Keeping cars out of host cities

Host City examines how London, Stockholm and Rio de Janeiro are improving their environment by controlling congestion

The number of cars in central Stockholm was reduced by a
quarter and journey times were halved (Picture: Q-Free)

Traffic congestion is a growing problem in most cities. This not only makes travelling hard work, it also severely degrades the local and global environment. Traffic dramatically alters the sound, smell and character of a city and emits vast amounts of extremely damaging gases.

A city shouldn’t even consider hosting a major event without first addressing traffic congestion. As Jim Sloman, chief operating officer for the Sydney Olympics told a UK House of Commons report on London 2012 plans: “Firstly, you have to get the athletes to the event or you do not have an event, and you have got to get them there on time or the television sponsors will not pay you. It is crucial you get the media to the event, the broadcasters to the event, and at the end of the day you must get the spectators to the event on time as well. Transport is a must-have, it must work well, it is crucial to the success of the Games.”

London’s transport revolution
Public transport is now improving and congestion is easing in the host city of the 2012 Games, but during the bid stage transport was identified as the weak point. An IOC report in 2004 stated: “Rail transport is often obsolete and considerable investments must be made to upgrade the existing system in terms of capacity and safety.”

London tackled these concerns head on with a raft of proposals to improve public transport. The IOC Evaluation Commission approved of the amended plans, saying: “Provided that this proposed programme of public transport improvements is fully delivered on schedule before 2012 and the extensive Olympic Route Network is implemented, the Commission believes that London would be capable of coping with Games-time traffic.”

London went on to win the bid in 2005 and the Olympic Delivery Authority promptly drafted a transport plan. During Games-time, an Olympic Route Network (ORN) will link all the competition venues and key non-competition venues. Non-Games traffic will be carefully managed on these roads. The only Games-related traffic allowed on the ORN will be for the 55,000 members of the “Olympic Family”: athletes, accredited media, technical officials and sponsors will all travel on special coaches, while car fleets will operate to provide transport for the other accredited personnel.

The majority of spectators, who will not be allowed to drive to venues, will be whisked to the Olympic Park from St Pancras in just seven minutes on the 140 mph Javelin train, which took its first run out in June 2009. This is an important breakthrough, not just for spectators in 2012 but for the future of the city and its commuters.

Other major rail projects that have been given a boost by London’s bid include the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed 1) and the extension of the Docklands Light Railway. These developments are intended to create benefits that will continue to be felt long after the Games have finished.

These public transport initiatives are being financed in part by London’s system of congestion charging using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) that was introduced in 2003.

Stockholm popularises road tax
While London’s congestion charge is unpopular with many residents, it has been very effective in reducing noise and pollution – so much so that another traffic-choked European capital, Stockholm, introduced a similar system in 2006.

Stockholm’s approach differed from London’s in three main ways. Firstly, it combined ANPR with RFID tagging for a less costly and more versatile system for operators. Secondly, it used a pricing system that fluctuated according to the time of day, linking cost with demand.

And thirdly, it was hugely popular. In a referendum following six months of trial operation, the citizens of Stockholm voted in favour of keeping the system. This may well have been the first time in history a population has voted in favour of a tax.

The tax was popular because it solved a huge problem for the city. Steinar Furan, vice president of business development at Q-Free, the Norwegian company that supplied the technology told Host City: “Congestion and pollution created terrible problems for the city. There were lots of delays in traffic, particularly during rush hour.”

The city decided to introduce a programme that would direct people away from using roads in peak demand periods towards using public transport or driving at less congested times of day. “They ended up with a solution where they said, if you’re crossing the boundary into the inner city over the old customs boundaries, you will pay a tax to the city – and that tax will vary depending on when you are driving.” The highest charge set was SEK 20 (USD 1.6) in the middle of the day. Driving in the centre is free at night, evenings and public holidays.

Like London, Stockholm ploughed this revenue into public transport. Stockholm introduced 200 new buses and set up a number of new parking areas in the vicinity of underground stations on the perimeter of the city. As a result, peak hour traffic was reduced by 30 per cent – equivalent to removing one in three cars – with an overall reduction of 23 per cent – or one in four cars. Journey times were reduced by half, according to local newspaper reports.

The change in the city’s environment was palpable, Furan says. “The amount of gases emitted was reduced to such a level that you could feel, as a human being, that the air became cleaner. You could also sense a dramatic reduction in noise pollution. Probably the most notable effect was that all congestion was suddenly gone.”

The technology behind the tax
The Swedish Road Administration contracted IBM to design, develop and operate the solution, which uses a combination of onboard wireless RFID technology and roadside cameras – both supplied by Q-Free. Electronic payment is instantly triggered when an on-board tag is detected. In tandem to this, automated number plate recognition (ANPR) software identifies vehicles without tags.

Fitting RFID tags is a more reliable and cost-effective operation than congestion charging systems that do not use such devices and it makes variable charging much easier. It can also be used as an access control solution.

“It is very easy to grant access to certain areas while preventing others from entering,” says Furan. “We delivered a system to Barcelona in 1992 which gave local residents access during the games. The key thing is that you can select who is allowed to enter and who has to pay.”

Amongst all this traffic control, host cities must bear in mind that the main aim is to attract people, not deter them. “A city that wants to attract visitors must be accessible. You want to see things without being surrounded by pollution and noise. Stockholm’s natural beauty was swamped by traffic – now it is much more attractive.”

Decongesting Rio
Brazil’s booming cities are amongst the most congested in the world, so how will they cope with hosting the 2014 World Cup – or even the 2016 Olympic Games?

Although Rio de Janeiro has a small metro system, the city’s public transport is dominated by buses and mini-vans. This, coupled with a dramatic rise in car ownership in recent years, makes for a lot of pollution and congestion.

Despite this, Rio is confident that transport is an asset to its bid. “We felt that our presentation on Theme 15 – Transportation – was one of our strongest on the first day of meetings with the members of the Evaluation Commission,” says Mayor Eduardo Paes. “We made it clear to the Commission members that our transport proposal is closely intertwined with our plans for development across the city, with manageable costs that we are ready and able to bear, given already-secured government funding.”

At the heart of Rio’s transport plan is a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, featuring three new express corridors exclusively for high-capacity buses. With tubular stations similar to those in metro systems, the BRT lines will link the city’s south, north and west zones.

Cavalcanti says: “The goal is to meet all Games demands without disrupting the normal routine of the city. Our plans are aligned with the city’s development plan and, as well as implementing BRT lines, we are planning significant improvements to the metro and train systems.”