Contract signed for Corfu traffic study
SUMP
28 Jul 2021
/ 11:54
CORFU. The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) will indicate how the problem can be managed.
Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Municipality has acquired a useful tool for strategic traffic planning and management in Corfu Town, focusing on improving accessibility and providing high quality transport with emphasis on walking, cycling and public transport. Mayor Meropi Ydraiou and the representative of the contracting company Chrysostomos Rizomyliotis yesterday morning signed a contract for an Integrated Plan for the Management and Design of Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUMP) Measures and Interventions for the Municipality for 15 years.
Mrs. Ydraiou stressed that the maximum period to carry out the study with a total budget of €176,111 (including VAT) is 13 months and will be conducted in three distinct phases, including consultation with the local community and bodies in joint cooperation, in order to make Corfu Town more friendly and human both for residents and visitors.
“SUMP is a priority that the Municipal Authority has set since the beginning of its term in office and that is why it acted immediately to complete all the necessary procedures before the signing of the contract today,” said the Mayor. “The plan, apart from the traffic study, will be our constitution for the next 15-20 years and that is why this constitution, this social contract, is something we should all sign, not only the Municipal Authority and the Municipal Council, but above all the citizens, as it is a participatory process to improve the lives of our fellow citizens. There will be, therefore, wide consultation at the study’s final stage with all our organisations, bodies and residents so that it can be a framework within which we will all come together for a more human, friendlier, greener and more civilised town.”
She explained that the study will focus on the existing situation in the historic centre of Corfu Town, and solutions to all existing issues, such as the prohibition of heavy vehicles both from the historic centre and the town in general, and the operation of a cycle path will be provided through the study.
Planning
The sustainable mobility planning will address all components of the urban transport system in four main areas:
-The existence of integrated spatial, urban, transport planning (harmonisation of land uses envisaged in the General Urban Plan with the type of transport infrastructure, road hierarchy, hierarchical development, etc.)
- Traffic management (road safety, public transport, intelligent transport, on-street and off-street parking)
- Soft mobility (infrastructure for soft traffic, soft traffic control)
- Environmental technologies and measures (technologies to reduce vehicle and fuel emissions, controlled parking, environmental pricing of cars, etc.)
Imperative due to climate change
The company that will undertake the study has long-term experience in this field and developed the first SUMP in Greece, for the Larissa Municipality, which has been successfuly implemented for three years.
“It is a trend that has been developing in Europe for a decade and cities are converting to sustainable mobility, as it is imperative due to climate change," said Mr. Rizomyliotis. "We need to start protecting the environment, reducing pollutants and polluting means of transport. At the same time, we must also organise our cities because of the major traffic problems. We are calling for holistic solutions and a 15-year programme carried out in phases.”
Ms. Ydraiou concluded by saying that once the first findings are available, the proposed solutions will begin to be piloted “to get into the way of thinking that something is changing and that we need to change our situation."
Mrs. Ydraiou stressed that the maximum period to carry out the study with a total budget of €176,111 (including VAT) is 13 months and will be conducted in three distinct phases, including consultation with the local community and bodies in joint cooperation, in order to make Corfu Town more friendly and human both for residents and visitors.
“SUMP is a priority that the Municipal Authority has set since the beginning of its term in office and that is why it acted immediately to complete all the necessary procedures before the signing of the contract today,” said the Mayor. “The plan, apart from the traffic study, will be our constitution for the next 15-20 years and that is why this constitution, this social contract, is something we should all sign, not only the Municipal Authority and the Municipal Council, but above all the citizens, as it is a participatory process to improve the lives of our fellow citizens. There will be, therefore, wide consultation at the study’s final stage with all our organisations, bodies and residents so that it can be a framework within which we will all come together for a more human, friendlier, greener and more civilised town.”
She explained that the study will focus on the existing situation in the historic centre of Corfu Town, and solutions to all existing issues, such as the prohibition of heavy vehicles both from the historic centre and the town in general, and the operation of a cycle path will be provided through the study.
Planning
The sustainable mobility planning will address all components of the urban transport system in four main areas:
-The existence of integrated spatial, urban, transport planning (harmonisation of land uses envisaged in the General Urban Plan with the type of transport infrastructure, road hierarchy, hierarchical development, etc.)
- Traffic management (road safety, public transport, intelligent transport, on-street and off-street parking)
- Soft mobility (infrastructure for soft traffic, soft traffic control)
- Environmental technologies and measures (technologies to reduce vehicle and fuel emissions, controlled parking, environmental pricing of cars, etc.)
Imperative due to climate change
The company that will undertake the study has long-term experience in this field and developed the first SUMP in Greece, for the Larissa Municipality, which has been successfuly implemented for three years.
“It is a trend that has been developing in Europe for a decade and cities are converting to sustainable mobility, as it is imperative due to climate change," said Mr. Rizomyliotis. "We need to start protecting the environment, reducing pollutants and polluting means of transport. At the same time, we must also organise our cities because of the major traffic problems. We are calling for holistic solutions and a 15-year programme carried out in phases.”
Ms. Ydraiou concluded by saying that once the first findings are available, the proposed solutions will begin to be piloted “to get into the way of thinking that something is changing and that we need to change our situation."
