NICHES+ Champion City City of Cork

Implementing Smarter Travel

NICHES+ is a Coordination Action funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for R&D, Sustainable Surface Transport

Traffic Management Centres

1

The City and NICHES+

The project

NICHES+ is a FP7 co-ordination actionaiming to network key actors activelyengaged in developing innovativeurban transport concepts and tofacilitate the co-ordination of theiractivities across Europe. The projectduration is from 2008-2011.

Cork is a NICHES+ Champion City thataims to implement a range of initiativesthat will contribute to Smarter Travel.These include real time passengerinformation (RTPI), upgrades of theexisting Urban Traffic Control (UTC)system, and softer measures designedto influence traveller behaviour. Thesemeasures are linked to the conceptMobile Travel information Services forthe Public (MTIS). This documentsummarises an implementationscenario that gives advice on how torealise the given concept in the specificcontext of the city. This also provides anexample to other cities interested in theuptake of the measure.

Traffic Congestion in Central CorkPhoto: Cork City Council

“Cork will implement a scheme toprovide real time travel informationservices for the public. This shouldmake public transport more attractiveand ensure reduced car use in the citycentre.”

Ian Winning, Senior ExecutiveEngineer, Cork City Council (TrafficDivision), Cork, Ireland

The city

Cork is Ireland’s second largest city,located in the south-west of the countrywith a population of 119,418 (270,000 inthe wider metropolitan area). It is theprincipal city and administrative centreof County Cork.

The broad economic situation in Cork isone of reduced budgets. Despite theseeconomic conditions, Cork is stillprioritising its planning objectives toprovide a smart, effective and efficienttransportation system.

Traffic control within Cork currentlycomprises a number of stand-alonedeployments. The existing UTC systemincludes signal management, whilst theJack Lynch tunnel possesses its ownmanagement which has control oversignage and CCTV in the tunnel and onapproach roads. The police have CCTVat key road junctions (for security andcrime rather than traffic surveillance)whilst the bus company has its own fleetmanagement system.

The innovative concept

Smarter Travel (ST) measures willencourage uptake of public transportand sustainable modes throughintegration of intelligent transportsystems (ITS) with a range of softermeasures including travel plans,promotions and education.Specifically, Smarter Travel will beachieved through:

Implementation of real timepassenger information (RTPI) on thebus network

Implementation of bus priority(Green Routes), and ITS on nationaland major arterial routes

Upgrade of the existing UTCincluding SCOOT, andimplementation of a commondatabase

Roll out of the National IntermodalJourney Planner (NIJP)

Further Smarter Travel measures

2

The Challenge

Geographically, Cork is a reasonablycompact city yet analysis of mode splitshows that in 2006 approximately halfof all journeys in Cork were made bycar, and only 9% were made by PublicTransport. 80% of commuting journeysinto the central area are made by car.

Cork faces a number of transportchallenges:

A congested city centre and centralbusiness district (CBD)

Excessive dependence on theprivate car

A need to prioritise public transportsystems

Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)travelling on routes adjacent to thecity centre

Cork plans to encourage Smarter Travelthrough implementation of state-of-the-art UTC, RTPI on the bus network, andthe National Intermodal JourneyPlanner. Additional measures, referredto as the Smarter Travel Initiative(STI), will provide the means by whichtravellers are encouraged to give uptheir cars in favour of more sustainablemodes including public transport, cyclingand walking.

The Challenge and the Vision

Mode Split in Cork (2006)Source: Cork City Council

The Vision

The vision and strategy of the Cork Cityregion is defined in the Cork AreaStrategic Plan (CASP, 2001-2020),whilst the Cork City Development Plan(2009-2015) provides an overall strategyfor planning and sustainabledevelopment in Cork.

