UNIT 4 URBAN TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS – NON-MOTORISED TRANSPORT

Introduction
Urban transport problems were discussed in detail in the previous unit together with
the lack of integrated transport planning in an urban area. Now that problems have
been identified the next step would be to seek solutions.

Unit 4 will now look at one possible solution that can be implemented in an attempt
to address urban transport problems.

The following topics will be addressed in this unit:

Topic 4.1: Introduction to and definition of Non-motorised transportation (NMT)

Topic 4.2: Non-motorised transport (NMT) initiatives (Local and International)
Topic 4.3: Smart cities and sustainability
Topic 4.4: Summary

Outcomes that will be covered in this unit

At the end of this unit the student is expected to:
1 Define Non-Motorised Transport (NMT)
2 Identify and explain suitable non-motorised transport initiatives for a
specific geographic area
3 Discuss what is meant by smart cities and sustainability

In unit 3 various urban transport problems were identified. The idea with this unit is to
focus on one of various possible solutions for urban transport problems, namely non-
motorised transport (NMT).

Topic 4.1 Introduction to and definition of non-motorised transport (NMT)

In most urban areas transport planning tend to be focused on facilities for public and
private transport that are mainly motorised transport. The increase of private car
ownership leads to an increase in congestion, environmental deterioration and traffic
accidents. All of these are seen as negative aspects related to motorised transport.
In order to minimise the negative impacts of motorised transport, non-motorised
transport is seen as an effective alternative.

Various modes of NMT are available and generally make use of available human
and animal energy, are non-polluting modes, safe and user friendly. The cost of
operation is low. NMT is an ideal mode to use for shorter type of trips up to 5km in
length and is a convenient mode in a congested are to make trips to school and
shops.

Topic 4.2 NMT initiatives (Local and International examples)

Non-motorised modes of transport include pedestrian movement, bicycles, cycle

rickshaws and animal drawn vehicles.

Walking is considered to be the most important mode of transport, especially for

short distances, followed by cycling. These two modes are the modes that are used
the most. Animal drawn transport is not that popular although in more rural areas it is
mostly used to convey freight but it is also used to transport passengers (Victor &
Ponnuswamy, 2012).

Although NMT is a good initiative it can only be successful in a quality urban area
where safety, proximity and access is a priority in order to ensure maximum use of
NMT. Therefore proper urban planning is required so that adequate NMT facilities
can be constructed, implemented and maintained. The different modes of non-
motorised transport usually reflect the diversity of movement needs in a community
as well as the financial means to afford such services (Dimitriou, 2013).

4.2.1 Walking (pedestrian facilities)

The most dependable and by far the most affordable means of movement is walking
and research has shown that people in small and medium-sized cities tend to make
more trips by walking than people that live in larger metropolitan areas (Dimitriou,
2013).

The movement of pedestrian in an urban area is essential in a modern urban area

for various reasons. A city functions because of the interaction among people at
various places of business, gathering and leisure. Every trip we make, irrespective of
the mode used, begins and ends with walking (pedestrian movement) and in many
cities across the world pedestrian movements is a significant percentage of the total
number of trips made.

A negative point is that a high number of pedestrians are involved in traffic accidents.
These accidents mostly happen when pedestrians cross roads. For this reason the
provision of pedestrian facilities require special attention as it is an essential
component of the total urban transportation system.

4.2.2 Planning for pedestrian facilities

In many urban areas the planning and resource allocation dedicated to pedestrian
facilities are not sufficient because the emphasis is mainly biased towards improving
and providing facilities for motorised transport. Development of pedestrian facilities
should focus on enhancement of the pedestrian experience, which should consider
aspects such as:
 Easy access to buildings
 Shelter from the elements
 Safety and security
 Easy access to transit services

It is important to focus the design of routes around routes used by schools children,
senior citizens, disabled people and commuters. Continuous and direct pedestrian
facilities along major streets is ideal and should interconnect with other modes of
transport with ease (Victor & Ponnuswamy, 2012).

Pedestrian traffic have to be separated from vehicular traffic in order to minimise

conflict and accidents. This can be done by means of sidewalks and pedestrian
crossings. Sidewalks is provided in many urban areas however, the quality and the
width of the sidewalk leaves a lot to be desired. The surface of the sidewalk should
be maintained and cleaned to encourage people to walk on the sidewalks.
Designated pedestrian crossings are essential to ensure safety of pedestrians when
crossing busy roads.

