Hannover: Public transport and urban planning

Country:	Germany
Type:	Policies
Area:	Entire City
Actors:	Local Gov., Private
Funding:	Local Gov.
Topics:	Built environment
	Mobility
Objectives:	Increase non-motorised mobility
	Increase use of public transport
	Reduce car mobility
	Reduce commuting distance
Instruments:

Abstract:

• strict public transport policy in favour of the tram;
• continuous upgrading of public transport services;
• examplary interlinking of public transport systems;
• integrated planning of transport and urban development.

Concept and aims

Like many other cities that opted for the re-introduction of a light rail transit system, Hannover has a long-standing tram tradition. The first electrical trams ran in Hannover in 1893. Until 1910 the tramway network was extended to the greater area of Hannover and with 290 kilometres of track it was the biggest in Germany at the time before the First World War. However, with the increase in private car ownership the rail track mobility was regarded as old-fashioned and, in consequence, the public transport in Hannover was converted to bus operation. Only one route to Sarstedt remained in operation.

When inner city congestion and the reduction of mobility by car had become a growing problem at the beginning of the 1960s, the City of Hannover decided to build a four route underground metro system. However, as the construction and building would take a long period and would lead to high costs, the City reversed its plans for the public transport system. Instead of a metro system for the central area only, the establishment of a new light rail transit system along the old routes became a viable alternative. In 1965 the basic concept, which planned the linkage of the existing surface tramway network with the future tunnel network, was approved by the City Council. In 1970 the ÜSTRA, the Hannover public transport company, and six partners, including German Rail, formed the corporate structure for the Greater Hannover Transport area.

This reorganisation and the co-ordination of public transport supply proved to be successful as the numbers of passenger rose by approximately 40% in the 1970s. Between 1969 and 1981 the number of ÜSTRA`s annual passenger rose from 98 million to 139 million. However, in the 1980s the number of public transport passengers dropped by 10% due to the greater number of commuters (an increase from 137,000 to 163,000 between 1970 and 1987). They increasingly used the car as a means of transport. Beyond the city area public transport accounts for only 10.8% of all modes in 1990. The target is to raise this percentage to 30% with the introduction of the new Stadtbahn (city tram system).

In consequence, the Hannover traffic policy gave priority to an improvement in public transport services and to an integration of the requirements of urban development. In 1990 the scenario for the transport policy in Hannover estimated the possible change in modal split. At the time the modal split was 45% car use, 22% public transport, 18% walking, and 15% bicycle use. By the year 2000 public transport should have the greatest share with 32%, where the expectation is 30 % car use, 21% for bicycle use, and 17% for walking. In consequence, public transport will have to increase its number of passengers by 45%. The new concept of the Stadtbahn should become the backbone of public transport in Hannover as the city is speeding up the development of its public transport system before World Fair Expo 2000. The prognosis foresees approximately 40 million visitors and 75% of them will use the public transport system. A new route of 12.5 km from the city centre to the EXPO 2000 exhibition area is planned to come into operation at the end of the year 1999. The new Hannover public transport concept has four main target areas:

1. extension of the existing public transport network as a whole;
2. knotting of public transport networks;
3. creation of an inner city low-floor tramway network;
4. extension of the Stadtbahn into the surrounding area.

Implementation

In 1994 the Hannover public transport system consisted of eight light rail and three tram routes with 165 stops and a network of nearly 153 km of which some 53 km are on street rails. The bus network has a total length of 487 km and offers 610 stops.

Currently, the light rails system links the city centre with the rest of the town and the main suburbs along major axes, whereas the German Rail serves the region with long distances between the stops and high service speed. However, the problem is the absence of through traffic link to the light rail network which already exists in cities like Karlsruhe. In consequence, the existing rail system will be modified with the introduction of the Stadtbahn as the new system can operated on both rail lines. The bus network is regarded as complementary to the rail systems and performs the function of a feeder and distribution network. In addition, the buses provide the radial and tangential links where it is more economic and more effective than rail-based systems.

