'Benchmarking' is one of the tools that the European Commission has decided to promote to improve the performance of local/regional mobility networks, in the follow up to the Green Paper, 'The Citizens' Network- Fulfilling the potential of public passenger transport in Europe' (1996). In order to develop this innovative, practical approach, a pilot exercise was launched by the Directorate-General Transport in 1998.
The Commission selected fifteen cities and regions from the larger group who had expressed their interest in participating in the pilot project. All the cities and regions chosen had contrasting profiles and characteristics. This presented a considerable challenge as the pilot project had to prove that it was possible to co-operate in the process, and share common interests, despite such differences.
The aim was to test the feasibility of the comparison of local and regional mobility network performance focussing on all transport modes, from the citizens' point of view. Comparison relied on a preliminary self assessment stage which was linked with a second, operational benchmarking analysis. In the later stage, four subgroups of cities and regions investigated a topic of particular interest to them, with a view to local implementation of the findings.
This document presents the results of the second stage of this pilot exercise. It helps to understand where citizens network benchmarking leads: it stimulates the improvement of local mobility networks in relation to 'best practice'; it provides a better response to citizens' needs with a greater focus on the issues of accessibility, integration and the environment; it leads to cost-effective solutions for improving mobility network performance, and to an increase in the depth of participants' knowledge and experience in a relatively short period of time.
The European Commission would like to express its appreciation to all those participating in the pilot project.
The pilot project has been a success. A follow-up iniative is planned to be launched early in 2000, which will lead to a broader process, open to other urban and rural territories which, it is intended, will further develop the complementarity of European and local decision making processes.
Günther Hanreich
Director, Inland Transport
Directorate-General Transport
European Commision