Transit Cooperative Research
Program
Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration
Research Results Digest
May 1997C Number 20
Subject Areas: IA Planning and Administration, Responsible Senior Program Officer:
Christopher W. Jenks
VI Public Transit, VII Rail
International Transit Studies Program
Report on the First Three Missions, Part 1
CONTENTS
International Transit Studies Program, 1
About the Program, 1
About the Report, 3
Enhancing the Attractiveness of Public
Transit: Mission 1, September 9B 25, 1994, 3
Introduction, 3
London, 3
Bus Deregulation and Privatization, 3
Smart Cards, 4
Electronic Information Displays at Bus Stops, 4
Docklands Light RailwayC Automated
Guideway Transit (AGT) Systems, 4
Manchester, 4
Amsterdam, 4
Paris, 4
Proximity Smart Cards, 5
MeteorC Automated Rapid Transit, 5
Lille, 5
Stuttgart, 5
STORMC An Advanced Traffic Management
System, 5
Electronic Parking Management Systems, 6
Karlsruhe, 6
Innovative Roles for Transit in Creating Livable
Communities: Mission 2, May 18B June 4, 1995,
6
Introduction, 6
Vienna, 7
Background, 7
What Makes Vienna Livable?, 7
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?, 8
Salzburg, 8
Background, 8
What Makes Salzburg Livable?, 9
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?, 9
Munich, 9
Background, 9
What Makes Munich Livable?, 9
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?, 10
Zurich, 10
Background, 10
What Makes Zurich Livable?, 10
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?, 11
Freiburg, 11
Background, 11
What Makes Freiburg Livable?, 11
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?, 12
Strasbourg, 12
Background, 12
What Makes Strasbourg Livable?, 12
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?, 12
Lessons Learned, 13
High-Tech Solutions to Transit Problems: Mission 3,
November 1B 18, 1995, 13
Introduction, 13
Metropolitan Rail Systems and AGT, 13
Necessity of Rail Transit, 14
Fixed Guideway Transit as a Tool of Regional
Development, 14
System Interconnectivity, 14
"Third Sector" (Daisan) Public-Private Financing of
Transit Infrastructure, 14
Lessons for the United States, 14
Urban Bus Systems, 15
Electronic Passenger Information System in
Singapore, 15
Premier Bus Service in Singapore, 15
"Key Routes" in Nagoya, 15
Lessons for the United States, 15
Multimodal Fare Integration, 16
Lessons for the United States, 16
Automobile Control Policies, 17
Singapore’s Area Licensing Scheme, 17
Effects of the ALS on Traffic and Modal Split, 17
Lessons for the United States, 17
Advanced Traffic Management and Information
Systems, 18
Japan’s Advanced Traffic Information Service
(ATIS), 18
Tokyo’s Traffic Control Center, 18
Lessons for the United States, 19
APPENDIX A: Mission Participants and Their Titles and
Affiliations at the Time of the Mission, 20
Transit Cooperative Research
Program
Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration
Research Results Digest
May 1997C Number 20
Subject Areas: IA Planning and Administration, Responsible Senior Program Officer:
Christopher W. Jenks
VI Public Transit, VII Rail
International Transit Studies Program
Report on the First Three Missions
This TCRP digest summarizes the first three missions performed under
TCRP Project J-3, "International Transit
Studies Program." Included in this digest are information on the
cities visited, summaries of topics investigated, and discussions of policies and
practices that could be used in the United States. The project is administered by the Eno
Transportation Foundation, Inc. This digest was prepared by the Eno Transportation
Foundation, Inc., on the basis of reports filed by the mission participants.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSIT STUDIES PROGRAM
About the Program
The International Transit Studies Program (ITSP) is part of the Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The ITSP is managed by the Eno Transportation
Foundation under contract to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The TCRP was
authorized by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. In May 1992, a
memorandum of agreement outlining TCRP operations was signed by the NAS, acting through
its Transportation Research Board (TRB); the Transit Development Corporation, which is the
education and research arm of the American Public Transit Association (APTA); and the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The TCRP is funded annually by a grant from the FTA.
The ITSP is designed to assist in the professional development of
transit managers, public officials, planners, and others charged with public
transportation responsibilities in the United States. The program accomplishes this
objective by providing opportunities for participants to learn from foreign experience
while expanding their network of domestic and international contacts for addressing public
transportation problems and issues.
The program arranges study missions where teams of public
transportation professionals visit transit operations in other countries. The ITSP also
provides financial assistance to enable individuals engaged in U.S. public transportation
management, operations, planning, or research to participate in international conferences
and meetings held outside North America.
