The challenge of cities today is how to reduce the need for transport, while at the same time maintain and, where possible, increase the local economic prosperity and quality of life. The increases in the oil prices, together with shortage of supply reinforces the SUTP principle of the need to reduce transport.

Planning new developments in a way that forces people to travel long distances and that increases the use of motorised transport counteracts sustainable transport.

Reducing travel distances and travel demand is therefore an important cornerstone for sustainable urban transport. This does not imply that the city’s inhabitants should not travel, but that they should not be forced to travel far to fulfil basic needs. Distances should ideally be kept so short that walking or cycling is the attractive/likely mode of transport.

Short distances also improve the possibilities for an enhanced modal shift. This is important to achieve a fair transport system that gives all groups in society equal or high accessibility to important services, independent of car ownership.

When people and goods require travel vehicles are often used. A clean and silent transport system that supports a wider use of energy efficient vehicles and alternative fuels reduces the disturbing impacts of noise, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Freight transport issues are often not taken into account in urban transport planning, although they significantly contribute to the impacts of unsustainable transport. Efficient urban logistics represents an additional cornerstone towards sustainable transport.

In order to achieve the targets set out in the SUTP and to move the cities’ transport system towards a sustainable one, all actions and measures need to reflect these principles.

Why
Low density development, sub-urbanisation, out-of-town shopping centres, globalisation and increasing affluence are all contributing to the increased demand for more transport. These social and economic pressures are given effect in the patterns of spatial development in urban areas and in the quality and nature of the urban transport systems.

Measuring, understanding and managing these ‘drivers’ is an important aspect of achieving sustainable transport. Plans, polices and programmes that manage transport demand require a long-term perspective.

Reducing the need for transport; requires plans, policies and programmes that are essentially preventative.

How
A reduction in the need for transport is achieved through the application of sustainable spatial planning polices that support and encourage mixed-use developments. These developments meet the housing, shopping, commercial and employment needs of residents within walking and cycling distance or are accessible by public transport.

SUTP requires spatial planning to be based on the principle of the need to reduce transport – and demands that spatial planning is integrated with transport and mobility planning.

Traffic Impact Assessments (TIA) help to indicate the likely traffic impacts of proposed developments (shopping centres/housing) and new plans (employment centres/ tourism initiatives etc). TIAs are carried out to inform the changes to the proposal that are necessary to provide sustainable urban transport – TIAs must be carried out early in the process of designing the plan or development. The TIA must lead to changes to the development – changes to location, orientation or density or changes to the mobility infrastructure or public transport facilities. TIAs help us to understand how to deliver local services more efficiently and sustainably and how to reduce the need for transport: essential local ser-vices such as hospitals, medical centres, libraries, schools all need to be sited in places that are accessible by walking, cycling or by public transport. In this way, TIAs help local decision-makers to reduce the need for transport.

Compact mixed-use urban areas support sustainable urban transport and reduce the need for trans-port. Where this takes place as part of the redevelopment of ‘brownfields’, it can further reduce the need for transport. On the other hand, greenfield development promotes an increase in the demand for transport. Greenfield development sites must be mixed-use and integrated with existing public transport infrastructure. A culture of cycling and walking must be central to their development if transport demand is to be reduced.

Checklist
• The city’s spatial plan and policies support the principle of reducing the need for personal transport and the transport of goods
• The location of shops, schools and other local services help to reduce the demand for transport
• A selection of soft measures are used by the city authorities to reduce the need for transport, both for passengers and goods
• SUTP includes objectives and targets to reduce the need for personal transport
• SUTP includes objectives and targets to reduce the need for goods transport

”The school pupils have been fantastic!” James McGeever, International Project Coordinator in Kaunas says without hesitation.

In December 2006, Kaunas municipality in Lithuania started working with two schools in outer suburbs of the city to help improve the students’ journey to school. The schools were chosen after taking part in SUTP peer review exercise. The initiative came jointly from the initial peer review recommendation.

The aim was to improve the journey and journey environment for school children in two suburban schools through the provision of a set of practical and achievable recommendations. The materials were based on “Safe route to school”, provided by Sustrans, a British organisation.

