The overall aims of SustAc-cess are on the one hand to make gateways more accessible from their hinterlands and on the other to support an increased use of more sustainable modes of transport. It covers both goods and passenger transport and includes partners ranging from gateway cities to smaller towns in hinterland areas. Partner activities and pilot projects include a wide variety of activities such as supporting the development of different gateway cities and their connection to their hinterland or improving public transport and making it more accessible.

The Sustainable Access project focuses on the improvement of the connection between transport nodes and their surroundings, both for freight and for passenger transport. The experiences and methods for achieving the improvements will be disseminated in the entire North Sea Region.

Expected Outcomes

Enhanced integration of areas by improved national and international transport networks, stronger inter-modal transport links and the integration of public transport terminals within their urban centres are the main objectives of this project. Other impacts are the increased usage of public transport and of sustainable freight transport, as well as increased cycling and walking activity.

Activities

The project activities are divided between four Work Packages. The first of these concentrates on research and the fourth on dissemination. The other two cover passenger and freight transport issues, respectively. They include the following local projects: - Aberdeenshire (UK), where drive-alone commuting will be discouraged amongst other things by promoting inter-urban Park & Ride, and by the establishment of Pilot Satellite Offices; - Perth (UK), where the existing harbour will be linked to the passing north-south railway line, and strengthened by adding new facilities and introducing a new system of navigational aids; - Harwich (UK), where small investements will strengthen public transport, notably the improvement of the existing ferry service across the estuary and the introduction of a lift in Harwich International Rail station. Furthermore, ICT technology will be used to support the flow of freight transport traffic around the port area; - Southend (UK), where Victoria Station is to be integrated into the town centre, for example by attracting non-rail-users with facilities and shops; - Kortrijk (B), where the NGO ?Mobiel? will research possibilities to further enhance its existing bicycle rent service by adding public transport bikes, guarded cycle racks and a 24/7 repair service; - Sluis (NL), where three different yet similarly conceived tourist traffic centres will be set up in the localities of Cadzand, Groede and Sluis; - Emsland (D), where research will be conducted on the transport relations between the new international seaport ?JadeWeserPort? and its hinterland; - Padborg (DK), where combined transport by railway will be promoted and a railway terminal will be built at the Transport and Logistics Centre; - Västra Götaland (S), where a solution is sought for the current eccentric position of the train and bus station of Lidköping, and where a so-called ?dry port? will be developed at Falköping so that freight can be sorted and warehoused near its origin instead of in Gothenburg; - Kristiansand (N), where interchange nodes between cars or bikes and buses will be improved to decrease congestion.