Each study mission has a central theme that encompasses issues of
concern in public transportation. Cities and transit systems to be visited are selected on
the basis of their ability to demonstrate new ideas or unique approaches to handling
public transportation challenges reflected in the study mission’s theme. Each study
team begins with a briefing before depart-ing on an intensive, 2-week mission. After this
stimulating professional interaction, study team members return home with ideas for
possible application in their own communities. Team members are encouraged to share their
inter-national experience and findings with peers in the public transportation community
through-out the United States. Study mission experience also helps to evaluate current and
proposed transit improvements and can serve to identify potential public transportation
research topics.
Study missions normally are conducted in the spring and fall of each
year. Study teams consist of up to 15 individuals, including a senior official designated
as the group’s spokesperson. Transit properties are contacted directly and requested
to nominate candidates for participation. Nominees are screened by a committee of transit
officials, and the TCRP Project J-3 Oversight Panel approves the selection.
Study mission participants are up-and-coming transit management
per-sonnel with substantial, sustained knowledge and experience in transit activities.
Participants must demon-strate potential for advancement to higher levels of public
transportation responsibilities. Other selection criteria include current
responsibilities, career objectives, and the probable profes-sional development value of
the mission for the participant and sponsoring employer. Travel expenses for participants
are paid through TCRP Project J-3 funding.
About the Report
The following is an overview of the first three study missions. This
report reflects the views of the contributing participants, who are responsible for the
facts and accuracy of the data presented. The contents do not necessarily reflect the
views of the TCRP, TRB, NAS, APTA, FTA, or the Eno Transportation Foundation.
Appendix A lists the names of study mission participants and their
titles and affiliations at the time of their respective missions.
Enhancing The Attractiveness Of Public Transit: Mission 1, September 9B 25, 1994
INTRODUCTION
Western European cities, histor-ically dependent on urban transit and
with a tradition of government support of public transportation, have long been at the
forefront of transportation innovation. To learn about the latest European advances in
urban trans-portation, a delegation of U.S. transit officials visited several European
countries, from September 10 through 24, 1994.
The study team visited the following cities: London, Manchester,
Amsterdam, Paris, Lille, Stuttgart, and Karlsruhe. These cities have a long tradition of
public transportation and were chosen for the exemplary plan-ning, management, and
operation of their transit systems. While a key purpose of the study mission was to
identify practices and service innova-tions that could be used in the United States,
participants were keenly aware of differences in the transportation environment that might
make it diffi-cult to use certain European practices and innovations in U.S. cities. For
example, most Europeans live in densely developed communities with easy access to public
transportation. Transit corridors were fixed long before widespread motorization, and the
use of transit is firmly established. In addition, gasoline prices, which are three to
four times those in the United States, discourage use of cars. Strong central governments
set national trans-portation policy with a focus on encouraging the use of public transit.
Although the automobile has stretched metropolitan boundaries, cities remain relatively
compact, which facilitates ubiquitous, efficient transit service.
Given these differences, it is not possible to emulate every aspect of
European transportation policies in the U.S. context. For example, providing transit
service to most metropolitan residents may be achievable in Europe, where most development
is still clustered within transit corridors, but would be extraordinarily difficult and
expensive in the spread out American suburbs. Creating dense transit networks modeled
after those of European cities would require a financial commitment that would be
difficult to obtain in America, given present funding constraints. Finally, excluding cars
may be sensible in the fragile medieval town centers of Europe, but would be difficult in
the large central business districts (CBDs) of American cities.
However, study mission partici-pants found many innovative practices
and technologies that are transferable. This report provides an overview of these
innovations and of the visits to the communities in which they have been applied.
LONDON
Bus Deregulation and Privatization
In 1986, the British government took steps to deregulate the bus
industry outside London. Private bus operators were permitted to offer commercial services
wherever they believed they could make them profitable. Today, more than 75 percent of
public bus services outside London are operated commercially. Unprofitable services, often
serving low-density routes and at low demand times (evenings and weekends) are provided
through contracts with private operations when such services are determined to be
"socially necessary." Local authorities have been encouraged to sell their bus
companies voluntarily; so far about two-thirds of the companies have passed into private
hands.
The deregulated public transport system has received both praise and
criticism. According to official reports, bus mileage outside London is up by 21 percent,
operating costs are down by one-third in real terms, and local subsidies have more than
halved. The one disappointment has been a downward trend in bus ridership, which has
declined by 35 percent over the past 10 years. While critics blame this phenomenon on
deregulation, other observers tend to attribute it to growing car ownership and a
dispersal of jobs and residences to the suburbs.
