Modal shift
Traffic shift (or modal shift ) is an instrument of traffic planning . In terms of sustainability-oriented traffic planning and policy, it is one of the basic approaches of traffic science, alongside traffic avoidance and the environmentally friendly handling of existing mobility needs.
Concepts
Every concept of modal shift is based on the knowledge that the modes of transport (also: modes of transport ) road, rail, air and waterways and the means of transport assigned to them have different favorable environmental properties. For the user of a means of transport, however, the quality of the environment is often less important than the speed, convenience or costs of the transport. Several modes of transport compete on many routes. The approach of shifting traffic therefore pursues the qualitative upgrading of resource-saving transport offers such as local public transport or rail transport - with the aim of shifting passenger flows (possibly also freight transport) from motorized individual transport to public transport (for freight transport: on rail or inland waterway).
In addition to optimizing and expanding services, for example through new light rail routes or more frequent bus cycles in public transport, restrictions are also used to shift traffic, especially in road traffic. Examples of this are legal restrictions such as driving bans for particularly high-emission cars or fiscal instruments such as road user charges ( tolls ). Overall, the aim is to increase the modal split share of relatively environmentally friendly means of transport.
Trials on a nationwide level have so far rarely been successful. For example, attempts to shift traffic to inland waterway vessels have regularly failed.
At the local level, examples such as Freiburg or Karlsruhe are known where it was possible to reduce the share of car traffic and increase that of public transport and / or bicycle traffic. In many university cities, all students have been given a semester ticket for years; many students in North Rhine-Westphalia have z. B. a SchokoTicket from the Rhein-Ruhr transport association. This has (probably in connection with significantly increased fuel costs) reduced the proportion of car users in training traffic.
The city toll in London and Stockholm has also reduced vehicle traffic by up to 20%.
At the European level, the Marco Polo program is promoting the shift of traffic from road to rail , seagoing and inland waterway vessels .
criticism
There has been and is a broad discussion about methods of restricting traffic, shifting traffic and / or reducing traffic. The instrument of politics at the federal level has been the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan for decades . Its forecasts for future traffic development have so far (as of 2011) been almost always exceeded (except for inland waterway freight). So far, every method beyond the supply policy oriented towards the demand of road users has failed or has failed to prove its success and thus has no beneficial effect on the frequency of accidents.
On the other hand, forecasts for a reduction in environmental pollution were met, e.g. B. through the spread of the diesel particulate filter.
So far, real restrictions on motor vehicle traffic have rarely been implemented in federal transport infrastructure planning.
See also
- Relocation policy (Switzerland)
- LSVA (Switzerland)
Web links
- Traffic shift - information from the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication
Individual evidence
- ↑ Concept study on the shift of traffic from trucks to inland waterways and on strengthening hinterland traffic (PDF; 7.7 MB)
- ↑ Concept study on shifting traffic, short presentation June 17, 2009 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ German Bundestag: Toll expansion does not lead to a shift in traffic ( Memento of the original from August 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Allianz Pro Schiene: modal shift
- ↑ Federal Environment Agency: Shifting traffic significantly reduces environmental and climate pollution ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