Various other types of infrastructure is required to optimize the pedestrian

experience and include:

 Separation of pedestrians and vehicular traffic by means of grade separation,

e.g. footbridges and subways.
 Specialised infrastructure for people with disabilities
 Infrastructure for other specialised NMT users, including electric wheelchairs,
Segway’s and e-Bikes.
 Public transport facilities e.g. bus and taxi bays, combined with walkways to
keep pedestrians out of the roadway;
 Pedestrian barriers on high speed roads;
 Pedestrian median refuges on wide roads to allow pedestrians to negotiate
one carriageway at a time;
 Walkways and cycle tracks, most important facilities to separate pedestrians
from the roadway;
 Traffic calming measures, e.g. raised pedestrian crossings (raised platforms),
speed humps and mini traffic circles aimed at reducing speed;
 Speed law enforcement cameras in areas with high pedestrian activities;
 Street lighting to make pedestrians more visible

In general, walking distances tend to be short but when the walking environment
appeals to the pedestrian (i.e. safe, clean, accessible, etc.) the walking distance may
be increased.

4.2.3 Bicycle facilities

Using bicycles as a mode of transport is not a new sight. Cycling has been around
since the 1890s, but planning for bicycle facilities is a rather new concept and activity
that forms part of urban transport planning and management because cycling has
emerged again as an acceptable form of transport, especially in the light of increase
in fuel prices and the cost of motor vehicles (Victor & Ponnuswamy, 2012).

The potential of cycling as a means of urban transport is increasing and it is being

used to commute to work, to schools, to shops and other activities in various towns
and cities, especially in India where it is the predominant mode used (Victor &
Ponnuswamy, 2012).

Although the use of bicycles are emerging once again there are some negative
aspects that discourage people from using it, including adverse weather conditions,
danger of cycling in dense city traffic and pollution caused by motor vehicles.

Three types of bicycle trips can be identified in an urban area:

i. Neighborhood riding mostly by children and for shopping

 ii. Recreation riding (along scenic routes)
iii. Commute riding (home to work trips and home to school trips)

4.2.4 Planning for bicycle transport

When planning the facilities for bicycle transport it is important to keep in mind that
the procedure applicable to this mode differs from other modes of transport. Is it
useful to consider the following factors (Victor & Ponnuswamy, 2012):

 It is necessary separate the cyclist from other traffic as much as possible

because the cyclist is unprotected and vulnerable to injury in the case of an
accident or collision with another object or vehicle.
 The speed of a bicycle is relatively low compared to other vehicles on the
road therefore it is important that a cyclist do not obstruct the flow of normal
road traffic
 The average trip length for bicycles is short and mostly on local streets rather
than highways
 Climatic conditions influence the use of bicycles because the cyclist is
exposed
 Safe storage of bicycles at intermodal terminals (e.g. railway station and bus
terminal) is important as well as the security of cyclist on the bikeways

Various types of bicycle facilities constitute the bicycle network and can be classified
as follow (Victor & Ponnuswamy, 2012):

i. Bike Path: Fully segregated and protected right-of-way for the exclusive use
of bicycles
ii. Bike Lane: A restricted right-of-way designated for exclusive or semi-exclusive
use of bicycles. Motor vehicle parking and access to property is allowed but
traffic of vehicles is not allowed
iii. Bike Route: A shared right-of-way along a street, designated as a bike route
by means of signs on posts or stenciled on the road pavement surface

4.2.5 Bicycle network planning

In order to ensure proper bicycle facilities and system, a comprehensive bicycle

network plan is needed and will consist of the following steps:

 Inventory of existing facilities, including information on traffic volumes, speed,

parking facilities and street dimensions
 Forecast the demand for the bicycle facility by conducting origin-destination
studies regarding bicycle usage. Information gathered include number of
cycles and number of riders per family as well as the number and different
types of trips
 Create planning and design criteria. The various alternatives should fulfill the
planning criteria in terms of safety, environmental attractiveness, system
continuity and cost effectiveness
 Design the bikeway network and facilities. Bikeway routes are established in
order to satisfy the requirements of access, safety and continuity.
  Consider alternative plans if appropriate
 Evaluate all the plans and select the optimum plan to implement
 Implement the selected plan (i.e. the alternative that best address the
planning criteria)
 Evaluate the results after implementation and a period of monitoring

A complete bicycle network plan should serve all cyclists in the specific planning
area. There should be an offering of continuous routes that connect to smaller
community bicycle systems.

As part of the network planning for bicycles, parking for bicycles should be
considered. It is necessary to provide parking facilities for bicycles at bus terminals,
transit stations, park-and-ride facilities and other major activity centers. Appropriate
parking racks and locks should be available, depending of course on the duration of
the parking.

This section identified that walking and cycling is one of the most common methods
of NMT to be used or encouraged to be used in an urban area as a possible solution
to traffic congestion. The section that follows will briefly look at sustainability and
smart cities.

Topic 4.3 Smart cities and sustainability

In recent years there has been a focus on sustainability in transport or sustainable

transport. But what does this really mean?

