Oberhausen: Restructuring public transport in accordance with urban development

Abstract:

In 1996 the city of Oberhausen introduced a modernised public transport system. Against the background of economic changes in the local economy, revitalisation of the city centre and the growing service sector, transport planners opted for a renaissance of the tram system which had been abolished in 1968. The harmonisation of new tram and express bus services was designed to appeal to the needs of inhabitants and business and also contribute to urban development after the decline of heavy industry production. The success of this concept can be regarded as good practice in urban development for the following reasons:

• integrating transport planning and urban development
• increase in the number of public transport passengers
• innovative rolling stock
• extensive marketing activities
• coordination with neighbouring public transport companies
• significant increase in public transport passengers.

Background and objectives

In April 1897 the Oberhausen public transport system was the first owned by a municipality. At the time municipalities strived for ownership of urban infrastructure systems in order to support the fast growing local economy and to gain control of urban development. In the 1960s public transport experienced a change in most German cities and in the city of Oberhausen the tram system was finally abolished in 1968. Traffic and transport planners regarded the tram network as inflexible and opted for a more flexible bus network; they argued that buses were particularly well suited to serve residential and trading and industrial estates.

This argument became less significant since structural changes in steel industry and coal mining lead to the loss of approx. 40,000 local jobs within a 20 year period. New services moved in which are mainly located in the city centre. The service sector had an exceptional boost when the new CentrO., Europe's biggest shopping and leisure centre, was opened in 1996. The estimate of operating economy is 75,000 customers per day. The new service economy also demanded a suitable public transport system as growing numbers of people want to have comfortable access to the "Neue Mitte" (newly developed city centre).

Against this background local decision makers became interested in the return of a tram system as the 'old' public transport system suffered increasingly from unattractiveness of service:

• long travelling times,
• lack of punctuality,
• only a few and short distanct bus lanes,
• unattractive schedules,
• mainly bus routes with equal priority and less harmonisation.

At the beginning of 1994 the city council decided to build a new tram network supplemented a modernised bus system according to the needs of people working and in shopping centrally located shops and facilities.

Implementation

Project date and status

The new tram and bus system opened in mid-1996 and is subject to continuous up-grading.

Strategy

In the first place the new public transport system aims to provide better access to main areas of the city. In addition, comfort and clarity of service were to appeal to customers. Based on these principles the new public transport network includes the following changes and targets for an integrated tram and bus system:

• the public transport network is structured in a hierarchical manner;
• new routed have been opened;
• schedules are coordinated and new intervals have been introduced (10 minutes for city express buses and 20 minutes for the remaining routes);
• the rolling stock consists mainly of low-entry vehicles;
• main routes in the new public transport system run on lanes which are separated from car traffic. 8.4 km of the newly built lanes are used by both the two new tram routes and six of seven express bus routes;
• a new computerised traffic guidance system gives right of way to buses and trams. One third of the traffic lights have already been converted at the opening of the new public transport network;
• a new marketing strategy gives priority treatment to customers needs;
• the public transport utility aims to attract more the 50% new customers;
• the city centre becomes a junction for main routes as six trams and 36 city express busses will cross the "Neue Mitte" every hour. On average some form of public transport is available every 86 seconds.

Activities

As the new public transport strategy relies on technical innovations as well as on customer- oriented conditions of delivery, the public transport utility had to bring into action not only new rolling stock but also a corresponding marketing and communication strategy. The start-up phase was attended by numerous promotion activities which highlight the introduction of new technology and routes and improvement to existing services.

Rolling stock and service concept

In 1996 the restructured public transport system was put into operation with new vehicles including six trams, 29 new single decker articulated buses and 24 new standard buses which amount to an investment of about 46 million DM. All buses are equipped with low-entry facilities. In total the rolling stock consists of six trams (all low-entry vehicles), 29 new single decker articulated buses (all low-entry vehicles) and 108 standard buses (including 49 low-entry vehicles). As the main routes are run on separate lanes the vehicles are able to travel at up to 70 kilometres per hour without hindrance from traffic hold-ups.

The new single decker articulated buses are 24 m long and can carry up to 130 passengers. However, the public transport utility STO.AG had to get special permission from the regional government to operate these vehicles as they are 6.5 metres more than the allowed length.

Service information has significantly improved with the help of 'dynamic passenger information' at main stops which indicates when the next train arrives. In the city centre people receive information on the next ten approaching trains via electronic display.

