Krakow hosts CIVITAS Forum 2009 on sustainable urban transport
Text and photos by Mirjam Logonder
According to the July 2007 issue of Eurobarometer, nine out of ten European citizens believe that the traffic situation in their area should be improved. If this is true, then the logical question to ask is: What's standing in the way of improving the situation? Many will argue that traffic problems are inevitable, given the premium placed on 'time management' in today's hectic world. Even in urban environments where metro systems, buses, trams and trolleys are viable options, others still will claim that private modes of motorised transport are more efficient time-wise. But is this necessarily true? What about costs related to parking, refuelling and repairs? And what about those many hours spent stuck in traffic? In any case, reliance on private motorised transport is more difficult to justify when high-quality, affordable, reliable, safe and easily accessible public transport is available. Ultimately, those citizens most hard-wired to resist taking public transport will at the very least need to be convinced of its time-saving potential.
In October 2009, Poland played host to the seventh annual CIVITAS Forum. Forum members came to the city of Krakow armed with these and other questions regarding the future of urban mobility. The forum provides participants with the opportunity for discussion and exchange between urban mobility experts and municipal and EU-level politicians. This year's event was attended by more than 400 individuals, including more than 20 politicians and various representatives from 36 countries and four continents.
Krakow leads by example
Krakow, for its part, is already well on the way towards achieving sustainable urban mobility, and CIVITAS Forum participants were shown how easy it is to explore the city by foot, bicycle or public transport (tram and bus network). There were also opportunities to observe two recent implementations: the Siemens Traffic Management Centre and the city's new 'fast tram'. Also on display was Krakow's Tele-Bus dispatch centre, which will better enable customised public transport services to citizens. Krakow is currently testing a responsive demand-driven transport service in parts of three municipal districts. One of the goals is to reduce operating costs by substituting inefficient conventional services in low-density areas with more efficient on-demand services.
A third implemented measure, made public on the second day of the CIVITAS Forum, was the Inner City Integrated Access Control Strategy, the objectives of which are to: enlarge access-controlled areas, achieve social consensus for integrated policy on utilisation of scarce public space, improve public transport and make the centre more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists.
Those participants who opted to explore Krakow by bicycle were introduced to the CIVITAS-supported 'Caravel' project, Poland's first municipal bike-rental service. Bike-rental services have been introduced in many European cities, and they have proven to be cheap, clean alternatives to urban congestion.
All of these measures, parts of a consistent transport policy over 15 years, have successfully encouraged more citizens to walk, cycle and/or use public transport on a regular basis. 'Modal split' calculations show that 60 percent of Krakow residents opt for public transportation on non-pedestrian trips; and the figure rises to 70 percent within the city centre. Many of the measures are being extended, despite the growing popularity of car ownership not only in Krakow, but across much of Central and Eastern Europe.
Mind over motor
The automobile's swelling regional appeal was discussed at one of the CIVITAS roundtable sessions. Some of the questions posed were: How can we optimise urban mobility in a transition economy? What are the best ways to encourage citizens to become less car-dependent, to use public transport, to walk and cycle more, or to explore new forms of mobility (car-sharing, carpooling, bike-sharing, etc.). And what about financial incentives - or disincentives?
This latter point brings us to parking policy in city centres. Parking solutions are the stuff of urban-planning nightmares, but the roundtable session revealed their importance for authorities in their bids to cope with traffic congestion, as well as the need to take actions such as closing city centres to motorised traffic or severely limiting parking access in these areas. Indeed, one of the main incentives to reduce car traffic in city centres is intensified competition for space.
'Park & Ride', also discussed during the forum, is a scheme that this author can recommend without a moment's hesitation, as I began using it just this past summer. It offers a certain peace of mind on top of the considerable financial incentives of not taking the car downtown. Car clamps, parking tickets and tow trucks are no longer things to worry about; nor do you face the prospect of spending a small fortune to retrieve your impounded car.
Then again, I must grudgingly concur with Sebastian Bamberg from the University of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld, Germany, who claimed at the forum: "Cars are central to our lives." His remarks stirred a discussion as to whether we can even imagine a world without cars - other than by invoking the past, of course. Werner Reh of Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) argued the need for fewer and cleaner cars in our cities, while Gerd Sammer from Vienna's Bodenkultur University urged that the quota of 'clean' cars must be raised to nothing less than 100 percent.
The subsequent forum panel discussion was focused on pedestrians and cycling in cities. Many of the participants were in agreement that cities need to start moving away from cars and towards bicycles. Reh added: "Cycling has to be the strategy to lead us ahead." Andrej Klemenc from REC Slovenia claimed that infrastructure development in line with cultural changes towards more sustainable options is necessary in order for a bicycle-oriented strategy to be successful. Jean Yates, outgoing Chair of the Political Advisory Committee, urged on the other hand, that the needs of pedestrians command even greater priority.
Richard Elelman, a city councillor from Figueres, Spain, provided an unusual, though apparently sincere, defence of car culture. He argued that crowded cities and homes in many Mediterranean countries make the automobile the easiest place for young dating couples to achieve romantic and sexual intimacy.
The case was also made at the forum for greater understanding between citizens on the go, regardless of mode of transport. Automobile, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure should be developed in ways that are not only more sustainable and safe, but promote cooperation and friendliness towards others. Integrative failures too often result in cars blaring horns at cyclists, cyclists nearly running down pedestrians, and pedestrians making hazardous road crossings.
Awards and agendas
Of the 68 cities represented at the CIVITAS Forum, three were singled out for top achievements in sustainable urban mobility. Presented with special awards for outstanding work were: Ghent, Belgium; Sutton, UK; and Nantes, France. Ghent, a CIVITAS demonstration city, was honoured for urban transport policy making. Amongst non-demonstration cities, the London borough of Sutton beat the field in urban transport policy making. Nantes was named "CIVITAS Ambassador of the Year", and received special recognition for achievements in urban transport policy making. The awards ceremony itself took place at a quite remarkable venue: the Krakow Salt Mine.
Only a few days prior to the Krakow forum, the European Commission went public with its newly adopted "Action Plan on Urban Mobility", which should provide added incentives for cities. EC Vice President Antonio Tajani said: "Never before has the Commission proposed a set of concrete actions to make urban travel easier, greener and better organised. The proposed measures will encourage and help cities to address the challenges they are facing."
According to Albert Bore, Committee of Regions' rapporteur on urban mobility and local councillor for Ladywood Ward, Birmingham, UK, tangible processes need to be generated in those cities not yet involved in CIVITAS and where sustainable urban transport policies urgently need to be applied. He describes the EC Action Plan on Urban Mobility as a "good start" in giving cities a focus on sustainable urban mobility, and has called for EC fund coordination along such lines.
