Introducing the newest STA Mobility Centre – complete with a bus station, a whole new set of parking spaces, an Infopoint and cutting-edge passenger information.
At its grand opening on Thursday 16 June 2022, Arno Kompatscher – head of the South Tyrol Government – alongside Mobility Minister Daniel Alfreider and Mayor Roland Griessmair officially inaugurated the new hub in Brunico/Bruneck together with key representatives from local politics, public administration, mobility and the businesses involved.
“Intermodality is a crucial prerequisite for sustainable forms of mobility to become attractive”, Kompatscher said, adding: “First Bressanone/Brixen, now Brunico/Bruneck: With these two brand-new Mobility Centres, we have just taken another huge step forward in our efforts to make South Tyrol sustainable and climate-neutral.”
Easy access and 300 parking spots for bikes
South Tyrol Minister for Mobility Alfreider: “This new structure is just one part of our investment into rail mobility. To make choosing clean means of transport ever more convenient and easy, more such hubs will follow soon. When people decide how to get from A to B, we want public transport to be their first choice.”
For seamless connections, some 300 bicycle parking spots under a large roof were created right next to an ample, central bus island. Access to train platforms, too, was redesigned entirely, the Minister explained: Thanks to an extension to the existing pedestrian subway, passengers can now reach the central platform directly from the bus island.
The car park is accessible through a tunnel from Piazza Mercato di Stegona/Stegener Marktplatz. “In addition, there are 40 parking spots for motorbikes and scooters as well as a Kiss & Ride stopping bay with room for six vehicles”, Alfreider continued. “Plus, with the südtirolmobil Infopoint inside the train station building, the Mobility Centre provides a first-hand point of contact to which passengers can direct their questions and feedback on public transport.”
Plenty of reasons to celebrate for anyone on the move in the Pusteria/Pustertal valley
For Mayor Griessmair, inaugurating the all-new transportation hub means delivering on a long-held wish of the people in and around Brunico/Bruneck: “The new Mobility Centre significantly revitalises and improves the area around the train station”, he stressed, highlighting its importance as an essential building block in the overall concept aiming to the reduce and calm traffic throughout city centre. The next step is to also connect the nearby school and sports compound.
According to local tradition, Dean Josef Knapp gave the Mobility Centre his blessing, with traditional live music provided by the Brunico/Bruneck City Band.
Facts and figures
The new Mobility Centre project was coordinated by STA – Südtiroler Transportstrukturen AG/Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige SpA –, an in-house company of the provincial government.
STA Director Joachim Dejaco: “The Brunico/Bruneck Mobility Centre is almost 22,000 m2 in size. From now on, the buses will stop under a large canopy, allowing passengers to get on and off comfortably and shielded from the weather.” In addition, a modern display system available at all bus stops provides real-time information on departures and arrivals – data which can also be accessed using the südtirolmobil app.
The construction works were carried out by local businesses: Alpenbau, Unionbau, Kofler & Rech, Pichler Projects and Elpo, with Lukas Burgauner in charge of the architectural design and technical services provided by Ingegneri Consulenti, Adriano Fragiacomo and Pro Plan.
Total investment was around 7.5 million EUR, of which some 4.5 million EUR came from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The remainder were funds derived from the provincial budget. (LPA)