City Centers
The city center is the (historic) heart of a city, usually containing the main public institutions and often typified by a concentration of commercial and retail buildings. The city center is typically the liveliest part of the city, combining working, living and entertainment; and attracting large transportation flows. These transportation flows and the systems accommodating them, shaped today's cities.
Radial transport corridors, for multiple modes of (public) transportation, connect city centers and their suburbs. The typically (very) heavy systems have proven to be highly effective for the largest cities in the world. All other cities are looking for alternative (lighter) transit systems to operate in their corridors. Light rail is a well known alternative, but still requires a relatively heavy infrastructure; hence it is being overtaken by new, electronically guided concepts with a simple (more affordable) infrastructure and a much improved flexibility.
Despite the innovations in corridor transportation systems, linking the facilities within the city center by means of these systems is undesirable – both from the perspective of the system (slower operational speed, longer travel times, lower capacity) and the environment (air, noise and visual pollution). An interconnection between locations in a city center (and the station(s) of the corridor transit system), providing door-to-door transit, is required as people will otherwise resort to using their car; thus creating the congestion as cities currently face.
These interconnections in the cities are currently typically provided by means of buses. New, innovative transit systems providing a higher service level could improve these interconnections, making public transportation a more attractive alternative for car-users. To what degree congestion will be reduced depends on the percentage of commuters from suburbs, other cities and rural areas that can be persuaded to switch to public transportation (assuming people both living and working in the city center do not use cars to commute). Making the switch will likely also depend on the (strength of the) other links in their transportation chain.
Carfree, or car-accessibility reduced, city centers are a trend – especially in Europe. With parking facilities at the edges of the city centers, the center is accessible by slow traffic (bikes and pedestrians) and public transit. Carfree cities aim to reclaim the streets for human activities. Environmentally friendly, innovative means of transit fit perfectly with this vision (visit www.carfree.com for more information).
 |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal Rapid Transit at City Centers >>> | Group Rapid Transit at City Centers >>> |