[sustran] Re: Reader's Digest Article

[Karl Fjellstrom]

Daryl,

I've also been in Chengdu, but see it rather differently. Maybe you see it
as 'chaos' because there is such a rich diversity of travel modes. (More
than 40% of trips in Chengdu are by bicycle.) Of course on a freeway there
is much less mode conflict, because most modes are not allowed on them.

The main problem in Chengdu is that all of the new roads are being designed
to prioritise the less than 5% of trips by private car. Kerb-side bus lanes
are being introduced, with bicycles pushed to walkways. In practice there
are too many bicycles and the bicycles ride in the bus lane, with buses in
the mixed traffic, and so on. At bus stops on these new roads the problems
are particularly acute, with high levels of conflict between buses,
bicycles, passing pedestrians, and boarding and alighting passengers. The
old design had bicycles passing in a wide, separate lane behind the bus
stops and worked very well, but this old configuration is being replaced on
new roads with a shared bus/bike lane, and on the older roads cars and taxis
are now allowed to enter and often to park in the bike lane.

Pedestrians in Chengdu sometimes walk in the roadway. They do this not
because they like it but because the walkway is blocked, increasingly by
parked cars. Cyclists riding on the walkway (still rare in Chengdu) do so
not because they prefer it, but because they are forced to by the road
design.

As in other Chinese cities, the mode share of cycling and walking is rapidly
declining.

So as I see it the problem is not 'chaos' and the solution is not 'better
education / enforcement' (though that will of course be a part of any
approach). Rather, the problem is that new road designs favour a very small
minority using cars and adversely affect buses, bicycles and pedestrians.

A 'solution' could start with a policy priority to the 90% of people
walking, using buses and cycling. In Kunming median bus lanes worked well,
allowing flows of 8,000 bus passengers/hr/direction, 6,000 bicycles pphpd,
and 3,000 pedestrians all in the same corridor, and all with remarkably
little conflict, including at intersections. The planners in Chengdu are
currently looking into median bus lanes and a higher level Bus Rapid Transit
system. There are currently conceptual designs for BRT on the 2nd ring road,
the main east-west corridor, and the main north-south corridor.

Regards, Karl Fjellstrom



-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+karl=dnet.net.id at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+karl=dnet.net.id at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf
Of Daryl Oster
Sent: Saturday, 20 November 2004 11:26 PM
To: 'Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport'
Subject: [sustran] Re: Reader's Digest Article

Bill,

My wife and I liven in Chengdu China for several months, during the last 2
years, (we just returned to the US this week).  We often observed (and
photographed) the conflicting driving habits of buses, taxis, personal cars,
bicycles, pedestrian carts, trucks, and small utility vehicles.  From the
perspective of riding in the busses, the bikes, carts, and pedestrians are
the main problem.  From the perspective of walking or biking: the cars,
taxis, trucks, and busses are the problem.  

The main "problem" in my opinion, is not busses, or bikes, it is massive
failure (by all) to follow rules that would result in orderly and more rapid
flow for all modes.  Traffic lights are totally ignored by bikes,
pedestrians walk in the street instead of the sidewalk (no one knows why -
they have just always walked in the street!), bikes pass the pedestrians
without looking back, or signaling, and bikes and motorcycles drive on the
sidewalks, 3 wheel utility "mopeds" pass the bikes - again without looking
back or signaling - trucks pass the utilities vehicles - taxis cars and
busses blast past the trucks - soon all flow is in one direction - when
facing a wall of flow, vehicles traveling in the opposite direction often
see better opportunity on the wrong side of the road -- Chaos rules - the
attempts at order appear mere suggestions. 

There is much less mode conflict on freeways in China, the main problem on
freeways is failure to observe lane priority, attempting to "create" new
lanes in heavy flow, and failure to signal intentions and make sure to clear
the intended lane before switching lanes to pass a slower vehicle.  The
problems are endemic to all vehicles - not just busses.   

So much for the "problems"; IMO, the solutions  are: improved driver
education, to strictly enforce rules that separate the mixed flow, and to
rapidly develop solutions (like ETT) that eliminate the opportunity for the
conflicts of mixed flow.  This is all occurring in China- but it must happen
faster.  

Daryl Oster
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: sustran-discuss-bounces+et3=et3.com at list.jca.apc.org
> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+et3=et3.com at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of
> Ecenbarger at aol.com
> Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 8:04 AM
> To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
> Subject: [sustran] Reader's Digest Article
> 
>  I’m writing an article on the dangers of bus travel in Asia. I am seeking
> expert opinions on this subject; insights and suggestions are most
> welcome. What is the scope and gravity of the problem of bus travel in
> Asia? What are the principal causes and what are some solutions?
>  Also seeking statistics, documents, news articles and any other relevant
> information in this topic
>  I will greatly appreciate any help on this.
> 
> --Bill Ecenbarger, Reader’s Digest
> ecenbarger at aol.com
> 
> --
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