In the course of political transformation the phenomenon of traffic congestion in Polish cities systematically grew stronger, reaching level which is known for the for most ones in developed countries. Due to environmental, social and economic costs this problem was moved to the core of local political debates, forcing the authorities to take a stand and attempt to resolve it. The aim of this article is to discuss the transformations on the main priorities and instruments of transport policy in Gdansk, identification of determinants of these changes and potential threats to the achievement of goals. Work used chamber methods – analysis of the major and secondary documents of development programming. In the document of strategy development in Gdansk to 2030 in terms of mobility and transport a clear challenge was formulated, which pointed to the need of change the modal split towards meeting the criteria of sustainable urban mobility. In 2016 the share of individual transport in travel structure of inhabitants of Gdansk, like most major Polish cities, accounted for 41% (Gdańskie Badania Ruchu, 2016). This share increased in relation to 2009, despite the significant modernization of the public transport infrastructure . In order to reverse this negative trend foresees the implementation of a wide range of activities was provided. At the same time the possibility to make investments, which depending on the specific solutions, can support changes in the modal split and keep existing proportions, was left. Causes of the previously adopted programs of transport infrastructure development in the newly built neighbourhoods and different residents’ opinions on the priorities for the development of transport in the city. Strong side of strategic plans is perception of the relationship between the goals of mobility and traffic development and goals of the other operational programs. It creates conditions for seeking synergies between activities carried out in the various policy areas of the city development.

The aim of the research project was to present the conditionings as well as an analysis of the functioning of the selected aspects of the transport policy in the city of Florence, with particular emphasis being laid on the downtown area. The specific nature of the city under investigation consists in a strongly developed tourist function. An analysis of the existing literature and documents relating to the above subject, made it possible for the author to present the main principles of the city parking policy, chiefly relating to the regulations shaping the paid parking zones and the restricted traffic zones. In turn, on the basis of interviews and a few days’ long field research, a profile of the selected parking conditions along the patrolled sections of both zones, was drawn up. It was concluded that one of the major causes of incorrect parking, was a failure of road users to pay parking fees. In the conclusions, it was pointed out that there was a need to verify the existing parking policy, particularly as regards verification of the legality of vehicle movement in the restricted traffic zones and a need to tighten the control of the legality of parking within the paid parking zones.

The article presents the research methodology and results of scientific and practical related to the evaluation of local and partly regional transport investments in Mazowieckie voivodship co-financed from EU funds in 2007-2013 (Regional Operational Programme of the Mazowieckie Voivodship). Analyzed individual transport and presented indicators to measure the efficiency of transport and settlement, based on the temporal-space accessibility between the centers of various types (capital, a city of sub-regional, city district, the seat of the municipalities). The results indicate poor or even unnoticeable to improve accessibility. This was confirmed by a survey carried out on 200-person sample of road users – car’s owners. The problem on local roads, especially in the Warsaw agglomeration, remains congestion, which, according to some respondents even increased. Preferably rated to improve the quality of road surfaces. In the conclusions postulated, therefore, pay attention to the investment planning of the road network especially in the areas most urbanized areas, especially in the context of progressive dispersion of settlement.

In a contemporary globalized, hyper-mobile world one of the most important narrative in discourse on development of rural and peripheral areas is their accessibility. An adequate access to spatially and temporally dispersed resources and opportunities is an important issue undermining people’s life chances, especially access to education and to health care, as well as a prospect for an economic growth and prosperity of regions and localities. The idea of accessibility become part of political agenda settled in the social justice and social inclusion rhetoric as well as it has emerged as an important part of sustainability discourse. The study examines the impact of the public transportation organization on spatial accessibility in rural areas of Switzerland, which is often recalled as a benchmark for public transportation. To examine effects of the changes in Swiss public transport regulation a comparison of accessibility in selected Swiss rural areas over time is presented. Additionally, some rural areas of Poland, Czechia and Slovakia are included in the comparison to set a wider background.

The aim of the study was an examination access to rail in selected cities in Poland in 2016 and an analysis changes of rail accessibility in the years 1950-2015. It has been investigated the technical (infrastructure) and organizational (service) rail accessibility. The study included cities with over 10 thousand residents in 2014. In 2016 almost 100 cities of this size were deprived of regular passenger rail connections. As a result of the cutting of the rail network in the period 1990-2015 passenger trains stopped in over 60 cities, also rail had never reached to 35 cities. In the next several cities the passenger rail traffic was stopped for a few to several years and then reactivated. The process of cutting the studied cities off from the railway took place in the analysed period with different intensity, with the culmination in the year 2000. In each of the voivodeships, there were cities, including the capitals of districts, cut off the passenger rail traffic.

The importance of good organisation of public transportation is on the rise because city and local authorities are aware of the fact that it is a proof of their residents’ quality of life. Railway – a subsector of the transport industry – perfectly serves its purposes in regional and agglomerative transportation. Additionally, it does not contribute to the environmental destruction. At the beginning of economic transformation, Polish railway was in a very poor condition. Real changes took place at the turn of the century. The aim of these changes was to restructure the enterprise of Polish National Railways (Polskie Koleje Państwowe). With the arrival of the decentralisation of our country, provincial self-governments have received new competences, e.g. the organisation of regional railway passenger traffic. In less than two decades of dynamic changes, which were subject to strict regulations of railway transportation, several new operators emerged on the market. One of the most important events consisted in making the Regional Transportation (Przewozy Regionalne) – the most significant Polish passenger carrier – subject to the authority of provincial self-governments. Individual provinces – due to their diversified geographical, social and economic conditioning – have accomplished their objectives in various ways. Some of them have appointed their own transportation companies, some other cooperate only with the Regional Transportation. The completion of transportation tasks is most often commissioned to provinces as an act of entrusting. The maintenance of specific railway lines is rarely awarded by tender. Importantly, the perception of railway transportation has undergone unprecedented change by dint of significant organisational and financial effort put by provincial self-governments into maintaining railway connections, renovating the rolling stock and modernising the infrastructure. Railway has ceased to lose passengers, contrarily – it has regained them. Moreover, financial situation of the Regional Transportation, whose majority shareholder is the Agency of the Growth of Industry (Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu), has become stable. The EU policy supports the modernisation and development of the Polish railways, e.g. thanks to the EU financial means it is possible to carry out essential transportation projects. Appreciating all the actions of regional self-governments in terms of the organisation of regional railway transportation in Poland, one cannot ignore areas with insufficient offer. Therefore, all entities responsible for railway transportation are expected to put a lot of effort into its further improvement.