Mobility management in regions with seasonal traffic peaks – The Delta project

1. Mobility management in regions with seasonal traffic peaks – The Delta project European Conference on Mobility Management Graz, Austria May 6, 2010 Centre for Research and Technology Hellas Hellenic Institute of Transport Dr. Yannis Tyrinopoulos Evangelos Mitsakis Annie Kortsari

2. Project info • Grant Agreement Number: 218486 • Type of project: Coordination Action • Start Date: 01/01/2009 • End Date: 31/12/2011 • Consortium: 13 partners from 8 countries • Total budget: 1.080.340€ • Coordinator: Centre For Research and Technology Hellas – Hellenic Institute of Transport (CERTH/HIT)

3. The DELTA Consortium

4. Background – The problem Variations in demand for transport services are observed mainly in touristic areas during high seasons caused by the variations in demand of the touristic industry. Indicative problems of the strong variations of transport demand experienced in these areas: transport infrastructure congestion increased travel times environmental pollution accidents, etc.

5. Types of regions suffering from seasonal transport demand • Typical examples of types of regions suffering from seasonal traffic peaks are: • Islands and seaside touristic areas visited during the summer months; • Touristic mountain regions; • Lakes and lake sides; • Historical or religious sites as destinations of cultural or religious visits.

6. The project DELTA • DELTA (Concerted Coordination Action for the promotion of efficient multimodal interfaces) is an FP7 coordination action that addresses regions that suffer from strong and seasonal variations of transport demand. • It brings together projects, research stakeholders, policy makers, experts, representatives of regions and local governmental agencies to define and promote sustainable solutions in regions with seasonal traffic peaks. • The aim is to give to local stakeholders and policy makers tools to effectively tackle the serious effects of seasonal transport demand.

7. DELTA participating regions

8. Key results of the project • State-of-practice review in transport demand management • Analysis of the existing situation in the target areas (Knowledge base) • Classification of regions with seasonal traffic peaks profile • Framework of Mobility Schemes • Handbook of Benchmarks • Decision Support Instrument (DSI) • Network of European Regions • Forums and Conferences

9. State-of-practice review • Previous and ongoing European R&D projects as well as some international initiatives were analyzed in order to derive information for regions and cities that have already applied innovative, intelligent and emerging mobility management methods to handle seasonal transport demand. • A long list of 79 projects and initiatives was reviewed for their relevance to DELTA. Then 16 of them with medium and high relevance to DELTA were further analyzed. Innovative approaches, mobility management measures, pilot applications and their results were examined.

10. Main results of the review • The issue of mobility management has been extensively addressed by many projects and initiatives and at different levels, however, none of these was found to directly address the problem of handling seasonal traffic peaks, thus proving that there is a gap in the existing knowledge. • A considerable number of different projects and initiatives was found with quite interesting mobility management methods and approaches, which aim to solve traffic problems in big cities (urban environments) and in special events. • Isolated initiatives and actions were found to be taken locally in some touristic areas.

11. Analysis of existing situation • The existing situation was also analyzed with regard to the main factors that affect the seasonality of transport demand. • This allowed the analyses of the local environments, the available transport systems and mobility services, the causes and effects of traffic peaks. • 205 variables of different thematic fields have been defined in order to effectively address all the factors that affect the seasonality of transport demand. • Upon identification of the variables, these were validated through a consultation process with selected stakeholders in the seven European regions participating in the DELTA project. • The data for all variables were collected for 23 European regions with seasonal traffic peaks profiles.

12. Factors contributing to traffic peaks • Lack of alternatives modes of transport • Lack of cooperation between existing modes of transport • Lack of information regarding alternatives modes of transport and available routes • Unnecessary use of cars for short trips • Lack of bicycle lanes • Lack of free parking spots • Underdeveloped public transit

13. Effects of traffic peaks • Congestion in the main transport routes • Increased travel times • Severe noise pollution • Increased number of accidents • Damage in the transport infrastructure

14. Knowledge base

15. Framework of Mobility Schemes • 70 Mobility Schemes have been identified as possible measures and policies that could be applied in the target regions to better handle the traffic peaks and minimize their effects. • Two major categories: • 47 mobility measures • 23 horizontal actions (policy measures)

16. Framework of Mobility Schemes Mobility Schemes related to: • Bicycling (7) • Walking (3) • Public transport (16) • Car (11) • Information (10) • Policy and strategy (23)

17. Handbook of Benchmarks • Benchmarks have been identified as targets for sustainable mobility. • The identification process derived very few benchmarks related to the subject of seasonal traffic peaks. Most of them originate from the urban mobility sector. • 244 cases (mobility management application projects) were examined.

