1. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas NEW BRIDGES Project Workshop Kaunas 8.-9. June 2010 Raitis Madžulis Zemgale Planning Region

2. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Priority challenges identified - Weak mobility of inhabitants in rural areas - Insufficiently used infrastructure in cities - Bad accessibility of services in rural areas

3. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Main issues Main problem is weak mobility of inhabitants in rural areas with following other consequences like not used infrastructure in cities and bad accessibility of services in rural area. By the Pilot Action will tackle such tools like planning method, investigation and study, probably exchange of experiences. As result of Pilot Action will be elaborated common mobility development plan of Zemgale Region which include elaborated Regional public transport network and programme for reconstruction and building roads.

4. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Main issues Closed traffic routes of buses and railway lines, therefore people can not come to cities and centres and as consequences is insufficient use of infrastructure. Weak maintenance of roads due to lack of financial sources and public transport cann’t use those roads, inhabitants break private cars. Weak mobility to trouble solving of unemployment problem Bigger municipalities after administrative territorial reform, longer distance to administrative centre and bad rouds to trouble rural inhabitants Not linked different systems of public transport – no linked bus routes with railway lines, for example. Due to decreasing of population rural municipalities cann’t offer services brecause it is so expensive

5. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. DECREASE OF POPULATION Source: Central statistical bureau of Latvia

6. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Roads

7. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Decision process (Summary) Decision about pilot action in Zemgale Region was taken by 1st and 2nd Local Stakeholder Meetings Stakeholders – municipalities (decision makers and planning specialists), University, entrepreneurs, questionnaires, interviews with politicans Analysis of the Individual preferences – interviews with NGO’s Discussion – working groups within Stakeholder meetings, validation of proposed model

8. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas Main aim(s): To increase opportunities of inhabitants in rural area to access services, other places with improvement of road infrastructure and developed public transport system in countryside Geographical scope: All territory of Zemgale Region (with possible including of directions of service to other regions and cross-border roads to Lithuania) Target group: inhabitants 285 000 (50,3% in rural areas)

9. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas Strategies and programmes: 1.Mobility development plan will be in one line with existing: Development Programme of Zemgale Region 2008 – 2014 Spatial Plan of Zemgale Region 2006 – 2026 2.Mobility development plan will be Mid term planning document in Zemgale (like 2012-2018) with part of identified concrete actions

10. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas Institutions and stakeholders to be involved: Zemgale Planning Region administration; 22 municipalities of Zemgale; Bus companies operating with public transport; State Road Directorate (state level); Public opinion (inhabitants, NGO’s...) Experts

11. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas Main implementation steps (timeframe): July 2010 – December 2010 Investigation of road quality between municipal centres and service centres in rural area Investigation of traffic needs and posibilities between municipal centres and service centres in rural area

12. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas July 2010 – December 2010 Investigation of accessibility of municipal centres with bigest cities and national centres Investigation of traffic needs and posibilities between municipal centres and bigest cities, national centres Study about possibilities to create common multimodal public transport network (bus, railway, plain, ferry, other)

13. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas January 2011 – June 2011 Elaboration of public transport network – integration and development of existing local networks Including school bus system in the common transport network Individual cases – terminal “into shop or hotel”, other Proposals for empty territories July 2011 – October 2011 Public discussion, approval

14. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Perspective of Regional roads

15. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas Potential obstacles and risks: 1.Lack of financial sources to implement plan in life; 2.Decisions from responsible ministries side can made situation more worse than today. 3. Changes in regional administration statuss and functions (political risk). 4.Bad demographic situation can made another settlement structure in region. (Long term perspective).

16. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Mobility development plan for rural areas Main questions to discuss with the project partners and the Project Steering Group: 1.Existing experiences in other regions to develop mobility in rural areas (both – positive and negative).empty 2.Experiences from plan to action (implementation of such plan).

17. This project is part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund), the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partners. Thank you for your attention! Feedback and comments are very welcome! Raitis Madžulis Zemgale Planning Region