[sustran] Satelite cities : Which transport strategy ?

[Harun al-Rasyid Sorah Lubis]

Jakarta's neighboring cities, namely Bogor, Bekasi, Tangerang have been
pushed to carry some extra load of residential choice. In fact, the four
cities has become a megapolitan of 25 millions people. Net outing rushed to
Jakarta from each (the satellite) city more or less 200.000 people per day.
Toll road widening, plus suburban rail double tracking have been the recent
policies. Nevertheless, day-to-day congestion remains a nightmare for
commuters.

What interesting is motorcycle park and ride seems to be getting more
popular, as motorcycle parking space and occupation are widespread in the
suburban rail stations heading to Jakarta. Putting more lanes both motorways
(toll roads) and arterial will not solve the problems. The most obvious
solutions, alternatively, is doing some TDM measures, like car pooling, park
and ride plus pricing to restrict car get into the capital city Jakarta.

The recent and 'always mood of the local government of the satellite cities
is to keep doing more and more predict and provide, mainly, toll road and
arterials, just coincidentally follow Jakarta's most recent transport
policy, even for radial urban roads.

Noted, now the regional autonomy plus fiscal decentralization is soon be in
place for the satellite cities. My question is how to assess economically
the tdm schemes such as the park and ride ? Is the any experience in other
megapolitan cities in the world, as to how the transport strategy should
best be formulated, rather than providing more roads ? To what extent  rail
could   fill the excessive demand ?  What if the four region be administered
under one minister, rather than different local government ?


Harun al-Rasyid S. Lubis             http://trans.si.itb.ac.id
Traffic Lab, Transport Engineering Division
Dept. of Civil Engineering - ITB
Jl. Ganeca 10 Bandung 40132 - Indonesia
Tel/Facs. +62 22  250 23 50  halubis at trans.si.itb.ac.id