Skip to main content

NODES toolbox ‘offers keys to better transport interchanges’

The three-year NODES (New Tools for the Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges) project has came to a close and the project findings are said to offer transport practitioners practical steps to build better interchanges. Co-funded by the Seventh Framework Programme and co-ordinated by International Association of Public Transport (UITP), NODES brings together 17 partners representing local government administrations, public transport operators, as well as research centres and European assoc
September 24, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The three-year NODES (New Tools for the Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges) project has came to a close and the project findings are said to offer transport practitioners practical steps to build better interchanges.

Co-funded by the Seventh Framework Programme and co-ordinated by 3833 International Association of Public Transport (UITP), NODES brings together 17 partners representing local government administrations, public transport operators, as well as research centres and European associations.

Interchanges play a key role in the integration of urban mobility systems and allowing smooth connections between different transport modes. The key achievements of the NODES project were the development of a toolbox to help practitioners assess and benchmark the performance of their interchange as well as to take practical steps to increase performance. The Toolbox focuses on five key areas: land use and infrastructure; design; intermodality and ICT; management and business models; and energy and environment.           

In practical terms, practitioners can more easily identify the design needs and facility requirements in an interchange thanks to the Typology Diagrammatic Representation tool. Another tool includes practical steps that can be taken to improve the experience of users in an interchange (the ‘station experience monitor), developed by Nederlandse Spoorwegen and tested in nine NODES test sites.

The aim of the research project was to help European cities in the design or operation of new or upgraded interchanges in order to boost user satisfaction. The Toolbox was tested in real conditions in nine European sites, all of which were undergoing substantial development and upgrading: Reading, Birmingham, Rouen, Toulouse, Osnabrück, Budapest, Rome, Thessaloniki, and Rotterdam, Utrecht and ‘s-Hertogenbosch (as one site).
   
UITP Secretary General Alain Flausch said: “By providing practical steps to improve stations, the NODES project makes an essential contribution towards a more enjoyable public transport experience”.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Common European language for V2V and V2I communication demonstrated
    July 10, 2012
    A European Commission-sponsored research project took a significant step towards vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) when it presented its results at the Dutch DITCM test site in Helmond last week. The event unveiled the Drive C2X reference system, demonstrating for the first time the ability to create a harmonised testing environment across Europe. The research project brings together car manufacturers, research institutes, authorities and information technology providers to provid
  • Coalition to shape EU e-scooter policies 
    February 12, 2021
    New group is prioritising urban mobility, data governance and circular economy 
  • Success of London's Olympic public transport systems
    December 4, 2012
    The Olympic flame has moved on, allowing review of the relative degrees of London’s 2012 transportation success, how it was done and with what lasting effects. Jon Masters reports. This magazine’s international position provides a good vantage point for assessing impressions left by London’s 2012 Olympic Games. On the whole, it has been only praise and congratulations heard since the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in August and the Paralympics in September. The events looked great and ran smoothly
  • Hub Parking Technology to showcase new innovations
    February 19, 2018
    Hub Parking Technology will showcase new innovations at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018, including a smart analytics solution and a set of innovative mobile applications. The company says it constantly pushes boundaries to pioneer and develop smart, innovative solutions designed to enhance both the operator and end user experience and its new smart analytics innovation is a good example. The solution allows for capturing new data and critical performance metrics from multiple parking facilities at the push of