Case Study: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Living Street Day (Dan zivih ulic) - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana's involvement in sustainable mobility is growing. The main objectives of Ljubljana's transport policy are to:

• increase the use of "green" modes of transport,
• re-allocate road-space,
• reduce pollution.

The Municipality has drawn up a Traffic Plan and a Mobility Plan for the city and is working to improve the pedestrian and cycle networks, by extending the cycle network and providing additional cycle racks at important locations. It has also closed the old city centre to motor vehicles on weekends and promotes intermodality (P&R, B&R). A further extention of parking regulations to outer city districts is to be implemented. Public transport is also being promoted: a leaflet has been published containing full information on public transport - timetables, on-street and garage parking (with a map and tariffs), Park and Ride facilities and bicycle racks. The City of Ljubljana regularly participates in sustainable urban mobility campaigns or initiatives such as the "In town without my car!" campaign (involving all citizens), the "Safe Walk to School" programme (for year 1 school children), the "Cycling Licence" programme (for children under the age of 14) and checks on cycle equipment. The "In town without my car!" Day provides an opportunity for making citizens aware of air pollution and for promoting sustainable modes of transport. During the Car Free Day (every year), flower pots are put on a total of 300 parking places (approx. 10% of all city center parking places) from 8 am until 6 pm. This is aimed to encourage drivers not to drive and park in the city centre. Drivers are encouraged not to park cars in the street parking places of their own free will, and some thought to other ways of commuting and going into the city centre are given to them.

Target groups:

Case Study - Lueneburg, Germany

Bicycle station - Lueneburg, Germany

An ever increasing number of commuters to Hamburg, insufficient bicycle parking facilities near the railway station (with the result that the station became the place with the highest bicycle theft rate in the city) and the declared intention to promote sustainable modes of transport in the city's transport development plan of 1990 induced the local authority to build a bicycle station right next to the train station premises. Due to the 650 bicycles parked at this location as ascertained in the framework of a census, the new bicycle station was built with a capacity for 965 bicycles on two levels which can be accessed via ramps. There is a bicycle shop with workshop from where the bicycle station is kept under surveillance. The bicycle station is run by a bicycle trader from Lueneburg, who also offers bicycle hiring and hands out information like city maps, etc. The bicycle shop and the lower parking deck are opened Mondays to Fridays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m, and on weekends from 7.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The upper parking deck is open all night so that people coming home late can still pick up their bike. Building the bicycle station took 11 months. It opened up in April 1997. An opening party was held in June 1997.

Case Study: Valencia, Spain

ECOBUS - Valencia, Spain

The Ecobús project aims to set up a collection and recycling system for used vegetable oils from both the food industry and citizens' homes, and convert these oils into ecodiesel for use in the municipal bus company fleet. The fuel used will consist of 70% diesel and 30% ecodiesel.

In the medium-term, the project also includes the construction of a processing plant where the oil will be cleaned, filtered and dried.

At first, used oil will be collected only from bars, hotels and restaurants, where large amounts of oil are used in the same place. Later on, used oil will also be collected in private homes around the city.

The co-operative entities will be identified with a sticker saying they are contributing to the responsible collection of used oils. They will be provided with containers which will be collected periodically (weekly or monthly).

The used oils will then be processed in a specialised plant through chemical treatment to produce biodiesel.

This project is being run within the framework of the "Valencia Innova" programme, which was set up by the Board of Institutional Relations of Valencia Council in 1999: a line of work encompassing the challenge of developing innovation projects in the area of urban management through the constant quest for new technological solutions.

The project is cofinanced by the European Union with funds allocated to the LIFE Environment Programme.

Case Study: Ireland

Green-Schools Travel, Ireland

Summary

An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland administers the Green-School's programme in Ireland on behalf of FEE. Green-Schools is currently running a Travel Pilot Programme funded by the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) in partnership with six Local Authorities. Green-Schools is working with a total of twenty nine schools in the Greater Dublin Area (Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow) from September 2005 to August 2007 to promote sustainable modes of transport on the journey to school. This represents approximately 10,400 children and 545 teachers.

Green-Schools focuses on empowering students, teachers and parents to take action and play a part in decision making through the structure of a Green-Schools Committee. In this way schools will decide the most appropriate way to reduce their car dependency over the two year period. To date schools have chosen to run a number of initiatives and competitions which have worked successfully internationally. The most popular idea is Walk On Wednesday (WOW) which is a UK campaign aimed at promoting walking to school once a week. Schools have also successfully organised a number of walking buses, Golden Boot Awards1, Green Tree schemes2, travel surveys and mapping exercises to promote car pooling. Seven schools have also successfully applied for funding for cycle parking due to an increased need for parking as a result of the pilot programme.

It is hoped that the project will be launched nationally in August 2007 once the twenty nine schools have shown a level of success which is sustainable.

