The main objective of the project is to support the development of public transport schemes for medium-sized cities and urban regions in the North Sea Region. It is planned to develop a range of tools including a best practice guide and a set of standards for transport authorities to assess transport schemes.

Car usage and associated air pollution and congestion, are increasing more rapidly in medium than in larger sized cities. HiTrans aims to achieve more sustainable transport in medium sized cities and urban regions by facilitating the development of High Quality Public Transport, HQPT, by improving various public transport schemes, exchanging experiences and contributing to the development of common technical standards and methodological approaches.

Expected Outcomes

The primary outcome from HiTrans will be a best practice guide and video on HQPT, containing both technical and methodological standards, for medium sized cities and urban regions, which can then be applied by transport authorities, local and regional governments in the NSR and beyond, and should lead to a corresponding change in local, regional and national governmental policy in favour of new concepts of high quality public transport. Additional material produced will include a website for the exchange of information and reports and newsletters with corresponding press coverage to publicise HiTrans.

Activities

The HiTrans project is divided up into three stages and overseen by an International Steering Group made up of one representative from each project partner, which meets every six months to discuss and make decisions regarding projects. Stage one will cover different approaches and concepts for introducing HQPT schemes. A comparative study of the participating cities/urban regions regarding public transport will be conducted and an agreement on what constitutes a HQPT will be developed. Stage two will have five thematic strands running in parallel, with each focusing on a topic relevant for the development of HQPT; land use planning as a means of increasing patronage, public transport networks, urban design when introducing new infrastructure, technical solutions, methods and tools for assessing public transport schemes and qualities required by the citizens. Stage three will see the production of final reports with a status report by the project manager.

Reported Outcomes

The main study phase of the Hi-Trans project was on-going through 2004. During 2004 a total 12 International meetings in the partnership took place. With the end of the project approaching this year plans for an International Hi-Trans Conference are now being considered. Moreover, Best Practice Guidelines and a Hi-Trans film, which highlight the Hi-Trans deliveries towards the main target groups; the professional public transport planners and the decision makers, have been already prepared and are now being distributed . The Hi-Trans website has been highly visited throughout the whole project period. In 2004 the project website received 13 656 visits.