Turkey's largest urban rail system operator IMM, launched in Istanbul's subway Bike Park application. The environmentally friendly project, the pilot implementation of which started at the Altunizade Station of the M5 Üsküdar-Çekmeköy Metro, is aimed to cover all busy stations.
Providing fast and comfortable rail system services to Istanbulites, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) offers an environmentally friendly transportation service where electrical energy is used instead of fossil fuel. Aiming to provide integration between transportation modes for sustainable urban mobility in urban transportation, IMM took a step to support the use of bicycles in transportation to encourage a healthier and zero-emission life.
Carrying nearly 15 million passengers per day at 185 lines and 3 stations across Istanbul, IMM affiliate METRO ISTANBUL, together with the IMM Transportation Department, puts bicycles into use in transportation, adding a new one to environmentally friendly practices.
PILOT APPLICATION AT ALTUNIZADE STATION
First, 5 indoor parking areas with a capacity of 10 bicycles were created at the Altunizade Station of the M5 Üsküdar-Çekmeköy Metro. The bicycle park application was made available to Istanbul residents free of charge. By increasing the quality and safety of the open air bicycle parks currently owned by IMM, the parking areas are moved to a point within the station that does not affect pedestrian traffic and is in the field of view of the cameras in order to make them useful for cyclists.
APPLICATIONS ON THE WORLD METERS TAKEN EXAMPLE
Stating that it is very important for cyclists to park their bicycles and get on the subway for an environmentally friendly transportation, Özgür Soy, General Manager of IMM affiliate METRO ISTANBUL, said that the general approach in all subways of the world is to park bicycles at the closest possible place to the subway entrance. Soy said, "We have determined a point where our security cameras are also included for our pilot application, considering both these practical use and safe zone criteria."
STATIONS ARE MONITORED WITH 9 THOUSAND CAMERAS
Pointing out that every point of the metro stations is monitored by nearly 9 thousand cameras, Özgür Soy said, “We have expanded the time intervals for traveling by bicycle in subways and trams. Our passengers can travel with their foldable bikes all day, and with their non-folding bikes at no additional cost, except between 07.00-09.00 and 17.00-20.00. Now, we are launching the bicycle parking pilot application so that they do not have the problem of parking their bicycles when getting off the subway or getting on the subway. Bicycles parked at our stations will not be affected by weather conditions. Bicycles will also be parked in an area monitored by a 7/24 camera ”.
THE ONLY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE BICYCLE
Özgür Soy said that they attach great importance to the use of bicycles as integrated into public transportation, as it is the only road transportation vehicle that is more environmentally friendly than the metro and tram. Saying that “We are happy to take steps to facilitate the use of bicycles for our environmentally sensitive passengers”, Soy stated that a person who uses a bicycle instead of a car does a great favor to the people of the city because they do not have carbon emissions. Reminding that the use of bicycles is very common in European cities, Soy said, “I believe that the bicycle parking application that we will try to test at our Altunizade Station will be encouraging in this sense”.
IMM'S PRIORITY BICYCLE INTEGRATION TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Utku Cihan, Head of IMM Transportation Department, stated that the integration of bicycles into public transportation is among their primary goals and said, “We have taken a step to make the bicycle parking areas more qualified in terms of both safety and physical conditions. I think we can move forward rapidly with the support of bicycle users in spreading similar practices throughout Istanbul ”.
Utku Cihan underlined that they established the Bicycle Chief within the IMM Department of Transportation in order to increase the use of bicycles for transportation purposes in Istanbul and said that they aim to cooperate with NGOs and other institutions and organizations in this field. Cihan added that they will provide all the necessary support as IMM to open more space for bicycles in the city.
Be the first to comment