The largest campaign on sustainable mobility in the world has been officially launched on Monday: the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. A record number of over 3,000 cities all over Europe will engage their own citizens in activities to promote this year’s theme: Safe Walking and Cycling.

At the kick-off event, Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport, stated that

the European Commission officially commits to reduce by 50% road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.

The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) greatly welcomes this announcement, as we have been advocating for that same target for many years. While cycling is still one of the safest ways to move in a city, the fatality rate has stalled for several years now.

Ceri Woolsgrove, Road Safety Policy Officer at ECF, commented that “the EU has done some good work over the past couple of years about vehicle and infrastructure safety to improve cyclists and pedestrians’ safety. This commitment by the Commissioner will need further measures. We look forward to working with the EU institutions in improving cycling and walking safety for European countries and cities”.

Since 2002, the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK has inspired cities to participate in a 1-week long, wide-scale mobilisation campaign. A number of great initiatives has sparkled from it, demonstrating European citizens are ready and eager for a real change in urban mobility. This year, over 800 actions have been planned and registered on the campaign website, including walking and cycling tours, Bike2Work and Walk2School days, urban planning conferences, road safety tips trainings, e-bikes and cargo bikes try-out sessions, and of course the glamorous Fancy Women Bike Ride, coordinated internationally in 34 cities.

“We read the huge grassroots, bottom-up support of this campaign as a call” said Adam Bodor, Advocacy Director at the European Cyclists’ Federation. “Europeans are calling on their national Governments and on the European Commission to be more ambitious for active mobility. The population wants more liveable cities, breathable air and safer public spaces”. Year after year, the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK shows the commitment of cities and citizens, but it’s not enough.

“This vision needs cycling friendly regulations, funds and political support. We call on the European Commission to work with us on a European Cycling Strategy; on the European Parliament to listen to its voters and be the world champion of sustainable mobility; and finally, we call on national governments to create priority for active mobility. Violeta Bulc made the first steps in the right direction; may the next Commissioner for Transport take up her work and be even bolder”.