NICHES+: Helping European cities to implement urban

transport innovationOasis First International Conference, Firenze, 4-5

November 2009

NICHES+ Facts

• Coordination Action funded under the 7th Framework Programme – DG Research

• Midterm of the 3 years (2008-2011)• Coordinator: Polis• 6 partners: Rupprecht Consult, Eurocities, Newcastle

University, Transman, University of Southampton

• 7 Champion cities

Principal Aims

• Networking opportunities: stimulate exchange between a wide range of urban transport stakeholders from all over Europe

• Publishing effective guidance for cities: brochuresincluding key information on how to successfully

implement the selected urban transport innovations• Spreading the word: European and national events to

effectively disseminate the project results and to encourage uptake of the twelve innovative concepts• Working with cities on the ground: resources and support

for 7 champion cities, helping them to develop concrete implementation plans for NICHES+ concepts

5 Working Steps

During the 3 year duration of the project NICHES+ will follow 5 successive steps to meet its goal:

1. Selection of champion cities & innovative concepts2. Identification of needs and expectations of potential

users and implementers, stakeholder analysis3. Reviewing the transferability of innovative concepts,

transferability analysis4. Research and policy recommendations5. Implementation scenarios and preparation of take-up

Approach

Coordination

Commission

Involvement

Recommendations, Guidelines, OSMOSE, Reports, Publications

good practice

WP 5 Implementation Scenarios and Preparation of Take Up

WP 6 Dissemination and Exploitation

WP 3 Reviewing the Transferability of Innovative Concepts

WP 4 Research and Policy Recommendations

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4 Thematic areas

1. Innovative concepts to enhance accessibility

2. Concepts for efficient planning and use of infrastructures and interchanges

3. Traffic Management Centres

4. Automated and space efficient transport systems

3 concepts for enhanced accessibility

• Concept 1.1.: Travel training for public transport

• Concept 1.2.: Neighbourhood accessibility planning

• Concept 1.3.: Tailored traveller information for users with reduced mobility

• This presentation will further focus on concept 1.1.

Enhanced accessibility

Internet info: travelling without barriers

Munich: Neighbourhood accessibility planning with citizen participation

Salzburg: Training for older passengers

Stakeholder analysis for innovative concepts to enhance mobility

• Critical success factors to make transport innovation a success: – Sound understanding of user needs– Understanding of the right project team– Definition of stakeholder involvement

Key target groups of users of travel training for public transport

• School children. In many places children do not learn how to use public transport from their parents. Frequently they are taken to school by car. Travel training can help them to become independent users of public transport and also has an important marketing element.

• People with learning difficulties need individualised buddying that responds to their situation and helps them to use certain public transport services or the whole network independently. This includes children, teenagers and adults.

• Disabled users. A very heterogeneous group, which includes for example people with physical disabilities, reduced sensorial abilities, cognitive disabilities or mental impairments. It also concerns people with newly acquired disabilities (e.g. after an accident.) This requires a range of tailored approaches.

• Older people who do not know how to use public transport and/or do not feel safe. This is a heterogeneous group. It includes the younger old 55+ up to very old users 80+.

Needs and expectations of older people towards travel training for public transport

Target groups of users

Needs and expectations How to respond?

Older people Acquiring knowledge and confidence on how to use the bus

Tailored training schemes covering all relevant aspects (e.g. standing safely, ticketing, info, communication)

Knowing who to talk to in case of problems

Approachable bus drivers and special contact person in customer service

Feeling personally safe (e.g. concerning bullying, crime)

Instructions on how to behave in case that something happens and addressing irrational fears

Social contacts at travel training

Providing nice atmosphere and sufficient time for social part

Stakeholders Conceptual/ planning phase Implementation/ demonstration

Full scale operation

: :: :::

Interest groups (core project team)

Pushing the travel training concept, role in designing training concept, contact to users and input on user needs.

Getting trainees on board first and carrying out first trainings, collecting feedback.

Being part of training staff, lobbying for continued funding, support in evaluation, communication with users.

Transport operators and associations(core project team)

In first phase may still need to be convinced of added value of travel training. Once on board important partner to designing training concept and providing necessary resources.

Provision of funding and vehicles if needed. Carrying out first trainings. Press releases, media contacts.

Continued funding and involvement in training activities. Fine-tuning of concept and contact to customers.

Local authority(core project team)

Possible role in actor coordinating, pushing for initiatives.

Less pronounced role, provision of funding.

Political support and continued funding.

Chaning roles of stakeholders for implementation over time

Transferability analysis

• Complex task with these objectives: – To show how the selected NICHES+

Innovation Concepts could be implemented successfully in other ‘cities’ in order to encourage the transfer of good practice.

– To assess whether the success of an Innovative Concept is dependent on any particular conditions, and whether the success achieved and the lessons learnt in one ‘city’ can be transferred to other ‘cities’.

