public transport efficiency: zurich, vienna and on-line

Public Transport: Zurich, Vienna & Online … … @ GreenCityStreets.com

European ideas for Seattle?

Andrew Nash [email protected]

@andrewbnash

Presentation Outline

1.  Context: Public transport is in trouble. 2.  Zurich

3.  Vienna

4.  Online: GreenCityStreets.com

5.  Questions and Discussion

1. Context

Public transport is in trouble. We need it more than ever …

–  Global warming –  Demographic change –  Oil prices and shortages –  Rapid urbanization

… but have less money available to provide it.

Solution: Increase efficiency

More efficient public transport reduces costs and increases revenues How can we increase efficiency?

•  Zurich – systematic approach •  Vienna – “brute force” approach •  Online – new media approach

2. Zurich

A systematic approach for increasing public transport efficiency:

–  Public transport priority –  S-Bahn regional rail system (commuter rail) –  Coordinated ticketing and schedules –  Sustainable mobility program

An extremely effective combination.

Economy •  Economic engine: generates 20% of Switzerland’s GDP

Population •  City: 378,000 (City Area 91.9 km2) •  Agglomeration: 1.25 million •  Metropolitan area: 1.68 million •  Greater Zurich Area: 3.2 million

Transport •  Motorisation: 376 Cars / 1000 Inhabitants •  Network public transport: 288 km •  Network streets: 740 km •  Network bike routes: 340 km •  Parking: public ground 51,000 ... private 220,000

Zurich: Facts and Figures

Zurich: Public transport stuck in traffic

What’s to do?

Direct Democracy: Ballot Initiatives

•  Tiefbahn (underground trams) – Defeated 1962 •  U-Bahn/S-Bahn construction – Defeated 1973 •  People’s initiative for public transport – Approved 1977 •  S-Bahn and ZVV (coordinating agency) – Approved 1981

The Zurich Model: Public transport priority implemented systematically throughout the network.

Incident management from control centre.

Signal priority – innovative approach

Results:   Faster travel times   Improved reliability   Increased patronage   Reduced costs

Exclusive public transport lanes

Erosion of Zurich Model

Problems

•  Increasing travel times

•  Lower reliability

•  Higher costs

Centre city delays have added 32,000 hours/year to travel time and increased cost of CHF 8 million for operations.

The fight for street space begins anew.

Regional Rail Network (S-Bahn) •  Opened in 1990 •  Cost 2 billion CHF •  420 km network •  26 lines, 176 stops •  950 trains per day •  Express & local trains •  380,000 pass/day (city line) •  Ridership has increased

by 143% since 1990. •  System being expanded,

problem is railway capacity. Photo: © SBB

Swiss Approach to Public Transport: Coordination

•  Coordinated fares and common tickets •  Coordinated schedules •  Coordinated interchange locations

Source: ZVV

Coordinated Schedules (Swiss Taktfahrplan)

Source: SMA + Partner

Example of a regional hub: Wetzikon (rail)

Example of a regional hub: Wetzikon (bus)

Zurich’s sustainable mobility program

•  Promote public transport •  Reduce and regulate parking •  Reduce private automobile traffic •  Improve conditions for pedestrians and bikes •  Develop ways to co-exist (shared space) •  Repair urban damage (freeway tunnels) •  Promote sustainable transport (behavior change) •  Network and share information with other cities

Reduce auto traffic: control traffic flow

•  Traffic signals used to control how much traffic enters the city.

•  Less traffic reduces congestion for public transport.

•  Like ramp metering for the whole city, makes all traffic flow more efficiently.

Zurich: selected program highlights

•  Parking compromise: replace street parking with underground parking.

•  Low traffic streets (Limmatquai, Rennweg) politically difficult but systematically implemented.

•  Low speed zones in residential neighborhoods. •  Redesign squares/ intersections to be less

dominated by automobile traffic. •  Underground/ cover main roadways. •  Recognize need for co-existence and develop

appropriate facilities for automobiles.

Advertisement: parking control officers!

Equal Opportunity Humor

Dear ladies: there are still men, who are on-time, gallantly open the door for you and will “un-aggressively” bring you home afterwards.

3. Vienna

A “brute force” approach to public transport efficiency:

–  U-Bahn –  Trams –  Sustainable transport and livable neighborhoods –  Dialog for the future

Good policies, but difficult to implement in an increasingly auto dependent region.