Although London was not in-cluded in the original bus deregulation of
the mid-1980s, competitive bidding of public bus service has since been made a requirement
in London. About one-half of London’s bus system has been put out to bid, and 23
private bus companies operate within Greater London. The remaining service is operated by
London Buses Ltd. (LBL), a subsidiary of the public London Regional Transport (LRT). The
LBL network is operated by ten separate bus companies, with a network of some 1,700 mi of
routes and a fleet of 5,000 buses.
Pursuant to a 1984 act of legislature, the ten bus companies that make
up LBL were to be sold into the private sector (privatized) by the end of 1995. Three of
the companies have been sold. Ultimately, the British govern-ment intends to deregulate
London’s bus services and allow unrestricted entry in the same way as has been done
outside London.
Smart Cards
In London, more than 200 buses, operated by five private companies over
19 routes in the Harrow district of northwest London, are equipped with proximity
smart-card readers. More than 15,000 passengers have obtained the credit card-sized pass.
The 18-month test involves two types of smart cards—a prepaid seasonal pass and a
proximity (contactless) debit fare card from which the cost of each trip is deducted and
which can be recharged after its stored value is used up.
Electronic Information Displays at Bus Stops
In London, automated vehicle location (AVL) technology has been put to
work communicating bus schedule information to the public. Microwave beacons that
"talk to" onboard transponders have been installed on signposts along a 10-mi
bus route. The position of each bus as it passes a beacon is flashed to a main control
center, which transmits the information to electronic dot matrix displays at the bus stops
to inform waiting passengers of the arrival time of the next bus as well as its
destination—thus eliminating one of the most common sources of rider dissatisfaction
with public transit. London authorities hope to have a quarter of London’s 17,000 bus
stops equipped with electronic information displays within 10 years.
Until recently, a big obstacle to implementing bus stop passenger
information systems has been the high cost of hardwiring bus stops with dedicated cable
links. This obstacle has been overcome in London with cellular wireless data transmission
(Radio Determination Satellite [RDS]) tech-nology.
Docklands Light Railway—Automated Guideway Transit
(AGT) Systems
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is England’s entry into the
field of automated guideway transit (AGT) systems. Opened in 1987 to provide access to the
Docklands’ Canary Wharf development, the 21.5-km system connects directly with the
London Underground and carries 45,000 passengers a day. The DLR recently has been extended
east to Beckton, to provide a ground link to the new London City Airport. A 4.5-km
extension is being planned as a joint venture with the private sector.
MANCHESTER
The group was briefed by officials of Greater Manchester Passenger
Transport Executive (GMPTE). The briefing covered the automatic fare collection system,
which uses smart cards, and the Metrolink system. The group toured the Metrolink system, a
light rail line that links northern and southern suburbs with the city center. The
infrastructure is owned by GMPTE, but the system is operated by a private company. The
line carries 100 million passengers annually.
AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam is unique in its heavy reliance on the bicycle. Of the
700,000 residents in Amsterdam, 65 percent own a bicycle. Of the total 2.5 million daily
trips, 27 percent are made on bicycle, 39 percent on public transit, and 34 percent by
automobile.
This modal split is, in part, the result of Amsterdam’s
willingness to regulate the use of private automobiles. The streets of Amsterdam and its
many canals were never designed to accom-modate motorized traffic. Yet for many years, the
city accommodated ever-increasing numbers of automobiles—with disastrous results for
the quality of the environment. Now, public opinion has swung in favor of traffic
restrictions. Today, Amsterdam is at the forefront of cities that are limiting automobile
traffic in their historic centers. Automobile restrictions have also been adopted in
residential neighborhoods. The Netherlands has pioneered the concept of the Woonerf—residential
areas in which through-traffic is discouraged and pedestrians have priority.
PARIS
The group was briefed by officials of the Regie Autonome des Transports
Parisiens (RATP). The RATP operates one of the largest metropolitan transit systems in the
world. The network consists of 215 km of rail lines with 438 stations. The rail system
operates more than 4,000 rail vehicles; 4,000 city and suburban buses operate over a route
network of 3,000 km. The annual operating budget of the RATP is approximately $4 billion,
and the system employs 38,000 people. The study mission toured the regional express metro
(RER) operations and the Meteor line now under construction. The group was briefed by
officials of the Societe des Transports Parisiens (STP), which is the transport authority
of the Paris metropolitan region. The STP coordinates four public and private operating
authorities (i.e., RATP, SNCF, APTR, and ADATRIF) with a combined total of 6,500 buses and
1,700 km of routes. It is a policy-making body with authority to determine public transit
routes and levels of service, select private operators, set fares, and determine levels of
operating subsidies.
