[sustran] Re: Readers Digest Article on Congestion in Asian Cities

[John Ernst]

One of the world's best examples of how to improve the problem of traffic 
congestion is in Asia -- the City of Singapore.  It has combined extensive 
and high-quality public transportation with electronic road pricing, 
attaining a congestion solution virtually unknown in American 
cities.  (London has implemented a similar formula for their downtown.)

Most Asian cities, though, cannot afford to make the same amount of 
investment in subways and elevated rail systems that Singapore has 
made.  They rely on buses to provide public transportation, and the buses 
become caught in congestion.

A promising first step for Asian cities to solve their congestion problems 
has come from South America.  This is an altogether new kind of public 
transit service called bus rapid transit.  While it uses bus technology, 
the service is dramatically improved by key features including: 1) 
exclusive lanes, 2) multiple doors and rapid boarding at stations -- 
similar to a metro, 3) prepaid boarding, and a variety of other innovations 
tailored to the particular needs of a city.

Bus rapid transit was first developed in the 1970s in Curitiba, Brazil, but 
reached prominence with the implementation of the TransMilenio system in 
Bogota, Colombia in 2000.

The former Mayor of Bogota who implemented the system, Mr. Enrique 
Penalosa, has been an international advocate for bus rapid transit and 
livable cities.  His personal visits to cities in Asia have led to systems 
now under development in Jakarta, Delhi, Hanoi, Guangzhou, and several 
other cities.

The Jakarta bus rapid transit system opened its first line in 2004.  It is 
the first fully "closed" system in Asia, i.e., the buses operate only in 
the reserved lane and do not enter or leave the system.  ITDP was fortunate 
to be able to assist Jakarta in their planning.  We are also helping 
develop systems in Guangzhou, Ahmedabad and Delhi.  Other organizations are 
also involved in developing bus rapid transit in Asia, including the US 
Agency for International Development (through ITDP), World Bank (in Hanoi), 
EMBARQ (in Shanghai), Asian Development Bank (Manila), the India Institute 
of Technology - Delhi, and the Energy Foundation (China).

Bus rapid transit, like all public transit, is only the first step and will 
not in itself reduce congestion.  Bus rapid transit provides a way for 
passengers to avoid congestion.  The Jakarta system, for example, saves a 
full hour of transit time for its passengers.  To reduce congestion itself 
requires providing a strong incentive for those causing congestion, i.e., 
car drivers, to leave their cars at home and take the new public transit 
system.  Singapore's electronic road pricing is a key example of such an 
incentive.  Jakarta is now considering a similar central area pricing 
scheme.  Other options exist, such as increasing the cost of parking.

Jakarta has also improved pedestrian facilities.  A surprising number of 
Asian city residents still walk significant distances, even though many 
cities have cannibalized their sidewalks to make way for the ever 
increasing motorized traffic.  Cities like Jakarta have realized that a 
high quality public transit system requires high quality pedestrian 
facilities to go with it.  Jakarta is considering increasing bicycle 
facilities as well.  An ITDP survey in 2004 indicated that over 20% of the 
bus rapid transit passengers would use bicycles to get to the stations if 
secure parking were available.

These are some of the solutions emerging in Asia for the problem of 
congestion.  I hope this is useful information for you.

John Ernst
Asia Regional Director
ITDP - The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy


At 12:13 PM 7/21/2005, Ecenbarger at aol.com wrote:
>READER'S DIGEST ARTICLE ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN ASIAN CITIES:
>
>We are considering an article that answers this very basic question: 
>“What (if anything) can be done to improve the problem of traffic 
>congenstion?”
>
>  Please keep in mind that Reader’s Digest is aimed at people of average 
> intelligence who have no special knowledge of traffic science, etc.
>
>  Among the possible remedies I have read about are more public transport, 
> HOV lanes, higher fuel prices, toll roads, a “congestion tax” like 
> London’s, and strict limits on parking.
>
>  Each remedy seems to have a problem (e. g., public transport’s is 
> construction  cost). Can any of these work? Will a combination of them 
> work? Are there any new, innovative ideas? Are there any success stories?
>
>  Or, perhaps, the article should say that there is no realistic, possible 
> solution, so sit in your cars and bear it.
>
>     Please be reassured that we are not looking for simple answers. What 
> we hope to achieve is a simple explanation of a complex problem and its 
> solutions.
>
>  I will appreciate any help and insight on this.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>William Ecenbarger
>Reader's Digest
>
>
>================================================================
>SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, 
>equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries 
>(the 'Global South'). Because of the history of the list, the main focus 
>is on urban transport policy in Asia.

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John Ernst   -  Director, Asia Region
ITDP - The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
    127 West 26th Street, Suite 1002, New York, NY 10001
    Tel +1 (212) 629-8001   Direct Tel +1 (719) 635-8856  Direct Fax +1 
(801) 365-5914

Promoting environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation worldwide
  Visit http://www.itdp.org
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