From tkpb at barter.pc.my Fri May 9 15:59:50 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 14:59:50 +0800 Subject: [sustran-discuss] test - please ignore Message-ID: This is a test message. Testing the sustran-discuss list. Please ignore. From tkpb at barter.pc.my Sat May 10 11:32:58 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 10:32:58 +0800 Subject: [sustran-discuss] Let's begin Message-ID: Dear Friends With the very kind help of Yukihiro YASUDA of Japan Computer Access (JCA) and Obet Verzola of SURIAN in the Philippines, we have finally managed to get the sustran-discuss list started. Please bear with us if there are any further teething problems. Apologies if anyone was irritated by the earlier test message. I am aware that many of you have never participated in e-mail discussion lists before. Therefore the introductory message has been made as complete as possible. Please read it carefully. For your information, at the moment there are 142 people subscribed to this list. That is, when you send a message to it will automatically go to 141 other people with an interest in this issue. A small request: When you each make your first post to the list could you please introduce yourself briefly and give a short comment on why you have subscribed. So I should follow my own request: I am coordinator of the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (SUSTRAN) which was started in late 1995. I am also busy trying to complete a thesis on urban transport in Asian cities. I hope that the list can become a valuable resource and forum for those who are interested in promoting transport which is better, cleaner, more equitable, more friendly to cities and towns, accessible to all, etc. Some of you have already been receiving material from SUSTRAN over the last year or so. This list will allow you the chance to interact directly with each other rather than just being recipients of information from the "centre". I look forward to some interesting discussion, information, and exchange of views. A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From tkpb at barter.pc.my Sat May 10 11:18:23 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 10:18:23 +0800 Subject: [sustran-discuss] Introduction to sustran-discuss Message-ID: Welcome to the SUSTRAN-DISCUSS mailing list. Please save this message for future reference. SUSTRAN-DISCUSS has been established by the Kuala Lumpur-based secretariat of the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia and the Pacific (SUSTRAN). The list will be devoted to discussions related to the promotion of "people-centred and sustainable transport", primarily in Asia and the Pacific. However, contributions from and about other regions will also be most welcome, especially Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe where many issues are very similar. TO POST MESSAGES TO THE WHOLE LIST, use the list posting address: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Please do NOT post administrative requests to the list posting address. 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The best way to stifle a "flame" (an ungracious, nasty comment) is not to reply in kind. * Keep the subject line accurate. Don't change it if your message directly responds to the original post. This is called a thread, and it allows readers to quickly filter messages. However, if you are wandering from the original topic, change the subject line and start a new thread. * Be attentive to who is receiving your reply to a request. Should it go to the whole membership or just to the person who requested it? * Before you reply to a message, read as much of the thread as you can. Maybe someone has already answered the question or expressed your thought. * If you wish to pose a question, join and monitor the list for a while before posting. Read the welcome message for guidance, look for an FAQ which may already answer your question, and/or search the archive for previous postings on the topic. * If you post a request which you suspect will generate a lot of responses, offer to take the responses individually, then summarise them and post the summary to the whole group. * Please don't post anything to the list as attachments or in any kind of code. That is, please only post plain text. * Please be cautious about posting very long messages. If you must post a long message it is courteous to specify in the subject line. Or else post a message saying you have a long document to share and invite people to e-mail you directly if they want a copy. From machia at u.washington.edu Sat May 10 16:33:56 1997 From: machia at u.washington.edu (A. Karp) Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 00:33:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran-discuss] Adam Karp: Introductions! In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hello all, My name is Adam Karp. Many of you have probably heard me knocking at your electronic doorstep once or twice in the past few months. More than likely, I was contacting you about my now completed Comment on China's changing attitude toward mass motorization, which also happens to be a good place to start. My Comment, entitled "China Must Not 'Wait Until the Evening': Resisting Mass Motorization's Assault on Bicycles and Mass Transit" will be published in 6:3 of the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal ("PRJ"). The PRJ originates from the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, WA, USA. I mention this fine journal not just because I'm in it, but because it started me on the path to sustainable tranpsortation as a career. By studying a critical problem in a foreign region, I managed to learn what to do with my life domestically. While working on the paper I applied for a joint degree in Urban Planning and Design. To make a long story short, I withdrew my application from urban planning and submitted it to Transportation Planning and Engineering in the University of Washington's School of Civil Engineering. As of two months ago, I have been accepted into the program for the degree of M.S. (with an option to get an M.S.E.), to be embarked upon after receiving my law degree in 1998. I currently serve as the Graduate and Professional Student Senate Representative for the UW's Bicycle Advisory Group, am a member of the Cascade Bike Club (the largest in the USA) and attend the Government Action Committee meetings, am a un-numbed-and-loving-it recumbent rider, and plan on working with the Chair of the City of Seattle's Transportation Committee on general transportation strategy and the NEW Regional Transit Authority ("RTA"). The RTA is a big deal for this region since it will raise over $3.5 billion to finance electric light rail, commuter rail, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and expanded bus service. My biggest challenge will be to get the RTA to accommodate bicycles (trail development, bike-and-ride facilities, and a few radical ideas like two one-way 20-mile-long enclosed bicycle freeways with a fan-generated 30-mph tailwind) and favor bus-dedicated roadways where more efficient than light rail). I am also interested in the revival of the railroads versus intercity trucking with regard to freight. MY BIG QUESTION FOR YOU, though: Can you point me in the direction of a job, an environmental organization, a group of lawyers who happen to be transportation practitioners, or a role model who paved the way on her own such that I could integrate both my LEGAL and ENGINEERING AND PLANNING talents? WHAT I CAN OFFER: Research-sharing, gut reactions, a sense of humor, an ally. Bravo to Paul Barter for starting this list! Adam -------------------------------------- Machiavellian Polyglot Cyclommuter ADAM KARP University of Washington School of Law *machia@u.washington.edu* ------------------ Read DOCKET "All the Evidence That's Fit to Admit" www2.law.washington.edu/Docket (206) 729.9579 -------------------------------------- From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Sat May 10 18:58:44 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Eric Britton) Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 05:58:44 -0400 Subject: [sustran-discuss] Adam Karp: Introductions! Message-ID: <199705100559_MC2-1655-A3F9@compuserve.com> Adam, A gut reaction. Can't quite figure out how old you are, but it strikes me that you are in an excellent place to develop and deploy your talents. There is a lot of alternative transportation thinking and interest in your area, and it strikes me that there are some major work and leaderhip opportunities when it comes to turning those forces into a real army. They are, I know, highly disparate in quality and usefulness but you certainly have a great deal more to work with there than in just about any other part of the world. I'm quite sue that you know the full cast of characters, but if you wish I can check through my database and see if there might be anything there for you. With all good wishes, Eric Britton From tkpb at barter.pc.my Sun May 11 15:04:51 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 14:04:51 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Big issues to talk about Message-ID: Dear sustran-discuss participants As far as I can tell, everything seems to be working OK with the list for the moment. I am making small adjustments as I notice any problems. I am keen to hear everyone's views on what are the really big issues in transport in this diverse region and what you want to talk about? To get the ball rolling, here are some possibilities. But don't let this restrict you however. * Air pollution and its health impacts (which pollutants are the priority in different countries or cities?). * Safety (especially for vulnerable road users). * City-friendly and city-unfriendly transport (cities and towns face severe impacts from transport. Why do Asian cities seem to have such big problems with cars and motorcycles, even though car ownership is much lower than in the west?) * Access problems of disadvantaged people (Rural poor people; Urban poor people; Women; Frail aged people and disabled people; Children and youth). What transport policies are best for equity in general? * Global impacts of transport such as climate change (Should we just concentrate on getting rich countries to reduce their emissions or should we ALSO be searching for ways for lower income countries to avoid a high-emissions future? ) * What urban and national transport strategies are most economically efficient? Which are best for national security (eg. against oil shocks, foreign exchange shortage, electricity shortage, war, economic depression, etc)? Does a successful modern economy mean there has to be a big national motor vehicle industry and a high level of private vehicle ownership? * How can communities, community-based organisations and non-government organistions become more actively involved in the transport policies and issues which concern them? * News on relevant research, publications, policies, events, etc. on any of the issues above. A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From inamura at plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Sun May 11 15:52:33 1997 From: inamura at plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp (Hajime Inamura) Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 15:52:33 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Re: [sustran-discuss] Adam Karp: Introductions! In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <9705110652.AA01146@scorpio.plan1.civil.tohoku.ac.jp> Inamura@ Tohoku University, JAPAN wrote, Dear Adam, I am also interested in your fields of interest. Regarding your question, I have some connection with the transportation field at Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand which is an international graduate school for Asian post graduate students supported by many countries. According to an unconfirmed information what I got, the transportation field at the institute plans to hire an assistant or an associate professor in near future. Firther information can be get from Dr. Yordphol Tanaboriboon who is the coodinator of the field. If you or other people in our net work are interested in the post, please contact with him. His E-mail address is "Dr. Yordphol Tanaboriboon" Thank you, ------------------------------------------------- Hajime INAMURA inamura@plan1.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Phone:+81-22-217-7492 Facsimile:+81-22-217-7494 Department of Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980, JAPAN ------------------------------------------------- From tkpb at barter.pc.my Mon May 12 19:27:24 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 18:27:24 +0800 Subject: [sustran] cheap cars in India and China Message-ID: Adam Karp wrote (among other things): >My Comment, entitled "China Must Not 'Wait >Until the Evening': Resisting Mass Motorization's Assault on Bicycles and >Mass Transit" will be published in 6:3 of the Pacific Rim Law and Policy >Journal ("PRJ"). Two recent small news items touch on this issue of the influx of cars into large, low-income, densely populated countries. So far, car numbers per capita in these countries are very very low. But experience elsewhere (eg. Korea, Thailand, Philippines) suggests that most of the early influx of vehicles will go into the largest cities where they can cause a big problem very quickly (primarily by clogging buses in congestion and scaring bicycles off roads (which were mostly built without large numbers of cars in mind). But then again, if Americans can have almost as many motor vehicles as there are adult Americans why shouldn't the rest of us aspire to that? ;-) Anyway, here are the items. 1. "India's lowest priced car out by year-end" in New Straits Times (from AFP) on May 9. The gist of it says that a Pune-based company called the Kinetic group is to produce a 500cc, 4 -stroke, 2-cylinder mini-car which will retail at between US$2,857 and 3,571 and targets the 200 million strong middle-class "who have been apiring for low-priced cars." The engines are imported from US-based firm, Briggs and Stratton. At first only 8,000 will be produced per year, reaching 50,000 within 5 years. It will compete strongly with the Maruti Udyog company which now has 80% of the market share. Maruti's popular 800 cc model is priced at US$6,571. 2. "Chinese car maker's bid to boost sales". (New Sraits Times, May 10) This one says that Jiangnan Automobile company will introduce one of the first installment-purchase plans in China in the hope of boosting sales of its super compact Alto model, which retails for about US$7,200 (60,000 yuan). The article also mentioned that the car market is soaring in China this year. Beijing's largest car dealer is quoted as saying that his sales in the first 4 months of the year have equalled the entire sales of 1996. The percentage of sales which were to private buyers is 82% compared with 60% last year (and practically zero a few years ago). A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From nds at idsonline.com Mon May 12 21:55:45 1997 From: nds at idsonline.com (nds@idsonline.com) Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 08:55:45 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Big issues to talk about Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19970512125545.0067f680@idsonline.com> with insufficient funds available for transportation, finance and innovative funding seems to be an important topic. this, however, could be my bias -- i'm executive director of the international bridge, tunnel and turnpike association, the trade group representing the worldwide toll industry. neil schuster From mobility at igc.apc.org Tue May 13 01:24:13 1997 From: mobility at igc.apc.org (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 09:24:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970512121837.2637de34@pop.igc.org> Dear Sustran discussion list members, I am the Executive Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, a Non-governmental Organization dedicated to promoting environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation policies and projects in developing countries and Central and Eastern Europe. We are the publishers of the magazine "Sustainable Transport" which comes out roughly twice a year. I am currently working on a policy paper for the United Nations Development Program, and am seeking additional sources which quantify the relationship between urban transport policies and projects and urban poverty. I have excellent rural data but am finding there to be little on transport and poverty in urban areas. Any sources you may know of, I would be grateful. Best Regards, Walter Hook NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) 115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205 New York, NY 10001 Tel 212-629 8001, Fax 212-629 8033 mobility@igc.apc.org NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! From jbs at u.washington.edu Tue May 13 03:23:06 1997 From: jbs at u.washington.edu (Jerry Schneider) Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 11:23:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Intro In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I am a recently retired professor in civil engineering (urban transportation) at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA. I currently am developing and maintaining a web site, called Innovative Transportation Technologies (address below) which features only non-auto, green-type technologies for serving trips within large urban areas (also between them in a few cases). Included are technologies for moving both people and freight, some are operational, some under development and some are still conceptual. All are either fully or partially automated and all are powered with electricity. The main idea is to find ways to compete effectively with the auto, so as to reduce its use and negative effects on urban life and to help clean the air and reduce CO2 emissions. None can do the "whole" job but most can be useful "family" members. - Jerry Schneider - Home page: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/ Innovative Transportation Technologies (ITT) Web site: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/ From axelt at axionet.com Tue May 13 04:58:40 1997 From: axelt at axionet.com (Tracey Axelsson) Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 12:58:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <199705121958.MAA14810@axionet.com> I think I've just added my name to the list - or I've been a member for a while and haven't really participated. So it's a good idea to say hi and why I'm here. I'me terribly new to the sustainable transportation field. I worked for three years for the Fraser Basin Management Program - a inter-governmental + inter-community organization which worked to support the sustainable development of the Fraser River Basin in British Columbia Canada. Through my work their I got very close to a lot of water and forest related issues, wrote tourism inventories (a hot sheet of environmental concerns to areas to begin planning for eco-tourism type activities) for 3 major basins, wrote an extensive timeline of aboriginal - non-aboriginal relations since contact and slowly became keenly aware of metropolis issues as they figure in sustainable development. During my work for this organization I undertook and completed a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Community Economic Development (CED) because I beleive the power of the community has the ability to shape economic development for the social, and environmental well-being of all. CED has many interesting applications in rural areas because it's mostly about diversifying the labour pool and employment options in a given city. But is difficult to practise in urban areas because it's diverse already and the community is more difficult to draw together. This is very true in my hometown - Vancouver. Yet over and over I hear people unified in their transportation concerns. So when I heard about car sharing, I put CED and the demand for a sustainable transportation answer and founded the Co-operative Auto Network - or CAN for short. For those that have never heard about us, CAN is a not-for-profit co-operative designed to promote car sharing as an economically beneficial and environmentally-responsible transportation option to private car ownership. Car sharing is an organized system of shared car ownership, access and cost, in a 1-car-to-10 person ratio. It enhances both the social and economic well-being of the individual and the community. I've prepared this rationale for people to quickly become familiar with this concept: Car sharing: the reason Premise A: The rapid increase in car numbers and vehicular kilometres travelled (VKT) with their social, economic and environmental costs are heavily taxing our communities, cities and planet. Premise B: Many people recognize Premise A but persist in owning a car because of those times when they really need one. These are times when cost, access, convenience and time considerations make any other option undesirable or impossible. Premise C: When people persist in owning a car, they will use it - and will either use it to the exclusion of alternatives or at least far more than the availability and utility of alternatives would require. Therefore: If we supply people with what they need in a system which will mitigate against frivolous use and abuse, the individual will be satisfied and the community will be spared the social, economic and environmental costs. With car sharing we recognize the need to drive while we work to eliminate dependence. Car sharing provides a low cost 'carrot' for people to access cars, while providing a self-modulated 'stick' to eliminate auto-dependency. This is the operating principle of the Co-operative Auto Network - or CAN. Co-operative Auto Network: the rationale The truth of the loosely-formed syllogism above is not much more than common sense. The alternatives don't do the whole job and once money has been invested to purchase a vehicle the buyer will tend to feel compelled to use it. People will use a car or the alternatives - rarely both. Further, there is a suggestion that it is cheaper to drive. The economics of auto ownership as it now stands reinforces the separation of car costs into two realms: the cost of owning and the cost of using. This means after financing the sticker price, buying insurance, tires, and parking, plus paying any maintenance bills, the owner dissociates these expenses and thinks getting to the hockey game will cost only the gas to get there and parking if he can't find a free spot. This construct is entirely false but once the car is "paid for" it often seems to people that driving isn't as costly as taking the bus - and they do the trip in half the time. So using the car for every transport need becomes the economically-reinforced norm, rather than the mode of last resort. With car sharing through CAN, we answer the need for the occasional use of a car while we restate the psycho-economic relationship of car use. We have reversed the economic argument. CAN makes it cheap to "purchase" a nice-looking car which is convenient and maintenance-free. Then we make every kilometre driven and every hour used have a cost. This works to limit VKT's and completely eliminate many trips. The Co-operative Auto Network opens the door to practical alternatives to the car's overuse and encourages its members to walk or cycle, and take the bus or a taxi more. ==================== CAN is working on etending the boundaries of car sharing in Vancouver already. To find out more go to our website http://eagletree.com/think/can/ Thanks for reading this long e-mail and for continuing my education of transportation related issues - I value the learning opportunity this list_serv affords me though I rarely participate in discussion. Cheers, Tracey! Tracey Axelsson Executive Director CAN Co-operative Auto Network P.O. Box 47044, Denman Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1 *****Tel/Fax 685-1393 axelt@axionet.com www.eagletree.com/think/can/ From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Tue May 13 07:32:51 1997 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (JOHN WHITELEGG) Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 23:32:51 +0100 (BST) Subject: [sustran] intro In-Reply-To: <199705121958.MAA14810@axionet.com> from "Tracey Axelsson" at May 12, 97 12:58:40 pm Message-ID: <199705122232.XAA24886@unixc.lancs.ac.uk> Dear Tracey, I enjoyed reading your material about car sharing. Would you be willing to write an article for the journal I edit "World Transport Policy and Practice" along the same lines? I'm very interested in circulating around the world up to date info about practical experineces like this. We run articles of 2000-3000 words. let me know what you think. very best wishes, John Whitelegg Editor From tkpb at barter.pc.my Tue May 13 14:25:33 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 13:25:33 +0800 Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: Tracey Axelson said: >Car sharing is an organized system of shared car ownership, access and >cost, in a 1-car-to-10 person ratio. It enhances both the social and >economic well-being of the individual and the community. ....... >The economics of auto >ownership as it now stands reinforces the separation of car costs into two >realms: the cost of owning and the cost of using. This means after >financing the sticker price, buying insurance, tires, and parking, plus >paying any maintenance bills, the owner dissociates these expenses and >thinks getting to the hockey game will cost only the gas to get there and >parking if he can't find a free spot. You may be interested to hear that Singapore has very recently started to experiment with the car-sharing/car-cooperatives idea. I seem to have lost the newspaper cutting on this. But apparently the trades union congress is taking a lead on it and they sent a team to Europe and Britain to examine the successful schemes there. I don't have details but their motivations seem to be two-fold. 1. Singapore's Land Transport Authority is concerned that having made the "sunk costs" of car ownership incredibly high they have inadvertently given car owners a big incentive to use their expensice asset as much as possible. So they are now trialing electronic road-pricing to get more of the costs into the usage.They may see car-cooperatives as another way of charging for usage rather than for ownership. 2. Singapore's middle class is getting frustrated that cars are so expensive. So this car coop. idea may be one way the government hopes to satisfy the desire to give access to cars without causing an explosion in car use for commuting and congestion?? It will be very interesting to see how this idea works in a situation of low car ownership. Singapore has just over 100 cars per 1000 people, compared to about 400-450 in western European cities or 500 to 600 in many North American cities. Does anyone have details on the Singapore scheme? Are there any others in the region, say in Japan? Can car-cooperatives ever be a majority thing? A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From tande at knooppunt.be Tue May 13 18:16:11 1997 From: tande at knooppunt.be (European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E)) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 09:16:11 GMT Subject: [sustran] Car co-ops Message-ID: <199705130916.JAA18275@kick.knooppunt.be> Dear colleagues, I was planning, no, determined to follow this discussion group passively, staying comfortably and inconspicuously behind the scenes. Not because I am only half interested, but rather for fear of work-overload - these discussions have an addictive and self-perpetuating quality. So here we are: the discussion has only been on for a few days and I am responding. This mail comes from the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), an umbrella of 29 NGOs in 19 European countries. T&E represents environmental NGOs, public transport users groups and alternative transport associations. Although we're based in Brussels, and work a lot on EU issues, we are pan-European, with members in non-Eu countries including Central and Eastern Europe. We also do some work on UN-ECE level and OECD-Europe. Anyway, the topic on why I am now writing: car-sharing. I am extremely pleased to read that in the car-dominated North-Americas car-sharing is coming off the ground. It has been around for some time in Europe, and indeed a European network called "European Car Sharing" (ECS) now exists. It comprises over 100 cities in which car co-ops are operating. In toral there are over 300 cities in Europe where you can "share" a car, and over 6000 citizens use the system regularly. Those of you who what to learn about the European experiecne (John and Tracey, if you write about it in WTPP, think about including the Euroepan angle). ECS, Manteuffelstrasse 40, D-10997, Berlin. Fax +49 30 611 37 27. All the best, Gijs Kuneman Director T&E From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Tue May 13 17:37:38 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Britton (EcoPlan Paris)) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 04:37:38 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Back to Tracy on car-sharing Message-ID: <199705130437_MC2-1677-7860@compuserve.com> Tracy, Are you in contact with Sue Zielinski in Toronto? Seems like your little project might make an iteresting presentation and disdcusssion at the forthcoming 1998 conference there on transport and the economy. With all good wishes, Eric Britton _________________________________________________________________ Kindly note slight address, fax modifications: EcoPlan International -- Technology & Social Systems Le Frêne, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, F-75006 Paris, France e-mail: 100336.2154@compuserve.com (or ecoplan@europemail.com) Main Tel. 331.4441.6340 Fax 331.4441.6341 Data: 331.4441.6342 ISDN/videoconferencing/groupwork: 331.4441.6340 (1-4) 24 hour backup phone/fax: 331.4326.1323 http://www.the-commons.org/ecoplan/consult Electronic Libraries available at: EuroFIX: 331 4441.6343 ftp.the-commons.org/pub/ (then chose your section) CompuServe: GO TWEUR (then go to "New Ways to Work") _________________________________________________________________ From t.rye at napier.ac.uk Tue May 13 19:41:49 1997 From: t.rye at napier.ac.uk (Tom Rye) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 10:41:49 gmt Subject: [sustran] Car co-ops Message-ID: <9704138635.AA863546828@ccmailgate.napier.ac.uk> Further on this theme: the UK's first car co-op is due to begin operation in (a high-density high car-owning middle class area of) Edinburgh, Scotland in January 1998; preliminary results to be disseminated around the end of that year/beginning of 1999. Tom Rye Napier University Edinburgh Scotland From tkpb at barter.pc.my Tue May 13 20:47:30 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 19:47:30 +0800 Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: Walter Hook wrote: .... >I am currently working on a policy paper for the United Nations Development >Program, and am seeking additional sources which quantify the relationship >between urban transport policies and projects and urban poverty. I have >excellent rural data but am finding there to be little on transport and >poverty in urban areas. Any sources you may know of, I would be grateful. It would be very worrying if it is true that this topic is getting little serious research attention. But I am glad the UNDP is looking into it. By the way, this issue will be one of four major topics addressed at the International Forum on Urban Poverty in Florence, Italy, from 14 to 19 September 1997. It is a follow-up to last year's Istanbul Habitat II conference. I think Prof. V Setty Pendakur is going to give the keynote address on this issue at the conference. For more information contact: Brian Williams, Human Settlements Officer, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), . I guess for detailed data you may have to dig into unpublished sources such as consultants' feasibility studies for urban projects. Some which I have seen (especially studies of mass transit proposals) address questions of affordability by the poorest quintile and would provide you with useful data. Social impact sections of road feasibility studies (such as they are) may also provide information. Some references and contacts (I am sure this is nothing like exhaustive!!): Dimitriou, H. T. (1993). Responding to the Transport Needs of the Urban Poor. In CODATU VI Conference of Urban Transportation in Developing Countries, Tunis. (Prof. Harry Dimitriou can be reached at: ) I think Prof George Banjo from Nigeria is also an authority on this issue: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel: +2341-823234 Fax: +2341-2661674/ 4971015 The transport chapter of the following gives some brief treatment of urban poverty, transport and equity issues in low income countries: Linn, J. F. (1983). Cities in Developing Countries: Policies for their Equitable and Efficient Growth. Oxford: World Bank Research Publication, Oxford University Press. In the North American context, Todd Litman (e-mail: litman@islandnet.com) of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute has done some very good work on transport policy and equity. Principles, basic arguments and references from his work may be useful even if his focus is North America. He keeps up with the literature on this. A synopsis of all his publications is on his web page: http://www.islandnet.com/~litman Has the UK based, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) (overseas department) done anything on this? They would be a likely bet. I would think there should also be some work on this from India. Have you checked the papers from the last CODATU which was in Delhi? I am no expert in this particular issue so I am sure there must be many other sources out there. Anyone else? A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From cycad at epic.net Tue May 13 23:48:52 1997 From: cycad at epic.net (Ramon Fernan III) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 22:48:52 +0800 (GMT+0800) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <199705131448.WAA16369@epic1.epic.net> Walter Hook wrote: >I am currently working on a policy paper for the United Nations Development >Program, and am seeking additional sources which quantify the relationship >between urban transport policies and projects and urban poverty. I have >excellent rural data but am finding there to be little on transport and >poverty in urban areas. Any sources you may know of, I would be grateful. > Hey, Walter, funny of you doing a paper on this. I was just in a workshop on sustainable cities here in Tagaytay sponsored by UNDP AP2000 and I had broached the issue as a possible point of unity between urban poor and housing activists and sustran activists. One will probably have no trouble conceptually connecting the two but linking them "in the field" is another matter. Housing and urban poor activists hardly talk about transport issues. The majority of NGO reps at that workshop were from urban poor and housing rights organizations. I would ask people to relate practical experiences in linking the two. Send the academic stuff to Walter. As an intro -- I'm Ramon Fernan III from the Philippines. I belong to a local cycling advocacy group (Cycling Advocates or CYCAD (transport & biodiversity?)) and participate in the local sustainable transport network (Sustainable Transport Forum). I certainly hope this doesn't become a car sharing discussion list or even an electric car list (is car flaming ok? cycling flames welcome). Anybody done life cycle analysis on electric cars and the use of electricity in transport? Ramon Fernan III CYCLING ADVOCATES (CYCAD) 1563 Pasaje Rosario Paco 1007 Manila Philippines Tel./Fax +63 2 590238 From machia at u.washington.edu Wed May 14 02:00:42 1997 From: machia at u.washington.edu (A. Karp) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 10:00:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility In-Reply-To: <199705131448.WAA16369@epic1.epic.net> Message-ID: |*--------------------------------------*| | Machiavellian Polyglot Cyclommuter | | ADAM KARP | | University of Washington School of Law | | *machia@u.washington.edu* | | ------------------ | | Read | | DOCKET | | "All the Evidence That's Fit to Admit" | | (www2.law.washington.edu/Docket) | | ------------------ | | (206) 729.9579 | |*--------------------------------------*| Ramon Fernan said: > I certainly hope this doesn't become a car > sharing discussion list or even an electric car list (is car flaming ok? > cycling flames welcome). Anybody done life cycle analysis on electric cars > and the use of electricity in transport? I must share Ramon's worry in that I, too, am a cyclommuter first. In this sense, I guess all cyclo-centric advocates are sustainable transport radicals. But I am also a political pragmatist. While car-sharing is at best a step on the path toward the retirement of private single, or even double, occupant vehicles, it is still a strategy of and appeasement. It is also, however, extremely politic. For this I admire it. Let's face it Ramon, cycling will never be wholeheartedly accepted as the primary means of transportation for any society where freight and mass passenger transport is concerned. Though some manufacturers have created commercial four-wheelers able to haul over 500 lbs., and while Indians and Chinese may use ox-trikes for heavy tonnage, it is impractical to rely on these means for long-distance freight transport. Mass transit, bus or rail, especially if complemented with alternative fuel technologies, are better for the greater number of people who are (a) not in shape, (b) infirm, or (c) aged. For the sake of the environment and fostering a sustran state of mind, it is mass transit and rail movement of freight, and provisional policies like car-sharing, that will achieve the fastest psychological and political gains, and, simultaneously, clear the road for bicycles. In an ideal world, everyone should welcome the joys of cyclommuting. In a world with less cars and trucks, and more safe bikeways, this ideal could quickly become a reality. Car-sharing is one way to begin this metamorphosis. ******************************** Suggested new, or additional topic: Has anyone heard of large public (or private) works projects for dedicated bikeways? Los Angeles has rumored about putting in a 20-mile elevated bikeway/freeway connecting the beaches to East L.A. Seattle has also discussed building one-way bike tunnels (more like 15-foot in diameter tubes) aided by 30-mph tailwinds (as generated by large fans) which might track the right-of-ways of existing rail lines or freeways. I'd be very interested in learning about such bike/ped/roller-blade-focused projects being contemplated or undertaken around the world. This is especially interesting since next year I'll begin studying for my M.S.E. in Transportation Engineering and Planning. On a sad note, I discovered that Prof. Schneider, who wrote in earlier to this list, has retired from Civil Engineering at the University of Washington. This means that his class on Human-Powered Vehicles will no longer be taught. Furthermore, another professor in Electrical Engineering at the same university, one dedicated to bicycle transport, has also retired. Apparently, there is little faculty support left for non-motorized transport. What a sad time for me to be beginning. But also, what a wonderful opportunity! Adam Karp (my contact info is at the beginning) From bhutton at compuserve.com Wed May 14 03:10:56 1997 From: bhutton at compuserve.com (barry hutton) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 14:10:56 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Copy of: Joining Message-ID: <199705131411_MC2-167F-981C@compuserve.com> ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: barry hutton, 100605,2357 TO: somebody, INTERNET:sustran-discuss@ca.ax.apc.org DATE: 13/05/97 17:34 RE: Copy of: Joining join Barry_Hutton@compuserve.com From axelt at axionet.com Wed May 14 05:09:04 1997 From: axelt at axionet.com (Tracey Axelsson) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 13:09:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <199705132009.NAA22208@axionet.com> John - of course I'll write for your journal. CAN is only 4 months along but I've been working on it for 20 months now and have lots of information. Only 3000 words heh? :-\ hmmm... no problem. When do you want it? AND YES GIJS - I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR EUROPEAN LEADERS. Conrad Wagner (a Board member of the ECS) has been very helpful in getting us literature on the Swiss expereince. Richard Katzev (Portland) has been quite a mentor as well, getting us German (untranslated - but we have a Board membeer from Cologne) texts on the process in Berlin. We wouldn't be where we are without the European succcess stories! At 23:32 12/05/97 +0100, you wrote: >Dear Tracey, > >I enjoyed reading your material about car sharing. Would you be willing >to write an article for the journal I edit "World Transport Policy and >Practice" along the same lines? I'm very interested in circulating >around the world up to date info about practical experineces like this. >We run articles of 2000-3000 words. let me know what you think. > >very best wishes, > > >John Whitelegg >Editor > > > > Tracey Axelsson Executive Director CAN Co-operative Auto Network P.O. Box 47044, Denman Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1 *****Tel/Fax 685-1393 axelt@axionet.com www.eagletree.com/think/can/ From axelt at axionet.com Wed May 14 05:09:07 1997 From: axelt at axionet.com (Tracey Axelsson) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 13:09:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <199705132009.NAA22233@axionet.com> Hi Rahman! I was actually contacted by people putting things together in Singapore for information - as have people in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. As I have visited all of these countries I feel confident in my assessment that car sharing will work anywhere! Japan has an amazing system to get a car. First you must prove you have a parking spot, then you can only own the beast for five years (their cast off cars head to Australia or become new land :-(). Singapore actually has a auction-lottery for driving permits - only so many being granted every year and the ability to drive truly goes to the highest bidder. They'd like to tackle the social inequities of this system. And for anyone