Green mobility; urban planning
With regard to mobility, it appears that the population, both in the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira Portugal and in the region of Entre Douro e Vouga, has medium and low rates. Individual transport represents most of the solutions used, which implies less use of collective public transport.
The organization of the transport system, both in the municipality and at the national level, was supported by policies that favored individual transport in recent years, characterized by a cycle of public investments aimed at expanding the road network. Simultaneously, society has changed and car ownership has become democratized, having set up a model of social differentiation, which has declined the use of public transport.
Mobility management, in the broadest sense, is today more difficult due to the complexity of mobility, which public transport must respond to, performing two structuring functions: on the one hand, providing “basic” mobility to the entire population and, on the other hand, constitute a real alternative to the use of the private car, with a view to reducing its negative impacts.
In Santa Maria da Feira, reality tells us that a large part of the population resides in urban areas and a significant percentage remains in rural areas.
Modern society recognizes the need for equity in access to public transport and, therefore, strongly contributes to social inclusion. In Santa Maria da Feira, the lack of quality public transport limits mobility and limits the population's access to different daily activities and their initiatives, constituting a factor of exclusion. There are some groups of the population that are more vulnerable to situations of social exclusion, such as rural populations, from small towns or peri-urban areas, people with reduced mobility or people who need public transport outside peak periods, namely at night.
Strategy for the Municipality
In view of the above, it is necessary to outline strategies in order to consequently reduce dependence on individual road transport and promote decarbonization. So it is necessary:
• conciliation between the public transport service and the rational use of the car;
• promotion of integrated mobility strategies that make it possible to enhance the use of collective transport;
• adapt the transport system to the mobility needs of populations, making the transport system more sustainable:
1. exploration of a complementary service to the regular (traditional) public transport service, that is, a challenge related to the implementation of innovative solutions that allow responding to the mobility needs of the population in places and times when demand is lower, through flexible public transport (FPT) services. This is services with variable itineraries, stops and schedules. A type of service format that solves the mobility of rural, low-density, isolated and dispersed areas and that guarantees a transport service in peri-urban areas, where population density does not justify the implementation of a public transport offer, complementing the existing network and folding over the regular public transport network. In both situations, the difficulties in responding to travel needs stem from the existence of low demand. Finally, FPT solutions, although adapted to the different specifics of demand, should not be seen as isolated solutions, but as an integral part of the transport system, ensuring a systemic and integrated offer of “combined mobility”.
2. Exploration of an active mobility service, using soft modes and/or clean vehicles, as mobility solutions between:
- the cities (3) of Santa Maria da Feira Municipality (Santa Maria da Feira, Lourosa, Fiães),
- between equipment,
- between central areas of higher density and
between specific areas that do not generate a demand that justifies a classic transport service (such as the connection between the city centre of Santa Maria da Feira and Europarque).