Results

Results have not been collated to date. It is hoped Green-Schools Travel will achieve fundamental behavioural change which is turn will result in a modal shift away from the private car. The structure of Green-Schools is one in which individuals are actively involved in decision making therefore any actions which take place will be as a result of engagement with the school population.

The benefits of the project may potentially be:

• a safer school environment
• an accessible and inclusive school
• less congestion in front of the school
• less traffic in the local community
• less pollution
• fitter and healthier pupils
• independent pupils
• less use of non-renewable resources
• support for local bus networks
• support for cycle routes and pedestrian routes
• a safer, quieter, more pedestrian friendly local environment

Some results to date include:

• Co-ordinators from all 29 schools have attended workshops on sustainable travel which were delivered by An Taisce.
• An Taisce has delivered sustainable travel workshops to students in all 29 schools.
• 19 schools in total have begun WOW days and continue to promote WOW on a regular basis.
• 11 schools have promoted Park n Stride and have teamed up with local supermarkets/churches to provide short term parking for parents.
• 6 schools have held road safety awareness talks and 3 have held road safety awareness weeks.
• 10 schools have taken part in International Walk to School Month held in October.
• 9 schools promote walking using the Green Tree initiative which monitors walking levels in the school over time.
• 8 schools have Golden Boot/Bike Awards to promote regular walking and cycling.
• 10 schools have availed of cycle training for students.
• 8 schools have secured funding for cycle parking.
• 1 school has organized and continues to run 2 walking buses. In total 30 children participate and currently there is a waiting list for places.
• All schools carried out a qualitative survey with older classes. Respondents felt that raising awareness of the issues (environment, health, money, exercise etc) was the most effective way to encourage them to leave the car at home when travelling to school.
• Teachers are reporting to GS Education Officers that children are more alert arriving to school and that they are enjoying walking & cycling.
• When schools run initiatives such as WOW days, local residents have reported back that congestion in the locality has been positively affected. Initiatives have also enabled schools to gain some valuable publicity from local press and radio.

Case Study: Scotland, UK

H2 SEED, Scotland, UK

Summary

The islands of the Outer Hebrides make up the administrative area of the Western Isles, and are located off the North West coast of Scotland. Their land extension is of the order of 3.100 km&2sup;, with a population of near 27.000 inhabitants; Stornoway is home to about 9.000 inhabitants. Over 97% of the energy consumed is imported, while the average energy cost is over 13% higher that in the main island (UK).

The local authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) initiated a series of hydrogen projects, of which H2 SEED will be the 1st project covering the whole value chain of hydrogen technologies: H2 production from biogas, H2 storage, H2 filling station and H2 use in both stationary and transport applications.

H2 SEED aims at giving an innovative solution to an electricity excess produced by a biogas engine in the Creed Waste Treatment Plant while being the starting point for the creation of a H2 infrastructure in the island.

Results

The Hebridean Hydrogen Park projects will ensure that the Outer Hebrides are well positioned to take advantage of the future commercial opportunities in the emerging hydrogen markets. This will have impacts on the economic development of the islands in terms of skills and diversity in the economy. It will seek to attract research and development activity to the area and will promote the Outer Hebrides as a "centre of excellence" for renewable energy innovation.

What are the benefits of H2 SEED?

• Increase the lifetime of the biogas engine currently installed in the Creed Waste Treatment Plant.
• Produce a new, renewable, autochthonous and clean fuel (hydrogen) that will be used in vehicles, therefore substituting oil, which is not renewable, not autochthonous and pollutant.
• Creation of a basic hydrogen infrastructure in the island that could grow in the near future with other renewable energy sources, such as wind energy.
• Public awareness, especially owing to the high visibility of the hydrogen public vehicle fleet.
• Human resources training on new technologies & development of new knowledge in the Isle (it should be taken into account the high rate of young emigrants from the Isle of Lewis to the mainland looking for better education/ job opportunities).
• Creation of an attractive (innovative, environmentally friendly, dynamic) image of the Island that could be beneficial in terms of tourism, attraction of industry / investments, etc.

Lessons learned and repeatability

H2SEED is the seed-project for further Hydrogen Activities in the Western Isles. The Hebridean Hydrogen Park 2006- 2008 Business Plan details a suite of strategically and geographically inter-related hydrogen projects. The suite of incubator projects identified in the business plan is anticipated to cost the region of £2.5M. The Comhairle has allocated a capital funding package of £500K, with the remaining £2M to be secured. Due to the funding constraints and timescales the full suite of projects may not be deliverable under the current capital programme which ends on 31st March 2008. The key project priorities are the production and refuelling facilities, the council pool vehicles and emergency services training. The additional project objectives are designed to enable greater community participation and inclusion in the Hebridean Hydrogen Park, with the inclusion of elements accessible to communities and tourists and to add diversity to the project as a whole. The project has been developed in partnership with Lews Castle College University of the Highlands and Islands to maximise opportunities for research, development and training.

