Study on Urban Transport Planning in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria (2014–2015)

The project’s main purposes were to promote the use of sustainable modes of transport and improve the level of service and reliability of the public transport system of the city through ensuring compliance schedules and providing real-time information to all users of public transport, reducing travel time and increasing the flexibility of public transport and improving safety and accessibility. Main tasks include:

• Proposal for an Optimized Transport Network: – assessment of expected operating costs and revenues and preparation of a proposal for effective and ineffective lines in the existing network and an optimized network;
• Preparation of a Package of Measures to Reduce Travel Time by Public Transport – preparation of cost – benefit analysis for each of the agreed measures in accordance with EU requirements;
• Preparation of a cost benefit analysis for the extension of the traffic management and control system of the city of Plovdiv: Extension of 35 additional traffic-light controlled junctions and roundabouts and their inclusion in the TMCS; User information service based on Variable Message Signs (VMS); Global data capture: travel times and origin-destination surveys; Installation of weather and environmental monitoring stations; Traffic and travel information website;
• Proposal for other measures to improve the attractiveness of public transport – preparation of a cost benefit analysis on the construction of bus-bays; public transport CCTV system; free WiFi access to the Internet on buses and at bus stops; efficient driving system – eco-driving; Sub-Control Center for operators.