Background for the Light Rail Transit Project
The Danes are commuting more than ever, and this tendency continues. Therefore the demands on infrastructure are increasing.
Today large parts of the road system suffer from congestion during rush hours, leading to a lower quality of life by increased air pollution, more noise nuisance and poorer bus service when busses are stuck in the car queues.
At the same time Eastern Jutland is experiencing a steep urban development and a rapid increase in longer home and workplace travels. From 1993 to 2006 the number of commuters to Aarhus from Randers increased by 86%, from Silkeborg by 71% and from Grenaa by 142%.
Also a massive urban development is taking place in the Aarhus area with development plans for the northern harbour area, a new urban area by Lisbjerg/Trige and the extension of Aarhus University Hospital in Skejby.
Furthermore, workplaces are being moved to Ringvejen (the ring road) and the radial roads in both Aarhus and the neighbouring municipalities situated close to the motorway system. Among other things this means that there is also a significant increase in the number of commuters from Aarhus to the neighbouring towns.
When all of this is taken into consideration there are clear indications that the impact on the traffic system will be increasing during the coming years.
Today approximately 40,000 employees and students commute to Aarhus on a daily basis. They come from Randers, Favrskov, Silkeborg, Skanderborg, Odder, Norddjurs and Syddjurs. This figure is expected to increase.
Only approximately 20% of the daily commuters work in the central city area, which is already today served by a good and direct public transport system. Approximately one out of four commuters needs to go to the many workplaces in Aarhus North and approx. one out of seven goes to the southwestern part of Aarhus. At present these areas do not have direct public transport connections from all of the surrounding towns and other areas in Aarhus. To reach the areas a large number of commuters must change between busses driving in mixed traffic with a low frequency causing long journey times.
Thus the public transport network in Eastern Jutland and the Aarhus area will not be able to cope with commuting development , and only a limited number of travels can take place by railway with the present service. In 1999 a result of an analysis showed that only 2% of the people transport in the Aarhus area takes place by train. (Report from Infrastrukturudvalget, Bane- og vejforhold i Århus, 1999).
Today large parts of the road system suffer from congestion during rush hours, leading to a lower quality of life by increased air pollution, more noise nuisance and poorer bus service when busses are stuck in the car queues.
At the same time Eastern Jutland is experiencing a steep urban development and a rapid increase in longer home and workplace travels. From 1993 to 2006 the number of commuters to Aarhus from Randers increased by 86%, from Silkeborg by 71% and from Grenaa by 142%.
Also a massive urban development is taking place in the Aarhus area with development plans for the northern harbour area, a new urban area by Lisbjerg/Trige and the extension of Aarhus University Hospital in Skejby.
Furthermore, workplaces are being moved to Ringvejen (the ring road) and the radial roads in both Aarhus and the neighbouring municipalities situated close to the motorway system. Among other things this means that there is also a significant increase in the number of commuters from Aarhus to the neighbouring towns.
When all of this is taken into consideration there are clear indications that the impact on the traffic system will be increasing during the coming years.
Today approximately 40,000 employees and students commute to Aarhus on a daily basis. They come from Randers, Favrskov, Silkeborg, Skanderborg, Odder, Norddjurs and Syddjurs. This figure is expected to increase.
Only approximately 20% of the daily commuters work in the central city area, which is already today served by a good and direct public transport system. Approximately one out of four commuters needs to go to the many workplaces in Aarhus North and approx. one out of seven goes to the southwestern part of Aarhus. At present these areas do not have direct public transport connections from all of the surrounding towns and other areas in Aarhus. To reach the areas a large number of commuters must change between busses driving in mixed traffic with a low frequency causing long journey times.
Thus the public transport network in Eastern Jutland and the Aarhus area will not be able to cope with commuting development , and only a limited number of travels can take place by railway with the present service. In 1999 a result of an analysis showed that only 2% of the people transport in the Aarhus area takes place by train. (Report from Infrastrukturudvalget, Bane- og vejforhold i Århus, 1999).
