Final Conference 15 September 2005 LiRa-2: From Vision to Action René Buck President Buck Consultants International Initiator of LiRa network Museum of.

Final Conference

15 September 2005

LiRa-2: From Vision to Action

René Buck

President Buck Consultants International

Initiator of LiRa network

Museum of Science and Industry

Manchester, UK

LiRa: the International Network of Light Rail Cities2

Agenda

1 Barriers to seamless journeys

2 From Vision to Action with LiRa-2

3 Main results: existing systems

4 Main results: future systems

5 Conclusions

6 Parallel sessions


1 Barriers to Seamless Journeys

Main project theme came out of LiRa-1:

Barriers to seamless journeys

A Physical barriersB Conceptual barriersC Commercial barriersD Institutional barriers


Barriers to Seamless Journeys (2)

A Physical barriers

• Concrete, visible, tangible in built environment– spatial, material aspects

• Hampering movement of travellers

• Interchange-related:– one transit system

– several transit systems

– pre- and end-transport: walking, driving, cycling…

• Well-designed interchange facility might be more important than expensive infrastructure



B Conceptual barriers

• More traveller-related

• Exchange of information / opinion– lack of accurate travel information: static / dynamic

– poor image of public transport

• Broad target group:– variety of travellers (heterogeneous)

– some need more information than others

• Travellers will always need information



C Commercial barriers• Commercial activities are crucial as ingredient

of quality rapid transit• However, commerce can seriously hamper

door-to-door transport– tickets for various companies ≠ seamless journeys– lack of integration if operators will not co-operate– human aspect: social inclusion

• Vary from country to country



D Institutional barriers• How is quality rapid transit

– planned– built– organised– regulated

• Political or administrative – arrangements– traditions– attitudes

• Resistance to change• Can be a severe barrier to seamless journeys



Approach:

To optimise Quality Rapid Transit by• attempting to see, develop and operate it as

one whole• work towards seamless journeys in various

ways• aiming to break the four barriers• with existing and new systems

… while not focusing on (Light Rail) technology



Central LiRa-2 project targets:

1 To create concrete methods, procedures and tools, supporting – improvement

– implementation

of Quality Rapid Transit throughout Europe

2 To be the driving force of active transnational transfer of knowledge through various channels


2 From Vision to Action with LiRa-2

How did the project deal with this?

Split between:• Core services

– transportation

• Fringe services– interchange– travel information– marketing– ticketing– …


LiRa-2 results• Existing systems: optimisation of fringe

services• Future systems: both fringe and core services

and their cohesion

Main results: now a quick overview.

More detail in the afternoon sessions!

From Vision to Action with LiRa-2 (2)


A Travel information standardisation scheme (Gelderland, NL)

B Removing barriers to Seamless Journeys(East Lancashire and Greater Manchester, UK)

C Bridging a physical distance with the right travel information system (Wolverhampton / Centro, UK)

D Seamless Journeys in the Euroregion(Limburg, NL / B / D)

3 Main results: existing systems


Province of Gelderland:

A Travel information standardisation scheme

• Background: static (‘traditional’) information weak point of public transport

• Target: create a coherent and reliable traveller information system, co-ordinated by provincial authority– all modalities in one uniform set-up

– operators provide the information

– strong ‘corporate identity’

Main results: existing systems (2)


Approach• Analysis of existing information pointed out:

considerable improvement needed• Essential elements listed

– modality, line number, destination, departure times– high-profile bus shelter– route and area map incl local information– information / logo of operating company

• Note: significant shift in responsibilities– operator to transport authority– excellent co-operation essential

• Initial designs tested and evaluated– user panel, union of travellers…



Bus shelter panels


• Province won the UITP travel information award!

• Roll-out started in 2004– greater part of the province– 400 bus stops with panels– 1100 pillars



East Lancashire and Greater Manchester:

B Removing barriers to Seamless Journeys


Target: enhance public

transport travelling

between an urbanised

city region and a rural

region


• Approach– Identification of barriers to public transport use– Identification of measures to remove / reduce

barriers– Development / implementation of a selected

number of measures

• Main barriers relate to– time– cost– personal safety


– comfort– accessibility– lack of familiarity


Key measures to remove or reduce

these barriers:

• creation of a core network

• improved ticketing

• safety and security

• improved awareness

• improved service experience

Also here: static travel information key action!





