Cracow's transportation system is experiencing a metamorphosis under a European Union program that aims to relieve congestion in the city.

Cracow has recently invested zl.300 million to build and modernize roads, including the construction of new overpasses and traffic circles. The city is one big obstacle course at the moment, with dozens of road works in progress and horrendous traffic jams that drive people crazy.

But Cracow's traffic problems may lessen soon because the city is taking part in the four-year Caravel project that was launched in 2005 as part of the Civitas II initiative approved and co-financed by the European Union. The program covers 17 cities in 17 EU countries and is aimed at improving their transport systems.

Cracow was selected to take part in the project because it submitted the most interesting and innovative ideas. They were put forward by the Cracow University of Technology, together with the local government, city mayor and public transport companies.

The project involves applying renewable energy in transport and is intended to upgrade transportation and counteract environmental degradation.

Carpooling
One way to reduce congestion in the city is to promote a carpooling system that has worked for various other cities in Europe and the United States. Cracow has nearly 1 million residents and is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world every year. The city is organizing and testing a carpooling system, while encouraging local residents to change their commuting habits. The project's designers say carpooling could reduce traffic in the city by around 5 percent.

Many students and academic staff who want to share car rides have already registered at a Commuting Center created at the Cracow University of Technology.

Apart from passenger car users, the project aims to attract delivery van drivers who transport products to stores in the Old Market Square area. They will be able to use the services of a nearby logistics center that will provide electric vans to deliver products to a restricted traffic zone. Owing to such a delivery system, commercial vehicle traffic in the Old Town area may drop by up to 50 percent.

On two wheels
The also project calls for the construction of "fast travel corridors" for buses and ambulances. Travel by bus or tram will be shorter and more convenient when these means of transport have priority at street intersections and their schedules are controlled by a dispatcher using satellite navigation.

In another new idea, Cracow will start using buses running on liquefied natural gas, says Prof. Andrzej Rudnicki, head of the Transport Systems Department at the Cracow University of Technology. "There will also be buses with a flexible schedule adapted to passengers' needs," he says. "Moreover, all the buses running to recreational areas such as Lasek Wolski, Skała Kmity and Kryspinów will be equipped with bicycle racks."

Even though Cracow has only 35 kilometers of bicycle paths, the program calls for the introduction of a public bicycle system with bikes for rent.

Passenger's rights charter
The 17 cities taking part in the project are working together to develop a new urban traffic system. "Several cities have taken an interest in Cracow's transport monitoring and assessment methods," says Rudnicki. "We, on the other hand, are using innovative ideas introduced by cities such as Italy's Genoa. These include a system of 'eco-points' that one wins for giving up traveling in a private car in favor of public transportation or carpooling. These points make one eligible for discounts on public transportation and in select stores."

Cracow has established a special Mobility Forum that aims to improve the functioning of the city through moves such as the introduction of a passenger's rights charter. Once the charter is enforced, public transport companies will have to significantly improve the quality of their services.

Meanwhile, the city has established a Road Safety Monitoring and Accident Prevention Center that will gather data on road accidents and highlight particularly dangerous spots.

Teresa Bętkowska