[sustran] First urban railway route in Hanoi under construction

[eric britton]

Your point is a good one Roland (I am just back an advisory mission in
Taipei), but let me try this on you.

 

That system was planned and decided back in the eighties, almost a
generation ago, when the basic movement patterns were quite different than
they are in Asian cities today. Also it was well before the
hyper-scooterization of many Asian cities. A phenomenon which in my book
changes everything.

 

I would say that their most likely model" is the metro in Kaohsiung, opened
last year to a resounding thud in ridership, in a city in which three
quarters of the population own and use motorized two wheelers as their
favorite means of getting around.  And during which ridership levels are les
than one third predicted, and necessary for the survival of the existing
ownership structure. Keep you eye on Kaohsiung where their first class and
wonderfully executed  KMRT is almost certain to go bottom up in the coming
months.

 

I do not rejoice from this news, far from it. And I am also sure that the
Kaohsiung metro will in time find its place but it will take time, brains
and policy to make it into a real transportation asset for the city. And all
that with six billion US dollars already under the surface of the city.

 

Our cities have changed. So to must be our responses. I hope from the bottom
of my heart that Hanoi and other cities across Asia that would like to build
their own albatross will consider this and act on it.

 

Eric

 

PS. And please dear friends and colleagues, take this argument apart. I can
stand the pain. 

 

 

From: NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Roland Sapsford
Sent: Monday, 27 September, 2010 20:54
To: NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [NewMobilityCafe] First urban railway route in Hanoi under
construction

 

  

Hi Eric

I don't know Vietnam but this has perhaps been inspired by the MRT in 
Taipei, which locals say has made a very large difference to travel 
patterns and congestion?

Cheers
Roland

On 28/09/2010 5:32 a.m., eric britton wrote:
>
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/201009/First-urban-railway-route-in-Hano
> i-under-construction-937891/

-- 
______________

Roland Sapsford
+64-4-9341106(w); +64-4-3851105(h); +64-21-651105(m)

"the most insidious form of ignorance is misplaced certainty"
(Robert Costanza) 

.

 
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