Wolverhampton City Council / Centro:

C Bridging a physical distance with the right travel information system

• Wolverhampton Interchange: complex geographical situation– Heavy Rail

– Light Rail (Midland Metro)

– Bus Station

• ‘Hardware’ to be realised anyway

Target:

• Create ‘software’: to bridge the physical gap





Approach (parallel to physical design)• Information / marketing requirements of

Interchange users– Desk research / benchmark

• System development:– Generic Idea toolkit– Design workshops

• Effectiveness testing– 3D movies / virtual walkthrough model – (to be shown at workshop!)



Output: • Concept design of information system:

foundation stone for detailed design – state-of-the-art– future ready– adaptable & expandable

• Innovative Virtual Reality walkthrough simulation– Concrete dissemination tool

• Smart Integration in physical lay-out of Interchange:– LiRa 2 has enabled conceptual domain issues to be

considered at the same time as those in the physical domain



Province of Limburg:

D Seamless Journeys in the Euroregion

• Background:– National borders do not exist

anymore for people and economy

– But Euroregional seamless journeys are far away

– Consequence: marginal role for public transport

• Focus: two cross-border (heavy) railway lines– Maastricht (NL) – Liège (B)

– Heerlen (NL) – Aachen (D)



Targets relating to improvement of two lines:

• identify factors that hamper improvement – physical, conceptual, institutional, commercial

• find ways to eliminate them

Overall results:

• Physical, conceptual and commercial barriers can be overcome (at a cost)

• Institutional barriers remain a Euroregional challenge



4 Main results: planned systems

A Planning & Design Expert Sessions(Stockport, UK and Delft, NL)

B Seamless Journeys ‘ex ante’ planning(Vlaams Brabant / Brussels Capital Region, B)

C Rapid Transit Options Assessment Tool(usable in Belgium, UK, the Netherlands, Germany)


A LiRa-2 Planning and design expert sessions

• Integrate Quality Rapid Transit with urban and regional planning

• Use it as a planning tool!

Two sessions carried out:

• Stockport, near Manchester

• Delft Zuid (Haaglanden)

Main results: planned systems (2)


Stockport• Background:

– public transport essential for community / economy– new quality rapid transit east-west alignment

planned

• Target:– shared vision as to integration in urban fabric

• LiRa-2 expert session has viewed, discussed and evaluated various solutions…– for planning of new public transport axis– relating to existing services including bus station– planning issues optimal embedding of axis within

town



Stockport: complex geography



Delft Zuid issue: combination of• Station / station area to be renewed / furbished• Regeneration of derelict industrial park• Upgrade of Heavy Rail services

– frequency, rolling stock

• Integration with residential & office developments

• Overall target:transit orienteddevelopment with high densities close to station

• Planned: October 10 and 11



B Seamless Journeys ‘ex ante’ planning

Brussels Capital Region and Province of Vlaams-Brabant


Target: • Overcoming barriers (long) in advance

– bring quality early into long-term quality rapid transport visions

– promote it to stakeholders– building barrier philosophy into feasibility audits


Choice two corridors: • Brussels – Boom and • Brussels – Leuven



Vlaams Brabant• Approach: ‘seamless journeys-proof’

feasibility audits on the two corridors• Outcomes:

– institutional barriers most difficult: – better integration with urban planning needed

Brussels Capital Region• Approach: evaluation between options

– let the lines terminate at multi-modal transfer points, offering seamless connections in many directions;

– extend the lines into the into the city, using existing or planned infrastructure.



Brussels Capital Region outcomes• Choice of interchange hubs for entering city:

– Merode, Simonis, Heysel

• Design principal ‘ideal interchange hub’– legibility of the spatial structure– concentration through combination of functions– design-aided

integration



C LiRa-2 Rapid Transit Options Assessment Tool

To be presented and demonstrated by

Alex Muller in a later presentation



5 Overall Conclusions

1 Fringe services are equally important as core services (Quality Rapid Transit itself)

2 Travel information is a crucial element – potential to unite various systems– can act as ‘bridging tool’ for physical barriers– quality low-tech, bottom-up solutions are just as

important as modern, dynamic services

3 Professional marketing is an important tool– especially to break conceptual, but also physical,

commercial, institutional barriers


5 Overall Conclusions

4 Include ‘breaking of the barriers’ from the beginning of the project– from the ‘first idea’ phase– do not underestimate institutional barriers, e.g.

national borders– it will ultimately pay itself off: quality needed for

seamless journeys

5 Transnational co-operation is an invaluable way to work on these matters

Final Conference 15 September 2005 LiRa-2: From Vision to Action René Buck President Buck Consultants International Initiator of LiRa network Museum of.

Documents

information slide

light rail technology

central lira

country slide

aphysical barriers concrete

results existing systems

nl bremoving barriers

uk dseamless journeys