Sabina Puławska-Obiedowska

The aim of the analysis is to examine the impact of new railway stop openings within suburban railway network on changes in transport behaviors within their respective catchment areas. The study focuses on six railway stations: four located within the Kraków suburban railway network (malopolskie, Poland) and two on the Łódź suburban railway network (lodzkie, Poland). To achieve the stated objective, the spatial context and accessibility of the railway stations were examined, passenger exchange data at the stations were investigated, and surveys among passengers were conducted and analyzed. The selected railway stops were characterized in terms of their spatial location and characteristics, existing transport systems, and the level of integration with other transport modes. The study examined stations established during the development of suburban railway systems, launched at different times: concurrently with the entire railway connection launch and as densification of previously served networks. The limited number of objects included in the study does not allow for unequivocal conclusions on expected increase in transportation, but certainly, in the first two years following their launch, a monthly average increase of 4-6% can be anticipated. Research has confirmed that the most common rail passengers are former users of other means of public transport. The pattern of giving up cars in favor of the train was also confirmed. The outcomes confirm the justification for supplementing agglomeration railway systems with new stops, as this may contribute to a change in modal split. This change may not be noticeable in view of the usually considered large scale of the agglomeration, but on individual corridors in a micro scale it may have a very positive impact on the traffic situation and change the quality of travel. Results can be used to forecast changes in travel behaviors for planned railway stations and to determine their potential benefits.

The objective of this paper is to present the findings of an investigation of areas of concentration of selected functions within the Zielonki suburban community—namely, their mutual relations and accessibility. The investigation of interdependence between transport system development within a municipality and transformation processes observed to take place in its territory can allow one to determine the precepts of its future development. The investigation covered Zielonki—a suburban community near Krakow—as a distinctive case of contemporary transformations of the functio-spatial structure of a suburban zone that remains under the influence of the developmental processes of a large urban center in Poland. The ongoing urbanization of suburban areas indicates their constant investment attractiveness. However, the development of transport infrastructure does not seem to keep pace with the ongoing process of change, especially in the areas of new housing and service concentration zones. The observed phenomena negatively impact the emergence of a sustainable suburban space, and the increase in vehicular traffic lowers the quality of life within this area.

Although knowledge of women’s travel behaviours is essential to guarantee equality in transport, there is still a lack of awareness of gender-differentiated behaviour and gender issues are not often incorporated into urban policy. The aim of the article is to present a first attempt at a wider-scale diagnosis of women’s travel behaviours and needs as well as existing barriers to transportation access for woman in Poland, with respect to current findings. Documents on history, culture, social factors and labour market data were reviewed to indicate factors that may explain travel behaviours. The data of the Travel Studies for seven Polish cities were analysed to diagnose gender differences in travel. Public policies and initiatives were analysed to examine the level of awareness of women’s needs and the adaptation of transport to these needs. The results proved that the greatest differences in the trip purpose was observed for age group 25–49, in which women make more trips for errands, and men for work. Women travel more, which is observed among 25–59-year-olds, if the main occupation is considered. Women travel more on foot and by public transport, while men by private car and the results indicate that it is mostly visible for people aged 25–59. The age groups 39–49 for women and 30–49 for men are the most dependent on the car. The differences may be explained by historical, cultural and social factors, and these factors can be also seen as barriers to achieving equal access to transport. A low level of awareness of women’s mobility needs is one of the reasons that Polish transport systems are not fully adapted to their needs.