Tram Bus ITS Spotlight PRM Smart Cities

THE EUROPEAN COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT MAGAZINE
Tram
Zaragoza sets own standards
Bus
Fuelling the ‘alternative’ debate
ITS
Information all platforms
Spotlight PRM
APSIS4All boosts TVM accessibility
Smart Cities
Green eMotion – electromobility
across Europe
www.mobility-magazine.com
The european collective transport magazine
Edito / ISSUE 23
Mixing modes
With sharper designs and greater attention being paid to aspects such as comfort, lighting, and boarding for
all, the bus continues its long journey towards greater acceptance among the travelling public, who, despite
such improvements, still prefer the tram or metro if given the choice. The latter two modes hold the trump
card of operating on ‘fixed and dedicated platforms’, thus enabling them to bypass road congestion, and
so give passengers the service frequency and reliability they really want. While a bus stop can be moved
or removed, metro stations and tram shelters represent permanent fixtures in the urbanscape. And this
sense of permanence is what leads to the desired urban development and regeneration along and around
their routes. To enhance their networks, transport authorities are, however, also opting for the Bus Rapid
Transit, the ‘bus but better’, that hybrid mode straddling the bus and tram. The role of BRT in creating new
collective transport links to and from parts of the urban sprawl not only opens up mobility perspectives
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Plenty is said, and written, about traffic jams and their economic impact. To stem the tide, efforts are ongoing, at all levels and in both form and function, to improve the capacity and appeal of the staple modes
of collective travel. On the operating side, latest technologies are contributing to this objective by enabling
the automation of metro systems, predictive fleet maintenance, vehicle tracking, and passenger counting,
to mention but a few key benefits. Meanwhile, passenger-orientated solutions may take the form of realtime information across all media platforms, smart ticketing, journey planners, and TVMs accessible for all.
In parallel to these ongoing developments, those cities fortunate to have waterways running through their
hearts, may do well to take a closer look at the potential of rivers for taking goods, and people, off the
roads. Steps in this direction may appear insignificant today, yet they could well lead to strides tomorrow
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for many inhabitants previously isolated from their city, but plays its part too in reducing road congestion.
Original design: Frédéric Pérat
Printed in Bulgaria,
by Tezida Ltd
ISSUE 23
3
Smart Cities
PEDAL POWER IN SWEDEN
The EU-supported ELMOS project is working to promote electric mobility as an intermodal transport means in small cities in the South Baltic Area. From among the five
municipalities participating – Karlskrona, Malbork, Rostock, Trabki Wielkie, and Växjö –
the latter, in southern Sweden, has already proved itself a pioneer in the field of environmentally
friendly initiatives for fuel, construction, and transportation...
E
verything started with a story aired on
the BBC in 2007. British reporters marvelled at Växjö’s wood waste-fuelled
power plant, communally owned ethanol-run
cars, and wooden buildings, dubbing the city
of some 65,000 inhabitants the greenest place
in Europe. With such a reputation to live up
to, Växjö has been actively pursuing projects
to help it maintain its foothold on the cutting
edge of green ever since. “Yes, the municiMats Persson/City of Växjö
pality adopted this [media tag] as a motto,”
says Mats Persson, Växjö’s e-mobility coordinator. “But it’s more of a goal. We want to be
the greenest city in Europe; we have this goal
on our minds all the time.”
Commuter bicycle garage
To help keep its eyes on the prize, as it were,
Växjö joined ELMOS (see box, p.88) as a partner
Parking at the station before…
in 2011. One of its interventions as a project
participant has taken the form of a survey,
•91.6% of those who travel regularly by bike, to
•7% of those who don’t regularly go by bike to or
carried out in October 2012, to determine com-
or from the station area, were interested in a
from the station area would consider doing so if
muters’ interest in a proposed bicycle garage
bicycle garage
they had access to a pedelec and a secured bike
near the city’s rail and bus station. Although
•63.4% of those who do not regularly travel by
92% of the city’s inhabitants own a bicycle, the
bike, to or from the station, would consider do-
•62.7% of all respondents said that they were in-
municipality considered that further investing
ing so if there was access to a secured bicycle
terested in borrowing a pedelec free of charge
in bicycle use would be one way to go even
garage with space for ‘normal’ bikes and pedelecs
as a supplement to public transport.
garage with charging facilities
greener. Specifically, what is known as ‘lastkilometre’ bicycle use: using the bike to finish
a journey already begun on public transportation to one’s home or place of work. Heavy
commuter traffic transits Växjö’s rail and bus
station daily, the perfect target ‘population’
for transferring to last-kilometre biking. The
survey also sounded participants’ interest in
©City of Växjö
pedelecs (from pedal electric cycle, a bicycle
where the rider’s pedalling is assisted by a
small electric motor energy)*.
The results obtained reveal the following
opinions:
86
ISSUE 23 …and after: plans for the bicycle garage
THE EUROPEAN COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT MAGAZINE Mobility
©Mats Persson/City of Växjö
Sm a r t C it ie s
Ramzi Nammas, one of the first participants in the pedelec trial
Station becomes a (temporary)
reality
will at least be protected from the elements,
number to the card, which will contribute to
and riders can store their helmets and out-
knowing who is using the garage, and when.
When Mobility spoke with Mr Persson in May
door gear (raincoats, etc.) and refill flat/flabby
“I think people will be prepared to pay a small
this year, we were surprised to find out that
tires with an on-site air pump.
fee to have a secure place to store their bicycle,”
continues the e-mobility coordinator. Already,
was due to be built the following week! He de-
Access to the garage will cost SEK80 [€9.37] per
cycling to the station area is very popular, with
scribed a quick-build structure (construction
month, and for e-bike users, charging is includ-
anywhere from 300 to 500 bikes parked on a
should take no more than a week) of approx-
ed. While the garage will be unmonitored, Mr
given day. But, it is rather a mess. “The bikes are
imately 100 square metres, with glass walls
Persson argues that security will be assured
falling over, and we have problems with theft
and room to park 60 bikes. Twenty of the
because only users with a special travelcard
and vandalism,” admits Mr Persson. “Riders
spaces have charging points installed, while
will be able to access the facility. “In Sweden,
don’t use their good bike to go to the station.”
40 others spaces could be converted to elec-
people can share their travelcards with fam-
This garage is only temporary, though. There is
tric charge stations. Pedelecs can lock up to
ily,” he explains. “But if a commuter wants to
so much movement and construction around
a standard bike rack, while conventional two-
use the garage, he or she will need one that
the station area that it will have to be relocat-
wheelers can make use of double-deck racks.
is personalised.” In effect, the central infor-
ed – perhaps near the university – possibly in
While the garage will be unheated, bicycles
mation centre will attach a special identifying
several years’ time.
Mobility THE EUROPEAN COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT MAGAZINE
ISSUE 23
THE EUROPEAN COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT MAGAZINE
the hypothetical bicycle garage of the survey
87