The Creed Waste Processing Plant is the first plant in the United Kingdom combining an anaerobic digestion technology and in-vessel composting to process biodegradable wastes. This biogas is used to feed an engine producing electricity and heat. The plant is not authorised to export electricity to the grid due to technical constraints, forcing the engine to operate at partial load (because electricity demands at the plant are lower than engine nominal capacity). Operating at partial load, the engine temperature is reduced and the sulphur contained in the biogas corrodes the engine reducing considerably its lifetime.

Case Study - France

MOBASTO - Mobility Agency in Small Towns - France

Summary

In the framework of the European call for tender "SAVE" (2000-2001) two French towns (Romans and Bourg de Péage, 55 000 inhabitants) decided to initiate a Voluntary Urban Transport Plan.

First a state of the arts of car transport, public transport, bicycles and transport of goods flows has been made and their major impacts have been identified.

Beyond the safety of people and goods and the fight against the increase of particular cars use, the principle aim of the project was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For this purpose two main objectives have been proposed:

• Better management of urbanism to fight against urban sprawl;
• Favour the use of other means of transport particularly public transports and bicycles.

These measures should have allowed to reduce half of the greenhouse gas emissions.

A Charter has been published by Romans (France), Bourg de Péage (France), Luleå (Sweden) and Quedlinburg (Germany). A web site has been created so as to give information about less pollutant means of transport. Now a method exists allowing other middle sized towns to realise their own Urban Transport Plan.

Finally, MOBASTO replaced the question of transports in a very larger debate which is the one of mobility management.

Results

	Daily emissions of CO2 in 2000	Daily emissions of CO2 in 2001	Without measure
	163 t	173.4 t	180 t
Expected growth	--	+6.3%	+10.5%

The settlement of other means of transport than the car allows to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.

The expected growth is only about 6.3% (it would be about more than 10% without taking measures).

Significant efforts are done particularly through the use of other means of transport:

• 2 000 travels in the large center will be done in public transport (which represents a growth of the use of public transports over 30%)
• 40% of the suburbs travels should be done in public transports (that is to say a growth of 50% of the use of public transports)
• finally the connections more distant should be done thanks to the train (+25% of travels), what would make it possible to contain the increase in the traffic to half of what it would be without transport towards the train.

Each share of market gained by public transport represents an emission about 15 kg/inhabitant/year of CO₂ in less in the atmosphere.

Moreover an employee that will no more take is car to go to work should avoid an emission of 480 kg/year of CO₂.

Every kilometre covered by public transports avoid an emission of 35 kg of CO₂.

So as to allow the success of these measures promoted by the mobility agency, a good information and communication are needed.

The mobility agency will have to help the changes of habits and will have to answer the questions of the users.

Case Study: Transportation in Romania

"In town, without my car!" campaign - Romania

Summary

On the 22nd of September 2006, for the first time in Brasov, ABMEE (Agency for the Management of Energy and Environmental Protection Brasov) together with the Brasov Municipality and the Environmental Protection Agency of Brasov organised the "In town, without my car!" campaign.

This event is organised annually on the same date (22 September) and consists in promoting and raising awareness on mobility and efficient transport by restricting access on one or more traffic ways that are otherwise used.

This European campaign is initiated by the European Commission - DG Environment, and in 2000 became an international event, with participation of municipalities from South America and Asia.

Results

• A main result is that an estimated 500 citizens (mostly young) participated in the 8 hour event and more that 200 prizes were awarded.
• The costs of the event were covered by sponsor's contribution.
• Equipment for the Brasov skate park were fabricated and donated to the Municipality.
• Air and noise measurements were conducted in two days in order to show the impact of traffic on life quality in the city.

Lessons learned and repeatability

The measurements performed in the frame of this initiative have shown that the city centre is especially polluted. As a result the city planners have started rethinking the way traffic should be managed, especially in the old part of the town. Several measures have been taken:

• A pedestrian crossing in the city centre has been moved 10 m up the street (thus fluidising the traffic).
• Several roundabouts were constructed - one of them on the street were the campaign took place.
• The local transport company has created new lines for the old centre with smaller buses (shuttle buses).
• The tramway of the city has been removed. It was inefficient and poorly constructed. The streets where the tramway was are now being widened, but the good news is that not all the street will be destined for motorised traffic - bicycle lanes are being constructed on these streets.

ABMEE applied and won financing in a PHARE call for proposals in order to continue organising the event in 2007. It is a 12 month project and consists of a much larger event than in 2006 and also the creation of an air quality strategy for Brasov.

The municipality intends to organise this event each year and with it hopes to influence the behaviour of the citizens.