Development of a new bike-sharing system highly integrated into public transport and eco-friendly means of transport to reduce the use of private cars.
The main purpose of the practice was the reduction of the greenhouse gases emissions and the improvement of the low-carbon urban mobility within the region by providing people with a new bike sharing service (VeloTm) highly connected with the existing intermodal mobility system. With this practice, a shift in mobility behaviors was initiated.
The functionality of the present intermodal infrastructure is to give people departing from the outskirts of the city by using public transportation the possibility to change at certain points and continue the trip by bicycle to arrive at the destination.
The practice is meant to encourage citizens to use the public transport more, instead of their own vehicles by counting on:
• a network of 25 self-service bicycle stations all around the city, located next to tramway, trolleybus and bus stops, giving the possibility for users to easily change the means of transport on the way;
• a coherent network of bicycle tracks in Timisoara;
• a fleet of 300 bicycles;
• over 23 km of bicycle tracks rehabilitated;
• promotional campaigns for the benefits of using bicycles as a means of transportation;
• free use of the bicycle for one hour;
• integration of the bike sharing scheme in the public transport integrated ticketing system already set up.
Resources needed
The project was funded through the Operational Regional Program 2007-2013, and its total value was of 6.831.195,41 RON (~ 1,5 mil. euros). The bike-sharing system was approximately 85% of the total value of the project.
Evidence of success
• Increased use of public transport due to improvements made in infrastructure, rehabilitation of bike lanes, and purchase of bicycles for citizens
• Increased number of people using VeloTm by 38,15% in 2 years (2016-2018)
• 22.794 users used the VeloTM bikes as a means of public transport in 2018
• Positive impact on environment
• Improvement of the health of the population, as well as increased flexibility of travels
Difficulties encountered
During implementation, the practice encountered several challenges:
• Technical problems
• High costs of system maintenance
• Insufficient personnel for managing the system
• Lack of a dispatch
• System difficult to use by tourists
Potential for learning or transfer
The modernization and promotion of a bike sharing scheme contributes substantially to the reduction of air pollution, dust, noise, thereby implicitly increasing traffic comfort and safety.
A safer and more secure urban environment could encourage citizens to make more use of public transport, cycling and walking, which not only would decrease traffic congestion and reduce emissions but would also have positive effects on people’s health and well-being.
The project has brought a positive change in people’s mentality towards using eco-friendly means of transport and improved mobility in the city.
The practice can be replicated, customized or altered as required to suit the specific regions’ needs.
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