A1 lays over 4,000 km of fiber optic cable in Austria every year. So that you can work efficiently, surf super-fast and stream videos at your leisure.
PLANUM worked together with A1 and Artemis this year and helped drive forward the fiber optic expansion in Sankt Barbara im Mürztal and in the market town of Feldkirchen near Graz.
Queries: Almir Mujanic, mujanic@planum.eu
Last week, PLANUM, represented by our Vienna office manager Julian Kundegraber, had the pleasure of holding a stimulating and in-depth discussion with the MBA Sustainable Mobility Management program at TU Berlin about transalpine freight transport in Austria.
During this event, the prospective mobility managers not only gained valuable insights into the process and challenges of data collection from a project organization perspective, but were also able to develop a comprehensive understanding of the complex structures of European freight transport. Particularly impressive was the detailed discussion of the areas of tension in transport policy at EU level, which once again emphasized the importance of a well-founded and precise data basis.
The discussion also highlighted the critical role of sustainable mobility strategies, particularly in the context of the European Green Deal. This aims to make the transport infrastructure in Europe more environmentally friendly and efficient and thus make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. The participants were encouraged to think about innovative solutions that are both ecologically and economically sustainable.
In addition to the technical depth, the event was characterized by a high level of interactivity. The participants contributed their own perspectives and experiences, which led to a lively and constructive discussion. Topics such as the promotion of rail freight transport, the optimization of logistics processes and the integration of new technologies were discussed in depth.
Another highlight was the examination of the current political framework and its influence on the development of freight transport. The discussions made it clear how important it is to base political decisions on solid data and sound analyses in order to develop sustainable solutions in the long term.
This exchange showed once again that cooperation between educational institutions and practitioners is invaluable. The combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience creates a fertile basis for innovative and sustainable mobility solutions.
PLANUM would like to thank all participants and partners for the inspiring discussions and looks forward to further fruitful collaborations in the future. Together, we are committed to developing sustainable and future-oriented solutions in the field of European freight transport.
The town of Laakirchen commissioned PLANUM Fallast & Partner GmbH to draw up an integrated mobility concept in spring 2024. This concept aims to make the city’s mobility sustainable and improve the quality of life of its citizens. The focus is on promoting active mobility, road safety and the creation of a barrier-free transport infrastructure.
PLANUM was already involved in the creation of the urban development vision in 2018/2019, together with the architecture firm INSTERA. Due to the dynamic developments in the mobility sector and changing objectives, the municipality of Laakirchen has decided to update the area of mobility and to show the city implementation options that will contribute to the fulfillment of objectives in the long term.
Coordination with the 2019 urban development mission statement: The objectives of the mobility concept are based on the fields of action of the 2019 urban development mission statement.
Road safety as a priority: The safety of all road users is the top priority, especially active mobility such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Design concept for the city center (main square): Creation of an attractive and safe city center through traffic calming and fairer (street) space distribution.
Sustainable mobility: Promotion of environmentally friendly forms of mobility such as walking, cycling and the use of public transport.
Cooperation with the region: Close cooperation with neighboring municipalities to create an integrated mobility system.
City of short distances: Promotion of local mobility in order to reach important destinations on foot or by bike within 15 minutes.
Barrier-free accessibility: Ensuring that all citizens, including people with mobility impairments, can use public spaces without restriction.
The transformation of the main square in Laakirchen into a pedestrian zone can lead to an increase in traffic safety and have a positive effect on the quality of life. The key data of the meeting zone are:
Traffic calming: Introduction of a speed limit of 20 km/h
Equitable distribution of space: adaptation of road space for equal use by all road users
Test phase and involvement of the population: Implementation of a test phase of at least six months to evaluate acceptance and optimization options.
Environmentally friendly forms of mobility are to be strengthened. The options for implementation/recommendations for action include
Promotion of non-motorized mobility: expansion of infrastructure for walking and cycling
Prioritization of public transport: improving the availability and accessibility of public transport
Integration of new forms of mobility: Introduction of car sharing, bike sharing and promotion of electromobility
The recommendations for action to improve accessibility for all modes of transport include:
Barrier-free accessibility: Ensuring unrestricted use of public spaces for all citizens.
Multimodal nodes: Creation of linking points between different modes of transportation.
In addition to the establishment of a pedestrian zone, additional design measures to calm traffic are recommended:
Ground markings and lowering of kerbs: Improving safety and accessibility through targeted structural measures
Unsealing and greening: creating rain gardens and other nature-based solutions to improve the quality of life and adapt to climate change
Active mobility is to be promoted through a dense network of footpaths and cycle paths as well as measures to increase road safety:
Routing: creating direct and seamless connections for pedestrians and cyclists
Ensure local supply in sub-areas: Promotion of self-service stores and other alternative solutions to ensure local supply.
