Tartu, 18th September 2008 Rafal Ejsmont
AGENDA Where are we? Who are we? Cycling in Poland Pomeranian Cycling Strategy (Green Paper) Concluding Remarks
Where are we?
POLAND Poland is a far away country of which we know nothing (R.N.Chamberlain, August 1939) EU member since May 2004
POMERANIA IN POLAND Population 2.2 M people Rich cultural and natural heritage = potential for tourism & recreation Turbulent history 1939-1989
3CITY ATTRACTIVE LOCATION Population ca. 1,1 M Cities of Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia connected with a local railway link Located between a green belt and a blue belt
RICH CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE
TURBULENT HISTORY
Who are we?
THE TEAM The was established in 2004 as a result of participation of Hieronim Chojnacki in the Baltic Sea Virtual Campus project is an umbrella organization - currently over 40 people cooperate with within Project Teams which use a uniform PMI project management methodology: A group of Professionals A number of professionals from different branches Project Teams A number of graduates and students of Pomeranian universities and colleges
PARTNERSHIPS BYPAD Network European Cyclists Federation(ECF) Leader of a Partner Group "Green Development of the Lower Vistula Valley" Norwegian Association for Adult Learning (VOFO) JYVÄSKYLÄ UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES (JAMK) CITIES FOR MOBILITY Network ICLEI
PRINCIPAL GROUPS OF PROJECTS Nature Protection Cycling Internet Television European Centres of Education in Pomerania Equal opportunities & Social Integration Green Jobs Internet Educational Platforms Horse Riding Cultural Centres in Pomerania Energy Medical /Health Civil Society The above-named Projects are consistently being implemented thanks to close cooperation between: academic teachers of the University of Gdansk, the Medical Academy of Gdansk and Gdansk University of Technology local self-governments Pomeranian non-governmental organizations
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD since 2004 Member of the e-learning Programming Board of Gdansk University Hieronim Chojnacki Professor of Gdańsk University since 1996 Head of Scandinavian Division of Gdansk University since 1985 Project Manager of "Swedish culture in Poland, Polish culture in Sweden (co-operation with Professor Andrzej Uggla from Uppsala University)
CHIEF EXECUTIVE One of the first fourth certificated IT and Telecommunications Project Managers in Poland Andrzej B. Piotrowicz Responsible for preparation of the Internet Development Strategy in Poland Project Manager of Roll out of the adsl and Internet Packages Responsible for preparation of the Pomeranian Cycling Strategy
PROFILE OF THE HEAD OF THE CYCLING TEAM Dr of economics (specialised i.a. in economics of transition and change management strategies) Dr Piotr Kuropatwiński Pomeranian Association Common Europe Polish Ecological Club (East Pomeranian Branch) University of Gdańsk Department of Economic Policy Attended 5 Velocity congresses on cycle planning (Graz-Maribor, Edinburgh-Glasgow, Paris, Dublin, Munich) Member of the Steering Committee of the Gdansk Cycling Investment and Promotion Project Responsible for preparation of the Pomeranian Cycling Strategy
AUTHOR S PROFILE Graduate of Univeristy of Gdansk, Faculty of Economics, MBA Gdansk Manager s Training Fundation Rafał Ejsmont Participated in green-field-type projects in Poland (Norwich Union/Sampo, Deutsche Herold) assessment, preparation and realization of projects Specialises in EU structural funds and preparation, implementation of green-field projects Responsible for preparation of the Pomeranian Cycling Strategy
BYPAD TEAM in February 2008 five experts became the first certified BYPAD auditors in Poland
CYCLING PROJECTS is involved in the following projects in different partnerships: Pomeranian Cycling Strategy (Green Paper) BYPAD Audits Public Bike System in Tczew initiative (OBIS PROJECT) Tczew Intermodality Resource Centre Pomeranian Internet TV on cycling and walking issues (PITR) Virtual Cycling Academy
Cycling in Poland
GENERAL OVERVIEW No national or regional cycling strategy vs.huge potential of EU funding aimed mainly at major road infrastructure projects Separated initiatives carried out mostly by NGOs and some municipalities focused mainly on construction of dedicated cycling tracks (more stress on pushing cyclists out of the carriageways so they do not disturb motor traffic than on improving conditions for cycling to all daily destinations) In most cases turbulent relationship between cycling groups and municipalities lack of mutual understanding
CHALLENGES Mental Behavioural Institutional Legal Financial
POLAND IS A FAR AWAY COUNTRY 1/3
POLAND IS A FAR AWAY COUNTRY 2/3
POLAND IS A FAR AWAY COUNTRY 3/3
Pomeranian Cycling Strategy (Green Paper)
APPROACH TO CYCLING PROMOTION ACTIVITIES Development of working relationships with local and regional authorities, without forgetting national levels of decision making Preparation of the Pomeranian Cycling Strategy (Green Paper) - the first official document in Poland describing potential of cycling and ways of its practical application in the regional promotion and development programmes
MAIN ASSUMPTIONS ntegrated cycling policy for a region (agglomeration or municipality) has to be jointly elaborated and consistently implemented by users, politicians and administrative staff nfrastructure is not the key point promotion, communication and educational measures will bring about more significant effects sooner uch less importance has to be attached to the idea of separation of road space users cyclists, pedestrians, cars and others users have to find ways and learn how to peacefully coexist (reduction of infrastructure costs)
DOCUMENT STRUCTURE 1/2 Part 1 Conditions and assumptions of cycling in Pomerania Pomerania general characteristics Main theses of the Green Paper riorities, objectives and strategic cycling activities in Pomerania Part 2 Areas of implementation Cycling tourism Interaction with public transport
DOCUMENT STRUCTURE 2/2 Part 2 Areas of implementation ffective coordination of planning and promotion of cycling Financing of cycling promotion activities Optimization of legal framework: simplifying of regulations and changed identification of principal issues Actions on road safety and security improvement Development of Partnership Groups Invitation to public dialogue Opinions about the Green Paper Annexes
Concluding Remarks
CONCLUDING REMARKS Institutional conditions concerning cycling policy concepts prevailing in Eastern and Central European countries differ from conditions prevailing in Scandinavia or Western Europe BYPAD Cycling policy audits should precede the adoption of any cycling policy documents by any level of authority Promotional, educational and informational activities are more important than engineering measures they allow to reduce the power distance and persuade to consider the interests of users in any infrastructural projects (not only those that concern cycling route construction) Cycling tourism and recreation are tools that may become a lever of development of other forms of cycling Cycling friendly towns and cities are resident and visitors friendly towns and cities
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!
THIS PRESENTATION WAS PREAPRED BY: NAME : MOBILE: EMAIL : RAFAŁ EJSMONT +48 602 504 000 rejsmont@pswe.org Dr PIOTR KUROPATWIŃSKI +48 501 069 616 pkuropatwinski@pswe.org ANDRZEJ B. PIOTROWICZ +48 502 200 559 apiotrowicz@pswe.org