mobility covenants program in Flanders, Belgium, The

Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal, Oct 1997 by Zuallaert, Jos

The Mobility Covenants Program of the Flemish regional government promotes and sustains local governments' processes of sustainable mobility policy-making. Its aim is to incite municipalities to make a mobility plan, to encourage traffic safety, livability and modal change. The program is embedded in the overall Flemish policy for sustainable mobility and development. The program is structured around three key items:

1. A task force of transport specialists sets out the procedures for mobility policy planning and develops communication and education strategies. These will serve as guidelines for the municipalities.

2. The Mobility Covenant is an agreement between three parties: the municipality; the administration for transport, public works and land use; and the Flemish public transport company "De Lijn." The covenant consists of a general part containing an engagement to work toward sustainable mobility and specific parts in which the mobility plan and optional projects are outlined. The agreement is voluntary, but if municipalities do not make mobility plans, they will not be eligible for subsidies for transport projects from the regional government.

3. Furthermore these subsidies depend on the approval of the municipality's proposed mobility plan in an audit by external experts. A system of subregional audit-commissions is set up as an eco-mobility management and control system for the program.

This program was decided upon by the Flemish government at the end of 1995 and assessed in 1996. The first mobility plans and project are currently being audited. Some Flemish towns and cities launched a comprehensive and sometimes innovative approach, amongst them the cities of Hasselt and Gent.

What has been the impact of the program until now? The traditional, unimodal traffic policy planning definitely turned multimodal. No municipality can escape the program. (Unless they do not need extra funds, of course, but who doesn't?) As far as the first mobility policy plans show, the traditional traffic planning schemes changed to a more comprehensive urban and traffic approach and to integrated multimodal schemes.

The Flemish Public Transport company is also developing an "aggressive" strategy in line with this covenant program. They get new funds for new bus lines, especially in cities, and are restructuring existing plans; they are also introducing a more market-oriented approach (transport demand management). Bicyclist organizations find strong support in the program to get new bicycle routes planned.

Municipalities do complain about the extra administrative work, and procedures could indeed be made less complicated. However, traffic planning got a real boost, and the ad hoc policies based on unimodal projects are hopefully gone forever.

Finally, the program needs at least another two years to get most of the concrete actions and projects within its framework really going.

For more information, contact Jos Zuallaert, Senior Consultant for the Mobility Covenant Program, Langzaam Verkeer, J.P. Minckelersstraat 43a, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; 32-16-239465, fax: 32-16-290210; e-mail: langzaam. verkeer@skynet.be or contact Paul Cattrysse, Chairman of the Mobility Covenant Program at The Flemish Administration for Road Infrastructure and Transport, WTC-toren 3, Simon Bolivarlaan 30,1210 Brussels, Belgium; 32-2-2084955, fax: 32-2-2084972.

NPMS IS UP AND RUNNING

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Highway Information Management (OHIM) has completed hands-on training workshops for new Windows-based Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data collection software. OHIM conducted these workshops in Atlanta, Ga., USA; Baltimore, Md., USA; Denver, Colo., USA; and Kansas City, Mo., USA. The workshops, which were attended by both state and FHWA field personnel, provided an opportunity for the attendees to work with the new software, ask questions and provide feedback to FHWA. All but four states attended the workshops.

The new HPMS software will be used by the states to provide FHWA with information on their roadway systems' length, use, physical condition, operating characteristics and safety. It enables data updates in the field using laptop computers. During development of the software, several states assisted FHWA by pilot testing the software and providing feedback. Four of the pilot states (Connecticut, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington) attended one workshop each. They talked about their experience with the software, provided assistance to other states based on their experience and gave suggestions on how to use the software from a state's perspective. Overall, the software was well received by the states. Most expect to use the new system for the 1997 data reporting year in June 1998.

For additional information, contact Beverly Harrison, 202/366-4048; beverly.harrison@fhwa.dot.gov or Janet Tierney, 202/366-5021; janet.tierney@fhwa.dot.gov. Both are at the following address: FHWA, 400 Seventh St., S.W, HPM20, Washington, D.C. 20590 USA. This item comes from the FHWA Research and Technology Transponder.