Description
In the Kunhegyes district of Heves county the modal-split of public transport and cycling is decreasing. People without car have no chance to go work. Local developments are solely focusing on cars while community and bike transport is getting more and more neglected. The project therefore aims at changing this situation, lobbying for and represting the interests of a better community transport. Several traveller's fora will be organized to collect community experiences and needs, based on which recommendations will be made and conveyed to the decision makers regarding more realistic time schedules. Local campaigns will popularize biking, and inter-sectoral cooperation will be enhanced in the target area of Kál, Erdőtelek, Heves, Hevesvezekény, Tarnaszentmiklós, Kisköre, Abádszalók, Kunhegyes, Kenderes and Kisújszállás municipalities. Outcomes will also include public consultation events with the involvement of local and national government officers, local community leaders, service providers and further stakeholders.
Summary of project results
The project addressed transport-related problems (e.g., unemployment, rail infrastructure amortization, lack of B+R infrastructure, increased motorized private traffic and road-traffic growth, security issues, prestige loss of cycling) and inequalities hitting the Heves and Kunhegy districts, and their wider regions. Promoters, together with their local partners, have established extensive contacts and have been in dialogue with the local governments of the affected municipalities and relevant institutions (such as regional authorities, transport service providers, and the regionally competent Transport Management Office). In order to facilitate the communication between the management of the settlements, the inhabitants and the transport organizers, four passengers’ forums were held. Bike and ride (B+R) capacities were assessed on the Kál-Kápolna - Kisújszállás line, and related opportunities were presented with a poster exhibition at the local cultural centers and at the stations concerned. Inhabitants of the region were informed about the possibilities of lobbying by the means of a leaflet published and distributed in 4000 copies. On the occasion of the European Mobility Week, in 2015 and 2016, cycling promotion and road safety events were organized in six different settlements, but this was also the target of a publicity call for designing a visibility waistcoat for which nearly 300 applications were submitted (with the winning works 650 visibility vests were produced and spread in the target area at related events). Efforts for the improvement of the station environments and the development of the B+R infrastructure has resulted in concrete achievements in three cases – in two of them (in Heves and Hevesvezekény) with the active participation of the promoters and their volunteers in the renovation of buildings or gardening works. Meanwhile, comments on respective policy papers and recommendations were being continuously made and submitted together with inquiries to the relevant authorities, service providers and municipalities. Despite the limited possibilities of the project it has taken vast efforts and has achieved good results in terms of eliminating, but at least mitigating, the problems – both in terms of awareness-raising and advocacy. The activities and results of the project are summarized in a 36-page closing publication.
Summary of bilateral results