The document discusses lessons from Europe on linking transit with walking and biking based on examples from the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. It summarizes Utrecht's efforts to address traffic congestion through expanding the regional railway network, developing new light rail and streetcar lines, improving bicycle facilities, and integrating different transportation modes. These initiatives have helped shift Utrecht's modal split towards greater use of public transit and biking over private vehicles.

1. LESSONS FROM EUROPE
Linking Transit with Walking and Biking
(The City of Utrecht, NL, 2011/9/27)
8-5-2006 1

2. The ultimate European lesson?
“I think we need to make people
aware that our traffic concepts of
today are not sustainable and will be
of no use for the future of our society
and our planet.”
Dr. Wolfgang Schuster (Mayor of Stuttgart, Germany)
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3. The Netherlands (as it was)
Water management . Architecture .
Transport . Orange .
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4. The Netherlands (as it is)
Water management . Architecture .
Transport . Orange .
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5. Some demographic facts
United States Maryland Washington DC The Netherlands Utrecht
Founded 1776 1788 1790 1579 50 AD
Inhabitants (city) 308.7 mln 5.8 mln 602,000 16.7 mln 313,000
(region) 5,580,000 640,000
Area (sq mi) 3,717,796 12,407 68 16,034 (1) 38
Inhabitants (/sq mi) 8.3 465.3 8848.9 1039.6 8179.9
(1) 1,29x State of Maryland
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6. About the City of Utrecht
Facts
• Fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
• Over 300,000 inhabitants.
• Largest University in the Netherlands.
• Busiest railway station of the country (more
passengers a year then Schiphol Airport).
• Still growing economy (despite global recession).
Modal split 1885 .
• Motor vehicles: 38.5 %
• Public transport: 10.8 %
• Bicycles: 28.0 %
• Pedestrians: 21.2 %
• Others: 01.5 %
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7. Traffic congestion
122,000
Imbalance between Numbers show
incoming & outgoing
traffic. 61,700 incoming traffic during
morning rush hours.
58,500
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8. What to do about this?
1. New regional railway network 2. New light rail & streetcar lines .
INTEGRATION!
3. Improving bicycle facilities 4. Improving road network.
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9. Step 1: New regional railway network
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10. What is Randstadspoor (RSS)?
Facts
• Regional network of commuter trains.
• Using existing railway corridors.
• 10 new stations in region.
• Most railway lines widened from
2 to 4 tracks.
• 4-6 trains per hour.
• Realisation between 2002 and 2015.
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11. Construction started in 2002
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12. Reconstruction of the main railway station
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13. S-tog (Copenhagen, Denmark)
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14. RER (Paris, France)
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15. Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK)
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16. S-bahn (Stuttgart, Germany)
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17. S-bahn (Karlsruhe, Germany)
Ultimate integration: Commuter rail, Light Rail and Streetcar in one .
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18. Randstad Rail (Rotterdam region, The Netherlands)
Commuter rail or Light rail? .
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19. Step 2: New light rail & streetcar lines
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20. Already one light rail line (SUNIJ-line)
1983/12/17, Opening 1st light rail line . 2000, Renovated light rail car .
2007, Low-floor car from Mulhouse . 2010, second hand cars from Vienna .
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21. From bus lanes to light rail
Facts
• First bus lane opened in 2001.
• The current network of bus lanes can
easily be changed into light rail.
• A light rail network can transport more
passengers then the current network
of bus lanes.
• A light rail network creates more and
new transfer points.
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22. A regional network of light rail
Facts
• Network of existing & new lines.
• Upgrading existing light rail line.
• Building two new lines to De Uithof.
• Building a new line to Leidsche Rijn.
• 4-8 trams per hour.
• Realisation between 2012 and 2025.
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23. The planned regional network in 2025
OVERVECHT
BINNENSTAD
ZEIST
LEIDSCHE RIJN
DE UITHOF
NIEUWEGEIN
IJSSELSTEIN
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24. Impressions of the city area
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25. Impressions of the university campus
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26. Impressions of the new transfer point De Uithof
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27. The ultimate public transport (Wuppertal, Germany)
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28. Typical light rail of the 70’s (Charleroi, Belgium)
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29. High platform barrier (Manchester, UK)
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30. High platform integration (Stuttgart, Germany)
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31. Low platform integration(Orleans, France)
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32. Total integrating (Mulhouse, France)
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33. Total concept (Almada, Portugal)
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34. Step 3: Improving bicycle facilities
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35. About cycling in the City of Utrecht
Facts
• 36% of all trips < 7.5 km are done
by bicycle.
• 91,000 cyclists pass the inner city on
working days.
• 22,000 bicycle stands around main
railway station and in city centre.
• 8 secured bicycle parking’s around
main railway station.
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36. Bicycle Program
Making an extra investment of
€ 67 mln. ($90 mln.) by:
A. Upgrading five busiest routes.
B. Building missing links.
C. Creating more & better parking.
D. Introducing public bicycle program.
E. Increasing promotion of the bicycle.
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37. A. Upgrading five busiest routes
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38. B. Building missing links
New tunnel in a regional bicycle route .
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39. C. Creating more & better parking
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40. D. Introducing public bicycle program (OV Fiets)
Facts
• A public bicycle system for transport
hubs like railway stations, light rail
stops, bus terminals, Park & Ride, etc.
• Over 200 rental locations.
• Over 60 self-service bicycle dispensers.
• More than 850,000 trips in 2010.
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41. E. Promotion of the bicycle
en
First stage of Giro d’Italia 2010 .
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42. The final step: Integration!
Both infrastructure and policy
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43. Utrecht Centraal: Busiest railway station in the country
Facts
• Major transport hub in the heart of
The Netherlands.
• 160,000 daily train and 100,000 bus &
light rail passengers on weekdays.
• 9 guarded bicycle parking's (total
capacity 10.000 bicycles).
• Over 7.000 unguarded bicycle parking
places.
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44. Bicycle parking at Utrecht Centraal
Guarded parking (paid) . Guarded parking (paid) .
Guarded parking (non-paid) . Street parking .
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45. Bicycle parking at other stops of public transport
Commuter rail (region) . Light rail .
City bus . Regional bus .
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46. Bicycle parking at other locations
Offices . Schools .
Shops . Theatres .
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47. Other aspects of integration
National website OV9292 . The OV chip card .
Taking bicycles into trains . Temporary road signing .
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48. A map of integration (The Hague HS station)
0 100 m
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49. Integration (Copenhagen, Denmark)
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50. Integration (Münster, Germany)
Brussels, Belgium .
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51. Integration (Odense, Denmark)
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52. Integration (Copenhagen, Denmark)
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53. Integration (Stuttgart, Germany)
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54. Integration (Delft, The Netherlands)
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55. Integration (Stuttgart, Germany)
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56. Integration (Groningen, The Netherlands)
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57. Thank you for your attention!
Ronald Tamse, The City of Utrecht (NL), 2011/09/27
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