Vest-Agder county is located on the Southern edge (Agder means edge) of Norway. The County has 160.000 inhabitants (no.15 among the 20 counties in Norway in terms of population). The administrative capital and largest city is Kristiansand with 75.000 inhabitants (5th largest city in Norway). There are 15 Municipalities in the County ranging from 900 to 75.000 inhabitants.

Area (km²): 7.280
Population density: 22 inhabitants/km²

Vest-Agder is the southern most county in Norway. The climate is relatively warm and sunny and the region is a popular holiday destination with many tourists in summer season.

Economy and industry
Regional GDP: 3426 mill. €
Per capita: 22.602 €, 93 % of national average
Average household income: € 50.000
Average yearly wage: € 26.247
Unemployment: 4,4 %, national average: 3,9 %

Vest-Agder is an export-oriented region and has a higher creation of values/profits per employee than the national average.

Transport and Communications
All major transport forms (road, rail, air and sea) are represented in Vest-Agder VA is located on the main transport corridor from Oslo to Stavanger.

Kristiansand is an important node on the Oslo-Stavanger corridor for road and rail, as well as on the Nordic Link corridor to North Denmark on to the Continent. The port of Kristiansand offers good facilities (rail connection, container services) and frequents services to the UK, Sweden, Denmark and the European Continent. The port is important for the competitiveness of business community in the region. There are passenger ferry services from Kristiansand to Denmark (Hirtshals), Sweden (Gothenburg) and UK (Newcastle). Kristiansand Airport has scheduled flights to Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

Vest-Agder has experienced increasing traffic growth on the E18/39 main road through the region (2,5 - 3% p.a.). The standard of this road is not coping with the high growth and high share of heavy vehicles. An increasing number of people are commuting to Kristiansand from hinterlands in the east, west and north. Increased car use leads to congestion and poor mobility for public transport in terms of long journey times. This is in turn reducing the accessibility and sustainability of passenger transports between the gateway of Kristiansand and the hinterlands in the east, west and north.

Lack of and poorly developed public transport nodes between the hinterlands and the gateway of Kristiansand are limiting the potential for modal shift from private cars to busses and bikes. There is hence a need to develop nodes for more efficient interchanges between these modes, with car and bike parking, good waiting facilities and PT information

SustAccess Pilot projects in Vest-Agder
Common elements: Upgrading and constructing of public transport nodes in 3 different locations respectively 30 km east of, and 10 and 15 km west of Kristiansand.

Project 1: Public Transport Node at Borkedalen
The project implies the construction of parking facilities for cars and bikes, and a bus terminal.The investment cost are € 253.298. The progress plans for this pilot have been somewhat delayed because the project had to be moved to another site due to “spatial” conflicts at the original site. An updated progress plan will be provided later.

Project 2: Bike and car parking by bus stop at E39 (Nodeland)
The project implies the construction of an area for cycle- and car parking by a new roundabout at Rosseland, 10 km west of Kristiansand.
The investment costs are € 68.462, and the project will be carried out in the period 2004-2005 (most part in 2004)

Project 3: Upgrading of pedestrian routes to bus stops
This project implies upgrading of the pedestrian route, incl. illumination from the centre Tangvall to adjacent bus stops by the main road E39 (15 km west of Kristiansand)
The investment costs are € 11.410, and the project will be carried out in the period 2004-2005 (most part in 2004)

Objectives of pilot projects

• Facilitate the use of bikes to public transport (PT) nodes and PT (bus) for journeys between hinterland areas and the gateway of Kristiansand, especially for commuters to work and studies.
• Improved accessibility (in terms of reduced travel time) and sustainability (reduced emission & noise, decline in serious accidents) of transports

Expectations to SustAccess

• Have access to experience and knowledge from other partners which may improve the accessibility between the gateway of Kristiansand and several hinterlands
• In particular, to learn new methods and approaches for the improvement of passenger transport interchanges, and for the promotion of sustainable transport. We also expect to gain from the outputs of the freight transport strand, although we would not be particularly active in this field.
• That the project may strengthen and expand the network on sustainable transport in the North Sea region, and possibly beyond.
• Learn more about how ICT could increase accessibility to work, education and services, and limit transport needs
• Learn more about the interface between freight and passenger transport, and how the two strands could mutually benefit from each others experience and practice

• Share our knowledge and experience with the other partners, in particular the experience gained from implementing the pilot projects on public transport nodes. We would also be able to feed in to the freight strand of the project.
• Take actively part in the development and dissemination of new knowledge
• Bringing in relevant findings from other Interreg-projects that Vest-Agder is a partner to (i.e. Northern Maritime Corridor, Seaplane, NTN II, Urbal, and Concept).
• Inform about SustAccess in other transport networks and project partnerships, including interregional organisations like the North Sea Commission and the CPMR (Vest-Agders project manager in SustAccess is also the Co-ordinator of the North Sea Commission Transport group). These organisations could also serve as a channel for policy recommendations from SustAccess.

Under construction

Under construction