Announcements

Module 2.1: Setting the Context

· Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

Yes, we consider cycling and walking measures in the same way we do with motorised modes, reason why we are currently working to entirely implement cycling mobility in the city.

Module 2.2: Paradigm Shift

Task 2.1

· How does your city define congestion?

Situation in which the number of motor vehicles fill up the city roads. It causes slower traffic speed, longer travel time, stress, road unsafety, and urban space congestion.

· What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

The city of León does not have an evaluation tool to assess traffic measures. We manage urban traffic with the program ‘Optimus 4.1’ in the Traffic Control Center.

· How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

We do not have a model or modelling experience.

Module 2.1: Setting the Context

· Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

The decision makers started to think more about walking and cycling measures, but measures for motorised modes are still on the first place. That is probably because cars occupies more space, there is great demand for parking place, measures for motorised modes are more visible and maybe more acceptable becuse the citizens have car oriented travel habits. But this way of thinking started to shift forward to more sustainable modes, since we started to develop first SUMP and organize some activities in order to raise awareness about sustainable urban mobility (eg.during European mobility week).

- What terms are used in your language (for road user)? Do they cover all the actors involved? Do you think this makes the difference?

In Serbian language the standard term for those participating in transport activity is "учесник у саобраћају (učesnik u saobraćaju)"- when translated means "traffic participant". Although the term covers all the actors involved, transport and urban planers think mainly on cars.

Module 2.2: Paradigm Shift

· How does your city define congestion?

Congestion is defined by the number of motor vehicles on street, travel speed and travel time. Congestion means slower traffic speed, longer travel time, stress, road unsafety, and urban space congestion.

· What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

The city of Kruševac does not have an evaluation tool to assess traffic measures. Several years ago,Insitute for roads created the Study of traffic effects of introduction pedestrian zone in City of Kruševac. In this study they used Highway Capacity Manual for calculations.

· How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

We do not have a model or modelling experience.

How does your city define congestion?

Congestion is defined as situation in which traffic demand exceeds supply for infrastructure and services (e.g. road network, bicycle network, public transport etc.) and causes delay, frustration, environmental and economic damage. 

What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

For evaluation of the performances of the measures we usually use Highway Capacity Manual.

How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorized traffic) when it comes to transport modeling?

The City of Skopje has transport (macroscopic) model developed in VISUM by private company. This transport model includes only private car traffic and public transport and cycling and walking are not integrated in the model. Sometimes they are integrated in the microscopic (VISSIM) modeling but not very well and not in details.

·  How does your city define congestion?

Congestion is when the traffic is blocked because of too many cars, a process that is time-consuming, stressful and polluating.

·  What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

We do not have any guidelines, but now the City is implementing a traffic management system, and we will have a better overall image of the impact of certain traffic measures.

·  How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

Walking and cycling are not integrated, mainly probably because they do not cause any `traffic problems`. Unfortunately, cycling and walking are not (yet) seen as a potential solution to the current congestions.

 Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

Historically, DC has not analyzed cycling and walking, but this is set to change as the District Department of Transportation announced just yesterday that that it will now take other modes in to account by switching to a multi-modal analysis of traffic congestion: http://wamu.org/story/17/02/06/d-c-transport-plan-aims-get-commuters-moving/

How does your city define congestion?

The District of Columbia defines congestion as measuring automobile system capacity and the volume of usage, often focusing on AM and PM rush hours when over 500,000 commuters from nearby Maryland and Virginia descend on the city.  This increase in road users on an already constrained system degrades system performance, increasing travel times and reducing personal comfort.  

What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe the District uses Travel Time Index and Level-of-Service to evaluate traffic improvement.

How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

Cycling and walking are not analyzed in our traffic modeling, but as mentioned above, the District Department of Transportation will now start using a multi-modal analysis looking not only at automobile congestion but also buses, walking, and cycling.

1. How does your city define congestion?

Congestion is a hindrance to economic development and growth activity, resulting in problems for movement for all modes of transport, impinging on public transport reliability and the ability to withstand unforeseen accidents.

    2.What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

Dublin City Council uses the SCATS (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System) which provides selected vehicle priority at SCATS traffic signal intersections across the Dublin bus fleet, which is equipped with Automatic Vehicle Location equipment. This data is inputted into the Dublin Public Transport Interface Module (DPTIM). DPTIM is able to use traffic signal control system to affect bus movements into and out of the city

3.   How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

Module 2.1: Setting the Context

· Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

Not really, performance is often evaluated regarding congestions, time travel (for cars or PT), but rarely or never on walking / cycling impacts. We have a hard time quantifying cycling/walking performance, in opposition with cars/PT performance, which uses easy and straightofroward indicators (time travel, congestion lengths, etc.)

- What terms are used in your language (for road user)? Do they cover all the actors involved? Do you think this makes the difference?