Proximity Smart Cards
The use of proximity smart cards as a transit fare medium is expanding
rapidly overseas. Smart cards speed up bus boardings, eliminate the need for cash
transactions and cash collections, reduce fraud, have safeguards against theft (when
reported lost or stolen, the card can be electronically "blacklisted" to prevent
further use), can support a more complex regional fare structure, and enable
transportation operators to have more accurate ridership data.
The RATP—the Paris regional transit system that carries 9 million
passengers a day—has developed and is testing a smart card that will one day replace
the current magnetic-strip card, which has been in use since 1960. The RATP smart card
will combine the stored-value debit card features of the widely used French telephone card
with the "contactless" reading capability of a supermarket check-out counter.
People will be able to use the card for other payment purposes, such as utility bills. One
version of the card now being tested includes a digital display of the remaining stored
value. The decision to convert to smart cards has been driven by the increasingly complex
regional fare structure, which has swamped the limited capacity of the magnetic-strip
system, and by the desire to make the card forgery-proof.
Meteor—Automated Rapid Transit
Meteor, now under construction, will be Paris’ first automated
driverless rapid transit line. The line, scheduled to be completed in 1997, will reduce
congestion on the main east-west line of Paris’ express rail network, which now
carries 62,000 passengers an hour during the peak period. The 20-km Meteor line will have
20 stations and a capacity of 40,000 passengers an hour, with headways of 85 sec during
rush hours. It will provide interconnections with eight subway lines and four RER commuter
lines.
The totally automatic line will be vibrationless because of rubber
tires and pneumatic suspension bogies. Curved aluminum alloy cars will have three
extra-wide sliding doors. Initially, each train will consist of six cars carrying some 700
passengers at an average speed of 40 kmh. Platform access will be by way of a mezzanine
that straddles the tracks. The platforms will be equipped with safety glass doors, similar
to those used in the Villeneuve d’Asq Line (VAL) system in Lille and the Westinghouse
airport people movers. These safety doors will open automatically when the train doors
open.
The funding for this massive project is shared by the national
government, the Paris region, local government, and the RATP.
LILLE
The group was briefed by officials of Transpole and Matra (the builders
of the VAL system) and then toured the system. The city of Lille holds the distinction of
having pioneered citywide AGT systems. The driverless VAL system has been in operation
more than 10 years and carries more than 50 million passengers a year over a 25-km
35-station network. Over the past 10 years, ridership and labor productivity have doubled.
The entire system is operated by a staff of 200 employees. By the year 2000, the VAL
system is expected to almost double in length, to 45 km. Other VAL-type systems operate at
Orly airport in Paris and in the French city of Toulouse. In the United States, VAL
systems have been installed at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois, and in
Jacksonville, Florida.
STUTTGART
The group was briefed by officials of Studeingesellschaft Verkehr
(SNV), a German transportation research organ-ization on major national research and
development programs. The group was also briefed by officials of Neoplan on the latest
innovations in bus technology and toured the Neoplan facilities. Following was a briefing
by officials of SSB, the Stuttgart transit authority, and a tour of a suburban streetcar
line that was first established in 1887 and has been recently upgraded to light rail
standards. The line is 12 km long and has 28 stations. It is part of SSB’s effort to
upgrade all traditional streetcar lines to increase comfort, performance, and ridership.
All of the converted lines have gained ridership. The group rode on the Lufthansa airport
train. Lufthansa has arranged with the German railways to provide short-haul feeder
services to the Frankfurt Airport, its main European gateway. Only airline passengers with
confirmed Lufthansa reservations have access to these trains, which are treated as a
flight segment.
STORM—An Advanced Traffic Management System
STORM, which stands for Stuttgart Transport Operations by Regional
Management, is Europe’s most advanced regional integrated electronic traffic
management system. Elements of the STORM system include (1) a traveler information system
that uses variable message signs and kiosks in transportation terminals and public places,
(2) an in-vehicle route guidance system, (3) a real-time parking information and guidance
system, (4) an incident management system; (5) transit fleet management using an AVL
system; and (6) dynamic traffic signal control.
Variable message signs provide up-to-date information on traffic
condi-tions ahead, parking availability in the city center and in peripheral park-and-ride
lots, and departure times of trains and transit. Electronic timetable information is
provided through interactive kiosks.
STORM is a public-private consortium that includes the Ministry of
Transport for Baden-Wurttemberg, the city of Stuttgart, Daimler-Benz, Siemens, Bosch, and
Hewlett-Packard.
Electronic Parking Management Systems
The use of electronic parking management and guidance systems is
increasing rapidly in the cities of western Europe, where severe con-gestion and shortage
of space in city centers are strong economic incentives for technological innovation.
