The Trento model: how to build a network of mobility managers
A conversation with Marco Demattè, of the Area Mobility Manager Staff at the Municipality of Trento.
Interview by Paolo Barbato with Marco Demattè.
Interministerial decree 179 of 12 May 2021 required companies and public administrations with more than 100 employees per site, in municipalities above 50,000 inhabitants, to appoint a Mobility Manager and to submit a home-to-work commuting plan to the Municipality every year. The same decree gives the Area Mobility Manager the task of coordinating those plans, supporting the Municipality in its mobility policies and passing origin-destination data on to the bodies that plan public transport (articles 2 and 6 of interministerial decree 179 of 2021).
The rules say what has to be done. They do not say how you convince a territory to do it. In the first year the rules were in force, in Trento, three plans were submitted.
The context makes this less trivial than it might seem. Trento is Trentino’s main employment and education hub and it sits on a valley floor, in a province of 166 municipalities spread out up to high altitudes. The Municipality’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan estimates around 323,000 equivalent vehicles a day within the municipal boundaries, against a population of just over 119,000 inhabitants, and attributes 51.4% of trips to private car use; more than half of internal trips remain under 5 kilometres (data from the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan reported by il Dolomiti, 2024). There is clear room for modal shift, and no quick infrastructural lever to capture it.
What the Municipality of Trento has built from 2023 onwards is a network: twelve zone round tables, a mobility management agreement, urban season ticket discounts graduated according to the obligations met, a digital platform made available free of charge, an annual training programme. Almost entirely at zero cost for the Administration. We asked the Area Mobility Manager’s staff how it was done, what did not work and what they would advise a colleague starting from scratch.
A city on a valley floor
Paolo Barbato: What do you mean by Area Mobility Management and how do you apply it in a territory with characteristics as distinctive as Trento’s?
Marco Demattè: Our vision puts people at the centre. We want a city where getting around is not a source of stress or pollution, but an opportunity for wellbeing. That is our idea of ecological transition.
Area Mobility Management is the strategic coordination instrument that brings together the actions of individual corporate, university and school Mobility Managers in order to optimise systematic mobility, that is, home-to-work and home-to-school trips, at city level.
Mobility governance in a city like Trento, lying on the floor of the Valle dell’Adige, cannot be separated from its geographical characteristics: Trentino is a wonderful territory, but its orography certainly does not help connectivity between its main city (at 205 m above sea level) and the 54 valleys that climb up into mountain landscapes where there are 166 municipalities and thousands of hamlets located up to 1500 m above sea level.
Over time, geography has contributed to making the city of Trento the main employment and education hub of the entire region: almost 30,000 vehicles an hour, more than 323,000 vehicles a day circulate in Trento, which has a population of around 120,000 inhabitants. Managing this impact every day is a challenge.
That is why, in the territory of the Municipality of Trento, area mobility management is applied taking specific geographical, urban planning and social characteristics into account, through five fundamental pillars:
- Valley-centre integration. Managing commuter flows from the neighbouring valleys through modal interchange nodes.
- Reinforced intermodality. Systematic connection between the Valsugana railway, the Trento-Malé-Mezzana railway, the urban and extra-urban lines of Trentino trasporti (the only local public transport company at provincial level) and the park-and-ride facilities.
- Green and active mobility. Encouraging urban cycling by making the most of the city cycle lane network (80 km) and the provincial cycle network (490 km), supported by micro-sharing services.
- Managing verticality. Developing and coordinating vertical transport systems (such as the Trento-Sardagna cable car or the Trento-Mesiano inclined lift) to connect the hillside and mountain suburbs to the historic centre sustainably.
- Zone mobility management round tables. We have zoned our territory by creating zone mobility management round tables. These are periodic coordination meetings with the corporate, university and school Mobility Managers present in the 12 zones of our territory, in order to synchronise activity start times and shifts, mitigating traffic peaks at rush hour as far as possible.
From three plans to a network
Paolo Barbato: What is the area network of Mobility Managers? When was it created and how has it evolved over time?
Marco Demattè: It is with the introduction of interministerial decree 179 of 2021 that people started talking about mobility management in our city: in the first year the rules were in force (2022) only 3 companies submitted a home-to-work commuting plan.
