Project no.:
Project acronym:
Project title:
518368
MAX
Successful Travel Awareness Campaigns and Mobility Management Strategies
Integrated Project
6.2 Sustainable Development
1.6.2 Sustainable Surface Transport Objective
3.1.1.1.3 Advancing Knowledge on innovative measures in urban transport
Title of Report:
MAX-WPA TF4 Case Study Analysis
Metro Sul do Tejo campaign, city of Almada PT
Status: Final
Period covered:
Start date of project:
1 Oct. 2006
Date of preparation:
Duration:
Version:
Prepared by:
AGENEAL
Checked by:
Verified by:
Status:
Dissemination level:
Final
Public
Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2008)
MAX - introduction
MAX ran from 2006 to 2009 and was the largest research project on Mobility Management
within the EU’s sixth framework programme. The MAX consortium, of 28 partners, served to
extend, standardise and improve Mobility Management – it did so in the fields of quality
management, campaigns, evaluation, modelling and land use planning. Much of the work was
directly endorsed by the European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM) and
continues to be supported by EPOMM – in order to provide truly Europe-wide expansion,
standardisation and dissemination of Mobility Management.
The work has resulted in several products and services that can be downloaded via
www.epomm.org.
For more information, please visit www.epomm.org or www.max-success.eu
Max Partners
Austrian Mobility Research, FGM-AMOR
(project leader) – Austria
Mobiel 21 – Belgium
ILS Institut für Landes- und
Stadtentwicklungsforschung gGmbH – Germany
Eric N. Schreffler, Transportation Consultant – USA
Equipo de Tecnicos en Transporte y Territorio,
ETT – Spain
FIT Consulting – Italy
Lyle Bailie International Limited – United Kingdom
synergo – Switzerland
Timo Finke Consult Aachen – Germany
Traject – Belgium
Austrian Standards Institute – Austria
Trivector – Sweden
Universities
University of Piraeus Research Centre – Greece
University of Maribor, Faculty of Civil
Engineering – Slovenia
Cracow University of Technology – Poland
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Greece
University of Lyon – CNRS-LET – France
Edinburgh Napier University – United Kingdom
University of Central Lancashire – United Kingdom
Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg – Germany
University of Giessen, Institute for applied and
empirical social research – Germany
Vilnius Gedimas Technical
University – Lithuania
Demonstrators
Almada Municipal Energy Agency,
AGENEAL – Portugal
Almada Municipality – Portugal
Lazio Transport Company COTRAL – Italy
Kortrijk Municipality – Belgium
Tallinn Municipality – Estonia
Munich Municipality – Germany
page 2 / 25
Table of Contents
1
Overview of the case study, objectives and research questions ..................................... 5
2
The Light Tram in Almada and Associated projects ..................................................... 6
2.1 Background Context ...................................................................................................................................... 6
2.2
The Light Tram – hard measure .............................................................................................................. 7
2.3
Acessibilidades 21 – hard measure ......................................................................................................... 8
2.4 ACP – hard measure .................................................................................................................................... 9
2.5 Campaigning – soft measure ....................................................................................................................... 10
3
Method .............................................................................................................................. 13
3.1
Data Sources ......................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1.1 Literature Review and Sources of quantitative data ................................................. 13
4
Results & Discussion ....................................................................................................... 14
4.1
What are the elements of the practical project MST campaigning project and how do they relate to
each other?........................................................................................................................................................ 14
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.4
4.1.5
4.3
Message ................................................................................................................ 14
Medium ................................................................................................................ 18
Marketing Approach and the Message Receiver .................................................. 20
Feedback............................................................................................................... 21
Physical / Fiscal Interventions.............................................................................. 21
Are there particular success factors or barriers to success evident in the project?................................. 21
4.3.1 Success factors .......................................................................................................... 21
4.3.2 Barriers ................................................................................................................. 22
5
Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 24
6
References......................................................................................................................... 25
page 3 / 25
Table of Figures
Figure 1 - Diagram of the tram in Almada, multimodal interfaces and support structures ..................................... 7
Figure 2 - restructuring and increasing pedestrian areas in ‘Almada ...................................................................... 9
Figure 3 – Outdoor design from the tram campaign ............................................................................................. 11
Figure 4 - Parking facility announcement (outdoor) within the tram campaign design ........................................ 15
Figure 5 - Design layout of the “try the tram” campaign (work, university, shopping, leisure and culture) ........ 16
Figure 6 - Artistic interventions during the European Mobility Week in September............................................ 17
Figure 7 - Virtual cycle path between Trafaria and Costa da Caparica. ................................................................ 18
Figure 8 - Some of the branding material for the new tram ................................................................................. 19
page 4 / 25
1
Overview of the case study, objectives and research questions
The aim of this case study is to examine the marketing initiative associated with a the new tram (MST 1 – South
Tejo Tram) and overall associated mobility management, in order to test the campaign framework built up in
MAX-WPA. In the previous stages of MAX, attention has been given to the design of campaigns by
investigating theory relating to campaigns and social marketing. The findings from the case studies will enrich
the overall understanding of campaign design, especially in the combination of “hard” and “soft” measures or, as
defined in Annex A of the WPA research plan, “mobility management (MM)”
Task Force 1 in WPA seeks to ascertain the nature of good practice related to the planning, implementation and
evaluation of a communication campaign accompanying the building of a new PT-system – in this case the light
tram system in Almada - which factors affect the success of the system and how and what is the influence of
design to a system’s success or otherwise. A further requirement is to investigate the roles of emotional and
rational approaches in the campaign. With these considerations, the objectives addressed in the case study are as
follows:





To analyse the effectiveness of the campaign framework developed for WPA in relation to this practical
project.
