2nd blog: Constraints for planning

In this post, we take a closer look at the constraints under which we are planning the new route network for North Helsinki. The need to reduce operating costs and changes to bus terminals in the city center affect the design of the future route network.

These constraints limit the available planning options and, consequently,  the opportunities residents have to influence the planning. We want to offer residents alternatives and ask open-ended questions about issues they can genuinely influence.  Our goal is to find solutions that serve as many residents and passengers as possible. The final result is always a compromise, and unfortunately, we cannot accommodate every individual request.

Constraints

Reducing operating costs

The starting point for planning the bus route network is the need to reduce public transport costs and operate services more efficiently due to the financial situation of HSL and its member municipalities.

The annual operating costs of bus services in the planning area are approximately €65 million. The route network plan seeks ways to reduce costs and better align services with passengers’ needs. The aim is not simply to cut routes but to examine the network as a whole and find more efficient ways to organize services. Savings could be achieved, for example, by redesigning routes, adjusting service frequencies, reviewing route groupings, and allocating services more effectively.

Efficient use of bus terminals in the central city

HSL and the City of Helsinki have discussed how bus terminals in the central city could be used efficiently.

The Railway Square (Rautatientori) bus terminal will be redeveloped as part of the transformation of Kaivokatu into a public transport street in the early 2030s. The City of Helsinki’s goal is that only bus routes that play a significant role in journeys specifically to the city center continue to run to Rautatientori. Reducing the number of bus services running all the way to Rautatientori could lower operating costs and create new opportunities to improve the pedestrian environment in the area.

For this reason, the route network plan explores solutions under which some of the routes that currently run to Rautatientori would instead terminate at Hakaniemi or Kalasatama. Both locations offer convenient transfers to Metro and tram services, allowing passengers to continue to the city center if needed.

Direct bus routes to the city center will still be needed from areas without rail services and where a sufficiently fast connection involving a transfer cannot be provided.  A direct connection also requires sufficient demand. When planning the route network, we assess which routes should continue to run all the way to Rautatientori. We also aim to identify bus routes on which passenger demand is concentrated farther north and the need for a direct connection to Rautatientori is lower.