Abstract
Cross-border mobility is a growing phenomenon at the European level. On the one
hand, commuters that cross borders have tripled in the last 20 years; on the other hand,
flows of tourists passing through frontiers for leisure purposes have significantly increased,
especially in the Alpine regions. Despite the strong growth of this demand, cross-border
public transport supply still presents several barriers, which result in a mainly private oriented
modal choice, with consequent negative effects in terms of externalities. This contribution
analyses the technical and political barriers affecting cross-border public transport
supply (i.e. connectivity, info-mobility and tariffs, multimodality), and considers four
scales of intervention crucial to address this theme (namely, the European, Alpine, Euroregional
and regional ones). With this analysis, the limits in building a common strategy
(rather than just single policies) to address the challenge of cross-border transport are highlighted.
To tackle these limits at the Alpine level, the promotion of an integrated approach
that holds together both main transnational corridors and minor cross-border connections
is considered feasible through relevant international bodies, such as the EUSALP Action
Group 4. Indeed, this strategical initiative can contribute to set up an integrated network for
the Alpine space, in order to change the current paradigm of cross-border mobility.