"Diversity In Europe a common voice for a sustainable development" Pro-ecological Transport Solutions
KRAKÓW POLAND Pro-ecological Transport Solutions in Kraków
Public transport priority system In view of increasing traffic, it is important to expand the priority facilities to improve public transport (e.g. separate lanes for buses and trams, priority at junctions etc.), especially in the city centre. New solutions aimed at improving passenger comfort and overall service quality are needed if public transport is to compete with private car use which continues to grow. The principal achievement of these measures has been to create a high quality, passengerfriendly public transport system. The measurements recorded prove that the solutions implemented produce a positive effect for passengers and citizens in both transport corridors (tram-bus and bus). These are shorter intervals between services, greater speeds and more reliable operating times. As a result, time of the journeys has been reduced and a number of passengers has increased. Shared tram-bus and bus lanes can be implemented in additional transport corridors in Cracow and in other cities. 3
High-speed tram High-speed tram is a kind of urban transport system which has features of tram and metro. In Cracow first high-speed tram line was open in 2008. It combines Kurdwanów and Krowodrza Hill. Currently, the tram track is 14 kilometers long. According to the projects it will be even longer. Tram tracks lead through the first Polish tram tunnel in which machine develops speed to 60 km/h. To ensure the proper speed of the traffic and passenger transport, trams have priority at crossings. 4
Transition to clean vehicle fleets A major problem in Cracow is air pollution caused by cars. There are several cultural monuments in the area where public transport is available, and these monuments are protected by national law. The main goals of the transition were to directly and indirectly reduce the environmental impact of public transport and test new clean bus technologies to discover the best solution for larger-scale introduction in the future. In 2008 old buses were completely withdrawn and gradually substituted by clean vehicles that are compatible with European standards. Modernizing the bus fleet aimed at reducing noise and fuel consumption. The tram fleet has also been modernized with the purchase of low floor trams that are equipped with an innovative recuperation system. 5
TELE BUS The Tele-Bus is a part of CIVITAS CARAVEL project. It is an on-demand many to many public transport service. Passengers can decide about the time of beginning and ending their journey, so they don t have to be limited by timetables. They can choose the stop which starts or terminates their trip in the area where Tele- bus operates. This service saves passengers time, so they don t have to wait for the bus. It operates every day in the south-eastern part of the city and during specified operating hours. To reserve Tele-Bus, you can use a special free phone number. There is also a possibility of online booking if it has been done 30 minutes before the arranged journey. 6
BROWSER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT JAKDOJADE.PL is a modern browser for public transport, which enables people to plan their trip around the city in a very short period of time. The service is also available on the mobile phone. 7
NEW GOODS DISTRIBUTION SCHEME IN CRACOW The City of Cracow developed a new scheme of goods distribution by using clean and more environmentally friendly vehicles. Initial implementation will be made within the city centre on the main square area. The private delivery service in the downtown will be reduced by about 50% by means of the goods distribution system. 8
INTEGRATED TICKET IN CRACOW In order to start seamless and intermodal connections in krakow through the use of common tickets, an integrated ticketing solution has been tested for the local public transport. The first test focused on one corridor from Krzeszowice to Cracow. Motivated by the high acceptance rate after a short first trial, a new agreement has been signed to widen the system to a number of different corridors. 9
INTEGRATED ACCESS CONTROL Cracow was one of the first city in the country to implement severe access restrictions in inner-city areas (A, B and C zones). As part of CARAVEL in a city centre of Cracow enforcement a new strategy: 3 payable landing zones. A new parking management scheme has been linked to access restriction; this has eliminated parking places in inner-city streets and other public places! 10
Bike system in Cracow We have 99.6 km bicycle paths in Cracow. 11
System Bike One System Bike One is an automatic bicycle rental shop in Cracow. There are 16 points all over Cracow where one can hire a bike. 12
Plans for the future: Due to sustainable development of transport in Cracow, the number of cars should decrease up to 30-35 % in the nearest future. Public means of transport such as trams and buses should become the main form of travelling across most of the city, and might account for 70-75% of traffic. 13
Bibliography Rossa, Antonio et.al, Civitas Caravel Final Project Report - Travelling Towards a New Mobility, Krakow, April 2009 Webside http://www.zikit.krakow.pl/ Starowicz Wieslaw, Interview. Urzad Miasta Krakowa Deputy President s Office, 24 November 2010 14