Local government and society cooperation towards sustainable transport
Transportation has an obvious and strong climate impact and plays a key role in the quality of life in towns. To decrease GHG emissions and improve everyday life we must reduce the share of private car in the modal split.
In Poland people prefer commuting by car due to long-lasting discrimination of cycling and public transport (for example lack of traffic priorities and slowing down or overloading and crowding). Many transport and road investments (including EU-funded) bring a significant improvement only for motorized people. It’s not always taken into account that every road investment has not only a direct environmental impact, but also causes a far reaching indirect side effects, which should be assessed in a wider sustainability context (for example in terms of modal split).
Since 2007 the situation in Warsaw is gradually improving in the field of cycling. According to local law each road project has to be consulted with cyclist organizations. Green Mazovia makes an important contribution to the design process by preventing former errors such as cycle paths abruptly ending, leading to nowhere or turning sharply without any arc. Volunteers try to convince local road engineers and decision makers to follow the best practices from Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Designers perceive such user’s advice as useful. Such NGO participation is a good procedure worth being recommended to all the cites with sustainable transport development ambitions. Especially in EE countries with very poor or no tradition of social and government partnership.
One of the most important aims of Green Mazovia is improving sustainable transport and replacing private car journeys with public transport and cycling. In 2009 the association celebrated 15th anniversary. During that time this most active ecological NGO in Warsaw has had significant share in many important changes like for example introduction of new bus and tram lanes and new useful bus stops on existing lines, modernizations of pedestrian crossings, changes in traffic lights programs, removal of illegal parking or installing cycle racks near frequent cycling targets in the city centre.
Green Mazovia successes include stopping the plans of building a motorway through Rospuda Valley, saving 5 rail lines from closure in various regions of the country, encouraging many non-motorized people to lobby for better infrastructure by themselves, promoting examples of good practice in sustainable transport – by competitions, exhibitions, evaluation reports, publications (including quarterly bulletin „Green Light“) and conferences.