The role of the Authority in promoting sustainable

transport

Gerry Murphy

South East Regional Assembly

27th May 2011

Who we are

• National Transport Authority established on 1st December 2009 – Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and Public

Transport Regulation Act 2009

• Responsible for a range of functions including: – transport planning and capital investment in public

transport in Greater Dublin Area

– delivery of public transport services nationally

– bus regulation nationally

– national taxi regulation (from 1st January of this year)

• Many functions performed through local authorities – collaborative approach

Also

• We manage for the Department of Transport

– The Regional Cities Grants for traffic management

– The national Accessibility Fund

– the national Smarter Workplaces travel programme

– Oversight and funding of the Green Schools programme

Land use and transport provision

Public transport services

Enhancements for the customer

Travel management

How do we get a sustainable transport offering?

• Appropriate land use policies

• Efficiency and quality in public transport services

• Enlargement of public transport services

• Investing in walking and cycling infrastructure

• Managing the car and supporting sustainable choices

Regional Planning Considerations

Each of the Authority’s submissions on the various Regional Planning Guidelines has focussed on the integration of land use and transport

• Transport issues

– Road /Rail Infrastructure Objectives – Freight / Ports Policy – Improvement to bus services and accessibility to bus within the Gateways – Bus linking of region’s main urban centres – Walking & Cycling for local trips – Transport Demand Management

• Settlement strategy & housing issues

– High population target growth in RPGs – Sequential settlement pattern – Consolidation into existing urban areas – Continuation of existing recent trends of rural growth could undermine RPG objectives

• Economic and retail development plans

– Trip intensive land uses – Consistency between retail hierarchy and settlement hierarchy

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES

Improving the funded public transport services

• Contracts with Bus Eireann, Dublin Bus and Irish Rail since 1st Dec 2009

• Reliability and punctuality targets strengthened for all from 1st Jan 2011

• Also some common amendments to schedules for all three Operators:

– Increase in frequency of reporting on Timetable Information and compliance with the Integrated Ticketing Project

– Introduction of requirement to report on the availability of Fares Information and on measures taken to ensure Revenue Protection

– Addition of ‘Anti-social Behaviour’ as a category to be reported on under ‘Complaints’

Service and fares reviews

• Major programme of bus and rail service reviews underway to establish efficiency/service improvements

– Dublin to Galway rail service

– Intercity rail fares

– Subsidised bus services, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford

– Subsidised rural bus services in Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny (South East Region)

South Eastern Regional Authority Study Area

What is the ‘Level of Service’?

• Does Public Transport cover the area well? Does Bus serve places to which people want to go?

• Are the services frequent enough to be attractive?

• Does capacity meet demand?

• Are services reliable? ….Are they punctual? If not, why not? Where are the delays?

• Do Buses meet Trains and other Buses?

• Are passenger facilities / services of a high standard?

Sources

• 2006 Census data on population, demographic composition, employment and education places

How analysed? • Analysed to Electoral District level using

Places of Work Census and Anonymised Records (POWCAR) and Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS)

• Build up a picture of employment density, population density, desire lines for travel by both car and public transport within each study area

Car Trips to Work Desire lines

Stakeholders

Self-completion questionnaire survey

• Local Authorities

• Major Employers

• Large educational establishments, healthcare facilities and shopping facilities

• Tourism and sports facilities

• Public Transport Service Providers

• Also meetings and liaison

Consultation Process

Type of Group /

Organisation Consulted

Number contacted

Number of submissions received

Local Councils 7 10 (3 - Carlow, 2 – Wexford, 2 – South Tipperary, 2-

Waterford and 1 – Kilkenny)

Regional Authorities

1 1 submission awaited

Employers 23 8

Tourist and Leisure facilities

23 4

Health facilities 30 4

Education facilities

26 7

Total 110 34

ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE CUSTOMER

national intermodal journey planner

Social inclusion analysis in the

regions

bus licensing

n a t i o n a l p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t d a t a

b a s e

Routes & schedules

Localities &

addresses

PT stops

• 450 On-Street Displays in Greater

Dublin Area, 50 in Cork, plus roll out in Galway Limerick and Waterford

• A “One Number” text service

• An Integrated Real Time website — www.transportforireland.ie

• Smart Phone Applications

• The pilot went live in Dublin city

11th Feb — 80 signs now up

— 200 by July, 500 by

December

Real Time Passenger Information

Integrated Ticketing

• Back office built by IBM

• Operating business mobilised (HP & Payzone)

• Modifications to existing on-bus and on-platform smart card readers progressing well

• Testing, testing, testing

• Good platform as current interim schemes already well established 100,000+ customers using Dublin Bus disposable smart cards 60,000+ Luas smart cards sold 30,000 Irish Rail smart cards in regular use

Phase 1 through Q4 2011- ePurse

+

+

+

+

Luas

Bus Éireann Private

Buses

Irish Rail

Dublin Bus

Phase 2 thru’ Q1, 2 and 3 of 2012 - Additional services and products

+

+

+

Annual Commuter passes &

ePurse Capping

New features, e.g. Auto-top up

Dublin Bus rambler tickets on ITS cards

School & Student travel cards

Instant top-up

when threshold

reached using

direct debits

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT – SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

Targeted Programmes

Packages of incentives and deterrents

Managing Travel Demand

• Our focus is on chief trip generators, travel to work and travel to school

• National statistics, CSO 2006

– 41% of people live within 5km of their workplace

– 60% of trips under 5km by car

– 90% drive alone to work

– 22% of car trips to primary school are under 1km

– 33% of car trips to secondary school are under 2km

– 60% of parents who drop off by car don’t go on to work

• Successful Greater Dublin Area pilot programmes have been expanded nationally on request of Department of Transport

University College Cork

• 16,500 students 2,600 staff

• Promotion of Tax Saver and Cycle to Work scheme to staff

• Upgrading showers and lockers

• Charging for parking in evenings

• Promotions for cyclists

6% students and staff now cycle -

Cork average is 2%

Waterford County Council

• 1050 employees

• 84% travel alone by car to work

• Set up car sharing website

• Improving shower, changing and storage facilities

• Bicycle maintenance class / cycle training

• Annual walking and cycling events

• Pool bicycles planned

Mater Hospital, Dublin

• Car-sharing of parking spaces

• Significant increase in secure, covered cycle parking

• Increased parking charges

• Promoting monthly and annual taxsaver

• Bike maintenance days

• Cycle to Work/ fleet bikes

• On going communications

strategy

• 30% reduction in staff car use

• Saving €125,000 each year on car parking leasing

Green Schools Travel Results

• Survey of 10,000 pupils

• 27% decrease in car use

• 30% increase in walking

• 25% increase in cycling

Initiatives

Walk on

Wednesday

Cycle on

Wednesday

Park’n’

Stride

Walking

Bus

Car

Sharing

Promoting

Bus

Transport

Aglish National School, Waterford at the

launch of their Cycle on Wednesdays

initiative in March 2011

St. Joseph’s Girls primary school –Clonakilty

240 Students, 14 Teachers

• promoted walking

• set up a walking bus

• cycle training

• Town Mayor took part in Cycle on Wednesday launch

Car

Walk Cycle Park & Stride

Bus

2009 72% 9% 0% 6.5% 12%

2010 58% 17% 1% 16% 8.5%

Ashbourne Community

School, Co. Meath

• 950 secondary pupils

• Cycle on Wednesday days

• Walk on Wednesday days

• New cycle parking shelter and stands installed via Programme

Over 45% walk or cycle to school

- national average is 26%

Car Sharing.ie

National Car Sharing Website • Currently promoted amongst

Smarter Travel Workplace Partners e.g www.carsharing.ie/Microsoft

Expanded promotion in mid

2011 to

• Sport Groups • Event and festival organisers • Personal events e.g.

www.carsharing.ie/mywedding • General Public

Summary

Financial resources will be a challenge in the coming years

So

We have to act smarter with what we have Regional authorities and local authorities are at the heart of the solution through their planning roles and their infrastructure investment and also their on-the-ground knowledge of needs and deficits in transport services