NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS THE PARKING TOWER
From lifestyle choices in Sweden to softly-softly measures in Portugal, Marko Ruh reports from the latest EPA workshop
he European Parking Association (EPA) joined forces with European networking group Polis to host a
Living a car-free life
Babel of
workshop that explored the best way to provide a better urban transport policy framework. The workshop, held in Helsinki, was hailed
T
by EPA president Nick Lester as ‘a complete success’. More than 70 delegates from across Europe heard from a number of speakers, with the central theme focusing on the impact parking could have on urban mobility plans. Among the speakers was Professor Itzhak Benenson from Tel Aviv University, who pointed out that providing drivers with better information would cut down on the time spent searching for parking spaces. He used GPS data to prove that ‘drivers don’t take the shortest path’. Benenson and his team have produced a computer simulator that models real-life parking challenges, identifying different strategies for improvement. The simulator, called Parkagent, uses parking policies, driver experience and enforcement measures to produce an exact replication of parking spaces and their usage.
WHAT IS POLIS?
Since 1989, Polis has been the platform through which local and regional European authorities have come together to develop innovative technologies and policies for local transport. It supports the exchange of experiences and the transfer of knowledge between European local and regional authorities.
It is all a question of lifestyle choices in Sweden, said Karin Neergaard of Trivector Traffic. She described how in Gothenburg, Malmo, Umea and Lund, visitors are given parking spaces within 200 metres of their destination, while commuters are expected to walk up to half a mile to their offices to create a car-free lifestyle. Emphasis is placed on car and bicycle-sharing. Gent, in Belgium, has taken joined-up thinking to new heights. The Mobility Company is a private company employed by the city of Gent to organise the transport system – from its strategic thinking to its design of cycle paths to its implementation of guidance systems and enforcement procedures. This means one company is taking responsibility for all aspects of transport, leading to an integrated approach. In Tallinn, Estonia, an outdated public transport system and poor quality off-street parking are causing significant parking and mobility problems. Private parking facilities are cheaper, but are in very poor condition. To overcome the problem, Tallinn is investing heavily in public transport and parking facilities. A new parking ticket system will be installed at park and ride facilities, and public transport will be free for local residents and schoolchildren. The city is also introducing a minimum standard for parking operators in an effort to raise the quality of off-street parking facilities and to reduce the amount of on-street parking.
Softly-softly in Portugal In Lisbon, a reluctance by the police to enforce penalty charges and a high rate of illegal parking was causing problems. Private parking operator Empark was brought in, but told to take a soft approach. Consequently, parking penalty charges were reduced from €90 to €8, clamps were banned, there were no fines and officers were instructed to ask politely for the money. Revenue has shot up as a result.
12
FEBRUARY 2013
www.britishparking.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52