THE PEP / EHP Partnership Healthy Active Mobility
Key trigger fact
Promoting active and public transport requires cooperation and stakeholder support.
Key implementation fact
Strong alliances between members states, inter- and non-governmental institutions supported implementation.
Key evidence of success fact
First ever Pan-European Master Plans on Walking and Cycling developed and adopted.
Key take away
Cooperation formats need to reflect the requirements of stakeholders.
Lack of cooperation and exchange of information between stakeholders
Promoting cycling and walking at the national level is challenging. Even within the transport sector, experts in active mobility often work in isolation. Yet advancing these modes requires broad cooperation and stakeholder support. Siloed thinking hinders progress, as missing information limits the ability to build on / capitalize on existing knowledge and leverage synergies across initiatives.
Intersectoral cooperation is key for better integrating active mobility and public transport
The Partnership brings together national walking and cycling experts with shared interests in collaborating on specific issues. The work of the partner is supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the World Health Organisation – Europe Region (WHO-Europe), and non-governmental organisations. It provides its members with different formats for information and exchange during bi-annual meetings. Its second pillar supports the development of common strategies, plans, and projects, aiming at achieving concrete, measurable results.
More than 30 countries cooperating since 2014
Since 2014, partnership meetings have taken place in many different countries of the pan-European region: from Portugal in the west to Russia in the east. These gatherings fostered strong personal relationships and led to joint initiatives that helped to improve the situation for cyclists and pedestrians in the countries involved. Key achievements include the adoption of the jointly developed Pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion and the Pan-European Master Plan on Walking. By setting clear objectives and suggesting policy action recommendations, the partnership offers guidance and inspiration for walking and cycling initiatives in the countries of the pan-European region. These strategic documents are complemented by practical case studies that can be adapted to diverse regional contexts. By exchanging on different solutions for bike carriage on buses and trains, the pedestrian and cycling friendly redesign of stations or design guidelines for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, the link between active modes and public transport was always at the heart of the partnership's work.
Ensure that exchange formats reflect requirements of stakeholders
Providing opportunities to learn from each other, including safe spaces for an honest discussion of current challenges, is what the members of the partnership appreciate the most. A clear separation of open discussion formats involving experts from different fields of interest and closed members-only sessions for in-depth peer group discussions is necessary for widening the knowledge base and building trust.
Cross Links
Contact: THE PEP / EHP Partnership Healthy Active Mobility: https://unece.org/thepep/pam
Austrian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure
Publications:
Pan-European Master Plan on Walking (https://unece.org/info/THE-PEP/pub/397453)
Pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion https://unece.org/info/publications/pub/376488
The project Active2Public Transport is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union. The project was initiated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), Department II/6 in cooperation with klimaaktiv mobil – the Austrian Federal climate protection initiative on sustainable mobility.