[sustran] Re: WorldTransport Forum NY Times article on car dependence KARL FJELLSTROEMS RESPONSE ON SHANGHAI

Lee Schipper schipper at wri.org
Fri Jul 15 20:06:46 JST 2005


Shanghai Traffic Jams

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Published: July 15, 2005

To the Editor:

FROM July 15 NY TIMES
"A City's Traffic Plans Are Snarled by China's Car Culture" (Shanghai
Journal, July 12) correctly identified the rapid growth in car travel as
the major cause of the city's transportation and air-quality problems.
But Shanghai still has a bicycle, pedestrian and public transport
culture rather than a car culture.

Cars are owned by only around 1 in 10 people and account for less than
15 percent of trips. Nine in 10 people move by other means, including
walking, bicycles and buses.

Further, European and wealthy Asian cities have shown that rapid
economic growth need not result in sky-high demand for cars.

The situation is far from hopeless.

There are many examples of successful transport policies that Shanghai
could adapt and apply, like parking restrictions in Copenhagen,
congestion charging in Singapore, bus rapid transit in Seoul and
high-quality pedestrian spaces in Hangzhou.

Political will would make all the difference.

Karl Fjellstrom
Guangzhou, China, July 13, 2005
The writer is director for China and Tanzania, Institute for
Transportation and Development

>>> hearth at ties.ottawa.on.ca 7/14/2005 11:01:05 PM >>>
> Subject: WorldTransport Forum NY Times article on car dependence


> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/12/international/asia/12china.html 

This article provides interesting challenges.

As a proponent of carsharing, I am dismayed that the $4,600
registration fee
for each car doesn't dampen demand for _owning a car_ (vs. using it). 
At
least they are dreaming of owning only one car per _household_, vs. one
for
every person of driving age, as it is over here.

The article doesn't mention the parking problems, nor what it costs to
park
(I am just reading the very important new book: Shoup, Donald, 2004,
_The
High Cost of Free Parking_).  The amazing growth of high-rise
development
suggests it is very expensive.

It would be interesting to _offer_ carsharing to see what demand it
might
induce.

I continue to be convinced that carsharing will catch on over there
and
other "developing societies" only only if the "model" cultures embrace
it
first, showing that car-ownership is not what it is cracked up to be.

Chris Bradshaw
Vrtucar, Ottawa, Canada




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