Metromare

Metromare is a bus rapid transit line connecting Rimini central station and the nearby seaside resort of Riccione. It opened on November 23, 2019.[1] It is operated by START Romagna

Map

History

The residents of Rimini and Riccione, alongside the tourists visiting the local coastal areas every year; complained about the high traffic congestion of Viale Regina Elena, the main seafront avenue in Rimini, and asked for alternative transportation to be carried out. A new coastal transportation system was officially presented in 1994, with the Emilia-Romagna region starting the process to obtain funds. The system had an approximate cost of ₤120,000,000,000 (today €92,000,000), The first track of 10 km of what was called the "metropolitana costiera" was ready by 1995. Further planning in 1995, regarding the advance of the project, promised that improvement works for such rapid transit would be started in 1997, terminated in 1999, and the first tickets being sold in 2000. A further financing from the Italian Committee of Economic Programmes came in 1996 for ₤62,000,000,000 (about €30,000,000).

However, works were continuously delayed and only began in 2011, as government funds received continuous delays over the years, despite being made available since 2006 and the required planning and expropriation procedures were already carried out. The works for the track, by Italiana Costruzioni, began in late 2012, and were completed in late 2017. In 2018, further works were carried out to install the overhead wires, construct the stops, test the automated control centre. START Romagna then proceeded to purchase 9 VanHool ExquiCity 18T bendy trolleybuses for the Metromare, after the USTIF denied the permission to use the six VanHool AG300T trolleybuses (fleet numbers 36501-36506) on this system.

The service of Metromare began on the 23rd November 2019. Due to a delay in the delivery of the VanHool Exquicity 18T trolleybuses operating a six Iveco Urbanway 18m buses on loan from TPER Bologna, a couple of hybrid IIA Karsan Citymood 12m buses and other buses belonging to START Romagna.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, the service on the Metromare was suspended on the 21st March 2020,[2] and was eventually resumed as of the 15th July 2020.[3] The first VanHool Exquicity 18T was delievered to Rimini on the 12th June 2020,[4] and tests were carried out in November 2020.[5]

Route

Today's Route

The current Metromare system runs on a 9.768 km long track entirely protected from the outside traffic, almost entirely parallel to the Bologna-Ancona railway. 60% of the track runs as a single lane, while the remaining 40% runs on a two-lane basis.

Caption text
Town/City/FrazioneStopInterchangesAmenities Nearby
RiminiRimini StationRegional and National Rail Services by Trenitalia, Trenitalia TPER, START Romagna Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 90, 124, 134, 160, 170, 171, 174; Adriabus Route 42, and coaches to San MarinoRimini city centre, Rimini Port, Rimini railway station
RiminiKennedySTART Romagna Routes 18 and 19Roman Amphiteatre of Rimini
RiminiPascoliSTART Romagna Routes 11, 18 and 19Rimini Seafront
RiminiLagomaggioSTART Romagna Routes 11, 18, and 19Rimini Seafront
Bellariva (RN)ToscaniniSTART Romagna Routes 4, 8, 9, 11, 18, 19 and 28Rimini Hospital, Piazzale Arturo Toscanini
Bellariva (RN)BellarivaSTART Romagna Routes 4, 9, 11, 134, 160, 166, 169, 172 and 180Rimini Seafront
Marebello (RN)MarebelloSTART Romagna Routes 4, 9, 11, 134, 160, 166, 169, 172 and 180Rimini Seafront
Rivazzurra (RN)RivazzurraSTART Romagna Route 11Rimini Seafront
Rivazzurra (RN)FiabilandiaSTART Romagna Routes 9, 11, and 124Fiabilandia, Rimini Seafront
Miramare (RN)Miramare StationRegional Train Services of Trenitalia and Trenitalia TPER; START Romagna Routes 9, 11, 124, 134, 172 and 180Rimini Miramare Railway Station, Rimini Seafront
Miramare (RN)Miramare AirportRimini Airport, START Romagna Routes 9, 11, 124, 134, 169Rimini Airport, Rimini Seafront
RiccioneMaranoSTART Romagna Routes 11, 43, 124, 134, 169, 172, 178 and 180Riccione Seafront
RiccioneD'Annunzio NordSTART Romagna Routes 11, 43, 134, 169, 172, 178, 180Riccione Seafront
RiccioneAlbaSTART Romagna Routes 11, 43, 124, 125, 134, 169, 172, 178, 180Riccione Seafront
RiccioneDanteSTART Romagna Routes 11, 43, 124, 125, 134, 169, 172, 178, 180Riccione Seafront
RiccionePortoSTART Romagna Routes 11, 43, 58, 124, 125, 134, 169, 171, 172, 174 and 178Riccione Seafront, Port of Riccione
RiccioneCeccarini Riccione StationNational and Regional railway services by Trenitalia and Trenitalia TPER, START Romagna Routes 11, 43, 58, 124, 125, 134, 171Riccione railway station

