|
Profile and Approach
The southern part of Amsterdam has two different business areas: Amsterdam-Zuidoost and Zuidas. Amsterdam-Zuidoost
Over 55,000 people work in the Amsterdam-Zuidoost area, of whom about 60% travel to work by car. The area welcomes 40,000 visitors every day.
The immediate reason for taking mobility measures in the Amsterdam-Zuidoost area is the large-scale maintenance work being done to the A9 motorway, the Gaasperdammerweg. Between 27 May and mid-September 2005 this road is undergoing major reconstruction. If no measures are taken, tailbacks in traffic coming mainly from Almere en ’t Gooi will be longer than usual – notwithstanding the fact that it is summer. In addition, major reconstruction work to the A10, A1 and A6 motorways is planned for the coming years, while mobility is expected to continue to grow. Zuidas
In the Zuidas area 45,000 people find employment. In the current plans this number is expected to increase to 70,000 in the forthcoming years.
The Zuidas area is undergoing a large-scale reconstruction, which will take over 20 years to complete. This development has a big impact on the area’s accessibility, as both construction traffic and new workers in the future office buildings cause a great deal of extra traffic. Commuter traffic, business traffic and logistic transport (for construction activities) will all suffer the consequences. That is why special attention will be paid to the area’s accessibility during the period of construction. The focus will be on business and commuter traffic in particular. The private sector plays an important part in the plans: after all, businesses are able to influence their staff’s mobility behaviour. Targets
* The target for the Amsterdam-Zuidoost area is 5,000 fewer cars in rush-hour traffic.
* The target for the Zuidas area is to achieve a share of 50% for public transport, for all movements (presently 35%). Mobility management will play an important part.
* Applying elsewhere the products and methods developed here (an individual approach, an accessibility pass and an accessibility agent).
|
The Zuidas area
Approach
For the Amsterdam-Zuidoost area an approach has been developed consisting of a number of measures. After these measures have been tested and evaluated in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, they will also be implemented in the Zuidas area. The measures are intended for businesses of a similar nature, sometimes even for the same companies. The first talks with these companies will be held in the Zuidas area in the latter half of 2005.
The approach for the entire Zuidas business area is composed of three phases.
* Phase 1
Taking stock of where in the Zuidas area bottlenecks for businesses appear. Next, compiling a set of measures.
* Phase 2
Developing proper communication and management information on the present and to be expected bottlenecks. The aim is to create support within businesses for using the products and services on offer and influencing their own staff.
* Phase 3
Using ICT to develop up-to-date information for businesses and their staff. This approach rests on the five OPTIMUM² pillars. Putting the traveller centre stage (Pillar no. 1)
The postal codes have been collected of 30,000 people working for companies in the Amsterdam-Zuidoost area. This data has been used to take stock of their places of residence. The result: staff live in a wide area surrounding their work. In order to get all these people in Amsterdam-Zuidoost in time and back home again, additional accessibility measures are needed. Next, 17,000 people who own a so-called Zuidoost Pass working for 65 different companies have been sent a survey by email. Of those people, 43% has completed the survey and returned it. Finally, a helpdesk has been created. The talks are an important source of information for the development and implementation of measures. There are no separate user groups. Developing marketing activities (|Pillar no. 2)
Communication takes place on three levels:
* The transnational level, via OPTIMUM²
* The level of the Zuidas area’s project bureau
* The level of separate measures
In 2006 a marketing plan will be made for the Zuidas area. Good travel information and communication (Pillar no. 3)
Staff will receive individual travel advice for all modes of transport. There is an electronic newsletter. In addition, a special website has been created (www.amsterdamzuidoostbereikbaar.nl), where staff can find information about construction work and the mobility measures that have been taken together with businesses and public transport companies. 2006 will see the introduction of a travel information system, intended especially for new staff and staff moving house. Mobility management as a permanent factor in plan making (Pillar no. 4)
The planning of construction work in the Zuidas area is linked to Amsterdam’s traffic model. This makes it possible to show the consequences construction activities have for the traffic situation. It will also show the consequences of the increase in use of public transport, bicycles, carpooling, and such for the accessibility of the business areas. Extra incentives (Pillar no. 5)
For the Zuidas there is a standard parking value of one parking permit (= place) per ten employees. This value is thought acceptable because the area 's accessibility by public transport is excellent. On the basis of the Dutch Environmental Management Act (Wet Milieubeheer) the authorities can oblige businesses to map their company’s traffic and transport. The city council may make additional demands in order to decrease the number of transport movements, but is not empowered to impose concrete measures. |
