The commuting master plan of Tartu is continuing the process of sustainable planning, climate resilience and sustainable mobility planning in City of Tartu. The plan is specifying the transport section of sustainable energy and climate action plan "Tartu Energy 2030" proposing the actions and their coordination for increased multimodality of transportation, improved regional public transport services and the share of active modes of transportation. The plan is also supporting the implementation of the bicycle strategic action plan 2020-2040. The CMP is part of the Tartu City Energy and Climate Action Plan “Tartu Energy 2030”, which has by now been adopted by Tartu City Council.
The transport system has changed drastically within the last 10 years in Tartu. About 60 000 new passenger cars have entered the streets, roughly one third (18 000) are registered in Tartu and two thirds are commuting into the city daily. By this the total amount of cars has more than two folded and private cars have become the main mode of transportation, responsible for 46% of all the trips within the city. Intensive car usage is having significant impact on traffic regulation, street safety, living environment, cost of everyday services, health and urban planning inside and outside of the city. The commuting master plan develops an insight to the main impacts of increased car usage in Tartu, evaluates the impact of car based urban transport and presents the actions for mitigating the impacts of intensive private car usage.
The key action of the CMP is creating the multimodal mobility points in the heart of Tartu and its suburbs and connecting these via the sustainable transport modes from in and out of the city. Mobility points will improve the accessibility of the urban services for the users of public transport by making it faster, more fluent and more convenient. Mobility points are improving the integration of the public transport systems inside and outside of the city, providing better information and access to the ticketing. Implementation of shared travel passes, and common real-time information system, as well as new parking services, are supporting the work of mobility points.
Implementation of the CMP is creating an opportunity for mitigating the effects of private car usage in Tartu and is helping to increase the share of sustainable transport modes in urban transportation. The CMP is supporting the implementation of sustainable energy and climate action plan Tartu Energia 2030 by helping to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact in private transport sector by 15%. By implementing sustainable urban development principles and improving the sustainability of transport system, mobility plan is supporting the implementation of Tartu general development plan. Preparation of the CMP is supported by European Union under the projects of SUMBA, OptiTrans and Cities.Multimodal.
You can read the Estonian version of the CMP here.