who may think Bangkok is the worst spot for air pollution in the world - please go to Taipei. I had to walk around that beautiful city with a wet towel over my mouth which I never had to do in Bangkok or Hong Kong for that matter. I've also been interviewed quite extensively by the folks in Portland Oregon interested in developing a business plan for their city. Meanwhile, Marty Bernard is putting together a Station Car in California which runs a lot like the "Tulip system" in France. These systems allow people to use a credit card to access the cars. Our co-op and the one in Victoria are not-for-profit co-operatives, while the ones in Quebec City and Montreal are sole proprietor businesses (Quebec's Auto-Com switched over from a co-operative). Car Co-ops are on the drawing board in Toronto and in Ottawa though only the four Canadian ones are operational. I suppose my point is that car sharing is taking off everywhere. It makes so much sense and is a real answer to slowing the proliferation of automobiles. Of our 27 members; 6 sold cars and 11 others decided not to buy! And the members are using the cars less all the time! This is good news and there's more to learn and do. I recently had this quote pointed out to me: "I'm proposing that all forms of transportation need to be master planned as a single system. Cars are here to stay, because they give a degree of personal mobility. But the idea that we should own a car is an old-fashioned idea left over from the 20th century. In the 21st century, we will treat the car as a utility, use it and dispose of it when we don't need it." Moshe Safdie, (Architect of hundreds of buildings world-wide esp. the Vancouver Public Library) commenting on his up-coming book "The City After the Automobile" The Globe & Mail - 26/04/97 It seems to me car sharing is following the 100 monkeys principle. Researchers noted that when a monkey invented a new way of doing something, she would show it to another, who would show it to another and so on until the 100 monkey just knew how to do it without being shown. It just became standard knowledge and practise. Well, 3 brothers in Berlin started showing others and now we have this *spontaneous* comment from Safdie.... I think in time car sharing will become very common - who knows maybe even the majority! Cheers, Tracey! At 13:25 13/05/97 +0800, you wrote: >Tracey Axelson said: >>Car sharing is an organized system of shared car ownership, access and >>cost, in a 1-car-to-10 person ratio. It enhances both the social and >>economic well-being of the individual and the community. >....... >>The economics of auto >>ownership as it now stands reinforces the separation of car costs into two >>realms: the cost of owning and the cost of using. This means after >>financing the sticker price, buying insurance, tires, and parking, plus >>paying any maintenance bills, the owner dissociates these expenses and >>thinks getting to the hockey game will cost only the gas to get there and >>parking if he can't find a free spot. > >You may be interested to hear that Singapore has very recently started to >experiment with the car-sharing/car-cooperatives idea. I seem to have lost >the newspaper cutting on this. But apparently the trades union congress is >taking a lead on it and they sent a team to Europe and Britain to examine >the successful schemes there. > >I don't have details but their motivations seem to be two-fold. >1. Singapore's Land Transport Authority is concerned that having made the >"sunk costs" of car ownership incredibly high they have inadvertently given >car owners a big incentive to use their expensice asset as much as >possible. So they are now trialing electronic road-pricing to get more of >the costs into the usage.They may see car-cooperatives as another way of >charging for usage rather than for ownership. >2. Singapore's middle class is getting frustrated that cars are so >expensive. So this car coop. idea may be one way the government hopes to >satisfy the desire to give access to cars without causing an explosion in >car use for commuting and congestion?? > >It will be very interesting to see how this idea works in a situation of >low car ownership. Singapore has just over 100 cars per 1000 people, >compared to about 400-450 in western European cities or 500 to 600 in many >North American cities. > >Does anyone have details on the Singapore scheme? Are there any others in >the region, say in Japan? Can car-cooperatives ever be a majority thing? > >A. Rahman Paul Barter >Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) >c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. >Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my > > > Tracey Axelsson Executive Director CAN Co-operative Auto Network P.O. Box 47044, Denman Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1 *****Tel/Fax 685-1393 axelt@axionet.com www.eagletree.com/think/can/ From axelt at axionet.com Wed May 14 05:09:10 1997 From: axelt at axionet.com (Tracey Axelsson) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 13:09:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Back to Tracy on car-sharing Message-ID: <199705132009.NAA22248@axionet.com> Hi Eric - I've met Sue even heard her sing in the all-cyclers choir but I've never really told her what I was doing. Does anyone know how to get a hold of her. I would like to speak to her about the conference - even if it's just so I can go and learn from others! Cheers, Tarcey! At 04:37 13/05/97 -0400, you wrote: >Tracy, > >Are you in contact with Sue Zielinski in Toronto? Seems like your little >project might make an iteresting presentation and disdcusssion at the >forthcoming 1998 conference there on transport and the economy. > >With all good wishes, > >Eric Britton > >_________________________________________________________________ >Kindly note slight address, fax modifications: > >EcoPlan International -- Technology & Social Systems >Le Fr?ne, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, F-75006 Paris, France >e-mail: 100336.2154@compuserve.com (or ecoplan@europemail.com) >Main Tel. 331.4441.6340 Fax 331.4441.6341 Data: 331.4441.6342 >ISDN/videoconferencing/groupwork: 331.4441.6340 (1-4) > >24 hour backup phone/fax: 331.4326.1323 > >http://www.the-commons.org/ecoplan/consult >Electronic Libraries available at: EuroFIX: 331 4441.6343 > ftp.the-commons.org/pub/ (then chose your section) > CompuServe: GO TWEUR (then go to "New Ways to Work") >_________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > Tracey Axelsson Executive Director CAN Co-operative Auto Network P.O. Box 47044, Denman Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1 *****Tel/Fax 685-1393 axelt@axionet.com www.eagletree.com/think/can/ From axelt at axionet.com Wed May 14 05:09:12 1997 From: axelt at axionet.com (Tracey Axelsson) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 13:09:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <199705132009.NAA22256@axionet.com> Thank you Mr. Karp! Ramon - please I'm here to learn and for the most part you'll never hear from me. I too, am a cyclommuter first. As a matter of fact it's kind of humourous - I almost never use a car! I also recognize that I am in with the over-whelming minority of adults in Vancouver. The majority don't even own bikes.... I'm searching for answers and practical solutions just like you adn I hope to learn a great deal from you. Cheers, Tracey! Tracey Axelsson Executive Director CAN Co-operative Auto Network P.O. Box 47044, Denman Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1 *****Tel/Fax 685-1393 axelt@axionet.com www.eagletree.com/think/can/ From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Wed May 14 05:10:48 1997 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (JOHN WHITELEGG) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 21:10:48 +0100 (BST) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility In-Reply-To: from "A. Karp" at May 13, 97 10:00:42 am Message-ID: <199705132010.VAA26751@unixc.lancs.ac.uk> Dear Adam Karp (and everyone else), there are life cycle analyses on electric vehicles and they don't come out looking very good. Try "Cars and Climate Change", OECD, 1993 page 93-98. Don't forget in this great debate thatdesigning a system based on one tonne lumps of metal at speeds well over the levels that kill children is a little bit on the malevolent, over-designed, greedy and inefficienty side. Ecah car in Germany has about 240 sq metres of space which is well above what an average household has for all living/ gardening purposes. When we get a zero-space, zero speed, zero material vehicle we will be getting somewhere. Until that time let's contain our excitement about electric vehicles. Incidentally if anyone wants to pursue this theme (all points of view) in a bit more detail I will run a special issue of World Transport Policy and Practice. let me have your articles of about 2000 words each and I'll organise refereeing. very best wishes John Whitelegg From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Wed May 14 05:18:50 1997 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (JOHN WHITELEGG) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 21:18:50 +0100 (BST) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility In-Reply-To: <199705131448.WAA16369@epic1.epic.net> from "Ramon Fernan III" at May 13, 97 10:48:52 pm Message-ID: <199705132018.VAA27693@unixc.lancs.ac.uk> ear ramon Fernan III, good to hear news from the Phillipines. have you considered writing an article on the transport/energy situation in your country. Are bikes making a contribution to sustainable transport? Are they on the way in or out? Who rides them and for what purpose? What are the road traffic accident rates for cyclists (the real rate, not what police/official stats say)? Hope to hear from you very best wishes, John Whitelegg Editor World Transport Policy and Practice From maya at argos.utc.uic.edu Wed May 14 05:58:47 1997 From: maya at argos.utc.uic.edu (Maya Tatineni) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 15:58:47 -0500 Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <199705132058.PAA03394@argos.utc.uic.edu> Hello, I have been following this discussion with some interest and thought I would put in my two cents worth.. Personally I don't like driving and would be happy to use alternative modes of transportation..but it seems to me that often one has no other option. I live in a suburb of Chicago and to think of living without a car is quite impossible. I need a car to access the train that will take me downtown. Of course there has been talk by planners in this city (like elsewhere!) about policies to curtail car trips..but it seems to me that most policies which talk of reducing VMT are actually aimed at reducing MOBILITY by reducing parking options, increasing the cost of driving etc without providing for any alternative options. Surely there is a better answer? I would like to walk to the grocery store..but the closest grocery store is 4 miles away. The train station is 10 miles away.. It seems to me that the focus should be on sustainable development and alternative means of transportation. While it may take some doing to wean people away from their cars...to be really successful we also need some realistic alternatives. What is the point in curtailing auto trips if the only alternative is reduced mobility? Maya ---- Maya Tatineni Post Doctoral Research Associate University of Illinois at Chicago From dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu Wed May 14 08:09:35 1997 From: dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 19:09:35 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro In-Reply-To: <199705132058.PAA03394@argos.utc.uic.edu> Message-ID: On Tue, 13 May 1997, Maya Tatineni wrote: > Hello, > I have been following this discussion with some interest > and thought I would put in my two cents worth.. > Personally I don't like driving and would be happy to use alternative > modes of transportation..but it seems to me that often one has no > other option. I live in a suburb of Chicago and to think of living > without a car is quite impossible. I need a car to access the train > that will take me downtown. Maya, One could ask the question as to why you live in suburban Chicago so far away from your workplace? We all make decisions and I suspect yours was based on considerations other than your (e.g. schools, safety, taxes, etc.) transportation. I too was intending to be a lurker on this list (no effort and all the rewards of others work), but since this is my first post let me introduce myself. My name is Dharm Guruswamy and I am soon to be alumnus of Georgia Tech. I have a strong interest in transportation in developing countries and have some (not nearly as others on the list) experience in the area. I look forward to participating in the list, although I will probably disappear for a while to relocate after graduation in mid June. --- Dharm Guruswamy - 3rd year grad. student, City Planning & Civil Engineering snail mail: 960 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 phone/fax: HOME (404) 685-3294 WORK (404) 894-6402 internet:dharm@trec.ce.gatech.edu : www:http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~dg63 From wcox at publicpurpose.com Wed May 14 08:27:10 1997 From: wcox at publicpurpose.com (Wendell Cox ) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 18:27:10 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <199705132327.SAA02160@mail1.i1.net> I guess it falls to me to play the role of spoiler. Unfortunately the answer --- as you note --- is not so simple in American urban areas, where population densities average 1000 per square km or less, and where jobs and businesses are spread throughout the urban area. At these densities, frankly, there is no realistic and comprehensive alternative. Frankly, to provide a high level of personal mobility in such an environment sans cars would require no less than the razing of at least 3/4 of development, and reconcentration in the centre. That is not to suggest that there aren't strategies that can help. But in the aggregate they must, of necessity, be of little impact --- at least in the American urban area. Wendell Cox >Hello, > I have been following this discussion with some interest >and thought I would put in my two cents worth.. >Personally I don't like driving and would be happy to use alternative >modes of transportation..but it seems to me that often one has no >other option. I live in a suburb of Chicago and to think of living >without a car is quite impossible. I need a car to access the train >that will take me downtown. >Of course there has been talk by planners in this city (like elsewhere!) >about policies to curtail car trips..but it seems to me that most >policies which talk of reducing VMT are actually aimed at reducing >MOBILITY by reducing parking options, increasing the cost of driving etc >without providing for any alternative options. >Surely there is a better answer? >I would like to walk to the grocery store..but the closest grocery store >is 4 miles away. The train station is 10 miles away.. >It seems to me that the focus should be on sustainable development and >alternative means of transportation. While it may take some doing to wean >people away from their cars...to be really successful we also need some >realistic alternatives. What is the point in curtailing auto trips if the >only alternative is reduced mobility? > Maya >---- >Maya Tatineni >Post Doctoral Research Associate >University of Illinois at Chicago > > WENDELL COX CONSULTANCY International Public Policy, Economics, Labour, Transport & Strategic Planning The Public Purpose: Internet Public Policy Journal http://www.publicpurpose.com Voice +1 618 632 8507; Fax +1 618 632 8538 P.O. Box 8083;. Belleville, Illinois 62222 USA From dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu Wed May 14 11:52:14 1997 From: dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 22:52:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Big issues to talk about In-Reply-To: Message-ID: On Sun, 11 May 1997, Paul Barter wrote: > Dear sustran-discuss participants > Let me just add a few notes on some of the very germane issues Paul raised. > * Air pollution and its health impacts (which pollutants are the > priority in different countries or cities?). Often this is a factor of other (non point and stationary) sources of pollution and local meteorological and geographical conditions. > * Safety (especially for vulnerable road users). This should mean all road users.. I believe that road fatality rates in East Asia (outside of Japan) are higher than those in the United States overall, but fatality rates for pedestrians and bicyclist are particularily high. > * City-friendly and city-unfriendly transport (cities and towns face > severe impacts from transport. Why do Asian cities seem to have such big > problems with cars and motorcycles, even though car ownership is much lower > than in the west?) I may get in trouble for saying this on this list, but the main reason that these problems manifest themselves is that the amount of space in these cities devoted to road transportation is around 10%, meanwhile the typical range in comparable western cities is as high as 25% (New York). If automobile ownership is to grow some consideration for both improved roads and off street parking MUST be made, otherwise motorist will park on sidewalks (and even use sidewalks as traffic lanes if they can get away with it), double park, etc.. creating havok. Now when I say widen streets, I don't mean all streets, just arterials... I fully support the implementation of traffic calming techniques on side/residential streets to prevent encroachment by a ever growing fleet of automobiles. > * Global impacts of transport such as climate change (Should we just > concentrate on getting rich countries to reduce their emissions or should > we ALSO be searching for ways for lower income countries to avoid a > high-emissions future? ) There is no question that as automobile ownership rates begin to rise in Asia that there will be major atmospheric changes both at the local and global level. --- Dharm Guruswamy - 3rd year grad. student, City Planning & Civil Engineering snail mail: 960 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 phone/fax: HOME (404) 685-3294 WORK (404) 894-6402 internet:dharm@trec.ce.gatech.edu : www:http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~dg63 From tkpb at barter.pc.my Wed May 14 12:04:21 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 11:04:21 +0800 Subject: [sustran] gentle reminders on list use Message-ID: Hi again folks... I am a novice list-owner so forgive me if I am ever off the mark... but I have had a few requests to give a gentle reminder or two on the practicalities of participating in a discussion list. These are small matters and easy to do but they can make the list more pleasant and useful for all of us. Some of the tips are already in the introductory message for the sustran-discuss list (which I hope you saved). If you have lost it then you can send a message to with the body (not subject) of your message: intro sustran-discuss Here are the reminders: 1. Please think VERY carefully before sending a response to a posting, wether you intend it for the whole list or if you want to send it only to the person whose message you are responding to. I think some of us may have inadvertently been sending things meant for individuals to the whole list. If you use the "reply" function then your response will be going to the whole list. If you intend to send to one person only then you need to go to the "To: " line and insert their e-mail address in place of the list address. (one very important reason to be aware of this is because it can be very very embarrassing to accidentally send a candid message meant for a close friend to 150 strangers!! I saw an example on another list just this morning). On the other hand, it is an easy mistake to make so we should all be forgiving if it happens occassionally. 2. When you respond to someone else's comments please don't include their whole message in your response. It is better to delete everything except the very few lines that you are directly responding to. Also please delete other people's signatures from your response. Some people put in or when they cut like this. It can get tiring to have to find the actual message amongst all of the old quoted stuff which has been seen before. 3. Try to make sure that the subject line at the top of the message relates to your message when you respond on a particular topic. This makes it easier for people who are suffering from information overload to skip over topics that don't interest them. Please don't feel bad if you feel any of these comments apply to you. Many of us are new to these lists, so we are learning as we go. Keep up the interesting discussions. Paul A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From tkpb at barter.pc.my Wed May 14 12:54:11 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 11:54:11 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Regional focus of the list Message-ID: The material on the sustran-discuss has been very interesting to me so far and useful. Thanks everyone! But I thought I should send a reminder and clarification on the focus of the list. I am a little concerned that discussions may become dominated by North American (and to some extent European) issues, concerns and viewpoints. One reason is that so many more people use e-mail in North America than anywhere else, so by weight of numbers there is a danger that North Americans will dominate any e-mail discussions. All of the other transport-related lists that I know of focus on North America or Europe. One major purpose of this list is to provide a forum with a regional focus on Asia (from Turkey to the Philippines and the Arctic to Indonesia) and the Pacific (by which we meant actually the islands of the Pacific along with Australia and New Zealand - I guess "west pacific" would have been more specific). Unfortunately "Asia and the Pacific" is something of an ambiguous term! One thing that most of the countries of this very diverse region (except Aust. and NZ) have in common is relatively low levels of motorisation (and often high vehicle growth rates). Even Tokyo has less than 300 cars per 1000 people and most places in the region have MUCH less than that. So our regional focus also implies a focus on less motorised societies and cities. Other regions with relatively low motorisation, such as Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe are therfore also highly relevant. You could say our focus in on what the car industry calls, the "emerging markets" which they hope will save them as "mature markets" saturate with cars. Having said all that, I am certainly NOT banning discussions on North America, western Europe, etc!!! I just want to remind everyone to please think about the relevance of their postings for Asia and the western Pacific. If possible, highlight the relevance of your comments for this region. And bear in mind that initiatives and policies which might get dismissed as impractical in low-density, car-dependent USA, could possibly be roaring successes in places like Bombay, Hong Kong, or Seoul which have urban densities about 10 to 20 times those in American cities and where car dominance is not built into the urban fabric. Australians and New Zealanders of course may "fall through the cracks". They are definitely part of the region but with transport issues more like North America's. Oh well.. can't be helped. (by the way, I am an Australian). For discussions of alternative transportation issues in highly motorised societies, there is already an excellent forum which you may like to join as well. The alt-transp list has consistently high quality discussions. To subscribe to alt-transp: Send e-mail to with the following command in the body of the message: subscribe alt-transp . In setting up this list, we have been hoping that sustran-discuss can come to complement alt-transp by having a slightly different regional focus. I am not keen to duplicate their efforts or to inadvertently drain energy from that list. Best wishes, Paul. A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From ant at pc.jaring.my Wed May 14 14:36:57 1997 From: ant at pc.jaring.my (Anthony Sivabalan Thanasayan) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 13:36:57 +0800 Subject: [sustran] gentle reminders on list use Message-ID: <199705140536.NAA13608@relay4.jaring.my> Hello Paul, Thanks for your reminder. However, I didn't understand one part of it which read, "2. When you respond to someone else's comments please delete other people's signatures from your response. Some people put in or when they cut like this. It can get tiring to have to find the actual message amongst all of the old quoted stuff which has been seen before." Why should we cut out other people's signatures? Also, I didn't understand the and others part. Thanks antHony + His InVincible Duo, Make tHe Terrible ThRee: Biman thE Alsatian thaT's Always ReAdy to Please aNd Vai, tHe Rottie, whOSe naMe means TerRible LighTNing. ant@pc.jaring.my Malaysia Why couldn't Beethoven, the St Bernard have been a Rottweiler instead? Stop discriminating Rotties NOW! + + + + ++ + + + ++++ + + + ++++ ++ ++ ++ +++ + +++ God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers - old Jewish proverb. From aliani.unescap at un.org Thu May 15 01:43:15 1997 From: aliani.unescap at un.org (aliani.unescap@un.org) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 11:43:15 EST Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <9704148636.AA863600603@mail-out.un.org> Hi! I am a Human Settlements Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which is based in Bangkok, Thailand. I agree with Maya when she says that given the present transport system, using a car is a necessity if one wants to maintain one's mobility. Take my example, my house is about a kilometer from the nearest bus station. Given Bangkok's weather which alternates between heat waves and rain showers, it is not possible for me to walk or cycle down to the bus station to commute to work. Moreover, the buses follow the main roads which are very crowded. I tried travelling by bus for a month and found out that it took me on average 90 minutes to get to work and about 120 minutes to return home. Usually by the time I got to work I was so tired that I needed at least another hour to recover. By car my normal commuting time was 30 minutes. They are building a mass transit system here which most likely will fail to attract motorists because the distances between residences and main roads are too great and people will not inconvenience themselves in the heat and the rain to ride public transport. I think private modes of transport are necessary and we have to concentrate our efforts to finding sustainable and clean energy sources for vehicular transport. In this connection electric or hydrogen powered vehicles are the most feasible as yet. An interim measure could be to follow the Japanese example and make ownership of vehicles older than five years very difficult. The older the car the more it pollutes. This will also not hurt the auto industry too badly, which is specially important in Thailand as the industry employs an estimated 100,000 people directly and another 500,000 indirectly. Adnan H. Aliani From machia at u.washington.edu Wed May 14 16:01:31 1997 From: machia at u.washington.edu (A. Karp) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 00:01:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Big issues to talk about In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Regarding Dharm's comments on Asian city gridlock as a function of road development (10% v. New York's 25%): I must disagree with the argument that expanding arterials is a must in order to avoid total havoc. The 25% figure New York boasts is no accolade. To understand the extent to which New York has been ruined by such overdevelopment, see JOSEPH CARO, THE POWER BROKER: ROBERT MOSES AND THE FALL OF NEW YORK (1975), a biography of the now-infamous Robert Moses. Besides being a real moshe kapoyr, Moses single-handedly displaced tens of thousands of people and laid down tons of community-severing asphalt to bring about his vision of car dominance. While sprawling ten-lane thoroughfares will keep people from parking on the sidewalk, they will probably cause far more heartache, and heartburn, for those who must live around them. It's hard to fault a man who thought himself messianic, since at the time few had the analytical tools necessary to prove him wrong. To endorse such a Moses-like approach for Asia today would be yet another policy of appeasement vis-a-vis the Car Folk. Adam |*--------------------------------------*| | Machiavellian Polyglot Cyclommuter | | ADAM KARP | | University of Washington School of Law | | *machia@u.washington.edu* | | ------------------ | | Read | | DOCKET | | "All the Evidence That's Fit to Admit" | | (www2.law.washington.edu/Docket) | | ------------------ | | (206) 729.9579 | |*--------------------------------------*| From tkpb at barter.pc.my Wed May 14 16:52:12 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 15:52:12 +0800 Subject: [sustran] gentle reminders on list use Message-ID: Dear list participants >Thanks for your reminder. However, I didn't understand one part of it which >read, I have responded to Anthony's question privately. If anyone else is also puzzled then please contact me privately (ie. at tkpb@barter.pc.my). I will be gald to explain what I meant in more detail without bothering everyone else. However, if there are too many people who are still puzzled then I will post a clarification to the list later. Best wishes, Paul. A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Wed May 14 19:08:02 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Britton (EcoPlan Paris)) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:02 -0400 Subject: [sustran] transportation and economic development Message-ID: <199705140608_MC2-1692-3D49@compuserve.com> Tracey, This should get you going. I share it with the others here as well, since it is, potentially, a most useful exercise. And once again relevant in the creative synthesis lines that I keep droning on about. Eric Britton From: Sue Zielinski, INTERNET:suez@web.net RE: economic development report Subject: economic development report Hi Eric, This is the report that was adopted by the Economic Development Committee of City of Toronto, and sent on to City Council where it was also adopted. They also recommended that we pursue an incubator for economic development in sustainable tranpportation. This was a major coup to have the City formally adopt such recommendations. We're hoping the symposium will stimulate all sorts of stuff -- an economic development strategy as well as international interchange on ec devel related to sus trans. This is just for your info. Thought you might find it interesting. Cheers, Sue **************** To: City of Toronto Economic Development Committee Origin: Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative Subject: Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation Recommendations: 1. That this report and attachments be forwarded to City Council for information. 2. That the Economic Development Division in conjunction with the Toronto City Cycling Committee be asked to review and report on future opportunities for co-operation with the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative in further developing economic development and employment opportunities related to sustainable transportation in the City. 3. That the committee support the parallel proposal to Economic Development for an International Symposium on Economic and Employment Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation in the Spring of 1997 (see attached proposal) Background: The recent Golden Report on the Greater Toronto Area found that: ... the region could save more than $12 billion in hard infrastructure costs and maintenance over the next 25 years if we were to adopt a more efficient, more compact pattern of development. We could save an equivalent amount by cutting back the additional costs associated with higher levels of land consumption and automobile use. A conservative estimate of the savings over the next two and a half decades is $700 million to $1 billion annually. Moving towards and maintaining more compact patterns of development and sustainable transportation not only represents significant cost savings, it also represents considerable economic and employment opportunities (see appendix #?) The Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative works to identify and catalyse such opportunities. It brings together a diversity of practical sustainable transportation economic devlopment projects (see next page) and it provides a forum for developing a long term strategy for economic development and job creation in sustainable transportation. Such a mix of practical economic development projects with long range strategic planning has not occurred in any other city. STEDI's phase one work in this area was recently presented as a paper to the OECD International Conference on Sustainable Transportation and was favourably received (as a positive model? how to phrase?). While countless efforts exist worldwide to shift to more sustainable transportation systems, seldom are these initiatives approached as positive opportunities for innovation, economic wellbeing and job creation. Examples of such opportunities range from new products and services to new technologies to new opportunities for construction, design, education, and tourism related to sustainable transportation (See appendix). There are many advantages to an economic development approach to sustainable transportation, including cost savings, import replacement, local economic revitalization, increased tourism opportunities and attractions, and increased safety and livability for local residents. (see appendix) The City of Toronto is in an ideal position to develop this positive, cost-effective initiative for a number of reasons: * the City of Toronto's compact urban form facilitates local economic development and employment initiatives. This is illustrated by the number of initiatives already underway (see next page). The fact that only half of the City's downtown core residents own cars means that Toronto is accustomed to providing a diverse range of transportation options and has an opportunity to further develop these options and economic development opportunities. * the City of Toronto has an international reputation for its compact urban form (or wise planning -- what word?) and for its provision of a range of sustainable transportation options. The Toronto Transit Commission has long been hailed as the best transit system in North America, and the City of Toronto has recently been named best city for cycling in North America. Toronto is also one of the most studied cities because it works. This reputation also facilitates the export of human capital to other cities that require expertise (I hate this word, but I got this phrase from Peter Finestone -- let's talk about it) * as a "mid-Northern" the City of Toronto is an ideal incubation ground for innovation in sustainable transportation. Demand for alternative forms of transportation is on the rise. Driven by increased environmental and health concerns as well as rising car ownership costs, Toronto has seen a dramatic upsurge in cycle commuting (75% over the last 5 years). As well, an aging population is demanding post-car modes of transportation, and the physically challenged are also demanding new and innovative services and products to meet their needs. Toronto currently finds itself at the leading edge of a trend away from car dominated urban transportation which is poised to cross North America. Concerted development and support in this will see Toronto leading the way as a model for livable, economically healthy cities. * there is a growing niche. the human powered transportation sector is big business in Toronto. In the GTA, over $56 million was spent on bicycle repairs and accessories alone in 1991. Yet despite our large market Toronto has very little manufacturing. Canada as a whole imports ten times the number of bicycles it exports. This disparity is beginning to be addressed in a small way by some small businesses. There are currently more than 15 small to micro enterprises in this sector in and around Toronto, and all of them are less than five years old. They tend to be in a start-up position, and need skills development, access to facitlities, public exposure, capital, and support. Toronto is becoming a centre for the appropriate transportation industry due to its large market, its availability of small industrial space, and its skilled work force. Supporting these strengths means that businesses will locate here (reword this) (see appendix for just a few examples) * many of these innovations can be easily and inexpensively integrated into the current system (something that says we can go ahead with this without having to destroy everything and build anew for really expensive) a la Gerry Grant -- the ways we integrate "competing" systems Goals of STEDI: It is the goal of the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative to identify and develop these advantages by: * catalysing and developing new job creation initiatives related to sustainable transportation * bringing together existing economic development initiatives related to sustainable transportation * identifying new opportunities for job creation and wealth creation through provision of sustainable transportation options * providing skills related to sustainable transportation related economic development * gathering, sharing and applying essential information * establishing sustainable transportation as a focus for economic growth, job training, local community economic development initiatives, and intergovernmental and private sector co-operation * providing affordable transportation options to all Torontonians and visitors to Toronto Current Active Partners in STEDI (order -- alpha or how?) Toronto Centre for Appropriate Transportation Detour Publications Sustainable Transportation Skills Development Programme Community Bicycle Network Transportation Options Green Tourism Partnerhship Intersection Bikes Mean Business Initiative Toronto City Cycling Committee Bicycle Commuter Programme - other? how to present? - should we also list the people we've talked to, a la OECD paper or would that take up too much room? A Few Positive Examples of Current Activities While there has not yet been a concerted effort to stimulate the sectors listed on a large scale, the economic development work of a number of Toronto based initiatives is breaking new ground in this direction. The following are just a few of the initiatives currently underway: The Toronto Centre For Appropriate Transportation is an incubator for sustainable transportation related invention, design, manufacture, and co-marketing. It brings together inventors, designers, business people and venture capitalists to bring sustainable transportation product ideas from conception to the market. It is currently conducting a search for a larger space in which to house its diverse member initiatives. The Urban Green Tourism Partnership is a consortium of over 150 businesses, government agencies and non- governmental organizations dedicated to creating an urban green tourism infrastructure for Metropolitan Toronto. Having recently completed its business plan and feasibility study, it has now begun its three major activities: Marketing the green tourism product by linking diverse green tourism initiatives; Business development and job creation in the green tourism sector; greening of tourism practices on an industry-wide basis. Detour Publications is a publishing and distribution co- operative for sustainable transportation books, magazines, videos, resource kits, on-line resources, and products. It aims to be an international clearing house of sustainable transportation information, deriving economic sustainability through sales and advertising. CBN Delivery Project is a bicycle trailer rental and delivery service which operates out of the Community Bicycle Network. It works to stimulate human powered delivery and service options among local businesses. Delivery businesses and services range from cappucino delivery to condom sales to Meals On Two Wheels for Shut-ins. The CBN also led the M.O.B.I.L.E. job creation proposal (Making Opportunities through Bicycle-related Innovations for Learning and Employment). The Skills Development Programme for Sustainable Transportation is a partnerhship project that supports individuals, communities, and organizations in gaining business development skills, job skills, environmental advocacy skills and life skills related to sustainable transportation. A recent initiative by the Programme brought together entreprenuers and innovators interested in starting up their own sustainable transportation business. (need more here) - what else should we mention as examples? Next Steps STEDI has successfully completed its phase one project with the assistance of $100,000 in funding from Jobs Ontario Community Action, and other cash and in-kind contributions from a wide variety of participants. As it enters phase two, STEDI anticipates the following needs: * in-kind support in the form of staff and other human resources, as well as an ongoing relationship with the City to maintain and increase contacts in this field * cash support to support a symposium to further the dialogue. We have recently submitted a proposal for an international symposium on Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation to be held in the spring of 1996, which would have the purpose of focusing on practical projects, long term strategies, and Toronto's role in making this happen. Appendix # 1 -- Economic Benefits of Sustainable Transportation * Sustainable transportation saves money: - new urban expressways can cost up to $100 million per mile, whereas rail or bike facilities on average cost $15 million and $0.1 million respectively * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often creates more jobs and better jobs than automobiles do: - a long range planning study by Montgomery County, Maryland found that focussing most new urban growth in pedestrian and bicycle friendly clusters along an expanded rail and bus system and revising commuter subsidies to discourage the use of cars would enable the county to double its current number of jobs and households