Dr Helmut Grossmann turns 65

Category: About STUVA...

By: Stefanie Posch

Earlier this year, Dr Helmut Grossmann took retirement after 20 years of employment with STUVA. He graduated in civil engineering from the Technical University of Hannover in July 1971, following which he was Research Associate at the Institute of Transport, Road Engineering and Planning at the TU Hannover until 1975. In 1977 he completed his doctorate there on the subject “Einfluss von P+R-Anlagen auf die Verkehrsaufteilung und zweckmäßige Lage von P+R-Plätzen” (“The influence of P&R facilities on traffic distribution and the efficacious siting of P&R car parks”). Following an internship with Hannover City Council in the field of urban planning and urban rail networks, he passed the State Examination in 1978 and thus earned the title Construction Assessor. From 1978 to 1982 he headed up the Town Planning Office in Rinteln. From there, he moved to the Town Planning Department at Jülich, where he was employed as Technical Assistant Director until 1990.

 

He came to work for STUVA on 1 September 1990. His main fields of activity here have been barrier-free short-distance public transport (SDPT), together with legal issues and cost and economic aspects of SDPT. Dr Grossmann is the author of numerous research projects, reports and publications in this field: he played a decisive role in the compilation of the book which forms part of the “Blaue Buchreihe” (“Blue Book Series”) put out by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) under the title “Barrierefreier ÖPNV in Deutschland” (“Barrier-free SDPT in Germany”), which was edited by STUVA.

 

Dr Grossmann is still active in these fields even though he is no longer professionally employed, and he continues to be involved with STUVA in a consultative role on a freelance basis. Recently, for example, he co-authored the Blue Book “Nachhaltiger Nahverkehr – Beiträge des ÖPNV zum Umwelt- und Klimaschutz” (“Sustainable local transport – SDPT’s contribution to environmental and climate protection”), which has just been published. He also brings his competence to important workgroups and standardisation bodies dealing with recommendations and standards for the (far-reaching) barrier-free design of the infrastructure, such as the recent "FGSV-HBVA - Hinweise für barrierefreie Verkehrsanlagen" (“German Road and Transportation Research Association: Notes on barrier-free transport systems (FGSV-HBVA)”) and “DIN 18070: Barrierefreies Bauen - Öffentlicher Verkehrs- und Freiraum” (“DIN 18070: Barrier-free construction – public transport and open space”). Dr Grossmann is a member of the German Federal Rehabilitation Council (BAR) workgroup “Barrier-free Environmental Design” and is one of the founder members of the FGSV working party 2.5.3 on barrier-free transport systems. He is a member of the “European Institute Design for All” (“Europäischen Institut Design für Alle” – EDAD). In 2009, Dirk Boenke took over as his successor in the SDPT field of work at STUVA.

 

The STUVA Board of Directors and Managing Directors are grateful to Dr Grossmann for his long-term commitment to STUVA and give him their best wishes for good health and success in this new phase of his personal and professional life.

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