In French we often use the world "usagers de la route", "road users", which includes more cars than walking and cycling.

Module 2.2: Paradigm Shift

· How does your city define congestion?

Congestion is essentially defined by low travel speed and high vehicle density. It induces high travel times and high environmental impacts (pollution, noise).

· What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

In France we do not use LOS, but evaluate performance base on travel times, congestion lengths, density, average speed, occupancy rates... It's based on recommendations of the CEREMA, a public entity.

· How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

Lyon has a new multimodal macroscopic model (VISUM), so it integrates walking (not sure about cycling) in macroscopic simulation. For microscopic simulations, cyclists and pedestrians are often included only when they have an impact on cars or PT, not to evaluate the performance of those 2 modes. Only a few simulations are based on pedestrians or cyclists, and often excludes other modes.

Module 2.1. Setting the Context:

 

· Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

Apart from the Modal Split (which is evaluated every 4^th or 5^th year) and the observation of bike counter data, there is no systematical analysis or evaluation approach for cycling and walking measures.

I have to commit that I am not in contact with the person responsible for motorized traffic and hence I can just assume that also here there is a focus on evidence-based need for action.

When talking of traffic light programming, there is a city wide traffic light and user feedback management software in place, allowing to maintain but also optimise traffic light durations.   

 

- What terms are used in your language (for road user)? Do they cover all the actors involved? Do you think this makes the difference?

In Austria it is same like in Germany -> „Verkehrsteilnehmer“. I think changing the word alone will not or only marginally change the traffic planning approaches of the City.

 

Module 2.2.: Paradigm Shift

 

-          How does your city define congestion?

Congestions is a term only used for motorized traffic, so I would call it a conservative definition of the term “congestion”

 

· What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

None (!) for Cycling/Walking

For individual motorized traffic I assume that the official “RVS”-guidelines will be used, but I don’ t know for the City of Graz  how far  (a standardized=) evaluation is in the focus. The RVS- guidelines are elaborated by Austrian Traffic Experts. The guideline sum up the Austrian status Quo for traffic planning .   

 

· How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

So far, walking and cycling are not part of a transport modelling. Building infrastructure for cycling often is like:

Step 1: find the shortest route between two Point of Interest

Step 2: try to realize a route in reality which as close as possible to this shortest route (main obstacle: low availability of space)

Normally the city is also searching for construction synergies, e.g.  if a flood water protection is under construction and if it offers the possibility to optimsie the bicycle network , a bicycle path will be implemented.

• How does your city define congestion?
  

Congestion is defined in Lisbon mainly as the delay that the private vehicles endure.

• What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?
  

HCM is the standard used in Lisbon and in Portugal in general.

• How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?
  

Market forerunners like TIS incorporated the walking and cycling infrastructures in transport modelling, but the evaluation metrics required by the authorities only regard the automobile.

Module 2.1: Setting the Context

· Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

Walking and cycling are definitely not on equal foot with motorized transport modes. Walking and cycling measures are mainly infrastructure improvements (such as new lanes and tracks, pedestrian passages etc.) and some promotional campaign. 

Module 2.2: Paradigm Shift

· How does your city define congestion?

Congestion is defined as situation in which travel time is increasing compared to expected values caused by transport demand which exceeds supply. This unreliability causes stress, costs and decrease road safety. Environmental effects (pollution and noise) are rarely analysed.

· What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

The City of Belgrade has Transport model, macroscopic model in PTV Visum, updated regularly by Faculty of traffic and transport engineering. This model Highway Capacity Manual for some calculations combined with some KPIs we have developed on our own.

· How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

The City of Belgrade has Transport model, macroscopic model in Visum, updated regularly by Faculty of traffic and transport engineering. However, this model only includes walking as part of public transport trips and cycling modelling is not implemented yet.

 

How does your city define congestion?

recurrent steady accumulation of vehicles before crossing. Congestion minimal down time is least 15 minutes.

What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?
manage urban traffic with the program ‘SITRAFfIC’ in the Traffic Control Center.

How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

We do not have a model or modelling experience.

Module 2.1: Setting the Context

Do you analyse cycling and walking measures in your city in the same way you analyse measures for motorised modes? Why (not)?

León have a SUMP (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan) since 2011, but is not deployed in all the paragraphs (Specially in the cycling and public transport issues). Part of the the problem is that this SUMP was based in the development of a tranway in the city.

Module 2.2: Paradigm Shift

How does your city define congestion?

I don't know, but in Spain is very common to use de IMD/H (Medium Intensity of Vehicules per Day or Hour), with the slower traffic speed as a paradigm.

What guidelines (e.g. Highway Capacity Manual) does your city use when it evaluates traffic improvement measures?

León have a traffic control center managed by the local police.

How does your city integrate walking and cycling (as compared to motorised traffic) when it comes to transport modelling?

I don't know.