Policy Archive - Page 2 of 3 - mib | Mobility Institute Berlin

Madrid Better Life in Metropolis

Written on April 22, 2021.

Madrid? We think it’s great! Not only because we have an office here, but also because the city is actively promoting sustainable mobility and improving the quality of life for all residents. Madrid is the most populous city in Southern Europe, enduring millions of daily trips. Yet 42% of citizens use public transport, as Madrid has a 293-km metro and a 370-km commuter rail network connecting the metropolitan region to the capital. However, 29% of people still use their car. Now the city wants to further try to convince car drivers that public transport and active mobility are worthwhile. How? With the help of the SUMP ? Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS in Spanish). Its goal is to create an enjoyable urban space, despite being a huge metropolis. Among the 95 measures envisaged are the improvement of the bike lane network and of accessibility to public transport stops, as well as the creation of bus-only lanes to give priority to public transport in traffic. The use of cars is expected to drop to 23%, leading to a reduction of 135,000 tons in CO2 emissions. Pointing out gaps and improving is always possible. And Madrid is successfully doing this.

Houten Cyclists City

Written on April 22, 2021.

A small town where having a car is not worthwhile at all has not been a utopia since the 1960s. Surprised? Yes, we are too, but it is true. Dutch small town Houten serves as a unique example of livable city with an absolute priority for bicycles over cars on all roads. As early as 1968, architect Rob Derks developed a growth plan for Houten that consisted of a road network for cyclists and limited access for cars to the city center. The basic layout of the city is built around two train stations, each surrounded by a ring road. The rest of the city is served by a 129-km network of bicycle paths. Only in residential areas do bicycles share the roads with cars, but the speed limit applies everywhere, because safety is extremely important: there have been no fatal bicycle accidents in Houten for 40 years. Public transport connects Houten with Utrecht, among other places, easily and quickly, without the need for a car. However, 50% of the residents own a car despite the excellent bike infrastructure. The researchers suspect that this may be due to the fact that parking in the city is quite cheap.

Vienna Gender Mainstreaming

Written on April 22, 2021.

What does it mean to feel included in a city? Safety, enough space in public transport without unpleasant contact, long green traffic lights phases without stress. And what does it mean for a woman? To feel that the city belongs to women as much as to men. Initiatives to make the city more inclusive for women have their origin in Vienna in the 1990s. The occasion was the survey on how and why people move around the city: Men often moved to and from work and women had (and have) to do more journeys – for work, shopping, caring for children and older relatives? The survey prompted the Viennese administration to turn their attention onto the transformation of the city, focusing on accessibility, safety, and integration. The concept of Gender Mainstreaming was developed, whose goal is to achieve gender equality with the help of equal structures and baselines. The first adjustments took place in the district of Mariahilf in Vienna. In Mariahilf, street lighting was improved, and sidewalks were extended. Pedestrian-friendly traffic lights and benches, as well as footbridges were installed. Since the 1990s, Vienna has implemented about 60 gender-sensitive pilot projects. This was a great start to a movement that still has a lot of work ahead in achieving equality in urban space.

Flaner-Friendly Ottensen

Written on April 22, 2021.

Flaner is an French word dating back to the 19th century, which is used as a synonym for a relaxed stroll. Strolling involves people and the urban space, which becomes an area of observation and recreation. Now we live in the 21st century, where streets in big cities tend to belong less to people and more to cars. To make urban space flaner-friendly, the traffic project “Ottensen macht Platz” was launched in 2019 as a test version. Five streets of the Ottensen district in Hamburg were closed to motorized traffic (except delivery traffic). Ottensen is known as Little Paris in Hamburg because of its alleys and lovely cafes and it has turned into a little paradise for people who want to flaner and enjoy public space. In 2020 the city council agreed to permanently transforming some parts of Ottensen into limited-car-access neighborhoods. Residents could decide what free space could be used for. Many voted for trees, street furniture and bicycle parking spaces. After the end of the project rehearsal period, a survey was conducted among residents: about 70% of residents feel safer and rate the results as positive for all road users. However, the project will continue to be implemented only from April 2021 because of Corona. Flaner is in again!

Car-Free Friedrichstrasse

Written on April 22, 2021.

