Through an implementing regulation adopted on July 9, 2026, the European Commission is introducing a common set of indicators for the collection and reporting of urban mobility data at the “urban node” level (a concept also introduced in the TEN-T Regulation), with a focus on sustainability, safety, and accessibility.
The decision is not merely a technical adjustment, but a clear signal that urban mobility must be analyzed based on comparable data, not fragmented estimates. Instead of varying reporting practices across Member States, the new framework aims to create a common information base that can better support planning, investment, and the evaluation of public policies.
The regulation applies within the context of the revised TEN-T Regulation (which entered into force in 2024) and uses the TENtec system for reporting. The regulation strengthens the role of cities, which are considered essential for the development of a sustainable, efficient, and multimodal transportation system; it designates 431 cities as urban nodes and establishes specific requirements for them, with the aim of facilitating continuous and efficient traffic flows to, from, and through the urban nodes of the TEN-T network. These requirements include the development of a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) and the collection and periodic submission to the European Commission of data on urban mobility indicators.
This means that urban mobility data becomes part of a broader European framework, in which urban transport, connectivity, and infrastructure monitoring are viewed as elements that must work together.
What data will be required
The new framework introduces indicators covering several key areas. On the one hand, basic information is required on the population, area, and geographical boundaries of the urban node. On the other hand, the regulation goes much further and requires data on daily trips, the structure of the vehicle fleet, traffic accidents, seriously injured persons, fatalities, and the level of infrastructure accessibility.
The sustainability section includes an indicator on the number of daily trips by mode of transportation: walking, cycling, private motorized transport, public transit, and other modes. At the same time, data on the stock of registered passenger cars is also required, broken down by energy type or emissions standard, which provides a clearer picture of the transition toward cleaner mobility.
In the area of safety, the Commission requests regularly reported data on traffic accidents, seriously injured persons, and fatalities. The logic is simple: if cities are compared using the same indicators, high-risk areas can be identified more easily, and the effects of road safety measures can be tracked more accurately.
In the accessibility section, the regulation focuses on access points, train stations, and stations considered accessible. This is an important distinction because it shifts the discussion from existing infrastructure to infrastructure that is actually usable by passengers, including those with reduced mobility.
Railway Stations: A Strategic Indicator in Urban Mobility
For the rail sector, the inclusion of railway stations is particularly relevant. Stations are no longer viewed merely as stops but as an integral part of the urban mobility ecosystem, where both connections to other modes of transportation and the level of accessibility for passengers matter.
Under the new European framework, a train station becomes a landmark that signifies much more than the mere existence of a line on a map. What matters is whether people can easily reach the platform, whether they can quickly transfer to a bus, tram, or other urban transit options, and whether the infrastructure meets the actual needs of passengers, including those with limited mobility. Thus, the assessment no longer focuses solely on the infrastructure itself but examines how it functions in the city’s day-to-day life.
At the same time, this type of reporting can more clearly highlight the differences between cities and their investment needs. A well-connected and accessible train station becomes an asset for urban mobility, not just for rail transport, and the common indicators required at the European level can help authorities identify where delays occur, where there is potential, and where infrastructure must be modernized as a priority.
Deadlines That Matter
The regulation sets clear deadlines for the first report and for subsequent updates. Member States must submit the first set of data by December 31, 2027, and reporting is then repeated every four years. However, there is also a possibility of a deferral: the first set may be submitted by December 31, 2028, if the Member State notifies the Commission by the end of 2027.
There is also an exception for the indicator on the number of daily trips. This can be reported once every five years, rather than every four, if the Member State opts for this frequency and notifies the Commission of its decision in a timely manner. In contrast, safety indicators must cover the four-year period between reports so that trends can be tracked without significant interruptions.
Another important deadline is December 31, 2026, by which Member States must submit to the Commission the LUA (local administrative unit) codes used to define the geographical boundaries of each urban node. This step is essential because the data will be reported for clearly defined territorial areas, and each LUA code must be assigned to a single urban node.
If no new data is available between two reporting periods, the Member State must resubmit the previous dataset, accompanied by an explanatory note. This note must explain why the same data is being resubmitted and outline the plan for updating it in the next cycle. In other words, the regulation does not accept a lack of information as a compromise solution.
What’s Changing for Cities
For local and national authorities, the new framework brings additional work, but also a strategic advantage. It will require better data collection systems, coordination among institutions, and greater capacity for data analysis. In return, cities will have access to a common reporting framework that can help them evaluate their own policies more accurately.
This is particularly important for public transportation and sustainable mobility projects. If data on ridership, safety, and accessibility are collected consistently, authorities can better justify investments, prioritize projects more effectively, and track more precisely whether the measures taken are yielding results.
For cities that rely on integrating urban transit with the rail network, station-related indicators become a useful tool. They can show not only where infrastructure exists, but also how well it is connected, how easy it is to use, and how well it meets passengers’ needs.
The regulation shifts the focus from general assessments to an approach based on common indicators, measured at regular intervals. For cities, this means greater administrative discipline at the outset, but also greater clarity over time. And in public policy, clarity often leads to better decisions.
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