Helsinki Metropolitan Area Transportation System Plan 2020 (HMATS 2020) was approved in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) in 1994. The main goals of the plan are to develop the transportation system in a coordinated way, to keep the share of public transport at the current level (figure 1) and to reduce environmental impact of traffic.
The transportation system plan includes development objectives, a three-phase development program and impact analyses of the planned transportation system. In this programme the public transport is emphasized and rail transport forms a significant part of the public transport system. In road network the improvements are almost completely confined to the ring road system to increase the capacity of cross town traffic. (figure 2)
The plan is reviewed at four-yearly intervals, the first reveiw being scheduled for 1998. Preparation for this have been initiated at the beginning of 1997. The parties involved are the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finnish Road Administration, Finnish Rail Administration and Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council.
The review of the transportation system plan is being made in close association with the preparation of the Metropolitan Area's land-use scenario for 2020.
The overal objective of the development of the Helsinki Metropolitan Transportation System is to improve, by transportation-related methods, the quality of life of the area’s inhabitants, as well as the opportunities provided for commercial activities and activities connected with the capital city.
The transportation system development aims set out in HMATS 2020 fall into nine sub-areas, the main objectives being:
In the review attempts will be made to find new ways of maintaining the modal share of public transport at a high level, and of achieving the environmental objectives relating to transportation. A research have been made to find the effects of the transportation system upon air quality. The interactions between land use and transportation system are examined. New forecasts for developments in travelling are made.
Regarding the implementation of the development project programme, it can be stated in summary tha road projects have been realized better than public transport projects. However, the transportation system plan has increased the significance of public transport projects, and amongst others, a development and implementation programme for a passenger information system, as well as a strategic plan for regional park-and-ride.
The length of time since the transportation system plan was approved is rather short and therefore when regarding the development objectives it is only possible to examine the direction of change. The main conclusions are:
Within the review of transportation system plan an important challenge is to find the consensus between the various parties. The uncertainty of the state's contribution forms another important question.
In the metropolitan area the amount of "other home-related journeys", i.e. shopping, attending to various other matters in offices, banks, etc, visiting or free-time activities, have grown strongly. These journeys are done mainly by private cars. This kind of development in the travel behaviour is alarming and shows the importance of land use planning and the competitiveness of public transport system.
The co-operation in the planning and decision-making between the transportation system and land use sectors is becoming even more important because the growth of population in the metropolitan area is strong and the forecast for year 2020 is now almost 200,000 higher than in 1994, when the HMATS was done. The change in the population forecast has an important effect on the review of the transportation system plan.
Suoma Sihto, Project Manager
Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council - YTV
PL 521
FIN-00521 Helsinki
fax: +358-9-156 1416
email: suoma.sihto@ytv.fi
This has been developed by the city of Helsinki in collaboration with Rupprecht Consult, on behalf of the Car Free Cities network.