Overview
Regions suffering from strong and seasonal variations of transport demand face growing problems, such as congestion, environmental pollution, energy loss and increased travel times. Furthermore, multimodal interfaces linking the various means serving these regions do not exist, passenger trips are organised on the basis of empirical estimates and there is ad hoc handling of seasonal demand. Other available transport means will have to play a greater role, while the use of intelligent mobility schemes and the creation of synergies between transport modes will relieve the existing situation.
The DELTA project addresses the problems and needs associated with passenger transport systems that are faced with high and steep seasonal demand. The focus of the project is on regional transport systems rather than on national or international scales. The project will define and validate intelligent mobility tools and practices guidelines, as well as policy guidelines addressing the optimum management of seasonal demand for transport areas with proven relevant problems. The end result will take the form of a Decision Support Instrument (DSI) to help the local transport or other agencies to apply techniques and strategies that minimise the unnecessary passenger trips, create efficient multi modal interfaces and synergies between the local transport means and maximise the use of their resources.
Having recognised the critical role that regions with steep seasonal demand can play in economic growth and development, DELTA initiated a coordination and networking action, and an active dialogue among projects, research stakeholders, policy makers, experts, representatives of regions and local governmental agencies to promote sustainable solutions and efficient multimodal interfaces in regions with seasonal peaks.
The action led to a Decision Support Instrument composed of mobility schemes, measures or policies that can be applied by cities towards integrated and sustainable mobility. Additional outcomes will be:
- a knowledge base with the detailed characteristics of the cities and regions with seasonal demand profile;
- a cities classification scheme;
- a framework of mobility schemes;
- a handbook of benchmarks;
- local and External Research Stakeholders Forums;
- a network of European cities;
- future research needs.
All these results were widely disseminated and spread to local stakeholders and members of the mobility management community. Finally, the collective character of the proposed coordination effort was quite strong, since the partners have different experience backgrounds, which when put together comprised a consortium that covers all disciplines that were essential and necessary for the successful implementation of the project.
General methodology
The methodology of the project was to initiate and coordinate a networking action, and start an active dialogue among projects, research stakeholders, policy makers, experts, representatives of regions and local governmental agencies to promote sustainable solutions and efficient multimodal interfaces in regions with seasonal peaks.
The More specific methodology is described in the deliverables listed below:
D2.1: State-of-practice in seasonal demand management
This deliverable 'State-of-practice in seasonal demand management' documents the results of the wide inventory and the in-depth analysis of previous and ongoing European R&D projects and other international initiatives addressing the theme of transport demand management. A longlist of 79 projects and initiatives was reviewed for their relevance to DELTA, while 16 of them with medium and high relevance to DELTA were further analysed. Innovative approaches, mobility management measures, pilot applications and their results were examined. The most important results and findings of this deliverable were used in next stages of the project.
D2.2: Data Collection Mechanism (DCM)
The aim of this Data Collection Mechanism (DCM) is to support the data collection activity in the DELTA project. All data and information was stored into a structured Knowledge base which was used for the classification of cities and mobility schemes, as well as the definition of a Decision Support Instrument (DSI). The DCM includes information about the type and structure of the selected variables, the data templates, the validation of the variables, the data sources, and the data collection process.
D2.3: Knowledge Base of regions with seasonal varying demand profiles
This document describes the work carried out for developing the Knowledge Base.
D3.1: Classification of regions with seasonal varying transport demand profile
This report describes the results of the classification of regions with seasonal varying transport demand profile. It provides the need and role of the classification, as well as the methodology adopted. The core part of the report is the classes of regions.
D3.2: Framework of Mobility Schemes
The report describes the mobility schemes identified in the project DELTA that can be applied to regions with seasonal variations of transport demand in order to reduce the effects of traffic peaks. A brief overview
Funding
Results
Decision Support Instrument (DSI)
One important outcome of the DELTA project is a web-based Decision Support Instrument (DSI). The DELTA DSI consolidates the majority of the results produced in the framework of the project and provides a solid basis for the wide distribution of all the information and innovation generated in DELTA. The primary aims of the DSI, however, are to support the local stakeholders of touristic regions in their role to define and apply mobility measures that will reduce the impacts of the problems generated by the steep seasonal variations of transport demand and create an attractive and sustainable mobility environment for the visitors and residents. Local authorities can also use the DSI as a means for finding best practices applied elsewhere, but also as a cooperation platform through which all local transport and tourism players will be engaged in a fruitful dialogue for the benefit of the tourism destination.
The DSI consists of several steps during which information is requested regarding the region. The outcome of the tool is a number of proposed mobility schemes along with implementation guidelines.
Benchmark Handbook
The Benchmark Handbook is a complement to the DSI. Ten benchmark thematic areas covered in the Benchmark Handbook are:
- Change in car use
- Change in local public transport (PT) use
- Change in bicycle use
- Change in railway use
- Change in waterway use
- Change in airway use
- Change in vehicle speed
- Shift to off-peak
- Change in CO2
- Change in accidents
- Cost impacts
For each thematic area, feasible mobility schemes are presented based on a review of previous Research & Development projects. Then for each mobility scheme, best practices successfully implemented in various regions across Europe are described.
The DELTA Network
The DELTA Network is one of the most important outcomes of the DELTA Project. The goal of this online network is to provide a platform for regions affected by seasonal traffic peaks and mobility experts and enable them to exchange know how and common practice. Additionally mobility strategies of regions affected, events regarding the topic and networking possibilities are provided on this platform.
Policy implications
Using all documents created throughout the project future research needs and policy recommendations could be identified.
The main research needs identified regarded the following issues:
- The understanding of seasonal traffic peaks in the concerned regions.
- Further analysis of existing mobility schemes and identification of new ones.
- Implementation of a specific best practice in a particular region in order to study the full process of analysis, design and implementation.
- Tools for seasonal mobility management.
- Investigation of the possibility of exploiting new social networks (e.g. Facebook) acting as tools providing real time information successfully to the relevant target groups.
- Promotion of research on ITS applications, standardization and normalization.
Policy recommendations that were identified refer to the following:
- Data collection and availability guidelines.
- Marketing of mobility schemes.
- Placement of focus on behalf of education not only on “infrastructural measures” but also on soft ones.
- Establishment of cooperation channels between all the relevant actors (transport and touristic sector) in touristic regions with seasonal traffic peaks.
- Promotion of standardization and normalization at policy level.
- Use of Decision Support Systems (DSS) similar to the DELTA DSI by local authorities.
Strategy targets
2. Innovating for the future technology and behaviour.