Interview with Mr Aleksandar Jevdjenic, Head of Traffic Department, URBANIZAM – Urban Centre, Urban Planning and Research Centre, Novi Sad.
Novi Sad, the second largest city of Serbia, has a population of around 400,000 citizens and a geographical position that favours economic growth. The city has links to important transport routes being connected to the region through important road, rail and river routes. Due to its location on the pan-European Corridor X, the city is connected to 8 countries from Salzburg to Thessaloniki, and has transport connection with West-European countries and Black Sea countries through Corridor VII (Danube).
At present, the public transport of the city relies on bus lines, but the authorities plan to reintroduce tram lines to ensure urban mobility, economic growth and reducing the environmental impact.
To develop a tram network, the authorities will implement the project in four phases and plan to built a network that would meet transport demands by 2030. The first phase of the project requires investments of around EUR 80 Million, including the acquisition of 25 trams which requires an investment of EUR 65 Million. The construction of the tram infrastructure requires an additional EUR 15 Million. These figures don’t include the reconstruction of the road infrastructure or the relocation of the underground or above-ground space.
The city’s strategy includes the introduction of the tram lines which will help increase the attractiveness of public transport, trams will be prioritized and will have independent routes, the lines will be introduced in the pedestrian areas too and they will be connected to the other public transport terminals. To encourage the use of the tramway, local authorities want to introduce a fee on parking in the central area whose cost will be higher than tram tickets. For 2030, the authorities plan to build 5 tram lines with a total length of 92.4 km serving 47 stations and 5 terminals. The lines will provide connections to the other transport modes. A depot will also be built.
By 2030, the network will be operated by 50 vehicles with a minimum capacity of 160 seats. We asked Mr Aleksandar Jevdjenic, Head of Traffic Department, URBANIZAM – Urban Centre, Urban Planning and Research Centre, Novi Sad, to answer our questions about the implementation of the authorities’ strategy of building an urban rail transport network and encouraging the use of public transport.
Railway PRO: Since 2011, Novi Sad has been trying to reintroduce tram lines. What have been the obstacles that have delayed the beginning of works for the development of the network?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Novi Sad introduced the tram public transport in 1911, unfortunately, in 1958, it was completely replaced by the bus transport. It was only in 1991 and 1997 that the introduction of tram transport became the topic, because at that time the feasibility studies on introducing electric modes of transportation in Novi Sad were carried out. These studies prove the feasibility of introducing trams, but they also recognize that the bus system that existed at that time could work in the coming period, until 2007, when problems will be expected due to the lack of capacity at the most intense corridors. However, something that wasn’t envisaged at the time happened – the number of passengers in the public transport system began to decline gradually, therefore the lack of capacity didn’t happen. Given the circumstances, in 2011 it was decided to re-do the feasibility study and the general project of introduction of trams. It was carried out and the conclusion was that, due to an increase in the number of passengers in the public transport system it is necessary to introduce trams, because, along with the implementation of the entire system of measures in other segments of transportation in the city, trams will make the system more attractive. There was another conclusion as well – the city has no money to implement the idea. Until the present day the situation remained unchanged.
Railway PRO: According to your presentation for the Mobility Forum in Oradea (March 2014), the city needs new approaches to ensure the mobility of citizens. What are the main criteria upon which the reintroduction of the tram system will rely?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: In 2009, the Traffic study of Novi Sad was carried out. An integral part of the study was NOSTRAM (Novi Sad Traffic Transport Model), which was used for the Feasibility study of introducing trams from 2011, which has already been mentioned. The model was developed in VISUM. Then it was stated that the city needs new approaches to ensure the mobility of citizens and main criteria upon which the reintroduction of the tram system will rely.
The basic criteria has to be the criteria of the system sustainability, together with the decrease of pollution, noise cost and air pollution cost (negative external cost), and basic principle on managing city transport system is:
For pedestrian, bike and public transport whatever it takes, but for passenger car transport -whatever is left.
Railway PRO: How do local authorities support the implementation of this project and, in general, encourage public transport against motorised individual transport?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Encouraging public transport over private in Novi Sad is currently manifested only through the purpose of traffic lanes at intersections where buses of public transportation can exclusively move in a direction which is not intended for passenger cars. There are also traffic lanes intended exclusively for public transport, but it’s not enough. In the parking policy there is no progress because the price of parking is cheaper than the price of tickets for public transport; there is no priority at intersections, buses are moving along with passenger cars; tariff policy is bad; car park is in poor condition, etc.
When it comes to the local authorities, it seems that everything could get started from a standstill when the funds, which the city currently lacks, could be provided. The city has done what it could do, and that is the Feasibility study and the general project and it prepared planning documentation that envisages the introduction of trams.
Railway PRO: What does the tram network construction project include?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: There is a general project which involves defining the route of tram network, standpoint location, clearly defined four phases of implementation, 25 cross sections along the first phase, schedule with the planned flow of passengers along the route, the position of the depot, the required number of trams and tram capacity for each phase separately, etc. Now it is necessary to do preliminary and detailed design of the route of the first phase.
Railway PRO: The project will be implemented in two phases. Could you explain what would these phases actually mean, when would project development tenders be launched and what is the deadline? The project will be implemented in two phases. Can you explain what these phases actually mean, when the development project should be tendered, and what the deadline is ?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Implementation of the project is actually conceived through 4 phases which are shown in the table.
Required number of trams together with reserve trams is 25, while this number will increase by 2030. Phase to 50 trams with minimal capacity of 160 seats. For this planning period, 1 depot will be required and it will be located in the existing garage of the Public city transport enterprise of Novi Sad. On the first line, the tram will commute every 3 minutes on peak hour.
Aside from this, P+R parking lots will be required. Two in the first tram system development phase and 4 in the 2030. Phase. Each of these parking lots should be approximately 1ha or to provide 500 parking spaces. These P+R parking lots would have to be located in the zones where tram terminals will be located.
The deadline is 2030, but it is only a plan. Realistically, the year of implementation of each phase will depend mostly on the amount and the dynamics of the arrival of funds.
Railway PRO: What is the (estimated cost) of the project and what can you tell us about financing sources? What are the financing sources considered? Have you already initiated talks for contracting a loan (loans) granted by the international financial institutions?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Estimated investment of the first tram system development phase is EUR 80 million. This prices includes procurement of 25 trams (about EUR 65 million) and construction of tram lines infrastructure (about EUR 15 million) but without streets reconstruction or possible relocation of underground or above ground installations. This price does not include the P+R system.
The exact price should be known after the development of the preliminary design and the main design.
According to my knowledge, negotiations for contracting, financing or donations are not currently taking place, but there is will that those negotiations begin.
Railway PRO: After developing the entire project, what will be the share of public rail transport, compared to the other transport means?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: A set of social and economic changes led to the increase in the total number of trips by over 30% in the period 1976 – 2009, which follows the increase in the city population. Over the same period, a change in the modal split also occurred, marked by significant increase in the number of trips made by PC (19% to 26%), accompanied by the corresponding decrease in PT use. PT use declined from 28% to 22% in the same period. Pedestrian trips remained unchanged, accounting for 48% of the total transport demand.
Even though the number of PC has increased significantly in the last 30 years, compared to European cities of similar size and population, the motorisation level remains relatively low. In 2029, there will be 133000 PC, which is equivalent to 450 PC/1000 inhabitants. In other words, the number of PC will increase by 64% compared to the current levels, which corresponds to 2.5% annual growth. In addition, the city inhabitant mobility is also expected to increase, with 3 trips per day estimated for the end of the forecast period, irrespective of the mode and thus including walking. Based on realization of the forecast employment ration, there will be 118,000 to 120,000 work related trips in 2029.
In cities of Northern and Southern Europe levels of car ownership dramatically increased in the past period, primarily as a result of the growth in income levels. Similar growing trend of PC usage as a direct consequence of increased level of motorisation is expected in Serbia. Serbian cities historically display large public transport (PT) modal shares relative to PC use. Hence, maintaining the high levels of PT use and promotion of other environmentally friendly modes of transport (EFMT) is an important part for a strategic decision of policy makers.
Long-term transportation plans in Serbia still focus on meeting the growing demand of passenger car (PC) users. The approach exists despite the trend of managing city transport systems in accordance with general principles of sustainable development.
The number of passengers in PT has declined for 19% in period from 2000 to 2010, based on public transport passenger counting (Urbanism Public Enterprise, 2011). Furthermore, when this trend is compared with data from 1995, a further reduction of 21% can be noted. Hence, if this trend continuous, there will be 40% less PT users in 2030. Ascending trend in the number of passengers after 2010 represent the estimates based on the assumption that tram transport network would be developed in Novi Sad (there will be 40% more PT users in 2030 than 1995). On the other hand, the declining trend, corresponds to the number of passengers forecast based on the historical data and least-squares linear regression analysis
Railway PRO: Will the operation of tram transport affect bus public transport?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Tram introduction will enable termination of about 50 buses which will have positive impact on the annual income statement of about EUR 8 million.
Naturally, there will be changes in the network of bus lines that will be subordinated to trams.
Railway PRO: Considering the implementation of this project, can we tell that Novi Sad is focusing on forming a rail public transport system and long-term strategies will consider the ample implementation of the network?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Tram system is designed to provide the following :
• 5 possible tram and railway connections
• For the post-plan period it is envisaged that 7 sub-urban lines will be organized, because Novi Sad already has railway connections with almost all suburbs
• In order to build the lines it is necessary to construct missing rails (at the crossroads), stops, platforms with appropriate height, and certain rails must be electrified
Railway PRO: What is the strategy of promoting this environmentally friendly mode of transport so as to increase the public transport share and influence the choice of citizens towards a sustainable mobility?
Aleksandar Jevdjenic: Main fields of activity are oriented towards the increase of accessibility and attractiveness of public transport (PTx2):
• Trams to have absolute priority and independent routes
• Tram lines to enter into pedestrian zones (or pedestrian zone edges)
• Connect tram lines with other sub-systems of city public transport (terminals)
• Connect tram lines with bicycle routes
• Introduce park and drive system
• Parking prices in the central zone to be higher than tram tickets
Sustaining and improving business, economic and general social development is an additional benefit.
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