Marketing concept

Marketing activities and special communication concepts were implemented to support the start of the new public transport system (in 1996 under the motto 'information and persuasion' and in 1997 under the motto 'confirmation and sympathy'). They are designed to attract new customers in general but also take place to promote the benefits of 'non-car' activities in connection with special events (e.g. the Schumacher Party in the Arena festival hall or regular sport events (e.g. football, basketball or ice-hockey). Other incentive events particularly take place shortly after the opening of the CentrO. shopping and leisure centre:

• the opening night was celebrated with free rides on and cultural events in the trams,
• opening activities of the CentrO. shopping and leisure centre were accompanied by the opportunity to use public transport for four days in September 1996 free of charge. This opportunity was used by approx. 250,000 passengers,
• in November 1996 public transport after 5 P.M. was free of charge as the CentrO. company paid the costs;
• car users had the opportunity to get a free one-week ticket to test the new service; more than 6,000 person used this offer.

Partners

In cooperation with the regional transport association (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr) and retail traders and other organizations, public transport promotion activities (such as special events, trades, exhibitions etc.) are regularly conducted (e.g. Warner Bros. Movie World give a discount of 25% on cinema tickets for ticket 2000 season ticket holders, new houseowners in the Wilma building company receive a free ticket for three months, ticket 2000 season ticket holders get 5 DM reduction on project of the Oberhausen theatre that are sponsored by STO.AG).

Joint services (cooperation contract) with neighbouring transport associations in Mülheim and Essen take place in order to collaborate in the areas of marketing, market research, traffic planning, service and maintenance.

Financing and resources used

Since the restructuring of public transport revenue from ticket sales has increased from 27.8 million DM in 1995 to 33.8 million DM in 1996 and 40 million DM in 1997.

In 1996 investment into rolling stock was 46 million DM of which 34 million DM were invested by the STO.AG's public transport utility's own financial resources. Investment in building activities amounted to 266.4 million DM with a share of 61.3 million DM from STO.AG's own financial resources.

Results and impacts

Implementation of an integrated public transport system necessarily had impacts on various levels of operation. The following results highlight the growing support for public transport and trends in a linked policy of coordinated urban development and new public transport planning:

• travelling time on city express routes was reduced by up to 40%,
• city express buses provide more than 70% of all bus trips. As these routes are direct links they are also time-saving,
• increased frequency of services offer more flexibility and many stops have more than 50% departures,
• punctuality increased due to the computerised traffic guidance system,
• services have improved for more than 90% of customers,
• in 1996 STO.AG had approx. 30 million passengers which was an increase of 5.5 million passengers compared with 1995. Season tickets are used more frequently and special offers (e.g. day tickets, ticket 2000) became increasingly popular. The monthly season ticket (ticket 2000) is used by 9,000 customers and another 6,000 customers take advantage of the 'job ticket' which can be purchased if all employees pay it or at least 100 persons of a larger company. In addition, companies can opt for a discount ticket from the regional transport system (which includes the Oberhausen network),
• in contrast to the national tend in public transport (drop in customers by 1.4%) STO.AG had a rise in passengers by 18.4% in 1997,
• in 1996 70 new tram or bus drivers were employed.

Barriers and conflicts

So far no information on short-comings of the new public transport system are available.

Lessons learned And transferability

In 1997 some changes in service demonstrated that a new public transport network has to be open to customer-oriented adjustments:

• the number of night bus express service has been increased from four to six and from Saturday to Sunday the are run until 8 A.M. This extension of service is sponsored by CentrO.,
• a lack of tram connections between the cities of Oberhausen and Mülheim was improved with the help of shorter time intervals and the linking of two routes,
• public transport schedules have been oriented towards the demand of the service sector. Instead of a 30 minute interval after 7 P.M., a 15 minutes interval was introduced between 6 P.M. and 9 P.M.,
• express bus lines have be re-routed as this helps to provide access to important facilities (e.g. medical group practice).

Source of Information

Burmeister, Jürgen 1998: Nahverkehr in Oberhausen: Eine Erfolgsstory, in: Bus & Bahn, No.4, pp.16/17

Contact:

Cities:

Oberhausen :

The city of Oberhausen is located in the heart of the Ruhr, the industrial centre of the German economy. The city area amounts to a Size 7,703 hectares . With the decline of the traditional industries of coal and steel, large areas of industrial wasteland were available to the town for development. In order to develop new urban structure on these areas the town decided to devise a framework concept for this 'industrial centre'. Traditionally this 'centre' separated Alt-Oberhausen to the south of the town from Sterkrade and Osterfeld in the north. The idea which evolved was to create a 'new centre' which would link these three districts to be known as 'Neue Mitte Oberhausen'. After its final completion it should provide employment for up to 10,000 people.

Population:

Project was added at 28.03.2000
Project was changed at 04.04.2000

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