Sustainable Mobility Plan in Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Natural Park

Best Practice

Topics

• Mobility

Short description

This project aims to create greater accessibility to the Natural Reserve through a number of initiatives, including regulating the parking areas and implementing a parking fee. It further plans to set up a shuttle bus service (bicycles may be taken along) in addition to the scheduled ones, to trace out excursion paths of a naturalistic and/or cultural nature and to launch awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging tourists and excursionists alike to use public rather than private transport to get to the interior.

---

Project executive

Project executive Roberto Vinante, Natural Park Technical Consultancy by Ökoinstitut Südtirol/Alto Adige

---

Participants

The shuttle bus service is run by Trentino Trasporti in association with a host of tourist operators present in the park area (Hotels, Restaurants, Camp sites, Bars, etc.). Also of significant importance is the contribution of a number of Primiero local authorities.

Objectives

The aim of the project is to minimise to the utmost the use of private cars and strengthen public transport, thus rendering the park more liveable and safeguarding its delicate ecosystem.

Activities

The activities set out in the Plan drawn up in 2003 envisage the following: 1)Information and communication 1.1 preparing a handbook for visitors indicating the access possibilities offered by public transport; 2) Different means for visiting the Natural Reserve 2.1 On foot 2.2 Local public transport 2.3 Shuttle bus 2.4 Taxi and other forms of collective transport 3) Regulation activities 3.1 General development policy for rest areas 3.2 Tolls 3.3 Limitation of access

Process

There is no information available.

Results

For access to the interior of the Reserve (Val Canali, Passo Rolle, Val Venegia, Paneveggio, etc.) by summer 2005 five shuttle bus lines were running, equipped with bicycle racks, some free of charge. Added to these were the scheduled services from the various towns in the valley outside the Reserve and some taxis. The map and timetable of these services can be found in the visitor’s guide “Il Parco in tasca” (The park in your pocket) published and distributed by the Reserve. Car park regulations have been implemented inside the Reserve – an entry and parking charge has been introduced at Malga Venegia (one of the most striking spots in the park). This has resulted in part of the parking demand being shifted further down the valley to Piano dei Casoni. In Val Canali also the parking lots reached by the shuttle service have been subjected to a charge.

Evaluation

Data regarding cars parked in parking lots inside the Reserve were closely monitored. From 2000 to 2004 the average number of vehicles parked in the Malga Venegia car park decreased significantly. The same can be said for the Lago di Calaita car park.

Difficulties

Some difficulties were met during the initial phase of the project start-up, when Councillors and Operators put up some resistance against the introduction in some areas of the Reserve (Val Venegia and Val Canali) of car parks with a Pay and Display Fee system. The introduction of a charge was seen by Visitors and Residents alike as yet another “tax” at their expense. Our job was to make them understand that the money from the car parks would go entirely towards covering a part of the high costs sustained by the implementation of a bus shuttle service and that the whole project was aimed at deterring people from using their private cars in particularly delicate areas of the Reserve.

Budget

€ 79.832,65 (Euro)

Financial backer

There is no information available.

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

www.parcopan.org

Publication

-

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The aim of the project is to reduce the impact of cars in the Natural Reserve and to offer tourists and excursionists alternatives for gaining access to the park with public transport services. Said impact has not been quantified.

Economic value added

The availability of public transport so as to increase the possibilities of access by tourists and excursionists, the launching of various communication and awareness campaigns, and the tracing out (still under way) of new hiking itineraries and cultural events inside the Reserve. The potential economic advantage for tourist operators (not quantified) is evidenced by the fact that they have actively collaborated towards implementing the plan. The overall expenses (for 2005) amount to € 79.832,65 (of which € 29.180,65 for organising car parks with the Pay and Display Fee system, and 50.652 for implementing public transport services). Proceeds amount to € 51.268,25, of which €45.268,25 from car park fees and € 6.000 as the contribution of Val Canali tourist operators. The net burden accruing to the Reserve therefore amounts to €28.564,40. (The outlays displayed are net of the indirect costs for working, technical and administrative staff and of the expenses sustained for promotion/communication activities).

Socio-cultural value added

There is no information available.

Innovative content

The project can be considered innovative in that it focuses both on the demand for and the supply of ease of transport in such a sensitive area, from an environmental point of view, as a National Reserve. It is important that the Park is able to implement projects and initiatives that do not impact negatively on the environment, but are instead inspired by criteria of sustainability.

Good governance

The project will contribute to promoting cooperation between different public and private partners.

PR impact

A detailed description of the project can be found in the visitors’ guide, where a section is devoted to transport (which includes a map of the services offered, the timetables of the various means of public transport and shuttle buses, and the phone numbers for taxis). Brochures were also made available which list the timetables of the bus shuttles, and slots bought in a local radio station. The project was naturally mentioned on the Reserve’s website and in the periodical “Parco News”

Multiplier effect / networking

There is no information available.

Transferability

The development of projects impacting both supply and demand for transport is by now consolidated usage which can be employed in other tourist areas.

Remarks

-