This is a report summarizing recommendations from the three-year (1998-2000) ECMT-OECD project "Implementing Sustainable Urban Travel Policies". The recommendations were agreed to by the Council of Ministers of ECMT, meeting in Lisbon on May 29-30 2001. The final report of the project was issued by ECMT.

Context
Implementing strategies for Sustainable Urban Travel
Recommendations for national governments on improving implementation of Sustainable Urban Travel Policies

1. Context

Goals for sustainability in cities
Many countries and cities have common objectives for the quality of life in urban areas that include, clean air, quiet neighborhoods, and economic prosperity without detrimental health and environmental impacts or the depletion of finite natural resources.

Trends in urban travel and land use and their impacts
Population and jobs in many cities continue to move outward from central areas to the urban periphery and low density areas beyond. Commercial development on the fringes of cities leads to persistent and worsening traffic congestion. Shares of trips by public transport, walking and cycling continue to decline, car ownership and use are increasing. These travel and land use trends continue to put at risk the urban environment and the health of city and suburb inhabitants.

Policy instruments available
To counter these trends and promote sustainable travel in urban areas, flexible, integrated policy packages are needed to send the right signals to urban land use and transport markets. These policy packages include measures aiming to integrate land use and transport planning, manage growth in private car use, promote public transport and encourage walking and cycling in urban areas. Defining and implementing integrated policy packages involves bringing together national, regional and local levels of government, politicians, public sector transport and land use planning agencies, environmental authorities and advocacy groups, private sector transport operators and other service providers, as well as real estate developers and the individual traveler.

2. Implementing strategies for Sustainable Urban Travel

Some problems on implementing policies were specified in the ECMT-OECD project "Implementing Sustainable Urban Travel Policies". For example, poor policy integration and co-ordination (inadequate integration of land-use and transport policy, inefficient institutional roles and procedures, inadequate or lack of coordination among Ministries) and incomplete or excessive decentralization of responsibilities for urban travel; an unsupportive legal or regulatory framework; weaknesses in the pricing/fiscal framework, and poor data quality and quantity.

Also the project confirmed that most ECMT and OECD countries allocate the flexibility for implementing policies to regions and municipalities, however, the national government can act as a catalyst for enhancing the implementation of urban level policies.

Implementing Sustainable Urban Travel Policies. Final Report, ECMT, 2002. (English)
Transports urbains durables : la mise en oeuvre des politiques. Rapport final, CEMT, 2002. (Francais)

3. Recommendations for National Governments on improving the implementation of Sustainable Urban Travel Policies

Establish a supportive national policy framework
Develop a national policy framework for sustainable urban travel that supports and influences national, regional and local goals for land-use, transport (passenger and freight), health and the environment.

Improve institutional co-ordination and co-operation
Co-ordinate national policy approaches vertically (among national governments / regional and local governments) and horizontally (among policy objectives) on urban land-use, travel, health and the environment.
Decentralize responsibilities when possible; centralize when necessary.
Provide a consistent, integrated framework for National Government financing and investment in regional and local transport and land-use actions.
Consider all modes of travel (in particular environmentally sustainable modes) as well as land-use priorities when allocating National Government funds to the local level.

Encourage effective public participation, partnerships and communication
Involve the public (press, advocacy groups, and individual clients of the transport system) early in the strategy design process and provide for their active involvement throughout implementation and monitoring.
Seek partnerships with different stakeholders in the transport system (businesses, employers, residential and commercial land developers and associations).
Inform and communicate with transport system clients to gain their support for implementation of the policies.

Provide a supportive legal and regulatory framework
Ensure that rules and regulations for public transport clearly specify the relative roles of public and private sectors in service and infrastructure provision and financing.
Ensure that measures to promote walking and cycling in urban areas as well as transport demand management tools are supported in the legal and regulatory framework.
Fully integrate air quality, greenhouse gas, noise and other environmental targets into transport and land-use policy and adopt technical standards for vehicles and fuels and rigorously monitor their implementation.

Ensure a comprehensive pricing and fiscal structure
Ensure a comprehensive pricing and fiscal structure which has no policy inconsistencies and sends the right messages to decision-makers (individuals / companies).

Rationalize financing and investment streams
Channel revenues from pricing initiatives (road or congestion pricing, parking fines, etc.) so that benefits can be felt by those bearing the costs.
Allocate funding in a balanced way among different travel modes.
Weigh national investment and financing in capital cities against funding needs in secondary and tertiary cities.

Improve data collection, monitoring and research
Improve data collection.
Carry out consistent monitoring of the implementation of urban travel and land use activities and their links to health and environmental objectives.
Organise research, development, and testing to promote sustainable urban travel and land use.

Ministers of ECMT
Agreed with these Recommendations;
Decided to follow up the work by monitoring the implementation of these recommendations, in particular by:
Examining the implications of the recommendations in specific groups of countries (North America, Russia, CIS, Eastern Europe, and Asia).The workshop in Tokyo was held in the context of this decision.
Exploring ways to improve consistency in urban data collection and monitoring.
Developing a Guide to Good Practice proposing guidelines for National Governments on how to establish a supportive policy and institutional framework and establish positive incentives for sustainable travel in urban areas.