With the appointment of a dedicated staff, 2023 is the turning point: the “Trento model” is born, we go from 3 to 99% of companies and public bodies falling under the legal obligation becoming active members of the network.
Table 1. Who is part of the area mobility management network of the Municipality of Trento
| The area mobility management network | as of 18.05.2025 |
|---|---|
| Companies, public bodies, universities and schools belonging to the network | 57 |
| Local units above 100 employees, members by legal obligation | 62 |
| Local units below 100 employees, voluntary members | 86 |
| Total local units belonging to the network | 148 |
| Employees managed by the network | 23,995 |
| University students managed by the network | 15,761 |
| School students managed by the network | 2,286 |
| Total students managed by the network | 18,047 |
The local units belonging to the network are of two kinds: those above 100 employees, required to join under interministerial decree 179 of 2021, and those below that threshold, which join voluntarily and take on the same obligations. A company or a public body may have several local units, which is why the total number of units exceeds the number of member organisations. Data provided by the Municipality of Trento and updated to 18 May 2025.
Project measures: companies and public bodies for sustainable mobility
Home-to-work commuting plans are not mere bureaucratic formalities to be left in a drawer.
We analysed them one by one to map the measures put in place by the organisations in our network to encourage sustainable mobility on home-to-work journeys:
Table 2. The measures adopted by the organisations in the network, by area of intervention
| Area 1 Discouraging car use | Area 2 Encouraging public transport | Area 3 Encouraging micromobility | Area 4 Reducing mobility | Area 5 Further measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 carpooling apps 1 mobility vouchers for virtuous employees 3 company cars on booking 4 free parking for carpoolers 16 rationalisation of company car parks 3 company shuttle | 1 10% public transport discount 9 20% public transport discount 76 30% public transport discount 20 % reimbursement of season ticket 42 dissemination of information 2 season ticket instalments through payroll | 18 availability of bike maintenance systems 28 installation of signage for bikes 36 secure bike racks 8 secure scooter racks 31 changing rooms/showers 31 joining “al lavoro in bicicletta” 16 scooter sharing agreement 14 bike to work 4 e-bike charging stations | 71 smart working: introduction, maintenance, increase 13 coworking: introduction, maintenance 39 remote meetings: introduction, maintenance, increase 5 grocery delivery at the workplace 8 company laundry or delivery 1 company nursery | 79 employee awareness raising 27 participation in promotional initiatives 14 checking pedestrian/cycling accessibility 22 checking the state of lines/stops 16 request for public transport improvement 22 replacement of the car fleet with green vehicles 2 request to the Municipality: safety of pedestrian crossings 4 request to the Municipality: safety of cycle crossings |
The Area Mobility Manager’s staff examined one by one the home-to-work commuting plans submitted by the network and recorded the measures planned. The number highlighted next to each item indicates how many organisations adopted that specific measure: the same organisation therefore appears in several rows and in several areas. The five areas correspond to the classification in chapter 4.1 of the ministerial Guidelines for drawing up the plans. Data provided by the Municipality of Trento.
Why companies take part
Paolo Barbato: What are the main reasons that push companies to take part in the network’s activities?
Marco Demattè: In 2023 the Area Mobility Manager and his staff asked themselves how the regulatory obligation could become a real driver for managing mobility in the territory, identifying and implementing concrete actions in line with article 6 of interministerial decree 179 of 2021.
Research and development
Effective collaboration with the local Camera di Commercio, MIT and ISTAT made it possible to produce a list of the organisations present in our territory required to appoint a Mobility Manager, produce a home-to-work commuting plan and send origin-destination matrices.
Identifying a digital platform that would support the Mobility Managers in our territory in producing a home-to-work commuting plan with data that is as uniform and integrated as possible, usable both by our administration and by the territorial planning bodies in order to provide answers in terms of cycling and urban public transport. Hence the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Regione Piemonte to provide the EMMA digital platform free of charge to all the organisations in the territory.
Engagement
Sending formal communications to all the organisations identified, highlighting the free initiatives the Administration was putting in place to allow companies and public bodies to comply with the legislation in force, such as:
Setting up a training programme for Mobility Managers, practical and preparatory to the use of the EMMA platform, and in particular to the function of administering to employees and students a single questionnaire agreed between the Area Mobility Manager’s staff and the mobility management network.
