Member in the Spotlight: Milan’s approach on cultivating its “Transport Chi”

The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) of Milan for 2015-2025 is currently under approval. There are innovative solutions envisaged such as making the surface public transport faster, expecially tramways: the intervention foresees an investment on the traffic signals, in order to shorten the duration to cross the city by tram, on the vehicles, to make them more accessible, and on the protection of tram and bus lanes. Moreover, the SUMP envisages guidance on public transport, sharing mobility, cycling and walking networks, the realization of a low emission zone (LEZ), 30 km/h zones and urban logistics. In addition, the plan provides a methodological innovation: it has given the city a long-term vision on mobility and shaped a clear instrument with well-defined objectives and actions. For the first time the plan was accompanied by a cost-benefit analysis, integrated by the strategic environmental assessment (VAS in Italy), in order to select the most cost-effective areas of intervention for the city.

There is another special approach to be fonud in Milan: In January 2012, the city of Milan implemented AREA C, the first congestion charging scheme in Italy. Area C is a road pricing scheme, which, even taking into high consideration the environmental aspect, principally focuses on reducing congestion: every non electric or hybrid vehicle entering into Area C must pay a €5 fee per day.

In terms of sharing mobility, Milan takes the lead: sharing schemes of cars, bikes (both traditional and electric) and even scooters are in place. However, the main challenge remains to convince residents that it is possible to easily move within the city without owning a car, not only thanks to an efficient public transport, but also to these new mobility sharing services.

This insight has been published in the 'Thinking Cities' magazine, a joint publication of Polis and H3B Media. Issue 5, November/2015, page 10

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