In Stuttgart, an advanced elec-tronic parking management system guides
motorists entering the CBD to the nearest parking garage with unoccupied spaces. Variable
message signs installed at key intersections on approaches to the CBD and at exit ramps
from the autobahns indicate which garages have vacant spaces and how many unoccupied
spaces remain in each facility. The message signs are linked to a central computer that
monitors all public underground and surface parking facilities throughout the city and
updates the electronic displays constantly. When all facilities are fully occupied,
message signs direct motorists to commuter rail park-and-ride lots and indicate the
headways of commuter trains in the direction of the city center. Stuttgart’s parking
management system is part of the larger "intelligent" STORM system, which aims
to im-prove traffic flow and reduce traffic congestion throughout the Stuttgart
metropolitan area.
Similar areawide parking manage-ment systems have been installed in
Cologne, Berlin, Geneva, and Grenoble. At Munich’s new interna-tional airport, an
automated parking information system monitors more than 9,000 parking spaces and guides
drivers by the quickest route to the nearest unoccupied parking space. Illuminated digital
displays show drivers the most direct route to the vacant spaces.
Parking information and guidance systems are an effective demand
management tool. They disperse parking demand, relieve downtown congestion, and assist
visitors who are unfamiliar with the city. They may soon find application in the United
States as part of intelligent advanced traffic management systems (ATMS).
KARLSRUHE
To extend the outreach of their light rail services, municipal transit
systems in several German cities have entered into track sharing agreements with the
German National Railways (DBAG). The agreements permit municipal transit systems to
inter-connect their track with the DBAG’s intercity track and provide seamless,
transferless service to and from the outer suburbs.
The first such arrangement was concluded in the city of Karlsruhe (pop.
840,000). The track sharing agreement allowed the municipal light rail system to extend
its service some 18 mi into the surrounding region, using existing DBAG track. Specially
designed rail car units are equipped with on-board transformers and rectifiers that
convert DBAG’s 15 kv AC current to the 750 volt DC current used by the urban light
rail system.
The new track sharing service between the suburb of Bretten and
downtown Karlsruhe has eliminated an interline transfer and reduced com-muter trips from
about 1 hr to 37 min. According to a recent survey, 34 percent of passengers on the new
commuter rail line are former automobile commuters. Track sharing agreements are seen as a
win-win situation. They provide a source of income for the now privatized German railways,
while allowing the municipal light rail systems to expand their outreach at a fraction of
the cost that they would have incurred in laying new track.
Track sharing could significantly enhance the service potential of
light rail systems in U.S. cities. Track sharing arrangements with commuter rail and other
passenger rail operations may offer a cost-effective way of extending the service outreach
of light rail systems at a fraction of the cost that would be involved in building
extensions—provided that operational and insti-tutional barriers associated with
track sharing can be overcome.
Innovative Roles For Transit In Creating Livable Communities: Mission 2,
May 18 - June 4, 1995
INTRODUCTION
On May 18, 1995, 15 transit professionals from around the United States
embarked on a 2-week study mission of Europe as part of the ITSP. The mission focused on
innovative roles for transit in creating livable communities. The participants were to
identify concepts and procedures that have been successfully implemented in six European
communities, particularly those applicable to public transpor-tation in the United States.
The lessons learned were derived by observing the workings of the communities rather than
through study of facts and figures alone.
The study mission participants represented agencies of various sizes.
The team was welcomed and briefed in each city by a group of transit agency and city
representatives. These repre-sentatives provided an overview of the political, economic,
and transportation situation, including some historical perspectives. The team was divided
into groups of two; each pair was assigned a city upon which to concentrate. The role of
each pair was to document the experiences in its respective city and identify the most
important lessons learned.
The cities visited by the team ranged in size from 180,000 to 1,500,000
inhabitants. The cities were all superb examples of livable communities, and each faced
unique transportation problems. All have realized the importance of regional planning and
coordination and have well-structured ways of dealing with these challenges. Moreover, all
the communities appear to operate a well-planned and -funded transportation system where
intermodalism is far more advanced than in the United States. Mixing of all modes of
trans-port—pedestrian, bicycling, transit, and automobile—was well designed and
implemented. Common to these cities were large areas for pedestrian use only, where
commercial, residential, and public spaces were blended to create a pleasant environment.
The feeling created by these areas was that of pride, belonging, and overall community.
VIENNA
Background
Vienna (pop. 1.5 mil), the capital of Austria, has a modal split of 37
percent public transit, 37 percent private vehicles, and 26 percent non-motorized traffic.