The pupils prepared their own versions of qualitative and quantitative questionnaires, distributed them amongst their fellow pupils and prepared the results into a series of charts and tables and summary information. They also took photographic evidence of the problems in their surrounding environment and added that to their school travel plan final report.

“School children rose the challenge almost without any real management from the project team,
I think they were genuinely interested and have shown an interest in continuing to be involved”, McGeever says.

“School travel plans are important in Kaunas because we have not yet proved effectively that we can engage with communities in a way that provides a long term, equal, two way relationships.”

It was also important to ensure that the results of the school travel plan were effectively promoted to as wide an audience as possible. “This pilot project will help towards actions and profile raising of the whole SUTP by empowering school pupils to understand issues that affect them, as well as knowing how to present these issues in a way that produces the desired results and improvements”, he concludes.

Why
Walking and cycling are the most sustainable modes of personal transport, providing positive health benefits whilst reducing congestion and averting the need for vehicles at the same time. In the hierarchy of sustainable transport modes, public transport follows close behind. Increasing the proportion of personal trips made by walking, cycling and public transport helps to improve the quality of the urban environment by reducing noise, emissions, pollution and congestion, whilst improving public health. Reducing the need for personal motorised travel is central to sustainable urban transport

How
Increasing the modal share for walking, cycling and public transport requires an integrated programme of plans, polices and programmes across the urban area that
• increase the attractiveness of walking, cycling and public transport
• discourage personal use of cars, and
• provide information and incentives to encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport

The choice of transport mode is influenced by a variety of factors e.g., convenience, travel time, (perceived) cost, flexibility, comfort, safety, social acceptance etc. The first two categories of measures aim at making alternative travel solutions more attractive relative to the car. Measures in the field of information and marketing are important to raise knowledge and the acceptance of alternatives to the use of cars – people need to know about their transport alternatives and, furthermore, they must be perceived as attractive.

Increasing the attractiveness of ‘alternative’ transport modes
Increasing the modal share for walking, cycling and public transport can be achieved through a wide variety of plans, policies and programmes.

Walking
Increasing the modal share for walking requires a dense network of well-maintained routes that are both safe to use and perceived by the public as safe to use. The network should be attractive and accessible for all communities of interest – including visitors, tourists, the elderly and those with physical mobility problems. Spatial planning should reserve the space that is necessary for the ‘walking infrastructure’ and ensure that local services are sited within walking distance from residential areas. Infrastructure design should ensure that routes are safe, attractive, well-lit, signposted, maintained year around and accessible to all as well as integrated with green space, roads and the buildings of urban areas.

Many urban areas have produced design manuals that provide the detailed specifications for the practical tools and techniques that deliver high-quality, walking friendly urban environments. Examples of such environments are “Pedestrian only zones” and “home or low speed zones” with lower vehicle speed limits that allow pedestrians and cars safely share the same space. On these areas pedestrians always have priority to the cars.

Cycling
Increasing the modal share for cycling requires a dense network of well-maintained routes that are both safe to use and perceived by the public as such. Spatial and transport planning should treat cycling as an equal mode of transport with cars and public transport: reserving the space that is necessary for the ‘cycling infrastructure’ direct connections and continuity with attractive and secure cycle parking facilities at transport hubs (train and bus station) and workplaces. Infrastructure design should ensure that there is a hierarchy of routes that are safe, attractive, well-lit, signposted, maintained year around and integrated with green space, roads and the buildings of urban areas.

Many cities have produced design manuals that provide the detailed specifications for the practical tools and techniques that deliver high-quality cycle-friendly urban environments: reducing the speed limits of motorised vehicles on important shared cycle routes and opening up ‘one-way’ streets for two- way use by cyclists. Making bikes more available through subsidised hire and free schemes is particularly successful in increasing the modal share for cycling – particularly where this is associated with an attractive infrastructure and good marketing. (e.g., Paris/Göteborg).

