Overview
The BiTiBi project aims to improve the energy efficiency of EU transport by providing BiTiBi services. A BiTiBi service is a seamless door to door transport service combining bicycle and train. The bicycle is by far the most energy efficient mode of transport for short distances, while the train is the most energy efficient transport mode for longer distances. A combination of both by using the bicycle for the first and/or the last mile is by definition energy efficient. Providing BiTiBi services will orient the modal choice of car, car-train and bus-train combination users towards the bicycle-train combination as proven by the Dutch BiTiBi success story.
The Dutch BiTiBi approach consists of 4+1 building blocks. The first four concern the implementation of the service, the fifth one the communication.
- Safe, sheltered and convenient bicycle parking for the first mile (and last mile); The provision of high quality bicycle parking, in combination with other factors, has led to an increase of bicycle use for the first mile by almost 50% between 2000 and 2005 in the Netherlands;
- Availability of a convenient public bicycle (last mile); the implementation of shared bicycles for the last mile in combination with a convenient payment system led to 140,000 OV-fiets (last mile shared bicycle) subscribers who made 1,200,000 rentals in 2012 and reduced their car use.
- One integrated convenient payment system (for example personal contactless card); the success of the shared bicycle was only possible thanks to the convenient payment system.
- Integrated organisation deploying BiTiBi: the train company (the main part of the modal chain) or different organisations with good intercommunication operate the different BiTiBi services (rail, bicycle).
- Positive communication and marketing about BiTiBi is the fifth building block. It is crucial to make people aware of the existence of the BiTiBi services and to make them consider it as a viable option. Especially business to business and member get member marketing are key factors.
The project will replicate the Dutch proven BiTiBi approach in United Kingdom (Liverpool area), Belgium, Spain (Barcelona area) and Italy (Milan area). This will be done via
- a permanent knowledge exchange between the Dutch experts (Dutch railways and Dutch consultant) and the 4 pilots;
- different kinds of (local) stakeholder meetings to help the different decision makers and users understand each other and to optimize the concept;
- communication actions to build confidence and understanding in the market based on the fifth BiTiBi building block.
Results
- Implementation/improvement of BiTiBi in 4 pilots based on stakeholder consultation, stakeholder dialogue and transfer of Dutch knowledge connections;
- Increased modal share of bike-train-bike (BiTiBi) transport in the pilots by 2017 (with 2000 new BiTiB users in pilots) and in the EU by 2020;
- Robust guidelines for BiTiBi implementation in other cities and railway stations based on the original Dutch experience and the project experiences;
- A yearly reduction of about 1,000 ton CO2 emissions in the pilots and of over 40.000 ton by 2020 (cumulative);
- Healthier, more liveable and less congested cities and regions across Europe.