Copenhagen’s Failed Congestion Charge

Copenhagen is a city known for its flourishing bike culture. However, as it is succeeding at getting more people biking to work, it is also struggling with increased auto use because of an increase in overall trips into Copenhagen from surrounding towns. In a past post we discussed ways Copenhagen has been dealing with bike congestion. We also touched on a Copenhagen’s investment in rail. In this post, I am going to discuss the rise and fall of Copenhagen’s congestion charge plans.

In 2004, London became the first major city to implement a congestion charge. How it works is that anyone who enters the ring that has been set around downtown in an automobile during the work week is required to pay a fee of 8 pounds for the day, which they can pay online. As of 2012, London’s congestion charge has been wildly successful. Congestion has dropped 30 percent and average driver speeds are at the highest level they have been in 50 years.

In 2006, the Forum of Municipalities (a grouping of 16 municipalities near Copenhagen) released a report studying the implementation of congestion pricing in the greater Copenhagen area. According to the Forum, the average speed of automobiles during rush hour was down to 20 kph. This resulted in more than 130,000 hours of wasted time, or the equivalent of about $1 billion in lost productivity. The Forum suggested implementing a congestion pricing schema to reduce or eliminate congestion and to invest the money earned from fees directly in public transit investment.

There are two ways to do congestion pricing. The first is similar to tolling. Users can either be charged to use uncongested lanes, or all users of the highways can be charged based on the current level of congestion. If a road was very congested, the price to use the road would increase. If the congestion level went down, the price would drop. The second way to do congestion pricing is to use the London model and set up a boundary around the downtown. This is what the Forum recommended. They propose a boundary be set up around Copenhagen’s center and that all those entering the center be charged a daily fee. They suggest charging 25 DKK ($4.35) during morning and evening rush hour, 10 DKK ($1.75) during the rest of the day, and having no charge for entering the city center in the night. The Forum believed congestion pricing could reduce congestion, increase productivity, better air quality, reduce noise pollution, and contribute to reducing climate change overall.

In 2011, a congestion charge in Copenhagen looked all but inevitable. Unfortunately, ministers in Denmark shot down the proposed congestion charge in 2012. Although politically will could change in the future, for now a congestion price in Copenhagen has been shelved.

Sources:

http://thisbigcity.net/has-congestion-pricing-lost-its-buzz/

http://www.traengsel.dk/upload/traengsel/dokumenter/congestion%20charging%20in%20gca.pdf

http://roadpricing.blogspot.com/2011/08/copenhagen-debates-road-pricing.html

http://cphpost.dk/news/politics/congestion-charge-proposal-ends-rubbish-bin

Edited by: Darwin M

Copenhagen Transit: The Metro, the S-train, and Movia

Copenhagen’s transit system consists of two major components: the S-train, which serves the greater Copenhagen metropolitan region, and the Metro, which provides greater connectivity within the city center and to the Copenhagen airport.

Transit Oriented Development: The Copenhagen Approach

Although transit-oriented development is a U.S. born concept, many of its principles have been and continue to be widely used in European city planning. In Copenhagen, the concept of a transit-oriented development is being taken to a whole new level with the creation of Ørestad, a transit-oriented city. Ørestad is a developing city located in the Copenhagen region on the island of Amager. What sets this developing city apart from many others is that this city is using the “new town” concept seen in other parts of the world to build a completely planned community from start to finish.

Health Impacts of Cycling in Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s focus on encouraging bicycling has not only had an impact on safety and the environment; it also has had a big impact on health. Cycling is good for the body and the mind. It gets people energized for the day and calms them down after work. It also helps exercise the heart and helps people stay in the habit of moving. Cycling also means fewer cars on the road, which leads to a reduction in air and noise pollution.

Copenhagen’s Carbon Emission Battle

Realizing that 70% of the world’s carbon emissions and two-thirds of the world’s energy consumption happens within cities around the world, Copenhagen has decided to become a leader in carbon emission reduction.

The city has set an ambitious goal to be completely carbon neutral by 2025. To achieve this goal, large investments in wind farms and more energy efficient heating systems are being made city-wide. The aspect of carbon emission reduction, however, that the city has made its largest strides and continues to improve on is its transportation sector. In addition to the goal to have 50% of the city’s commuter’s travel by bicycle by 2015, massive investments in public transit infrastructure are being made for those who don’t have an interest in cycling as a means for commuting. The new “city circle line” expansion of Copenhagen’s subway line, the Metro, will put 85% of Copenhagen residents within 650 yards of a Metro stop by 2018 when it is completed.

What makes the ambitious carbon neutral goal even more challenging is the expected population growth of 100,000 by 2025 within the city. However the $442 million Climate Plan that encompasses the Metro and cycling infrastructure expansions will work hard to combat the negative carbon impacts of population growth. The majority of the funds will focus on energy reduction and clean energy production rather than transportation, since Copenhagen has much more room for improvement in those other sectors. This will include investing in biogas, bioethanol, renewable sourced electricity, and hydrogen power for heavy trucks and freight to run on. A goal to have 40% of heavy trucks run on carbon-free energy has been set for 2025 as well. Bus fleets within the city are also being converted to run on biogas.

What is striking about Copenhagen’s plans to target climate change and carbon emissions is the lack of consumer-oriented regulations that will be put in place. While most governments quickly look to policy implementation to regulate behavior to reduce emissions, Copenhagen is taking the approach of investing in cleaner and more environmentally-friendly energy and transportation, hoping that consumers will choose these cleaner options if they are provided. This approach may be more affective in Copenhagen than it would be in most US cities due to the Danish government’s influence on the energy sector (since most energy production is government owned and run instead of done privately like in the US) and a fundamental difference in cultural views and values in terms of the environment by average citizens in Copenhagen.

Resources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/12/copenhagen-push-carbon-neutral-2025

Bike Congestion in Copenhagen

Most big cities have to deal with traffic congestion in some form or another. Copenhagen, however, has a rather unique form of congestion: bike congestion.

Copenhagen: Transportation Policy & History Overview

In the world of sustainable transportation planning, Copenhagen is often highly respected for its high levels of active and alternative transportation reflected in its commuter mode split. With 36% of city residents cycling to school or work, 28% using public transit, and 7% walking as of 2010, Copenhagen is definitely a world leader when it comes to minimizing automotive transportation (Copenhagen, 2011). In fact, the city has accomplished so much in regards to reducing automotive commuting that it is now focusing on getting people out of vehicles of all types—including public transit vehicles—in hopes of further increasing the use of active transportation. The city has implemented policy aimed at reducing cycling travel time, increasing cycling safety, and increasing comfort on cycling paths in an effort to reach the ambitious goal of having 50% of residents citywide commute by cycling by 2015.