Economy •  Economic, cultural and

government capital of Austria Population •  City: 1.71 million (City Area 415 km2) •  Metropolitan area: 2.42 million Transport •  Motorisation: 394 Cars / 1000 Inhabitants •  U-Bahn: 74 km (2010) •  Tram: 172 km (2010) – 74% exclusive lanes •  Bus: 622 km (2010) – 7.7% exclusive lanes •  Network bike routes: 1,206 km (most shared)

Vienna: Facts and Figures

Vienna: Selected transport statistics

Public transport trips per day: … 2.3 million PT Trip mode: … 63% U-Bahn, 23% Tram, 14% Bus Annual PT trips per resident: … 490 Number of yearly passes sold: … 355,840

Mode Split Goal: By 2020 … 75% Sustainable Transport.

Vienna: Regional public transport network

Vienna U-Bahn

•  U-Bahn is most important part of Vienna PT system. •  Joint City-Federal funding and planning. •  Sections are rebuilt from old tram and railway lines.

Karlsplatz Stadtsbahn Station by Otto Wagner.

Vienna: U-Bahn

Vienna: Tram network

Vienna: Trams

Shottentor transfer station Contra-flow lane on the Ring

Tram/bus exclusive lane Ultra Low Floor (ULF) Tram

Vienna: City center public transport

Example: Neubau district traffic regulations

Traffic regulations used to provide priority for public transport.

Dialog: balancing competing needs

Planning improvements for Mariahilfestrasse 2012.

4. Online

How can we use information technology to help increase public transport efficiency?

One approach: use games to educate and social networking to build political support for controversial projects.

But first, a small problem …

Unfortunately, this is the attitude in many public transport agencies.

And, it’s probably right.

1.  Public transport is complex

2.  Often input is limited to: –  People & organizations with time to participate

in meetings –  People who benefit directly –  People fixated on public transport

On the other hand …

Project-based citizen involvement programs have worked. They have generated:

•  Better ideas •  Political support for projects

But, project-based approaches have several drawbacks … •  Limited time •  Limited scope (one project) •  Every project creates its own information •  Every project develops its own process/tools •  Expensive

Our solution: information technology …

More specifically, using IT to help Re-think the role of citizens in government

New IT and communications technologies will redefine the role of citizens in all aspects of government.

The goal isn't data, culture, accountability or efficiency, it's building a community to work together to solve problems.

How will we create these communities?

Two approaches:

1.  Identify problems

2.  Participate in planning

Identifying problems is important but we could be doing more.

Moving beyond reporting.

Participatory Chinatown

Boston

•  Educate people about sustainable transport, •  Create a forum for submitting ideas, and •  Provide tools enabling public transport

agencies to effectively use and respond to input.

GreenCityStreets is an integrated application using Web 2.0 techniques to:

BusMeister Game: A fun way to learn about public transport.

BusMeister wiki: For learning the details.

GreenCityStreets blog: Top level pages and news.

GreenCityStreets Forum: Social network for public transport.

The prototype works:

•  BusMeister is fun •  You can play on Facebook •  Forum is online •  Best Practices Library

has many pages of information

But no one is using it … why not?

Prototype identified several problems

•  Fun game, but complex user interface •  Social network limited to Facebook users •  Hard to get people to contribute to the best practices

wiki •  Website organization is suboptimal

But most importantly …

Our business model was wrong …

BusMeister may be fun, but it’s no Farmville and besides, a game alone won’t attract enough people to accomplish our goal of improved public transport. To be successful GreenCityStreets needs a sponsor:

•  Public transport agency •  Advocacy group •  Newspaper or media

But, if this is the attitude,

Or, as one agency told us …

“Why would we buy something that lets passengers complain

about our service?”

What’s to be done?

The answer is another question: When is a complaint not a complaint?

(When you use it.)

Innovative companies use customer input to:

•  Develop new products •  Improve existing products •  Build relationships and loyalty

Why not try this in public transport?

•  Better ideas

–  Detailed neighborhood knowledge –  Fresh perspective (why not?)

•  Clear show of political support for controversial plans (like bus lanes)

•  Creates committed customers - people who have a stake in public transport

Won’t this generate extra work?

No, you’ll respond more efficiently to public input:

–  Refer to best practices library –  On-going record of complaints & responses –  Committed citizens monitor Forum –  Agency input tracking application will help

No, but it will change the work you do: –  Taking input seriously means planning differently –  And, it means building real relationships too

But, most importantly …

Community-based planning will happen:

–  Applications are being developed; –  Technology is improving; –  We have many examples of “impossible”

community-based applications (wikipedia).

The real question is …

Will transport agencies lead the way … or follow?

Wanted: Innovative public transport agency interested in working closely with customers in making service more attractive and efficient contact: GreenCityStreets.com

5. Discussion and Questions

www.greencitystreets.com

Andrew Nash [email protected]

www.andynash.com @andrewbnash