RENAISSANCE project

Project details

Full project title: Testing Innovative Strategies for Clean Urban Transport: CIVITAS Plus - RENAISSANCE

Sponsors: European Commission CIVITAS Initiative

Centre for Transport and Society (CTS) Principal Investigator: Professor Graham Parkhurst

CTS Principal Researcher: Ian Shergold, Dr Miriam Ricci (from Sept 2009)

Project partners: Bath and North East Somerset Council (lead), First Group plc, Advanced Transport Systems Ltd, City Car Club/Smart Moves Ltd, Powabyke, Bicincitta/Comunicare srl and Advanced Communication and Information Systems Ltd

Start date: September 2008

Finish date: September 2012

Project website: CIVITAS RENAISSANCE

Project briefing sheet: Download the briefing sheet document (PDF)

Project summary

The Centre for Transport and Society (CTS) is one of 8 partners involved in designing, implementing and evaluating a £7 million package of policies for more sustainable mobility in Bath, with £4 million provided in support by the European Commission's Civitas initiative.

Four other historic city demonstration sites are also involved - Perugia in Italy, Szczecinek in Poland, Gorna Orjahovitsa in Bulgaria and Skopje in Macedonia - each has its own network of partners (30 altogether), with the overall project drawing on an EU budget of £15 million, intended to demonstrate and share practice between the cities and beyond.

Bath programme

The four-year programme in Bath involved:

• The setting up of an Urban Freight Consolidation depot using electric delivery vehicles, where retail goods bound for the city can be consolidated, reducing the number of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) delivering into the city centre.
• The introduction of six hybrid vehicles (Toyota Prius) in the Bath City Car Club.
• Two cycle hire schemes involving conventional and electrically-powered bikes (the latter demonstration was later abandoned due to unexpected financial difficulties encountered by the commercial partner)
• A trial of a hybrid diesel-electric bus in the three Park & Ride services.
• Improved wayfinding information and signage across Bath city centre
  A novel HGV restraint demonstration, involving a vehicle-activated sign coupled with number plate recognition cameras.
• Improving the environment of a demonstration area (St James Rampire) in the city centre
• A study into a personal rapid transit system for the central part of the city
• A study into satellite bus-tracking technology (using the new EC GALILEO satellite system) to help provide real-time information for travellers.

CTS had the task of evaluating RENAISSANCE measures in Bath, each city having its own implementation and evaluation partners. The evaluation consisted of 'impact' and 'process' evaluation, considering, for example, the actual impacts of the measures on people's mobility or the environment, and how the implementation of a measure, and its level of success, was influenced by the delivery and implementation processes. Evaluation took place at measure and city level, with wider opportunities for cross-city and cross-programme comparisons (a further partner, NEA, a consultancy based in the Netherlands, coordinated this Europe-wide element).

For more information on the project, please consult the project briefing sheet.