Italy
Milan
UMR Index Rank
#31
(+3)
Score: 54%
Sustainable Mobility
#29
(+2)
Score: 52.0%
Public Transit
#22
(-1)
Score: 57.3%
Technology Adoption
#27
Score: 46.4%
| Population | 4.3 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 2,225 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 1,940 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 63,663 |
UMR Index Rank
#31
(+3)
Score: 54%
Sustainable Mobility
#29
(+2)
Score: 52.0%
Public Transit
#22
(-1)
Score: 57.3%
Technology Adoption
#27
Score: 46.4%
What Milan Does Well In Urban Mobility
Milan has many car-free zones and has placed restrictions on internal combustion engine vehicles to reduce emissions and improve air quality. Milan recently expanded the scope of one of its limited traffic zones near the city center to ban the most polluting vehicles. Additionally, the city boasts an efficient public transit system with approximately 250 zero-emission buses and aims to convert its entire 1,200-bus fleet to electric power by 2030. This is a compelling example of how Milan is adopting sustainable modes of transport to become climate neutral by 2050.
The city's roadways are fairly safe and well- maintained, leading to relatively few traffic fatalities compared with Rome. Milan's 2020 plan includes a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour to enhance safety. Citywide implementation has faced delays, but the plan still aims to have 100 school streets at 30 kilometers per hour in 2024.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility, Public Transit, and Technology Adoption scores
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
Challenges And Opportunities For Milan’s Transportation System
Despite good utilization of public transit, the density of stations in Milan is lower than in many other European cities and some residents have long walks to access the service. The city is trying to boost station density and in 2023 completed a metro extension that added 15 kilometers (9 miles) of track and 21 stations, with a capacity to serve 86 million passengers a year.
Milan lags behind its regional peers in its electric vehicle (EV) market share in sales and in the density of its charging network. However, the authorities are looking to change this. In 2024 the city revealed a plan to more than double the number of charging points to reach 7,000 by end of 2025.
In June 2024 the nationwide Ecobonus initiative was launched, which subsidizes the purchase of EVs. While this incentive has accelerated EV sales, the funds were quickly depleted.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
How Milan Can Improve Its Urban Mobility Performance
The Milanese cycle less than many of their European peers. To encourage more cycling, the city can improve and expand its cycling infrastructure. This can include building cycling highways to better connect different parts of the city and adding safety features such as concrete barriers between cycling lanes, motorized traffic, and pedestrians. Milan can also invest to develop BikeMi, its bikesharing service, by offering more e-bikes and building more stations.
While Milan is home to a strong public transit system, some residents have long walks to stations. To improve station density, the city can add more stops along bus routes and increase the number of operators and buses in its fleet — a cost-effective improvement that would benefit its residents. Adding even more metro stations, such as the recent opening of the fully automated M4 metro line to connect the southwest part of the city, is key to building out the public transit offering, but that effort will be a more time-intensive and expensive undertaking.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index relative ranking evolution (2020-2024)
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley