Project Details

Project goal

The NICHES+ consortium aimed at continuing and expanding a comprehensive coordination platform for innovative urban transport solutions, building on the successful first <link nc projects projects-details project niches-1.html niches>NICHES project.

Principal aims of the project were:

• Networking opportunities: stimulate exchange between a wide range of urban transport stakeholders from all over Europe;
• Publishing effective guidance for cities: brochures including key information on how to successfully implement the selected urban transport innovations;
• Spreading the word: European and national events to effectively disseminate the project results and to encourage uptake of the twelve innovative concepts;
• Groundwork with cities: resources and support for 7 champion cities (see map below), helping them to develop concrete implementation plans for NICHES+ concepts.

Results

NICHES+ analysed and promoted twelve innovative concepts in four thematic areas with the support of expert working groups (download overview brochure here in <link file:1099>English, <link file:1100>French, <link file:1101>German, <link file:1102>Polish and <link file:1103>Spanish).

The project organised numerous events on European and national level and enhanced discussion among a wide range of urban transport stakeholders on how to encourage and enable the implementation of the twelve innovative concepts.

The consortium published effective guidance for cities in form of ‘Guidelines for Implementers’ (download via table below) and e-learning modules (access via <link http: www.niches-transport.org>

www.niches-transport.org

), including key information on success factors and barriers for the implementation process.

WG1: Innovative concepts to enhance accessibility (led by Rupprecht Consult)
<link file:1104>Concept 1.1: Travel training for public transport	<link file:1105>Concept 1.2: Neighbourhood accessibility planning	<link file:1106>Concept 1.3: Tailored traveller information for users with reduced mobility
WG2: Efficient planning and use of infrastructure and transport interchanges (led by Transman)
<link file:1107>Concept 2.1: Passenger friendly intermodal interchanges	<link file:1108>Concept 2.2.: Innovative cycling facilities for intermodal interchanges	<link file:1109>Concept 2.3: Infrastructure for innovative bus systems
WG3: Traffic management centres (led by UNEW)
<link file:1110>Concept 3.1: Finance models for traffic management centres	<link file:1111>Concept 3.2: Mobile travel information services for the public	<link file:1112>Concept 3.3: Using environmental pollution data in traffic management
WG4: Automated and space efficient transport systems (led by TRG)
<link file:1113>Concept 4.1: Group Rapid Transit (GRT)	<link file:1114>Concept 4.2: Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)	<link file:1115>Concept 4.3: Using Electric Vehicles in City Car Share Schemes

The project developed a sound methodology for transferability analysis (download ‘Guidelines for assessing the Transferability of an Innovative Urban Transport Concept’ here). This methodology was successfully tested by the seven Champion Cities that were actively supported by the project to develop implementation scenarios for selected innovative concepts as presented below (for download of illustrated short version click on hyperlinks):

• Artois-Gohelle (France) - <link file:1117>Travel Training and <link file:1118>Neighbourhood Accessibility Planning
• Burgos (Spain) - <link file:1119>Travel training and <link file:1120>Neighbourhood Accessibility Planning
• Worcestershire (UK) - <link file:1121>Key Corridor Improvement Schemes, incorporating Innovative Bus Systems
• Trondheim (Norway) - <link file:1122>Mobile Travel Information Services for the Public
• Cork (Ireland) - <link file:1123>Smarter Travel scheme
• Daventry (UK) - <link file:1124>Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)

NICHES+ also developed a ‘Study Tour Catalogue’ including 35 good practice examples on urban transport innovation in Europe. The aim of this Study Tour Catalogue is to provide urban transport professionals and local decision makers with an overview of European towns and cities that successfully implemented innovative strategies which have the potential to become mainstream transport solutions (<link file:1125>download the Study Tour Catalogue here).

Project partners

• Polis, European Cities and Regions Networking for Innovative Transport Solutions, Brussels, Belgium
• Eurocities, The network of major European cities, Brussels, Belgium
• Rupprecht Consult GmbH, Cologne, Germany
• Transman Consulting for Transport System Management, Budapest, Hungary
• University of Newcastle, Newcastle, United Kingdom
• University of Southhampton, Transport Research Group TRG, Southhampton, United Kingdom