The most basic explanation is that sustainable transport can be seen as the means
of transport that has a low impact on the environment and that is safe (What is
sustainable transport? 2019). Sustainable transport is sometimes referred to as
“green transport”. Renewable energy is the used to power sustainable transport
instead of coal, petroleum or fossil fuels which is known for the negative impacts it
has on the environment. Sustainable transport can be viewed as safe because it
utilises renewable energy sources. As mentioned earlier in this unit, the two popular
examples of sustainable transport include walking and cycling (What is sustainable
transport? 2019).

All around the world people are more aware of the fact that the environment needs to
be protected. At the same time, the world’s resource are being depleted. For this
reason there has been various attempts worldwide to rather make use of public
transport and not private motor vehicles. If motor vehicles are to be used, it should
rather be a vehicle that uses clean fuel or alternative sources of fuel (What is
sustainable transport? 2019):

 Biofuels: This is a good alternative to fossil fuels and is gaining popularity. It is

manufactured by fermenting plant debris. Biodiesel is manufactured from
animal and vegetable fats or recycled grease. All of these are efficient and
clean alternative sources of energy.
 Solar Energy: A great source of energy that depends on photovoltaic cells that
transform sunlight into energy. The only disadvantage of solar energy is the
 fact that batteries are needed when there is no sunlight (usually at night) and
these are usually big and heavy as well as expensive.
 Hydrogen: The most consistent element in the world might be the future of
transport. Hydrogen power is more affordable but research are still being
done especially on how to get hydrogen power from renewable sources.

Therefore sustainable transport can be seen as “the capacity to support the mobility
needs of a society in a manner that is least damageable to the environment and
does not impair the mobility needs of future generations” (Rodrigue, Comtois &
Slack, 2017).

With an increased focus on sustainability and environmental concern, the questions

is raised what should a smart and sustainable city look like in the future? Of course it
cannot consist of only one thing. It should rather be a combination of principles that
focus on transportation aspects of that city or urban area. Some of the more
prominent principles of a smart city (or ideal city in the future) include (Tumlin, 2012):

 Walking is a pleasure for everyone, everywhere and at all times of the day –
Designing a sustainable city starts with the human body and its needs. The
human body depends on walking to maintain optimal functioning. Therefore
walking must be something that everyone wants to do.
 Bicycling is safe and comfortable for people of all ages – Bicycling increases
the territory that can be covered thereby providing more mobility with similar
health benefits a walking. Bicycling is one of the most energy efficient mode of
transport because it converts a person’s metabolic energy into action.
 The needs of daily life are all within walking distance – Although there will be
vehicles in the future smart city, no person will be dependent on a motor
vehicle for the needs of daily life. All basic services will be within walking
distance e.g. groceries, school, child care and health services.
 Transit is fast, frequent, reliable and dignified – To be attractive to people who
can select any mode, transit should meet specific desires, e.g. convenient
(fast, frequent and reliable) and comfortable. It is important that transit be
affordable to all.
 Residents have a strong sense of ownership of their home and city – In order
to encourage ownership a variety of housing types should be available so that
people of all income levels can afford to buy a home. Residents can also be
motivated to extend their sense of ownership into public spaces in order to
stimulate investment in underutilized areas to be made more attractive.
 Energy is local, sustainable and precious – As mentioned before there will be
a lot more walking and cycling together with more efficient ground transport.
Motor vehicles in the future will run on a new type of energy or fuel and will
most definitely be smaller, lighter and more automated.
 Social networks are more important than before – The economy of the new
smart city will be based on networks; networks of information, networks of
people, and networks of capital. To stimulate the development of these
networks it is important to invest in technology, create spaces where people
can meet and talk.
 Style is local but beauty is global – In the city of the future where a sense of
ownership is central to sustainability, the style will have to be local, but beauty
 is more important than style. If something is not beautiful it cannot be
sustainable!

Topic 4.4 Summary

This unit provided an overview of non-motorised transport as a possible solution to

transport problems in an urban area. Although there are more initiatives walking and
cycling were the two main types of NMT that was dealt with in this unit.

It was established that NMT provides various opportunities to promote the Greening
of Transport (or sustainability of transport) by promoting walking and cycling instead
of using car travel, thus reducing pollution and noise. It also serves as feeder system
to public transport modes and should be planned in conjunction with public transport.
A major need exist to provide adequate and appropriate NMT infrastructure both
from a road safety and traffic operations perspective. The chapter concluded with a
discussion on sustainable transport and smart cities.

The unit that follows will look at Travel Demand Management which is another
proposed solution to deal with rising levels of congestion in an urban area.
REFERENCES

 Urban Transportation – Planning, Operations and Management by D Victor and

S Ponnuswamy (2012)
 Sustainable Transportation Planning – Tools for creating vibrant, healthy and
resilient communities by J Tumlin (2012)
 The Geography of Transport Systems (3rd edition) by J Rodrigue, C Comtois and
B Slack (2017)
 What is sustainable transport? by Unknown (2019) Available online from
www.conserve-energy-future.com [Accessed 10 June 2019]