On the buses...

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Since we arrived in Tübingen we have all noticed the number of different ways of getting around the city. What particularly stands out to us is how easy it to travel around, without the need for a car. There is a good bus network, and many shorter distances can easily be covered on foot or by bike.
Our morning began with a introduction into the city’s public transport system with Mr. Schleupen. He is part of the traffic planning team in Tübingen. This teams responsibilities look at the planning concepts of both public and private transport. He discussed the concept of a new scheme which is to be implemented which is the Regional Light Railway Train, how this would improve the transport around the city at peak times, however implementing it has disadvantages such as the installation and the disruption which will need to be managed.
On the afternoon, we decided to do some research of our own, by visiting another quarter of Tubingen. We traveled by several buses to Muhlenviertel, which was a more recent and modern area than the development we had visited the previous day. As a group we all agreed that the amount of communal areas, gave a warm and welcoming atmosphere. There were a lot of new ideas present, including double decker parking garage, communal bookshelf and solar panels built into the developments cladding.
The bus network is an easy and fast way of getting around. Especially when you need a break from all the walking..which we most certainly did after walking around 15km each day! There are more than 20 bus lines connecting the parts of the city. A stand out feature is the use of the real time bus schedule which is present at several stops, we found this to be extremely helpful.
On the night we used the bus again to attend a presentation by a small group from Villa El Salvador in Peru. Although there was a significant language barrier for us through the presentation, the circus performance was very impressive, though tempting to try and recreate, I think we all agreed it’s best to leave that to the professionals!

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