The way to sustainable mobility. A comparative analysis of sustainable mobility plans in Spain

After the approval and implementation of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) in different cities of Spain, the evolution and the level of development of each one are still unknown. In fact, as many of them were approved before 2010, they didn't include a precise methodology for the further analysis of the proposed and/or implemented mobility measures. So, this evaluation of the mobility plans, their results and the comparison between cities and their evolution towards a more sustainable mobility represents nowadays a challenge in many cases. In 2011, the Spanish Law for a Sustainable Economy (Law 2/2011) was approved, which encouraged local administrations to create a SUMP. The approval of a SUMP was compulsory to local authorities to get any public funding for public transport projects. The main objectives of these plans were not only the reduction of the urban congestion and pollution, but also to encourage the citizens to change their habits so they are less car-dependent and more active in their daily trips. However, it is still necessary an evaluation to confirm that these SUMPS have represented a substantial change in terms of logistics and management of the transports and vehicles, both private and public, as well as of behaviour and habits of the citizens. The main objective of this paper is to show the results of a research conducted on 38 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. The cities are all members of the Spanish Network of Smart Cities (Red Espanola de Ciudades Inteligentes -RECI-). The SUMPs are analysed, addressing the identification and evaluation of the different specifically proposed mobility measures included in plans, the degree of definition of them, the costs, the implementation programs, etc. Also, follow-up programs were discussed. First, an analysis was made of the diagnosis of the mobility situation in each location according to the diagnosis document included in many of the SUMPs. The second stage consisted on the analysis of the measures in the plan, considering sixteen indicators, such as accessibility, intermodality, pedestrians or design of public space. Finally, it was also determined whether the document included a monitoring plan, a budget and a timeline. Through the comparison of the results, we obtain a brief overview about the evolution of efforts to get a more sustainable mobility in Spain. With these results, we finish our study proposing some guidelines for further analysis as well as for the new SUMPs that will be approved on the following years.