Evaluation of Railway Station Infrastructure to Facilitate Bike–Train Intermodality

Abstract

In recent years, emissions into the atmosphere have been brought to the attention of the authorities and some action has been taken to try to solve the problem. One is the application of EU legislation 2008/50/EC, which requires states adhering to this law to constantly monitor air quality and subsequently find solutions to reduce the impact of emissions. The data show that 20% of emissions come from transport, 70% of which come from private vehicles. Sustainable mobility can be a possible solution to reduce pollution and traffic congestion. The promotion of cycling, as part of sustainable mobility, is a required action to achieve the objectives pursued. This research aims to define the quality of infrastructure and accessibility of railway stations to the use of bicycles. The approach used was to define a technical checklist to estimate the criticalities of the structure in a quantitative way. An example is the case study developed in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) within the PREPAIR project where 33 railway stations were classified and analyzed. In the end, the checklist was effective in defining the necessary interventions and the required activities and can be used in similar cases during the decision-making processes.