STRATEGIES FOR A REGIONAL NETWORK OF INTERMODAL INTERCHANGE POINTS CONNECTING NETWORKS, REGIONS AND SERVICES

Within the Dutch Transport Policy, Intermodal Interchange Points have been identified as a means to help reduce congestion on main roads. There interchange points are called Transferia, and elaborated P+R facilities. Initially, the focus was on solitary large scale interchange points, situated near major highways, with a high quality level of connecting journey modes and additional comforts and amenities. A program to realize 10 pilot transferia was started in 1993 and 3 transferia were operational by June 1998. In the meantime, there has been a shift in the view on the position of transferia, and interchange points in general. The focus is directed more towards establishing interchange points of different scales and quality, at logical locations where the demand for interchanges is estimated to be high. Possible locations are near existing (regional) interchanges, outside large cities and at areas connected to road pricing. In order to make decisions on the scale and character and the exact locations of new interchange points, it is necessary to develop a strategy and general view on networks of interchange points. Networks are defined as logical combinations of interchange points on national, regional and local levels. But also network means that public and private transport systems are integrated, tariffs and connecting transport of various transfer points are well balanced and a broad range of connecting transport is available. In the Utrecht region, located in the center of the Netherlands, a project was started in 1997 to develop such a network of intermodal interchange points.