The overriding goal for Cork is toenhance public transport andsustainable mode patronage byimproving their attractiveness andefficiency. The vision and objectivesare as follows:

To specify and develop the existingUTC to create a “MobilityManagement Centre”

To prioritise public transportsystems, especially the bus network

To facilitate the provision of anintegrated transport system for Cork,catering for future expansion ofpopulation and employment

To provide real mode choice

To provide high quality cycling andpedestrian facilities in the city

To introduce programmes thatinfluence changes in road userbehaviour

To enhance the quality of theenvironment and encourageemission reduction

To provide a safe, enjoyable systemfor travelling

3

The Good Examples

MTIS in Edinburgh

Context

Edinburgh’s urban traffic managementcontrol (UTMC) system includesmobility management and innovativeapplication of ITS technologies.

The implementation takes place withinthe framework of the city’s Transport2030 vision which seeks to make thetransport network:

Environmentally friendly by reducingthe impacts of transport

Healthy by promoting Active Travel,with an emphasis on walking, cyclingand public transport use

Accessible and connected toemployment, amenities and services

Smart and efficient, providingreliable journey times for people,goods and services

Part of a well planned, physicallyaccessible, sustainable city thatreduces dependency on car travel,with a public transport system andwalking and cycling conditions to beproud of

Safe, secure and comfortable

Inclusive and integrated

Customer focused and innovative

Responsibly and effectivelymaintained

History

In 2008 a new traffic control room wasopened with functionality including:

Automatic number plate recognition(ANPR)

Enhanced CCTV coverage

Strategic variable message signs(VMS) for parking and Park & Ride

Management of “interface roads”

Crash reduction cameras

Key Feature

A key feature of Edinburgh’s system is aroute and car park guidance systemlinked to a common database, enablingoperators to provide car parking statusto motorists via strategic VMS. Itcomprises 20 car park information signswithin the historic City of Edinburgh plus11 strategic message signs across theEdinburgh area.

A control suite includes:

Accident, event, incident androadwork management

Car park management

Strategic VMS control

Strategy integrator

Fault management

Asset management

Car park queue detection

(http://edinburgh.cdmf.info/public/map/map.htm)

Car Park Guidance in EdinburghPhoto: Mott MacDonald(http://www.transporttech.mottmac.com/sampleprojects/edincpgs/)

4

The Users and Implementers

The user needs

‘Users’ are those people who actuallybenefit from a transport service. In Cork,a user needs identification workshopwas held on 1st June 2010 to identifyspecific needs relating to travelinformation services:

Car users need comprehensive,and reliable trip information on carpark capacity and availability, andPark & Ride arrangements

Public Transport users needcomprehensive and reliable tripinformation, but tailored to theirspecific needs and journeys,including the mapping of bus routesand stops

Cyclists need infrastructureimprovements, including a fullymapped cycle network

Pedestrians need mapping for safeand easy access walking routes

Freight operators needcomprehensive and reliable tripinformation for suitable routeing,taking into account flexible deliverytimes, local considerations (e.g.night time only delivery windows),physical limitations of loading/unloading bays, access roads,bridges and tunnels, all based onvehicle size

Local authorities and transportoperators need comprehensive,and reliable trip information toaddress policy and planninginitiatives, operational issues,emergency service co-ordination,traffic management and enforcement

Emergency services need priorityof access to incidents andemergencies, co-operating with thelocal authorities and transportoperators, whilst retaining a degreeof autonomy in their operations

The key stakeholders forimplementation

The stakeholders in a project includethose responsible for delivery, that is,the core project team.

Stakeholders also include the targetend users and co-operation partners oroutside influencers. In Cork thefollowing groups are involved:

The core project team will overseepreparation, implementation andoperation, and includes: Local authority (traffic division)

Technical specialists

Data providers

Politicians

Emergency services

Support is provided by Co-operationpartners, namely: Transport user groups

Other transport authorities

Freight interest groups

Environmental interest groups

Health Services

Application developers

The Media are also crucial in helping topromote and market the RTPI and STinitiatives.

End user groups are important as theybenefit from the services provided andultimately define the success and justifythe investment. They include: Travelling public (private and public

Transport)

Transport operators

Emergency services

To help achieve Smarter Travel Corkwill establish geographically-basedSmarter Travel Fora to ‘takeownership’ of the programmes and beself-sustaining in the long run.

