Freedom and discernment:
paths to a new kind of mobility
Mobility packages have great potential
Reason for being car-free
Human powered mobility
Growth in recreational traffic
Desires and attitudes
City trips by train
The problem of implementation
Projects & Reports
Feedback
Propositions
The polarisation of public and motorised private transport could in future give way to partnership. Combined mobility services show us a new route.The increasing volume of recreational traffic is turning into a problem child of significant size.
Social developments and mobility behaviour interact: just as mobility affects our society, so the transport behaviour of each individual is also influenced by social developments. Based on this, how will mobility develop over the coming years? How can the population's mobility behaviour be steered in a sustainable direction? Do we need "hard" measures such as bans and regulations, or are "soft" measures such as information and mobility management adequate? Several studies of NRP 41 investigated these questions.
Mobility management attempts to coordinate services optimally and to provide a service package that is well-rounded and fair to customers. Often, thecentrepieces of such services are mobility centres, accessible in personor by telephone or Internet, and providing information on trains, local transport,car sharing and further services. But information alone is not enough: ithas only slight mode shift effects. Well-coordinated marketing and the correspondinginformation channels are prerequisites for a modern, environmentally friendlytransport system.A1/M16
And what of our own cars? One in every four Swiss households has no car,while in the big cities the proportion is over 40 per cent. Four out of fiveinterviewers are happy to live without a car. Environmental awareness isonly rarely given as a reason for not having a car, but giving up one's owncar is in most cases a conscious and free choice. Nevertheless, as soon asa household has a car available, it is used.A2 Therefore it makes senseto promote car-free households, for example offering "mobility packages",which combine a season ticket for trains and buses with access to a car whennecessary.A3
The market potential of such services is great: in Switzerland 7 to 10 per cent of people with a driving licence would be prepared to test such a mobility package. About half of them, approximately 90,000 people, would purchasesuch a service immediately. One survey compared previously car-free mobilitypackage users with non-users, and showed that through mode shifting, carusage decreases. If the market potential in the urban conurbations were tobe fully exploited, between 15 and 50 million litres of petrol could be savedannually - this is 0.4 to 1.4 per cent of total Swiss consumption. The environmentalcosts would thus be reduced by CHF 10 to 40 million.A3
The potential seems particularly great in the French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. Thus in French-speaking Switzerland a higher percentage of people than in the German-speaking areas would be interested in a season ticket that also included car sharing, bicycle hire and further servicesbesides the actual public transport. Projections suggest there are 80,000interested people in the west of the country; but because public informationhere had clearly been poor, considerably fewer people said they would buysuch a season ticket.
The growth rates of Mobility Car-Sharing in the Romandie are already higher than in German-speaking Switzerland. Urbanisation and the comparatively small proportion of car-free households may explain the great potential for mode shifting. While in Zurich 45 per cent of households do not own a car, the proportion is only 27 per cent in Geneva. Furthermore, the Latin areas of Switzerland express greater interest in technological novelties such as chip-card systems.M10
Combined services including a season ticket for public transport and cheap access to a rental car are currently successful in Switzerland if they are simple enough to be attractive and can also guarantee high quality. However, there is still a lot of catching up to do as far as the integration of bicycles and the standardisation of technical systems throughout Switzerland are concerned.A1/A2/A3/M10
As routes become more comfortable and safer, the most sustainable means of transport - foot power and bicycles - are also increasingly being used. Today half of all trips undertaken by the Swiss use non-motorised transport: 43 per cent on foot and 7 per cent by bicycle. Studies showed that journeysby bicycle could be doubled within ten years using appropriate measures;this would reduce the kilometres travelled by car by about 10 per cent andcarbon dioxide emissions by about a million tonnes per year.A9/T2
About 60 per cent of all kilometres travelled in Switzerland are due to leisure traffic; this includes journeys to Switzerland by foreign visitors, which were not contained in previous statistics. On the other hand, the Swiss "transport account" should be debited by the kilometres travelled by Swiss abroad -this is the same distance as travelled at home, about forty billion kilometres. Most of the kilometres travelled by the Swiss abroad are in aeroplanes.M19 For the first time, the individual segments of leisure traffic were alsoquantified by the NRP 41. Visits to relations and friends make up about athird of the total; Mr and Mrs Schweizer travel the same distance to sportingevents as well. Other events such as trade fairs account for about 9 percent, while the remaining journeys are distributed between various otheractivities.
An analysis of recreational traffic shows that this growing transport segment could be designed more sustainably at all levels. Possible measures include a better luggage service, direct connections to holiday destinations, and spatial planning that is more consistently oriented to the demands of sustainable leisure mobility.D5
The need for action and the possibilities of action are not equivalent in all transport segments. For the categories of winter sport trips and bigevents - two activities particularly heavy in kilometres - the NRP 41 undertooka precise analysis and drew up a catalogue of measures. It showed that decisive factors in choosing the means of transport are the availability of a car, and the locations of the origin and target destinations. Day-trips in connection with winter sports are made by car in an average 80 per cent of cases; for people from the city of Bern, however, this proportion is "only" 50 per cent. This is doubtless associated with the location of Bern and access of thecapital city and the Bernese Oberland winter sport resorts to public transport.A representative survey of overnight stays also showed that the market share of public transport rises considerably if it is able to provide good service.
