<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version 6.5.7654.12"> <TITLE>fwd: Lagos LRT plans</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY>  From the Transport Politic blog comes an item on LRT plans in Lagos.  Full story with links is at <A HREF="http://thetransportpolitic.com/2009/06/23/lagos-light-rail-delayed-by-cash-shortage/">http://thetransportpolitic.com/2009/06/23/lagos-light-rail-delayed-by-cash-shortage/</A> "Lagos Light Rail Delayed by Cash Shortage By Yonah Freemark on ttp-lrt Two corridor project would attempt to restore traffic sanity to Nigerias largest city. Lagos is a huge metropolis projections put its population at somewhere between 10 and 20 million people but it lacks an urban rail network. Rather, its citizens mostly rely on small private buses called Danfo or Molue to move about its heavily congested streets and highways. Last year, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority opened the citys first bus rapid transit line, which runs 22 km along mostly separated lanes. The project was constructed for $1.7 million per mile, carries approximately 200,000 passengers a day, and saves riders 25 minutes a trip compared to other travel options. But the large city needs other travel modes, and it has been developing a light rail plan, with completion due for 2012. Groundbreaking for the system, however, has yet to commence, putting its future in doubt. The light rail network vastly under-scaled for a city with the size and density of Lagos would consist of two corridors. The Red Line would connect the Marina with the airport along a 37 km line with 13 stations; the route would carry 1.3 million daily riders if estimates are to be believed. A Blue Line would run east-west along 27 km and connect to the Red Line downtown at Iddo; it could eventually carry more than 500,000 daily riders. Like the BRT system, which was constructed to considerably lower standards than would be acceptable in a more developed country, this light rail project wont serve as a case study for modernity. To cheapen costs, the 4 to 10-car trains wont be electrified and stations will be minimal..." </BODY> </HTML>