FEATURE INTERNATIONAL FOCUS
TRAFFIC JAMS ARE NOT THE SOLE PRESERVE OF MOTORISTS IN BRITAIN. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FROM CONTINENTAL EUROPE THAT ADDRESS THE SAME ISSUES
I
Taking the
alternative approach
Traffic jams… a problem European cities share.
n the Netherlands, time lost through traffic jams has increased by 55 per cent in the period from 2000-2008. Te cost to the economy of these delays has been estimated at more than €3bn. As first reported in Parking Trend International
magazine, some of the problems of traffic congestion are due to the spread of residential areas, which means that more people are driving further – whether to work, to take children to and from school, or for social purposes.
Energy saving is enthusing innovators within the parking industry
To address this problem the Dutch government
has been considering a tax on distance driven. Tis would not be to raise extra money but would charge drivers for their use of the car, not for car ownership. In the meantime, the use of parking policies to address some of the issues in the bigger
cities has proven effective: l Progressive pricing in the city centre means that commuters are discouraged from using prime spots, but visitors after the morning peak hour can find a
parking space for a reasonable price; l Balancing tariffs and time allowed for on-street and off-street facilities can create a user-friendly
inner city public domain; l Targeted areas can be subject to special regulations, as and when
they are needed; and l Inner-city residents can be given special conditions to promote a mix of business, cultural and residential functions. Te use, by the Dutch
22 MAY 2010
Sunny future… PV power could earn car park operators a second income.
Railroads, of park-and-ride facilities at public transport nodes in the residential areas is the starting point for commuter trips. Tis makes the public transport system the main mode of transport, while the car use is simply a means to get to the nearest railway station. In combination with train tickets, the parking is
very cheap – and, in the parking public’s mind, the train ticket and parking ticket is all part of the price of the same journey.
The energy question
While available space and the cost associated with each space is arguably the main issue in most European countries, energy saving is the area that is enthusing innovators within the parking industry. Te idea of converting sunlight into energy is one
that is gaining support among multi-storey car park operators. Till Kretzschmar is a photovoltaic (PV) expert and
financial consultant from Germany. He specialises in planning PV systems, which convert solar radiation into direct current electricity. ‘When you think that the sun sends more energy
to earth than we can consume in a year in just 30 minutes, then I ask myself: why don’t we install far more solar systems on our roofs or sealed areas such as car parks, thus becoming self-sufficient,’ he said.
On yer bike
And finally, in Denmark an ambitious plan is in place to get half of all trips within the Copenhagen boundaries made by bicycle by 2015. Presently an impressive 37 per cent of the
Parking solution in
Denmark… an ambitious plan to get more people on bikes.
Copenhagen population make their journeys by bike. To support the cycling community, the Danish government is funding a 7,000-space bike park at the capital’s main railway station.
www.britishparking.co.uk
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