The new public transport system will gradually be upgraded in order to improve services and to follow the requirements of urban development. Currently, 73% of the population in Hannover have a tram stop within 600 metres. By the year 2000 the extension of routes will bring about a connecting rate of 83%. The remaining areas have to be served by buses. The extension of routes and the new Stadtbahn will also see the introduction of new customer friendly rolling stock. The existing stock of 275 tram will be completed and replaced by 134 new low-floor vehicles that offer greater comfort and more space for luggage, baby carrierages, wheelchairs, and bicycles. The first 20 vehicles will start operation in January 1997.

In 1994 the Hannover public transport policy had implemented the following improvements in operation and service:

• further extension of the light rail network to a total length of 100 km which is an increase of 24% since 1990;
• after 8 P.M. all buses stop between two stops if requested by a passenger;
• extension of an important bus route at weekends in order to transport passengers to the recreation area of Maschsee;
• operation of 15 buses with new compressed natural gas technology as a demonstration project funded by the Federal Environmental Agency;
• further increase in bus and taxi activities;
• opening of nine bus stops designed by international artists. The project was sponsored by funding from the National Lottery. It has been welcomed by most inhabitants and has raised the image of the tram.

Results and Impacts

In 1994 the number of passengers increased by 1.1% compared to 1993. The following overview underlines that mainly commuters have become new customers of the public transport system. The increase of new customers has been nearly 6%.

Number of passenger in public transport in Hannover (in thousand)

Furthermore, Hannover transport has experienced a significant increase in regular customers (in percentage):

Actors and Structures

In 1970 the Greater Hannover Transport (Großraum Verkehr Hannover) was founded as a multi- modal transport association. This co-operation included the Hannover public transport company ÜSTRA as well as German Rail (Deutsche Bundesbahn). The transport association has also responsibilities for regional transport planning as ÜSTRA had been taken over by the City of Hannover, and thereby the greater part of the capital share of ÜSTRA had been inherited by the Zweckverband Großraum Hannover. Therefore, ÜSTRA has an established partnership in public transport planning with German Rail which is beneficial for the introduction of the new Stadtbahn concept. The early priority on the light rail system is another reason why Hannover can exploit the potentials of public transport in the next years.

Source of Information

Menke, Rudolf 1987, Die Stadtbahn: Hannover - Konzept und Erfolg, in: Reinhardt Köstlin / Hellmut Wollmann, (Hg.), Die Renaissance der Strassenbahn, S. 242-264

Apel, Dieter 1990: Stadtverträglicher Verkehr Hannover 2000, Gutachten über die alternativer Verkehrsszenarien Hannover 2000, Hannover

European Conference of Ministers of Transport 1994: Light Rail Transit Systems, Paris

Stadt Hannover / Referat für Stadtentwicklung 1994: Verkehrsentwicklungsplan Hannover: Öffentlicher Personennahverkehr, Beiträge zum Verkehrsentwicklungsplan 7, Hannover

ÜSTRA Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG 1995: Bericht über das Geschäftsjahr 1994 für die 101. ordentliche Jahreshauptversammlung am 18. August 1995, Hannover

Contact:

Cities:

Hannover :

Hannover is the capital of the federal state Land of Lower Saxony and has a population of 525,000. It covers an area of 204 square kilometres. The wider monocentric conurbation of Greater Hannover has some 20 municipalities and a total population of 1.1 million. It covers an area of 2,300 square kilometres which is equal to the size of the small German state of the Saarland.

The City of Hannover has a diverse industrial structure which also includes some big companies like Volkswagen, the tyre company Continental, the battery producer Varta, the stationary producers Geha and Pelikan, and the cakes producer Bahlsen. The total conurbation has a total employment of 540,000 and 350,000 workplaces are located in the City of Hannover itself.

Hannover is also well-known as the host of important exhibitions like the world-wide biggest industrial exhibition, the computer fair CeBit, and many other specialised fairs. In the year 2000 the world exhibition will take place in the city.

Population:

Project was added at 28.06.96
Project was changed at 28.06.96