Its goal is to have reduced private vehicle traffic to 25 percent and cut CO2
emissions in half by the year 2010. The focus of its transport efforts is to reduce
traffic congestion by encouraging alternatives to use of cars whenever possible.
The city has one of the largest and most elegant pedestrian shopping
streets in Europe, the Kaerntnerstrasse, which runs from the Opera to St. Stephen’s
Cathedral. It has banned through-traffic in the inner city and doubled the bicycle path
network over the past 15 years to more than 300 mi. During this time, the number of
traffic accidents has been reduced by 25 percent and the number of fatalities by 55
percent. A system of residential parking permits and short-term parking rules limit access
to the inner city.
Incentives to reduce private car use in-city include 50 percent
reductions in weekend car rental fees for owners of annual transit passes and a goal of
42,000 peripheral park-and-ride spaces. Public transit (including the U-Bahn [metro],
Schnellbahn [com-muter rail], Strassenbahn [light rail], and a bus network) is being
continually modernized and expanded. Shared track for railroad and transit use, as in
Germany, is under consideration. Expansion of intersection priority for public transit in
the central districts is a policy objective. The same is true of the establishment of the
Tempo 30 kmh (18 mph) speed limitation for private vehicles in the city’s residential
neighborhoods. Fifty-seven percent of the intersections in the city are equipped with
signal preemption. To provide additional convenience to nighttime users of transit, bus
drivers can call ahead on their radio phones at night to arrange for passengers returning
to their homes to be met by a taxi at designated suburban bus stops.
One of Vienna’s technical innovations in the public transit arena
is the introduction of the world’s lowest low-floor light rail vehicle, roughly 6 in.
off the pavement. A fleet of 150 of the Vienna-built units, designed by Porsche and Elin,
will be phased in up to the turn of the century. The first two are in service. Their
hydraulic suspension, which allows the floor height to be lowered to 3.6 in. (or raised to
7.6 in. in case snow blocks the entrance) is a revolutionary feature.
The city of Vienna and its surrounding region (pop. 2.5 mil) were the
first in Austria to form a regional transit association 10 years ago. VOR, the eastern
regional transport associa-tion, carried 741 million passengers in 1994, a gain of about
19 percent since its inception. Like the other regional associations that followed it, the
integration of fares is standard practice. Additional operating costs are absorbed equally
by the national and regional governments.
What Makes Vienna Livable?
The city and its suburbs are committed to improving the quality of life
in the whole region. They faced declining population, poor air quality, and serious
congestion in the late 1960s and 1970s. These conditions led planners to take a close look
at solutions. They developed a plan to build a subway system and provide mobility and
access to many popular destinations. Officials believe that this plan has contributed
greatly to the improvement in mobility and the quality of life for residents. The planners
also focused on air and water quality and noise pollution. Projects were planned and
implemented to preserve the natural resources of the country. (The city consistently
capi-talizes on its historic and architectural heritage through historic preservation.)
Although the planning for infra-structure was well thought out, it was clear that a
balance of economic activity was required to sustain a livable community. The goal has
been to keep a 50-50 balance between residential and commercial/industrial activity.
To achieve a livable community and maintain this balance, the Viennese
have used zoning regulations; long-range planning, including the develop-ment of an urban
development plan; the political process; and public participation. The expectation is
that, by 2010, there will be a doubling or tripling of the demand for public transport.
This is mostly due to the increasing geopolitical importance of Vienna since the fall of
the Eastern Bloc. Vienna’s position as a center of multinational activity will test
all aspects of the plan put in place in the Viennese region.
To ensure that the citizens of the region buy into the long-range
plans, as well as the major projects under consideration, a public participation process
is used. Once a master plan is developed, it is discussed with the community. This is
followed by site plans that are debated between the architects/planners and the community
affected. A learning process for both sides, this interaction is critical to building
grass roots support for the projects. (One project has an 85 percent participation level
by the local residents.)
The city of Vienna, the VOR, and the individual transit service
providers are also changing and improving the transportation system to ensure the quality
of service necessary to attract and keep riders. Some of these changes are attempts to
calm the traffic and alleviate the threat to pedestrians. Some officials characterized
existing traffic as "brutal." These changes include raising the sidewalks at
transit stops and reducing the floor height of buses and trams, installing islands to make
it safer for pedestrians and transit users to wait in the street, and reducing speeds and
installing traffic-calming measures in some neighborhoods. Significant efforts to improve
the speed of transit vehicles have been undertaken; they include signalization and
preemption for vehicles operating in city traffic. Automatic vehicle control systems,
where a driver is not needed, have been implemented for the subway system and other
transit modes that operate in their own rights of way. These efforts have been well
received by the public, and the public transit system is well kept and well used.
