Mix&Move EU Mobility Week

16-22 September 2018

Over 80% of Montenegrins live in urban areas, a figure likely to increase in the future.

Transportation systems are the backbone of every city and its surroundings. In vast countries as well as in smaller ones like Montenegro, transportation is vital to connect us to each other. Spending less time in traffic means more time for the people we love and activities we enjoy. And of course - a healthier lifestyle.

Our cities present a great opportunity for effective environmental change. If we work together we can advance sustainable transportation, renewable energy and nature-based infrastructure.

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2018 just finished with focus on 'multimodality' - the mixing of transport modes within the same journey or for different trips. As part of the program for this year’s campaign – numerous events were organized under UNDP coordination and active participation in Podgorica, Tivat, Kotor, Budva, Nikšić and Cetinje.

Podgorica confirmed its commitment to the EMW campaign by setting up an extensive programme of events promoting sustainable travel. A week worth of activities - including bike-rides, car-free days, and free walking tours, workshops for adults and children, and many other outdoor adventures was organized. 

During European Mobility Week, Podgorica gave children the opportunity to reclaim the streets by allowing them to paint them the way they would like to shape them.

It was also an excellent opportunity for local stakeholders to get together and discuss the different aspects of mobility and air quality, find innovative solutions to reduce car-use and thus emissions, and test new technologies or planning measures.

During the workshop Better traffic, better city, Bicklo.me’s Stefan Bulatovic presented results of their research concerning travel habits of the citizen of Podgorica, according to which more than half of their respondents (55%) travel a one-way distance of up to 5km, while only 19% engage in a daily commute that covers more than 10km. Another important finding is that as many as 77% of those interviewed would ban cars from Podgorica city centre.

UNDP’s Radica Zekovic, presented success stories in Montenegro. The Project Towards Carbon Neutral Tourism helped complete and mark around 70 km of pedestrian and cycling trails, modernizing street lighting and setting up tourist infrastructure, thus helping improve accessibility of the different sites, reducing CO2 emissions and protecting the environment.

In partnership with Montenegro Phototrekking and UNDP the first out of a series of eco tours throughout the country, was organized in the mountain area of Lukavica. More than 100 nature lovers enjoyed the opportunity for challenging hikes and pleasant strolls with zero carbon emissions.

Municipality of Budva in cooperation with numerous partners, schools and kindergartens organized a week of interesting and educational events raising awareness on sustainable travel habits. The highlight of this year’s Mobile Week was the treasure hunt. Are you a competitive type with a bunch of similar friends? Do you like playing games, going for crazy quests and using an interactive map? If the answer is YES to both questions than you would have enjoyed it! We have tried it for the second year in a row recently and here is our experience in pictures!

Tivat made a great contribution to the EMW. This year, the local authorities participating in the initiative were strongly encouraged to reallocate some road space to non-motorized traffic as well as to create and enlarge social spaces where people can meet, shop, do sports and enjoy other outdoor activities. Each day of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK in Tivat was dedicated to a different topic and many exhibitions and awareness-raising events took place, with children as one of the main target groups.

Niksic city center gave way to a shared space for bicycles and pedestrians moving between the city center and outlying districts. With its mass bike ride Niksic enabled a safer co-existence between car drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. The town demonstrated a firm commitment to sustainable mobility by engaging 20 primary schools in an event to increase awareness about air quality and safe transport.

Cetinje used the EMW to promote sport and physical activity across the town – events open to everyone, regardless of age, background or fitness level. Cetinje has put superb efforts in promoting sustainable urban mobility with its proactive approach to electromobility and the use of eco-friendly vehicles. This year’s events were used to raise awareness and educate people to help in making Cetinje a more sustainable destination for tourists, with less CO2 emissions and a healthier environment.

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK culminated in the trademark car-free day 22. September, when towns across Montenegro restricted car access to some of the main boulevards that were heavily affected by car traffic. Municipalities encouraged citizens to go back to the center of urban life, by giving them the opportunity to explore the role of mobility in their daily lives and to experiment with clean transport modes. Less cars on the streets means cleaner air, quieter cities, and healthier citizens.