Creating lean digital communication channels:
a) Shared drive with the Mobility Managers. 20 thematic subfolders containing legislation, documents, templates, agreements, conventions, slides and recordings of the training programmes.
b) Dedicated email address. mobility.management@comune.trento.it, available to all the stakeholders of the mobility management network.
c) Mobility news. A monthly newsletter with the main thematic updates, alongside special editions on specific initiatives.
d) Zoning. We divided our territory into 12 zones corresponding to the current municipal districts, activating for each one a zone mobility management round table made up of all the companies, public bodies, universities and schools with a unit in that zone. To understand its purpose, by way of example, the first round table convened dealt with the closure of a major road artery due to a bridge being unusable, which was one of only two access routes to a densely populated area with 6 major companies: diversifying employee arrival and departure times, increasing the percentage of smart working, diversifying goods delivery times at the production sites and introducing more effective signage made it possible to solve within a few days the traffic problems caused by the closure of the bridge.
e) Appointment booking system. We created a system for booking appointments directly with the staff, initially active from September to December and intended for checking draft plans before official submission: this made it possible to avoid discrepancies in the validated plans compared with the model defined by the ministerial operational guidance. The service was later extended to the whole year in order to allow direct dialogue between the Mobility Managers and the Area Mobility Manager’s staff.
f) Mobility management agreements. We linked free use of the EMMA platform to a commitment by companies, universities and public bodies to spread and contribute to the sustainable and active mobility policies defined by the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan according to the 5 areas of the ministerial Guidelines.
g) Public transport convention. We linked mobility management obligations to discounts on the annual urban transport season ticket: 10% for those who appoint the Mobility Manager, 20% for those who submit a validated plan every year, 30% for those who sign a mobility management agreement with the Administration.
h) Scooter convention. The company operating free-floating shared mobility services with electric scooters in the territory granted a 20% discount for all the employees and students in our network.
i) Carpooling. We published a call for expressions of interest aimed at companies offering carpooling services, asking them to sign a mobility management agreement providing free services matching travel supply and demand, and other services on favourable terms. Three companies signed the agreements, and members of our network will be able to choose among them.
l) Answers. Every year all the plans are analysed by the end of January; in February a list is drawn up of actions requested of the Municipality regarding the improvement of sustainable mobility options; in March discussions begin with the public transport company and with our Services in order to provide answers; during the 4-day training programme between June and July, the transport company and the Services are invited to present the solutions found together with the Administration.
m) “Scegli le ruote giuste”. This is the concept devised by the students of the Artigianelli graphic arts institute in Trento, whom we asked to create a communication campaign to promote sustainable mobility on home-to-work journeys. Four videos and two posters were produced, which can be branded with the logo of the individual company or public body and used to promote the content in their respective workplaces. Getting young people to work on these themes has certainly meant promoting the concept of environmental sustainability in travel among future generations.
What worked and what didn’t
Paolo Barbato: In your role as Area Mobility Manager, what were the main difficulties encountered and, on the other side, the most significant satisfactions, the levers that proved effective and the good practices now well established?
Marco Demattè: The main difficulties.
The lists of companies and public bodies reported by the relevant bodies during the research and development phase, that is, all those with at least 100 employees, do not take into account the splitting of the number of employees across several workplaces. We had to filter them to define a list of companies and public bodies falling under the legal obligation.
We are an autonomous province: provincial transport legislation assigns the management of extra-urban transport to the Provincia Autonoma di Trento. We would like to extend the benefits we have granted for urban public transport to the organisations in our network to the extra-urban segment as well but, to date, this has not been possible.
All mobility management policies are marked by cost containment: almost all of them are delivered at zero cost for the Administration. Fortunately our province is not among those exceeding the limits for climate-altering emissions; this, however, prevents us from accessing significant funding from the environment and transport ministries.
The satisfactions.
Seeing companies and public bodies with fewer than 100 employees join the network voluntarily, while at the same time taking on the resulting obligations (appointing the Mobility Manager, administering the questionnaire annually, home-to-work commuting plan, project measures) is, in our view, a sign that we are on the right track.
Recording a significant increase over time in the budget companies devote to putting concrete project measures into practice to promote sustainable mobility.