18. Handbook of Benchmarks Thematic areas: • Use of private vehicles • Use of public transport • Use of bicycles • Use of railway • Change in vehicle speed • Shift to off peak hours • Environmental impacts • Safety impacts

19. Decision Support Instrument • The DELTA Decision Support Instrument (DSI), which is the core outcome of the project, aims to assist local transport and other agencies of touristic areas in selecting the most appropriate mobility scheme(s) in order to manage their seasonal traffic peaks. • The DELTA DSI has been designed in such a way so that its use is not limited only to the suggestion of the most appropriate mobility solution, but it also contributes to the maximization of the use of the local transportation infrastructure and to the creation of multimodal interfaces between the existing transport modes or mobility measures.

20. Decision Support Instrument

21. Decision Support Instrument

22. Network of European regions • One of the most important outcomes of the project is the Network of European regions with seasonal traffic peaks profile. • The main goals of the Network are to promote the exchange of experiences, know-how and best practices, as well as to facilitate the transferability of the project’s results. • It is an on-line networking tool, which provides its members with various information and services.

23. Services of the Network • Use of the Decision Support Instrument • Participation in forums (on line discussion groups), online meeting and sharing of knowledge and experiences • Finding other regions with similar problems and benefit from best practices applied elsewhere • Promotion of regions as regards mobility measures applied • News and announcements in the field of seasonal mobility management • Access to various useful documents, such as deliverables of DELTA, other projects’ reports, EU documents, studies, articles and data

24. The DELTA Network:www.delta-network.eu

25. Advantages of the Network • Meet similar-minded colleagues/ regions from Europe • Compare and exchange ideas and experiences with other regions • Get access to project results helping to handle the seasonal traffic peaks • Explore opportunities for networking online and at various meetings • Participate in future events, where practical solutions, innovative ideas and best practices will be presented and discussed • Market the tourism region and the mobility measures Europe-wide and worldwide

26. Forums • One External Research Stakeholders Forum (ERSF) and 7 Local Stakeholders Forums (LSFs) will take place in the 7 participating regions of the project. • The goals of the ERSF and the LSFs are: • To present the key project results (mainly the DSI) • To getfeedback from the experts about the project methodology and results • To getfeedback from regions about their problems, needs, successful orunsuccessfulmeasures • To validate the DSI • To promote the DELTA project and its solutions locally • To promote the DELTA Network and attract new members

27. Conclusions … • Traffic congestion, environmental pollution and low travel times are only a few of the impacts that may lead to the overall consequence, which is the low quality of transport and mobility services provided to the tourists, thus creating the danger of the actual decrease of tourism. • The need to effectively address this problem is immense, a need which the project DELTA is addressing.

28. … Conclusions … • A basic outcome of the project so far is that, although important research has been conducted in the field of mobility management in metropolitan areas and some attempts have been made at local level, the actual problem of seasonal transport demand in touristic regions has not been addressed. • Very few benchmarks and mobility measures exist directly related to the topic of seasonal traffic peaks. Most of them originate form the urban mobility sector.

29. … Conclusions … • The local situation analysis demonstrated some major weaknesses of the local transport systems in touristic areas and key causes that contribute to traffic congestion, such as, the lack of alternative modes of transport, the lack of cooperation between existing modes of transport, the underdeveloped public transit and the unnecessary use of cars for short trips. • The local authorities and policy makers lack knowledge and tools that may assist them in finding appropriate solutions for their particular environments.

30. … Conclusions • The DELTA Decision Support Instrument (DSI) may help local stakeholders to effectively address the problem of seasonal transport demand, maintaining this way the high levels of tourism in these regions as well as the high income deriving from the touristic sector. • The DELTA Network is dedicated only to regions facing traffic peaks and may become a platform for knowledge exchange and problem solving.

31. DELTA Conference The Conference of the project will take place in Athens on the 4th and 5th of October 2010 The major final results of the project will be presented, as well as selected innovations from Europe about the effective handling of seasonal traffic peaks It will be jointly organized with the: EPOMM-PLUS national meeting in Greece EPOMM network meeting

32. Contact us • Dr. Yannis Tyrinopoulos, ytyrin@certh.gr • Evangelos Mitsakis, emit@certh.gr • Annie Kortsari, akorts@certh.gr Thank you for your attention For more information about the DELTA project, please visit the website: www.delta-project.eu