Mobility Managers

Implementing sustainable mobility

Bologna has good experiences with Mobility Management (MM) and is keen to build on this success. Italian national law makes it mandatory for companies with more than 300 employees to get a Mobility Manager to reduce employees’ car dependency.  The city will involve companies with less than 300 employees that are located in the historical city centre or other key areas, as well. It will draw on new communication tools and specifically target young people to address both parents’ and children’s daily trips from home to school or work and back.

The objectives of the measure are to:

>>Increase the number of companies that have a MM plan;
>>Increase the number of employees involved in MM policy;
>>Improve support for companies that promote sustainable modes of transport;
>>Promote new agreements with transport operators to influence employees’ mobility habits in favour of sustainable modes; and
>>Gain a better understanding of and influence commuter travel choices in favour of sustainable mobility.

Before the start of CIVITAS MIMOSA, Bologna had set up a Mobility Management office for its urban area that was given the task to elaborate the municipal mobility plan and to support companies in their mobility management.  The city has made free software available to manage data on employees’ trips to work and back. It also provides online questionnaires to collect information on employees’ mobility habits. Based on this data, companies can develop better mobility plans.

Thanks to these efforts, mobility managers have become increasingly established in many organisations in the Bologna area. Along with the rise in mobility managers, there has been a strong increase in the use of public transport following an agreement with the local public transport company (ATC) and the national railway operator (Trenitalia) that made it possible to cut the costs for annual transport passes. The number of annual public transport owners subsequently increased from 617 to 5,622 in 2004 and to 6,683 in 2005. Train use has also risen by about 10 percent.  On 19 September, 2006, Bologna, ATC and Trenitalia have reached another agreement that has been in force until 2009. This agreement provided a 5 percent discount on the annual public transport pass for all employees of companies that have a mobility agreement with the municipality.

How is the measure progressing

Bologna started the implementation of this measure in February 2010 with the 10th National Conference on Mobility Management that was organised by the municipality in cooperation with Euromobility (the national association of mobility managers) and the Emilia Romagna region with sponsorship from the ministry of the environment. In June 2010, Bologna has launched an innovative employee cycling scheme under which 100 dedicated bike racks are provided together with free electric charging points for municipal employees. In addition, municipal employees can purchase electric bikes at a discount.

During the European Mobility Week in September 2010, information activities were carried out. These included an information point service that assisted people in identifying the best cycling routes for their daily trips from home to school or work. A two-day initiative addressed municipal employees and those of the Emilia Romagna region who cycle to work.
In cooperation with ATC and Emilia Romagna region, an open meeting on “New Resources for New Projects” took place during which Bologna’s new sustainable mobility project was presented focusing on Mobility Management activities.  Some relevant projects (funded outside MIMOSA) linked up with MM actions have also been approved by the Italian Ministry of environment:

>>€95,229 (out of a total budget of €366,000 total budget) have been allocated to ten companies as a contribution for their employees to purchase PT season tickets at a discount;
>>€96,810 (out of a total budget of €99,000) have been assigned to eight companies to develop mobility management projects, specifically related to cycling and software dedicated to MM;
>>in the framework of the “Fiera District” project, the Municipality of Bologna signed an agreement with RER, co-financing  the MM area project with €56,000;
>>Bologna gave contributions to municipal employees for the purchase of public transport season tickets (Mobility Eco-Ticket) at a discount.

In April 2011, the municipality of Bologna held a meeting to update Mobility Managers on MM activities and services available in the city and to go ahead with the project co-financed by the Italian Ministry environment. In September 2011, RER organised the international conference “Mobility Management: From European projects to regional actions” targeted to professionals in the field and politicians, while Bologna municipality started an initiative to launch the procedures for companies to receive new funds reserved for MM plans.

As a result of these actions, in 2010-2011 1,625 employees of Bologna municipality (31.2%) have received contributions to purchase public transport season tickets at a discount (1.5% more than  in 2009/ 2010). Two new mobility management agreements were signed with companies (Arpa and Acer). Three Home-Work MM plans (with Hera company, Bologna University and S. Orsola Hospital) were activated.

What are the expected results of the measure

The expected results of this measure are to:

>> Involve at least 10 additional companies in MM procedures;
>> Decrease the use of private motorised transport by 20 percent among employees involved in MM plans; and
>> Increase the use of public transport and cycling by 20 percent.

So far, mobility management agreements have been reached with two new companies. In the course of 2010, purchases of public transport passes within the framework of MM agreements have increased. The use of private vehicles has dropped while more people have started to use public transport or have taken up cycling. By the end of 2011, Bologna projects a 20 percent increase in public transport passes purchased under MM agreements.

Contact: Cleto Carlini