On Tuesday, 22 September 2015 UITP (International Association of Public Transport) hold the NODES conference on the next generation of urban transport interchanges in the Solvay Library in Parc Leopold, Brussels.

ECF and UITP recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work more closely together on policy initiatives in order to strengthen the voice of sustainable urban transport. The conference showed the results of three years work and cooperation between 17 organisations in order to help cities and public transport operators to better understand the performance of their transport interchanges and how to improve it. It was divided into five themes: Land use and infrastructure, Design, ICT & Intermodality, Interchange Management and Business models, and Energy efficiency and environment. During the conference the different organisations presented their projects for example online tools to benchmark a transport interchange or how to design an efficient interchange. Furthermore the importance of an integrated land-use, a good integration into the interchange’s neighbourhood, and business opportunities for small shops at interchanges were discussed. New interchanges like the Rotterdam central train station, including its new bicycle parking facility, and the Plaza de Castilla underground city and long-distance bus stop in Madrid showcased various changes and improvements for commuters and travellers alike. An animated video demonstrated the structural alteration of London’s Oxford Circus junction for a better flow of pedestrians.

ECF emphasised the importance of sufficient and safe, in the best case monitored, parking spots for bicycles at every major transport interchange to encourage more people to use their bike. Moreover ECF advocated for more bike-sharing schemes as useful complement of the urban transport mix, referring to success stories like in Paris.