Implementing Sustainable Urban Travel Policies

There is widespread agreement that in order to bring about sustainable travel in urban areas, flexible, integrated policy packages are needed that send the right signals to urban land use and transport markets. The project on Implementing Sustainable Urban Travel Policies conducted by the ECMT has shown that actually implementing integrated policy packages for sustainable urban travel is easier said than done for a great number of cities in ECMT and OECD countries. While in most countries, urban land use and travel policies are defined and implemented at the local or regional levels, there is growing recognition that national governments can improve chances for implementation of integrated policy packages by providing for a flexible, sectorally integrated policy framework that sends the right messages to regions and cities via policy incentives and project financing. This report examines the ways in which national governments can act as catalysts for sustainable travel practices on a local level.