How to use the tool

Background

This tool complements the M&E Framework document and the Local M&E Template. It serves as the practical, step-by-step ‘indicator selector’ to support cities in building their monitoring system. It helps cities move from broad objectives (e.g., safer streets, higher active mode share, cleaner air, better access to public transport) to a coherent, manageable set of indicators that can be measured consistently over time. It was designed to support small and mid-sized cities in the Baltic Sea Region in setting up clear and realistic monitoring and evaluation systems for sustainable mobility planning.

Remember that selecting KPIs is only one step in building an effective urban mobility monitoring system. Success depends on what happens next: setting realistic baselines, targets, and expected directions of change over the coming years, and ensuring that data are collected regularly and in a comparable way.

For each indicator, it is therefore advisable to define from the outset the data source, update frequency, calculation method, and geographic scope (e.g., the urban node boundary), and most importantly the people and institutions responsible for data collection and quality assurance. Without clear ownership, even the best KPI set will quickly become outdated or inconsistent.

The suggested monitoring frequencies in the Indicator Selector are indicative and should be adapted to local data availability and decision-making needs. For indicators contributed by BATS, monitoring frequency should be understood as covering not only how often an indicator is updated, but also whether observations represent comparable year-round conditions.

Where relevant — indicators affected by precipitation, snow or ice, darkness, visibility and maintenance — monitoring should distinguish between normal conditions, autumn or wet conditions, and winter or dark conditions.

For strategic city-level indicators based on surveys or GIS data, an update every two to three or three to five years may be sufficient. However, seasonal segmentation should still be included where necessary to support year-round active-mobility decisions. For operational indicators based on routine ITS data, counters, sensors or maintenance records, annual or continuous monitoring is preferable, with seasonal or weather- and lighting-based disaggregation where possible.

Equally important is planning how you will respond to the results. Agree in advance what constitutes a meaningful change, which values should be treated as alert thresholds, and who makes decisions. Monitoring should support management: when an undesirable trend emerges, it should trigger concrete actions. A well-designed monitoring system ensures continuity and transparency through stable indicator definitions, documented data sources, a clear reporting schedule, and accessible communication of results. This way, KPIs become a tool for decision-making and dialogue with residents, not just a reporting obligation.

Note on classifications

The additional classifications used in this tool (Themes, Data collection effort, EU alignment, etc.) were developed within the SUMPs for BSR project as practical guidance for cities.

Importance (critical, high, moderate, complementary)

• Critical indicators are essential for management and accountability and are often linked to requirements or standards (e.g., road safety outcomes, basic accessibility measures, key emissions). In most cases, they should be prioritised for monitoring, with clear ownership, a defined reporting frequency, and agreed alert thresholds.
• High-importance indicators are priority metrics recommended for regular monitoring in most cities. They typically form part of the “core dashboard”, while still being reviewed for local relevance and data feasibility.
• Moderate-importance indicators are useful for monitoring, but not essential for every city. They are worth including when they match local priorities and data availability, and can be added to an extended KPI set once the core KPI set is in place.
• Complementary indicators are optional supporting metrics that deepen the analysis, especially in areas that are particularly challenging in a given city and provide additional context and comparability.

Themes

Accessibility, Safety, Health, Environment, Economy, Governance are areas frequently highlighted in European mobility planning documents and strategies, adapted here to help cities balance their indicator sets across different objectives.

Data collection effort

Easy, Medium, Hard reflects assessment of how demanding an indicator is to monitor:

• Easy – data is usually available from existing administrative or operator statistics (e.g. police accident data, public transport ridership).
• Medium – data can be collected with moderate additional effort, often requiring traffic counts, GIS analysis, or some data processing.
• Hard – data requires dedicated surveys, continuous monitoring, or advanced technology solutions.

EU alignment

EU alignment distinguishes between four categories:

• Core (TEN-T mandatory) – indicators included in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1554 and therefore forming part of the binding TEN-T urban-node data-reporting set.
• Core – indicators identified as core or high-priority in other European monitoring frameworks, particularly the earlier SUMI framework, or considered central to SUMP monitoring. These indicators are not part of the binding TEN-T reporting set unless separately marked Core (TEN-T mandatory).
• Recommended – indicators supported by EU guidance or recognised European good practice, but not legally required under the TEN-T urban-node reporting framework.
• Optional – supplementary indicators that cities may select according to local priorities, project needs and data availability.

These classifications are intended as supportive guidance. Core, Recommended and Optional are supportive classifications developed within SUMPs for BSR. Core (TEN-T mandatory) indicates inclusion in the binding EU reporting set. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1554, Member States are responsible for collecting and submitting the specified data per urban node through TENtec.

Level of Indicator

• Output indicators measure the direct and immediate deliverables of activities or interventions, capturing what has been produced, built, or implemented as a direct result of project actions or investments.
• Result indicators measure the short- to medium-term effects or changes that occur because of outputs, reflecting how outputs influence behaviour, accessibility, quality, or usage.
• Impact indicators measure the long-term, higher-level effects that occur as a consequence of results — they capture the ultimate goals or societal benefits of policies and actions.

How to use the catalogue

The Indicator Selector includes a catalogue of 266 proposed KPIs. While this number may seem overwhelming at first, it is important to remember that these indicators are provided as suggestions and inspiration, not as a mandatory checklist. Cities are not expected to monitor all KPIs at once.

Instead, the list is designed to help you build a monitoring system that matches your local goals, capacity, and data availability. Start by selecting a small, realistic priority set of indicators that you can update regularly and consistently. As your data sources, processes, and responsibilities become established, you can gradually expand the set with additional KPIs to deepen the analysis or address specific local challenges.

Many indicators also overlap and measure similar topics in different ways (e.g., absolute values and normalized versions per resident, per kilometre of network, or per passenger-kilometre). This is intentional, and it gives you flexibility to choose the formats that are most useful and feasible in your context.

Ultimately, the aim is not to collect as many indicators as possible, but to create a practical, decision-oriented monitoring system that supports learning, accountability, and timely action in sustainable mobility planning.