Planning Urban and Trans-European mobility together

Symbolic picture by ShafinProtic

The Rhine-Alpine EGTC was represented on Monday 22nd April by Director Cecilia Braun in Oslo, during the session „Planning and linking sustainable urban mobility with the TEN-T“ of the event „Planning Urban and Trans-European mobility together“ hosted  POLIS and Eurocities.

The session focused on urban mobility and TEN-T in the context of the new TEN-T Regulation. Cities are required to facilitate between the two priorities of urban mobility and the TEN-T regulation. One tool to achieve this is Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). A key question was „How do cities combine these two areas?“

The panel comprised of:

• Alessandro Delpiano, Director of the Territorial Planning Department of the Metropolitan City of Bologna
• Morten Wasstøl, Director General, Department of Urban Development, City of Oslo
• Magnús Sigfússon Director of City Planning, City Development & External Affairs, City of Gothenburg.
• Henrik Zetterquist, Senior Project Manager, Swedish Transport Administration
• Cecilia Braun, Director, EGTC Rhine-Alpine Corridor

One Corridor, One Strategy

A summary of the event can be accessed below.

https://move21.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Policy-Brief.pdf?utm_source=emailR&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Thank+you+%5b25657%5d

European Parliament: Update to TEN-T guidelines

Symbolic picture by Dimitrisvetsikas1969 on Pixabay

MEPs approved new plans to finish trans-European infrastructure projects such as cross-border roads, railroads, bridges, and tunnels by 2030 on Wednesday April 24th.

MEPs supported an update of the EU’s proposal to develop a network of railways, roads, inland waterways, and short sea shipping routes connected through ports and terminals to reduce bottlenecks and missing transport links.

By 2030, major transport infrastructure projects on the core TEN-T network should be completed to ensure a full network by 2050. An intermediary date of 2040 accelerates network project rollout.

The revised guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network were approved by 565 votes to 37, with 29 abstentions. Once authorised by the Council, they will take effect 20 days after being published in the Official Journal.

By passing this legislation, Parliament is responding to citizens‘ expectations for high-quality, modern, green, and safe infrastructure, as well as ensuring accessibility, including for rural and island regions, particularly through affordable public transport, as outlined in proposal four of the Conference on the Future of Europe’s conclusions.

Source: 

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20574/european-parliament-updates-trans-european-transport-network-guidelines

NOVIMOVE Event: “Transforming Inland Waterway Transport in the Upper Rhine”

Photo: Erwin van der Linden

NOVIMOVE  invites stakeholders from the Upper Rhine region to join them on the morning of Friday, May 17th in Basel. Online participation is possible as well.

A centerpiece of the event is the presentation on the outcomes of the NOVIMOVE Smart & Sustainable Waterways research project, funded by the European Commission.

The NOVIMOVE team, comprising scientists, port industry representatives, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, has collaborated over the past few years to address some of the challenges in transport via inland waterways, particularly along the Rhine-Alpine corridor.

Key themes that will be addressed:

• Can new ship designs be conceived to cope with fluctuations in water levels on the Rhine, ensuring goods can continue to be transported during low water periods?
• Is it possible to improve route and lock planning on waterways to shorten travel times, enhance efficiency (less fuel required), and maximize cargo load (based on real-time depth measurements)?

Please click on the link below to register for the event.

https://novimove.eu/basel/

TEN-T Coordinator’s Position Paper: Connecting Europe

Symbolic picture by Dimitrisvetsikas1969 on Pixabay

According to the recent position paper by the TEN-T Coordinators, a strong transport sector and resilient infrastructure are essential for a sustainable, smart, competitive, and global Europe.

This Single Market relies on the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network, which allows people and products to move freely. Its completion will boost EU prosperity and security.
The paper emphasises that the TEN-T’s successful and timely completion depends on good governance, stakeholder cooperation, and a balanced finance and financing mix. One suggestion was that governments should implement regulatory reforms to boost competition and market entrance with the help of CEF, enabling Member States to execute reforms by focusing on high-value European projects, especially cross-border ones.

The completion of key cross-border railway projects and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) will help create a single railway market. Transport infrastructure initiatives require public funding and should target essentials to avoid market distortions. Given various competing needs, public support should be focused, cost-effective, and transitory.

The full position paper is linked below.

Source:

https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/32e56093-9249-400b-8ee3-0a1a64d2e10c_en?filename=coordinators_joint_position_paper.pdf