Tartu City Transport Development Plan 2012–2020 Final Report This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union (http://europa.eu). The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Baltic Biogas Bus and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union." The Baltic Biogas Bus project will prepare for and increase the use of the eco-fuel Biogas in public transport in order to reduce environmental impact from traffic and make the Baltic region a better place to live, work and invest in. The Baltic Biogas Bus project is supported by the EU, is part of the Baltic Sea Region programme and includes cities, counties and companies within the Baltic region. Author: OÜ Stratum Project Manager: Jaanus Tamm, Tartu City Government Date:14.11.2011 Reviewed by: Jaanus Tamm, Tartu City Government Andrzej Zoltowski, MTI 2 www.balticbiogasbus.eu Table of Contents Introduction .....................................................................................4 Main Terminology................................................................................6 1. Strategic Documents Guiding the Development of Transport.......................11 1.1. The Need to Complement Development Documents.............................12 2. Factors Influencing the Development of Transport...................................13 2.1. Location.................................................................................13 2.2. Settlement System and Population.................................................14 2.3. Need for Movement....................................................................17 2.3.1. Economic Activity.................................................................19 2.3.2. Institutions of Education.........................................................22 3. Analysis of the Situation in the Tartu Transport Sector.............................24 3.1. Street Grid..............................................................................24 3.1.1. Parking..............................................................................27 3.1.2. Traffic Management..............................................................30 3.1.3. Street Lighting.....................................................................32 3.1.4. Issues in Need of Solutions......................................................32 3.2. Traffic Flows............................................................................32 3.2.1. Issues in Need of Solutions......................................................35 3.3. Public Transport and Light Traffic..................................................36 3.3.1. Public Transport...................................................................36 3.3.2. Light Traffic.......................................................................45 3.3.3. Issues in Need of Solutions......................................................47 3.4. Railway Transport, Inland Waterway Transport, Air Transport.................48 3.4.1. Railway Transport.................................................................48 3.4.2. Inland Waterway Transport .....................................................48 3.4.3. Air Transport.......................................................................49 3.4.4. Issues in Need of Solutions......................................................50 3.5. Traffic Safety and Environmental Impact .........................................51 3.5.1. Traffic Safety......................................................................51 3.5.2. Environmental Impact............................................................53 3.5.2.1. Natural Environment.................................................................................53 3.5.2.2. Artificial Environment..............................................................................57 3.5.2.3. Social Environment...................................................................................57 3.5.3. Issues in Need of Solutions......................................................58 4. Vision of Tartu Transport and Its Development Goals................................59 4.1. Land Use Planning and Transport Policy...........................................60 4.2. Developing Different Types of Transport..........................................65 4.3. Street grid..............................................................................70 4.4. Environmental Impact.................................................................74 4.5. Traffic safety...........................................................................76 5. Implementing the Development Plan...................................................80 6. Summary and conclusions.................................................................81 Used materials..................................................................................83 3 www.balticbiogasbus.eu Introduction The compilation of the Tartu City Transport Development Plan 2012-2020 was initiated in the framework of the project “Baltic Biogas Bus”, and partially financed by the Baltic Sea Region Program of the European Regional Development Fund. Due to the city of Tartu’s objectives of transforming public transport more economical and more economically friendlier, the city has joined the project Baltic Biogas Bus. This project unites 12 partners from 8 Baltic Sea countries whose common objective is the development and introduction of biogas for use in urban transport, especially public transport, in the interests of energy savings and environmental cleanliness. The Baltic Biogas Bus project motto is : “Working together on climate-neutral public transport”. The transport development plan was drafted according to the motto and the main objectives were to introcuce a biogas in the public transport in the Tartu city and to increase usage of public transport. In the drafting process was used inputs from partners, expierenced in usage of biogas buses. Changes in people’s attitudes and everyday behaviour have led to an increased need for movement. Distances and the need for transport have consistently grown and people’s habits of movements have changed. Thereby the role of transport in influencing the environment has grown. It is understood more and more that without purposeful planning it is not possible to ensure a sustainable societal development while the heretofore trends continue. Therefore, numerous transport development plans have been established both at European Union and Estonian national levels, as well as in various local governments, which outline specific development goals, measures and activities based on the principles of sustainable transport planning. This helps among other things to decrease the impact of traffic on the environment and on health. The movement habits of the people of Tartu can be brought out as an example to all cities, which are struggling with the problems of motorization. A compact city space, which in terms of land use has managed to avoid the planning of extensive mono-functional settlements, encourages movement on foot or by cycle. A dense line-grid and a high quality service favour the use of public transport. Making the public transport more environmentally friendly and planned changes in information, ticket and priority systems are also important. Although the development of environmentally friendly ways of movement has been positive, problems in the transportation system of Tartu have to be addressed as well. Car usage has consistently grown while at the same time the use of public transport has decreased. The loads on the streets of Tartu City Centre and the bridges across the Emajõgi are predominantly high, causing occasional traffic problems. Although traffic safety indicators have significantly improved, the safety of the traffic environment and raising the traffic awareness of the population are issues which need consistent attention. In order to optimise the traffic flows and influence the choice of the means of transport towards sustainable transport, to ensuring meeting the movement needs of the population, economic development, the improvement of the environmental situation and an increase in traffic safety, the compilation of the Tartu City Transport Development Plan 2012-2020 has been initiated by the 20.05.2010 decision nr 73 of the Tartu City Council. The goal of the transport development plan is to specify the goals set in the development documents of the city and to create a basis for a planned development and financing of transport. 4 www.balticbiogasbus.eu The Tartu City Transport Development Plan 2012-2020 is primarily a practical tool for the City Government, because: 1) it enables the long-term planning of activities in the transportation sector and to determine the costs of their implementation and their effect on the development of the city; 2) it helps the City Government to develop a sustainable transportation policy; 3) it helps to determine the proportions of the budget and to simplify the yearly city budget proceedings (specify the cost structure of the city budget). The activity plan complied as an appendix to the development plan is the basis for compiling the budget. The Tartu City Transport Development Plan contains an introduction, an overview of the main terminology, an analysis of the current situation and the factors of influence and chapters addressing future development trajectories and measures. The specialists of Stratum OÜ were involved as consultants in the process of compilation