4.4 Two pathways to the future of the mobility system on Texel

The biggest problem on Texel we are facing are the overload of cars with the result of busy roads and full parking lots. To tackle this story, the use of cars has to be less. We want to make Texel a fossil free Island; This means for the subsystem “how to get there”; An isolated transport system powered by local energy sources. To get to this goal, we looked into different subjects in the last three chapters. These chapters are taken into account in the two pathways made in this section.

In the image below we explain again the same three themes we have explained in chapter 3. The landscape, vehicle and the sources for energy are three important subjects in the mobility system on Texel. The solutions for the future for these three themes are set out.

Landscape

- minimize the impact of roads and parking-lots

- nature is taking over

Vehicle

- automated cars powered by local sources

- bicycles ‘automated’

- dynamic circular system

Sources

A Fossil free island in terms of transport means that the vehicles are powered by local energy sources. Such as wind, water, sun and seaweed.

As mentioned in recent chapters, the landscape important for Texel. Tourists are coming for this to the island. So the first theme is focusing on this. The impact of roads and parking-lots has to minimize, the nature has to take over again. In the other two themes we explain how to make this possible. We see the future of the mobility on Texel with vehicles which are ‘automated’ and powered by local sources. Texel has to be a fossil free island in the future, will it be sustainable. So the power has to come from sources like wind, water, sun or seaweed for example.

Different literature we read told us about the future of mobility, for example car sharing and automotive vehicles will be the future. Mobility will be a difference from now, but this will slowly change and people get used to this in daily life. The mobility on Texel will change from the presence, but just changing in time. We cannot change the mobility on Texel just in one step. There have to be different steps in between, like short term solutions. This we can call the transmission period. For this period we came up with different ideas to get to the end result;

• intelligent cycle paths (see section 4.2);
• vrachtfiets (see section 4.2);
• new suitable electrical vehicles;
• car sharing.

Besides this new initiatives, some regulations are thought of. This will not be our focus, but it can help changing the mobility on Texel faster into a more sustainable system. Some regulations can be;

• transport for tourists, no cars from tourists on the island;
• taxes for polluting cars or no full cars;
• public transport for free + suitable for all generations;
• private cars will be excluded, only regulated cars are allowed on the island.

To get to the goal of ‘An isolated transport system powered by local energy sources’, we made two different pathways with a different focus. The first pathway will be an hierarchy system, it will be focusing on the market. The second pathway will be a network system, it will be democratic, more focussing on the Texelaar.

Hierarchy pathway

The habitant of Texel will not be involved in this pathway. The mobility system will follow the natural course of investments. The future developments of mobility will also be applied on Texel. There will be car-sharing on Texel, as it is also will be applied in the rest of the Netherlands. There will be more cars on Texel in the future, the tourists and habitants will be more aware of it and it will be unpleasant. Private companies will introduce a concept like the Greenwheels and some individuals are sharing their cars. The habitants of Texel are not owners of these companies and do not have much to say about the developments. The automative vehicles will be implemented at some time, these will be owned by private companies.

Network pathway

The Texelaars will have initiative in this pathway. The focus will be on less cars and more interaction between the existent projects. The sharing of cars will also happen in this pathway, but will be an initiative of the Texelaars, they will be the owner of the company. Next to this initiative, there will be short term solutions for Texel. These can be added by the Texelaars themselves. Examples for this are the intelligent cycle path, the vrachtfiets and the suitable electrical vehicles. To make this short term ideas into long term projects, the attitude and behaviour of the Texelaar has to be improved. They need to consistently active search for new developments in vehicles and keep improving the roads and paths. The end result of this network pathway is also an automative mobility system, but this time the vehicles belong to the Texelaars.

Changes subsystem

There will be changes in the future of mobility on Texel, but this will happen also in the Netherlands. The two pathways give an insight in two different ways these changes can take place. The initiative may be taken by the residents or is coming from the mainland. If the Texelaars take initiative, the municipality can support this with subsidy for example. The profit which will be made goes to Texelaar, it will remains on the island. These can be used for developments in the mobility system. 

Changes daily life

The vehicles used on the island will change. This will change slowly and will also happen in the rest of the Netherlands. The vehicles will probably more shared. This is in the first pathway made possible by private companies and in the second pathway by the Texelaars themselves. When the Texelaar is owner of the new vehicles, they will be more proud and careful with it.

Transitions

In the first pathway, new companies will come to the island. The Texelaar will except this, they give new initiatives to the island. Besides this there will be changes in rules and regulations, to make it economical more profitable and make changes on sustainable ground. The examples explained in the beginning of this section can be taken in account; transport for tourists, no cars from tourists on the island; taxes for polluting cars or no full cars; public transport for free and suitable for all generations; private cars will be excluded, only regulated cars are allowed on the island. We don’t wanted to put these regulations in the pathways, but we see this as a result of the initiatives. We hope the Texelaars will come up with this regulations themselves, to give a boost to their initiatives. The money can be used for developments in the future mobility system.

Milestones and actions

The actions possible before 2020 are the short term initiatives explained in the second pathway. The vrachtfiets, electrical vehicles and intelligent pathways can be introduced in the coming years. Also the car sharing is an initiative which can take place fast. A big milestone for the mobility on Texel will be completing the goal we made; an isolated transport system powered by local energy sources.