STREAM is a mobility management project aiming at promoting more energy efficient transport behaviour through the development of new transport solutions and well targeted campaigning.

It aims more specifically at traffic related to tourism and recreation, also using these sectors of transportation demand as an opportunity for awareness raising about sustainable mobility in general.

Because of its growing importance and its growing energy consumption, tourism and recreation related traffic is an important target for mobility management. But this sector of transportation demand also offers inherent opportunities for more successful mobility management. Recreation and tourism, especially in open areas, are activities in which the quality of the environment at the destination adds to the quality of leisure time spent. In this context, people are more receptive to ideas about reducing motorised traffic, not only because they see the short time effect in the visited environment (traffic jams, noise, emissions) but also because of the emotional link between recreation and a clean environment. In other words: the recreational environment removes barriers for the promotion of "soft mobility".

STREAM establishes a strong link between, on the one hand, campaigning for behaviour change towards sustainable mobility and, on the other hand, quality of tourism and recreation. Mottos of STREAM are:

"If you come to enjoy a natural environment, why not use also more "natural" means to travel?" or

"If you cycle for leisure, why not try it out in everyday life?"

The project has two main objectives:

1. (short term objective) to promote sustainable mobility TO and IN specific recreational and touristic areas, creating a link between "soft recreation" and "soft mobility";
2. (objective on a longer term) to use recreation and tourism as circumstances in which you can more easily raise awareness about the necessity of greener mobility, even in everyday life. For example why would "cycling tourists" not use the bicycle to go to work, thus extending recreation to every day life?

To obtain these goals, well highlighted demonstration and communication projects will take place in 7 countries and at 9 destinations.

3 types of recreational environments are covered:

• "green corridors" (soft mobility routes in West-Flanders and in Vilnius City);
• nature recreation and tourism (recreation areas in Belgium, mountain regions in Austria and Italy, Lagiewnicki forest in Poland);
• coastal recreation and tourism ( Belgium, Portugal and Bulgaria).

A wide range of sustainable mobility solutions will be tested and promoted. These demonstrations are also an occasion to launch broader communication campaigns about the STREAM-approach on regional and national levels.

Home
Updated 23.06.2008