To assess the components of the MST campaigning project in detail – the case study will enable the
researchers to assess general measures necessary to transfer the combination of hard and soft measures
to other projects
To examine critical success factors which may be applicable to the implementation of mobility
management projects replication
To understand in detail the role of emotional and rational arguments within this practical project and
how they relate to theory.
Do the elements of the conceptual framework of campaign design match up with elements found in the
MST campaigning project?
The objective of TF4 was to derive research questions to closer examine and study the hard and soft measures
contributing to the success and the effectiveness of a travel awareness campaign. This section refers to a
verification of some of the data collected by the researchers by discussions with experts. The following research
questions will be analysed using the information generated by the case study:
1. What are the elements of the practical MST campaigning project and how do they relate to each other?
2. How can the transferability of the communication model to the NMS be assessed? Do the elements of
the conceptual framework match up with the elements found in the MST campaigning project?
3. Which prerequisites need to be fulfilled at the level of services and physical interventions to guarantee
an effective campaign?
4. Does the MST campaigning project demonstrate a balance of emotional and rational approaches within
its message?
5.
1
What constitutes a good implementation path for an “integrated approach”? How can you find methods
that combine hard and soft measures?
From the Portuguese Metro Sul do Tejo
page 5 / 25
2
The Light Tram in Almada and Assoc iated projects
2.1 Background Context
The tram in the south bank of the river Tagus is a new transport infrastructure that has been planned, or pushed
for by the municipalities, for the last two decades. The first phase is finally in operation in the municipalities of
Almada and Seixal.
The process officially started in 1999, with the launch of the international construction tender, although it had
been planned and thought since 1985 when it was first included in the development plan of the region. Also in
1999, a new heavy train for passengers started in operation which began the process of public transport
revolution in the south bank of river Tagus.
Almada is a cross point for all the commuters from Lisbon to the south which has seen a tremendous growth in
population and in the use of private car in the last decades. This situation led to an increase of cars in the center
of the city with corresponding impacts in terms of pollution and public space occupation. Today the commuting
has diversified also inside the municipality and neighbouring municipalities revealing the fact that more and
more residents also live and work in the south bank of the river, especially due the increase of services in this
area. The PT network has been unable to cope with this new passengers flow which had as a result the intensive
use of private car: 50% of the population used the car (at least for some stages) in their daily commuting patterns
according to a survey developed in 2006. The bus was used by 44% of population (note that in some cases
car+bus was an option) and 27% did part or all of the travel walking. Bicycle had an insignificant share of 0,1%
in 2006. Another study conducted in 2000, also revealed 41% of Almada’s inhabitants considered PT transport
in the municipality only reasonable and 31% bad or very bad. The remainder found that the PT transport was
either good or very good.
Besides the train and the tram, a global stategy has been developed within Almada for traffic management. A
mobility plan, firstly elaborated in 2002, is currently in action and being implemented in coordination with the
tram project and other PT restructuring. One should mention that there is no legal framework for mobility plans
but municipalities in Portugal have built their mobility plans and Almada was one of the first to do so. There is
also a strategy to promote the use of soft transport modes of which the cycling plan is the most emblematic
piece. The main cycling network is defined in the mobility plan but specified and enlarged in the cycling plan.
The route for a light rail system in Almada Municipality was designed in order to cross the heart of the city
having in mind the objective to remove the traffic flow from the center with a great concern over the
qualification of the urban space, the increase of pedestrian areas and the development of local shops. The tram
will allow structural changes that will stimulate new uses and livelihood in the city achieved through the
reduction of the number of cars and the return of walking areas.
The new tram in Almada was preceded by a long period of invasive works in the centre of the city. The
construction of the line implied a strong reduction of accessibility to private car. This lead to a feeling of
misconception towards the new tram that could undermine its full potential and benefits for overall comfort and
effectiveness in travelling. Besides this, deeply established behaviour, such as using the car or persist on other
PT when there is a better option, could also imply an occupancy rate of the new PT and modal transfer below the
desired levels. This means that, along side with the construction and entrance into force of a new highly effective
tram, an awareness campaign should be conducted to fully promote the use of PT motivated by a new mode that
ensures interconnection with other modes of transportation. Even so, campaigning for mobility has not been a
specific task for the new tram but a common strategy to all the plans and hard measures being implemented in
Almada.
page 6 / 25
The Light Tram – hard measure
2.2
The tram in Almada is now fully operational since November 2008. It started off on a three step stages which
ended with the inauguration of the last stage, right in the center of Almada. It is expected that the lines continue
to spread until further areas of Almada’s municipality and Seixal but also other municipalities from Setúbal’s
Peninsula such as Moita and Barreiro.
The objectives of this new infrastructure are closely related with the objectives stated in the Mobility Plan:









To improve and increase the quality and carrying capacity of transports (reduce trip time, ensure
liability of schedules, optimizing PT operating between banks of Tagus river).
Make a contribution for structuring systems such as: regional urban, industrial-urban, tourist-urban,
rural and conservation areas.
Strengthen the cohesion of the northern Setúbal’s Peninsula urban system in its polynuclear design.
Articulation between the tram and the train as a way of increasing the balance between residents and
commuters by generating economic attraction points.
Ensure integration between transport modes such as train, boat and buses in order to improve the
crossing of the river to Lisbon.
Promote the urban reconversion of the intervention area by ensuring the modernization of urban public
spaces.
Improve environmental standards in the region.
Create new pedestrians and cycling areas and new green areas.
Rethink parking and traffic flows and modernize underground infrastructures such as water, gas,
electricity, communications, etc.
Figure 1 - Diagram of the tram in Almada, multimodal interfaces and support structures (park and ride facilities, etc.)
page 7 / 25
The diagram of the tram route reveals its three lines connecting the University, Cacilhas (the boat station with
regular connections to Lisbon) and Corroios already in the municipality of Seixal. It serves the main urban areas
of Almada and also the intermodal station of Pragal which connects with the train for Lisbon and Setúbal. Its
trajectory also connects the center of Almada providing an efficient transportation to and from the city where a
high number of schools, services and residential areas reside.
The project was firstly envisaged in the Setúbal’s Peninsula strategic development strategy in 1985 and only in
1999 was it possible to launch an international call for tenders on this project. In 2002 the project was
concessioned to the private company MTS – Metro Transportes do Sul. In 2003, the first construction phase
started and alongside, a series of public participation events which will be further discussed in the next chapters.
In 2007, and after some stepbacks in the process, the first line was inaugurated connecting Corroios and the
University. The first stage of the tram was concluded in late 2008, when the line through the center of the city
was finally opened. This was done in accordance with other measures in mobility management as explained in
the next chapter.
This means that there are now 13.5 km of tram line and 19 tram stops. It is expected that the next phases will
include the connection to Seixal (2nd phase) and further to Barreiro (3rd phase). It is a surface tram since this
was considered the best technical option. Several experts recognize that the surface tram is a more attractive way
of travelling when compared with the underground, since user’s can fully enjoy the surroundings and livelihood
of the city (better access to sights, shops and quick access to public space). The geological uncertainties
associated with the soil, construction below underground water level, damage to buildings as a consequence of
drilling are some of the avoided problems with the surface solution.
Several territorial planning instruments already envisage the expansion of the tram to the west coast of the
municipality serving Costa de Caparica and Trafaria the tourist and beach location of the municipality.
2.3
Acessibilidades 21 – hard measure
The mobility plan for almada “Acessibilidades 21” has been planned in 2002, starting with an exhaustive
diagnosis of the situation in terms of accessibilities. It has concluded that traffic volumes including crossing
traffic (journey start and end outside the limits of the municipality) increased by 67% between 1996 and 2001
which was an indicator that urgent measures were needed to improve the situation. This diagnosis included
traffic flows, parking system, public transport, and public spaces occupation. In all these areas Almada was not
performing well and the trend was for a worsening of the situation which had to be avoided.
This plan drew the objectives having in mind all the problems identified but also future constraints/opportunities
such as the new tram line, and the existing road infrastructure. The generic objectives included the improvement
of accessibility both to private transport flow, especially internal commuting, and public transport. To achieve
this, the plan proposed to ensure parking availability for residents and short period users by restricting parking to
commuters offering other transport alternatives and also by eliminating illegal parking. This was connected with
the aim of improving public spaces livelihood improving conditions to pedestrians and local services; the
improvement of urban environment and safety for all users.
For each of the objectives/themes a sub-plan was created: a circulation plan restructuring crossroads and road
directions, including cycling and pedestrian network; road Public Transport network restructuring in order to
connect more effectively intermodal stations with the remaining territory; a parking plan with definition of
restricted parking areas, new parking areas, park and ride facilities, management measures such as paid parking
and control.
page 8 / 25
Figure 2 - restructuring and increasing pedestrian areas in Almada (source: Accessibilities Plan 21)
The timing for the implementation of measures was defined in three different stages coordinated with the
development of the tram which was also made in three phases. In practice this meant three different versions of
the mobility plan, or two intermediate circulation plans, adapted to each stage. The final state of these plans
incorporates all the measures and establishes the final state of mobility management in Almada. The
implementation of measures started off in close cooperation with the tram line project and construction since
many of the measures included physical intervention in roads, sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, all of which were
related with speed control in order to assure safety of all users. The change in crossroads management, such as
new traffic lights and intelligent crossroads was also implemented side by side with the tram. As the construction
reached the centre of the city, the most delicate part of all the process and where strong restructuring was
planned, the temporary detours soon were changed in the new directions envisaged by the plan, new pedestrian
areas were progressively implemented. Almost in the same time as the tram entered into operation all the
measures were fully introduced leaving the users with the perfect conditions to easily transfer from car to tram.
In Almada, a city where not long ago the car was the main presence in the streets it is now possible to take an
efficient, fast and comfortable mode of transportation, and easily reach the main attraction points of the city
including the new pedestrian area right in the centre where once 40000 vehicles a day was a reality.
2.4 ACP – hard measure
The ACP – Almada Cycling Plan intends to provide the municipality of Almada with a continuous cycling
network integrated in the Local Ecological Structure (LES) and interconnecting relevant local equipments
(schools, leisure and sport centres, cultural equipments, health equipments, etc.). There were virtually no
infrastructures for cycling and low usage of bikes in Almada when the Plan was launched. The use of bicycle in
daily commuting in Portugal and Almada is still residual. For instance, according to the mobility survey in
Almada in 2006, less than 1% of the population used the bicycle for commuting and roughly 64% of households
do not own a bike (similar figures as for Portugal). Looking at the patterns of use of the bicycle in Almada it is
clear that the bike is used mainly for recreational purposes (40% of bike owners do not use it at all and 55% use
it the most once a week). This is mainly due to increase in private car use, lack of infrastructures, and safety and
comfort reasons. Still, according to the survey on mobility from 2006, 87% of the population thought that
page 9 / 25
creating cycle paths was either important or very important and 80% felt the same about parking infrastructures
for bikes.
The methodology used to develop a proposal for the Almada Cycling Network involved a three phased study:
1.
2.
3.
In the first phase, a Cycling Suitability Map was designed (based on the road and paths Network) with a
slope criteria of 0-3% (optimum cycling conditions) and 3-5% (average conditions).
A Potential Cycling Network map was then achieved, by associating the cycling suitability with the
concept of continuity, and other factors such as the accessibility of public transports (train, buses, ferryboats and tram) and equipments (schools, health centres and hospitals, sport centres, universities,
business parks, etc.), as well as the superposition of the Local Ecological and Cultural Structures.
The third phase ended with the design of the Cycling Network Hierarchy. To achieve this, the Potential
Cycling Network was ranked according to the significance and weight of the paths that connect
important local features, and whether or not they are superimposed on the Local Ecological Structure,
giving to the cycle ways a function of ecological corridors in the positive case.
However, more than merely developing the physical cycling network, with a total foreseen extension of 223km,
the ACP aims at working on issues such as intermodality, integration with local equipments, suitable
infrastructures and parking facilities, safety and security, information and awareness campaigns to promote
effective bicycle use. The implementation of the ACP should contribute to:





Conceive cycle paths with the best available design and the integration of traffic calming measures;
Integrate existing and planned cycle paths into a continuous network, covering the most relevant
equipments of Almada;
Improve public space through the integration of cycle paths;
Reinforce public education for cycling, mobility, intermodality, energy efficiency, environment and
citizenship;
Reinforce partnership with transport operators to promote intermodality;
The project started its planning phases in 2003, and has been progressively implemented. The cycle path
between Costa de Caparica and Trafaria, which means the boat and the beach are now accessible by bike, is now
on the last stage of construction. There are also some other cycle paths namely the one´s built along side the new
tram line and in city’s park. The centre of the city is already capable of receiving bicycle users since the area
restricted from private cars is also a part of the network.
2.5 Campaigning – soft measure
Campaigning for sustainable transport in Almada has been an important action consistent and continued
especially since 2001, when the first carfree day was celebrated in Almada. From then on, Almada has joined the
celebration of the European Mobility Week and implemented a large number of the so called permanent
measures in coordination with the mobility plan. This chapter will mainly refer to the structured and consistent
campaign around the tram during all the phases although other significant campaigns have been developed and
are briefly discussed. The tram campaign was conducted by the municipality communication department in close
cooperation with the transport and environmental departments and AGENEAL. The EMW and continuous
campaigning for soft measures and sustainable mobility is mainly conducted by the environmental department
and AGENEAL
The purpose of the communication plan outlined tor the tram is to inform and communicate about the importance
and the benefits of the tram for Almada’s inhabitants and all people that work or visit the city. This includes
communicating the predictable reduction in travel time, improved environmental quality, better use of public
space and the benefits of modal transfer for private car to a more efficient public transport that is also quiet and
non-pollutant at the local level. Although this was the main objective, the campaign was lead in such a way that
by no means the problems inherent to the construction phase should be dismissed. This meant that the
communication plan also had to forewarn of the potential traffic problems. It was also intended that the message
page 10 / 25
should be focused on target groups and allow for an effective clarification of all the doubts the population could
have.
Having in mind these objectives, the communication was outlined in three phases:
1.
2.
3.
Before the construction phase, raising awareness for the new project
During construction phase, easing the problems faced and appealing comprehension
In operation phase, in order to captivate user’s
The coherent campaign started in 2003, although some previous communication had been made since 1999, and
ended in 2009. During all these steps the communication campaign included a strong relation with the population
by promoting a series of public participation events, from the first stages and ending just before the inauguration
of the last line. There were also specific campaigns, with the same layout, in what regards parking constraints
and new parking areas for residents and changes in road directions, in accordance with the mobility plan.
Figure 3 – Outdoor design from the tram campaign
Throughout these years the European Mobility Week (EMW) has also been a strong medium to spread the
message and leave permanent measures in each location it takes place. The awareness raising within this event
has taken into account the dissemination of the new infrastructures and mobility measures implemented, in close
cooperation with local stakeholders such as PT operators, companies, local shop owners, non-governemntal
organizations, schools, cultural, juvenile and sports associations. During the Carfree day measurements of air
quality are usually made before and during the event and published in order to show the real impact of traffic
reduction. There is a major air quality measurement being prepared launched in the EMW in 2008.
It has been also a continuous task campaigning in schools and involve children in producing the dissemination
materials such as posters or videos. The Children’s Local Agenda 21 has strongly contributed to this. This
program has been delivering extremely good results such as: the valorisation of the school in the community (the
materials produced are widely distributed); effective participation of the younger inhabitants in the decision
making process and establishing relations between local sustainable options with the protection of the planet.
Some schools have received mobility plans for their students and teachers provided by AGENEAL and ecodriving courses were organized. In the last EMW a virtual cycle path was presented that revealed the new cycle
path in Trafaria. The idea of such a project came from benchmarking and the need to promote the real cycletrack
Trafaria - Costa da Caparica before and after the opening of the real cycletrack to the public. Still there is no
evidence of success, since no inquiries were made, and the infrastructure is still quite new. Nevertheless, it has
attracted a big deal of attention from the population at every event it has been displayed . AGENEAL and CMA
page 11 / 25
have participated and organized several workshops, forums and seminars to present the strategy taken in all these
areas.
Figure 4 – Poster made with the children’s contribution
page 12 / 25
3
Method
Quantitative data were examined, derived from the documents listed below. Additionally some of the
informational material used in the campaign was evaluated in order to provide additional evidence. A
presentation made to the public summarizing all the campaign aspects was especially relevant for this as also the
contract with the branding company that defined objectives, framework and timing for the campaign. MST
campaign works in conjunction with other projects; some of the material relevant to the other projects is also
referenced.
3.1
Data Sources
3.1.1 Literature Review and Sources of quantitative data
1.
Mobility survey in Almada 2006 – “Relatório preliminar: Estudo de opinião dos residentes do concelho
de Almada sobre a Mobilidade e Ambiente”, Municipality of Almada, July 2006
2.
Studies for Acessibility Plan 21 – Diagnosis – Synthesis Report, Municipality of Almada, December
2002
3.
Accesibility Plan 21 - Synthesis Report, Municipality of Almada, December 2002
4.
Environmental Impact Assessment of Light Rail System – “EIA do projecto do Metropolitano Ligeiro
da Margem Sul do Tejo”, 2002.
5.
ACP – Almada Cycling Plan - Municipality of Almada, 2003 to present
6.
Presentation by CMA of the communication plan, December 2008
7.
Data on materials for campaining
page 13 / 25
4
Results & Discussion
The analysis of the data collected, drawn from the available literature and by observations of the materials and
involvement in the project produced a diverse array of information. Each question will now be addressed by
discussing the findings.
4.1 What are the elements of the practical project MST campaigning project and
how do they relate to each other?
The elements of the project are initially categorised using the categories devised in the existing conceptual
framework: medium, message, receiver, marketing approach, feedback, physical / fiscal interventions,
partnerships. The overall relationship between the various elements is also discussed in these terms initially. A
special focus is drawn on the link between “soft and “hard” measures on mobility policy.
4.1.1 Message
As already mentioned the campaign has been adapted according to the stage of implementation of the tram hence
the message has also changed across time. The city provided the campaign by contracting an advertising office
to do a coherent image throughout the construction. There was a purpose to deliver the image to tram operator to
be used as a brand but unfortunately this was not accepted by the private operator which caused some confusion
in imagery.
There were three steps in the message each one will be discussed separately: before the construction phase,
during construction phase, in operation phase. As this was an adaptive information campaign specific messages
were also addressed when step backs or when unexpected events happened.
1.
Before the construction phase, raising awareness for the new project 1999 – 2004
“A transport revolution for half a million citizens”
The first steps of the campaign included the presentation of the project. Two kinds of messages were attached:
one related to physical project itself, perspectives, routes, and benefits for the citizens and the other related to the
process until the approval of the project. Besides specific information on the tram stops and localities with future
access to the tram (including the envisaged connections to Seixal e Barreiro), the message focused on the speed,
safety and confort that the new tram would bring. It also reflected the potential benefits for local shops of this
new transport in the city. There was also specific information on the technical characteristics of the train, tariffs,
schedule, introduction in the city, coexistence with other road users and connection with other modes of
transport. A special attention was dedicated to environmental benefits and opportunity for urban regeneration.
The main slogan attached to this message was the idea of a revolution in public transports benefiting over half a
million inhabitants (the total number of citizens of all the municipalities expected to gain access to to the light
train). Along side this message there was also a focus on what was the role of all the involved municipalities in
lobbying for this project. It was a processs that lasted a decade until finally central government in Portugal
decided to embrace the project. Passing the information that local government had a fundamental role in the
launch of the project could also improve the feeling of acceptance of this new infrastructure for the population.
An important part of the communication campaign also had an early start. As mentioned the campaign was also
focused on public participation and therefore it was not just only about output of information but also inputs by
the population. The first public workshop happened in January 2003 and was attended by hundreds of citizens.
Further details can be found in the Medium section.
page 14 / 25
2.
During construction phase, easing the problems faced and appealing comprehension 2004 – 2008
“The tram is for everyone”
When the construction started the message became more informative on the progress of the works and on the
futures image of the city. Emphasis was made of the overall benefits of the tram for the population and to play
down the negative effects of the disruption of the work. The approach has always been a positive one but without
hiding the problems attached to such a physical intervention. In fact the objective of duly informing about traffic
constraints or others was fully achieved within the communication campaign. New urban spaces were being built and strong focus was made on revealing the project outcomes on each
location still during the construction phase. By showing the future looks it was possible to contribute for a better
perception of the site specific problems that were arising. The campaign had location specific messages.
“In the future we want decisions in time”
Also during this stage, construction was delayed due to several administrative problems. As an adaptive
approach the campaign was conceived in order to reflect the population perspective and giving voice to their
demands: “In the future we want decisions in time”. By this approach people could feel identified by the
campaign and also be motivated to see the new transport as a solution rather than a simple barrier to their
everyday life.
As already mentioned the construction was made side by side with the implementation of the mobility plan
Accessibilities 21. The campaign was used to facilitate informing people on new parking regulation, principles,
with focus on reserved parking for residents and limits to commuters parking during the day. The new parking
infrastructures also took their place in this campaign. This campaign used the same layout of the remaining
messages. The Metro Sul do Tejo brand was clearly associated with a coherent design.
Figure 5 - Parking facility announcement (outdoor) within the tram campaign design
The campaign for motivation on public participation continued with the announcement of about 30 public
participation fora. As with the overall campaign also here some specific forums were publicized in more
sensitive areas.
3.
In operation phase, in order to captivate user’s
page 15 / 25
“The future has arrived - Almada near everything”
The last stage of the campaign was launched when the operation phase started. As always, campaign followed
the course of the project and specific messages were passed with the specific sites where the light train was
already operating. The first line opened was the one connecting Corroios and Cova da Piedade. The message
revealing the new transport availability was focused on this site with direct reference on the message to location
in order to facilitate the public recognition.
As with the remainder phases of the campaign this also had specifically targeted messages but, instead of
focusing the population of a specific location, it focused on target groups. This phase had as a subject the
interlinkage between daily life and PT especially the tram. This transport connects territories with different
characteristics and connects the main intermodal stations of Almada. It goes through the centre of the city of
Almada, a place of services, schools and residential area, other mainly residential areas of the municipality and
also university and business areas.
Associated with each one of these locations a specific message was produced associated with images to obtain a
differentiated yet coherent package of dissemination materials.
Figure 6 - Design layout of the “try the tram” campaign (work, university, shopping, leisure and culture)
“Almada one step from shopping”
The centre of the city is now seen as a huge area for shopping and leisure, hence one of messages spread was the
use of the metro to both promote this part of the city and the use of PT on shopping travels.
“Almada one step from university”
As part of Almada’s strategy for the next decade promoting innovation and technology is an important task.
Almada has a strong university cluster with several faculties between Pragal and Monte de Caparica, both
accessible by tram. The commuting travellers for these facilities are an important share of total commuters to
Almada and approaching this target group has the co-benefit of attracting new users and wide dissemination of
the tram and PT.
“Almada one step from business”
Also just as important, a new business centre is becoming a reality, also with near access to the tram. This might
induce new users to the tram and radically change typical travel behaviours for business. A tram interconnected
with the train is a far more effective and quick solution with remarkable economical benefits than using the
company’s car, especially when traffic jams occur.
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All of the materials and messages had this double effect of both promoting the tram and PT and the development
strategies for Almada making this a broad campaign.
Besides the materials, a series of artistic performances were also placed inside the tram itself suprising all the
travellers and contributing to an extra incentive to try the tram. This interventions took place during the
European Mobility Week in September just before the completion of the last line. Most of the activities and
information campaigns can be extremely enhanced with direct and near contact with the target groups. In this
case the surprise came from the spreading by words power of an artistic intervention in the tram. This is a kind
of strategy that should be replicated and delivers tremendous results for the amount of work involved. It was
possible to observe by on-site evaluation and some interviews that the reaction of the public was extremely
positive to this clash in the daily routine.
Figure 7 - Artistic interventions during the European Mobility Week in September (photo from an intervention in the boat)
The promotion of cycling, although part of the sustainable transport strategy for the municipality of Almada and
the continuous communication produced by AGENEAL and the municipality environment department, was not
included in the same campaign as the tram. Still there has been some special attention to this subject besides the
continuous task of sustainable transport promotion for instance in the European Mobility Week, associated
permanent measures and other events throughout the year. In fact the existing infrastructure is becoming more
visible with the construction of some cycle paths alongside the tram line but there is still a lack of integration for
this transport mode and key connections to establish the network. Although the municipality develops a
continuous work for the promotion of bikes on general terms, the campaign for specific areas is made after or
during the construction phases. In the case of the cycle path between Costa da Caparica and Trafaria a virtual
cycle path was built (simulating the actual route and using it in events and schools). As mentioned, this cycle
path connects the boat from Lisbon to the beachfront in Almada which receives thousands of visitors every day
during summertime, and it intends to switch users from the car to the boat&ride scheme.
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Figure 8 - Virtual cycle path between Trafaria and Costa da Caparica.
4.1 .2 Medium
Such a broad campaign as that associated with MST and including other mobility measures was obviously
accompanied by a wide range of materials and information spreading mediums:
o
o
o
o
o
Leaflets – One of the most used campaign material. There were specific leaflets distributed both on
interest points of the municipality and on the mailbox of citizens throughout the campaign: on the early
stages widely spread with information on the project; during construction with information on car
parking rules and new directions and glimpses of the future requalification sites with images from the
project. Almost 190000 leaflets were produced.
Outdoors – Several wide dimension outdoors were placed throughout the municipality with special
focus on entrance and exit of the city limits, and specific sites such as places being renewed or when
the tram came into operation. 20 different posters were produced.
Information panels – The traffic changes, new parkings and other measures related to the mobility plan
were also passed through in panels with the campaign layout.
Website – the website was on since the beginning of the construction and was constantly updated with
news, project description, photos and animations of new urban spaces and other information. It worked
as an aggregation medium of all dispersed messages.
Gifts – Branding gifts associated with the tram were delivered to the population
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Figure 9 - Some of the branding material for the new tram
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Specific Newspaper – A newsletter edited by the municipality solely dedicated to the new tram was
built with articles, in depth information about the project and the construction phase as well as
administrative issues that negatively affected the development of the project. There were three different
issues of the newspaper, between 2004 and 2006 with 380000 hard copies distributed. The issues were
mainly during the initial phase of construction. This was “compensated” by the monthly issue in the
municipality newsletter
Municipality newsletter – Every issue of this publication had central dedicated pages to the MST. Over
85 articles were published. The municipality newsletter is a monthly publication with 85000 copies and
delivered in the mailbox of every citizen.
TV ads – Short TV spots were produced and broadcast on national TV mainly for the operation of the
last stage of the tram. It was basically information about the inauguration of the new tram and links to
the renovated central area of Almada and associated shops. Other videos supports were produced and
broadcast at events.
Events - Several events were organized such as conferences or seminars both during and outside the
EMW where mobility measures (Mobility plan, cycle paths plan, MST, etc) issues were explained and
transmitted to the audience.
Participation sessions – There were about 30 participation fora divided in generic participation (4 per
year) and local (in some specific locations were the impact of the tram was bigger). Each of the forums
had an invited speaker for transport, environment, health or other related issues. All these forums had a
good participation (over 100 attendances) and due to this high attendance it was not possible to have an
in depth two way channel communication and the focus was on providing information to the public.
Even so, people were encouraged to share their thoughts and, since all main stakeholders involved in
the tram construction were present (local and national government, tram operator, construction
company, etc), it was possible to address some problems raised by the population and solve some
specific issues. It was the case of some changes in traffic and public transport routes in the centre of
Almada that were adapted following the complaints of citizens. It should be noted that the motivation
for public participation was often guided by opposition to some negative effects of the construction but
still the fact that people could feel their voice heard allowed for the meetings to become fruitful instead
of merely rage disseminators.
Mailbox leaflets informing about the participation sessions – Delivering leaflets in the mailbox of all
residents was the primary way of informing people about the project and open the bidirectional
information flow. This an extremely useful tool with high degree of success
Eco-driving sessions –Several ecodriving courses were promoted both to the municipality fleet users
and other drivers.
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o
o
School sessions – Mobility plans were built in schools followed by a presentation in schools to the
children.
Artistic performances in the public transports - Having a performance inside the tram could mean just a
“reward” for those who took PT, but in fact, it is an extremely important marketing tool that is very
well received by the users and leverages the person to person dissemination of the use of the tram and
PT.
4.1.3 Marketing Approach and the Message Receiver
The campaign for sustainable mobility in Almada has been a continuous task and the fact that a specific
campaign for the tram had to be implemented was a great opportunity to combine many of the messages.
The purpose of the communication plan outlined for the tram is to inform and communicate about the
importance and the benefits of the tram for Almada’s inhabitants and all people that work or visit the city. This
includes communicating the predicted reduction in travel time, improved environmental quality, better use of
public space and the benefits of modal transfer for private car to a more efficient public transport that is also
quiet and non-pollutant at the local level. Although this was the main objective, the campaign was lead in such a
way that by no means the problems inherent to the the construction phase should be dismissed. This meant that
the communication plan also had to inform the public of the anticipated traffic problems. It was also intended
that the message should be focused on target groups and allow for an effective clarification of all the doubts the
population could have.
The environmental impact assessment of the project revealed that one of the most important negative impacts is
the population’s reaction to the tram due to lack of knowledge of how it will affect the city and public space.
Although a survey conducted on mobility issues in Almada revealed that 70% of the population thought that the
implementation of the tram was either good or very good, but there was still some ignorance regarding the
transport, especially the specific solution envisaged. In fact the Portuguese name for the tram was Metro Sul do
Tejo and people’s perception was that a metro could only be underground, due to the fact that Lisbon’s metro is
underground, which lead to some misunderstandings. The fact that population acknowledge the fact that the tram
is a good solution is supported by the fact that 50% of car users believed they could switch if there was a good
(economical, fast, comfortable) alternative with PT. On the first stage, before construction started and when the
objective was to announce the new transport, a strong emphasis was put on specifying the project and showing
examples of other similar systems such as the ones existing in Strasbourg, Freiburg, Grenoble and Lyon. The
second stage of the communication plan, started off with the construction phase, mainly addressed issues on
circulation and focusing on target groups that could become more resistant to change and compromise the public
acceptance of the project. There was also the idea, put in practice that unexpected events, such as construction
delays, could occur and therefore should be promptly addressed.
The message receivers were all the “neighbours” of the construction sites, population from contiguous
municipalities and national public opinion through national media coverage, press announcements, newspaper
articles, specialised literature and TV spots since it is also an important national project that could project
Almada’s image. The campaign did not only focus on “difficult” target groups but also on citizens such as
students and children, active population more prone to change and that could also propel transformation.
The specific target groups were identified before the campaign started in the conceptual framework and
included: residents, shop owners, users of public transport or car in the affected areas, taxi drivers, PT drivers
and other PT operators staff, local and national journalists, opinion makers, emergency services and other. The
main “allies” identified in diffusing the message are the youth associations, schools, local associations,
universities elderly and handicapped.
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The campaign was target-audience focused, location focused, adaptive, synergetic with all instruments,
participative but also large scaled when national promotion of the infrastructure was established also as a way of
promoting the region. The main concepts behind the campaign were to INFORM the citizens, HELP them in
overcoming problems during construction phase, DEMYSTIFY wrong concepts about the tram and coexistence
with people and other vehicles and CONQUER new users in order to magnify the already unavoidable modal
transfer.
4.1.4 Feedback
The feedback evaluation of the campaign is extremely difficult to isolate for a two-fold reason: firstly it is not
possible to define the exact contribution of the campaign itself for modal change since it was put in place at the
same time as the infrastructure; Secondly, there was still not enough time to conduct a survey on the new
mobility patterns of Almada to compare with the results from the survey done in 2006. This could also be done
with a survey on people’s acceptance of the new mobility standards. Yet it is already visible that citizen’s
opposition and civil campaigning against some features of the tram has been decreasing strongly after the entry
into operation of the tram. On the first operation phase of the tram (connection Cova da Piedade to Corroios)
there were few thousands passengers since no connection was possible to the main intermodal stations. This
phase was used mainly for testing and avoiding the tram line to be vandalized or degraded. The second operation
phase connecting also the university and the Pragal intermodal station started off months later and allowed the
increase of the number of passengers up to 400 000/month. The third operation phase, through the city centre of
Almada allowed a further increase to 600 000 passengers per month. Still this number is rising and it was
expected it could achieve 2 million passengers/month.
4.1.5 Physical / Fiscal Interventions
The physical interventions were already roughly defined in the previous chapters and are listed in this
section:
o New transport
o New path
o New cycle tracks
o New traffic circulation rules
o New parking facilities and rules
o New intelligent crossroads
o New urban spaces
o New green areas
4.3 Are there particular success factors or barriers to success evident in the
project?
4.3.1 Success factors
4.3.1.1 Aspects relating to the message
The fact that all the messages were, as far as possible, integrated in the same design made it easier for people to
understand all the changes happening in the city of Almada, and associate them with a coherent mobility plan
that was underway.
One of the most important aspects was also the directed campaign and the door-to-door information that allowed
the participation of the public that provided suggestions, ideas, complaints and proposals. Some of these were
page 21 / 25
incorporated and allowed some changes to the original plans (e.g. traffic circulation rules in the surroundings of
the pedestrian area). These changes have to be carefully evaluated in order not to break the consistency between
interventions.
4.3.1.2 Physical / Fiscal Interventions
As mentioned in 2.3 (mobility plan for Almada) the physical measures were introduced side by side with the
tram and the implementation phases of the mobility plan were adapted to the development of the construction.
This meant that the mobility plan was gradually and smoothly implemented not only taking into account its final
objectives but also the necessary traffic alternative routes and detour to allow the construction. Nevertheless,
despite this adaptive approach, it was extremely important to maintain the initial goals and be very stringent in
the measures constraining private car use, and not to relax the rules when the adaptation phase from all the users
is in place.
4.3.2 Barriers
The fact that the construction was phased meant some locations had already all the infrastructure completed but
no train. Some areas of the train path were used as parking spaces and other inadequate uses. At the same time
significant construction works started on sensible urban spaces and communication mainly addressed these
urgent problems. The setbacks in the process, delays in construction, and problems in critical areas meant
campaigning did not focus on this “ghost train” problem.
The environmental impact assessment of the project revealed that one of the most important negative impacts is
the population reaction to the tram due to lack of knowledge of how it will affect the city and public space.
Although a survey conducted on mobility issues in Almada revealed that 70% of the population thought that the
implementation of the tram was either good or very good, there was still some ignorance regarding the transport,
especially the specific solution envisaged. In fact the Portuguese name for the tram was Metro Sul do Tejo and
people’s perception was that a metro could only be underground, due to the fact that Lisbon’s metro is
underground, which lead to some misunderstandings. This was a “surprise barrier” in transmitting the message
that was not thoroughly evaluated, and a lesson for future actions to evaluate carefully branding names and
making sure they are as clear and explicit as possible.
There were obviously barriers in some sensitive areas where the tram and the most influence in the daily routine
of the citizens and this should be also evaluated in advance and promote information and participation before the
project starts could be a good option to make people more aware and sympathetic for the project. Specifically the
area of Ramalha which is the junction between all the lines implied a significant occupation of public space and
the tram to pass very close to some of the residential buildings. Efforts were made to study and analyse
alternative options of the project and the population of this area was very resistant to the project.
The integration of the different stakeholders, especially PT operators all affected by new mobility plan, was
extremely difficult due to the fact that PT operators are private and, in some cases, don’t have to follow what is
outlined in the mobility plan. For instance, it was defined that the bus network should be completely changed in
order to achieve coherence with the tram line. This has not yet been possible and private operators interests don’t
always match what is defined in the mobility plan.
There is also a lack of integration in terms of tariffs and tickets, which makes the situation not as profitable for
the users as it might be. This means that some issues still need to be coordinated between national authorities
(that coordinates public transport), private operators and the municipality.
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This also lead to the fact that image developed for the project by the municipality was not accepted by the
private operator which implied some confusing images and messages. Throughout all the project construction a
coherent image was developed and the final objective was for the PT operator to use this image. Since this was
not made the PT operator chose a different image and logo but the municipality campaign proceeded in the
awareness raising. The tram operator did not invest in a broad campaign for the use of the new PT, it simply
produced the regular information material and image for the transport. This should definitely be avoided and in
similar cases where the municipality delivers a campaign but there is a private operator for PT, a consensus
should be reached. This was not possible in Almada since the new private consortium was just being created and
had has a priority developing the construction of the infrastructure when the campaign started. The same
consortium was responsible for both the construction and operation of the tram.
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5
Conclusions
The campaign produced by the Municipality of Almada and AGENEAL has been a continuous task since the
first EMW in 2001 and integrated in a global strategy for the development and mobility management. Several
hard measures have been developed or are planned with a special focus on the new tram inaugurated in 2008, the
accessibilities plan and the Almada cycling plan.
These measures have had some opposition from some of the local population and integrated campaigning has
been developed specially for the new tram due to its impact on the city’s organization. Both marketing for ensure
information to the population on the project and awareness raising campaign for soft modes and use of public
transport have been developed. Overall the acceptance of the public seems quite improved although no evidence
is possible as of yet, and it will be extremely difficult to determine whether this acceptance is due to recognition
of the advantages of the new tram or to the marketing campaign developed.
All the projects developed suggest that good results can be obtained if marketing and campaigning are strictly
linked to hard measures implementation, and results shown indicate that combining hard and soft measures is a
good approach having in mind that all these tasks should be done within a strategy developed and adopted by the
municipality and elected representatives. The Almada case study also reveals that this strategy is medium-long
term focused, and results cannot be obtained quickly. Almada has started most of the work on mobility
management in the late 90’s and, although new infrastructures are in place, improvements have been made
throughout the territory, only now is it possible to observe real change in commuting habits.
All of these changes are yet to be fully evaluated and a new enquiry should be conducted to evaluate the
situation before and after the implementation of all the hard and soft measures.
The barriers identified suggest that campaigning and marketing should be started before the infrastructure so that
the population has information on what exactly is the project, during construction or implementation to ease the
impacts it might have and after the conclusion to increase users. Besides local government organization
consensus and public awareness it is also extremely important to reach agreement with the main stakeholders in
order to reach the maximum potential of both soft and hard measures. This was one of the most important
lessons learnt throughout all these processes.
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6
References
Directorate-General of Transports/National Statistics Institute, 1998 - Mobility survey in the Lisbon
Metropolitan Área – “Inquérito à Mobilidade na AML”
Municipality of Almada, July 2006 - Mobility survey in Almada 2006 – “Relatório preliminar: Estudo de
opinião dos residentes do concelho de Almada sobre a Mobilidade e Ambiente”
Municipality of Almada, December 2002 - Studies for Acessibility Plan 21 – Diagnosis – Synthesis Report
“Acessibilidades 21: Plano de Deslocações Almada/Laranjeiro – Relatório Síntese - Diagnóstico”
Municipality of Almada, December 2002 - Accesibility Plan 21 - Synthesis Report - “Acessibilidades 21: Plano
de Deslocações Almada/Laranjeiro – Relatório Síntese”
Municipality of Almada, 2003, ACP – Almada Cycling Plan – “Plano Almada Ciclável”
Municipality of Almada, December 2008, Presentation of the communication plan (powerpoint file)
Secretary of State for Transports and Communications, 2002, Environmental Impact Assessment of Light Rail
System – “EIA do projecto do Metropolitano Ligeiro da Margem Sul do Tejo”
Data on materials for campaigning
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