Information and transit maps can be found in all stations, bus stops, and major public
places. The public transport system is easy to use.
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?
To a large extent, the programs instituted in Vienna are transferable
to the United States. Although the municipality’s control over zoning and land use is
considerably stronger than in an American city, the regional transportation agency for
Vienna is not unlike those in Chicago and New York City. The agency, however, has more
authority regarding fare structures and fare collection. Another important element for the
success of public transit is the level of financial support provided by the local, state,
and—to some extent—federal government in Austria. It was apparent that a high
level of transit financing is well supported by the populace and reinforced by policies of
setting prices so as to discourage the use of cars and gasoline and to encourage cross
subsidization from other government-operated services, such as utilities. Again, the most
important factor for providing this level of support is grass roots affirmation from the
populace on a nationwide basis. This affirmation would require a significant level of
outreach and marketing, as well as a change in the vision for most urban communities. The
transit agencies, however, have within their control the provision of better information
and quality service. Vienna’s public transport agency is focused on who their market
is and what is demanded from their services. Such actions require relatively few resources
but a high level of commitment by the transit professionals to provide quality service.
SALZBURG
Background
Noted for its baroque palaces, music festival, and successful historic
preservation, Salzburg (pop. 144,000) also shows a special concern for the urban
environment. It operates 74 electric trolley buses, one of western Europe’s largest
environmentally friendly electric fleets. It is extending its Tempo 30 (18 mph) speed
restrictions in residential neighborhoods. The city has also just completed negotiations
with surrounding jurisdictions for a regional transit association with full fare
integration.
Residents of Salzburg like to walk, ride bicycles, and take public
transit. Together, these three modes account for 63 percent of total travel, or a total of
68 million trips annually; private cars are used for 37 percent of total travel, or 41
million trips a year.
The city’s goal to increase the modal split for transit, bicycles,
and pedestrians to 65 percent by the year 2000 depends on implementation of six major
strategies, which will reduce noise, pollution, and accidents as follows:
- Use of bus-only lanes (8 km), which are promoted as a way to get to one’s
destination faster;
- Development of a bus acceleration program—this program includes a simple
staggering of stopping lines for cars and buses that allow a bus to cross over and be
positioned in first place for left turns;
- Use of bus pull-outs for new street construction and rebuilds—the city
plans to use signalization to stop car traffic behind buses at pull-outs;
- Focus on improvements for bus lines with heavy loads;
- Development of a parking man-agement program that limits parking spaces and
pricing of spaces—there are about 25,000 parking spaces for more than 110,000 jobs in
the city; and
- Implementing a Tempo 30 zone program.
Fifty-six Tempo 30 residential neighborhoods have already been
designated by the city authorities. Twenty-two more are to be operating by next year, with
plans to add several more each subsequent year. The cost of converting the conventional
through-traffic to Tempo 30 neighborhoods (which involves planting, street furniture, and
design features) is absorbed by the city budget.
Most of the inner city has been closed to through-traffic.
Salzburg’s principal shopping street is reserved for pedestrian use, except for
emergency vehicles and taxis, which are permitted to drop off tourists at hotels. During
the Christmas season, Salzburg encourages a "ride-and-walk" attitude among
shoppers by using a "package bus" parked in the main pedestrian square as a
parcel-checking facility.
The city aims at a 20 percent traffic participation by bicycles in this
decade. It has spent the equivalent of $7 million to expand its 120-km network of bicycle
paths over the past 10 years. It has also canceled the construction of a 3,000-space car
park that was to have been built under the Salzach River, which traverses the city and
gave it its name. Instead, the city has devoted funds to the completion of a missing
bicycle path link along the river in the historic city center. Since it was finished 5
years ago, the daily bicycle count along the riverside path has risen from 900 to more
than 5,000. One-way streets have also been opened to two-way bicycle traffic, and bicycle
paths have been equipped with traffic signals and destination signs.
Salzburg’s main railway station has been modernized and updated as
an intermodal terminal, and pedestrian zones have been expanded. The city’s nighttime
taxi connection, operated in close cooperation with the private Salzburg radio taxi
association, has expanded to 13 routes and was used by nearly 50,000 passengers last year.
What Makes Salzburg Livable?
The location of this picturesque city imposes geographic limitations on
its growth; therefore, the management of growth is imperative. The cooper-ation of the
traffic department, area businesses, and the region is visible in the way transit is
provided and in the sharing of transportation costs.