Future expansions

The municipality of Rimini approved in 2018 a 4.2 km extension of the Metromare system aiming to connect the areas of the Rimini Trade Fair and the town of Santarcangelo di Romagna to the current route. [6] This new extension is planned to be operative as of 2025, with works beginning in late 2020, early 2021. Another extension has been planned between Riccione and Cattolica, but still has not been approved yet.

Controversies

The Metromare had been marred by various controversies and opinions against its construction by several local residents and politicians. In Riccione, the approval of the Metromare system in 2011, by then mayor Fabio Ubaldi, created a climate of disapproval among many local residents.

The 2014 local elections saw the appointment of centre-right coalition mayor Renata Tosi, a notorious critic of the Metromare (back then known as TRC). She considered the new transport system useless, as it ran parallel to the railway line; and campaigned for an improvement of the Rimini-Riccione trolleybus line, since the TRC would not be meeting the demand of local residents in term of transportation [7]

The general public also criticised the early opening of the system in 2019, since it included an extra expense of €1,000,000,000 to adapt the temporary buses for the system, as the nine VanHool ExquiCity 18T were still to be delivered and tests on their viability have only started in November 2020.

Vehicles

The following vehicles are used for the Metromare temporarily:

  • 4 Iveco Urbanway 18 Hybrid on loan from TPER Bologna (TPER fleet numbers 6400-6401-6402-6403)
  • 4 IIA Citymood 12 CNG (START Romagna fleet numbers 32320, 32321, 32322 and 32323; nos. 32320 and 32321 have been returned to the Cesena Basin)
  • 4 Neoplan N4522 Centroliner G (START Romagna fleet numbers 36041, 36043, 36044, 36045)

The following vehicles will take over in 2021:

  • 9 VanHool Exquicity 18T (to begin service in 2021, fleet numbers not yet assigned)

References
  1. https://www.chiamamicitta.it/rimini-dallinaugurazione-di-metromare-parte-liter-per-collegare-cattolica-misano-la-fiera-e-santarcangelo/
  2. http://www.romagnanoi.it/news/news/1241075/Metromare-sospeso--autobus-ridotti-al.html/
  3. https://www.teleromagna24.it/attualit%C3%A0/rimini-il-metromare-torna-in-servizio-da-meta-luglio-niente-mezzi-nuovi/2020/7/
  4. https://www.autobusweb.com/rimini-consegnato-filobus-van-hool-exqui-city-per-il-metromare/#:~:text=Van%20Hool%20Exqui.-,City%20per%20il%20Metromare,Riccione%20dal%2023%20novembre%202019./
  5. https://www.sustainable-bus.com/trolley-and-tramway/brt-metromare-rimini-riccione-electric-trolleybuses//
  6. https://www.chiamamicitta.it/rimini-dal-2025-fiera-me-tromare/
  7. https://www.riminitoday.it/cronaca/m5s-il-trc-e-un-opera-inutile-rispetto-alle-esigenze-del-trasporto-locale.html/

<ref>http://www.romagnanoi.it/news/news/1241075/Metromare-sospeso--autobus-ridotti-al.html/

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