5

The key issues for implementation

Map of Cork Metropolitan AreaImage: Cork City Council

The measure implementation

Smarter Travel will be achieved in Corkthrough: Implementation of real time

passenger information (RTPI) onthe bus network

Implementation of bus priority(Green Routes), and ITS onnational and major arterial routes

Upgrade of the existing UTCincluding SCOOT, andimplementation of a commondatabase

Roll out of the National IntermodalJourney Planner (NIJP)

Further Smarter Travel measures,(the STI) which focus on raisingawareness of non-car travel optionsthrough education and promotion,and provision of enhanced facilities

Funding is available for the first fourmeasures. Cork has been required toadopt a flexible approach toimplementation based on the availabilityof funding, a challenge that is resolvedthrough a strategic step-by-stepapproach, in particular relating to theSTI measures which are subject to aseparate funding bid.

Barriers and success factors

The implementations planned for Corkare closely aligned to the NICHES+innovative concept Mobile TravelInformation Services for the Public(MTIS). MTIS focused on delivery oftravel information through staticplatforms (e.g. VMS and on-bussystems) and to personal mobiledevices such as Smartphones. At thepresent time Cork is concerned with theformer definition.

NICHES+ identified six success factorsand barriers for MTIS which relate toboth definitions. Four of the six aresuccess factors. These are:

Dedicated marketing

User friendliness

Response time of the system

Political support

The two barriers are: the problem ofscale for the service provider andbandwidth/capacity challenges.

6

The Implementable Measure

The measure justification

A study conducted as part of the ST bidsuggests the following targets can beachieved through implementation of theCork measures:

Mode switch in the metropolitan areaof 7% for single car use

Reduced journey-to-work car flowsof 40 million vehicle kilometres

Decrease in CO2 emissions of 6500tonnes over 10 years

Health benefits worth €21M over 10years

Real Time Passenger Information

RTPI is being implemented on Cork’sbus network by Cork City Council andDublin City Council. The €400K schemeis financed by the National TransportAuthority (NTA).

The scheme delivers in-vehicle mobiledata terminals (MDT), mini-controllersfor plasma screens, LED displays,software installation, and wirelesscommunication ports. Overall, RTPIprovides:

Essential information for users

Enhanced operational efficiencies

Potential for future improved servicedelivery to mobile devices

UTC Upgrade and Green Routes

The existing SCOOT system is beingupgraded to incorporate bus priority(Green Routes) on the Ballincolligcorridor and a common database byCork City Council, Peek Traffic andTraffic Solutions. The €263K scheme isfinanced by the Department ofTransport.

Taken together with the RTPI theseinitiatives will improve bus operation andservice delivery, leading to increaseduptake and enhanced economic activity.

National Intermodal Journey Planner

The NIJP is being developed andfunded by the NTA. It will providetransport users with a door-to-doorjourney planning service coveringbuses, trains, trams, ferries, flights,taxis, park & ride, and cycles. Theservices will be appropriate for peoplewith special needs. Cork City Councilwill facilitate the roll-out as appropriate.

Smarter Travel Initiative

The Smarter Travel Initiative bid wassubmitted to the Department ofTransport and is worth €15m over 5years. Its main focus is travellerbehaviour.

The STI includes:

Improved infrastructure forpedestrians, cyclists and bus users

Travel plans for workplaces andschools

Lift share schemes

The STI targets the city centre as aworkplace, three radial corridors forhousehold and school travel, and thepromotion and marketing of sustainabletravel modes in the metropolitan area.

Overall, a Benefit-Cost Ratio ofapproximately 3:1 is forecast for thescheme.

7

The Implementable Measure

The finances

Cork’s implementation of the describedinitiatives, and involvement in theNICHES+ project, comes at a time ofreduced funding from centralgovernment and developers, reducedplanning income, restrictions onrecruitment, and the redefining ofpriorities by the City Council in the faceof adverse economic conditions.