without exacerbating traffic congestion (citation) - a recent German study showed that highway construction generates the fewest jobs of any public infrastructure investment. Spending one billion Deutche Marks ($580 million) on highways yields onely 14,000 - 19,000 jobs compared with about 22,000 jobs in railway tracks, or 23,000 in light rail construction (State of the World report, 1992) * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often improves worker productivity: - a recent U.S. study looked at the impact of government transport expenditures on worker productivity. A 10-year, $100 billion increase in public transport spending was estimated to boost worker output by $521 billion -- compared with $237 billion for the same level of spending on highways. Public transport investments began returning net benefits nearly three times as quickly as highway expenditures (Marcia Lowe, WW 118) * Sustainable transportation is more likely to keep money local: - a recent study by the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Commission showed that 85 cents on every dollar that local residents spend on gasoline leaves the regional economy, much of it leaving the country as well. In contrast, out of every dollar that buys a fare on public transport, an estimated 80 cnets goes toward transit workers' wages: Those 80 cents then circulate in the local economy, generating more than $3.80 in goods and services in the region (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) - a Washington-based study found that for every dollar of public spending on rebuilding and operating its transit system, $3 would accrue to the state and the region as a direct result of improved transport. The total economic impact, indluding increases in business sales, jobs, personal income, populations, and the accompanying rise in state and local tax revenues, would be nine dollars for every dollar invested (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) Appendix 1 Continued... * Sustainable transportation stimulates retail sales: - In a survey of 105 town centres worldwide, where auto traffic has been restricted, the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development found that retail sales rose in half the cities and fell in only two Appendix # 2 -- Description of Sustainable Transportation Appendix # 3 -- Practical Examples: Job Types Related To Infrastructure Shift As the evidence suggests, a new infrastructure could provide as many possibilities for job creation as there are possibilities for job loss caused by global restructuring. Whatsmore, a locally based re- infrastructuring not only means more jobs, but also has the potential to increase employment equity through increased diversity and flexibility of job options. In other words, re-infrastructuring our cities and our economy would move us away from a tendency to employment monoculture. The following is a list of possible jobs generated by the creation and maintenance of a sustainable transportation economy. Technology for a Sustainable Infrastructure. Software design and maintenance for trip reduction through telecommuting, videoconferencing, IVHS applications to transit efficiency, road pricing systems, car pooling and transit pooling databases, and networking bulletin board systems; Signalling technology design for transit, bicycle and walking priority; Alternative fuel and safety systems for trains and transit vehicles Research and Development for Sustainable Infrastructure. Research and development of human powered transportation and freight technologies; Economic, Social, and Transportation Policy and Research; Academic and private sector research on sustainable transportation in the fields of: Engineering; Planning; Architecture; Urban Studies; Environmental Studies; Psychology; Social Studies. Design for Sustainable Infrastructure. Sidewalk widening; street design, traffic calming and bike lane design; Architechture and retrofitting of auto infrastructure, and design of local depots; Train and transit design; Bicycle Trailer and delivery vehicle design; Designs for bicycle security; Transit route design; Bicycle transportation fashion design. Construction and Deconstruction of Sustainable Infrastructure. Construction of traffic calming infrastructure and bike lanes and facilities; Unpaving urban parking lots and unnecessary roads and highways; Urban horticulture to infill old parking lots with food and plant growth; Re-design of car-centred architecture; Secure bike parking Producing and Manufacturing for Sustainable Infrastructure. Trains and Transit vehicles; Bicycle industry -- bicycles, delivery vehicles, bike parking, and accessories; Concrete, bricks and cinder blocks for widened sidewalks, bike lanes and street redesign; Bicycle transportation fashion and accessory production Services for Sustainable Infrastructure. Tourism: non motorized tours; information / maps; historians / cultural experts; Accompaniment and Delivery vehicle services for youth, aged, disabled (meals on two wheels...); Car and van rental for heavy hauls; Driver leasing for non-drivers; Bicycle Security; Bike & Blade Retail, Repair and Rental; Bicycle and walking delivery; Bicycle Lane Maintenance and clearing; Community bus or car pool drivers; Car Use Reduction Program Planners and Company Transportation Co-ordinators; Human Powered Vendors; Insurance Phasing out and Cleaning Up of Unsustainable Infrastructure. Transition Counselling for job transitions from auto and other sectors; Car dependence counsellors; Programs to help people embrace new options Maintaining Sustainable Infrastructure. Transit vehicle, train, and bicycle repair; Transportation co-ordinators; Transit and Train operations; Car pool co-ordination; Neighbourhood transportation managers; Telecommuting managers and co-ordinators; Community organizing Education and Communication for Sustainable Infrastructure. Publishing: books, maps, magazines, information; Distribution; Bicycle education and maintenance Courses; Bicycle events; Teaching; Advertising sustainable transportation options. Appendix # 4 -- Symposium Framework From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Wed May 14 19:07:41 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Britton (EcoPlan Paris)) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:07:41 -0400 Subject: [sustran] "I am a little concerned that discussions may become dominated by North... Message-ID: <199705140607_MC2-1692-3D40@compuserve.com> Paul, With ref to your "I am a little concerned that discussions may become dominated by North American (and to some extent European) issues, concerns and viewpoints", let me share a couple of quick thoughts with you, based on rather too many years of experience in these matters, South and North. It might possibly be a very big mistake indeed for you to attempt to reign in the proceedings with too much vigor for a number of reasons. This is not to say that this whole lot cannot do with constant kind reminders as to your ultimate geographic focus. But given your worthy objectives, it would be a great pity for you to reduce your available brainpower.( And if you are looking for an analogy, you may wish to consider what happened in places in which well-meaning (well, maybe) government types decided to place high trade barriers on computer hardware and software. Did this authoritarian move, which led to high cost, low quality, and ultimately low volume equipment in this vital sector, really help anybody other than a handful of chums?) For better or worse the leading edge in alternative transportation thinking and practice, with pitifully few exceptions, is what we might well call the Old World (of SOA Transportation), I.E. North America and Europe. Those are the places that thrashed out the original (and often hugely bad) paradigms of transportation that all the rest are now more or less blindly following. They are the guys that write the books, provide the consultants, fund and staff the banks, and influence the professors and the policy makers in the Third World. For better or worse! And, surprise!, these are also the parts of the world that are pushing ahead with the new alternatives, to a far greater extend than in almost all of the South. Now this is possibly worth bearing in minds, because it means that just as they provided the old paradigm (cars all over the place and the devil take the hindmost), they are also in the process of developing some of the new ones. So what we need is not a reduced forum but a powerful synthesis which provides a means for using the best of whatever it is you can find to do the hob . If instead you put all your regional guys in some sort of isolated ward, you risk to get a lot of unnecessary flailing about with ideas that just may have at least the rudiments of a useful history in my "Old World" (take car sharing, as but one example). Paul, I think that you are in fact moving in the right direction on this. Perhaps as you do it, you will bear in mind one, I think, hugely useful building block for a convivial transport system. And that is wherever you can use clever architecture instead of lots of policing to get the results the community needs and aspires to, everyone is left better off. Here are a couple of quick closing ideas for you that integrate some of these ideas in concrete practical form. (1) Make abundant use of World Transport Policy and Planning as an existing, highly respected and altogether appropriate print forum for your ideas. (2) And if you wish to post working papers, reports, etc. for convenient international distribution, we would be pleased to set up a special ftp site under The Commons, to which your subscribers could turn for easy access. In closing, let me say that there is obviously a lot of fine tuning that will now be needed to make this idea of yours work, but if we all keep our eyes and ears open I am confident that it will be possible to make the necessary adjustments in time to maintain the momentum that you have now started to develop. This is a modest little initiative that truly deserves success. With good wishes to you all, Eric Britton _________________________________________________________________ Kindly note slight address, fax modifications: EcoPlan International -- Technology & Social Systems Le Frêne, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, F-75006 Paris, France e-mail: 100336.2154@compuserve.com (or ecoplan@europemail.com) Main Tel. 331.4441.6340 Fax 331.4441.6341 Data: 331.4441.6342 ISDN/videoconferencing/groupwork: 331.4441.6340 (1-4) 24 hour backup phone/fax: 331.4326.1323 http://www.the-commons.org/ecoplan/consult Electronic Libraries available at: EuroFIX: 331 4441.6343 ftp.the-commons.org/pub/ (then chose your section) CompuServe: GO TWEUR (then go to "New Ways to Work") _________________________________________________________________ From Postmaster at gatekeeper2.un.org Wed May 14 20:39:06 1997 From: Postmaster at gatekeeper2.un.org (ccMail SMTPLINK) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:39:06 EST Subject: [sustran] ccMail SMTPLINK Undeliverable Message Message-ID: <9704148636.AA863617146@mail-in2.un.org> User rahmatullaht is not defined Original text follows ---------------------------------------------- Received: from gatekeeper5.un.org by mail-in2.un.org (SMTPLINK V2.11.01) ; Wed, 14 May 97 06:38:33 EST Return-Path: Received: by gatekeeper5.un.org; id AA251175991; Wed, 14 May 1997 06:33:11 -0400 Received: from sv2.jca.or.jp(202.247.10.11) by gatekeeper5.un.org via smap (V3.1) id xma024743; Wed, 14 May 97 06:27:30 -0400 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.5/3.5Wpl5_JCA-AX-1) id TAA08414 for sustran-discuss-outgoing; Wed, 14 May 1997 19:09:48 +0900 (JST) Received: from hil-img-3.compuserve.com (hil-img-3.compuserve.com [149.174.177.133]) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.5/3.5Wpl5_JCA-AX-1) with SMTP id TAA08410 for ; Wed, 14 May 1997 19:09:36 +0900 (JST) Received: by hil-img-3.compuserve.com (8.6.10/5.950515) id GAA10150; Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:21 -0400 Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:02 -0400 From: "Britton (EcoPlan Paris)" Subject: [sustran] transportation and economic development To: "INTERNET:sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org" Message-Id: <199705140608_MC2-1692-3D49@compuserve.com> Sender: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org X-Sequence: sustran-discuss 38 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Tracey, This should get you going. I share it with the others here as well, since it is, potentially, a most useful exercise. And once again relevant in the creative synthesis lines that I keep droning on about. Eric Britton From: Sue Zielinski, INTERNET:suez@web.net RE: economic development report Subject: economic development report Hi Eric, This is the report that was adopted by the Economic Development Committee of City of Toronto, and sent on to City Council where it was also adopted. They also recommended that we pursue an incubator for economic development in sustainable tranpportation. This was a major coup to have the City formally adopt such recommendations. We're hoping the symposium will stimulate all sorts of stuff -- an economic development strategy as well as international interchange on ec devel related to sus trans. This is just for your info. Thought you might find it interesting. Cheers, Sue **************** To: City of Toronto Economic Development Committee Origin: Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative Subject: Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation Recommendations: 1. That this report and attachments be forwarded to City Council for information. 2. That the Economic Development Division in conjunction with the Toronto City Cycling Committee be asked to review and report on future opportunities for co-operation with the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative in further developing economic development and employment opportunities related to sustainable transportation in the City. 3. That the committee support the parallel proposal to Economic Development for an International Symposium on Economic and Employment Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation in the Spring of 1997 (see attached proposal) Background: The recent Golden Report on the Greater Toronto Area found that: ... the region could save more than $12 billion in hard infrastructure costs and maintenance over the next 25 years if we were to adopt a more efficient, more compact pattern of development. We could save an equivalent amount by cutting back the additional costs associated with higher levels of land consumption and automobile use. A conservative estimate of the savings over the next two and a half decades is $700 million to $1 billion annually. Moving towards and maintaining more compact patterns of development and sustainable transportation not only represents significant cost savings, it also represents considerable economic and employment opportunities (see appendix #?) The Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative works to identify and catalyse such opportunities. It brings together a diversity of practical sustainable transportation economic devlopment projects (see next page) and it provides a forum for developing a long term strategy for economic development and job creation in sustainable transportation. Such a mix of practical economic development projects with long range strategic planning has not occurred in any other city. STEDI's phase one work in this area was recently presented as a paper to the OECD International Conference on Sustainable Transportation and was favourably received (as a positive model? how to phrase?). While countless efforts exist worldwide to shift to more sustainable transportation systems, seldom are these initiatives approached as positive opportunities for innovation, economic wellbeing and job creation. Examples of such opportunities range from new products and services to new technologies to new opportunities for construction, design, education, and tourism related to sustainable transportation (See appendix). There are many advantages to an economic development approach to sustainable transportation, including cost savings, import replacement, local economic revitalization, increased tourism opportunities and attractions, and increased safety and livability for local residents. (see appendix) The City of Toronto is in an ideal position to develop this positive, cost-effective initiative for a number of reasons: * the City of Toronto's compact urban form facilitates local economic development and employment initiatives. This is illustrated by the number of initiatives already underway (see next page). The fact that only half of the City's downtown core residents own cars means that Toronto is accustomed to providing a diverse range of transportation options and has an opportunity to further develop these options and economic development opportunities. * the City of Toronto has an international reputation for its compact urban form (or wise planning -- what word?) and for its provision of a range of sustainable transportation options. The Toronto Transit Commission has long been hailed as the best transit system in North America, and the City of Toronto has recently been named best city for cycling in North America. Toronto is also one of the most studied cities because it works. This reputation also facilitates the export of human capital to other cities that require expertise (I hate this word, but I got this phrase from Peter Finestone -- let's talk about it) * as a "mid-Northern" the City of Toronto is an ideal incubation ground for innovation in sustainable transportation. Demand for alternative forms of transportation is on the rise. Driven by increased environmental and health concerns as well as rising car ownership costs, Toronto has seen a dramatic upsurge in cycle commuting (75% over the last 5 years). As well, an aging population is demanding post-car modes of transportation, and the physically challenged are also demanding new and innovative services and products to meet their needs. Toronto currently finds itself at the leading edge of a trend away from car dominated urban transportation which is poised to cross North America. Concerted development and support in this will see Toronto leading the way as a model for livable, economically healthy cities. * there is a growing niche. the human powered transportation sector is big business in Toronto. In the GTA, over $56 million was spent on bicycle repairs and accessories alone in 1991. Yet despite our large market Toronto has very little manufacturing. Canada as a whole imports ten times the number of bicycles it exports. This disparity is beginning to be addressed in a small way by some small businesses. There are currently more than 15 small to micro enterprises in this sector in and around Toronto, and all of them are less than five years old. They tend to be in a start-up position, and need skills development, access to facitlities, public exposure, capital, and support. Toronto is becoming a centre for the appropriate transportation industry due to its large market, its availability of small industrial space, and its skilled work force. Supporting these strengths means that businesses will locate here (reword this) (see appendix for just a few examples) * many of these innovations can be easily and inexpensively integrated into the current system (something that says we can go ahead with this without having to destroy everything and build anew for really expensive) a la Gerry Grant -- the ways we integrate "competing" systems Goals of STEDI: It is the goal of the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative to identify and develop these advantages by: * catalysing and developing new job creation initiatives related to sustainable transportation * bringing together existing economic development initiatives related to sustainable transportation * identifying new opportunities for job creation and wealth creation through provision of sustainable transportation options * providing skills related to sustainable transportation related economic development * gathering, sharing and applying essential information * establishing sustainable transportation as a focus for economic growth, job training, local community economic development initiatives, and intergovernmental and private sector co-operation * providing affordable transportation options to all Torontonians and visitors to Toronto Current Active Partners in STEDI (order -- alpha or how?) Toronto Centre for Appropriate Transportation Detour Publications Sustainable Transportation Skills Development Programme Community Bicycle Network Transportation Options Green Tourism Partnerhship Intersection Bikes Mean Business Initiative Toronto City Cycling Committee Bicycle Commuter Programme - other? how to present? - should we also list the people we've talked to, a la OECD paper or would that take up too much room? A Few Positive Examples of Current Activities While there has not yet been a concerted effort to stimulate the sectors listed on a large scale, the economic development work of a number of Toronto based initiatives is breaking new ground in this direction. The following are just a few of the initiatives currently underway: The Toronto Centre For Appropriate Transportation is an incubator for sustainable transportation related invention, design, manufacture, and co-marketing. It brings together inventors, designers, business people and venture capitalists to bring sustainable transportation product ideas from conception to the market. It is currently conducting a search for a larger space in which to house its diverse member initiatives. The Urban Green Tourism Partnership is a consortium of over 150 businesses, government agencies and non- governmental organizations dedicated to creating an urban green tourism infrastructure for Metropolitan Toronto. Having recently completed its business plan and feasibility study, it has now begun its three major activities: Marketing the green tourism product by linking diverse green tourism initiatives; Business development and job creation in the green tourism sector; greening of tourism practices on an industry-wide basis. Detour Publications is a publishing and distribution co- operative for sustainable transportation books, magazines, videos, resource kits, on-line resources, and products. It aims to be an international clearing house of sustainable transportation information, deriving economic sustainability through sales and advertising. CBN Delivery Project is a bicycle trailer rental and delivery service which operates out of the Community Bicycle Network. It works to stimulate human powered delivery and service options among local businesses. Delivery businesses and services range from cappucino delivery to condom sales to Meals On Two Wheels for Shut-ins. The CBN also led the M.O.B.I.L.E. job creation proposal (Making Opportunities through Bicycle-related Innovations for Learning and Employment). The Skills Development Programme for Sustainable Transportation is a partnerhship project that supports individuals, communities, and organizations in gaining business development skills, job skills, environmental advocacy skills and life skills related to sustainable transportation. A recent initiative by the Programme brought together entreprenuers and innovators interested in starting up their own sustainable transportation business. (need more here) - what else should we mention as examples? Next Steps STEDI has successfully completed its phase one project with the assistance of $100,000 in funding from Jobs Ontario Community Action, and other cash and in-kind contributions from a wide variety of participants. As it enters phase two, STEDI anticipates the following needs: * in-kind support in the form of staff and other human resources, as well as an ongoing relationship with the City to maintain and increase contacts in this field * cash support to support a symposium to further the dialogue. We have recently submitted a proposal for an international symposium on Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation to be held in the spring of 1996, which would have the purpose of focusing on practical projects, long term strategies, and Toronto's role in making this happen. Appendix # 1 -- Economic Benefits of Sustainable Transportation * Sustainable transportation saves money: - new urban expressways can cost up to $100 million per mile, whereas rail or bike facilities on average cost $15 million and $0.1 million respectively * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often creates more jobs and better jobs than automobiles do: - a long range planning study by Montgomery County, Maryland found that focussing most new urban growth in pedestrian and bicycle friendly clusters along an expanded rail and bus system and revising commuter subsidies to discourage the use of cars would enable the county to double its current number of jobs and households without exacerbating traffic congestion (citation) - a recent German study showed that highway construction generates the fewest jobs of any public infrastructure investment. Spending one billion Deutche Marks ($580 million) on highways yields onely 14,000 - 19,000 jobs compared with about 22,000 jobs in railway tracks, or 23,000 in light rail construction (State of the World report, 1992) * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often improves worker productivity: - a recent U.S. study looked at the impact of government transport expenditures on worker productivity. A 10-year, $100 billion increase in public transport spending was estimated to boost worker output by $521 billion -- compared with $237 billion for the same level of spending on highways. Public transport investments began returning net benefits nearly three times as quickly as highway expenditures (Marcia Lowe, WW 118) * Sustainable transportation is more likely to keep money local: - a recent study by the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Commission showed that 85 cents on every dollar that local residents spend on gasoline leaves the regional economy, much of it leaving the country as well. In contrast, out of every dollar that buys a fare on public transport, an estimated 80 cnets goes toward transit workers' wages: Those 80 cents then circulate in the local economy, generating more than $3.80 in goods and services in the region (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) - a Washington-based study found that for every dollar of public spending on rebuilding and operating its transit system, $3 would accrue to the state and the region as a direct result of improved transport. The total economic impact, indluding increases in business sales, jobs, personal income, populations, and the accompanying rise in state and local tax revenues, would be nine dollars for every dollar invested (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) Appendix 1 Continued... * Sustainable transportation stimulates retail sales: - In a survey of 105 town centres worldwide, where auto traffic has been restricted, the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development found that retail sales rose in half the cities and fell in only two Appendix # 2 -- Description of Sustainable Transportation Appendix # 3 -- Practical Examples: Job Types Related To Infrastructure Shift As the evidence suggests, a new infrastructure could provide as many possibilities for job creation as there are possibilities for job loss caused by global restructuring. Whatsmore, a locally based re- infrastructuring not only means more jobs, but also has the potential to increase employment equity through increased diversity and flexibility of job options. In other words, re-infrastructuring our cities and our economy would move us away from a tendency to employment monoculture. The following is a list of possible jobs generated by the creation and maintenance of a sustainable transportation economy. Technology for a Sustainable Infrastructure. Software design and maintenance for trip reduction through telecommuting, videoconferencing, IVHS applications to transit efficiency, road pricing systems, car pooling and transit pooling databases, and networking bulletin board systems; Signalling technology design for transit, bicycle and walking priority; Alternative fuel and safety systems for trains and transit vehicles Research and Development for Sustainable Infrastructure. Research and development of human powered transportation and freight technologies; Economic, Social, and Transportation Policy and Research; Academic and private sector research on sustainable transportation in the fields of: Engineering; Planning; Architecture; Urban Studies; Environmental Studies; Psychology; Social Studies. Design for Sustainable Infrastructure. Sidewalk widening; street design, traffic calming and bike lane design; Architechture and retrofitting of auto infrastructure, and design of local depots; Train and transit design; Bicycle Trailer and delivery vehicle design; Designs for bicycle security; Transit route design; Bicycle transportation fashion design. Construction and Deconstruction of Sustainable Infrastructure. Construction of traffic calming infrastructure and bike lanes and facilities; Unpaving urban parking lots and unnecessary roads and highways; Urban horticulture to infill old parking lots with food and plant growth; Re-design of car-centred architecture; Secure bike parking Producing and Manufacturing for Sustainable Infrastructure. Trains and Transit vehicles; Bicycle industry -- bicycles, delivery vehicles, bike parking, and accessories; Concrete, bricks and cinder blocks for widened sidewalks, bike lanes and street redesign; Bicycle transportation fashion and accessory production Services for Sustainable Infrastructure. Tourism: non motorized tours; information / maps; historians / cultural experts; Accompaniment and Delivery vehicle services for youth, aged, disabled (meals on two wheels...); Car and van rental for heavy hauls; Driver leasing for non-drivers; Bicycle Security; Bike & Blade Retail, Repair and Rental; Bicycle and walking delivery; Bicycle Lane Maintenance and clearing; Community bus or car pool drivers; Car Use Reduction Program Planners and Company Transportation Co-ordinators; Human Powered Vendors; Insurance Phasing out and Cleaning Up of Unsustainable Infrastructure. Transition Counselling for job transitions from auto and other sectors; Car dependence counsellors; Programs to help people embrace new options Maintaining Sustainable Infrastructure. Transit vehicle, train, and bicycle repair; Transportation co-ordinators; Transit and Train operations; Car pool co-ordination; Neighbourhood transportation managers; Telecommuting managers and co-ordinators; Community organizing Education and Communication for Sustainable Infrastructure. Publishing: books, maps, magazines, information; Distribution; Bicycle education and maintenance Courses; Bicycle events; Teaching; Advertising sustainable transportation options. Appendix # 4 -- Symposium Framework From Postmaster at gatekeeper2.un.org Wed May 14 20:39:11 1997 From: Postmaster at gatekeeper2.un.org (ccMail SMTPLINK) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:39:11 EST Subject: [sustran] ccMail SMTPLINK Undeliverable Message Message-ID: <9704148636.AA863617151@mail-in2.un.org> User takamine.unescap is not defined Original text follows ---------------------------------------------- Received: from gatekeeper5.un.org by mail-in2.un.org (SMTPLINK V2.11.01) ; Wed, 14 May 97 06:38:33 EST Return-Path: Received: by gatekeeper5.un.org; id AA251175991; Wed, 14 May 1997 06:33:11 -0400 Received: from sv2.jca.or.jp(202.247.10.11) by gatekeeper5.un.org via smap (V3.1) id xma024743; Wed, 14 May 97 06:27:30 -0400 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.5/3.5Wpl5_JCA-AX-1) id TAA08414 for sustran-discuss-outgoing; Wed, 14 May 1997 19:09:48 +0900 (JST) Received: from hil-img-3.compuserve.com (hil-img-3.compuserve.com [149.174.177.133]) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.5/3.5Wpl5_JCA-AX-1) with SMTP id TAA08410 for ; Wed, 14 May 1997 19:09:36 +0900 (JST) Received: by hil-img-3.compuserve.com (8.6.10/5.950515) id GAA10150; Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:21 -0400 Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:02 -0400 From: "Britton (EcoPlan Paris)" Subject: [sustran] transportation and economic development To: "INTERNET:sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org" Message-Id: <199705140608_MC2-1692-3D49@compuserve.com> Sender: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org X-Sequence: sustran-discuss 38 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Tracey, This should get you going. I share it with the others here as well, since it is, potentially, a most useful exercise. And once again relevant in the creative synthesis lines that I keep droning on about. Eric Britton From: Sue Zielinski, INTERNET:suez@web.net RE: economic development report Subject: economic development report Hi Eric, This is the report that was adopted by the Economic Development Committee of City of Toronto, and sent on to City Council where it was also adopted. They also recommended that we pursue an incubator for economic development in sustainable tranpportation. This was a major coup to have the City formally adopt such recommendations. We're hoping the symposium will stimulate all sorts of stuff -- an economic development strategy as well as international interchange on ec devel related to sus trans. This is just for your info. Thought you might find it interesting. Cheers, Sue **************** To: City of Toronto Economic Development Committee Origin: Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative Subject: Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation Recommendations: 1. That this report and attachments be forwarded to City Council for information. 2. That the Economic Development Division in conjunction with the Toronto City Cycling Committee be asked to review and report on future opportunities for co-operation with the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative in further developing economic development and employment opportunities related to sustainable transportation in the City. 3. That the committee support the parallel proposal to Economic Development for an International Symposium on Economic and Employment Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation in the Spring of 1997 (see attached proposal) Background: The recent Golden Report on the Greater Toronto Area found that: ... the region could save more than $12 billion in hard infrastructure costs and maintenance over the next 25 years if we were to adopt a more efficient, more compact pattern of development. We could save an equivalent amount by cutting back the additional costs associated with higher levels of land consumption and automobile use. A conservative estimate of the savings over the next two and a half decades is $700 million to $1 billion annually. Moving towards and maintaining more compact patterns of development and sustainable transportation not only represents significant cost savings, it also represents considerable economic and employment opportunities (see appendix #?) The Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative works to identify and catalyse such opportunities. It brings together a diversity of practical sustainable transportation economic devlopment projects (see next page) and it provides a forum for developing a long term strategy for economic development and job creation in sustainable transportation. Such a mix of practical economic development projects with long range strategic planning has not occurred in any other city. STEDI's phase one work in this area was recently presented as a paper to the OECD International Conference on Sustainable Transportation and was favourably received (as a positive model? how to phrase?). While countless efforts exist worldwide to shift to more sustainable transportation systems, seldom are these initiatives approached as positive opportunities for innovation, economic wellbeing and job creation. Examples of such opportunities range from new products and services to new technologies to new opportunities for construction, design, education, and tourism related to sustainable transportation (See appendix). There are many advantages to an economic development approach to sustainable transportation, including cost savings, import replacement, local economic revitalization, increased tourism opportunities and attractions, and increased safety and livability for local residents. (see appendix) The City of Toronto is in an ideal position to develop this positive, cost-effective initiative for a number of reasons: * the City of Toronto's compact urban form facilitates local economic development and employment initiatives. This is illustrated by the number of initiatives already underway (see next page). The fact that only half of the City's downtown core residents own cars means that Toronto is accustomed to providing a diverse range of transportation options and has an opportunity to further develop these options and economic development opportunities. * the City of Toronto has an international reputation for its compact urban form (or wise planning -- what word?) and for its provision of a range of sustainable transportation options. The Toronto Transit Commission has long been hailed as the best transit system in North America, and the City of Toronto has recently been named best city for cycling in North America. Toronto is also one of the most studied cities because it works. This reputation also facilitates the export of human capital to other cities that require expertise (I hate this word, but I got this phrase from Peter Finestone -- let's talk about it) * as a "mid-Northern" the City of Toronto is an ideal incubation ground for innovation in sustainable transportation. Demand for alternative forms of transportation is on the rise. Driven by increased environmental and health concerns as well as rising car ownership costs, Toronto has seen a dramatic upsurge in cycle commuting (75% over the last 5 years). As well, an aging population is demanding post-car modes of transportation, and the physically challenged are also demanding new and innovative services and products to meet their needs. Toronto currently finds itself at the leading edge of a trend away from car dominated urban transportation which is poised to cross North America. Concerted development and support in this will see Toronto leading the way as a model for livable, economically healthy cities. * there is a growing niche. the human powered transportation sector is big business in Toronto. In the GTA, over $56 million was spent on bicycle repairs and accessories alone in 1991. Yet despite our large market Toronto has very little manufacturing. Canada as a whole imports ten times the number of bicycles it exports. This disparity is beginning to be addressed in a small way by some small businesses. There are currently more than 15 small to micro enterprises in this sector in and around Toronto, and all of them are less than five years old. They tend to be in a start-up position, and need skills development, access to facitlities, public exposure, capital, and support. Toronto is becoming a centre for the appropriate transportation industry due to its large market, its availability of small industrial space, and its skilled work force. Supporting these strengths means that businesses will locate here (reword this) (see appendix for just a few examples) * many of these innovations can be easily and inexpensively integrated into the current system (something that says we can go ahead with this without having to destroy everything and build anew for really expensive) a la Gerry Grant -- the ways we integrate "competing" systems Goals of STEDI: It is the goal of the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative to identify and develop these advantages by: * catalysing and developing new job creation initiatives related to sustainable transportation * bringing together existing economic development initiatives related to sustainable transportation * identifying new opportunities for job creation and wealth creation through provision of sustainable transportation options * providing skills related to sustainable transportation related economic development * gathering, sharing and applying essential information * establishing sustainable transportation as a focus for economic growth, job training, local community economic development initiatives, and intergovernmental and private sector co-operation * providing affordable transportation options to all Torontonians and visitors to Toronto Current Active Partners in STEDI (order -- alpha or how?) Toronto Centre for Appropriate Transportation Detour Publications Sustainable Transportation Skills Development Programme Community Bicycle Network Transportation Options Green Tourism Partnerhship Intersection Bikes Mean Business Initiative Toronto City Cycling Committee Bicycle Commuter Programme - other? how to present? - should we also list the people we've talked to, a la OECD paper or would that take up too much room? A Few Positive Examples of Current Activities While there has not yet been a concerted effort to stimulate the sectors listed on a large scale, the economic development work of a number of Toronto based initiatives is breaking new ground in this direction. The following are just a few of the initiatives currently underway: The Toronto Centre For Appropriate Transportation is an incubator for sustainable transportation related invention, design, manufacture, and co-marketing. It brings together inventors, designers, business people and venture capitalists to bring sustainable transportation product ideas from conception to the market. It is currently conducting a search for a larger space in which to house its diverse member initiatives. The Urban Green Tourism Partnership is a consortium of over 150 businesses, government agencies and non- governmental organizations dedicated to creating an urban green tourism infrastructure for Metropolitan Toronto. Having recently completed its business plan and feasibility study, it has now begun its three major activities: Marketing the green tourism product by linking diverse green tourism initiatives; Business development and job creation in the green tourism sector; greening of tourism practices on an industry-wide basis. Detour Publications is a publishing and distribution co- operative for sustainable