Transport :: Blog

Documentary by PBS e2 series. Narrated by Brad Pitt.
During his tenure as mayor of Bogota, Colombia, Enrique Penalosa was both revered and scorned for his urban planning and transportation policies. His public works projects, which largely favored the pedestrian experience, were unlike anything previously built in Bogota. Penalosa describes the environmental and social importance of minimizing automobile culture.

The traffic and transport authorities united voluntary forum for providing integrated TTI services. Forum subscriptions are used to fund joint initiatives, which are implemented in stages by securing small achievable improvements in the context of longer term plans for common systems and flexible architectures.

The TRAFIKINFO forum members are the main public authorities and organisations concerned with traffic and travel in the city of Copenhagen. From an informal start in 1986, the group has continuously formalised its commitments and in 2001 agreed a common vision, and created an action plan for 2001 -2006. The largest of the projects is the TRAFIKINFO project, named after the forum, which involves demonstrating the effects of a range of ITS systems and services on the east-west corridor which connects the city centre, the suburbs, and the Trans-European road network route to Sweden.

The TRAFIKINFO forum aims to encourage more informed travel decisions and better use of infrastructure through integrated TTI services. The objectives are to improve the joint use and co- ordination of traffic information and services, and to be the forum for discussing and implementing joint activities and projects. The group has agreed a long-term vision.

The TRAFIKINFO project plan for 2002 -2006 involves developing small effective improvements and larger joint projects, all on one corridor.

The forum's activities cover a range of information services and the facilities and architectures to support them. The Internet site www.trafikinfo.dk provides dynamic traffic information and journey planning. The quality of traffic and travel information services and broadcasting have been improved through standardisation and co-ordination. Information on events and roadworks is co-ordinated on the web site. Users can obtain maps and a free subscription e-mail service tailored to individual routes. Traffic management services are also developing.

Transport decision makers set up the forum, seeking the benefits of collaboration. The forum is funded from members' subscriptions.

Private service providers will pay for any information they use. The forum is more successful now than it was initially, when the focus tended to be on individual interest at the expense of collaboration.

Individual forum members retain ownership of data and infrastructure. Services are free to the public. The role of the private sector is still limited, but Public-Private Partnerships are being investigated for infrastructure finance or added-value services.

TRAFIKINFO has stimulated service quality improvements and the development of new services based on a flexible data platform. The scope and scale of the work of the forum have increased dramatically since it was formed.

The motivation and commitment of individual decision-makers in the various transport authorities in the city have been key to setting up the forum and achieving improvements. Success has been attained by working in small stages which were easy for organisations to work with. Voluntary collaboration, securing support at all levels in the member organisations, and a common vision have all been key success factors.

(source)

The Corporation of the City of North Vancouver Department of Engineering, Parks and Environment (BC)

Background:

North Vancouver's natural beauty is treasured by its citizens and, in an effort to preserve the region's unique natural environment, the City is endeavouring to increase the appeal of alternatives to the motor vehicle.

There are many reasons why people choose not to cycle as a regular mode of transportation, and a main task in transforming motorists into cyclists is to increase road safety for cyclists.  Before the implementation of the Low Level Road Bikeway, Low Level Road, between the Ironworks Memorial Bridge and Lions Gate Bridge, proved to be a major deterrent for cyclists wanting to commute along the City's waterfront.  Low Level Road, which links Cotton Road and East Esplanade, was not conducive to safe cycling for the following reasons:

• It is sandwiched between a steep slope and railway tracks;
• It has posted speed limits of 60 km/h;
• It is the only east-west truck route available other than the Trans-Canada Highway (where cycling is prohibited);
• It has narrow shoulders, approximately 0.2 m in width.

All of these characteristics deterred people from cycling along this route.

The Lower Level Road Bikeway consists of roads lining North Vancouver's waterfront.  It is the most desirable east-west bicycle route on the North Shore, linking the Ironworks Memorial Bridge and Lions Gate Bridge.

Setting Objectives:

The Low Level Road Bikeway Project succeeded in creating a viable east-west bike route for cyclists along the roads lining North Vancouver's waterfront while also incorporating aspects of active living and encouraging environmental stewardship in a highly visible and significant way.

Delivering the Program:

The City of North Vancouver along with the British Columbia Transportation Financing Authority (BCTFA) widened the shoulders of Low Level Road from 0.2 m to 1.2 m.  The shoulders were widened for the entire length (approximately 1.7 km) of Low Level Road with the exception of a short off-street bicycle path.

The road widening project entailed relocating fire hydrants, removing large boulders (up to 2 m in diametre), excavating a considerable quantity of the adjacent slope, paving the widened area and placing approximately 300 m of new roadside barriers along the route.

The Mayor of the City of North Vancouver officially opened the bikeway on October 28, 2000, and the City hosted an official opening ceremony with a bicycle tour of the route.  Speeches by the Mayor of North Vancouver, the Mayor of the District of North Vancouver, and the CEO of the British Columbia Transportation Financing Authority were given in recognition of the project's contribution to the community as well as its encouragement of active living and environmental stewardship among citizens and cyclists alike.

Financing the Program:

The City of North Vancouver initiated and implemented this project, undertaking the planning, design and construction.  The overall project cost (incurred between 1998-2000) was approximately $230,000 with 50% cost share funding contributed by the BCTFA.

The funding necessary for just one component of the overall project, the widening of the shoulders of Low Level Road, was shared between the City of North Vancouver and the BCTFA.

The North Vancouver Joint Bicycle Advisory Committee also helped publicize, organize and run the event.

Results:

This project has immensely improved the Low Level Road section of the Lower Level Bike Route for cyclists travelling east and west in North Vancouver.  The dangers associated with the route have significantly decreased, while cyclists' safety and confidence has correspondingly increased.  Since the completion of the project, a 13% increase in ridership has been observed, and approximately 150 cyclists currently use the route each day.

Publicity surrounding the creation and usage of the bikeway, as well as signage along the bikeway itself, will serve to continually encourage more people to cycle, and promote human-powered transportation within North Vancouver.

Contact:

The Corporation of the City of North Vancouver
Kevan Delaney' Design Technician, Transportation
kdelaney@cnv.org

(sourced through the WayBackMachine)