Methodology for transferability assessment

1. Clarify the impacts and measures of success of the Innovative Concept

2. Identify if up-scaling is required and take into account subsequently as appropriate

3. Identify the main components of the Innovative Concept and its context relevant to transferability (examples of components include ‘strategies and policies’, ‘finances’, ‘stakeholders’ etc)

4. Identify the main characteristics of each component and their level of existence/achievement in the current context Assess the likely ease or difficulty in achieving the necessary level of the characteristic in a receiving city

5. Consider the set of values across the characteristics and assess the likely potential for transferability and any conditions that may be required.

Transferability barriers and success factors for travel training

• Minor • Significant • Major Importance

Continuous Accessible infrastructure (SF)

Demographic development (SF)

Improved image of PT (SF)

• Involvement of public transport company (and organisers, e.g. Public transport

executives) (SF)• Dedicated team (SF)

• Close cooperation of operator and NGO (SF)

Planning phase Start small and build step by step (SF)

Initial cash injection (SF)

User experience of others (SF)

• Close cooperation with NGO (SF)

Implementation phase

• Communication• Information- Brochure- Personal contactbuild confidence (SF)Budget: time + money (SF)

Operation phase Training for bus drivers (SF/B)

Addressing the target group with tailored approach (SF)

Personal touch in delivery (SF)

• Communication• Information

- Brochure- Personal contact

• build confidence (SF)

Evaluation phase Reduced accidents , increased safety (SF)

Reduced car use (SF)

Feedback from clients and other significant stakeholders (SF)

Testing transferability in practice with NICHES+ Champion Cities

• Artois-Gohelle• Burgos• Cork• Daventry• Worcestershire• Trondheim• Skopje

Artois-Gohelle: Accessibility

• Currently poor accessibility of public transport network• Marginalised parts of population that rely on PT• Strong car use in region, only 3.5% PT in modal split• Key driver to become active: Obligation to make PT

accessibility by 2015 through French Accessibility Act SMT’s accessibility scheme ready for adoption

• Fragmented responsibilities as barrier to achieve full accessibility (incl. neighbourhood accessibility)

• Need to lobby among decision makers (especially local authorities) to address accessibility topic

Challenges

Establish accessible bus stops in urban renewal areas

Deal with strong car use and car dependent structures

Artois-Gohelle: Vision & Objectives

• Remove accessibility barriers in bus network and plan new tram line in a way that ensures “accessibility for all”

• Consider whole “seamless” travel chain• Adapting infrastructure and soft measures to remove

psychological barriers• Foster participatory processes • Facilitate stakeholder cooperation and remove

institutional barriers• Concrete targets set for year 2015 (accessibility

scheme)• Guidance document for local authorities on

neighbourhood accessibility planned

Artois-Gohelle: Focus of work in NICHES+

• Travel training for public transport– Target group older people – Designing first travel training scheme

• Neighbourhood accessibility– Accessibility to bus stops, cooperation with

1-3 “communes” (access towards the bus stops)– Innovative participatory approaches– Guidance for local authorities– Consideration in plans for new tramway

• Raise awareness for accessibility topic– National seminar (supported by POLIS)

Conclusions

NICHES+ has put effort in better understanding 3 innovative concepts in the field of accessibility for all. The analysis of these concepts relate to the stakeholder structures and transferability components and characteristics.

Regarding the transferability potential of the accessibility concepts, the following can be concluded:

• Positive impact and measuring success: All three concepts provide a range of positive impacts from the level of the individual user (e.g. more self-confidence for PT users) to the level of societal benefits (e.g. quality of public space, environment). It is in many cases difficult to measure the concrete impact quantitatively.

• Political factors: All three concepts build on the interest and motivation of stakeholders involved in implementation. The positive perception of and image gain for public transport operators or public administration is a success factor. Support from politicians or back up through political strategies can be a key factor.

• Economic factors: Travel training is a cost efficient measure requiring comparably little resources, but a constant funding stream to keep activities alive.

Conclusions ctd.

• Social: All three concepts respond to the user or affected citizen with tailored approaches. Considering the individual needs of certain groups is a success factor for the implementation process. Ideally there is a “personal touch” in the communication with users who are directly involved in the process.

• Technological/ organizational: Good project management, the use of adequate tools and methodologies and the involvement of the right expertise are crucial.

• Environmental: All three concepts can reduce the negative impact of transport on the environment, although this is not the prime motivator, which is social inclusion.

• Transferability: All three concepts appear transferable to other places. Perhaps easiest to transfer is the travel training concept, which can be implemented with comparatively little resources and a small dedicated team. Taking account of experiences in forerunner cities is highly recommended.

Project Websites

www.niches-transport.org

www.osmose-os.org

Contact Info

POLIS

• Ivo Cré– icre@polis-online.org– Phone: +32 2 5005676

• Karen Vancluysen– kvancluysen@polis-online.org– Phone: +32 2 5005675