Reported Outcomes

The aim of the project is to improve the accessibility between rural areas and gateways settlements around the North Sea, and at the same time, improving integration and access to services, creating functional markets for business, labour and education by delivering and promoting sustainable transport systems in the long run.Partner activities and pilot projects include a wide variety of activities, for example: - support the development of different gateways and/or their connection to their hinterland, - improve public transport and/or make it more accessible, - promote / facilitating biking and - reduce the need for commuting. Project activities are well under-way. In Aberdeenshire, four pilot projects are carried out. - Transport problems and solutions: Key issues and specific problems in the county's transportation network were examined. This work was completed in September 2005 and the findings of the study were employed in the development of Aberdeenshire Council's Local Transport Strategy that is out for public consultation. - Review of Park and Ride in Aberdeenshire: The Ellon Park and Ride site is compared with other sites in Scotland and the U K, highlighting particular instances of local and UK-wide best practice. The results of this review which was presented in March 2006, have been used to aid the identification of further development, within the targets of the Council's Local Transport Strategy and Regional Transport Partnership NESTRANS Modern Transport System. - Freight Study: The development of the freight study has been delayed due to delays in the Regional Freight Strategy due to the outcome of the Scottish Executive's ongoing consultations on the National Transport Strategy. The National Strategies is ready by 2007, with a Regional Transport Strategy also underway. There was an Expert Workshop in October 2006 about the rail freight opportunities. An offensive strategy has been initiated to get things discussed and to have an impact on regional freight policy. The final results of the Aberdeenshire Council Freight Study Report was published in March 2007. - The establishment of Pilot Satellite Offices, so-called Huntly IT Hot Stop, studies have shown details on journey types saved and estimates of time and cost savings achieved through the use of an IT Hot Stop. Perth: - The Rail Head feasibility study has now been published. The report concludes that a new railhead is feasible and the next step will involve detailed costing. In addition, the Perth Harbour Review, a new marketing plan is now available on request. Essex: - The Essex Real-Time System is a wireless system and orders have now been placed. Thus, two new Real-Time Information signs in Harwich have been implemented in Spring 2007. - The design report for the gangway and passenger shelter has been completed and the partners have been discussing the details of the recommendations from these with the Harwich Haven Authority. - A total of 33 bus stops in Harwich have been upgraded with raised / lowered kerbs to facilitate easier access by disabled passengers, parents with buggies and people with heavy luggage and shopping. In addition, a substantial amount of work has been completed in relation to the real-time-passenger info systems. Two signs have been installed at key bus stops, one by the hospital and one by some local shops. Southend: - The core strategy is working on the importance of working transport infra-structure and services as an integral part of the regeneration process (specifically relevant to Southend Town Centre and Victoria Station). Buses were rerouted to take advantage of the new bus/rail interchange and bus-friendly routing Queensway and Chichester Road from 10 April 2007. The new arrangements have been welcomed by passengers. Bus operators are pleased that estimates of no time delays with the revised routing have proved well-founded. Kortrijk: - The main goal is to promote biking as a means of transport. Thus, the aim of the project is to become the heart for the incubation of bicycle-services, to improve the image of the bicycle and to reduce drawbacks such as thefts, limited radius of action and the difficulty to combine biking with transport. - Mobiel wants to increase the use of bicycles in combination with public transport. After comparing several systems and tenders the choice fell on the ALTAO-system, which were delivered in February 2006. ALTAO is an all in one station for bike maintenance. Much time has been spent on a new computer based-version of Rent-a-Bike (RENT) programme. The new programme works from the end of 2006, but it still needs improvements. Sluis: - The main works on the re-arrangement of the basic infra-structure of the Tourist Transit Centre Nieuwvliet started spring 2006 and are finished. The Tourist Service Centre in Sluis has now officially opened. One of the participants was the Belgian rail road company and they declared the start of a nation wide bike point strategy, of which Kortrijk was the first one to be established. Emsland: - The EmsAche project concentrated on the development of the inland waterway between the North German harbours and the Ruhr area. A regional co-operation initiated to promote the use of rail and water and an economic development association for the EmsAche was formalised. The next step will be to guarantee an investment of over 150 million Euro in a total canal upgrade. This is now subject for a discussion at the highest level and the Bundesland Germany might invest together with the regional stakeholders. Padborg: - The partner in Padborg has changed from investments to information activities. An analysis on the combined transport in the region was presented to the members of the Danish Parliament. New signs have been completed. An international architecht's workshop elaborated a vision for Padborg Transport Centre 2030. The press coverage was quite comprehensive, including at least 13 articles in Danish and German papers and an item about the project at the regional television. In addition, progress has been made on the establishment of a cluster organisation for transport and logistics in the Region South Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein. The transport and logistics was announced in December 2006 to become a border crossing lighthouse project. Lidköping: - A new travel centre will be established in 2006/2007. The new travel center design will also take into account the comments and remarks from local inhabitants and public transport users. Falköping: - A branch of the port of Gothenburg will be established in Falköping. SustAccess brought the concept of creating a dryport to life. In addition, the municipality of Falköping plans also include construction of a new freight terminal. Under 2007 the municipality of Falköping will additionally invest 4 million SEK. However, more concrete studies are necessary to deepen the value of the dryport idea and to lift forward the potentials. The project has also made links with CREST, an another North Sea project and with the project BUSTRIP from the Interreg III B Baltic Sea Region.