Within the scope
of the Kocaeli Sustainable Urban Transport Plan (SUMP) implemented under the
USOP, financed by the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye capacity building activities, a study visit was
organized to examine examples of sustainable urban mobility in similar cities.
The study visit was carried out in Lyon, France between 13 May 2024 - 17 May 2024
with the participation of Mr. Ali Bilgi, Head of Transportation Department of
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and his technical team, Mr. Adem Koç,
Contract Manager from EU Investments Department and Mr. Burhan Kocaman, Project
Coordinator representing EGIS & Boğaziçi Project consortium. Different
experts from EGIS accompanied the team during the study visit.
The study visit
started with the arrival in Lyon on 13 May 2024 and travel to the Part-Dieu
region by rail. During the next part of the visit, the experts presented the
project “Voies Lyonnaises”, a project to promote walking and cycling; the
activities of the association “La Maison du Vélo”, responsible for promotion
and training in the field of cycling; the ongoing projects in the Part-Dieu
area; the activities of EGIS in the field of transport and the low emission
zone.
Apart from
these, various tours were organized throughout the city and practices were
analyzed on site. This included e-bike tours, exploring bike lanes, visiting
the Sait-Genis Laval center, trying out different modes of transportation and
exploring Park & Ride areas.
The study visit
provided an opportunity to observe and evaluate both the planning and
implementation processes of sustainable urban transportation plans prepared for
different cities, as well as to consult and collaborate with similar
administrations. In this way, the technical team of Kocaeli Metropolitan
Municipality gained significant gains by increasing their knowledge and
experience.