[sustran] Re: [NewMobilityCafe] World's Most Congested Cities

[Todd Edelman]

Sujit wrote:

> 25 December 2006
> Christmas
>
>
>
> Haven't read what Eric's written (and I'm sure he wouldn't say that) but
> in
> my humble opinion advocating underground (especially Underground Metros)


> transportation mode as a means of reducing with the traffic congestion on
> the roads is like an Ostrich burying its head in the sand.

A metro system has to be an integrated part of a solution involving
incentives for making individual motorised transport difficult or
impossible to use, making streets for pedestrians and cyclists, and
reducing the need for mobility by making neighbourhoods more
self-sufficient (jobs, supplies, leisure), among other things, and it cant
solve problems on its own, and of course if it so expensive that nothing
else can be implemented it is indeed just a gift for some politicians and
builders, etc.

I am not advocating something like a "New New Delhi" but the following
links propose what can be done with a metro and almost no motorised
surface transport. Of course these things are expensive but still worth a
good look:

http://www.carfree.com/topology.html

http://www.carfree.com/pax_trans.html

http://www.carfree.com/freight.html

http://www.carfree.com/existing.html

from www.carfree.com

It would be less safe and have less capacity, but a surface version of the
transport solutions... BRT of course but also "FRT" (freight rapid
transport) are possible I suppose.

Even here in Prague (and Czechia is now called a "developed country") some
people are advocating alternatives to adding another metro line and
extending the existing ones. The alternatives include development of the
extensive intra-urban railway infrastructure, lots of new trams and less
stinky buses (still all Diesel fleet here!), lifts at all existing metro
stations, bicycle parking, new pavements and all sorts of other things to
make the existing system work better. We wont have money for all that
alternative stuff if they build the metros they want to, and the concrete
mafia will have a nice holiday.

Another thing about metros should I would like to see more research on is
how spending so much time underground effects people. I like it for under
15 minutes or so but longer than that and I get annoyed or worse. Our
transport systems should not bother us in that way. I personally think
people deserve better than spending 90 minutes or whatever underground
every day, and I think that we all shoot for intra-urban commutes of less
than 30 minutes, no matter what the mode.

- T


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Todd Edelman
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