Guidelines on reversing car dependency

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has released a new report on “Reversing Car Dependency”. The document contains guidance for local and national governments on how to encourage people to leave their cars at home and use more sustainable means of transport, regardless of how they are powered or who drives them.

The report analyses different policies and instruments for managing urban traffic. It also reviews international experience in co-ordinating transport planning with land-use development and in allocating space to walking and cycling in order to improve quality of life while cutting down on the environmental and social costs linked with car use.

ITF maintains that “the emergence of shared micromobility has increased demands for redistributing space” and that “expanding dedicated cycling lanes to accommodate e-scooters, e-bikes and similar micro-vehicles will do much to make these safer, and also perceived as safe, thus making micromobility a much more attractive alternative to cars.” This message complements the ideas already presented in a previous ITF report on “Safe Micromobility” published in February 2020.

ITF highlights in its new report a series of recommendations to reverse car dependency:

• Review the share of street space and urban land that is allocated to cars.
• Use road space allocation to proactively manage traffic.
• Abolish minimum parking space requirements for new developments.
• Consider road pricing to ensure a more efficient use of scarce road space and urban land.
• Use parking rates to discourage excessive driving.
• End employer-paid parking subsidies.
• Ensure that quality alternatives to private cars are convenient and efficient.
• Work towards the integrated planning of transport and land-use.
• Review land-use regulations that hinder compact development patterns.

“We believe it’s crucial to reallocate space in cities and build better lanes for all lightweight travellers,” says Richard Corbett, regional general manager of Voi Technology. “This will make our streets safer and offer more space for the local community to thrive. By sharing data with cities, we help with improving the understanding of traffic flows. And by integrating with public transport in many cities, we further improve the accessibility and flexibility of urban transport, presenting a viable alternative to short car rides. We’re confident that these recommendations and this report will kickstart the next stage towards reclaiming our cities.”

The full report can be downloaded here.

Original article published by traffictechnologytoday.com on 26 February 2021