To achieve this growth manage-ment, there is an increasing level of
regional cooperation which became reality with the formation of a regional planning
agency. Formerly, the duties of managing growth and protecting greenfield areas were
shared by the planning and traffic departments in the city of Salzburg.
The city promotes public participation. Salzburg holds monthly forums
to discuss traffic issues. The members of the forum are technical-expert representatives
of various interested groups who debate an issue in order to achieve consensus.
The financial support for transit is fairly secure—it is
subsidized by other profit-generating departments of the city, especially the utilities.
This relationship ensures that the transit department’s operation is cost-effective.
Although Salzburg pays a fee to the highway department for the use of the roads, the city
has a fare recovery ratio of 64 percent.
The Salzburg transit department contributes to livability through its
operation of electric buses, which are quiet and emission-free. The depart-ment is also
concerned with providing a quality service to its customers and the city overall. Its
desire to maintain high quality explains its commitment to operate the electric fleet,
which is substantially more expensive than buses using diesel or other types of fuel. This
level of quality is justified by the average number of rides per capita—about 330 per
year.
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?
Many of the small innovations that Salzburg has implemented to improve
the flow and speed of buses can be implemented in the United States. Such innovations must
be well promoted. Salzburg illustrates how bicycles can help reduce noise, pollution, and
accidents. Despite severe winters, bicycles enjoy high use. Also, citizen participation
has been well defined and implemented as an efficient process.
MUNICH
Background
Munich (pop. 1.2 mil) boasts a 2-sq-mi pedestrian zone, one of the
largest and oldest in Europe. This zone has become a boon to business and a major tourist
attraction. The city administration has been a strong advocate of public transit and a
promoter of the regional transport association (MVV). Double-decker suburban railcars are
now used to cope with increasing ridership demand. The city has gone so far as to ban all
on-street parking in the downtown area, except for residents of the historic old town.
Curbside parking meters have been eliminated and, contrary to U.S.
practice, permission to build new offices in the CBD is given only on condition that no
parking be provided. Innovative public transit marketing initiatives include the
subsidized annual "job ticket" negotiated with public and private employers,
including the city of Munich. This fare medium is provided by the private sector, which
promotes the use of public transportation rather than private automobiles. In this
program, public transit becomes a benefit provided by the conscientious employer. Another
innovation, the "combi ticket," allows transit use by ticket holders to major
cultural or entertainment attractions without extra charge; the ticket itself serves as
the transit pass and is another way of promoting transit use.
What Makes Munich Livable?
The city is a center of commerce and industry. The wide streets are
segmented so that pedestrians and bicyclists move about without wor-rying about cars
traveling at high speeds. The level of access and mobility is well above expectations for
a city of Munich’s size. The combination of the S-Bahn, the U-Bahn and buses provides
frequent, dependable service. The city’s commitment of funds to integrate suburban
railways into the transit system through construction of tunnels and formation of transit
associations also enhances the city’s livability. This level of service and its
integration, along with the clear, well-positioned information kiosks, make it easy to use
the system.
Much of the city consists of green space used for sports and
enter-tainment. The shopping streets, as well as areas where cultural institutions are
housed, are surrounded by pedestrian-only areas. These provide a relaxing setting for
shopping, outdoor cafes, and so forth. Transit comes to the borders of these areas; in the
case of the subterranean rail lines, stations are in the middle of these high-activity
centers. Flowers, trees, and art enhance the environment and create a soothing effect in a
city full of hustle and bustle. The mode split for transit is more than 40 percent.
The transit system is accessible because of a commitment to using
low-floor vehicles. These make it easy to bring bicycles, strollers, and other mobility
devices aboard. The changes and programs that have been imple-mented in Munich, while not
on a grand scale, blend with the environ-ment and encourage interaction.
The Munich transit system is very aware of special markets, and they
segment these markets to improve ridership. Good examples are the promotion of first-class
seating for commuter rail and the use of different fare media to serve pensioners,
students, and art and theater patrons. The city has implemented programs to en-courage
people to come to the center of Munich.
What Could Be Applicable to the United States?
The commitment of the local, regional, and federal government to public
transportation is the driving force for the level of service of this city. The
competitiveness of the city and the region depends on the quality of life that
distinguishes this city from its competitors. As a result, the issue of transportation is
high on the local and regional governments’ agendas.
What can be implemented in the United States, however, is the level of
involvement of the private sector. In Munich, the job ticket is a major fare medium. This
is a win-win strategy for the transit agencies and the employer. The latter is
contributing to a cleaner, safer environment where competition is enhanced because
mobility and access are improved. The combi ticket offers a similar benefit. Also,
commuter rail could be developed in many U.S. cities.
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