Finding proactive participation by the Mobility Managers in solving the problems brought to the zone mobility management round tables: often it is they who suggest solutions to us.
The next three years
Paolo Barbato: Looking at the next three years, which policies are you activating or do you intend to put in place?
Marco Demattè: The priorities, besides of course giving continuity to the measures already in place, are three.
Dedicating a budget line to mobility management.
Creating a virtuous pathway for the companies and public bodies in our network, through the instrument “premium adjustment for prevention, OT23, workplaces that promote health” together with INAIL, the Provincia Autonoma di Trento and the Integrated University Health Trust of Trentino, offering an economic advantage to companies and public bodies that implement active mobility policies for home-to-work journeys. This is a pathway already at an advanced stage.
Negotiating an agreement with the Provincia Autonoma di Trento to introduce a fare system like the one introduced by the neighbouring Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano, the Fix365 Pass by altoadigemobilità: 250 euros a year to travel across the whole local public transport network, urban, extra-urban, cable car facilities and regional trains, with the possibility of a financial contribution from the company through a dedicated dashboard and direct discounts for the worker.
Advice to colleagues
Paolo Barbato: What advice would you give to fellow Area Mobility Managers who are struggling to activate their own territory?
Marco Demattè: In our view the “Trento model” described above works and does not require large financial investments: adopt it.
The Area Mobility Manager’s staff at the Municipality of Trento is available for constructive discussion with anyone who may be interested.
How companies are listened to
Paolo Barbato: How do you make sure you know the needs and requests of the individual companies in the territory, and how do you act to respond to them?
Marco Demattè: At present there are three systems for taking on the requests our Mobility Managers deal with on the subject of sustainable mobility.
Analysis of the home-to-work commuting plans. Drawing up an annual list of the requests received.
Zone mobility management round table. Convened also at the request of the members of each round table when needed.
Appointment booking system. Mobility Managers and sustainable mobility stakeholders can book an appointment with the Area Mobility Manager’s staff, in person at our Offices or at the applicant’s company site, or remotely, to find solutions or exchange good practices.
We also intend to introduce a further system: generally the final question of the questionnaire used for the plan calls for a free-text answer.
In place of this free-text answer, to add the possibility of linking to a suitably structured Google Form with a threefold purpose:
To frame the proposals according to the 5 areas of chapter 4.1 of the Guidelines for drawing up and implementing the plans, gathering more precise information that can be assessed concretely.
To make it possible to establish direct communication with the person making the request, useful for any actual implementation of the suggested measure.
To prevent the free-text question from being distorted and becoming, given that the questionnaire is anonymous, “a social vent”.
What is needed from institutions
Paolo Barbato: What requests or suggestions for improvement would you put to those who deal with Mobility Management at institutional or supra-regional level?
Marco Demattè: To be pragmatic, we are looking for funds to improve the services we provide to our citizens.
To the European Commission. We ask for European funding calls dedicated to mobility management actions and aimed exclusively at cities.
To the Government and to MASE. We ask that a separate share of the funding intended to bring countries back into compliance with the infringement procedure for climate-altering emissions also be allocated to the regions and provinces that are not subject to the procedure because they are virtuous, in order to avoid air quality worsening in these territories too in the future, forcing further allocations.
To the Provincia Autonoma di Trento. To work together to promote sustainable mobility on home-to-work journeys with concrete measures.
Marco Demattè
Marco Demattè is part of the Area Mobility Manager Staff at the Municipality of Trento, within the Mobility and Urban Regeneration Service. The Area Mobility Manager of the Municipality of Trento is Giuliano Franzoi, engineer and head of the Mobility and Urban Regeneration project, appointed by decision of the Director General on 19 August 2021. The area mobility management network coordinates companies, public bodies, universities and schools in the municipal territory. The network’s contact is mobility.management@comune.trento.it.
Marco Demattè is part of the Area Mobility Manager Staff of the City of Trento, within the Mobility and Urban Regeneration Service. The area mobility management network coordinates companies, public bodies, universities and schools across the municipality, and is behind the so-called "Trento model": twelve zone roundtables, mobility management agreements and public transport discounts tied to compliance, almost entirely at zero cost to the administration.