Public transport
Increasing the modal share for public transport requires a dense network of routes that meets the mobility needs of people. Ticketing, marketing and service information availability should be integrated across public transport modes within ‘travel to work’ urban areas. Services need to be reliable, frequent, cost- and time-competitive, safe to use and perceived by the public as such. Information about services needs to be ‘real-time’, widely available and include predicted arrival times. The network should be attractive and accessible for all communities of interest – including visitors, tourists, the elderly and those with physical mobility problems. Spatial planning should reserve the space necessary for the ‘transport infrastructure’ (dedicated routes, stopping places, information displays) and ensure that stops are sited within walking distance from key residential, commercial and tourist centres. Spatial planning should deliver the required loading factors to allow public transport to compete with car transport. “Public transport only” and priority routes will be essential policies.

Make travel by car less attractive
Walking, cycling and public transport can become more attractive alternatives if car travel becomes more difficult or expensive. Disincentives include:

Pricing
By making car drivers pay a fee for driving in the city (centre), drivers can be charged some of the societal cost of urban driving, thus also making the car a less attractive option. Experience from cities that implemented congestion charging can reduce car traffic considerably and boost the use of other transport modes. Pricing can be an effective instrument to reduce congestion and increase accessibility for important transports.

Parking management
Parking management is a powerful tool for cities to manage car use and, especially, commuting by car. Cities have several tools to manage parking, e.g., pricing, time restrictions and controlling the number of available parking spaces. Parking time restrictions for non-residents, e.g., to two hours, are a proven tool to reduce commuting by car without affecting accessibility to urban shops.

The number of parking spaces is often regulated by the local building act, demanding a certain number of parking spaces for new developments. By reducing the minimum demand and introducing a maximum level of parking spaces per living unit or shop area, the city can control the number of parking spaces available. Some cities have building regulations where location and accessibility by public transport influence the number of parking spaces allowed. Adequate pricing of urban parking lots is another important tool with similar potential to influence urban driving as congestion charging.

Information & marketing
Buying and using cars is a global business reinforced by massive commercial advertising and promo-tion budgets that refer not only to mobility issues but provide emotional life style and image appeal. Similar local marketing campaigns that provide personally tailored information about public transport, walking and cycling alternatives have been successful in reducing car use and increasing levels of public transport use. These campaigns should also use the emotional and intellectual appeal of the health and environmental benefits that walking cycling and public transport provide.

Checklist
• The objectives, targets and measures in the SUTP strengthen sustainable transport modes.
• SUTP includes objectives, targets and measures that make unsustainable transport modes less attractive.

Why
Fossil-fuelled motorised transport produces noise and air pollutants and contributes to global warming by generating greenhouse gases. The damage to eco-systems, human health and the fabric of urban areas is considerable. Urban transport accounts for 40% of total CO2 emissions and up to 70% of other pollutants from transport

How
A reduction of the noise, air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by a wide variety of programmes including road surface design, noise attenuation barriers, landscaping, air quality mapping and air quality zones, and the use of more energy-efficient vehicles and alternative fuels.

Road design - noise
The choice of surfacing materials and orientation of roads, together with adjacent landscaping, planned speed, and vehicle characteristics, will dictate the noise generated by road users. Exposure to excessive road noise can also be controlled by restricting access to noise-sensitive routes to low noise vehicles or at non-sensitive times, and by zoning land uses, segregating vehicles and residential areas and by insulating buildings.

Emissions
Air quality mapping should be used to ensure that air quality meets the legal standards. Restrictions in the use of fossil-fuelled vehicles should be imposed to deliver these standards. Support, encouragement and incentives should be given to the use of vehicles that produce zero or lower emissions as part of the programme of reducing emissions and pollution levels within legal standards.

Municipalities have a role in:
• Investing in their own zero/low emission municipality fleets (commercial/car sharing/administrative)
• Investing in zero/low emission car-sharing fleets
• Establishing partnerships to provide the infrastructure for alternative fuels
• Requiring contractors/partners to operate zero/low emission fleets
• Supporting low zero/low emission public transport fleets
• Providing incentives for zero/low emission and alternative-fuelled vehicles (tax discounts parking discounts, priority access, etc)
• Providing disincentives for use of old/polluting vehicles (restricted access/ premium parking rates/etc.)

