More and more European cities have been implementing progressive civic projects in recent years to promote sustainable and efficient transportation in order to address issues of traffic congestion and air pollution. Cycling is slowly becoming recognized as an essential component when adopting new models of urban development and planning sustainable cities. Today we are focusing on a great initiative coming from Rome!

For the fourth consecutive year - on the occasion of the 'Six Nations 2018' Rugby Championship-  the city of Rome, Federugby (the rugby federation) and Coni (The Italian National Olympic Committee) get together to collaborate on the Rome Mobility Services’ initiative "When in Rome, go sustainable!"

Fans of Rugby are encouraged to reach the Olympic Stadium in Rome, where the two rugby games will take place, by bike. They will be able to leave their vehicles, free of charge, safely in the designated parking lot close-by, equipped with bicycle racks.The venue will also be reachable via a cycle path clearly marked on the guide that was prepared for this occasion. This is the first example of a zero-impact guide (available in Italian and English) on how to reach the Olympic stadium, useful for citizens and tourists visiting Rome during sporting and cultural events, to make the stay more ecologically sustainable through the use of public transport and bicycles.

This great initiative demonstrates how cycling can not only be encouraged in every day mobility but also as a great solution for special events, where numerous vehicles need to get to one place at the same time - which often results in extreme traffic congestion close to the venue and in peaks of pollution. Motorised transport being among the main culprits for poor air quality in urban centres, and air pollution being responsible for a mortality rate between five to ten times higher than road accidents, cities need to act now! We need to reconsider the way we approach air pollution and actively start searching for creative ways to promote sustainable urban mobility. 

To praise these fundamental efforts in the field of urban mobility, ECF’s member FIAB (Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta) attributed the Cycling Mobility Quality Label to the Rome Mobility Services. The label aims at rewarding event organisers who pay special attention to sustainable mobility by promoting cycling through the creation of park and ride, bike parking, notifications for visitors and informative material.