Differences between the individual segments are also notable. For large-scale event in cities, such as the Orbit IT trade fair in Basel, about 30 per cent of visitors currently arrive by car. Only a third of these, however, is aware of the special train tickets provided by the SBB and other transport companies for just such events. An improved public information policy could thus achieve much more. Spatial planning measures are also conceivable: locations with good access to public transport systems should be prefered for recreational sites, while other locations should be avoided.D5
Leisure traffic is becoming an explosive issue for holiday resorts. Hugevolumes of traffic reduce the attractiveness and thus the touristic valueof every holiday resort. Measures to stem the flood of tourist traffic must,however, be well-designed.D6 Many resorts have already developed appropriate traffic management plans, but these are only effective if the the population and local business can participate in the authorities' planning and implementation. A balanced mixture of traffic calming and regulatory measures seems to pay off.
Leisure traffic is strongly influenced by the population's desires and attitudes. According to surveys, at least part of the population is prepared to travel thoughtfully and less often, and to stay in one place for longer. In Horgen, which is in the Zurich area and which could be classified as a source area for leisure traffic, 56 per cent of those interviewed use their free time to flee from the monotony of daily life, while 44 per cent seek relaxation from stress. In leisure traffic's target destinations, the invasion of tourists worries the local population, many of whom are afraid of being squeezed out. In one popular destination, the Sarganserland-Walensee area ("Heidiland"), for example, only a 21 per cent minority of the population would welcomemodern touristic development and only 9 per cent are in favour of encouragingfurther international tourism. There is thus conflict between the marketpromoters and a majority of the locals over the advantages and disadvantagesof the tourist trade.
In designing its services, the tourist industry could take better account of target groups such as people looking for peace and relaxation. The "rediscovery of the neighbourhood" plays a major role here: recreation in one's own surroundings is (once again) becoming more important.A5
Travelling on foot or by bicycle transport is not always ideal. For longer distances, the railway has proved to be a sustainable means of transport. In order to become competitive compared to roads, the journey times for international traffic must decrease by about 20 per cent - Switzerland wants to improve its connections to the international railway network. In an initial evaluation of numerous suggestions for improvement, the possible new routes "Mâcon", "Sillon alpin" (Geneva-Chambéry) and Lugano-Magenta came out best.
It is often unnecessary to build completely new routes. An extension of the existing route from Schaffhausen to Ulm, for example, would bring significant improvement. More modern rolling stock could often increase the attractiveness of the railways.B6
An important and often underestimated role is played by railway stationsand stops, which are often the real weak points in the service provided bypublic transport. Optimum timetables and shorter walking distances are important factors in making changes attractive. For many customers, however, a feeling of safety and comfort, and shopping opportunities in the railway station, are important preconditions for perceiving places where they change trains not as annoying interruptions, but as attractive places to carry out everyday tasks. In order to do justice to the "sociology of changing trains" in future, clear standards of service are required, more attractive waiting areas and better service. In rural areas, having to change trains in the middle ofnowhere should be avoided.A4/M23
By themselves, the many findings of the studies are not enough. They must be put into practice. Information alone has no influence on people's transport behaviour, as shown by earlier studies. Despite this, information is an indisputable component of a modern and sustainably effective transport policy. Publicinformation aims to create transparency about planning and policy intentions,and thus engender trust in those involved. Information also helps the customersto decide how and when they can best get from A to B. While route plannerswill soon be a standard feature in cars, public transport has a great dealof catching up to do here. Switzerland has a diverse and growing range ofmobility services - the consistent implementation of appropriate informationstrategies in the planning and introduction of new services is thereforeof great significance.E1
| S1 | Mobilitätsmanagement im Personenverkehr; Teilsynthese
des Moduls A (Mobility management in passenger transport; Module A Synthesis
Report) |
| A1 | Mobilitätsmanagement als neue verkehrspolitische Strategie
(Mobility management) |
| A2 |
Autofreie Haushalte (Car-free households) |
| A3 |
Neue, integrierte Mobilitätsdienstleistungen (New, integrated
mobility services) |
| A4 |
Entre rupture et activités: vivre les lieux du transport
(The attractiveness of multimodal transport) |
| A5 |
Die Chancen sozio-kultureller Innovation für Neuansätze
im Freizeitverkehr (Social trends and leisure traffic) |
| A6 |
Carpooling: Massnahmen zur Erhöhung des Besetzungsgrades
von Fahrzeugen (Carpooling) |
| A9 |
Die Zukunft gehört dem Fussgänger- und dem Veloverkehr
- L'avenir appartient aux déplacements à pied et à vélo
(Pedestrian and cycle traffic) |
| A10 |
Daten für die Zukunft (Requirements for future transport