Checklist
• Exposure to excessive noise from vehicles is minimised in the city
• Detailed restrictions are in place for motorised vehicles to deliver the required air quality within legal standards
• Objectives, targets and measures are included in the SUTP to strengthen clean and silent transport system

Why
The efficient transport of goods and products between and within urban areas is an aspect of modern society that is little understood and is rarely actively managed in urban areas. Globalisation means that many businesses are highly mobile and are moving their factories and distribution centres to locations where the logistics infrastructure and costs meet their needs. The economic vitality of urban areas depends on the existence of logistics infrastructure that is cost-effectiveness in meeting these needs, whilst conserving the environment.

Outsourcing, globalisation, internet shopping and rapidly evolving communication, technology are influencing the economic health and transport needs of urban areas. Competition between urban areas for economic investment often involves sacrificial investment by city administrations in new urban logistics infrastructure and high capacity without a full understanding of its contribution to congestion, economic prosperity, and both noise and air pollution. Congestion places a significant cost on local business and the environment.

How
The transport of goods and products represents an essential aspect of sustainable urban transport. However, both a knowledge and partnership deficit (or gap) exists in most urban areas: few administrations have the technical capacity, data or effective processes of working in partnership that allow businesses and companies to share their needs and aspirations for urban logistics. Progressive-thinking urban areas have and use these partnerships to ‘forward plan’ logistics capacity. This allows them to quantify and share the costs and benefits associated with new investments in urban logistics. In this manner, a balance can be achieved between meeting the needs of businesses and conserving the environment. The necessary plans, policies and programmes to achieve this balance will involve:
Capacity and infrastructure; e.g.
• Freight transfer and consolidation terminals, etc.)
• Modal shift (from vehicles to rail, etc.)
• New routes and facilities
Land use management
• Mixed use/single use zoning
• Storage, parking and loading zoning
• Building regulations
Regulations and enforcement
• Route regulations (route, weight, volume, road pricing, etc.)
• Time regulations (night deliveries, etc.)
• Disincentives/fines/taxes for non-sustainable logistics operations
Promotion
• Information (real-time traffic information, route/storage capacity, load zone reser-vation, etc.)
• Cooperation (between neighbouring municipalities and freight carriers, joint deliveries, shared marketing, driver training, etc.)
• Incentives/discounts for non-sustainable logistics operations

Checklist
• Freight transport industry and freight transport customers are involved in the SUTP
• All planned new logistics developments in the city are based on the results of TIAs
• Detailed incentives are used to encourage more efficient urban logistics
• Disincentives are used to improve the efficiency of urban logistics
• Objectives and targets to improve the efficiency of urban logistics are defined in the SUTP

In Bremen, the city staff works together with a delivery company on how to give operational incentives for clean vehicles. This cooperation resulted in an idea to implement an environmentally friendly loading point adjacent to the pedestrian area.

Loading activities at pedestrian areas are allowed until 11 a.m. The fleet of delivery vehicles is relatively old and polluting. “There has been an increasing demand for delivering and picking up parcels and goods at other times as well”, says Michael Glotz-Richter, Project Manager for Sustainable Mobility in the City of Bremen.

As a result, the city started to organise the planning and coordination with the various organisations. “At the time we started, the German Traffic Regulation wasn’t familiar with environmental loading zones. We needed to create a special solution for this pilot action.”

The environmental loading point is now located near the Bremen pedestrian area. It allows Courier, Express and Parcel services to have access to the city centre during the daytime for delivery and pickup services. However, the access is exclusive if the service is operated with cleaner Euro V/EEV vehicles. A high emission standard is the requirement to get to this loading point. This puts pressure on the companies to improve their vehicle fleet. Cleaner vehicles also represent an advantage in the competition between delivery companies.

The Chamber of Commerce has been supportive and actively involved in this public/private partnership cooperation. “We expect this to accelerate the renewal of the delivery vehicle fleet. It may also optimise the route management for delivery services to the city centre”, says Glotz-Richter.