Basic Study for the Allgäu Transport Network

Initial Situation

The state government pursues the goals of strengthening public transport and ensuring equivalent living conditions in Bavaria. For this purpose, the entire state of Bavaria is to be comprehensively served by efficient transport and fare associations, allowing the use of the entire regional public transport system with a single ticket and enabling the responsible authorities to coordinate their local transport planning (association).

To promote the expansion and establishment of associations (association integrations), the Free State introduced relevant key points on 08.11.2019, which primarily provide for the subsidization of preparatory fundamental studies. The districts of Ostallgäu and Oberallgäu as well as the independent cities of Kempten and Kaufbeuren welcome the new funding opportunities. This project aims to examine under which conditions the integration of these municipalities into a transport association is operationally and economically viable.

Task

The founding of an association by 2025 is being pursued by the involved parties. A service provider was sought to evaluate, together with the project stakeholders, the operational and economic feasibility of the proposed association integration. The study must address the questionnaire included in the funding guidelines and prepare the establishment of the transport association as concretely as possible. PTV Transport Consult GmbH was commissioned to carry out the study.

Approach

The study provides a technically sound response to Question Blocks I and II of the funding guideline and offers a decision-making basis for further action. The work is divided into work packages (WP).

WP 1 covers project management. In addition to project controlling, particular attention is given to communication with project stakeholders and transport operators. Their objectives are recorded, and potential conflicts of interest are identified and addressed within the framework of project management.

In WP 2, using efficient and valid analysis methods, the study demonstrates the spatial scope and fare linkages with neighboring regions under which a transport association can be established.

Building on this, WP 3 analyzes the fare and organizational structure of the planned transport association and evaluates it based on its impacts and achievement of objectives. The preferred variant is developed in detail regarding fare and organizational aspects so that, within the project framework, implementation of the association can begin. A transport survey is conducted to finally calculate the economic effects of the transport association in the preferred variant, including the impact of the revenue distribution procedure.