Evaluation and recommendations for improvement of integration practices of Ankara transportation system

Urban transportation systems try to supply services to increasing demand with growing complexity of travel patterns in expanding urban areas. Growing car ownership and use become a serious danger for our cities and create risks for sustainable urban life. Historically developed mass transportation systems with various modes and operators offer services leading to duplication and overbadings at main arterials and central areas, but leaving outskirts of the city without effective supply. During the last decade public transportation systems had been reconsidered to increase effectiveness of the services. Each transportation mode having its own strength and weaknesses need to be used at the places and times to maximize its strengths. Result of this approach enforces a traveler using different public transport modes and services during a journey and making transfers. Public transportation systems need to offer a "seamless journey" reducing negative effects of the transfers. As "integrated public transport system" concept gains importance, existing mass transport networksIV and services are restructured to offer a seamless journey. Planners and operators adopt their systems and services to create integrated networks and services with single ticket technology, fare structures allowing transfers, and create multi modal transfer centers. After analysis and examination of case studies of public transport integration at world cities, Metropolitan Ankara transportation system is evaluated from the point of integration. Various recommendations, in general and site specific, are defined to improve integration of public transport system in Ankara. Science Code : Keywords :Public transport integration, transfers, seamless journey, multi-modality