With these recommendations for action, the Laakirchen 2024 mobility concept aims to accompany the town on its way to a sustainable and more liveable environment. PLANUM Fallast & Partner GmbH is committed to developing innovative and practice-oriented solutions that meet the needs of citizens.
PLANUM Fallast & Partner wishes you a Merry Christmas and a happy and successful New Year
This year we are presenting our first AI-generated Christmas card with the theme: ‘sustainable, smart cities, urban infrastructure, active mobility in a city with Austrian flair during the Christmas season’.
The result is of course idealized and probably not necessarily RVS-compliant, but as planners we will be confronted with this technology more often in several areas in the future and will also use it. On the one hand, the possibilities are unimaginably exciting. On the other hand, there will also be a downside. We hope that through conscious and responsible handling and well thought-out regulation, the effects will remain positive for us all.
With this in mind, we wish our clients, partners and friends a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year 2024.
Thank you very much for your trust and the good cooperation! We look forward to welcoming you again from January 8, 2024!
The PLANUM Team
In a world that is constantly changing, lifelong learning is more than just a buzzword – it’s a necessity. This is especially true in dynamic areas such as sustainable mobility, where technologies, best practices and societal expectations are continuously evolving. At PLANUM, we take this challenge seriously and actively invest in the further training of our employees.
Mobility is a complex ecosystem, and walking is increasingly recognized as an important component, not just something you do. In order to meet this growing demand, Climate Alliance Austria has developed a specialized pedestrian traffic course. This intensive program, spread over 2×2 days, covers a wide range of topics – from the psychology of pedestrian traffic to innovative approaches to urban planning.
Our employee Paul Matteo Kofler has successfully completed the first part of the course. For us, this is a reason to celebrate and another step towards sustainable urban development. The participation underlines the importance of young people’s contribution to the mobility transition and represents a generation that is actively working to shape a sustainable future!
The knowledge gained in the course is of great value to us. They enable us to enrich our projects and initiatives in the field of sustainable mobility with fresh ideas and proven methods. We are more prepared than ever to develop innovative and effective solutions to the complex challenges of modern urban mobility.
We look forward to incorporating this newly acquired knowledge into our future projects!
Contact person:
Paul Kofler
Feasibility Study on the Implementation of a Tram System in Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)
For the feasibility study on the implementation of a streetcar system in the capital of Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain, a detailed analysis of the mobility offer was made at the beginning. With the help of the resident institutions and ministries, data was gathered that made this analysis possible, and more was compiled through Internet research and in close consultation with the clients. The analysis resulted in a SWOT analysis, which was used as a basis for the development of the streetcar solution.
In a further step, forecasts for further development, in particular with regard to traffic development, were drawn up on the basis of population development. Assumptions were made about the current modal split, as there is no meaningful data on this. The clients agreed with the assumptions, which made it possible to calculate the displacement potential for the streetcar based on the forecasts made.
Finally, based on the forecasts and the displacement potential, rough cost calculations were made to assess whether the implementation of a streetcar system is profitable or not. The feasibility study was rounded out by a utility analysis comparing the streetcar system to the (congested) existing system and an expansion of the existing bus system. The calculations showed that it is worthwhile for Port of Spain to consider implementation, as it can bring social and economic benefits in addition to environmental effects.
Figure: Potential streetcar corridor through Port of Spain with connections to neighboring cities (PLANUM 2023 with data from opentopomap.org, 2023).
Figure: Benefit analysis for the streetcar system in Port of Spain (PLANUM 2023)
Contact person:
Anna-Sophie Klamminger, Kurt Fallast
MQG Fröhlichgasse- design of traffic management phases, temporary push button system and full traffic light signal system.
MQG Fröhlichgasse Projektentwicklung GmbH is building a 3-storey underground car park incl. parking garage on the former gravel parking area south of the Messe Center Graz and Fröhlichgasse. Superstructure. For the construction of the underground connection of the existing underground car park of exhibition hall A and the future underground car park of the MQG building, two construction phases with use of the street area of Fröhlichgasse are planned.
PLANUM was commissioned with the traffic organization planning of the two traffic management phases, the required VLSA infrastructure and the signal projects for the implementation of the fully traffic-dependent VLSA. In a catalog of measures with overview and detailed plans, all necessary measures for the road operator, Messe Graz, the professional and company fire department and the executing construction company were summarized and divided into categories.
The design of the temporary push button installation was carried out in coordination with the two traffic management phases. For the two construction phases, a push button facility will be erected east of the junction “Fröhlichgasse – access MCG – access – MQG construction site” to allow pedestrians to cross Fröhlichgasse safely with the south side sidewalk closed and trade fair visitors to access the trade fair grounds from the temporary parking area “Kulmer-Gründe”.
In the future, traffic access will be provided via a 3-arm signalized intersection on the western side and via a 4-arm signalized intersection on the eastern side of the development. In coordination with the road operator and Messe Graz, a concept for the operation of a traffic guidance system depending on trade fair events will be developed and implemented. Special consideration is given to bicycle and pedestrian traffic as well as public traffic along Fröhlichgasse and in the area of the two intersections.