Despite this, funding is available for theUTC upgrade, the common database,the RTPI and the NIJP. Funding is notyet available for the Smarter TravelInitiative measures. These aredependent on the National Competitionbudget of €50M remaining in place andCork winning its share.

Cork Smarter Travel Areas and ThemesImage: Cork City Council

The long-term perspective

Long-term sustainability of SmarterTravel in Cork will involve themonitoring and evaluation of anumber of criteria including themeasurable benefits identified on theprevious page and the following widerbenefits:

Improved ‘quality of life’ andpersonal health benefits

Better access to importantdestinations

Improved end-to-end journeyexperience

Greater satisfaction with publictransport

Improved personal well-being andwork-life balance

Future ambitions include:

Further integration of emergencyservices/ incident management, railand air modes

Delivery of ‘Mobility Management onthe Move’ to new generations ofmobile devices.

Cork Park and RideImage: Cork City Council

The timing

The wider programme of the STI workcomprises a number of activities,scheduled over a period of 5 years. Thepreparation phase is approximately 2years, with a further year forimplementation before a full rollout ofoperations can begin.

8Airport Corridor Bus Park & Ride

Image: Cork City Council

The Lessons Learnt

Cork, along with most other Europeancities, currently finds itself in a difficultposition due to uncertain economicconditions.

Bringing Smarter Travel to Cork shouldbe relatively easy provided capitalfunding from central government isforthcoming for the STI component.

The city’s step-by-step approachtowards an integrated package ofmeasures can be seen as representinga possible approach for other adoptingcities, although it is important to beaware of, and give full consideration to,a range of funding options.

Stakeholder involvement in Cork iswell organised. Users are wellrepresented through the Smarter TravelFora, while many of the stakeholdersare represented on the core projectteam or as co-operation partners.

Check list

The following check-list summarises keyaspects for implementing MTIS orcomponents of such systems. It advisesthe reader whether the concept issuitable in their own context.

Check list

City size Citywide, but should be compatiblewith any nationwide scheme (e.g. theNIJP)

Keyconditionsfor imple-mentation

Understanding of end userneeds and requirements

A viable business model Identification of appropriate

technologies and outputs Strong political support

Resources Economic conditions have led touncertainty in terms of funding allcomponents. This requires a step-by-step approach to implementation asfunding becomes available, within anoverall long-term strategic framework

Implemen-tation time

2-3 years between planning andsystem implementation. In the caseof the STI a 5 year timescale is setout

Stake-holdersinvolved

Local authorities andGovernment departments

Public transport operators Technology suppliers (e.g.

network operators, computerspecialists)

Passenger groups Data owners Emergency services

Undesirablesecondaryeffects

None identified

NICHES+ is a Coordination Action funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for R&D, Sustainable Surface Transport

This document has been prepared by the authors in the framework of a project funded by the European Commission,

DG Research. It does however not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

For further details on how to implement MTIS please see the NICHES+ Guidelines for implementers (available from www.niches-transport.org).

The more detailed full version of the Implementation Scenario for Smarter

the NICHES+ website.

Photo on title page Airport Corridor Bus Park & Ride: Cork City Council Traffic Management Centre: QinetiQ

Prepared for the European Commission by : Gareth EVANS and Simon EDWARDS, Newcastle UniversityMarch 2011 simon.edwards@ncl.ac.uk

Co-author and contact in the Champion CityIan Winning, Senior Executive Engineer, Cork City CouncilIan_winning@corkcity.ie

Martin Murtagh, Traffic Engineer, Cork City Council

NICHES+ team POLIS (coordinator, Ivo Cré: icre@polis-online.org), Rupprecht Consult, Newcastle University, University of Southampton, EUROCITIES, Transman

Further information on NICHES+ www.niches-transport.org www.osmose-os.org

GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTERS OF

Mobile Travel Information Services for the Public

Traf c Management Centres

NICHES+ is a Coordination Action funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for R&D, Sustainable Surface Transport

21582_policynotesWG3_2.indd 1 2/06/10 9:24:49

Travel in Cork is also available on