Berlin has dared to take this big step: Friedrichstrasse between Französischer Strasse and Leipziger Strasse is now a car-free zone, at least until the end of the year 2020. We took a look at the project on-site and are convinced that it can serve as a model for further projects of this kind. Our first impression: children playing, plenty of seats for well-filled cafes, people strolling around with sufficient safety distance and a lot of new trees. Things that one would not have expected to see in Friedrichstra?e before. Car-free shopping streets often get a headwind from local businesses. This would not hold up here: Improved urban space quality attracts many curious people and promises more demand for stores. It’s also well connected by public transport, or bicycle. We hope for further car-free streets, like Kudamm, unter den Linden or Sch?nhauser Stra?e. Berlin needs more of these courageous ventures and smart implementation projects.

Brussels-Capital Region. Good Move Plan

Written on February 22, 2021.

“Brussels will change in the next ten years. And we will do it together”, says Elke van den Brandt, Minister for Mobility, Public Works and Transport Safety at the Brussels-Capital Region. #Cohesion, a clear #strategy, and a desire for #change are the building blocks of the visionary #mobility transformation that is becoming a reality in Brussels. The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (#SUMP) is well known as “Good Move Plan” and was developed after an extensive consultation process. This involved consulting Brussels’ 19 municipalities and hundreds of experts, organizations and associations. The central goal of the plan is to improve the quality of life of residents and transform the region into a livable #ecosystem. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% and achieve zero traffic fatalities by 2030. To make this real, the local government will create 130,000 sqm of additional meeting spaces, 50 quiet neighborhoods, they will reduce the speed limit to 30km/h by 2021, and increase the number of pedestrian zones and multimodal options. In February 2020, Brussels received the 8th SUMP Award. The jury was impressed by the amount of involved experts and organisations supporting the project.

France Cyclic Kilometric Allowance

Written on February 22, 2021.

Imagine that you could get 200€ for cycling to work.You would not only help reducing CO2 emissions but also feel energized and cheerful when you arrive at the office. 200€ could mean buying 15 new books or a comfortable chair for your homeoffice or maybe a daylight alarm clock to nicely wake up on winter mornings. To improve air quality and reduce car use in cities, France launched a transport initiative in 2017 that promotes active mobility in cities. The concept is very simple: those who use their bikes to get to work receive 0.25€ per kilometer and up to 200€ annually. The voluntary program entitles employees to an annual subsidy of up to 200€, which is exempted from taxes. The subsidy for each cyclist is calculated based on the most direct route from home to work. Multimodality is encouraged: Employees are reimbursed for their public transport tickets if they need to cycle to a bus stop. After one year, the share of cycling among employees in participating companies increased to 125%. A larger number of participants now cycle 3-4 times a week, while the number of daily bicycle-users has doubled. So, office chair or daylight alarm clock?

Pontevedra: Europe´s Safest Roads

Written on February 22, 2021.

In 2019, Pontevedra was awarded the first-ever road safety Award by the European Commission. In 1999, Pontevedra set the goal of reducing the number of traffic fatalities and has developed measures that go hand in hand with safety and sustainability. These include a car-free city centre, reduction of speed limits to 10-30 km/h and more publicspace for pedestrians. And the result? Between 2011 and 2018, Pontevedra reduced the number of traffic fatalities to zero. The number of pedestrians and cyclists has increased. 80% of children aged 6 to 12 walk to school in Pontevedra by themselves. This is what we call safe and sustainable mobility.

Mexico-City Makes You Fit!

Written on February 22, 2021.

For those who want to get moving and burn some calories – Mexico-City has an idea! In 2015, Mexico City offered free metro tickets to people who completed 10 squats – a wonderful motivation to get some exercise in everyday life. The devices counted the number of calories burned while exercising and displayed tips for a healthy lifestyle. The concept motivates people to do more sport and shows the importance of exercise in everyday life.

Netherlands Speed Limit

Written on February 22, 2021.

In October 2020, a majority of the Netherlands House of Representatives approved a plan to reduce speed in built-up areas. A new standard of 30km/h instead of 50km/h should reduce the number of accidents and traffic fatalities. Lowering speed limits not only saves lives, but also helps to slow down climate change. Lower speeds increase fuel efficiency which results in less pollution. But it’s not only about slowing down car traffic in cities. By making roads safe, cycling and walking will become more attractive. In the coming years, other cities such as Paris and Bilbao also aim to reduce speed limit in build-up areas to 30km/h.