Christel Straetemans

1
LiRa BrusselsIn search of ideal transfer
locations to ensure seamless journeys between two
new light rail lines in the Flemish Region and
the Regional Express Network in and around
Brussels

• Christel Straetemans
• Ministry of the Brussels Capital Region
• Adm. Equipment and Transportation
• Mobility Policy Division

LiRa-2 Final Conference 15 September 2005
Museum of Science and Industry Manchester, UK
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Content

• Introduction
• Approach
• Results and added value

3
Introduction
Brussels Capital Region

• Smallest region Federal Belgium
• Capital of Belgium European Union
• 19 municipalities
• 1 million inhabitants
• 650.000 jobs
• 350.000 commuters
• (gt50 by car)
• Daily congestion

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Introduction

• Adm. Equipment and Transportation
• Mobility Management
• Div. Mobility Policy
• Div. Special Techniques
• Div. Taxis
• Public Transport Infrastructure
• Div. Public Transport Infrastructure
• Road Management
• Div. Roads
• Div. Management Roads
• Water Management
• Site and Land Use Management

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Introduction

• REN (Regional Express Network - RER - GEN)
• Tram-Train philosophy
• Intermodality

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Introduction (2)

• Barriers for Seamless journeys
• Conceptual
• Decision makers and Travellers
• Physical
• Connection between networks
• Design of Transfer Location
• Commercial
• Institutional

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Introduction (3)

• Targets
• Better organisation of Public Transport
• For
• well-off commuters from surrounding region
• not so well-offs in Brussels
• Positive view of Light Rail
• Design principles for transfer locations
• Study of two lines

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Approach

• Two lines
• Boom Brussels
• Leuven Brussels
• Two studies
• Brussels
• Stated Preference of (potential) users
• Transfer to High Performance Urban Public
  Transport Network Analysis and Choice of
  locations
• Design guidelines
• Province Vlaams-Brabant
• Route scheme
• Potential of lines
• Equipment

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Approach
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Approach

• Conceptual Barrier Transversal approach
• Creating a positive view towards Light Rail with
• Decision makers and General Public
• Co-operation with decision makers
• MIVB (Public transport operator for Brussels)
• Adm. ET
• Adm. Land use and Housing
• Province of Vlaams-Brabant
• De Lijn (Public Transport Operator in Flanders)
• Adm. Roads and Traffic (Flanders)
• NMBS (Belgian Railways Company)
• Consultation of decision makers
• Consultancy TRITEL Eurostation

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Approach (2)
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Approach (3)

• General Public points of view
• Stated preference users and potential users
• Existing studies new survey
• Data mining - GIS analysis

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Approach (4)

• Physical Barriers
• Possible transfer locations and their connections
  
• Vision four sets of proposals
• Minimal
• Pragmatic
• Ambitious
• Airport
• SWOT
• Indication Transfer Location Attraction Pole
• MCA
• Public transportation passenger operator view
• Authorities and inhabitants/surroundings view
• Remarks
• Conclusion
• Journey Time Analysis

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Approach (5) Boom - Brussels
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Approach (6) Leuven - Brussels
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Approach (7)

• SWOT

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Approach (8)
MCA

• Public transport passenger operator view
• PT offer, capacity, flow, bike routes, congestion
  (transferability), adjustment needed, technical
  feasibility, cost indication
• Authorities and inhabitants/surroundings view
• Impact on traffic, increasing congestion, park
  and ride, circulation nuisance for locals,
  environmental impact
• Remarks existing plans, interesting
  connections, impossibilities,
• Conclusion character of line, possible
  extensions for future

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Approach (9)

• MCA

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Results and Added Value

• Generalities views of (potential) users
• PT should be high-frequency, punctual, fast,
  comfortable and safe
• Integrated Ticketing is a must
• Car drivers dont know public transport options
  all that well (information on PT times and lines
  is more important amongst car commuters than PT
  users)
• Just 30 of respondents in the PT survey thought
  transfers are disturbing

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Results and Added Value (2)

• Interesting new results
• 50 of PT users indicated they have a car at
  their disposal
• 40 of respondents in the private vehicle survey
  appeared to have a company car
• Car commuters still think of their car when
  thinking of public transport (importance of car
  park shops not that important)

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Results and Added Value (3)

• Stated Preference

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Results and Added Value (4)

• What the public wants

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Results and Added Value (5)
Key Factors

• Why PT users use PT
• No car
• PT fulfils needs for transport
• Cheaper
• Avoiding congestion
• No parking problems
• Ecological concerns

• Why car commuters do not use PT
• PT does not fulfil needs
• Car is faster
• Need car for other things as well
• Having a car
• Car is more comfortable
• PT offer is insufficient
• PT is too expensive
• PT suffers from delay

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Results and Added Value (6)
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Results and Added Value (7)
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Results and Added Value (8)
Long-term Choices Choice for Leuven-Brussels

• The Light rail line could end at Merode. In
  Brussels it can only be operated as an urban
  tram. Extensions are possible either to the
  European Quarter, or to the Airport.

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Results and Added Value (9)
Choice for Boom-Brussels

• The most realistic option is to run the LiRa line
  through the AZ-VUB site, and continue over the
  planned line to Simonis.
• An extension to ThurnTaxis, and further to the
  North Station and Rogier is possible in urban
  tram operation.

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Results and Added Value (10)

• Short-term Results
• Design guidelines for interchange locations will
  be used by the services responsible for design
  and building of PT stops and stations.

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Results and Added Value (11)

• Vision on interchange locations

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Results and Added Value (12)

• Three zones

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Results and Added Value (13)

• Good Design

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Results and Added Value (14)

• Design guidelines criteria
• Site specific design with strong common theme
  modularity
• More readable Urban Structure
• Readable design of location
• Durable design for safety

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Results and Added Value (15)

• Main Design Principles
• Legibility leads to comfort
• Primary points of entry are points of orientation
• Recognisable icons
• Repetition and concentration of information
• Clear, attractive and short connection between
  modes
• Safe and swift transition to other modes and
  further
• Security
• Good lighting
• Feeling of open space
• Presence of other people
• Camera surveillance
• Measures for impaired
• Vandalism secure material

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Results and Added Value (16)
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Results and Added Value (17)
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Results and Added Value (18)