[sustran] Re: Traffic in Shanghai

[Francis Papon]

Hello Sustran readers,

Shanghai has a tremendous flyover system, with two expressways 
crossing in the center, and two ring roads, plus many other motorways 
under construction or planned. Nevertheless, car ownership remains 
low, much lower than in Beijing, mainly because of the lack of 
parking facilities, the cost of parking makes it cheaper to travel by 
taxi. The municipal government is also well aware of the danger of 
mass car ownership in megacities, and tries to manage the transport 
situation by improving the mass transit system and restraining car 
use (and also bicycle use). But this policy is in conflict with the 
national government policy that promotes the automobile industry as a 
pillar of China development (and by the way not willing that Shanghai 
rail network be better than Beijing rail network).   But this good 
road infrastructure is also an incentive to develop car oriented 
neighbourhoods, that will sooner or later produce enough traffic to 
fill the space. Besides, corporate interests are asking for free 
flowing traffic to develop their business. There is also an intense 
competition between municipalities to attract new businesses, and tax 
cuts and motorways are the best way to do it. So it is a complex 
game, and it is not easy to intervene in it as a foreigner, however 
convinced you and I may be of the need for a more sustainable 
transport system.

Nevertheless, Shanghai, being the most developped region in China, 
has focused huge international interest from business, media, 
academic,and advocacy circles. Some data may be found at:
http://www.iges.or.jp/en/ue/pdf/megacity02/data/iges_m.html
http://www.iges.or.jp/en/ue/activity/mega-city/article/htm/far43.htm
http://www.iges.or.jp/en/ue/activity/mega-city/article/htm/far41.htm
http://www1.kas.de/international/konferenz02-06-17/shiling_en.html
http://www.citytranschina.com/

Francis Papon


À (At) 2:05 +0530 2/11/04, Sujit Patwardhan écrivait (wrote) :
>1 November 2004
>
>
>Dear Sustran Friends,
>If anyone has information or data on the traffic scene in Shanghai 
>(China), I will be grateful if you could send it to me (directly to 
>my Email : <sujit at vsnl.com> if you feel the rest of the list may not 
>be interested in the subject).
>This is because there is a lot of confusion about the real situation 
>in Shanghai. Many people on a short visit there say the facilities 
>are wonderful, with scores of flyovers, wide roads and traffic 
>flowing without congestion, and this is what we need to do in our 
>cities.
>We find this hard to believe because we feel such "infrastructure 
>only" approach is what has brought the public transport situation to 
>such a bad condition. In most Indian cities, auto vehicles are 
>growing like cancer, air is full of auto effluents and accident are 
>on the rise, natural and built environment, including heritage 
>structures are under threat from the ever growing appetite of roads, 
>parking spaces and vehicles.
>We are therefore advocating the more sustainable option - of TDM, 
>improved public transport and better facilities for the cyclists and 
>pedestrians to meet the mobility needs of our cities without 
>damaging the environment.
>Will welcome your inputs.
>Many thanks,
>--
>Sujit Patwardhan
>
>
>Sustainable Urban Transport
>---------------------------------------------------
>Sujit Patwardhan
>Member
>
>PTTF
>Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum,
>c/o Parisar, "Yamuna",
>ICS Colony,Ganeshkhind Road,
>Pune 411 007
>
>Tel: +91 20 25537955
>Cell: +91 98220 26627
>Email: sujit at vsnl.com
>www.pttf.net
>(under construction)
>-----------------------------------------------------


-- 
There is no spare Earth. Meiyou beiyongde diqiu. Es gibt keine Ersatzerde.
Il n'y a pas de Terre de rechange. Orbis terrarum una salus est.
Francis Papon, mailto:francis.papon at inrets.fr tel +33147407270
Ingenieur en Chef des Ponts et Chaussees, chercheur @ INRETS/DEST/EEM,
2, av. du General Malleret-Joinville, F-94114 Arcueil France
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