General plan Fröhlichgasse with DKA location (Source: Integral ZT, Mod.: PLANUM)
Traffic routing phases 7a and 7b (Source: Integral ZT, Mod.: Büro PLANUM)
(VLSA infrastructure of VLSA 0721 “Fröhlichgasse – MQG West”)
(VLSA infrastructure of VLSA 0722 “Fröhlichgasse – MQG East”)
Contact person:
Florian Simetsberger
The Raitfeldstraße-Erlachweg intersection is located near the large roundabout on the L502 Simbacher Landesstraße in the municipality of Braunau am Inn. It is unregulated as it stands and is one of the problematic places where mixed-involvement accidents have occurred on several occasions. Due to the planned expansion of the Billas Plus store, the connection to the municipal and provincial road network should be optimized, especially for non-motorized traffic.
The design of the intersection as a mini-roundabout can significantly improve traffic safety and the quality of traffic flow in the inner-city area with limited space. Under the supervision of the Province of Upper Austria and the Transport and Planning Committee, a variant of the mini-roundabout was elaborated by PLANUM, which is to go into trial operation in April/May 2023. To this end, the following measures have been identified as necessary:
At the beginning of April, the provisional construction and marking measures were completed and the Miovision mobile traffic data acquisition system with integrated video evaluation was installed. The video-monitored trial operation is expected to last 4 to 5 weeks. Subsequently, the results are analyzed and the further course of action is decided with all decision-makers.
(PLANUM with data from city of Braunau and Google Maps)
For queries:
Ing. Almir Mujanic
CAFT and Planum
For more than 20 years, Austria, in close cooperation with France and Switzerland, has been surveying transalpine freight transport (in English: Cross Alpine Freight Transport, or CAFT for short) every five years in order to obtain information on the development of cross-border freight transport. The Planum office was commissioned by the BMK for the project. The quality assurance body is AustriaTech.
In the implementation phase, truck drivers will be surveyed between January 2024 and December 2024 at various locations spread across the entire territory of Austria. The trucks are directed out of traffic by ASFINAG/police/ÖWD at the locations and then questioned by the surveyors. In this process, each site has a predefined minimum number of interviews that must be achieved within the implementation phase. In addition, there is a high demand for data quality, which requires a high degree of accuracy and reliability on the part of the surveyors. In addition to the surveys, traffic counts are sometimes conducted at sites on state highways.
Locations
6 survey sites are assigned to the Graz deployment point (see map). A survey calendar will be sent to the surveyors, indicating the days on which the survey will be conducted at each site and who will be assigned to the survey. Depending on the location and survey day, between 1 – 3 persons are on site as surveyors.
In addition to the survey personnel, ASFINAG/police/ÖWD will be on site at the sites, responsible for diverting the trucks and ensuring the safety of the surveyors.
Questionnaire & Survey Diary
Tablets will be provided to the respondents for conducting the interviews. Depending on the number of survey personnel at the site, spare tablets may also be carried. A questionnaire with predefined questions, all of which are mandatory fields, serves as the basis for the survey. It is not possible to skip questions in order to keep the number of unevaluable interviews as low as possible. The questionnaire consists of the three subject areas “General”, “Route” and “Vehicle”.
The surveyors keep a survey diary in which they have to enter general information about the location, survey day and breaks as well as special incidents that influence the course of the survey.
(Planum 2023)
Factsheet Employees Innsbruck
2023_Aushang_Alpine_transversal_freight_transport_Tyrol
The gradual conversion of the one-way ring road in Gleisdorf (“Gleisdorfer Ring”) from two to one lane has made it possible to reuse the additional road space gained, which is being used to expand the pedestrian and cycle path infrastructure on the basis of the cycling concept of the Province of Styria. PLANUM was commissioned to perform the capacity tests with the support of a microsimulation of different scenarios for the reconstruction of the Gleisdorf one-way ring road.
The reconstruction will be carried out in several sections: the first section “Grazer-Straße – Neugasse” has already been implemented in 2022, the solution has proved to be very successful. In June 2023, the reconstruction of the second section on Schiller Street will begin. Furthermore, Ludwig-Binder-Strasse and the Florianiplatz/ Franz-Bloder-Gasse area are to follow as the third and fourth construction phases. Prior to the implementation of the respective construction section, the performance before and after the respective construction project is examined with the help of a traffic flow simulation, which accurately depicts the road network including all intersections in and around the one-way ring. Based on the simulations, neuralgic points can be identified in advance and attractive solutions for an unhindered traffic flow can be developed. After the implementation of the respective construction stage, the quality of the forecasts is evaluated by using cameras on site over a longer period of time by comparing the results of the video evaluations with the simulation results.
Queries:
