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The need for a new generation of interchanges

Posted: 11 November 2013 | Gabriela Barrera, Finance & Project Manager, Polis and Frank van der Hoeven Director of Research and Associate, Professor of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft | No comments yet

Interchanges play a key role in the integration of the urban mobility system and in enabling good intermodal solutions. Their efficiency is therefore essential to achieve sustainable transport objectives in Europe. The European co-funded project NODES1-4 (New Tools for Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges) will develop a toolbox to allow practitioners to assess and benchmark their new or upgraded interchange and to improve its performance.

NODES is a collaborative research project cofunded by the Seventh Framework Programme. It has a three year duration (start date 1 October 2012) and brings together 17 partners representing local government administrations, public transport operators, research centres and consultants and European associations.
So far…

How would passenger intermodality ideally look like in 2020?

Interchanges play a key role in the integration of the urban mobility system and in enabling good intermodal solutions. Their efficiency is therefore essential to achieve sustainable transport objectives in Europe. The European co-funded project NODES1-4 (New Tools for Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges) will develop a toolbox to allow practitioners to assess and benchmark their new or upgraded interchange and to improve its performance. NODES is a collaborative research project cofunded by the Seventh Framework Programme. It has a three year duration (start date 1 October 2012) and brings together 17 partners representing local government administrations, public transport operators, research centres and consultants and European associations. So far… How would passenger intermodality ideally look like in 2020?

Interchanges play a key role in the integration of the urban mobility system and in enabling good intermodal solutions. Their efficiency is therefore essential to achieve sustainable transport objectives in Europe. The European co-funded project NODES1-4 (New Tools for Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges) will develop a toolbox to allow practitioners to assess and benchmark their new or upgraded interchange and to improve its performance.

NODES is a collaborative research project cofunded by the Seventh Framework Programme. It has a three year duration (start date 1 October 2012) and brings together 17 partners representing local government administrations, public transport operators, research centres and consultants and European associations.

So far…

How would passenger intermodality ideally look like in 2020?

And what will be the role of intermodal interchanges then? These are some of the questions that have been discussed during the first year of NODES, so future user needs and system requirements could be defined. In addition, 18 EU co-financed research projects, 10 policy frameworks and design guidelines and over 30 best practices have been analysed within the NODES ‘State of the Art’. The aim was to identify possible interchange typologies, criteria and performance indicators for well-functioning public transport inter – changes. This information and first results serve as input to the NODES Toolbox, a catalogue of integrated planning, design and management tools, based on the most advanced practices in urban and other related transport sectors.

The NODES Toolbox will help European cities, transport authorities and operators in the design and operation of new or upgraded interchanges. It will also help to improve travellers and users’ experiences at interchanges across Europe, while supporting societal and economic actors that depend on the efficiency of interchanges. Within the project, the following five key areas are considered:

  • Strategies for integrated land use planning with urban passenger infrastructure planning (land use and infrastructure)
  • Innovative approaches relating to the design of new or upgraded efficient transport interchanges (design)
  • Intermodal operations and information provision (intermodality and ICT)
  • Management and business models: the interchange as a business case for the local economy and itself (management and business models)
  • Energy efficient and environmentally-friendly interchanges (energy and environment).

The NODES tools and methodologies will be validated in nine European reference sites engaged in substantial development and upgrading activities of interchanges: Reading (UK), Birmingham (UK), Rouen (FR), Toulouse (FR), Osnabrück (DE), Budapest (HU), Rome (IT), Thessaloniki (EL) and the stations of Rotterdam, Utrecht and ‘s-Hertogenbosch, all considered as one NODES site in The Netherlands.

The vision for intermodality

Towards the interchanges of the future: where do we stand and which way to go?

The intermodal network of the future delivers seamless intermodality. It also provides flexible, reliable and secure connections within a true polycentric multimodal network. Environmentally-friendly and shared modes are connected and ICT services support the network. The user is informed and can travel independently, enjoying a high-quality user experience.

This was the scenario described by 43 end users, local authorities, researches, operators and service providers interviewed within NODES to define a vision for intermodality in 2020. Within this vision, the interchanges’ role goes beyond a pure transport function, becoming a driver of urban development and the centre of different activities. Larger interchanges can be seen as ‘cities within cities’ combining multiple functions, while smaller interchanges will gain importance due to land availability and network development. Furthermore, transport networks are expected to have more interchanges and be more dependent on their performance, simplifying in this way the complexity of the public transport system.

But what we have learnt up to now from the different research projects, policy frameworks and guidelines dealing with European inter – changes? According to the analysis conducted in the NODES ‘State of the Art’, the available documentation provides an impressive overview of ideas and insights on typologies, criteria and indicators for the design, planning and management of public transport interchanges. There is a general consensus on the need to provide easy way finding, barrier-free access and smooth connections between modes. However, most of the projects, policy framework and guidelines revised focus mainly on two of the NODES areas: information and intermodality. On the other hand, the energy-efficiency and environmental-friendliness theme has almost not been covered.

Another interesting result from the NODES ‘State of the Art’ are the different approaches found in relation to interchange typologies. These focus on train station, on spatial development, or on bus interchanges. An integral approach that addresses location, network and users, while covering the full range of interchanges from on-street bus interchanges to high-speed train transport hubs is missing.

Therefore, NODES is currently defining a typology classification that covers the wide range of interchanges found in Europe. It also has defined performance criteria which are now being clustered into performance indicators, and the NODES reference sites have indicated if the required data for these indi – cators is widely available. All these elements are supporting the development of the NODES Toolbox.

The five NODES areas in the nine NODES sites

Within NODES, different tools and guidelines for each of its five areas are being identified and developed. These tools will be tested and validated in the nine NODES sites in terms of their efficiency, providing a feedback loop for their improvement. The evaluation of the tools applicability will enable their review before their exploitation towards a larger group of cities in Europe. All tools will be validated in at least two of the NODES sites:

Land use and infrastructure

The tools in this topic will allow to set the outline of future urban developments, identify avail – able land use and alternative locations, and the possibilities for growth and expansion. NODES validation sites include: Reading; Budapest; Birmingham; and Thessaloniki.

Design

Connect ‘people to the places’ will be the common element of the tools in this area. For this, four main dimensions will be considered: architectural and functional design; the provision of accessible and efficient journeys; high quality user experience; and a connected and integrated system. NODES validation sites include: Toulouse; Reading; The Netherlands; Budapest; and Birmingham.

Intermodality and ICT

This theme includes solutions related to soft modes, information to passengers, as well as the use of management information and decision tools for operators and managers, allowing a coordinated service offer. NODES validation sites include: Budapest; Birmingham; Thessaloniki; Rome; Rouen; and Osnabrück.

Management and business models

Transport interchanges generally involve a multiplicity of stakeholders like transport operators, land owners, real estate managers, retail shops, etc. Therefore, a number of business models internal to the interchange and in the developed property around the interchange will be considered. NODES validation sites include: Toulouse; The Netherlands; and Thessaloniki.

Energy and environment

Tools dealing with planning, design, construction, upgrading and management of interchanges will be taken into account. Also solutions dealing with inclusion of alternative modes such as car sharing, carpooling, and soft modes will be considered, together with those related to the electrification of transport and the energy efficiency and environmental perform ance of the interchange itself. NODES validation sites include: Reading and Osnabrück.

By the end of 2013, at least 100 tools will be identified and developed across the five NODES areas. The NODES sites have also defined the activities they will carry out in each of its interchanges considering the first project results.

A NODES example on energy efficient and environmentally-friendly interchanges

Taking into account the total environmental footprint of the interchange was one of the most important aspects that the stakeholders interviewed during the first year of NODES. Specific design principles such as use of daylight, local energy production and material use can reduce this footprint. The NODES Toolbox is considering innovative design solutions in this sense, including examples from the NODES sites themselves such as the ‘Centro Sustainable Design Guide for Public Transport Building and Infrastructure’.

The Centro Sustainable Design Guide has been identified as a reference document within the NODES ‘State of the Art’ analysis. Centro is the West Midlands (UK) Integrated Transport Authority and worked together with external consultants (Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.) to develop this guide issued in 2011. Their aim is to assist Centro Officers in the procurement, design and construction of public transport infrastructure in the region. For this purpose, a number of sustainable design initiatives and measures that are applicable to a range of different Centro projects have been set. These initiatives are accompanied by an evaluation method to aid project teams during the design decision-making process. In addition, the document also references activities taking place during construction and operational phases, raising awareness on sustainability through the project life-cycle. Centro’s Sustainable Design Guide is aligned with the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and CEEQUAL assessment methods (Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme). Furthermore, it defines a number of sustainability topic areas of particular relevance to the design and delivery of Centro’s public transport infrastructure: energy management; climate change; water management; materials; waste management; and biodiversity. These topic areas have been considered in NODES as criteria and indicators that could be taken into account.

References

  1. Website: www.nodes-interchanges.eu
  2. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Nodestransport
  3. Twitter: @transportnodes
  4. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/Transport-Nodes-4961661

Biography

Gabriela Barrera works for Polis, the network of local and regional authorities for more sustainable transport. She is mostly involved in urban freight topics and participates in several European projects focusing on city logistics and cleaner vehicles, ITS and local authorities policies. Since 2012, Gabriela has also been coordinating the dissemination and transfer activities of NODES.

Frank van der Hoeven is Director of Research and Associ – ate Professor of Urban Design at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at the TU Delft. Topics that he is involved in include: under – ground space; multi-functional landuse; sustainable mobility; high-rise urban develop – ment; greenhouse horticulture; climate change; urban heat islands; and remote sensing.

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