RESEARCH AND SHAPING TRANSPORT SYSTEMS WITH MULTIMODAL TRAVELS – METHODOLOGICAL REMARKS UNDER THE GREEN TRAVELLING PROJECT

Efficient distribution of traffic flows within the transport network, as well as appropriate modal split should become key directions for changes in urban transport systems. A large share of individual cars in the overall traffic contributes to the increase in congestion, in particular in urban centers, and leads to increased negative impact on the environment (larger emission of pollution and noise). A new trend in developing transport systems is the growing demand for multimodal transport (as indicated inter alia in White Papers). According to the above, there is a direct need of creating relevant directions for planning and implementing transport based on chains using various, especially environmentally friendly, means of transport. The need to change the modal split and increase the share of multimodal traffic can be also distinguish. It all depends on people travelling (clients of transport system) and on local authorities shaping transport systems.

Identifying a research problem involves two aspects, namely assisting people travelling in choosing the way of travelling and supporting local governments as regards defining appropriate directions for sustainable development of transport. The above issues are presented in the article based on specific phenomena observed in the Upper Silesia Agglomeration, Poland. The above issues of dual nature confronted with EU trends and guidelines as regards sustainable transport resulted in the need to develop two basic products under the ERANET Green Travelling (GT) project. The products are designed to help eliminating barriers to optimized modal split. The first one is a public travel planner based on using all available modes of transport in the transport network as a support for people travelling. The second of GT project products is a multimodal platform. It is a tool supporting local authorities as regards selection of relevant activities (developing proper strategies) promoting multimodal travels.

The goals of the project referred to above required developing a special research methodology and involving various institutions, such as Saitec, Factor CO2 and DeustoTech (Spain), Silesian University of Technology (Poland) and Mantis (Turkey). Based on the research, the project identified patterns of existing multimodal travels. On the basis of those patterns and defined data exchange templates for the planner, the project determined a multimodal travel algorithm. The algorithm will become a basis for three case studies implemented in various EU areas (Biscay – Basque Country, part of Silesian Voivodship – Poland, Çankaya, Ankara - Turkey). Project experience will then be used for establishing a platform supporting the development of multimodal transport network to be used by relevant authorities. The above methodology has been also described in the article.