Magyarul a pendolino.blog.hu-n.
The second MeetBikeconference was held last week in Dresden on the integration of green transport modes, i.e. public transport and cycling. Although I haven’t been able to attend, the following is my interpretation of the slides available online.
In the past decades, the share of utility cycling in Germany dramatically increased, e.g. doubled in Berlin and tripled on Leipzig. Surveying commuters, it turned out that 1) public transport and cycling is used for very similar journey types (5-10 km long everyday commuting and week-end leisure trips), 2) in general, around half of passengers are “multimodal”, i.e. they use several transport methods on a daily basis.
City authorities aim to publicize both cycling and transit, therefore it is beneficial to handle these alternatives to the private car in an integrated way, to benefit from network effects.
Transporting bikes on transit vehicles
According to a research by the Dresden University of Technology, two thirds of German transit operators have no objections against transporting bicycles. The biggest problem is the capacity issue, only relevant in some of the cities. This can be cured by limiting bikes in rush hours, tariff adjustments and, finally, by increasing capacity.
e.g. in Stuttgart in rush hour, bikes are not allowed on the light rail (Stadtbahn) and a ticket is required on the commuter trains (S-Bahn), but they are free on both in other times. (The bike racks on the Stuttgart rack railway are on the photo.)
The cyclists’ club explains, that on some lines frequently used by cyclists, the so called “multi-functional areas” are not sufficient for daily bike transport, because the folding seats generate conflicts, and the positioning of the bikes needs to be defined by the installment.
Bike+Ride parking at the stations
It is a relief to vehicle capacity when cyclists choose to leave their bikes at the stations. For everyday commuting, though, riders expect covered parking areas; and on the successful S-Bahn lines, such as in Berlin, the current tens of thousands of parking spaces still need expansion. (Bike parking at Amsterdam Centraal station is pictured.)
Accessibility
The operator of the Oberelbe region notes that the ramps, lifts and low-floor vehicles required for wheelchair access are also beneficial for cyclists, the elderly and passengers with prams or heavy luggage; so by and large for the majority.
Bike sharing
The bike sharing systems very popular these days (publicized especially by the biggest and most successful Vélib system of Paris) are a big help for capacity planning, too, since passengers arriving on public bicycles need neither parking nor vehicle bike storage. Obviously, rental points need to be installed at the stations, and tariff planning needs to be integrated with public transport.
For example, in Paris, the electronic (RFID) transit pass is also used to take out a Vélib, and the Swiss train pass offers discounted Rent-a-bike prices. Simply we give a discount for a frequent buyer of green transport.
Designing bike lanes at sidewalk tram stops
The city of Leipzig was presenting the issue of conflicts between cyclists and riders in tram stops. In recent years, they explain, tram stops are built right next to the sidewalks (sometimes by widening the pavement), because this means a safer design and shorter journey times compared to tram stops in the middle of the road. On these configurations, bikers shouldn’t be guided on the tracks, as crossing rails in a low angle is dangerous; so they are directed either between the tracks and the pavement or, if possible, behind the stop, and they use the road category “pedestrian street with bike access” to ensure priority for pedestrians.
Marketing
Finally every presenter highlighted the importance a unified, strong messages for using cycling and transit together. We are currently working on such a campaign called Bike to Work [by train].
Pictures: Akbar Simonse, Andrew Ciscel and me.
