Final Conference

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LiRa-2 From Vision to ActionRené
BuckPresident Buck Consultants
InternationalInitiator of LiRa network

• Final Conference
• 15 September 2005

Museum of Science and Industry Manchester, UK
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Agenda

• Barriers to seamless journeys
• From Vision to Action with LiRa-2
• Main results existing systems
• Main results future systems
• Conclusions
• Parallel sessions

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1 Barriers to Seamless Journeys

• Main project theme came out of LiRa-1
• Barriers to seamless journeys
• A Physical barriers
• B Conceptual barriers
• C Commercial barriers
• D Institutional barriers

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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

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Barriers to Seamless Journeys (3)

• 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

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Barriers to Seamless Journeys (4)

• 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

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Barriers to Seamless Journeys (5)

• 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

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Barriers to Seamless Journeys (6)

• 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

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Barriers to Seamless Journeys (7)

• 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

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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

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From Vision to Action with LiRa-2 (2)

• 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!

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3 Main results existing systems

• 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)

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Main results existing systems (2)

• 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

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Main results existing systems (3)

• 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

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Bus shelter panels
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Main results existing systems (5)

• Province won the UITP travel information award!
• Roll-out started in 2004
• greater part of the province
• 400 bus stops with panels
• 1100 pillars

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Main results existing systems (6)

• 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
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Main results existing systems (7)

• 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

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Main results existing systems (8)
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!

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Main results existing systems (9)
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Main results existing systems (10)

• 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

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Main results existing systems (11)
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Main results existing systems (12)

• 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!)

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Main results existing systems (13)

• 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

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Main results existing systems (14)

• 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)

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Main results existing systems (15)

• 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

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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)

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Main results planned systems (2)

• 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)

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Main results planned systems (3)

• 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

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Main results planned systems (4)

• Stockport complex geography

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Main results planned systems (5)

• 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 targettransit orienteddevelopment
  with high densities close to station
• Planned October 10 and 11

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Main results planned systems (6)

• 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

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Main results planned systems (7)

• Choice two corridors
• Brussels Boom and
• Brussels Leuven

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Main results planned systems (8)

• 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.

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Main results planned systems (9)

• 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

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Main results planned systems (10)

• C LiRa-2 Rapid Transit Options Assessment Tool
• To be presented and demonstrated by
• Alex Muller in a later presentation

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5 Overall Conclusions

• Fringe services are equally important as core
  services (Quality Rapid Transit itself)
• 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
• Professional marketing is an important tool
• especially to break conceptual, but also
  physical, commercial, institutional barriers

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