measure that is made permanent and contributes to modal transfer from the private car to sustainable modes of transport. The ‘In Town Without My Car’ day is also compulsory and should preferably take place on 22 September.

Can I choose to only organise ‘In Town Without My Car’ day? 
Yes, local authorities can decide to only participate in ‘In Town Without My Car’ day and are requested to set aside one or several areas that are solely reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport for the entire day. These local authorities must organise this on 22 September - the date is not optional for them.

Why should I organise a Mobility Week? 
European Mobility Week is an opportunity to initiate a wide range of activities and represents a platform for local authorities, as well as organisations and associations to:

  • Promote existing policies, initiatives and best practices related to sustainable urban mobility
  • Establish functional partnerships with local stakeholders
  • Launch new longer term policies and permanent measures
  • Test traffic measures and consult with citizens
  • Raise awareness among citizens about growing concerns such as air quality, road safety or climate change

 
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How can I register? 
Local authorities can register online here. Participants should also complete and sign the European Mobility Week Charter. In principle, the Charter should be signed by your Mayor but it can also be any other elected official that has the power to decide on this matter. The Charter should be sent back to your national coordinator. Please consult the list of national coordinators on the website. If no national coordinator is appointed in your country, please send the Charter to the European Info Point.

What type of activities should I organise? 
A wide range of activities are available to local authorities. The only criteria indicated is that all activities undertaken are in line with the focal theme chosen and promote sustainable mobility for all. Concrete proposals for activities are available in the Handbooks developed each year.

What length of road should be closed? 
There is no set length required; however local authorities are encouraged to make effective use of car-free day in order to highlight high levels of traffic on residential streets and possibly test future solutions. Some ambitious events have involved closing several kilometres of streets.

Won’t this upset local motorists and shopkeepers? 
If your Week is organised in a sensible manner and involves citizen consultation, you will end up with a positive streets-for-people event. Opinion polls consistently show that the majority of car drivers support these campaigns.

What kind of permanent measures should I launch? 
Permanent measures can range from the creation of new bicycle paths or high occupancy vehicle lanes to the joint procurement by companies and the city of high quality clean vehicles. Traffic calming measures and access control schemes can also be explored by reducing speed limits in several neighbourhoods or introducing a road space reallocation programme. Examples of permanent measures include:

  • Creating or enlarging pedestrian areas
  • Improving the bicycle network 
  • Launching online car-pooling and car-sharing services
  • Permanent access restriction to city centres
  • Developing accessible transport services for all
  • Adopting workplace and school travel plans
  • Creating mobility centres and online information services (i.e. journey planner)
  • Introducing speed reduction programmes in zones near schools
  • Creating walking buses and cycling buses schemes
  • Introducing new ecological bus fleets

Permanent measures mean the European Mobility Week campaign has a long lasting positive effect. They also demonstrate the commitment of the city or town and that the local authority, its politicians and its services are willing to invest in the future and in a new, more sustainable mobility culture.

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Who should take the lead in organising the Week? 
In the most successful cases, it is a partnership of local interests led by the local authority. However, it is a question of what works best for you. Original ideas and voluntary inputs can come from local NGOs, transport providers or schools.

How should we get started? 
Potential partners should consider what activities could be undertaken for European Mobility Week and which street(s) should be closed for ‘In Town Without My Car’ Day. It is extremely helpful to have a good network of contacts and to be able to share the workload. Consultation with stakeholders is key.

How much time will it take to organise the Week? 
This depends on how ambitious you are and what type of activities you are planning. Nevertheless, it is strongly advised to start planning the Week six months in advance. This will allow you to communicate your plans well in advance and ensure there is a high level of citizen participation.

Does it have to be a big expensive street party? 
No! In fact, it is just the opposite. Modest events are usually very successful in raising awareness about transport concerns and future prospects.

What materials are available to help with the campaign? 
A wide range of materials are available to download from the campaign website, such as posters and logos. These materials can be used freely by all participants of the Week (including official partners such as NGOs, schools, businesses).

How can we get positive local press coverage?
The key is to inform and involve local papers and broadcasters at the early planning stages, even invite them to meetings, and clearly outline the benefits of the campaign and how it fits into your longer term plans and transport strategy.

How can I attract people to the events? 
You should plan your events in strategic places and showcase the events and sustainable transport messages to the media. 


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