13주차｜교통과 도심_이주현_EPP's Cohesion Monitoring Group event

[이주현]

1. Title: Urban mobility and large infrastructure projects co-financed by Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 - Keynote speech at EPP's Cohesion Monitoring Group event

2. Date: Dec 13, 2022

3. Link: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_22_7725?utm_source=chatgpt.com

4. Glossary

1	European Environment Agency / EEA	유럽환경청	유럽의 환경 관련 정보와 평가를 제공하는 EU 산하 기관입니다.
2	REACT-EU	REACT-EU / 리액트-EU	코로나19 위기 회복을 지원하기 위한 EU 프로그램입니다.
3	Cohesion Policy	결속정책 / EU 결속정책	EU 내 지역 간 경제·사회적 격차를 줄이기 위한 정책입니다.

Script

Many thanks for today's invitation.

Urban transport is the lifeblood and circulation system, not just for the city itself, but for the surrounding area, and for those places, which are physically away from urban centres, but thanks to good transport and connectivity, need not be socially and economically detached, such as rural areas.

But as you know, many of our urban arteries and veins need unblocking: on account of congestion which in turn exacerbate carbon emissions  and pollution and lack of accessibility.

The European Environment Agency found that road traffic congestion increased in the years before Covid, with 254 hours lost in congestion annually in Rome, 246 in Dublin and 237 in Paris.

And air pollution from transport and heating is still the single largest environmental health risk in Europe.

Cities across Europe struggle, and often fail, to meet EU air quality standards.

These are all examples of what we as economists call “negative externalities”.

And they must be tackled for 3 key reasons: first, for quality of life; second, for the development of the local economy; and third, as a key part of our European goal to become the world's first carbon neutral continent.

Urban mobility is key for sustainable city growthand for an inclusive society.

Investments in transport infrastructure are drivers for regional development, and for a well-connected, competitive EU single market.

Now, as you know, Covid disrupted urban mobility.

It brought a drastic decline in public transport passengers, because people were concerned for their health or worked from home.

And lay-offs have led to a shortage of staff needed for operating public transport.

On the other hand, lockdown gave us a vision, of what cleaner cities might look like.

There has been a surge in bicycle production, up 11% from 2020 and a record 13.5 million bike sales in 2021.

Many local authorities have accelerated their plans for more sustainable urban mobility.

REACT-EU has introduced unprecedented flexibility under Cohesion Policy and fresh resources to address these issues.

It has supported investments in clean and soft urban mobility such as bicycle paths, corresponding to today's higher demand for this mode of transport.