statistics) |
| A11 |
Indicateurs d'accès pour une mobilité
durable (Measuring accessibility) |
| B6 |
Einbindung der Schweiz in die transeuropäischen
Verkehrsnetze: Personenverkehr (Integration into the European network: passenger
transport) |
| D5 |
Freizeitverkehr (Strategies in Leisure Traffic) |
| D6 |
Verkehrsmanagement in Ferienorten (Sustainable
transport management in holiday resorts) |
| E1 |
Intelligente Kundeninformation im öffentlichen
Verkehr (Better Information for Public Transport Passengers) |
| M10 |
Gestion de la mobilité et prestations
intégrées de mobilité en Suisse romande (Mobility management
in the Romandie) |
| M16 |
Handbuch Mobilitätsmanagement (Mobility
Management - Manual) |
| M19 |
Daten zum Freizeitverkehr (Data on leisure traffic) |
| M23 |
Les gares, atouts des transports publics (Changing
trains can be fun) |
| T2 |
Les déplacements à pied et à
vélo, colloque du 6.11.1998 (Cycling and walking, conference proceedings) |
Martin Bütikofer"As part of NRP 41 and a European research programme, we in Canton Zug were able to examine the marketing and information strategy of public transport, and develop it further to provide a more wide-ranging mobility management. Together with various researchers, some from abroad, we were able to implement a demonstration project that attracted a lot of interest. There was close collaboration between the authorities, private firms and transport operators.
For example, an analysis of the 'Ticketeria' for public transport in theZug area showed that - notwithstanding all the positive effects - there werestill several possibilities for further optimisation. This demonstrationproject helped us to shed light on very different aspects of interlinkedmobility and to try them out in a form of action-related research.
One of the most important innovations was the 'Zuger Pass Plus', a European first. We introduced this new product in early May 1998 with great success. The 'Zuger Pass Plus' is a regional season ticket in credit card format,supplemented by various other services. We had had the idea for such a servicefor some time, but the idea had just stayed in a drawer.
The NRP 41, however, gave it a concrete framework. With the help of NRP 41 we were able to make necessary clarifications and involve other experts.Of course, we also had a certain pressure to push the project forward. Andit was successful: besides a rise in sales, very gratifying customer reactions and an improvement in the image of public transport that should not be underestimated, the product was launched so successfully that soon after its introduction the region could hardly imagine being without it. This proved once againthat research does not have to mean long meetings and an unmanageable mountain of paper; thanks to the power of innovation and the willingness of small, interdisciplinary teams to make decisions, convincing, realisable results can be achieved."
Martin Bütikofer,
Head of the Public Transport
Department, Canton Zug
All trends point to further growth in transport. Decisions areurgently needed on the expansion of transport supply and its improved efficiency,and/or reinforcement of measures to influence demand, and should be madeon the basis of sustainable mobility criteria.
This requires overall transport planning, which includes all modes of transport and all conceivable measures. After the recent intensive focus on goods transport policy, measures for passenger transport and air traffic are now urgently required.
Question attitudes towards mobility
Mobility is also a question of awareness and values. In the longer term, the constant increase in distances and speeds travelled should be countered by a rediscovery of closer destinations, shorter trips and slower speeds. This might for example be achieved by addressing the issue of mobility at all levels of education and training.
Continue to promote combined mobility in passenger transport
The potentials of combined mobility (e.g. car sharing, additional services in season tickets for public transport, linking public transport with pedestrian and bicycle traffic) should be exploited.
The transport companies should increasingly direct their service and public information strategies towards mobility services as a total package, notjust to single transport services.
Interfaces should be a major focus, e.g. railway stations should be conceived as attractive places to change, with short walking distances, a high sense of security and standardised support services such as shopping, bicycle repair, etc.
Exploit the potential of car-free households
The fact that 25% of households do not own a car (in the larger cities this proportion is 45 to 55%) should receive greater attention intransport planning.
Since car ownership has a significant impact on mobility, the mode shiftpotentials offered by the promotion of car-free households should be reinforcedusing appropriate conditions (good alternative mobility services).
Use and encourage human-powered mobility
Institutional and technical framework conditions for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, for both work and recreation, should be targeted for improvement.
Plug gaps in the statistics
Transport statistics have a great deal of catching up to do. For serious planning of upcoming tasks such as infrastructure extension projects, extra efforts are urgently required.
Implement strategies for leisure traffic more actively
In leisure transport, the largest and fastest-growing transport segment, co-ordinated measures of all types - to improve the efficiency of public transport, siting policies for leisure centres, etc. - are necessary from all those involved and at all governmental levels.