transportation books, magazines, videos, resource kits, on-line resources, and products. It aims to be an international clearing house of sustainable transportation information, deriving economic sustainability through sales and advertising. CBN Delivery Project is a bicycle trailer rental and delivery service which operates out of the Community Bicycle Network. It works to stimulate human powered delivery and service options among local businesses. Delivery businesses and services range from cappucino delivery to condom sales to Meals On Two Wheels for Shut-ins. The CBN also led the M.O.B.I.L.E. job creation proposal (Making Opportunities through Bicycle-related Innovations for Learning and Employment). The Skills Development Programme for Sustainable Transportation is a partnerhship project that supports individuals, communities, and organizations in gaining business development skills, job skills, environmental advocacy skills and life skills related to sustainable transportation. A recent initiative by the Programme brought together entreprenuers and innovators interested in starting up their own sustainable transportation business. (need more here) - what else should we mention as examples? Next Steps STEDI has successfully completed its phase one project with the assistance of $100,000 in funding from Jobs Ontario Community Action, and other cash and in-kind contributions from a wide variety of participants. As it enters phase two, STEDI anticipates the following needs: * in-kind support in the form of staff and other human resources, as well as an ongoing relationship with the City to maintain and increase contacts in this field * cash support to support a symposium to further the dialogue. We have recently submitted a proposal for an international symposium on Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation to be held in the spring of 1996, which would have the purpose of focusing on practical projects, long term strategies, and Toronto's role in making this happen. Appendix # 1 -- Economic Benefits of Sustainable Transportation * Sustainable transportation saves money: - new urban expressways can cost up to $100 million per mile, whereas rail or bike facilities on average cost $15 million and $0.1 million respectively * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often creates more jobs and better jobs than automobiles do: - a long range planning study by Montgomery County, Maryland found that focussing most new urban growth in pedestrian and bicycle friendly clusters along an expanded rail and bus system and revising commuter subsidies to discourage the use of cars would enable the county to double its current number of jobs and households without exacerbating traffic congestion (citation) - a recent German study showed that highway construction generates the fewest jobs of any public infrastructure investment. Spending one billion Deutche Marks ($580 million) on highways yields onely 14,000 - 19,000 jobs compared with about 22,000 jobs in railway tracks, or 23,000 in light rail construction (State of the World report, 1992) * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often improves worker productivity: - a recent U.S. study looked at the impact of government transport expenditures on worker productivity. A 10-year, $100 billion increase in public transport spending was estimated to boost worker output by $521 billion -- compared with $237 billion for the same level of spending on highways. Public transport investments began returning net benefits nearly three times as quickly as highway expenditures (Marcia Lowe, WW 118) * Sustainable transportation is more likely to keep money local: - a recent study by the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Commission showed that 85 cents on every dollar that local residents spend on gasoline leaves the regional economy, much of it leaving the country as well. In contrast, out of every dollar that buys a fare on public transport, an estimated 80 cnets goes toward transit workers' wages: Those 80 cents then circulate in the local economy, generating more than $3.80 in goods and services in the region (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) - a Washington-based study found that for every dollar of public spending on rebuilding and operating its transit system, $3 would accrue to the state and the region as a direct result of improved transport. The total economic impact, indluding increases in business sales, jobs, personal income, populations, and the accompanying rise in state and local tax revenues, would be nine dollars for every dollar invested (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) Appendix 1 Continued... * Sustainable transportation stimulates retail sales: - In a survey of 105 town centres worldwide, where auto traffic has been restricted, the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development found that retail sales rose in half the cities and fell in only two Appendix # 2 -- Description of Sustainable Transportation Appendix # 3 -- Practical Examples: Job Types Related To Infrastructure Shift As the evidence suggests, a new infrastructure could provide as many possibilities for job creation as there are possibilities for job loss caused by global restructuring. Whatsmore, a locally based re- infrastructuring not only means more jobs, but also has the potential to increase employment equity through increased diversity and flexibility of job options. In other words, re-infrastructuring our cities and our economy would move us away from a tendency to employment monoculture. The following is a list of possible jobs generated by the creation and maintenance of a sustainable transportation economy. Technology for a Sustainable Infrastructure. Software design and maintenance for trip reduction through telecommuting, videoconferencing, IVHS applications to transit efficiency, road pricing systems, car pooling and transit pooling databases, and networking bulletin board systems; Signalling technology design for transit, bicycle and walking priority; Alternative fuel and safety systems for trains and transit vehicles Research and Development for Sustainable Infrastructure. Research and development of human powered transportation and freight technologies; Economic, Social, and Transportation Policy and Research; Academic and private sector research on sustainable transportation in the fields of: Engineering; Planning; Architecture; Urban Studies; Environmental Studies; Psychology; Social Studies. Design for Sustainable Infrastructure. Sidewalk widening; street design, traffic calming and bike lane design; Architechture and retrofitting of auto infrastructure, and design of local depots; Train and transit design; Bicycle Trailer and delivery vehicle design; Designs for bicycle security; Transit route design; Bicycle transportation fashion design. Construction and Deconstruction of Sustainable Infrastructure. Construction of traffic calming infrastructure and bike lanes and facilities; Unpaving urban parking lots and unnecessary roads and highways; Urban horticulture to infill old parking lots with food and plant growth; Re-design of car-centred architecture; Secure bike parking Producing and Manufacturing for Sustainable Infrastructure. Trains and Transit vehicles; Bicycle industry -- bicycles, delivery vehicles, bike parking, and accessories; Concrete, bricks and cinder blocks for widened sidewalks, bike lanes and street redesign; Bicycle transportation fashion and accessory production Services for Sustainable Infrastructure. Tourism: non motorized tours; information / maps; historians / cultural experts; Accompaniment and Delivery vehicle services for youth, aged, disabled (meals on two wheels...); Car and van rental for heavy hauls; Driver leasing for non-drivers; Bicycle Security; Bike & Blade Retail, Repair and Rental; Bicycle and walking delivery; Bicycle Lane Maintenance and clearing; Community bus or car pool drivers; Car Use Reduction Program Planners and Company Transportation Co-ordinators; Human Powered Vendors; Insurance Phasing out and Cleaning Up of Unsustainable Infrastructure. Transition Counselling for job transitions from auto and other sectors; Car dependence counsellors; Programs to help people embrace new options Maintaining Sustainable Infrastructure. Transit vehicle, train, and bicycle repair; Transportation co-ordinators; Transit and Train operations; Car pool co-ordination; Neighbourhood transportation managers; Telecommuting managers and co-ordinators; Community organizing Education and Communication for Sustainable Infrastructure. Publishing: books, maps, magazines, information; Distribution; Bicycle education and maintenance Courses; Bicycle events; Teaching; Advertising sustainable transportation options. Appendix # 4 -- Symposium Framework From Postmaster at gatekeeper2.un.org Wed May 14 20:39:08 1997 From: Postmaster at gatekeeper2.un.org (ccMail SMTPLINK) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:39:08 EST Subject: [sustran] ccMail SMTPLINK Undeliverable Message Message-ID: <9704148636.AA863617148@mail-in2.un.org> User aliani.unescap is not defined Original text follows ---------------------------------------------- Received: from gatekeeper5.un.org by mail-in2.un.org (SMTPLINK V2.11.01) ; Wed, 14 May 97 06:38:33 EST Return-Path: Received: by gatekeeper5.un.org; id AA251175991; Wed, 14 May 1997 06:33:11 -0400 Received: from sv2.jca.or.jp(202.247.10.11) by gatekeeper5.un.org via smap (V3.1) id xma024743; Wed, 14 May 97 06:27:30 -0400 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.5/3.5Wpl5_JCA-AX-1) id TAA08414 for sustran-discuss-outgoing; Wed, 14 May 1997 19:09:48 +0900 (JST) Received: from hil-img-3.compuserve.com (hil-img-3.compuserve.com [149.174.177.133]) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.5/3.5Wpl5_JCA-AX-1) with SMTP id TAA08410 for ; Wed, 14 May 1997 19:09:36 +0900 (JST) Received: by hil-img-3.compuserve.com (8.6.10/5.950515) id GAA10150; Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:21 -0400 Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 06:08:02 -0400 From: "Britton (EcoPlan Paris)" Subject: [sustran] transportation and economic development To: "INTERNET:sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org" Message-Id: <199705140608_MC2-1692-3D49@compuserve.com> Sender: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org X-Sequence: sustran-discuss 38 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Tracey, This should get you going. I share it with the others here as well, since it is, potentially, a most useful exercise. And once again relevant in the creative synthesis lines that I keep droning on about. Eric Britton From: Sue Zielinski, INTERNET:suez@web.net RE: economic development report Subject: economic development report Hi Eric, This is the report that was adopted by the Economic Development Committee of City of Toronto, and sent on to City Council where it was also adopted. They also recommended that we pursue an incubator for economic development in sustainable tranpportation. This was a major coup to have the City formally adopt such recommendations. We're hoping the symposium will stimulate all sorts of stuff -- an economic development strategy as well as international interchange on ec devel related to sus trans. This is just for your info. Thought you might find it interesting. Cheers, Sue **************** To: City of Toronto Economic Development Committee Origin: Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative Subject: Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation Recommendations: 1. That this report and attachments be forwarded to City Council for information. 2. That the Economic Development Division in conjunction with the Toronto City Cycling Committee be asked to review and report on future opportunities for co-operation with the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative in further developing economic development and employment opportunities related to sustainable transportation in the City. 3. That the committee support the parallel proposal to Economic Development for an International Symposium on Economic and Employment Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation in the Spring of 1997 (see attached proposal) Background: The recent Golden Report on the Greater Toronto Area found that: ... the region could save more than $12 billion in hard infrastructure costs and maintenance over the next 25 years if we were to adopt a more efficient, more compact pattern of development. We could save an equivalent amount by cutting back the additional costs associated with higher levels of land consumption and automobile use. A conservative estimate of the savings over the next two and a half decades is $700 million to $1 billion annually. Moving towards and maintaining more compact patterns of development and sustainable transportation not only represents significant cost savings, it also represents considerable economic and employment opportunities (see appendix #?) The Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative works to identify and catalyse such opportunities. It brings together a diversity of practical sustainable transportation economic devlopment projects (see next page) and it provides a forum for developing a long term strategy for economic development and job creation in sustainable transportation. Such a mix of practical economic development projects with long range strategic planning has not occurred in any other city. STEDI's phase one work in this area was recently presented as a paper to the OECD International Conference on Sustainable Transportation and was favourably received (as a positive model? how to phrase?). While countless efforts exist worldwide to shift to more sustainable transportation systems, seldom are these initiatives approached as positive opportunities for innovation, economic wellbeing and job creation. Examples of such opportunities range from new products and services to new technologies to new opportunities for construction, design, education, and tourism related to sustainable transportation (See appendix). There are many advantages to an economic development approach to sustainable transportation, including cost savings, import replacement, local economic revitalization, increased tourism opportunities and attractions, and increased safety and livability for local residents. (see appendix) The City of Toronto is in an ideal position to develop this positive, cost-effective initiative for a number of reasons: * the City of Toronto's compact urban form facilitates local economic development and employment initiatives. This is illustrated by the number of initiatives already underway (see next page). The fact that only half of the City's downtown core residents own cars means that Toronto is accustomed to providing a diverse range of transportation options and has an opportunity to further develop these options and economic development opportunities. * the City of Toronto has an international reputation for its compact urban form (or wise planning -- what word?) and for its provision of a range of sustainable transportation options. The Toronto Transit Commission has long been hailed as the best transit system in North America, and the City of Toronto has recently been named best city for cycling in North America. Toronto is also one of the most studied cities because it works. This reputation also facilitates the export of human capital to other cities that require expertise (I hate this word, but I got this phrase from Peter Finestone -- let's talk about it) * as a "mid-Northern" the City of Toronto is an ideal incubation ground for innovation in sustainable transportation. Demand for alternative forms of transportation is on the rise. Driven by increased environmental and health concerns as well as rising car ownership costs, Toronto has seen a dramatic upsurge in cycle commuting (75% over the last 5 years). As well, an aging population is demanding post-car modes of transportation, and the physically challenged are also demanding new and innovative services and products to meet their needs. Toronto currently finds itself at the leading edge of a trend away from car dominated urban transportation which is poised to cross North America. Concerted development and support in this will see Toronto leading the way as a model for livable, economically healthy cities. * there is a growing niche. the human powered transportation sector is big business in Toronto. In the GTA, over $56 million was spent on bicycle repairs and accessories alone in 1991. Yet despite our large market Toronto has very little manufacturing. Canada as a whole imports ten times the number of bicycles it exports. This disparity is beginning to be addressed in a small way by some small businesses. There are currently more than 15 small to micro enterprises in this sector in and around Toronto, and all of them are less than five years old. They tend to be in a start-up position, and need skills development, access to facitlities, public exposure, capital, and support. Toronto is becoming a centre for the appropriate transportation industry due to its large market, its availability of small industrial space, and its skilled work force. Supporting these strengths means that businesses will locate here (reword this) (see appendix for just a few examples) * many of these innovations can be easily and inexpensively integrated into the current system (something that says we can go ahead with this without having to destroy everything and build anew for really expensive) a la Gerry Grant -- the ways we integrate "competing" systems Goals of STEDI: It is the goal of the Sustainable Transportation Economic Development Initiative to identify and develop these advantages by: * catalysing and developing new job creation initiatives related to sustainable transportation * bringing together existing economic development initiatives related to sustainable transportation * identifying new opportunities for job creation and wealth creation through provision of sustainable transportation options * providing skills related to sustainable transportation related economic development * gathering, sharing and applying essential information * establishing sustainable transportation as a focus for economic growth, job training, local community economic development initiatives, and intergovernmental and private sector co-operation * providing affordable transportation options to all Torontonians and visitors to Toronto Current Active Partners in STEDI (order -- alpha or how?) Toronto Centre for Appropriate Transportation Detour Publications Sustainable Transportation Skills Development Programme Community Bicycle Network Transportation Options Green Tourism Partnerhship Intersection Bikes Mean Business Initiative Toronto City Cycling Committee Bicycle Commuter Programme - other? how to present? - should we also list the people we've talked to, a la OECD paper or would that take up too much room? A Few Positive Examples of Current Activities While there has not yet been a concerted effort to stimulate the sectors listed on a large scale, the economic development work of a number of Toronto based initiatives is breaking new ground in this direction. The following are just a few of the initiatives currently underway: The Toronto Centre For Appropriate Transportation is an incubator for sustainable transportation related invention, design, manufacture, and co-marketing. It brings together inventors, designers, business people and venture capitalists to bring sustainable transportation product ideas from conception to the market. It is currently conducting a search for a larger space in which to house its diverse member initiatives. The Urban Green Tourism Partnership is a consortium of over 150 businesses, government agencies and non- governmental organizations dedicated to creating an urban green tourism infrastructure for Metropolitan Toronto. Having recently completed its business plan and feasibility study, it has now begun its three major activities: Marketing the green tourism product by linking diverse green tourism initiatives; Business development and job creation in the green tourism sector; greening of tourism practices on an industry-wide basis. Detour Publications is a publishing and distribution co- operative for sustainable transportation books, magazines, videos, resource kits, on-line resources, and products. It aims to be an international clearing house of sustainable transportation information, deriving economic sustainability through sales and advertising. CBN Delivery Project is a bicycle trailer rental and delivery service which operates out of the Community Bicycle Network. It works to stimulate human powered delivery and service options among local businesses. Delivery businesses and services range from cappucino delivery to condom sales to Meals On Two Wheels for Shut-ins. The CBN also led the M.O.B.I.L.E. job creation proposal (Making Opportunities through Bicycle-related Innovations for Learning and Employment). The Skills Development Programme for Sustainable Transportation is a partnerhship project that supports individuals, communities, and organizations in gaining business development skills, job skills, environmental advocacy skills and life skills related to sustainable transportation. A recent initiative by the Programme brought together entreprenuers and innovators interested in starting up their own sustainable transportation business. (need more here) - what else should we mention as examples? Next Steps STEDI has successfully completed its phase one project with the assistance of $100,000 in funding from Jobs Ontario Community Action, and other cash and in-kind contributions from a wide variety of participants. As it enters phase two, STEDI anticipates the following needs: * in-kind support in the form of staff and other human resources, as well as an ongoing relationship with the City to maintain and increase contacts in this field * cash support to support a symposium to further the dialogue. We have recently submitted a proposal for an international symposium on Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation to be held in the spring of 1996, which would have the purpose of focusing on practical projects, long term strategies, and Toronto's role in making this happen. Appendix # 1 -- Economic Benefits of Sustainable Transportation * Sustainable transportation saves money: - new urban expressways can cost up to $100 million per mile, whereas rail or bike facilities on average cost $15 million and $0.1 million respectively * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often creates more jobs and better jobs than automobiles do: - a long range planning study by Montgomery County, Maryland found that focussing most new urban growth in pedestrian and bicycle friendly clusters along an expanded rail and bus system and revising commuter subsidies to discourage the use of cars would enable the county to double its current number of jobs and households without exacerbating traffic congestion (citation) - a recent German study showed that highway construction generates the fewest jobs of any public infrastructure investment. Spending one billion Deutche Marks ($580 million) on highways yields onely 14,000 - 19,000 jobs compared with about 22,000 jobs in railway tracks, or 23,000 in light rail construction (State of the World report, 1992) * Sustainable transportation infrastructure often improves worker productivity: - a recent U.S. study looked at the impact of government transport expenditures on worker productivity. A 10-year, $100 billion increase in public transport spending was estimated to boost worker output by $521 billion -- compared with $237 billion for the same level of spending on highways. Public transport investments began returning net benefits nearly three times as quickly as highway expenditures (Marcia Lowe, WW 118) * Sustainable transportation is more likely to keep money local: - a recent study by the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Commission showed that 85 cents on every dollar that local residents spend on gasoline leaves the regional economy, much of it leaving the country as well. In contrast, out of every dollar that buys a fare on public transport, an estimated 80 cnets goes toward transit workers' wages: Those 80 cents then circulate in the local economy, generating more than $3.80 in goods and services in the region (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) - a Washington-based study found that for every dollar of public spending on rebuilding and operating its transit system, $3 would accrue to the state and the region as a direct result of improved transport. The total economic impact, indluding increases in business sales, jobs, personal income, populations, and the accompanying rise in state and local tax revenues, would be nine dollars for every dollar invested (Marcia Lowe, World Watch # 118) Appendix 1 Continued... * Sustainable transportation stimulates retail sales: - In a survey of 105 town centres worldwide, where auto traffic has been restricted, the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development found that retail sales rose in half the cities and fell in only two Appendix # 2 -- Description of Sustainable Transportation Appendix # 3 -- Practical Examples: Job Types Related To Infrastructure Shift As the evidence suggests, a new infrastructure could provide as many possibilities for job creation as there are possibilities for job loss caused by global restructuring. Whatsmore, a locally based re- infrastructuring not only means more jobs, but also has the potential to increase employment equity through increased diversity and flexibility of job options. In other words, re-infrastructuring our cities and our economy would move us away from a tendency to employment monoculture. The following is a list of possible jobs generated by the creation and maintenance of a sustainable transportation economy. Technology for a Sustainable Infrastructure. Software design and maintenance for trip reduction through telecommuting, videoconferencing, IVHS applications to transit efficiency, road pricing systems, car pooling and transit pooling databases, and networking bulletin board systems; Signalling technology design for transit, bicycle and walking priority; Alternative fuel and safety systems for trains and transit vehicles Research and Development for Sustainable Infrastructure. Research and development of human powered transportation and freight technologies; Economic, Social, and Transportation Policy and Research; Academic and private sector research on sustainable transportation in the fields of: Engineering; Planning; Architecture; Urban Studies; Environmental Studies; Psychology; Social Studies. Design for Sustainable Infrastructure. Sidewalk widening; street design, traffic calming and bike lane design; Architechture and retrofitting of auto infrastructure, and design of local depots; Train and transit design; Bicycle Trailer and delivery vehicle design; Designs for bicycle security; Transit route design; Bicycle transportation fashion design. Construction and Deconstruction of Sustainable Infrastructure. Construction of traffic calming infrastructure and bike lanes and facilities; Unpaving urban parking lots and unnecessary roads and highways; Urban horticulture to infill old parking lots with food and plant growth; Re-design of car-centred architecture; Secure bike parking Producing and Manufacturing for Sustainable Infrastructure. Trains and Transit vehicles; Bicycle industry -- bicycles, delivery vehicles, bike parking, and accessories; Concrete, bricks and cinder blocks for widened sidewalks, bike lanes and street redesign; Bicycle transportation fashion and accessory production Services for Sustainable Infrastructure. Tourism: non motorized tours; information / maps; historians / cultural experts; Accompaniment and Delivery vehicle services for youth, aged, disabled (meals on two wheels...); Car and van rental for heavy hauls; Driver leasing for non-drivers; Bicycle Security; Bike & Blade Retail, Repair and Rental; Bicycle and walking delivery; Bicycle Lane Maintenance and clearing; Community bus or car pool drivers; Car Use Reduction Program Planners and Company Transportation Co-ordinators; Human Powered Vendors; Insurance Phasing out and Cleaning Up of Unsustainable Infrastructure. Transition Counselling for job transitions from auto and other sectors; Car dependence counsellors; Programs to help people embrace new options Maintaining Sustainable Infrastructure. Transit vehicle, train, and bicycle repair; Transportation co-ordinators; Transit and Train operations; Car pool co-ordination; Neighbourhood transportation managers; Telecommuting managers and co-ordinators; Community organizing Education and Communication for Sustainable Infrastructure. Publishing: books, maps, magazines, information; Distribution; Bicycle education and maintenance Courses; Bicycle events; Teaching; Advertising sustainable transportation options. Appendix # 4 -- Symposium Framework From tra6cw at WEST-01.NOVELL.LEEDS.AC.UK Wed May 14 20:58:45 1997 From: tra6cw at WEST-01.NOVELL.LEEDS.AC.UK (C. WAINGOLD) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 11:58:45 GMT Subject: [sustran] SUSTRANS - Intro Message-ID: <3E90663721B@west-01.novell.leeds.ac.uk> Hi, My name is Charles Waingold and I am studying for an MSc at the Institute of Transport Studies, University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Prior to this was a Civil(Transport) Engineer in Singapore. I was interested to hear about Singapore's plans to introduce car sharing in an attempt to alleviate middle class frustration at not being able to own a car. It will be interesting to see whether the car sharing scheme takes off given that car ownership in Singers has attached to it a considerable amount of status given the quota system and >200% sales tax on cars and hence it is only a luxury for the very rich. I understand that Mercedes is one of the top three selling car brands there. Whether people will be willing to share or participate in a car club to share their prized possesion will be interesting to see and I would suggest that people's view of their car would be very different to cities where car sharing schemes have worked. Does anyone know how it is being marketed? These measures along with the road pricing scheme in the inner city area and the building of a mass rapid transit system has resulted in the number of cars entering the city area in 1995 being 15% less than the total entering in 1977. As Singapore's public transport is fantastic and for many I believe that a car is an unnecessary luxury. Singapore has also shown some innovation in segmenting the local travel market such as the running of high class (Mercedes) public mini buses to serve the well to do to discourage car use. Of course, it must be pointed out that Singapore is a very unique country and that many of these measures are more difficult to implement elsewhere in Asia/ developing countries! As previously highlighted, many cities in Sth East Asia were not built for the car. In some Asian cities, up to 70% of access to residencies, sometimes entailing a whole neighbourhood, are not able to accomodate the car because it is simply not wide enough. There is a tremendous diversity of modes available which could be encouraged. There is also a vast difference between the sizes of the largest and second largest cities in many developing countries and it has been shown that travel demands increase the larger the city size hence the congestion associated with Bangkok, Manila, KL etc. A few countries are taking the extreme measures of building new government administrative capital cities (Malaysia, Japan, Nigeria) and Singapore has reconstructed itself with cars and buses in mind. I would be interested to hear of any innovative views and solutions as to how to solve these transport issues - especially from Asia, South America and Africa. Keep the emails rolling, Cheers. From jbrooks at peeras.demon.co.uk Wed May 14 20:23:32 1997 From: jbrooks at peeras.demon.co.uk (John Brooks) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 12:23:32 +0100 Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro In-Reply-To: <9704148636.AA863600603@mail-out.un.org> Message-ID: <9+4s6SA0CaezEwhr@peeras.demon.co.uk> In message <9704148636.AA863600603@mail-out.un.org>, aliani.unescap@un.org writes > Hi! > > I am a Human Settlements Officer at the United Nations Economic and > Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which is based in > Bangkok, Thailand. and therefore, we must assume, 'well funded'... > > I agree with Maya when she says that given the present transport > system, using a car is a necessity if one wants to maintain one's > mobility. ok so far > ... > I tried travelling by > bus for a month and found out that it took me on average 90 minutes to > get to work and about 120 minutes to return home. Usually by the time > I got to work I was so tired that I needed at least another hour to > recover. yup - public transport in Bangkok must be a mess, same as most other places... >By car my normal commuting time was 30 minutes. yes, but... at present, you personally can afford to buy and operate a car and there is still (just) sufficient road-space to use it effectively. > > They are building a mass transit system here which most likely will > fail to attract motorists because the distances between residences and > main roads are too great and people will not inconvenience themselves > in the heat and the rain to ride public transport. pessimistic or realistic - I hope the former.... > > I think private modes of transport are necessary for who? I would have thought even the most myopic private car user would recognise the ultimate futility of such a statement. Unless you and everyone else are prepared to accept severe 'population management' so that the world's total population falls below (say) 2 billion very quickly and stays at that level, it is obvious (at least to me :=) ) that there is no way that private motorised transport can be sustainable long-term, given the number of potential users. >and we have to > concentrate our efforts to finding sustainable and clean energy > sources for vehicular transport. you momentarily (?) forgot the energy and other resource costs of making the vehicles, roads, etc... > In this connection electric or > hydrogen powered vehicles are the most feasible as yet. No, they are not 'feasible'! Battery drives just move the source of pollution to somewhere else. No-one has yet found a way of storing enough hydrogen to make it effective. And you still have to produce and transport the hydrogen. I assume you are therefore arguing in favour of continued use of nuclear energy - the only AVAILABLE technology which meets even some of the sustainability criteria. And why not - ignoring the hysterical resistance from the public based largely on ignorance about both nuclear energy and its alternatives. > > An interim measure could be to follow the Japanese example and make > ownership of vehicles older than five years very difficult. thus increasing the resource consumption creating even more new vehicles than needed by CURRENT demand... I suppose you are aware that one effect of the Japanese rules has been the mass export of 'used' cars to New Zealand, followed by collapse in the price of used cars there and further local economic consequences.... > The older > the car the more it pollutes. This will also not hurt the auto > industry too badly, which is specially important in Thailand as the > industry employs an estimated 100,000 people directly and another > 500,000 indirectly. see above. I had hoped that this group would provide valuable insights into 'new thinking' about transport issues from the Pacific Rim. Maybe Europe could learn something. Or, judging by your proposed solutions, not. -- John Brooks - Technical Consultant, Energy, Network Systems and Data Comms South Croydon, 7CR2 7HN, UK Tel: (44) 181 681 1595 Fax: (44) 181 649 7536 The opinions expressed here are mine but are not offered as professional advice. From nds at idsonline.com Wed May 14 21:59:33 1997 From: nds at idsonline.com (nds@idsonline.com) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 08:59:33 -0400 Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19970514125933.00689558@idsonline.com> hi all, i, too, was hoping to be just an observer here, but it i can't help throwing in my thoughts, which are, admittedly, biased because of my employer. i'm executive director of the international bridge, tunnel and turnpike association, the trade association of the worldwide toll industry. (feel free to e-mail me with your comments/complaints on tolls -- i enjoy the dialogue!) we have toll agency members in 24 countries on 5 continents, and naturally, we support travel by car, though many of our members also operate transit facilities and encourage carpooling. i'd love to live within walking distance of work, but unfortunately it isn't always easy to move residences as often as we tend to change job locations. i have a short ride to work (20 minutes most mornings), but i'd rather walk or take a bus. neither, however, are good options for me. thanks to all on the list -- the recent discussions have been interesting! neil schuster ibtta 2120 L street, nw suite 305 washington, dc 20037 202 659 4620 or 202 321 4500 fax 202 659 0500 nds @ idsonline.com From hillsman at pobox.com Wed May 14 22:36:56 1997 From: hillsman at pobox.com (Ed Hillsman) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 09:36:56 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Introduction Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970514133656.006c103c@popserver> Like several others, I?d planned to watch for a while, but I think it?s time I introduce myself and another point of view. The introduction: I?m a geographer who has done research on a wide range of questions involving energy, environment, transportation, technological change and global change. I joined my present organization last fall after a reduction in staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. One of my principal interests is understanding how a city or other organization might go about managing the demand for transportation, and then developing tools and conducting analyses to estimate the effects of doing so. I think I take a very different approach to demand management than most do, and I?ll illustrate this approach below. Let me preface the discussion by acknowledging that taking this approach is not "the" answer to the myriad transportation problems already mentioned on this list. But I think it can be a useful part of a larger effort. The point of view: What I?ve been reading in the comments posted here so far is a concern with preserving personal mobility. This concern implies an assumption that a trip is going to happen. However, a good deal of transportation demand is what the economists call "derived" demand, meaning that these trips are made not because people want to make them but because they want other things: income from a job, or goods from a store, or service from a bank, or the company of distant friends or family, or whatever. Some trips ARE taken for the pleasure of the trip itself, but although the proportion is in some dispute it seems to be pretty small. And some trips are taken for reasons that I think do not lend themselves to demand management. Vacations and visits to family and friends are at the top of this list. But these facts do not affect the overall argument, they just limit the potential effect. What I call the conventional approach to demand management (this is my North American perspective) has focused on commuting travel, which accounts for only about one third of total transportation use in the US, and has focused on getting people out of single-occupant vehicles into carpools, public transportation, or bicycles. As I said earlier, this assumes the trip will happen and then tries to change the mode. This approach tries to get people to change from a preferred behavior (driving) to a less-preferred behavior. There have been some limited efforts to promote telecommuting , which eliminates trips. The data on telecommuting are very limited, but it does appear that much telecommuting occurs not because of transportation planning but because some employees and employers find it mutually beneficial. A better way to exchange some employment and compensation services. It is when we start looking at other direct demands that I think things start getting really interesting. Let me give two examples with some basis in east Asia/west Pacific. The first is banking. Much of the reason people visit banks is to put money in or take money out. It used to be that in the US you HAD to visit the bank with a physical piece of paper called a paycheck in order to deposit that money into your accounts. And it used to be that you pretty much had to visit the bank to get cash. I don?t have the figures but a high proportion of paychecks are deposited electronically now; this has eliminated a lot of trips and delivered a higher level of convenience in customer service. Banks have also developed networks of automatic teller machines where depositors can withdraw money from their accounts. Some of these are at banks, but many of them are at shopping and other locations. A trip may still be required to visit one of these machines, but it often can be a shorter trip, or it can be part of a combined shopping-and-banking trip. The effect can be a reduction in travel. >From what I read about banking in Japan, some of the banks there serve their customers in their homes. A bank staff member visits to pick up money for deposit. Again, travel occurs, but it is organized differently than if every customer visits the bank, and there is great potential for this reorganization to reduce the total amount of travel involved in delivering the service. Personal mobility matters less in this case than customer service. The second involves payment of utility bills. A friend of mine spent a couple of years in Jakarta. According to him, the postal and telephone systems were unreliable. A household would have to visit the utility office to find out the bill and pay it. Households with servants would send a servant to the office, get the bill, return home, get payment from the household, return to the utility office, pay the bill, and return home. Where postal systems are reliable, the bills and payments can move without the householders or servants. And, again, in the US and probably elsewhere it is possible to have utility bills deducted and paid automatically from a bank account. All of these options get the bills paid, but some involve much less travel and much less need for personal mobility than others. I?m not suggesting from these examples that "the answer" is to substitute telecommunications for transportation wherever possible. I am suggesting that there are lots of ways to deliver some of the goods and services that people want and that some of these require less travel than others; that some of the ones that involve less travel are already in place in some locales, without any overt policy to encourage them for travel-related reasons; that with very few exceptions we have not looked at this approach as a resource for dealing with transportation-related problems; and that the benefits of such an approach are almost certainly worthwhile if coupled with other measures. Economists would suggest simply "get the prices right" and this will all take care of itself. If, as in North America, we are unwilling to "get the prices right," then we need to look at alternatives, including this one. And, based on the experience of our electric utilities in managing demand for electricity, "getting the prices right" alone doesn?t necessarily lead to the level of change expected on the basis of purely financial calculations. In regions that have not yet motorized to the extent that we have, I think it might be worth looking at how to maintain existing service alternatives, and develop new ones, so that fewer people feel the need to have a car to obtain those services. I have published one paper on this topic: Edward L. Hillsman, "Transportation DSM: Building on electric utility experience," Utilities Policy, Vol. 5, No. 3/4, July/October, 1995, pp. 237?249 A second, which contains other North American examples, is undergoing peer review but I will be happy to send a copy in response to individual requests. And I?m planning a couple more. I welcome examples, discussion on or off the list, and leads on possible support for reseach on the approach. Edward L. Hillsman, Geographer University of Tennessee--Knoxville Energy, Environment, and Resources Center 10521 Research Drive, Suite 100 Knoxville, TN 37932 USA tel 423-974-8386 (direct) OR 423-974-8410 (messages) fax 423-974-8448 e-mail ehillsman@utk.edu OR Hillsman@pobox.com (campus mail 3702) URL http://www.funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~hillsman/ From JMP_LEEDS at compuserve.com Wed May 14 21:48:11 1997 From: JMP_LEEDS at compuserve.com (jmp_leeds) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 08:48:11 -0400 Subject: [sustran] discussion group Message-ID: <199705140848_MC2-1693-9565@compuserve.com> Please could it be arranged for me to leave this discussion group JMP_LEEDS@COMPUSERVE.COM From jhk at ihe.nl Wed May 14 23:10:52 1997 From: jhk at ihe.nl (jan herman koster) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 16:10:52 +0200 (W. Europe Daylight Time) Subject: [sustran] Africa/pavements for non-motorised transport tracks Message-ID: One of the things that I have missed so far from the numerous messages is discussion/information exchange on some real, both feet on the ground action. Also, not a word on Africa yet, large parts of which are characterised by low car ownership and use and sometimes extreme poverty. Cities like Nairobi house masses of urban poor, not able to afford even the cheapest forms of public transport and facing long and dangerous journeys on foot each day (they used to cycle, but not anymore; the car has taken over the road space, making cycling an extremely dangerous affair). Apart from the human misery factor, the economic aspect should certainly not be overlooked: the transport systems of Nairobi and other African cities are highly inefficient. Still, all is not lost: one of the good things is that these cities still have a chance to develop less car dominated systems. I am presently working on a NMT pilot project in Kenya which is part of the Worldbank coordinated Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Programme (SSATP) We are soon to make a pavement choice for a dedicated footpath/cycle track network to be constructed in Eastern Nairobi as part of this project. I am interested in hearing about experiences in similar areas with pavements made of concrete slabs (say 30x30x5 cm) laid on a sand bed. Although we have plenty of them in The Netherlands we are concerned that in extremely poor areas theft of these slabs may be a problem. jan herman koster E-mail: jhk@ihe.nl _________________________ ____ ____ ___________ ______ | I.H.E. - Delft | |_ _||_ _||_ ________| | | Infrastructure | P.O.Box 3015, 2601 DA | || ||____||__||__ | | Hydraulics | DELFT, The Netherlands | _||_ _||_ _||__||____ | | Environment | Fax: +31 (0)15 2122921| |____||____||___________| |______| `-------------------------' D E L F T From D.W.M.SHARP at ukc.ac.uk Thu May 15 04:36:20 1997 From: D.W.M.SHARP at ukc.ac.uk (DUNCAN WILLIAM MACKENZIE SHARP) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 15:36:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro Message-ID: Dear all I am inclined to agree with Adnan H. Aliani on the importance of finding sustainable and clean energy sources for vehicular transport as well as trying to reduce car use (particularly in cities). I too live some distance away from work (because I prefer to live in the countryside, and finding affordable property in this area is difficult and invariably results in having to live some distance from work), which means that car use is unavoidable since it is to far to cycle every day, and the nearest bus stop is several miles away. However, I am not sure about Adnan's idea of following the Japenese example of limiting the life span of cars to five years. This may be good for the car production industry, but I was under the impression that the majority of pollution produced by a car was in its manufacture rather than its use (given a ten year life span) - please correct me if I am wrong! In any case, car production uses vast amounts of energy and creates a lot of pollution, therefore producing many more cars with an artificially short life span does not seem sensible even if it does result in cleaner cars coming to the market slightly more quickly. Cheers! Duncan ********************************************************************** Duncan W.M. Sharp Centre for European, Regional and Transport Economics (CERTE) Department of Economics Keynes College The University of Kent at Canterbury Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NP, UK Tel: +44 1227 827946 Fax: +44 1227 827784 Email: D.W.M.SHARP@ukc.ac.uk ********************************************************************** From xsun at usl.edu Wed May 14 23:49:00 1997 From: xsun at usl.edu (Dr. Xiaoduan Sun) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 09:49:00 -0500 Subject: [sustran] discussion group Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970514094859.006b9590@pop.usl.edu> >Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 08:48:11 -0400 >From: jmp_leeds >Subject: [sustran] discussion group >To: anybody >Sender: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org >X-Sequence: sustran-discuss 47 >Reply-To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org > >Please could it be arranged for me to leave this discussion group > >JMP_LEEDS@COMPUSERVE.COM > Please do the same thing for me XSUN@USL.EDU From dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu Thu May 15 07:30:23 1997 From: dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 18:30:23 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Big issues to talk about In-Reply-To: Message-ID: On Wed, 14 May 1997, A. Karp wrote: > Regarding Dharm's comments on Asian city gridlock as a function of road > development (10% v. New York's 25%): Adam, The 25% reflects all the surface area dedicated to streets, parking lots, gasoline stations, etc.. NOT just the roadways. I in no way intended to imply that Bangkok should try and devote 25% of their surface area to automobiles, just that Bangkok's traffic problems are a function of how LITTLE space they devote to automobile. When I was a undergraduate, we had planners from St. Petersburg, Russia (formerly Leningrad), visit our program and state on a AID funded study tour. The noted that they are planning for the influx of automobiles with plans to widen areterials and build parking garages in certain dense districts. However, they balanced that with plans to continue to expand the Metro and maintain the bus system. More and more people were going to be owning cars and these planners did not necasserily like it, but they acknowledged reality. > I must disagree with the argument that expanding arterials is a > must in order to avoid total havoc. The 25% figure New York boasts is no > accolade. To understand the extent to which New York has been ruined by > such overdevelopment, see JOSEPH CARO, THE POWER BROKER: ROBERT MOSES AND > THE FALL OF NEW YORK (1975), a biography of the now-infamous Robert Moses. I agree that Moses did some pretty bad things, but you have to remember this same Moses won a lifetime achievement award from the fairly progressive American Planning Association. I would suggest you read Moses' own work _Public Works: A Dangerous Trade_ (1970, McGraw-Hill). I think the quote in the foreword (by Raymond Moley) symbolized the thinking at that time: "From the pyramids of Egypt, to the Rebuilding of Rome after Nero's fire, to the creation of great medieval cathedrals and the reconstructionof Paris Baron Haussmann all great public works have somehow been associated with autocratic power. FOR PURE DEMOCRACY HAS NEITHER THE IMAGINIZATION, NOR THE ENERGY, NOR THE DISCIPLINED MENTALITY TO CREATE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS." Look at all the bridges and tunnels created in Moses's era... How many have we built since then?? --- Dharm Guruswamy - 3rd year grad. student, City Planning & Civil Engineering snail mail: 960 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 phone/fax: HOME (404) 685-3294 WORK (404) 894-6402 internet:dharm@trec.ce.gatech.edu | URL: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~dg63 From ETFERGUSON at aol.com Thu May 15 09:13:38 1997 From: ETFERGUSON at aol.com (ETFERGUSON@aol.com) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 20:13:38 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] discussion group Message-ID: <970514201336_1190403150@emout19.mail.aol.com> Absolutely not. From aliani.unescap at un.org Thu May 15 22:33:18 1997 From: aliani.unescap at un.org (aliani.unescap@un.org) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 08:33:18 EST Subject: [sustran] discussion group Message-ID: <9704148636.AA863672185@mail-out.un.org> Could you take me off the discussion list Aliani.unescap@un.org From jbs at u.washington.edu Thu May 15 13:06:29 1997 From: jbs at u.washington.edu (Jerry Schneider) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 21:06:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Car co-ops Message-ID: Does anyone know if this concept has many subscribers? Who owns the auto? Where does it reside? How is it insured? How do different sharers get physical access to it? are they all friendly neighbors living in the same block? How is vehicle use scheduled? by hour? What happens if someone returns late? Do I pay by the hour? or by the mile? From tkpb at barter.pc.my Thu May 15 11:09:54 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 10:09:54 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Digest version Message-ID: Hello all A number of you have contacted me and expressed concern that the list is getting busy and asking if we will introduce a digest version. In digest mode you receive only one larger message each day or so. This large message contains all of the list discussions for that day. Many people feel less overwhelmed by getting just one message rather than many...it is also easier to sort list stuff from private e-mail. The answer is yes we have always intended to start a digest version. I have asked our friend at JCA for advice on how to get it going and I will post instructions when it is ready. In the meantime, I hope you can all cope! Best wishes, A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From tkpb at barter.pc.my Thu May 15 10:57:01 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 09:57:01 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Please don't send admin. requests to the list address Message-ID: Hi folks >Please could it be arranged for me to leave this discussion group >>JMP_LEEDS@COMPUSERVE.COM To avoid us all having to receive messages like this, please do NOT post administrative requests to the list posting address. Instead use the list request address , as follows. TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THIS MAILING LIST, you can send e-mail to: sustran-discuss-request@jca.ax.apc.org with the following command in the BODY (not subject) of your message: unsubscribe TO RE-SUBSCRIBE, send a message to sustran-discuss-request@jca.ax.apc.org with the BODY (not subject) of the message being: subscribe TO GET HELP on the Majordomo list handling software and the commands it understands, send a message to sustran-discuss-request@jca.ax.apc.org with the BODY (not subject) of the message being: help If you have problems with any of the above then please contact the list owner at: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From tkpb at barter.pc.my Thu May 15 11:34:28 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 10:34:28 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Africa/pavements for non-motorised transport tracks Message-ID: ...... >Still, all is not lost: one of the good things is that these cities still >have a chance to develop less car dominated systems. >I am presently working on a NMT pilot project in Kenya which is part of >the Worldbank coordinated Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Programme (SSATP) .... Thanks Jan for the insight into Nairobi's situation and news on the World Bank project! It is good to hear that NMT is getting some priority in this. At the Velo Australis conference last year I also heard a lot about similar projects in Tanzania. By the way, if any of your African colleagues have e-mail we would welcome their contributions to this list! Feel free to let them know about it. >We are soon to make a pavement choice for a dedicated footpath/cycle track >network to be constructed in Eastern Nairobi as part of this project. I am >interested in hearing about experiences in similar areas with pavements >made of concrete slabs (say 30x30x5 cm) laid on a sand bed. Although we >have plenty of them in The Netherlands we are concerned that in extremely >poor areas theft of these slabs may be a problem. Perth in Western Australia has an extensive network of off-road bicycle ways, some of which use concrete slabs - larger than the ones you describe. They have very sandy soils and although it is a high income place, their bike budget contraints and long distances probably led them to look for low cost solutions. I am searching for the contact details of BikeWest, the bicycle unit in the Department of Transport there.. but am having no luck. Anyone else? A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From tkpb at barter.pc.my Thu May 15 12:39:27 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 11:39:27 +0800 Subject: [sustran] "I am a little concerned that discussions may become dominated by North... Message-ID: Dear all Eric Britton wrote: >With ref to your "I am a little concerned that discussions may become >dominated by North >American (and to some extent European) issues, concerns and viewpoints", ...... >It might possibly be a very big mistake indeed for you to attempt to reign >in the proceedings with too much vigor for a number of reasons. This is >not to say that this whole lot cannot do with constant kind reminders as >to your ultimate geographic focus. But given your worthy objectives, it >would be a great pity for you to reduce your available brainpower.... ........... >For better or worse the leading edge in alternative transportation thinking >and practice, with pitifully few exceptions, is what we might well call the >Old World (of SOA Transportation), I.E. North America and Europe. Thanks very much Eric, for your carefully thought out comments. I agree that we need to take the best ideas wherever they come from. And I am certainly aware of the many innovative new things which are happening in many places throughout the "North". Some examples, which spring to mind include, Zurich, Delft, Stockholm, Toronto, even Los Angeles (emissions reduciton, innovative incentives schemes, new ways of funding infrastructure). Japan also has some interesting innovations, such as their bicycle parking solutions (to solve the problem of "bicycle pollution" at railway stations). You trigger an interesting thought. I wonder if various places in the South may also spring up new innovations, which are at the cutting edge too - the main reason is that "necessity is the mother of invention" (sorry for the cliche) and in the South there are many places where the "necessity" for imporvement is extremely acute. Some examples of unprecedented predicaments which may spring up new solutions not seen elsewhere: Bangkok: its problems seem to be of a magnitude not seen before. Some of the private and individual responses to this may prove to be new and maybe replicable/marketable? Taiwan: has more motorcycles per capita than anywhere else on earth (and pollution to match). They are now at the cutting edge in motorbike emissions control and in developing electric scooters (or so I hear). Seoul, Hong Kong, Bombay and Cairo are some of the highest density cities in the world (all have at least 5 times the density of London). I expect that they will be forced to use demand management techniques not contemplated elsewhere (Hong Kong already is). They may also do some unprecedented things in an attempt to squeeze cars in (unfortunately).... :-( In South Asia and Africa (and throughout the South) I think we can still expect to see many more new innovations which address the imperative to find productive and efficient modes of accessibility at the lowest possible cost. Some of these solutions may be high not low technology. An example, outside of transport is that some regions in Africa are finding that cellular phone technology is going in before ordinary phone lines have ever been installed). How China deals with its current battle for road and urban space between bicycles, buses and cars will be worth watching. They may well come up with something new, innovative and worth emulating? (or sadly they may follow a well-known and disastrous path.....). A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my From machia at u.washington.edu Thu May 15 15:50:21 1997 From: machia at u.washington.edu (A. Karp) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 23:50:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] "Southern" countries to look out for. In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Nice overview, Paul. Latin American countries are also on the horizon of innovative transportation technologies (and the revival of low-tech common sense). Take, for example, the oft-quoted example of Curitiba, Brazil and the work of Jorge Wilheim (does anyone know his email? or has anyone read his 1996 book "Fax: Memoirs from the Near Future"? Mexico City and Sao Paolo are also cities worth focusing on. Adam |*--------------------------------------*| | Machiavellian Polyglot Cyclommuter | | ADAM KARP | | University of Washington School of Law | | *machia@u.washington.edu* | | ------------------ | | Read | | DOCKET | | "All the Evidence That's Fit to Admit" | | (www2.law.washington.edu/Docket) | | ------------------ | | (206) 729.9579 | |*--------------------------------------*| From ghawkes at sover.net Thu May 15 20:31:29 1997 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 07:31:29 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Africa/pavements for non-motorised transport tracks In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19970515073129.006c30cc@sover.net> We are developing a structural panel made with highly durable recycled plastic for use in constructing bicycle and pedestrian paths. The surface has drainage and an aggressive but smooth riding traction pattern molded in. The panels can be secured with tamper resistant fasteners and earth anchors. They also may be cantilevered of the sides of highway bridges or trestled over difficult terrain. Presently we are manufacturing this surface in tile form to protect and enhance the surfaces of boardwalks, steps, wheelchair access ramps, docks, gangways, etc. We have a three year, $375,000 grant from the National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation to demonstrate this surface on wheelchair access ramps around the country. Our primary objective remains the introduction of high quality, economical, easy to install, surfaces which will enhance the infrastructure for non-motorized transportation. - Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. R.F.D. #1, Box 247 Woodstock, VT 05091 email ghawkes@sover.net Tel. 802-457-3275 Fax. 802-457-3704 At 10:34 AM 5/15/97 +0800, you wrote: >...... >>Still, all is not lost: one of the good things is that these cities still >>have a chance to develop less car dominated systems. >>I am presently working on a NMT pilot project in Kenya which is part of >>the Worldbank coordinated Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Programme (SSATP) >.... >Thanks Jan for the insight into Nairobi's situation and news on the World >Bank project! It is good to hear that NMT is getting some priority in >this. At the Velo Australis conference last year I also heard a lot about >similar projects in Tanzania. By the way, if any of your African >colleagues have e-mail we would welcome their contributions to this list! >Feel free to let them know about it. > >>We are soon to make a pavement choice for a dedicated footpath/cycle track >>network to be constructed in Eastern Nairobi as part of this project. I am >>interested in hearing about experiences in similar areas with pavements >>made of concrete slabs (say 30x30x5 cm) laid on a sand bed. Although we >>have plenty of them in The Netherlands we are concerned that in extremely >>poor areas theft of these slabs may be a problem. > >Perth in Western Australia has an extensive network of off-road bicycle >ways, some of which use concrete slabs - larger than the ones you describe. >They have very sandy soils and although it is a high income place, their >bike budget contraints and long distances probably led them to look for low >cost solutions. I am searching for the contact details of BikeWest, the >bicycle unit in the Department of Transport there.. but am having no luck. >Anyone else? > > > >A. Rahman Paul Barter >Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) >c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. >Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my > > From Ralf.Becker at wirtschaft.uni-giessen.de Thu May 15 21:23:44 1997 From: Ralf.Becker at wirtschaft.uni-giessen.de (Ralf Becker) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 14:23:44 +0200 (CET) Subject: [sustran] Information about sustran-discuss-list In-Reply-To: Message-ID: intro sustran-discuss From axelt at axionet.com Thu May 15 23:40:46 1997 From: axelt at axionet.com (Tracey Axelsson) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 07:40:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Car co-ops Message-ID: <199705151440.HAA18806@axionet.com> Thanks for the interest in learning more. Jerry's questions were: > >Does anyone know if this concept has many subscribers? I'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONFLICTING REPORTS OUT OF EUROPE. I KNOW THAT THE EUROPEAN CAR SHARE - AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION RUN FROM THE EU REPORTS AT LEAST 6000 MEMBERS. HOWEVER, I'VE SEEN A NETHERLANDS' NEWSPAPER ARTICLE (WHICH A FELLOW KINDLY TRANSLATED FOR ME), WHICH SAID THERE WAS ABOUT 100,000 CAR SHAERS IN HOLLAND ALONE... I BELEIVE THE LAST REPORT WAS THAT THE SWISS ATG HAS 10,000 SUBSCRIBERS AND 700 CARS AND BERLIN GERMANY - THE HOT BED OF CAR SHARE CREATION - HAS ABOUT THAT MANY JUST IN THE CITY OF BERLIN! THERE ARE ABOUT 300 CITIES ACROSS EUROPE THAT HAVE AT LEAST ONE ORGANIZATION; SOME AS CO-OPS, SOME AS CLUBS AND SOME AS BUSINESSES. IN NORTH AMERICA, THERE ARE FOUR ORGANIZATIONS IN CANADA. AUTO-COM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 3 YEARS IN QUEBEC CITY AND I BELEIVE HAS 300 SUBSCRIBERS, WHILE MONTREAL HAS ONLY BEEN AT IT A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND HAS 150 OR SO. IN VANCOUVER AND VICTORIA - WE BOTH STARTED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME 3 & HALF MONTHS AGO -- AND HAVE ABOUT 30 MEMBERS EACH. >Who owns the auto? THE CO-OPERATIVE OR THE BUSINESS OWNS THE AUTO. WITH THE CO-OPERATIVE THAT MEANS THE MEMBERS OWN THE CARS. WE REALLY STRIVE TO KEEP THIS KNOWN BY OUR MEMBERS. WHEN THEY OWN IT - THEY'LL BE LESS PRONE TO THRASH IT. CAR SHARING AS AN ORGANIZATION IS REALLY ABOUT TRYING TO LIMIT PROBLEMS THAT ARISE WHEN A FRIEND ETC BORROWS YOUR CAR AND GETS INTO AN ACCIDENT. YOUR FRIEND'S INSURNACE PREMIUMS STAY THE SAME BUT YOURS GO UP - CONSIDERABLY. WITH THE ORGANIZATION AS THE *OWNER* THERE ARE LESS ISSUES AROUND LIABILITY ETC AS WELL. >Where does it reside? THAT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHERE YOUR MEMBERS ARE. WITH THE CO-OPERATIVE AUTO NETWORK (CAN) WE TYPICALLY SEE A CLUSTER OF MEMEBERS IN A GIVEN AREA AND THEN PUT THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OR MOST CONVENIENT SPOT. IN VICTORIA, AS WITH MANY LARGER ORGANIZATIONS, THEY HAVE A CHEVRON GAS STATION ACTING AS A CAR SHARE STATION. IT'S A GREAT ARRANGEMENT BECAUSE THEY EVEN HAVE THE CHEVRON PEOPLE MAINTAIN THE CARS. >How is it insured? IT'S INSURED LIKE ANY BUSINESS WOULD INSURE A CAR USED BY MANY DRIVERS - UNDER A FLEET INSURANCE PLAN. >How do different sharers get physical access to it? TYPICALLY, THERE IS A LOCK BOX NOT UNLIKE THOSE USED BY UTILITY COMPANIES TO GAIN ACCESS TO APARTMENT BLOCKS MOUNTED ON A WALL OR POLE NEAR THE CAR. CAN WILL ACTUALL HAVE THE BOXES BUILT INTO THE CARS, MAKING IT EASY AND FAST TO MOVE MOVE THE CAR TO OTHER PARKING STATIONS AND MAKING THE CARS PARK-ABLE ANYWHERE IF THE ADMINISTATION AGREES TO MOVE A CAR CLOSER TO A MEMBER WHEN THEIR CAR IS BUSY. >are they all friendly neighbors living in the same block? PEOPLE BECOME FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURS BECAUSE HEY SHARE A CAR - MORE THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND. WE HAVE SIX PEOPLE ALL LIVING WITHIN 3 BLOCKS OF EACH OTHER ON COMOX STREET IN VANCOUVER BUT THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS THE CASE - NOR IS IT NECESSARY. TODAY WE HAVE A MEMBER JOINING FROM TOFINO!?! THAT'S A CITY ON THE FAR SIDE OF VANCOUVER ISLAND SOME 250 KM FROM HERE. HE SPENDS ABOUT A WEEK A MONTH HERE AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ACCESS TO CAR SHARING. >How is vehicle use scheduled? by hour? MEMBERS PHONE A CENTRAL NUMBER, SAY WHAT DAY THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE A CAR AND FROM WHEN TO WHEN AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. I KNOW THAT IN SINGAPORE THEY HAVE INSTALLED A GREAT COMPUTER SYSTEM TO MAKE ACCESSING THE VEHICLES EASIER. I BELEIVE THEY ARE USING A CARD-LOCK SYSTEM DEVELOPED IN GERMANY BY COCOCS (YOU MAY FIND IT ON THE WEB WITH THAT NAME...). THEY MUST HAVE SOME PRETTY BIG BUCKS BEHIND THE SCHEME - AND BE VERY CONCEERNED ABOUT THIS IMAGE THING THAT WAS POSTED HERE PREVIOUSLY. WE'RE NOT SO HIGH TECH - YET - WE USE A BINDER AND A TELEPHONE! THOUGH WE ARE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING A MOBILE NETWORK THAT'S FAR CHEAPER THAN THE COCOS SYSTEM - WITH LESS MOVING PARTS TO BREAK DOWN, BE VANDALIZED, STOLEN OR WHATEVER. >What happens if someone returns late? SO FAR OUR MEMBERS CALL TO EXTEND THEIR OUTTING RATHER THAN RETURN LATE. IF THAT RAISES A CONFLICT I JUST MOVE A ANOTHER CAR IN TO BE USED BY THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE. IN THE FUTURE, IF THE CAR'S AND THIS DISRUPTS ANOTHER MEMBER, THE LATE MEMBER WILL HAVE TO PAY A PENALTY PLUS HAVE TO PICK UP CAB FARE OR WHATEVER FOR THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE. I TRY TO SCHEDULE A 30 MINUTES LAG BETWEEN OUTTINGS - THOUGH THE TIMES THAT THE CARS ARE WANTED SO CLOSE TOGETHER ARE TERRIBLY RARE AT THIS POINT. >Do I pay by the hour? or by the mile? BOTH. PLUS BY THE MONTH - OUR COSTS ARE: $10/MONTH, $1.50 PER HOUR AND $.25 FOR EVERY KILOMETRE I'll be posting a Question & Answer piece to our website soon, but many of the process questions you may have are well covered in our manuals and application form which you can open from the site. We're even doing the formating to have our Rules of Incorporation available so it more easy for people elsewhere to replicate. I hope this helps. Cheers, Tracey! Tracey Axelsson Executive Director CAN Co-operative Auto Network P.O. Box 47044, Denman Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1 *****Tel/Fax 685-1393 axelt@axionet.com www.eagletree.com/think/can/ From ob110ob at IDT.NET Tue May 13 22:07:28 1997 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (obwon) Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 06:07:28 -0700 Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro References: Message-ID: <3378678F.6379@idt.net> Paul Barter wrote: > > Tracey Axelson said: > >Car sharing is an organized system of shared car ownership, [...] Well, I'd say that the success of the auto rental companies, which after all can be viewed as a type of auto-share, points to the extreme likelyhood that this is a viable concept that just need some bugs worked out of it. Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Thu May 15 04:58:04 1997 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (obwon) Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 12:58:04 -0700 Subject: Car co-ops: was Re: [sustran] intro References: <9704148636.AA863600603@mail-out.un.org> Message-ID: <337A194C.58FA@idt.net> aliani.unescap@un.org wrote: > > Hi! > > I am a Human Settlements Officer at the United Nations Economic and > Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which is based in > Bangkok, Thailand. > [...] Yes... It is very often true that personal mobility is the only answer in today's fast paced world with the demands placed upon us. There was once a time when a trip of over 10 miles was considered a big trip to be made only weekly. Now we are required to make what would have been a days travel 30 -- 50 miles on a bi daily basis. The problem is not the trips or the travel but the means we have at our disposal to make them. Since we are learning that these current methods of travel are creating problems for the ecology we have some indication that this can not be allowed to go on in perpetuity. As I see the current solutions configuration... we have a couple of immediate choices that can work well to achieve some reductions until better methods of travel are devised. What I first propose is that those local trips that are amenable to HPV travel be turned over to hpv use. What this means is that local deliveries, local recreational trips and some local shopping trips can be made using hpv. There is a needed health benefit that goes along with doing so, where sedentiary lifestyles would be impacted by restrictions on auto use that are designed to get people to exercise and also eliminate those trips which can be. No... not a draconian imposition or edict. But a reasonable consensus as to what can be reasonably be done and some commitment to do it. Not meaning that absolutely NO cars or autos will be used for such trips, but that only the barest few we can live with be permitted to do so. On the next level we have the intermediate trips, the 10 -- 50 km trips. Autos are undoubtedly the most efficient means of making such trips from the travelers perspective, assuming that the traveler already owns such a vehicle. But in the recognition of the vast differences between the several travelers, we see that for many, alternative vehicles would be sufficient. The commuter differs from the salesman in that the commuter needs transport at fixed times to fix places. While the salesman has needs so variable that it would be hard to define the optimum vehicle(s) if not a car. So we might concentrate on trying to replace some of the auto trips that the commuter must make since his travel configuration is more stable. Then we come to the industrial transportation issues. Where it can be seen that interlinks between far flung cities by mass transport vehicles is much more efficient than having a vast fleet of trucks moving across these long distances. So the name of the game as I see it is to separate and replace, rather than shut down completely. Thus we can begin to reduce auto depencency by replacements. This is most easily done and to quite an immediate benefit for local trips and in recreational and historic areas/districts. Next step is to reinforce the breaking of the auto/travel bond by introducing car shareing which puts cars just beyond easy reach, except when they are needed. In areas where it is feasible, like urban centers, it would be much more convienent to say hop aboard a hpv (tricycle) do some grocery or other local shopping and return home. This would free many local streets of the hazards of auto traffic, noise and pollution. An the additional health benefits of using hpv's in such areas is that the level of environmental and personal stress is reduced. Get this... I lost a friend who was an architect, simply because a taxi cab wanted to turn a corner, probably hurriedly because he needed fares. What I'd like to see here in NYC, is to have Tractor pulled trams moving up and down the avenues and pedicabs plying the side streets and perhaps some electric vehicles. The cabs and autos would then be confined to the periphery of the city where people could get to them when needed. But all this coursing wildly through the streets in -- at times desperate-- search of fares often costs people their lives. Instead our illustrious silly council devotes it's time to laws protecting pedestrians from bikes and the soft fleshy mooush of rollerbladers. While tons of hard metal charge gracelessly through the street at many tens of miles per hour. They kill people everyday of the week, yet the silly council takes little or no notice! Nor do they care, it seems, that citizens are assured of losing their lives, in parks or malls or even in historic or recreational districts they invite the masses to throng to. Must we have a parking space adjacent to each table at a sidewalk cafe? I've seen motorist pull wildly out of one parking space and race down the block, only to park several dozens of feet closer to their destination. This is what happens when auto-centric people are given their way. This is the behaviour even they themselves denounce in their fellow drivers. But it is a problem of concept that comes with the usage of cars. Once people come to realize that a car is not meant to be a symbol of status, but a tool to get a job done, then perhaps we all might be able to breath a bit easier. Regards Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Fri May 16 03:53:56 1997 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (obwon) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 11:53:56 -0700 Subject: [sustran] [long] Re: Ed Hillsman's Post. References: <2.2.32.19970514133656.006c103c@popserver> Message-ID: <337B5BC4.6264@idt.net> Ed Hillsman wrote: [...} First let me say in replying that I enjoyed reading your post very much. Holistically (I am not a transp. professional) you make very good sense and your ideas are ( I feel) very likely to establish new conventions. Having said that, it is my thought that there is a facet of your 'developmental trip reduction' scenario that should recieve some attention as well. You are quite right in noting that the emergence of electronic media devices, is a growing alternative to the trips that are being taken/would be taken. But apart from any 'loose drifting' towards these 'desirable goals', there is a significant amount of economic pressure that is driving the process. Much like your budget for food, clothing, rent and the like, there is a component that is composed of the little things (like postage, envelopes and time) that are often left out. If one were to construct a more detailed household budget then a startling thing becomes clear. We have a limited amount of time in a month with which to accomplish each task associated with the processes of living. As we review this CBP (comprehisive budget plan) we will note that a simple task, like mailing or banking, actually consumes inordinate amounts of time an materials on a regular basis. Especially when viewed against the electronic alternatives under developement. So that a trip to the bank to cash or deposit a check can actually consume a significant percentage of resources when time is included in the CBP. If the trip must involve car travel or immediate payments for public transit access, then the cost only rise higher than what might be obviously thought. How much time is associated with shopping, add transportation and time costs to that and you will begin to see the pressures that mitigate against such trips. Of course there was a time, when there were limited avenues of energy expenditure for each person. No t.v. meant that there was no time needed to view entertaining or educational programs. A simpler economy meant as well that there was often more time unfilled for which diversion had to be devised. This was in part because the limits on the ability to travel forced planning to either put one in the right place at the right time, or abandon a task until later, thus leaving one will unassigned time. These subtle barriers are coming down with our ability to travel more quickly and convieniently over larger distances. So there comes with this progress less need to create diversion by way of having greater access to places where a wider variety of tasks can be performed. Which of course brings us to the matter that we also have much more to do. T.V. programs which once were only entertaining are now educational as well. Therefore the importance of watching T.V. (for some programing) has become almost a necessity, where it was once a luxury. Then there's the internet, but even before we get to that, there are lots of new products that also require some of our time and attention to use. So our more modern days are filling up quite near their capacity. This then brings us to the business side of the coin. In the business world time equals money because business pays salaries and has expenses which drives the equation ( fx| The longer the task takes the more it will cost.) In the business world time, and it's limited availablity over any given period, creates huge pressures to efficiently complete tasks. This is the real reason in part for the internets explosive growth in the commercial sector. Printing, advertising, disemination of information, data transferal, information transferal and many more business components generate many direct and indirect trips. The one least tolerable component of all of this travel (and transport) is time. The internet has the capacity to eliminate much of the loss in this area. So that the pressure can be seen more clearly take a simple look at a business meeting plan which will involve 4 or 5 people. Each person is required to devote man-hours to get to the meeting and return, unless the meeting can be combined with other functions. Often it cannot, as say with sales people, where they are either out in the field selling or traveling to the next sales prospect or in the home office waiting for the meeting to begin. Then too lets look at the materials involved in business over all. Paper, paper everywhere and more coming in all the time. This paper generates trips obviously, sales trip to sell it, worker trips to make it, trips to cut logs, on and on. Each email message saves lots of trips and reduces the need for resources by large amounts opposed to if that message when by regular mail. Then there are the economic pressures on business that derive from maintaining the work place. There are rents, leases, commissions, construction and a hundred other expenses including maintenence. These expenses are being reduce as we assign more tasks to telecommuters and homeworkers. Each person who can work from home, relieves his business of the need to obtain and maintain several square feet of office or other space. With this the companies heating and cooling costs go down, giving such companies more capital to direct towards their primary tasks. Since this competitive edge can mean the difference between overall success or failure, we can expect that many more businesses will access the internet quickly. In fact the pressures to cut costs are so great upon businesses they are looking forward to the day when they can conduct business almost entirely this way. That day is fast approaching! Already computer assisted remotely controlled devices are allowing people to remotely log into the work place and accomplish tasks. This means that travel budgets and our old friend time are reduced. But then the significant point that you make Ed, that travel acts more like a gas, tends to kick in here as well. As we have the resources to save trips, we will have more desire to make trips as well. Only the purposes of the trips change, but I suspect that they will be longer in duration since, entertainment and visiting trips are usually the longest trips anyway ie. many hours or days at visiting, vacationing, sightseeing etc. As well as the fact that with laptop computers, much work can still be attended to from almost any location. But, being aware of the particularly sedentiary lifestyle that can and will likely emerge from this progress, and knowing the almost pharmacological health benefits of exercise. I find in quite appropriate to propose that we work to diminish the use of cars in recreational, historic and local districts first. This should be done by offering hpv's as alternative means of traversing the short distances involved. In suitable neighborhoods etc., the pairing of exercise with the short trips required provides a benefit to all, since we would lower the demands that would be made on the health care systems. In closing, you can see that I've omitted much detail, hoping that your familiarity can fill in the missing peices. In the differences between the past and the present we can get a glimse of the future. The same economic pressures which have driven us this far, I daresay, will drive us yet further again. Obwon From jbrooks at peeras.demon.co.uk Thu May 15 20:41:09 1997 From: jbrooks at peeras.demon.co.uk (John Brooks) Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 12:41:09 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Self Introduction and a comment on Big Issues In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I must also apologise for letting fly to the list yesterday without introducing myself first. Self Introduction I am a consultant working in the area of data communications, with particular interests in automation systems for buildings and comms for utility companies (metering, etc.). In the past I have been involved with IVHS, specifically comms for vehicle navigation and for traffic signals. I also have a personal interest in alternative transport systems with particular reference to energy and resource use, environmental impacts and the relationships between the need to work, the need to travel and possible alternative approaches such as teleworking / telecommuting. The future nature of employment, or the relationship between worker and 'client', is another area of interest to me (both as an independent consultant myself and also more widely). It is clear from the UK experience that providing feasible and cost-effective means to travel to work over long distances encourages people to take jobs a long way away. It is no surprise, therefore, that long-distance commuting to work is a major contributor to road congestion in Southeast England. Finally, as a member of the transport specialist group of a local amenity society I have been closely involved with economic, environmental and amenity issues arising from the development of a light rail mass transit system in the area In article , Dharm Guruswamy writes > When I was a >undergraduate, we had planners from St. Petersburg, Russia (formerly >Leningrad and Petrograd :=) >), visit our program and state on a AID funded study tour. > >The noted that they are planning for the influx of automobiles with plans >to widen areterials and build parking garages in certain dense districts. >However, they balanced that with plans to continue to expand the Metro and >maintain the bus system. More and more people were going to be owning >cars and these planners did not necasserily like it, but they acknowledged >reality. I recently returned from a visit to St Petersburg. It appears that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Yes: there have been attempts to improve the roads, there is an excellent Metro system, there is a good (but grossly overcrowded) bus and trolleybus system. There are trams too. However, private car traffic is growing uncontrollably at a colossal rate, so that congestion is now a significant problem, of course affecting buses and trams. All the mass transit systems are seriously affected by under-investment. There appears to be insufficient money in the local economy to fund vehicle replacement, or indeed anything except basic maintenance of the systems. This is a great pity since the basic mass transit infrastructure is very compatible with the current layout of the city and its surroundings. The level of private transport in the recent past was low enough not to be significant but is now running out of control. There are, it seems, quite valid parallels between St Petersburg and (say) Bangkok or Calcutta, as to what is likely to happen if uncontrolled traffic growth is alowed to continue. None seem to be learning much from past bad decisions and experiences in Western Europe and US. -- John Brooks - Technical Consultant, Energy, Network Systems and Data Comms South Croydon, 7CR2 7HN, UK Tel: (44) 181 681 1595 Fax: (44) 181 649 7536 The opinions expressed here are mine but are not offered as professional advice. From tkpb at barter.pc.my Fri May 16 14:15:22 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 13:15:22 +0800 Subject: [sustran] "Southern" countries to look out for. Message-ID: Adam Karp wrote >Nice overview, Paul. Latin American countries are also on the horizon of >innovative transportation technologies (and the revival of low-tech common >sense). Take, for example, the oft-quoted example of Curitiba, Brazil and >the work of Jorge Wilheim (does anyone know his email? or has anyone read >his 1996 book "Fax: Memoirs from the Near Future"? Mexico City and >Sao Paolo are also cities worth focusing on. Aaah! Thanks Adam for reminding us about Curitiba. For those who don't know, Curitiba is a city of about 1.5 million (i think) in Southern Brazil which is famous for a number of things, but mainly its innovative and very successful system of high quality busways. Jonas Rabinovitch, who now works at the UNDP in NY was also involved in the Curitiba story I hear. The exact system is a little complex to explain. Prof. Robert Cervero of University of California at Berkely has produced the best impartial explanation and review that I have seen: Cervero, R. (1995). Creating a Linear City with a Surface Metro: The Story of Curitiba, Brazil (Working Paper 643, National Transit Access Center (NTrac), University of California at Berkeley.) It has been a mystery to many in this field, as to why Brazil has been able to do so much with busways but they have never really taken off in most other places. Proposals for Karachi, Jakarta, Bangkok and other Asian cities have all apparently been cancelled or changed to LRT proposals. Busways versus lightrail is a big (and technical) debate...which I don't really want to get into right now. But it seems clear to me that in low income countries busways may have a lot of potential...any ideas why they are not being pushed harder? A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my PLEASE NOTE: From 19 May until 15 July I am in Perth, Australia. During that time please reach me at From tkpb at barter.pc.my Sat May 17 11:08:51 1997 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Sat, 17 May 1997 10:08:51 +0800 Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: On the issue of poverty alleviation and urban transport again. The recent World Bank report: "Sustainable Transport: Priorities for Policy Reform" published last year gives several pages to transport and poverty in general with some mention of the urban poor in low and middle-income countries. I know Walter is already familiar with this but in case others are not I thought it might be helpful to highlight a few of their best points. Although of course the WB is not the ultimate authority on this :-) They mainly push the line that by stimulating economic growth, transport investment can help the poor.... hmm..maybe.. but they also make a number of more pertinent points. p.31 "In urban areas the principal resource of the poor is their labor, and adequate and affordable transport to work is therefore a critical need....." "Where incomes are very low in comparison with transport costs, a high proportion of long walks to work is found, as in Nairobi (Oudho, 1992)". This is important throughout Africa and South Asia and puts the magnitude of the problem into perspective. p.31 "Because planning skills and paradigms that are relevant to industrial countries have been deployed in developing countries, priority has been given to the provision of high mobility rather than basic accessibility. This has favored persons who are already mobile, particularly vehicular road-users." p.72 "....Narrowly focused strategies oriented to growth of output tend to increase dependence on the automobile [and motorcycles?], which in turn tends to displace non-motorised transport and reduce the variety of public transport available to the poor." (This is a very important argument in countries of all income levels) p.72 "...The poor are also disproportionately displaced by the expansion of rights-of-way for transport infrastructure or are less able to afford higher prices as the transport sector becomes more commercial." ....... Ramon, here is one connection between HOUSING RIGHTS activists' agendas and people-centred/green transport agendas! Doubly so, if for various reasons the poorest theb end up on the far periphery of urban areas with long arduous journeys to work, services, education, etc. p.74 "One of the best ways to help the poor is thus to improve nonmotorised transport. For the very poor, transport is walking, the security and convenience of which should be protected and enhanced. Even more dramatic improvement can be achieved by shifting from walking to cycling...." They also have a reasonable section on eleminating gender bias in transport. A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) c/- AP2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +60 3 253 2361, E-mail: tkpb@barter.pc.my PLEASE NOTE: From 19 May until 15 July I am in Perth, Australia. During that time please reach me at From RVerzola at phil.gn.apc.org Sun May 18 23:01:43 1997 From: RVerzola at phil.gn.apc.org (RVerzola) Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 06:01:43 -0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Announcement of ICTTS Conference in Beijing, China Message-ID: I am Roberto Verzola of the Philippines. Like Ramon Fernan III, I am also a member of the local Sustainable Transport Forum (STF). I did an earlier policy study of the urban transport situation in our country, where I had two major recommendations: 1. restrict the use of private cars 2. improve the quantity and quality of the public transport system and non-motorized modes like cycling I received the announcement below, which might be of interest to some on this list. I apologize to those who already have a copy. ------------- From: CEHKLAM@HKPUCC.POLYU.EDU.HK (Dr. H K Lam) ICTTS'98 1998 International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Studies Call for Papers Beijing, People's Republic of China July 27-29, 1998 School of Traffic and Transportation Northern Jiaotong University Beijing, 100044 P.R.China BACKGROUND In order to get together researchers, professionals, policy makers,industry and manufacture leaders from around the world to discuss and exchange views on recent developments in transportation, the first International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Studies (ICTTS) will be held in Beijing(China) from 27 to 29 July 1998. The conference will provide a variety of opportunities to explore the key issues, innovative technologies, current projects and future prospects for transportation system studies. In this Conference, international researchers and railway & highway administrators will be invited to deliver guest keynote lectures. The Conference has happily got financial support from K.C.Wong Education Foundation,Hong Kong. Sponsoring Organisations China Railway Society(CRS) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies (HKSTS) Australia Road Research Board(ARRB) China Communication and Transportation Association(CCTA) Northern Jiaotong University(NJU) Honorary Chairman Mr. FU, Zhihuan, Vice Minister of Ministry of Railway, China Prof. GUO, Lin, President of China Railway Society Dr. SINHA, Kumares, University of Purdue, U.S.A. Advisory Committee Prof. WANG, Derong, CCTA, China. Mr. WANG, Chenlian, CRS, China. Ms. ZHANG, Xingping, NJU, China. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Chairman : Prof.WU,Yujian,NJU, China. Co-Chairman: Dr. AKCELIK, Rahmi, Australia. Prof. BELL, Michael G. H., UK. Prof. MARCHAL,J.L.J., Belgium Prof. ZHANG,Guohua, China Members: Dr. AERDE, Michel Van, Canada Dr. CHIN, Anthony, Singapore Dr. DEMETSKY, Michael J., U.S.A. Prof. DUAN, Liren, China Dr. ELLIOT, Robert P., U.S.A. Dr. FERREIRA, Luis, Australia Dr. HARRIS, William J., U.S.A. Prof. HU, Anzhou, China. Prof. HU, Siji, China Dr. HUENEMANN, Ralph W., Canada Mr.KITTELSON, K. Wayne, USA Dr. LEDE', Naomi W., U.S.A. Dr. LEE, Kwanghoon, Korea. Mr. LEISCH, Joel P., USA Prof. MAHMASANNI, Hani, U.S.A. Prof. PANT, Prahlad D., U.S.A. Prof. QUAN, Yongxin, China Prof. REN, Futian, China Prof. WATERS II, William G., Canada Dr. YU, Lei, U.S.A. Prof. YANG, Zhaosheng, China Prof. YANG, Peikun, China Dr. ZANIEWSKI, John, U.S.A. Prof. ZHU, Songnian, China. Organizing Committee Chairman : Prof. YANG, Zhaoxia, NJU, China Co-Chairman: Dr. WANG, Kelvin C.P., University of Arkansas, U.S.A. Dr. LAM, William H.K., HKSTS, Hong Kong Dr. HARATA, Noboru, University of Tokyo, Japan. Secratary General: Dr. MAO, Baohua, NJU, China Members: Prof. SHEN, Qingyan, CRS, China Prof. LIU, Kai, NJU, China. Prof. NING, Bin, NJU, China. Prof. GAO, Ziyou, NJU, China. Dr. ZHAO, Shengchuan, Japan. Mr. JI, Jialun, NJU, China. Dr. ZHANG, Xingchen, NJU, China. Mr. HAN, Baoming, NJU, China. Mr. YUAN, Xing, CRS, China. Mr. ZHONG, Yan, NJU, China. Topics The International Scientific Committee of the ICTTS is now calling for participation in the Conference. A list of Special Interest Groups is given to assist you to allocating your paper to a theme. The list is not exclusive. You are also encouraged to add other areas and propose cluster sessions, tutorials panel sessions and plenary sessions related to the theme of the Conference. SIG 1. Comprehensive Policy Analysis for a Nation or a Region SIG 2. Coordinational Theory on Transportation Systems SIG 3. Urban and Regional Transport Planning Approaches SIG 4. Transport Economic Analysis SIG 5. Transport Issues in Developing Regions SIG 6. Intelligent Transport Systems SIG 7. Traffic Flow Theory with Applications SIG 8. Heavy-duty Rail Transport Technology & Organisations SIG 9. Urban Transportation: TDM and Land Use SIG10. Pavement Engineering SIG11. Highway Information Systems SIG12. Advanced Technologies in Transportation SIG13. Urban Light Rail Transit Systems SIG14. Transport Geographic Information Systems Deadlines Deadline for Submission of Abstracts August 20, 1997 Release of Call for Invited Papers September 10,1997 Deadline for Submission of Draft Full Papers January 15, 1998 Notification of Acceptance of Papers February 1, 1998 Deadline for Submission of Final Full Papers March 1, 1998 Language Working Language of the Conference is English. Abstracts & full papers will be written in English for inclusion in the proceedings. Technical Visits Special half day technical visits will be arranged by the Organiser for conference participants. The visits provide a rare opportinity for delegates to gain insights to transportation projects and systems in Beijing. Social Programme for Accompanying Persons An interesting social programme will be arranged for accompanying persons during the Conference which will include insightseeing and other activities within Beijing. After Conference Tours After Conference sightseeing/technical tours to places of interest in China will be specially arranged for participants and their accompanying persons, though fees related need additional payment. Registration Information Participation is open to all persons interested in traffic and transportation studies. Those who wish to attend the Conference should complete the enclosed pre-registration form and air-mail or fax it to the Organizing Committee. Additional form can be copied from the original one. Category Before May 15,1998 After May 15,1998 Delegates US$450 US$500 Accompanying Persons US$150 US$150 Selection of Papers Those who wish to present at this conference are invited to send to the International Scientific Committee of the conference two copies of abstracts about 500 words long outlining the subject and the main ideas of the proposed papers. They are also required to indicate the name(s) of the author(s), his(their) affliation(s), and one mailing address with telephone and fax (and/or E-Mail) numbers. All interested persons to participate and present their papers in this conference should submit their abstract and (draft) full papers according to the specific deadlines. All papers must be written in English. The selection of final papers to be included in the Proceedings are based on the following criteria: papers must be expressed in English; paper should deal with transportation related topics; the innovative features of the analysis and experience will be an important criterion in judging the paper's quality; and, the well organized practical information and/or statistics together with a practical policy/project application will be evaluated. Abstracts, drafts full papers and any request for information should be sent to: Dr. MAO, Baohua or Dr. ZHANG, Xingchen School of Traffic and Transportation Northern Jiaotong University Beijing 100044, People's Republic of China. Tel: (8610) 6324,0344 (8610) 6324,0314 Fax: (8610) 6224,5826 E-Mail: bhmao@center.njtu.edu.cn From qcc at peg.apc.org Tue May 20 08:33:28 1997 From: qcc at peg.apc.org (qcc) Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 16:33:28 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: introductions References: Message-ID: <3380E347.5E2A@peg.apc.org> Paul we would appreciate the following message being added to the discussion group - just letting people know who we are, etc. Smogbusters is an Australia-wide community based project aimed at raising community awareness of air pollution and car use. We have groups in nearly every Australian state capital and have recently received Commonwealth funding for project officers in five states for the next 3 years. We also have many voluntary members working on a wide range of projects. Smogbusters activities include - lobbying for improved public transport and other environment-friendly and human-friendly forms of transport such as walking and cycling, working with local communities, groups and governments on air pollution and transport issues, other activities including networking, data collection, public education, campaign work, etc. We are keen to network with overseas organisations who are working in the field to share ideas, information and strategies on dealing with air pollution and transport issues. We have a bi-monthly newsletter in which we would like to have input from around the world. We may also be interested in having a sustainable transport conference at some stage if there is enough interest from around the Pacific region. To reply, contact: James Whelan Smogbusters Brisbane Queensland Conservation Council PO Box 12046 Elizabeth St, Queensland AUSTRALIA ph 61 7 3221 0188 email qcc@peg.apc.org http://www.peg.apc.org/~qcc From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Mon May 19 16:04:11 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Britton (EcoPlan Paris)) Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 03:04:11 -0400 Subject: Reaction to: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <199705190304_MC2-16DA-BB07@compuserve.com> Dear Friends, Look, I don't know how you feel about it, but I regard this note by our kind host of Sat, 17 May 1997 10:08:51 +0800 as just about as close as I can imagine to some of the key raw materials needed to produce a manifesto for this forum and for those of us who share his concerns and interests. Kind of makes me wonder if we cannot somehow open up a little electronic library of key papers and notes, which could serve as a sort of shared depository of our collective wisdom and perceptions. Maybe we should be doing something in support of this on our STEP Forum under The Commons?? However done, it will need a good librarian to keep things sorted out and in shape. Gotta think about this, but perhaps others will have ideas? It would be a great pity to have the best of these ideas simply disappear into the vapors, leaving us all, giving the way that unreinforced memory works, little or no wiser for it. With all good wishes, Eric Britton _________________________________________________________________ Kindly note slight address, fax modifications: EcoPlan International -- Technology & Social Systems Le Frêne, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, F-75006 Paris, France e-mail: 100336.2154@compuserve.com (or ecoplan@europemail.com) Main Tel. 331.4441.6340 Fax 331.4441.6341 Data: 331.4441.6342 ISDN/videoconferencing/groupwork: 331.4441.6340 (1-4) 24 hour backup phone/fax: 331.4326.1323 http://www.the-commons.org/ecoplan/consult Electronic Libraries available at: EuroFIX: 331 4441.6343 ftp.the-commons.org/pub/ (then chose your section) CompuServe: GO TWEUR (then go to "New Ways to Work") _________________________________________________________________ From Brian.Williams at unchs.org Mon May 19 21:28:14 1997 From: Brian.Williams at unchs.org (Brian.Williams@unchs.org) Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 12:28:14 GMT Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <9705191228.0E2480@unchs57.unep.org> Greetings from Nairobi, By way of introduction, my name is Brian Williams and I am the focal point in transport here at the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat). As one of the founding members of SUSTRAN in my previous NGO life, I am pleased to see the email discussion group under way and have enjoyed following it. I am writing today with respect to the issue of poverty alleviation in transport and to call your attention to a meeting on this very subject being held in Florence (sponsored by UNCHS) from Sept. 14-19. While this meeting was mentioned in a previous communication from Paul Barter, I wanted to take this opportunity to forward to you all the concept paper and tentative agenda of the meeting which I am including (not attaching) below. I would appreciate any and all comments and would welcome your attendance. It is seldom to see transport mentioned in the context of poverty and I believe we will be breaking some new ground here, not only from a substantive viewpoint but also in devising an operational strategy to actually address the problem. Please feel free to get back to me, individually if you like, at the email address below should you require any further details and/or would like to attend and participate. Regards, Brian Brian Williams, Human Settlements Officer United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT) Research and Development Division P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya TEL: (254 2) 623-916 FAX: (254 2) 624-265 EMAIL: brian.williams@unchs.org From Brian.Williams at unchs.org Mon May 19 21:29:39 1997 From: Brian.Williams at unchs.org (Brian.Williams@unchs.org) Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 12:29:39 GMT Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <9705191229.2725D0@unchs57.unep.org> --- Begin Included Message --- INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON URBAN POVERTY CONCEPT PAPER Draft (9 April 1997) 1. Background in the perspective of the Recife Declaration The Recife International Meeting on Urban Poverty, organised in preparation for the Habitat II Conference, and in the context of the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, calls for a fundamental change in attitude and policy to confront urban poverty. At the official presentation of the Recife Declaration during the Habitat II Conference, in Istanbul, the content of the Declaration received additional backing from mayors, government ministers, spiritual leaders and representatives of donor countries, and sparked a lively debate. UNCHS (Habitat) was urged by the mayors and other participants in the Recife Special Event to ensure continuity to the process of advocacy and exchange of experiences and information that was launched in Recife, and to promote the concrete application of the principles of the Recife Declaration and of the poverty- related guidance contained in the Habitat Agenda. 2. The International Forum on Urban Poverty: objectives and focus The proposed mechanism for Recife and Istanbul follow-up in the field of urban poverty is the International Forum on Urban Poverty, a partnership among municipalities, bilateral and multilateral support agencies, private Foundations, NGOs and community-based organizations that are active in the struggle against urban poverty at the local level. The Forum will provide a permanent mechanism for the discussion of crucial aspects of urban poverty, of its causes and consequences and of the policies needed for its reduction, involving experts and researchers in policy analysis and conceptual development. It will provide an impetus to poverty reduction activities, pooling resources to promote the implementation of the poverty-related aspects of the Habitat Agenda and the application of the principles of the Recife Declaration. It will promote direct exchanges between local actors and advocate internationally their central role in the struggle against urban poverty, as agents of coordination, of mediation and development which play a leading role in the physical and social construction of the city. Focusing on local government and its key role in the struggle against urban poverty, the Forum will contribute to strengthening the political role of cities in interpreting the local demands and practices of organized communities, uniting all the local forces that have a contribution to make in fighting urban poverty and providing them with a reliable link to central governments, in order to make it possible to have their voices taken into account at the higher levels of the decision-making process. Even though the role of central governments as enablers, providing an overall framework for many city-related decisions and strategies is acknowledged, urban poverty reduction will not be achieved unless it is addressed through local policies, that are close to city dwellers themselves. Experience has indeed shown that when governments strive to confront urban poverty they cannot succeed unless they establish partnerships with cities and community groups. Likewise, the worthy and promising practices of so many communities and NGOs cannot make a difference at the right scale unless the city as a whole buys into these practices. The primary objectives of the Forum will be thus to advocate for the concrete application of the principles of the Recife Declaration for poverty reduction at the local level, and to promote the horizontal exchange of experiences among local actors, including local communities and policy makers, both in developed and developing countries. The Forum will allow the international community to learn about the number of practices for poverty reduction that originate from municipalities and social actors at local level. It will help in extracting lessons, analyzing and disseminating them, contributing to strengthening the capacity of the poor in organizing solidarity networks and to building poverty reduction strategies that are based on the poor's existing practices. Finally, the Forum will point to the need for interaction and integration of urban and social policies, overcoming traditional sectoral approaches and promoting an integrated approach to public policies. As a result, it is hoped that the Forum will influence global thinking and policy development in the field of urban poverty reduction, becoming an advisory think-tank to the international community on urban poverty issues, and offering a facility which interested countries and cities can resort to for assistance in the formulation and implementation of poverty reduction policies at the local and national levels. The International Forum on Urban Poverty will be officially launched at a global meeting of all its partners, to be held in Florence, Italy, from 14 to 19 September 1997. 3. The Activities of the International Forum on Urban Poverty It is envisaged that the activities of the Forum will be based on a continuous process of documentation and exchange of promising practices, and on a two-yearly cycle of preparations for its global meeting, and dissemination of the results of the previous meeting. During each bi-annual meeting the experiences gained since the previous meeting will be analyzed, and the activities undertaken evaluated, so that over time the principles of Recife may be re-elaborated and refined. Every time, background papers and case studies will be prepared for the meeting, in a process of compilation and collation of the knowledge that is available on each of the themes under scrutiny. At the end of the meeting, the new formulations and the lessons learnt will be included in proceedings containing the background and case study material, as well as a report on the discussions in plenary and in the . This material will be disseminated as a base for further field applications and advancement of the practices of local poverty reduction activities. Suggestions for themes to be discussed in the next cycle will be made at each Forum meeting. In the meantime, the Forum will support a permanent mechanism of documentation and exchange of experiences, utilizing a specifically conceived format which will be compatible with other similar databases. Also envisaged is the possibility for the Forum to promote the initiation of local activities in the field of poverty reduction, providing support and guidance to municipalities interested in the design of poverty reduction programmes. The bi-annual meeting could in this case be the occasion for the development of a framework for action at municipal level and for its periodical review, drawing from field experiences as well as from the expertise that is available from the Forum's partners. In time, with the development of the Forum, it could become useful to organize, apart from the general meetings, separate specialized meetings, as well as sub-regional and country workshops on particular themes. The network that would be thus established would naturally lead Forum participants to express a demand for the advisory services that the Forum, drawing upon the collective expertise of its members, would be able to mobilize. It is envisaged that such advisory services would in turn constitute learning opportunities for the Forum, and that poverty reduction activities in which the Forum would be involved would be carefully documented for this purpose. 4. The functions of the Forum The functions of the Forum may be thus summed up: a. EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES: by establishing an international platform for the exchange of experiences and a dissemination mechanism; b. IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE: through identification of crucial issues, promotion of specific research and documentation of field experiences. The preparation of the Forum meetings (choice of themes, preparation of case studies and background material), as well as the discussion and exchange during the meeting will represent the core of this activity; c. POLICY ADVICE: by constituting a focal point within the international community for advisory services for the formulation and implementation of urban poverty reduction policies; d. TECHNICAL SUPPORT: by consolidating and coordinating international expertise from governments, external support agencies, local authorities, NGOs, foundations and the private sector for the formulation and implementation of urban poverty reduction programmes; e. ADVOCACY: by promoting the principles of the Recife Declaration and their translation into public policy and practice; f. AWARENESS RAISING: by raising the awareness of the general public on the importance of reducing urban poverty for the promotion of social justice and the creation of an equitable civil society. The scope of these activities and their operationalisation are dependent on the funding and resource mobilization mechanism that will be set in place. 5. The organization of the Forum It is envisaged that the operating and funding arrangements for the Forum will be developed in the period leading up to the Florence meeting in September 1997, and finalized in Florence, during a specific session. The Forum's operating arrangements, on the basis of the experience of similar Councils and Forums on other subjects, will have to utilize existing institutional arrangements, avoiding the need to create new structures. The basic outline of the Forum would be as follows: - The Forum would be constituted by an ad-hoc Secretariat, a Coordinating Committee and by the assembly of its members, who would be municipalities, multilateral and bilateral support agencies, private Foundations, non- governmental and community-based organizations. The modalities for membership would be drawn up in the period leading up to the Florence meeting and defined in Florence. - The Coordinating Committee would be formed by representatives of the institutions and municipalities that would be directly involved in preparations for the next Forum meeting in any given two-year period. Among the cities, there would be the city that organized the preceding Conference and the city that would be preparing the next one. UNCHS (Habitat) would provide the Forum's Secretariat. 6. The Florence Conference: overall theme, choice of topics and expected outputs The proposed overall theme of the meeting, "Governance and Participation: Practical Approaches to Urban Poverty Reduction," is of mutual interest to countries of the North and the South, builds on consensus achieved at the Recife Conference, and furthers partnerships emerging out of the Istanbul Conference. The Florence Conference will define the structure and modus operandi of the International Forum on Urban Poverty. It will also focus on enabling participants to apply the principles of the Recife Declaration and to work towards a viable framework for urban poverty reduction. The substantive portion of the Florence Conference will be organized, over five days, into four parts: the International Forum, (part I), thematic overview (part II), analysis of sectoral topics (part III), and practical application of strategies on each topic (part IV). It is envisioned that the International Forum on Urban Poverty will adopt this structure for its global Conferences. Future Conferences would vary in overall theme and sectoral topics, yet retain a similar format. The Forum will therefore provide an opportunity to operationalize a wide range of themes and topics in order to make incremental contributions to a framework for urban poverty reduction. During Part I of the Conference, participants will listen to some examples of other existing organizations with similar purposes in other issue areas, and consider and discuss the proposed structure and operational arrangements for the International Forum on Urban Poverty. Participants will then focus in Part II of the Conference on urban poverty reduction, under the general theme of "Governance and Participation." The choice of this theme reflects growing concern in the international community about decentralization of public administration and the need for greater accountability among decision makers (from community leaders to heads of state). It also reflects increased recognition that people living in poverty have a fundamental right to participate in decisions which impact on their living and working conditions, and particularly in decisions about resource allocation. Questions about governance, considered in the context of participation, highlight the relationship between political representation and popular participation, both in electoral politics and in economic and social development. Similarly, debates about participation, viewed in the context of governance, illustrate the importance of decentralization and accountability to participatory decision making. Considered together, governance and participation constitute corner stones of a prospective operational strategy to reduce poverty. In Part III of the Conference, discussion will focus on four sectoral topics: (1) From urban violence and exclusion to safer cities; (2) Shelter and employment; (3) Access to affordable transport for the urban poor; and (4) Social exclusion and the "new" urban poor. The Conference focuses on topics such as urban violence and access to transport, crucial to one or more of the issue areas but hitherto largely excluded from debates on poverty. Such "new" topics have gained importance in the wake of Habitat II and the Partnerships Forums. For these four sectoral topics, the conference will provide an opportunity to compare experiences from both North and South, and will draw lessons from many different practices, presented as case studies. During Part IV of the Conference--"Practical Approaches to Urban Poverty Reduction," participants will move from principles of governance and participation to applied strategies and practices, as realized in the topical areas of transport, urban violence, etc. They will assemble in working groups sessions organized by sectoral topic to identify mechanisms and tools, and make recommendations for CBOs, NGOs, local authorities, senior policy makers, and the private sector. The working groups will focus on partnerships, gender awareness and participatory decision making techniques in order to arrive at practical methods and recommendations. Partnerships are increasingly regarded as practical tools for channelling the resources of diverse actors in the human settlements sector. There are a wide range of practices which ensure strategies for poverty reduction fully incorporate the needs and capacities of women. Similarly, there are important tools and methods which ensure people living in poverty are able (legally, technically, financially) to make decisions on how to improve the human settlements in which the work and live. The discussion on the cross-cutting themes will enable participants to reflect on experiences from North and South, and analyze the practices presented in the working groups. A Task Force will be established to consolidate the substantive elements of the case studies and plenary and working group discussions. The Task Force will present a report in plenary which will form the basis of the activities of the Forum on each of the topics in the next two-year period. The Florence Conference will conclude with a final session dedicated to the presentation to the plenary and the media of the Task Force report which will gather comments and suggestions of the participants throughout the Florence Conference and modify the proposed arrangements for the Forum accordingly. This will lead to the preparation of a final document on the organization and activities of the Forum which will constitute the reference document for the Forum's activities in the follow-up period. 7. Meeting organization and participants The Florence Conference will be held from 14 to 19 September 1997. The programme of the Conference is attached. The maximum number of participants is tentatively set at 150. Efforts will be made to balance the participation of policy-makers, local officials, NGO representatives, educators, practitioners and community representatives from the North and the South, with an emphasis on local actors and local government representatives. The languages of the meeting, as in Recife, will be four: English, French and Spanish, plus the language of the host country (Italian in the case of Florence). The meeting will be organized in plenary sessions and in on the various topics. All plenary and committee sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in all four languages. A general background document on the overall theme of the Conference, "Governance and Participation: Practical Approaches to Urban Poverty Reduction", will be presented in plenary at the beginning of the Conference. On each sectoral topic, a keynote paper and one case study will be presented in plenary (two speakers, 20 min. each), followed by discussions in plenary and in working group . On the cross-cutting elements of participation, partnerships and gender, a brief orientation will be presented in plenary, followed by the discussions on the four sectoral topics in working group. The case studies will be from the North and from the South. The case studies should present an applied experience in an urban setting, preferably one which demonstrates community, local and national levels of decision making--rather than a national or isolated neighbourhood experience. Their presentation should ideally include a video. Plenary presentations of case studies will allow greater exchange among participants, providing a richer input into the groups' discussions. The working groups ' tasks are: (1) to discuss the theme according to the background documentation that will be prepared and to the experience of each participant; (2) to analyze the case study(s); (3) to make recommendations on what the Forum's activity should be regarding that specific theme; and (4) to contribute operational strategies/guidelines for urban poverty reduction, in the context of the specific topic under discussion. The discussion on the Forum organizational and operational setup will be held in plenary and in specific working groups and will be coordinated by a Task Force which will be established at the beginning of the meeting. For each topic/theme, there will be focal points, who will be responsible for: (1) coordinating the development of a concise, 5-10 page theme paper; (2) contacting partners to discuss the selection of the speakers and case study(s); (3) preparing a draft agenda for the discussion in the working groups; and (4) identifying two facilitators who will service the working group and the Task Force, respectively. The Task Force will provide the substantive elements of the Conference proceedings to the Forum. The Task Force members will be charged with consolidating discussions in the working groups, and revising proposed operational recommendations. In addition to developing substantive outputs for the Conference, the Task Force will facilitate long-term plans of action and networking for partners on the different themes. It is envisaged to hold a preparatory seminar in Florence, immediately preceding the Forum meeting, for the facilitators and rapporteurs who will be servicing the Conference. Facilitators and rapporteurs will be identified well in advance, and will be involved in the organization of the Conference from early on. INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON URBAN POVERTY Florence Conference (14 - 19 September 1997) GOVERNANCE AND PARTICIPATION: PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO URBAN POVERTY REDUCTION Draft programme Sunday 14 Sept.- Evening - Opening Session 18.00-20.00 (Plenary) This will include opening speeches from the Municipality of Florence and from the Italian Government; an introduction from UNCHS (Habitat) on the outcome of Recife and Istanbul on urban poverty reduction strategies and on the Meeting's objectives; opening speeches by the Forum's other partners Monday 15 Sept.-Morning - PART I: The International Forum on Urban Poverty 9.00-12.30 (Plenary) - General presentation of the International Forum : objectives, working modalities, participants, sphere of activities: (30 min.). - Habitat International Coalition (20 min.) - European Forum for Urban Safety (20 min.) - Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (20 min.) Coffee Break (10.30-11.00) - Questions and Answers (30 min.) - Discussion (45 min.) - Establishment of a Task Force, which will gather comments and suggestions of the participants throughout the Florence Meeting and modify the proposed arrangements for the Forum accordingly for presentation to the final Plenary (15 min.) Lunch (12.30-14.00) Monday 15 Sept.- Afternoon - Part II: Governance and Participation 14:00-17:00 (Plenary) - Presentation by the Government of Pernambuco: "Reflections on Recife" (20 min) - Questions and answers (30 min) - Keynote Address: "Governance and Participation" (25 min) Coffee Break (15:15-15:30) - Presentation: "Participation, Partnerships and Gender" (20 min.) - Presentation: "Practical Approaches to Urban Poverty Reduction: Suggestions for Achieving Outcomes of Florence Conference" (20 min) - Discussion (50 min.) Tuesday 16 Sept.- Morning - Part III: Select Topics of Urban Poverty 9.00-12.30 (Plenary) 1. First topic: From Urban Violence and Exclusion to Safer Cities Keynote paper and case study (2 speakers 20' each + discussion) Coffee break (10.30-11.00) 2. Second topic: Access to Transport for the Urban Poor Keynote paper and case study (2 speakers 20' each + discussion) General discussion Lunch Break (12:30-14:00) Tuesday 16 Sept.- Afternoon 14:00-17:30 (Plenary) 3. Third topic: Shelter and employment Keynote paper and case study (2 speakers 20' each + discussion) Coffee break (15.30-16.00) 4. Fourth topic: Social Exclusion and the "New" Urban Poor Keynote paper and case study (2 speakers 20' each + discussion) Wednesday 17 Sept.- Morning- 9:00-10:00 (Plenary) Part IV: Practical Approaches to Urban Poverty Reduction 10:00-12:30 (working groups ) - Introduction to Working Group Discussions (15 mins.) - 4 working groups: Discussions on the four sectoral topics. Lunch Break (12:30-14:00) Wed. 17 Sept.- Afternoon 14:00-15:45: 4 working groups - Discussions on the four sectoral topics. Coffee break (15:45-16:15) 16:15-18:00: 4 working groups - Discussions on the four sectoral topics. Thursday 18 Sept.- Morning 9.00-11.00: 4 working groups on sectoral topics: working plan and networking and a working group on 'Forum Action Planning' Coffee break (11.00-11.30) 11.30-12.30: Continuation of 4 working groups on sectoral topics: working plan and networking and a working group on 'Forum Action Planning'. Lunch Break (12.03-14.00) Thursday 18 Sept.- Afternoon - Presentations and cultural visits organized by the City of Florence Friday 19 Sept.- Morning - Conclusions 9.00-13.00 (plenary) Presentation of the conclusions of each working group to the plenary and media. (2 h) Coffee break (11.00-11.30) Presentation of the conclusions of Task Force on the future work of the Forum to the plenary and media.(1 h) Closing ceremony  --- End Included Message --- Brian Williams, Human Settlements Officer United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT) Research and Development Division P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya TEL: (254 2) 623-916 FAX: (254 2) 624-265 EMAIL: brian.williams@unchs.org From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Tue May 20 03:13:41 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Britton (EcoPlan Paris)) Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 14:13:41 -0400 Subject: [sustran] We may also be interested in having a sustainable transport conference??? Message-ID: <199705191413_MC2-16E1-786C@compuserve.com> James, >>We may also be interested in having a sustainable transport conference...<< Have you followed from cradle to grave the March 1996 sustainable transport shindig that took place in Vancouver. Terrific learning experience and definitely one to be built on ... But with a very careful eye to what really took place (and what didn't). Worth a look in. With all good wishes, Eric Britton _________________________________________________________________ Kindly note slight address, fax modifications: EcoPlan International -- Technology & Social Systems Le Frêne, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, F-75006 Paris, France e-mail: 100336.2154@compuserve.com (or ecoplan@europemail.com) Main Tel. 331.4441.6340 Fax 331.4441.6341 Data: 331.4441.6342 ISDN/videoconferencing/groupwork: 331.4441.6340 (1-4) 24 hour backup phone/fax: 331.4326.1323 http://www.the-commons.org/ecoplan/consult Electronic Libraries available at: EuroFIX: 331 4441.6343 ftp.the-commons.org/pub/ (then chose your section) CompuServe: GO TWEUR (then go to "New Ways to Work") _________________________________________________________________ From ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com Tue May 20 03:13:33 1997 From: ecoplan_the_commons at compuserve.com (Britton (EcoPlan Paris)) Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 14:13:33 -0400 Subject: [sustran] International Forum on Urban Poverty - critical reactions to draft Message-ID: <199705191413_MC2-16E1-7869@compuserve.com> Dear Brian, Your note comes at a time of a great push around here on some outstanding projects so I cannot give it the time and level of attention that I should like, but let me share at least one or two thoughts with you on this in the hope that it may be useful to you in your most worthy undertaking. (I'll put it on the site as well in an attempt to see if we can get some confirmation, sheer denial, or useful additional observations and suggestions by others in this most capable group.) The overall thrust is, to put it mildly, hugely challenging. Might it be too challenging in terms of the breadth of scope and its expansive ambitions? I dunno. My first reaction is that a tighter focus might just achieve more concrete results. In that respect, transport to my mind is a terrific place to start. It's a real issue, it touches so many other things, the thrust of policy in most places til now has been so terribly wrong-headed (and easy to correct, at least if the will to do so can be found), Not only that, , it makes a terrific 'learner system', so that once a given place gets a bit better at working out these local access issues for themselves, they are going to have the vision, cooperative structures and confidence in place that would allow them to tackle some of the really perplexing development issues that they face. And no less to the point, I might mention that I have over the last thirty years watched a very large number of noble efforts (and less noble) of this ilk come and go, and once all the nice (and not so nice) folks have had that nice time together, they then just scurry on back home leaving behind them few if any traces on the sands of time and society (unless they managed to scoff up a contract or a bit of support for what they do, which is almost always ye more research or another meeting -- neither of which, I might suggest, are necessarily the point in life!).. >From which I have to conclude that this particular way of trying to 'build knowledge, consensus and lay a base for useful action' just doesn't work -- I.E., the time- and place-centric world of the old conference mentality has had its chance and failed to achieve the needed impacts. FAILED!!! Does this mean that we no longer wish to gather people around a table from time to time in order to take advantage of more prolonged physical contact in a focused manner? No, but we sure gotta do it very differently indeed if we wish to leave anything more than one more lot of supine bodies on the ground once the smoke has cleared. This forum itself, this thing that Paul and his colleagues are trying to hard to get right (not so easy that, eh Paul?) provides us with a valuable clue. But there's a lot more to it than that. We have a whole new universe of communications technologies and possibilities out there which we now must learn to orchestrate in new and much more ingenious ways to achieve the complex objectives of the sort of things that you are setting out in your draft note. Our own little (and of late rather neglected) WWW site STEP - the Sustainable Transport Emergency Program - provides yet another example. Last year I wrote a little piece which I entitled the "The Information Society/Sustainable Development Symphony Orchestra" wherein I endeavored to make this point at more length. Now, it's not so good that I can really recommend it for your consumption, but perhaps with this note and the additional reactions it may elicit I may at least have been of a bit of 'help'. More on this if you wish. Once good way to take this exchange further could be to try some of the others means of communications that are at our disposal. With all good wishes for the success of your efforts, Eric Britton _________________________________________________________________ Kindly note slight address, fax modifications: EcoPlan International -- Technology & Social Systems Le Frêne, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, F-75006 Paris, France e-mail: 100336.2154@compuserve.com (or ecoplan@europemail.com) Main Tel. 331.4441.6340 Fax 331.4441.6341 Data: 331.4441.6342 ISDN/videoconferencing/groupwork: 331.4441.6340 (1-4) 24 hour backup phone/fax: 331.4326.1323 http://www.the-commons.org/ecoplan/consult Electronic Libraries available at: EuroFIX: 331 4441.6343 ftp.the-commons.org/pub/ (then chose your section) CompuServe: GO TWEUR (then go to "New Ways to Work") _________________________________________________________________ From barter at central.murdoch.edu.au Tue May 20 15:08:19 1997 From: barter at central.murdoch.edu.au (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 14:08:19 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Archives of the list Message-ID: Dear sustran-discuss users It is now possible to access archives of the discussions on this list. You will find this very useful if you are new to the list or if you should miss some messages for one reason or another (for example, your server crashes or if you are off the list for a while, etc). 1. To get a list of the messages in the archive: Send an e-mail to (NOT to the list address!!!!) with the following in the body of the message: get sustran-discuss INDEX end Note that INDEX must be in upper case. A file named "INDEX" will then be sent to you. It contains brief information on all messages in the archive (date, sender, subject, and sequence number) so that you can choose which ones you want. 2. To get a copy of some messages in the archive: Send an e-mailto (NOT to the list address!!!!) with the following in the body of the message: get sustran-discuss end For example if you want to get messages numbered 41 through 44 you would send : get sustran-discuss 41 get sustran-discuss 42 get sustran-discuss 43 get sustran-discuss 44 end The messages will automatically be sent to you. 3. If you have problems, first try sending e-mail to with the body of the message as follows: help Or contact this list owner, at . Best wishes, A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) PLEASE NOTE: From 19 May until 15 July I am in Perth, Australia. During that time please reach me at From mfksjmt at fs1.ar.man.ac.uk Tue May 20 11:24:58 1997 From: mfksjmt at fs1.ar.man.ac.uk (Jeff Turner) Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:24:58 gmt0bst Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: <13CDB24275@orpheus.man.ac.uk> Walter Hook wrote: > I am currently working on a policy paper for the United Nations Development > Program, and am seeking additional sources which quantify the relationship > between urban transport policies and projects and urban poverty. I have > excellent rural data but am finding there to be little on transport and > poverty in urban areas. Any sources you may know of, I would be grateful. I am a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester specialising in urban transport in developing countries. I have read with interest the discussion about poverty alleviation and urban mobility over the last week. I have also been heartened by the increasing importance of transport in the urban policy debate as shown by its appearance at as prominent a policy event as the `International Forum for Urban Poverty'. I would like to contribute 2 comments to the discussion on possible sources and consideration for any policy paper on this subject. Any policy paper should mention: 1. The importance of the informal transport sector to the lives of low-income city dwellers in developing countries. 2. The impact inadequate urban transport provision has on some members of low-income households, most notably women and children. 1. Myself and Ghanaian colleagues have conducted extensive research in Accra, Ghana that looked at how low-income people travel. We found that the informal public transport system, far from being, uniform, chaotic and unresponsive to market demand was in fact 6 separate types of public transport each with differing degrees of flexibility in terms of cost, the degree of route flexibility and load-carrying capability. In addition, there was a considerable commercial non-motorised transport market of both human-powered trolleys and human portering. The informal sector was a major source of employment of men, women and children; its flexibility was crucial to the operation of businesses in the informal sector as a whole; it provided a choice of modes for low-income city dwellers that had fluctuating income and served both as passenger transport and as a urban freight distribution system. Despite such a system being closely attuned to the demands of low-income city dwellers, it is a target of transport policy only as subject which must be negatively controlled and regulated and not something which should be positively supported. F Amponsah, J Turner, M Grieco, A Kwablah and P Guitink (1996) `Commercial non-motorised transport: Evidence from Accra, Ghana' .Transportation Research Record No. 1563, Washington DC. M.Grieco, N. Apt and J. Turner (1996) `At Christmas and on rainy days: Travel, transport and the female traders of Accra'. Avebury Books, Aldershot. 2. In this same series of research studies we explored the daily routines of low-income households in Accra. Here we found that because of failings in the informal transport in terms of its unreliable journey times, as well as the poor provision of other urban services, extra household labour was being required to undertake domestic tasks so as to allow the most economically-active members the time flexibility to travel around the city. This extra labour was being found increasing the workload burden on women in the household; by taking children, especially girl children away from their education; by `fostering' children, a practice common in West Africa for use as domestic helps and using older people to carry out domestic tasks. It would appear that transport policies have a direct impact on the ability of low-income households to survive, on the ability of children to be educated and on the status and economic well-being of women. J . Turner, `Transport and survival strategies in an developing economy: case evidence from Accra, Ghana'. Journal of Transport Geography, Vol 4 No.3 September 1996 Whilst these studies do not provide quantitative data - they do provide an insight into the role of transport policy on the urban poor. Best regards Jeff Turner Tel No: +44 161 275 6948 Fax No: +44 161 275 6935 e-mail: Jeff.Turner@man.ac.uk From wcox at publicpurpose.com Tue May 20 22:58:10 1997 From: wcox at publicpurpose.com (Wendell Cox ) Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 08:58:10 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [sustran] Poverty alleviation, basic mobility & the informal sector Message-ID: <199705201358.IAA22426@mail1.i1.net> Introduction.... Having already contributed a comment, I should introduce myself (after which I will comment on Jeff Turner's contribution). INTRODUCTION..... I was a three term member of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, which oversaw both public transport and highways in Los Angeles County (8 million people) from 1977 to the early 1990s. Since 1985 I have been a consultant specializing in public transport performance, especially efficiency improvements through competitive approaches, such as competitive tendering. I tend to come at the issue of sustainable transport from a slightly different perspective than most. 1. I believe that we should recognize that automobile technology is getting a good deal better --- that in the future the emissions problem may well be completely solved, and that great progress has been made so far. With ITS automated highway technology on the distant horizon, it is possible that there will be a "marriage" between public transport and highways. My point here is to urge openness to the prospect that the auto may well be a significant part of the long term sustainable transport solution. 2. Sustainability has to do not only with environental, traffic and land use factors. It also has to do with finances. The US/western European model of relying on public monopolies to provide public transport is not sustainable economically. In the monopoly environment, unit costs (per km or hour) tend to rise above inflation, creating a perpetual need for more subsidies or higher fares to provide the same or lower levels of service. There is evidence that a major contributor to the rapidly declining ridership in the largest US systems is directly attributable to fare increases. That is where competition comes in --- especially competitive tendering, which provides the incentive that allows unit costs to be controlled, and to produce more service with existing subsidy and fare levels. The reality of public finance in the developed world is that there will never be enough public money to fund public monopolies that continually require larger subsidies to produce the same level of service --- that is, in the longer run the public monopoly approach to public transport is not sustainable from an economic standpoint (neither is the private monopoly approach). Of course, there is great progress being made on this front, especially in Europe, New Zealand and Australia, where systems are being converted to competitive tendering. The lesson, I believe, for developing nations, is not to establish public transport monopolies. Instead, models that encourage the informal sector, deregulated bus service should be employed. And, government can play the role of coordination and tender for services that are not provided by the market. RESPONSE TO JEFF TURNER COMMENT >I would like to contribute 2 comments to the discussion on possible >sources and consideration for any policy paper on this subject. Any >policy paper should mention: > >1. The importance of the informal transport sector to the lives of > low-income city dwellers in developing countries. > The problem exists in developed countries as well. A good example is New York City, where federal, state and local law effectively preclude the informal sector from providing transport that is desired by lower income people (van and jitney service). In many ways the transport market in the outer boroughs of NYC is similar to that of major cities in developing nations. Special interests --- especially trade unions and the vested interests of public and private transport monopolies unnecessarily restrict mobility, making the achievement of societal goals more difficult (poverty alleviation, welfare reform, air pollution abatement, traffic congestion, etc). In the US, where there is a strong market for second-hand (used) automobiles, the urban poor tend to switch to autos as soon as they have the financial means. These counterproductive urban transport policies exist throughout the US. At one point, before state and local laws drove them out of business, the informal sector in Miami was carrying more daily riders than Miami's billion dollar rail system. Owners tended to be minorities and recent immigrants. Los Angeles, with its large poor and recent immigrant population is another prime market for expansion (or perhaps establishment would be a more accurate word) of an informal sector. There is considerable support for such policies, even inside public transport bureaucracies, but insufficient to get the policies changed. All of this arises from an institutional environment in which the interests of those who work in urban transport takes precedence over those of the community and those who require mobility. A major challenge for developing nations will be to ensure that transport policies serve public purposes, not private purposes. Unfortunately, we have fallen far short of that in the US. Wendell Cox WENDELL COX CONSULTANCY International Public Policy, Economics, Labour, Transport & Strategic Planning The Public Purpose: Internet Public Policy Journal http://www.publicpurpose.com Voice +1 618 632 8507; Fax +1 618 632 8538 P.O. Box 8083;. Belleville, Illinois 62222 USA From mobility at igc.apc.org Wed May 21 01:58:28 1997 From: mobility at igc.apc.org (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 09:58:28 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Poverty alleviation, basic mobility & the informal sector Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970520125247.219fb03a@pop.igc.org> Re: Wendell Cox's comments about informal sector public transit service in New York. Mr. Cox raises what is one of the thorniest issues of public transit policy in the developed and developing world, which I will definately have to deal with. My colleagues at Columbia University, Profs. Elliott Sclar and Sigurd Grava, did an in-depth study of the jitney services in the outer boroughs of New York City. Despite their ambiguous legal position, these van services continue to thrive in the outer boroughs, and their share of ridership I believe is growing. There is currently an unofficial tolerance of them by the Taxi and Limosine Commission. They indeed serve very low income neighborhoods, are responsive to riders wishes, are faster than buses in that once they are full they don't stop anymore, and they will stop anywhere along their route. Of course the unions hate them because they are operated primarily by immigrants, many of them illegal immigrants, who are therefore willing to work for extremely low wages with no health care or pension benefits. Many of the vehicles operate with out any sort of insurance, or vehicle safety inspection. If these vehicles were forced to operate as legal small businesses, it is not clear whether they would continue to enjoy the same competitive advantages. in other words, part of their competitive advantage is that they do not have to pay the costs of working in the formal sector. There is also no agreement about whether they 'skim the cream' or 'shave the peak'. Dr. Grava claims that they 'shave the peak', meaning that they reduce the operating costs of the formal system, as providing adequate labor and vehicles to handle the peak ridership imposes considerable costs on the system under current union work rules. At the same time, it translates into lower ridership figures and a loss of revenue for the public bus system. There are lots of more formalized minibus/van services in developing countries. Surely the answer lies in some degree of formalizing these informal sector vehicles, and not in banning them, but to be viable it would have to be done in a way that does not needlessly antagonize the unions. Does anyone know of successful first world examples of how this was done? The Malaysia Minibus that Paul tells me Gab. Roth was involved in was interesting, but it seems to be being phased out, no? Rgds, walter At 08:58 AM 5/20/97 -0500, Wendell Cox wrote: >Introduction.... > >Having already contributed a comment, I should introduce myself (after which >I will comment on Jeff Turner's contribution). > >INTRODUCTION..... > >I was a three term member of the Los Angeles County Transportation >Commission, which oversaw both public transport and highways in Los Angeles >County (8 million people) from 1977 to the early 1990s. > >Since 1985 I have been a consultant specializing in public transport >performance, especially efficiency improvements through competitive >approaches, such as competitive tendering. > >I tend to come at the issue of sustainable transport from a slightly >different perspective than most. > >1. I believe that we should recognize that automobile technology is getting >a good deal better --- that in the future the emissions problem may well be >completely solved, and that great progress has been made so far. With ITS >automated highway technology on the distant horizon, it is possible that >there will be a "marriage" between public transport and highways. My point >here is to urge openness to the prospect that the auto may well be a >significant part of the long term sustainable transport solution. > >2. Sustainability has to do not only with environental, traffic and land use >factors. It also has to do with finances. The US/western European model of >relying on public monopolies to provide public transport is not sustainable >economically. In the monopoly environment, unit costs (per km or hour) tend >to rise above inflation, creating a perpetual need for more subsidies or >higher fares to provide the same or lower levels of service. There is >evidence that a major contributor to the rapidly declining ridership in the >largest US systems is directly attributable to fare increases. That is where >competition comes in --- especially competitive tendering, which provides >the incentive that allows unit costs to be controlled, and to produce more >service with existing subsidy and fare levels. The reality of public finance >in the developed world is that there will never be enough public money to >fund public monopolies that continually require larger subsidies to produce >the same level of service --- that is, in the longer run the public monopoly >approach to public transport is not sustainable from an economic standpoint >(neither is the private monopoly approach). Of course, there is great >progress being made on this front, especially in Europe, New Zealand and >Australia, where systems are being converted to competitive tendering. The >lesson, I believe, for developing nations, is not to establish public >transport monopolies. Instead, models that encourage the informal sector, >deregulated bus service should be employed. And, government can play the >role of coordination and tender for services that are not provided by the >market. > >RESPONSE TO JEFF TURNER COMMENT > >>I would like to contribute 2 comments to the discussion on possible >>sources and consideration for any policy paper on this subject. Any >>policy paper should mention: >> >>1. The importance of the informal transport sector to the lives of >> low-income city dwellers in developing countries. >> >The problem exists in developed countries as well. A good example is New >York City, where federal, state and local law effectively preclude the >informal sector from providing transport that is desired by lower income >people (van and jitney service). In many ways the transport market in the >outer boroughs of NYC is similar to that of major cities in developing >nations. Special interests --- especially trade unions and the vested >interests of public and private transport monopolies unnecessarily restrict >mobility, making the achievement of societal goals more difficult (poverty >alleviation, welfare reform, air pollution abatement, traffic congestion, etc). > >In the US, where there is a strong market for second-hand (used) >automobiles, the urban poor tend to switch to autos as soon as they have the >financial means. > >These counterproductive urban transport policies exist throughout the US. At >one point, before state and local laws drove them out of business, the >informal sector in Miami was carrying more daily riders than Miami's billion >dollar rail system. Owners tended to be minorities and recent immigrants. > >Los Angeles, with its large poor and recent immigrant population is another >prime market for expansion (or perhaps establishment would be a more >accurate word) of an informal sector. There is considerable support for such >policies, even inside public transport bureaucracies, but insufficient to >get the policies changed. > >All of this arises from an institutional environment in which the interests >of those who work in urban transport takes precedence over those of the >community and those who require mobility. > >A major challenge for developing nations will be to ensure that transport >policies serve public purposes, not private purposes. Unfortunately, we have >fallen far short of that in the US. > >Wendell Cox >WENDELL COX CONSULTANCY >International Public Policy, Economics, Labour, Transport & Strategic Planning >The Public Purpose: Internet Public Policy Journal >http://www.publicpurpose.com >Voice +1 618 632 8507; Fax +1 618 632 8538 >P.O. Box 8083;. Belleville, Illinois 62222 USA > > NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) 115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205 New York, NY 10001 Tel 212-629 8001, Fax 212-629 8033 mobility@igc.apc.org NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! From dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu Wed May 21 05:12:52 1997 From: dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 16:12:52 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Poverty alleviation, basic mobility & the informal sector In-Reply-To: <2.2.16.19970520125247.219fb03a@pop.igc.org> Message-ID: On Tue, 20 May 1997, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy wrote: > Of course the unions hate them because they are operated primarily by > immigrants, many of them illegal immigrants, who are therefore willing to > work for extremely low wages with no health care or pension benefits. Many > of the vehicles operate with out any sort of insurance, or vehicle safety > inspection. If these vehicles were forced to operate as legal small > businesses, it is not clear whether they would continue to enjoy the same > competitive advantages. in other words, part of their competitive advantage > is that they do not have to pay the costs of working in the formal sector. Walter, This is a good point. Cervero in his most recent (?) book _Paratransit in America: Redefining Mass Transportation (Praeger, 1997)_ discussed several examples including Houston. In Houston after the companies were in effect "legalized" but with conditions (e.g. no vehicle over a certain age, insurance, drivers can only work X hours shifts etc..) imposed NO firms entered the legal market. Naturally it begs the question as to if the requirements were too strict. Part of the problem is the low overall population density, low gasoline prices, and free parking all add up to be a impediment to ANY form of "collective" transport. Within Houston's inner ring freeway is a population density some 1/5th. of Paris's comparable area, for example. The success of jitneys in developing countries is a function of the low income levels and high population density. But they too are threatened (along with more formalized bus systems) by ever increasing traffic congestion which decreases their efficiency and since most systems are in private hands (in the developing world at least) ultimately increases costs. The solution to this omnipresent problem (at least in rapidly urbanizing developing countries) in my opinion is priority for collective transport. How this is accomplished will vary from city to city, but can include traffic light preemption, bus lanes (contra flow lanes are the easiest to enforce but plagued by the highest accident rates) on both arterials and freeways, and segregated roads for busses (busways). Unfortunately, many planners in developing countries CANNOT understand this point. Ultimately, restraint of car traffic through road pricing (beginning with facility pricing and extended to areawide pricing) will also be necessary as extreme traffic congestion will tempt users to cheat onto exclusive bus only facilities making their enforcement difficult and ultimately leading to their demise as effective operating facilities. --- Dharm Guruswamy - 3rd year grad. student, City Planning & Civil Engineering snail mail: 960 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332 phone/fax: HOME (404) 685-3294 WORK (404) 894-6402 internet:dharm@trec.ce.gatech.edu : www:http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~dg63 From barter at central.murdoch.edu.au Wed May 21 17:05:49 1997 From: barter at central.murdoch.edu.au (Paul Barter) Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 16:05:49 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Digest version ready to go Message-ID: Dear sustran-discuss friends As requested by many of you, the DIGEST VERSION of this list is now ready. IF you want to change to getting the digest version, please follow the instructions below. In the digest version, messages get compiled together into one long message which will be sent to you at intervals - usually about once every day or every few days. If you don't like getting a lot of e-mails then the digest version may be one way for you to feel less overwhelmed by being in this list. You will still get exactly the same messages as the ordinary list but in a bundled format. INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO CHANGE TO THE DIGEST VERSION The digest version is actually set up as a seperate list so if you want to join the digest version you will need to unsubscribe from the ordinary sustran-discuss list and join the sustran-discuss-digest list, as follows: Send e-mail to . The body of the message should be: unsubscribe sustran-discuss subscribe sustran-discuss-digest end The majordomo software will then automatically remove you from the ordinary list and add you to the digest version of the list. It will also send you a new introductory message. If you have any problems, please send e-mail to . Good luck, A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) PLEASE NOTE: From 19 May until 15 July I am in Perth, Australia. During that time please reach me at From D.W.M.SHARP at ukc.ac.uk Thu May 22 00:44:40 1997 From: D.W.M.SHARP at ukc.ac.uk (DUNCAN WILLIAM MACKENZIE SHARP) Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 11:44:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] little jessica Message-ID: On Tue, 20 May 1997 15:35:38 -0400 Juan de Dios Ortuzar wrote: >I have just been informed that the message I sent you before is apparently >a hoax (see http://www.kumite.com/myths/). I am very sorry, I was fooled by >the fact it was sent to me by very serious people and also because there >was this need to send a copy to the American cancer Society. > >Cheers, > > > > > >Juan de Dios Ortuzar e-mail: jos@ing.puc.cl >Departamento de Ingenieria de Transporte >Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile >Casilla 306, Cod. 105, Santiago 22, Chile >Tel: 56-2-686 4822 Fax: 56-2-552 4054 From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Wed May 21 22:41:57 1997 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (JOHN WHITELEGG) Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 14:41:57 +0100 (BST) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility In-Reply-To: <13CDB24275@orpheus.man.ac.uk> from "Jeff Turner" at May 20, 97 11:24:58 am Message-ID: <199705211341.OAA29907@unixa.lancs.ac.uk> To: jeff Turner and walter Hook and all colleagues interested in transport and urban poverty Please have a look at a recent article: Developing strategies to meet the transport needs of the urban poor in Ghana by E A Kwakye, P R Fouracre and D Ofosu-Dorte in World Transport Policy and Practice vol 3 no 1. the article in the same issue on liveable streets in nairobi by M Khayesi is also relevant. Road traffic accidents will always bear down disproportionately on the poor and are a mjor public health and transport problem in developing countries. Subscription details on World Transport Policy and Practice are available from Pascal Desmond on pascal@gn.apc.org best wishes John Whitelegg Editor, WTPP From barter at central.murdoch.edu.au Fri May 23 11:16:15 1997 From: barter at central.murdoch.edu.au (Paul Barter) Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 10:16:15 +0800 Subject: [sustran] SUSTRAN Flash #24 Message-ID: Sorry to many of you who will be getting this twice (once directly and once through sustran-discuss). I will try to avoid this problem for future SUSTRAN flashes. Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) SUSTRAN Flash #24 23 May 1997 1. TRANSPORT AT EARTH SUMMIT II NEGOTIATIONS A transportation caucus has been active at the preparations for the forthcoming Earth Summit II in New York. The transportation caucus has been co-chaired by the Institute of Transport and Development Policy - ITDP (Deike Peters) and the International Union of Public Transport - UITP (represented by Andy Anderson of London Transport). At this stage the Earth Summit II statement which is being negotiated is a poor reflection of current thinking on sustainable transport and portrays the increased demand for transportation into the next century as an inevitability. There are only general statements about making transport more environmentally friendly, largely through a technological approach. The Declaration does nothing to challenge the global rapid growth in car use, the associated demand for energy and raw resources to feed an automotive dependant society, and does not emphasise the importance of reducing the need to travel by car and support other modes. There are a few days left for negotiation in June. If anyone is planning to attend or can offer help, please contact: Deike Peters or Andy Anderson . 2. SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT CAPACITY BUILDING SEMINAR IN BANGKOK The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in association with the Netherlands Government is organising an intensive 5-day capacity building seminar on Integrated Policy Planning and Sustainable Transport Development. The seminar will be held in Bangkok on 2 to 6 June 1997, and will draw on the experience of several very senior resource people from the Netherlands. Practical examples, including the recent experiences of the Netherlands and Bangkok will be used to illustrate the concepts of result-oriented, comprehensive, integrated policy making and its application to transport. [Contact: Dr M. Rahmatullah, Director, Transport, Communications and Tourism Division, UN-ESCAP, Fax: +662 280 6042]. 3. MELBOURNE ROAD CONTROVERSIES The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) in Melbourne, Australia is leading a coalition of environment groups trying to stop a proposed American-style ring-freeway around Melbourne. An environment effects statement is currently being prepared for the "Scoresby Freeway", the first stage of the road. Around half a dozen well-attended public meetings have been held on the issue so far. PTUA members (as individuals) are also involved in court action directed against the private promoters of Melbourne's giant City Link tollway, which competes directly with public transport. The court challenge, which seeks to strip the project of taxation concessions granted by the previous Federal Labor government, will be heard in the Federal Court in Melbourne on Friday 16 May. A parallel challenge to the project under the Trade Practices Act is due for a Federal Court hearing on 11 June. [Contact: Paul Mees, Public Transport Users Association, Melbourne ]. 4. POLICE ON BICYCLES GATHER MOMENTUM In its "Cities for Climate Protection" series of case-study information sheets, the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) has profiled the Dayton Bicycle Police Patrol. Officials in this US town have found that putting some of their police officers on bicycles not only saves the city a great deal of money and reduces pollution but has also facilitated very effective policing and has improved the relationship between police and members of the public. Having police on bikes has also helped to promote the use of bicycles by other residents. These experiences have been common to many of the large number of police departments around the world which have adopted bicycle patrols since the early 1980s (including 1,200 in North America alone). There are now two international organisations which are sharing these experiences: the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) and the Law Enforcement Bicyclists Association (LEBA). Dayton's Bike Patrol and IPMBA have developed a "Police Cyclist Course" which is being used to train students from law enforcement agencies worldwide. [Source: ICLEI Case Study No. 42; Contacts: ICLEI: 8th Floor, East Tower, City Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 2N2, Fax: +1 416 392 1478; IPMBA, 190 W. Ostend Street, Suite 120, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 212230, Fax: +1 410 539 3496; LEBA, 1816 North 53rd Street, Seattle, Washington, USA.] 5. SUSTRAN E-MAIL DISCUSSION LIST HAS STARTED ....no need for this item here because you all know this!! 6. MORE CONFERENCES a. 1998 International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Studies. July 27-29, Beijing. Organised by the School of Traffic and Transportation, Northern Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China. Abstracts of 500 words are requested by 20 August, 1997. [Contact: ]. b. The 2nd Conference of Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies December 6, 1997. Deadline for submission of 400-500 word abstract is 31 May 1997. [Contact: Dr. William H.K. Lam, Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Fax: +852 2334 6389, e-mail: ]. c. The first International Trails and Greenways Conference, San Diego January 28-31, 1998, organised by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, a US-based organisation dedicated to creating integrated trail networks from former rail corridors and other open space. [Contact: ]. 7. QUICK FACTS Premium Gasoline Prices at the Pump (in approx. $US per litre, 1993): (apologies for out of date data. Maybe we can update this collectively?) Japan $1.33; Netherlands $1.14; Hong Kong, France $1.06; UK $0.92; South Korea $0.77; Singapore $0.69; Taiwan $0.61; New Zealand $0.57; Australia $0.49; Malaysia $0.41; Philippines, Indonesia, United States $0.36; Thailand $0.30; China $0.28 [Source: graph in World Bank (1996) Sustainable Transport: Priorities for Policy Reform, p. 92). 8. LIGHTER SIDE Carl Reiner: "What was the main mode of transportation 2000 years ago?" Mel Brooks: "Fear." >From "The 2000 Year Old Man". -------------------------------------------------- SUSTRAN Flashes currently go to 160 people directly. We rely on you, the participants in the network, for our news. Thankyou to everyone who has contributed, please keep them coming. We welcome brief news and announcements from all over the world. A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) PLEASE NOTE: From 19 May until 15 July I am in Perth, Australia. During that time please reach me at From machia at u.washington.edu Fri May 23 13:43:10 1997 From: machia at u.washington.edu (A. Karp) Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 21:43:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] 1997 International Symposium (Call for Participants) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hello! As the symposium editor for the University of Washington School of Law's Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal, I hereby invite all interested individuals to present and workshop any articles relating to Emerging Land Use Law in the Pacific Rim. I was hoping that someone from this list would be able to find a transport component within the symposium topic (perhaps transportation law and policy's impact on the urban and rural poor?). The symposium is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday 2-4 October 1997 in Seattle, WA, USA. Articles are to be approximately 25 pages in length. Preliminary drafts are due 15 July 1997. The symposium process is, however, intended to provide final input on the development of your article. Publishable drafts are due 1 December 1997. And I will be the supervising production editor responsible for getting the symposium book published in early 1998. A sampling of participants and topics include: Christine Bae, UW School of Planning: "Greenbelt" laws in Korea and impacts on development. Ms. Bae also focuses on nonmotorized transport in the classroom. Yoshiko Terao, Tokyo University: Written law versus built reality in Japanese land use regulations. Mark Kremzner, University of Victoria (B.C.): Emerging land use law governing urban real estate development and property rights in the People's Republic of China. Timothy Lindsey, Asian Law Centre, Australia: Adat (customary) land title, modern title, and urban land development in Indonesia. There are other participants. What I first noticed when I came on the scene (changing of the editorial guard, you might say) was that there was nothing explicit about the connection between land use and real property law and the impacts on transportation infrastructure development in Asian countries. Perhaps someone on this list (or someone you know) has done some research in this area and would like the opportunity to participate in such a symposium? For all inquiries, please email me at machia@u.washington.edu. Thank you. |*--------------------------------------*| | Machiavellian Polyglot Cyclommuter | | ADAM KARP | | University of Washington School of Law | | *machia@u.washington.edu* | | ------------------ | | Read | | DOCKET | | "All the Evidence That's Fit to Admit" | | (www2.law.washington.edu/Docket) | | ------------------ | | (206) 729.9579 | |*--------------------------------------*| From kwood at iconz.co.nz Sun May 25 12:21:54 1997 From: kwood at iconz.co.nz (Kerry Wood) Date: Sun, 25 May 1997 15:21:54 +1200 Subject: [sustran] Busways - Curatiba style Message-ID: Let me start with an introduction: I am an engineer combining practice as a consultant in 'new' transport technologies with studying for a Masters degree in transportation. Areas of interest to me include light rail, bus priority, provision for cycling, cycle safety (thesis subject), traffic calming, urban planning for low energy use, etc. In addition to studies I am working on a carpooling system for the University (Lincoln) (and car-sharing might be an interesting part of it). I have done studies on light rail, bus and cycle routes. I hope discusion can cover some of this lot. Paul Barter wrote: >It has been a mystery to many in this field,as to why Brazil has been able >to do so much with busways but they have never really taken off in most >other places. Proposals for Karachi, Jakarta, Bangkok and other Asian >cities have all apparently been cancelled or changed to LRT proposals. I can suggest three or four reasons, only one of them valid: 1) High capacity busways need little more width than light rail (although light rail can be more easily squeezed down to single track at a pinch point), but need quite a lot more width at stops, because of the need for buses to pass another bus at a stop (otherwise buses can spend too much time obstructing each other at stops: light rail is less prone to this problem because vehicle capacities are greater): Minimum width would be around 9 - 10 m for a light rail stop, but 12 - 13 m for a busway, both with staggered platforms. For busway layouts see Gardner, G, 'A study of high capacity busways in developing cities' Proc Inst civil engineers, Transportation, 1992, 95, p 185 - 191. 2) Light rail is sexier 3) Light rail might be more profitable to large local contractors. 4) Light rail tracks need to be continuous - obviously. Bus routes also need to be continuous but it is politically easier to pretend othewise and allow gaps in the route in 'difficult' places. Kerry Wood Transport Consultant, 1 McFarlane St, Wellington 6001 New Zealand Phone/fax +64 4 801 5549 e-mail kwood@centrl.co.nz From hartman at tac-atc.ca Tue May 27 03:02:16 1997 From: hartman at tac-atc.ca (John Hartman) Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 11:02:16 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Introduction Message-ID: <3389D028.2366@tac-atc.ca> Greetings from Ottawa, the national capital of Canada. I am John Hartman and one of my several ?hats? is that of Director of Transportation Forums for the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). TAC is a national, non profit association dating back to 1914. We are the foremost, broad based assembly of transportation stakeholders in Canada. Our 400+ members cover the spectrum of federal, provincial and municipal governments, the private sector and research / academia. Our current mission is ?to promote the provision of safe, efficient, effective and environmentally sustainable transportation services in support of Canada?s social and economic goals.? I believe that many of you will be interested in the work of the URBAN TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL (one of several standing groups sponsored by TAC) and in particular its 1993 Briefing titled ?A NEW VISION FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION?. The new vision is based on 13 decision making principles which we believe will lead to more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable cities in the future. Although TAC?s urban vision is aimed at North American decision makers, I believe it has something to offer people in the Asia-Pacific region and indeed, the whole developing world. In particular, it would be nice if they could somehow avoid the mistakes of urban sprawl and auto dependence that we in North America have made. In order to make a convincing argument to others we must first ?clean up our own act?, which is what the Urban Transportation Council and its new vision are all about. We are encouraged by the results over the past four years. Our urban vision has been formally endorsed by the national organizations that matter (municipal politicians, land use planners, transportation engineers), some provincial organizations and most of Canada?s major municipalities. We can see results in the latest urban master plans and transportation plans. The OECD has cited it as an example of ?best thinking on environmentally sustainable transportation in Canada?. Environment and the Economy (a sustainable development panel that advises the federal government) has called it ?the most influential vision statement currently in Canada?. I invite you to learn more about this by visiting TAC?s home page: Under PRODUCTS / BRIEFINGS you will find: * A New Vision for Urban Transportation (1993) * Urban Vision Sampler (1996) * Financing Urban Transportation (1997) Under WHAT?S NEW (December 1996) you will find: * ?Sustainable Urban Transportation Initiatives in Canada?. This paper to an APEC Forum in Korea gives a nice history of the Urban Transportation Council?s work. John Hartman Director of Transportation Forums Transportation Association of Canada 2323 St. Laurent Boulevard Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 4J8 Tel.: (613) 736-1350 Fax: (613) 736-1395 E-Mail: hartman@tac-atc.ca From hartman at tac-atc.ca Tue May 27 03:10:28 1997 From: hartman at tac-atc.ca (John Hartman) Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 11:10:28 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Introduction - Correction Message-ID: <3389D213.5D13@tac-atc.ca> Please note that my previous e-mail should be corrected as follows. The fifth paragraph, last sentence should read: Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (a sustainable development panel that advises the federal government) has called it "the most influential vision statement currently in Canada". From barter at central.murdoch.edu.au Tue May 27 14:51:39 1997 From: barter at central.murdoch.edu.au (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 13:51:39 +0800 Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: Dear sustran-discuss participants There have been some interesting postings on this issue of poverty alleviation and transport. A news item caught my eye today which relates to this. The report mentions the ongoing controversy in India over proposals to raise the prices of petroleum products. It seems that subsidies to keep oil prices low are costing the government a lot and it now wants to raise the prices. This might seem to be very good for green transport. However most of the parties on the left are vehemently opposing the price rises. Their argument is that the "poor have to be spared any further financial burden". This kind of issue has also arisen recently in a number of other countries that I know of, for example the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Venezuela, etc. My questions: Has anyone heard of any solid information on what actually are the impacts on very low income people of such a price rise in petroleum products? Is subsidised fuel in low income countries good or bad for social equity? I understand that in the Indian context a big issue is the price of cooking fuel (kerosene?) and the fact that if this fuel becomes unaffordable it would result in great hardship and much tree-cutting for fuel wood. Are there viable methods to raise fuel prices for vehicular fuel but not for cooking fuel? Or is there too much interchangability to make this possible (ie. are they the same fuels) ? It seems sad that much of the money which is spent on subsidising fuel with the aim of helping the very poor may actually be going into subsidising the rich to drive their private vehicles greater and greater distances? Is this an accurate comment or am I mistaken?? Is the argument that inflation will be triggered by fuel price rises (and thus further hurt the poor) a valid argument? Have any countries successfully raised fuel prices but at the same time protected the poor from the impacts of the change?? Are there other dimensions to the debate which I am not aware of? Best wishes, A. Rahman Paul Barter Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN) >From 19 May until 15 July I am in Perth, Australia. During that time please reach me at PS. I am having a problem accessing my KL e-mail . If you sent anything there since 18 May then please RESEND to . From t.rye at napier.ac.uk Wed May 28 01:46:11 1997 From: t.rye at napier.ac.uk (Tom Rye) Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 16:46:11 gmt Subject: [sustran] Research posts Message-ID: <9704278647.AA864778248@ccmailgate.napier.ac.uk> RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR GEOGRAPHERS AND PLANNERS AT NAPIER UNIVERSITY, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND Applications are invited from suitably qualified graduates, holding a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent), for up to 12 postgraduate research studentships, tenable for three years from autumn 1997 in the Department of Civil & Transportation Engineering at Napier University. The department gained a 3A rating in the recent Research Assessment Exercise and is a key member of the university's Transport Research Institute. Members of staff are currently active in a broad range of research areas across the field of transport, including several topics which would be suitable for candidates with a geography or planning background. The value of the studentships is œ5,250 p.a. (plus fees), but a "Case award" top-up, of up to œ2,000 p.a., may be available for some of the studentships for exceptionally well-qualified applicants. Interested persons may discuss possible research areas by contacting Professor M.J. Maher (tel: 0131 455 2233, or email: m.maher@napier.ac.uk). Further information may be found via the internet (http://www.napier.ac.uk/depts/cte/vacncies.html). Applications, in the form of a CV and covering letter, should be submitted to Anne Anderson, Dept. of Civil & Transportation Engineering, Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DT.. From mobility at igc.apc.org Wed May 28 07:45:24 1997 From: mobility at igc.apc.org (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 15:45:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation, paul barter's questions Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970527183932.230703e8@pop.igc.org> Dear Paul, these are very pertinent questions about the equity implications of fuel prices. We had a long debate with the World Bank because they were using their lending to push for the commercialization of public transit systems but did little to push for the internalization of the costs of roads on car owners. The result of this fight was that the World Bank came out in their new Transport Policy saying that they would push countries to increase taxes on oil to at least cover road infrastructure costs. I think we need more details about what exactly is happening in India before we can judge the equity implications. In countries where there is a state oil company there may be artificially low fuel prices. But if it is a state company, then they should be able to raise the cost of certain fuels but not others. If it is a tax issue, it is very easy to make fuel taxes selective (ie. on gasoline only, but not on kerosine). I think in India the big debate is about deisal prices, which are artificially low, no? I was disappointed in the World Bank's exclusive focus on oil taxes because I think a better way to get auto users to internalize their costs is to increase the costs of parking in downtowns, which represents a huge subsidy in most countries, and which doesn't affect public transit users at all. Obviously the equity impacts depend on the specifics of the case. If kerosine prices are raised, it would have an adverse impact on the poor. If deisal prices are raised, it is likely that bus passengers would end up paying more; in theory they could be insulated from increases by larger subsidies to the bus companies, but in practice bus fares would probably go up. The World Bank claims that fuel taxes are a reasonably good form of generating revenue as the only economic distortion they lead to is the conservation of fuel, which is a good thing. Increased deisal prices would also drive up trucking costs in the short run and these might also be passed on to consumers in the form of higher food and other products. IN the long run, however, it might stimulate the production of more fuel efficient trucks. I think as a pragmatic matter it would be wisest for groups representing poor people to push for subtler policies such as continued subsidies to kerosine but not gasoline and deisal, and for protecting bus passengers from deisal increases by increased public transit subsidies. But this is a very dangerous game, and I understand why advocates of the poor would be opposed to increases across the board. Subsidies to public transit are also attacked at the World Bank on the grounds that the primary users of public transit are not poor (which is true, but it ignores the fact that the poor do use public transit). At least in the case of public transit subsidies there is an environmental as well as equity justification, while there is only an equity justification for oil subsidies. Rgds, walter hook, NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) 115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205 New York, NY 10001 Tel 212-629 8001, Fax 212-629 8033 mobility@igc.apc.org NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! NEW ADDRESS !!!! From HARIAS at doe.gov.ph Wed May 28 07:52:28 1997 From: HARIAS at doe.gov.ph (HARIAS) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 06:52:28 0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Petroleum product pricing/deregulation Message-ID: <1698D2624C@PHILDOE> Dear Sustran-discuss participants, Here's just to share a few energy policy experiences here in the Philippines -- Some distortions in petroleum product prices have been caused by the use of an overvalued rate for the peso and by the influence of various policy priorities on energy taxes. On grounds of social equity, taxes on gasoline (used by high-income people) have been relatively high and taxes on kerosene and liquefied petorleum gas (used by low-income people) have been relatively low. Taxes on fuel oil have also been relatively low in order to hold down industrial production costs. Recently, the downstream oil industry was deregulated and during its transition phase the following impacts were experienced: a. On price of electricity The effect was minimal. the full effect of fuel price adjustments are usually offset by changes in the generation mix, prudent fuel purchases and increased power plant operational efficiency. b. On inflation In the breakdown of the Consumer Price Index shows that fuel, light and water contributed 4.2% to the inflation rate, which is higher than it did in 1995 but less than the 1994 level. The increase in gasoline and diesel prices posted a slight increase in the Services index while drops in kerosene and LPG prices posted a decline in fuel, light and water indices. c. On prices of commodities Price Tag Law is applied and monitoring of prices of basic commodities is being undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry to curb unreasonable price fluctuations in the marketplace. This resulted in a situation where average prices of some basic commodities and agricultural products have actually remained and even decreased over the past year. It is essential that there should be proper coordination and monitoring and the full vigilance of the government and consumers to prevent undue panic and hoarding. d. On transportation A fare hike was issued to cover the increase in the price of diesel but the last two adjustments in its price amounting to 86 centavos have a minimal impact in the fare of around 1 1/2 centavo per kilometer. The benefits of deregulation as indicated in our primer are: stable and reasonable prices; real prices fo petroleum products will be reflected; better value for consumers; more investments; and availability of clean, environment-friendly fuels. This is my initial contribution to the group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Helen Arias From rong at duq.edu Wed May 28 13:50:28 1997 From: rong at duq.edu (Chaohe Rong) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 00:50:28 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Re: NEW BOOK: URBAN TRANSPORT IN EUROPE & USA Message-ID: > > The National Transit Institute would like to > bring to your attention an important new book > just published by Dr. John Pucher of Rutgers > University (NJ, USA) and Dr. Christian Lefevre > of the University of Paris (France): > > THE URBAN TRANPSPORT CRISIS IN EUROPE AND > NORTH AMERICA > > > Authors: John Pucher and Christian Lefevre > Publisher: Macmillan Press, UK (London, England) > Date: August 1996 > Pages: 226 > Price: 14.99 British pounds (approx. $20 USD) > ISBN: 0-333-65551-6 (paperback) > > > Summary: > > Increasing levels of auto ownership and use > are causing severe social, economic, and > environmental problems in virtually all > countries in Europe and North America. > This book documents the worsening transport > crisis and differences among countries in their > urban transport and land-use systems. The > focus is on public policies to deal with > urban transport problems. Through in-depth > case studies of eight countries, the book > seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of > alternative solutions to transport problems, > and thus a way out of the transport crisis. > > The introductory chapters discuss the main > themes of the book and place the analysis > in an overall, international context. Eight > chapters are devoted to detailed analysis > of urban transport in specific countries > and regions: Germany, France, The Netherlands, > Italy, Great Britain, Eastern Europe, Canada, > and the USA. The concluding chapter is devoted > specifically to comparisons among the eight > country case studies and, in particular, to > drawing useful lessons from the successes > and failures of alternative policies. > > In virtually every chapter, the essential > role of non-motorized transport is emphasized. > Indeed, in most European countries, roughly > half of all urban travel is by walking or > bicycling, in sharp contrast to the mere 10% > modal split share of non-motorized urban travel > in both the United States and Canada. As is > shown in the book, many of the social and > environmental problems in North American > cities can be attributed to the excessive > reliance on automobile transport and the > underdevelopment of public transit and > non-motorized modes. > > Another key feature of the book is detailed > analysis of public transport developments in > each country, including finance, technology, > marketing, and regional multi-modal coordination > of transit services. Contrary to assertions in > some auto-oriented publications, the book > documents that transit has been extremely > successful in some countries, with increasing > transit ridership and even rising modal > split shares of public transit. It is not > inevitable that public transit be in decline. > The success or failure of transit is shown > to be primarily the result of supportive > public policies, not due to any inherent > shortcomings of transit itself. > > > about the authors: > > John Pucher is Professor of Urban Planning > at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA > > Christian Lefevre is Associate Professor > of Urban Studies at the University of Paris, > Institut d'Urbanisme de Paris, and Associate > Researcher at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts > et Chaussees, Paris, France. > > > > Unfortunately, it is only possible to order > the book directly via fax or email from > Macmillan UK in England. There is not yet > a North American distributor for the book. > > Orders can be placed directly with Macmillan > UK via email or fax: > > EMAIL address for ordering book: > > c.shepheard@macmillan.co.uk > > > FAX number for ordering book: > > 011-44-1256-479-476 (attn: Ms. Charlotte Shepheard) > > > Title: The URBAN TRANSPORT CRISIS IN EUROPE > AND NORTH AMERICA > > Authors: John Pucher and Christian Lefevre > Date: 1996 > > ISBN: 0-333-65551-6 (paperback) > Cost: 14.99 British pounds > (roughly $20) plus postage > > All credit cards accepted for payment. > Mail delivery takes about two weeks or so, via DHL. > > EMAIL FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE at Macmillan: > > c.stockwell@macmillan.co.uk > > > To contact the authors: > > John Pucher > Department of Urban Planning > Rutgers University, Bloustein School > 33 Livingston Avenue, Suite 302 > New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901--1900 > Fax: 908-932-2253 > Phone: 908-932-3822, ext. 722 > Email: pucher@rci.rutgers.edu > > > Christian Lefevre > Institut d'Urbanisme de Paris > Email: lefevre@latts.enpc.fr > > > > > From jbrooks at peeras.demon.co.uk Wed May 28 17:45:06 1997 From: jbrooks at peeras.demon.co.uk (John Brooks) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 09:45:06 +0100 Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <47t9rHASC$izEwRv@peeras.demon.co.uk> In article , Paul Barter writes >There have been some interesting postings on this issue of poverty >alleviation and transport .. > The report mentions the ongoing controversy in India over >proposals to raise the prices of petroleum products. .. > However most of the parties on the left are vehemently opposing >the price rises. Their argument is that the "poor have to be spared any >further financial burden". This kind of issue has also arisen recently in >a number of other countries that I know of, for example the Philippines, >Indonesia, Nigeria, Venezuela, etc. and will arise EVERYWHERE eventually.. > >Is subsidised fuel in low income countries good or bad for social equity? if you mean 'equalisation' (ie. helping low-income families get richer) presumably bad, judging by observed results in most countries inc. India. The poor by-and-large remain poor. If you really mean 'equity' - to put it bluntly - who cares? Surely the important issue is whether ANY subsidy of any essential commodity can be justified. If a country or region cannot support its own population with essential infrastructure and services, then subsidies will tend to make a bad situation worse. Additional public transport (to assist short-range 'economic migration'?) or local fuel subsidies are unlikely to help. > >It seems sad that much of the money which is spent on subsidising fuel with >the aim of helping the very poor may actually be going into subsidising the >rich to drive their private vehicles greater and greater distances? Is this >an accurate comment or am I mistaken?? quite possibly accurate... subsidies will ALWAYS be a 'blunt instrument' as well as ineffective long-term. > >Is the argument that inflation will be triggered by fuel price rises (and >thus further hurt the poor) a valid argument? how could it be otherwise? > >Have any countries successfully raised fuel prices but at the same time >protected the poor from the impacts of the change?? a very short list... And the northern hemisphere / 'developed' world must stop pillaging the southern / 'undeveloped' one. To return the discussion to issues relating to transport... Simply building more roads and more (private) cars can be shown to work against sustainability - in UK, there are many examples of roads which have generated extra traffic (especially commuters to work) simply by being constructed. Surely the southern hemisphere is smart enough not to copy our errors. -- John Brooks - Technical Consultant, Energy, Network Systems and Data Comms South Croydon, 7CR2 7HN, UK Tel: (44) 181 681 1595 Fax: (44) 181 649 7536 The opinions expressed here are mine but are not offered as professional advice. From rijnsburger at waste.nl Thu May 29 02:51:42 1997 From: rijnsburger at waste.nl (rijnsburger@waste.nl) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 17:51:42 +0000 Subject: [sustran] South cycling studies Message-ID: <199705281750.AA18993@antenna.nl> I would like to inform the subscribers of Sustrans about the Cycling Background Studies, which recently have been executed by local researchers in Leon (Nicaragua), Lima (Peru), Accra (Ghana), Delhi (India) and Guangzhou (China), initiated and coordinated by the NGO Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-ce). The research teamleaders and two I-ce cycling experts will meet next week in Guangzhou (2-7 June) to synthesize the studies and discuss with Chinese cycling experts from Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Dissemination of the local findings will be done by the local teams, I-ce facilitates the distribution of the synthesis report. We will send notice on contents, cost and ordering procedure as soon as the documents are available. Yours Jaap Rijnsburger Project Manager *************************************************** I-CE, Interface for Cycling Expertise POBox 2476, 3500 GL Utrecht, The Netherlands email: I-ce@cycling.nl *************************************************** From pendakur at unixg.ubc.ca Thu May 29 09:01:09 1997 From: pendakur at unixg.ubc.ca (Setty Pendakur) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 17:01:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Non-Motorised Transport and Related Issues In-Reply-To: Message-ID: The Transportation Research Board has recently established a Standing Committee ( A5013 ) : Committee on Non-Motorised Transport and Related Issues in Developing Countries. This Committee in within Group 5 : Intergroup Resources as the activities of the Committee will overlap among vertically arranged and sectoral committees. The Committee has a wide mandate to bring NMT into focus in the context of research and professional practice. This Committee will sponsor Annual Conference Sessions fousing on NMT and Related issues in Developing and OECD countries and facilitate cross transsfer of knowledge and methods both ways between two sets of geographies and income levels. The next conference is 11-15 january 1998 and it is always held in Washington, DC and always in january each year. I have been appointed its first chairperson. We plan to saponsor two sessions " Global Forum on Transport ". This is to provide a focus on recent research and events reaaaaaaalating to NMT and all other modes of transport in various parts of the world. The other themes will be directly related to various aspects of NMt including analytical methods, research finding, environment and enrgy issues etc. The papers can be for presentation only or for presentation and publication. The deadline is 1 August 97. If you or any of your firends and associates are interested in presenting papers or participating in the "Forum " as speakers, please contact me by Em quickly. Best wishes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Professor V. Setty Pendakur School of Community and Regional Planning University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 voice: (604) 822-3394 fax: (604) 822-3787 home: (604) 263-3576 email: pendakur@unixg.ubc.ca --------------------------------------------------------------------- From dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu Thu May 29 09:37:10 1997 From: dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 20:37:10 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Non-Motorised Transport and Related Issues In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Dr. Pendakur, Thank's for the update. I graduate (well if my thesis isn't done not formally till September) this June and have accepted a job with Apogee Research a Bethesda, Maryland, based transportation and environmental consultancy. I will be working for transportation environmental economics section on various work for the folks at the Office of Environment and Planning at FHWA and the Transportation people at EPA. This should allow me to attend every TRB meeting for the forseeable future, and I look forward to attending the very first committee meeting of A5013 (after three years at TRB I'm starting to understand all the lingo). Best wishes until January! --- Dharm Guruswamy - 3rd year grad. student, City Planning & Civil Engineering snail mail: 960 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 phone/fax: HOME (404) 685-3294 WORK (404) 894-6402 internet:dharm@trec.ce.gatech.edu | URL: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~dg63 From dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu Thu May 29 09:53:02 1997 From: dharm at trec.ce.gatech.edu (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 20:53:02 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Non-Motorised Transport and Related Issues In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Sorry about the last message... it was sent inadvertantly to the whole list instead of the sender. --- Dharm Guruswamy - 3rd year grad. student, City Planning & Civil Engineering snail mail: 960 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 phone/fax: HOME (404) 685-3294 WORK (404) 894-6402 internet:dharm@trec.ce.gatech.edu | URL: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~dg63 From ifrtd at gn.apc.org Sat May 31 11:52:24 1997 From: ifrtd at gn.apc.org (Niklas Sieber) Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 10:52:24 +0800 Subject: [sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility Message-ID: I would like to contribute to the discussion about rising fuel taxes and their social impacts: 1. If government revenues are lower than the expenditure needed to maintain the transport infrastructures there are two possibilities: 1.1 The maintenance of the networks is neglected as it is often the case in many African Countries. Every dollar which is saved on maintenance causes three dollars of higher user costs. Thus the public transport user is paying more than he would do if appropriate fuel taxes would be charged. In the case of goods transport the farmers receive lower producer prices or the consumer would have to cover the additional transport costs. A clearly not desirable scenario from social and economic standpoints. 1. 2. The second possibility is the transfer of funds from other government budgets, which implies that the transport sector is subsidised.In this case both the Mercedes driver as well as the bus user will be subsidised. Because fuel consumption per pkm in public transport is much lower than in individual transport the richer will benefit more than poorer population groups. On top of that the funds used to subsidise transport have to be saved from other sectors, which are more likely social sectors than military expenditures. I think that the subsidies could be more efficiently spent for activities which contribute directly to poverty alleviation. 2. Another question is the discussion if environmental damages should be internalised in the transport costs (e.g. rising fuel tax). The International Railway Union UIC (16 rue Jean Rey, F-75015 Paris) initiated a study on the external costs in 17 European Countries. In 1994 the total external costs for goods and personal transport by road, rail, ship (inland) and aeroplane amounted to US$ 340 billion. If this amount is set in relation to all goods and services produced in Europe, the environmental costs comprise 4.6% of GDP. The environmental costs to transport one person with a car over 1000 km amount to $60, while a bus costs $25 and the railway only $12. Freight transport produces even larger disparities. 1000 tkm by trucks cost $72, by rail $9 and by ship only $7. An internalisation of environmental costs would be an adequate measure: This means that every polluter pays for the damages he causes. This can be achieved with an ecological tax reform including an increase of fuel tax, emission dependent registration charges for vehicles and a change in the insurance system. Once the prices are set right, more people would use environmental friendly means of transport like bicycles, buses, railways or ships. The demand for low emission vehicles would increase and car industries would react by producing these products, which have already been developed and tested, but cannot be sold. If the perspective of global warming is regarded, the Industrialised Countries are producing most of the CO2 emissions, while the Developing World will suffer most from climatic changes or sea level rise (e.g. Bangladesh). Because of equity reasons an internalisation of environmental cost in the North would be certainly desirable. But what about the Developing World? Can African Farmers still compete on the World Markets if transport prices rise? Wouldn't China be starting in the right direction by internalising environmental costs? Definitively I think that the North should start before the South can follow. _____________ Niklas Sieber International Forum for Rural Transport and Development 150 Southampton Row London WC1 B5AL, UK Tel.: +44 171/ 278 3682, Fax: +44 171/ 278 6880 e-mail: ifrtd@gn.apc.org Webpage: http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd From cycad at epic.net Sat May 31 20:24:45 1997 From: cycad at epic.net (Ramon Fernan III) Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 19:24:45 +0800 (GMT+0800) Subject: [sustran] South cycling studies Message-ID: <199705311124.TAA06944@epic1.epic.net> South realities: 1. Would love to get them so we can learn from the studies (including that new book ... forgot the title). 2. Don't have the money to do so. Just a reality check. Ramon Fernan III CYCLING ADVOCATES (CYCAD) 1563 Pasaje Rosario Paco 1007 Manila Philippines Tel./Fax +63 2 523-0106 [NEW NUMBER] From cycad at epic.net Sat May 31 20:24:48 1997 From: cycad at epic.net (Ramon Fernan III) Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 19:24:48 +0800 (GMT+0800) Subject: [sustran] Non-Motorised Transport and Related Issues Message-ID: <199705311124.TAA09289@epic1.epic.net> It's great to have developed country consultants and "experts" getting together about developing country NMT-related issues. We can then hope that this filters down to developing country people, eventually, if only to correct the motor vehicle biases that our technical people got while attending Western academic institutions. What, in ten years or so. Unless there is possibility of transferring the technology more quickly? We get this impression that our government bureaucrats believe that NMTs are both technically unfeasible, economically unviable, and socially unacceptable even if they condescendingly nod our way when we advocate NMT. Ramon Fernan III CYCLING ADVOCATES (CYCAD) 1563 Pasaje Rosario Paco 1007 Manila Philippines Tel./Fax +63 2 523-0106 [NEW NUMBER] From cycad at epic.net Sat May 31 20:24:42 1997 From: cycad at epic.net (Ramon Fernan III) Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 19:24:42 +0800 (GMT+0800) Subject: [sustran] Busways - Curatiba style Message-ID: <199705311124.TAA29554@epic1.epic.net> I decided to lay low and wait for the car-related thread to run its course before jumping in again. Now I'm hoping there'd be more sharing of "hands-on" experiences. We just learned (in a meeting to discuss sustainable transport) that the proponent of a Curitiba-style bus service here in Metro Manila has been told by the Dept. of Transportation to put plans on hold. The bureaucrats had certain questions that they wanted answered. We weren't told what those questions were but apparently one was ROW for the proposed exclusive bus lane particularly at intersections. Could anyone enlighten us on this? Is there a website or other electronic source of information where we can obtain info on these kinds of schemes, how they work, what concrete benefits they offer (hard data if possible), etc.? Snail mail here is pretty awful (probably because its the same people who oversee the transport sector). At that same meeting, gov't officials expressed grave doubts about bicycling in Metro Manila -- they've judged it to be unfeasible before EVEN TRYING IT! DUH! (I hope this list doesn't prove how boring academic types can be.) Ramon Fernan III CYCLING ADVOCATES (CYCAD) 1563 Pasaje Rosario Paco 1007 Manila Philippines Tel./Fax +63 2 523-0106 [NEW NUMBER] From dhingra at civil.iitb.ernet.in Thu May 29 23:32:19 1997 From: dhingra at civil.iitb.ernet.in (Prof S L Dhingra) Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 20:02:19 +0530 (IST) Subject: [sustran] Non-Motorised Transport and Related Issues In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Yes, sir! I would like to present a paper on coordination of NMT with Public Transport System in mega cities in Developing Countries. Please send me further details. Thanks and best compliments dhingra ***********end of message******************* * Dr S. L DHINGRA * * Prof. of TRANSP. SYSTEMS ENGG. (TSE) * * HEAD, CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT * * INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY * * POWAI, * * BOMBAY-400 076 * * INDIA * * VOICE:091-022-5782545 EXTN 2329/2300(Off)* * 5786530 .. 2340(LAB) * * 4329(RES) * * 5784319 (DID) * * 5777001(RES) Private * * FAX :091-022-5783480 * * GRAMS:TECHNOLOGY,BOMBY,INDIA * * TELEX:011-72313 IITB IN * * EMAIL:dhingra@gemini.civil.iitb.ernet.in * ******************************************** On Wed, 28 May 1997, Setty Pendakur wrote: > The Transportation Research Board has recently established a Standing > Committee ( A5013 ) : Committee on Non-Motorised Transport and Related > Issues in Developing Countries. This Committee in within Group 5 : > Intergroup Resources as the activities of the Committee will overlap among > vertically arranged and sectoral committees. The Committee has a wide > mandate to bring NMT into focus in the context of research and > professional practice. This Committee will sponsor Annual Conference > Sessions fousing on NMT and Related issues in Developing and OECD > countries and facilitate cross transsfer of knowledge and methods both > ways between two sets of geographies and income levels. The next > conference is 11-15 january 1998 and it is always held in Washington, DC > and always in january each year. I have been appointed its first > chairperson. > > We plan to saponsor two sessions " Global Forum on Transport ". This is > to provide a focus on recent research and events reaaaaaaalating to NMT > and all other modes of transport in various parts of the world. The other > themes will be directly related to various aspects of NMt including > analytical methods, research finding, environment and enrgy issues etc. > The papers can be for presentation only or for presentation and > publication. The deadline is 1 August 97. > > If you or any of your firends and associates are interested in presenting > papers or participating in the "Forum " as speakers, please contact me by > Em quickly. > > Best wishes. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Professor V. Setty Pendakur > School of Community and Regional Planning > University of British Columbia > Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 > > voice: (604) 822-3394 > fax: (604) 822-3787 > home: (604) 263-3576 > email: pendakur@unixg.ubc.ca > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > >