ABSTRACT

Public transport has to be planned as an integrated part of the whole urban economic and social system. Private vehicle owners will use public transport if the city introduces parking regulations that take into account real human behavior and that guarantee the possibility of choice for car owners. Public transport stops that are separated by great distances and/or are only accessible by stairways, elevators and escalators reduce the catchment area of any one stop substantially compared to a surface public transport situation. Surface public transport is therefore the “normal” public transport to be used in a “normal city” for people. Therefore cities with a visible public transport have a much higher share of public transport trips, compared to cities with a “hidden” and/or expensive underground system. Grade-separated public transport in places where it also can operate on the road surface indicate that the city has lost the battle against the problem of car traffic.