From SRIIED at aol.com Wed Apr 1 00:04:00 1998 From: SRIIED at aol.com (SRIIED) Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 10:04:00 EST Subject: [sustran] Transport in the South Message-ID: <1e424df5.352105e3@aol.com> At the International Insitute for Environment and Development in London (a not for profit research and policy institute) we are doing some work on perspectives and action on sustainable consumption in the South for the UK Department for International Development.Transport is one of the key sectors that we are looking at. I am hoping that members of sustrans-discuss might help us make this section a pertinent and hard-hitting one. I would greatly value your help in finding specific information, your thoughts on how different countries in the South can develop a sustainable transport system that gives access to mobility to a wide range of people and examples of initiatives that are attempting to make this happen. Please see my specific questions below. 1. Up to date information on vehicle ownership (non-motorised as well as motorised) and trends in Southern countries (at a country level if possible). Is there anywhere on the web that I can access this kind of data or does anyone know where I can get hold of it. 2. Information on and who is buying cars (what level of income) in different countries in the South and the propotion of journeys that people at different levels of income make by different modes. 3. Thoughts on the extent to which there can be any 'leapfrogging' by Southern countries to a more sustainable transport system than the one which exists in richer countries? 4. Examples of sustainable transport initiatives in the South which have been relatively successful (apart from Curitiba!). Your thoughts on any of these questions would be extremely useful. Best wishes Sarah Roberts From chris at mailnet.rdc.cl Wed Apr 1 02:11:40 1998 From: chris at mailnet.rdc.cl (Christopher Zegras) Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 13:11:40 -0400 Subject: [sustran] bus fares in Santiago Message-ID: <199803311711.NAA04377@mailnet3.rdc.cl> courtesy of chipnews www.chip.cl -- BUS PRICES TO RISE UPON NEW AGREEMENT. Santiago's micro bus prices will rise to $180 (US$0.40)pesos upon conclusion of a new agreement between the government and bus operators, officials said Sunday. The current prices are either $160 (US$0.36) or $170 (US$0.38) pesos depending on the bus company. Santiago's city buses are owned by independent companies that apply for licenses from the Ministry of Transportation. The price rise is part of the ministry's review of all its concessions. It has already awarded 294 new concessions for the upcoming year. Prices will rise, ministry officials said, despite an ongoing investigation by the National Fiscal Office concerning collusion and price gouging by bus drivers. The investigation is centered around a recent vote by the bus companies over the price hike in which 96 percent of them proposed raising prices to $190 (US$0.42). The Fiscal Office suspects wrongdoing because of the unanimity of the voting. * courtesy of chipnews www.chip.cl Christopher Zegras http://www.iiec.org /\ /^\ Instituto Internacional para la Conservacion de Energia /^\ /_o\ / \ General Flores 150, Providencia, Santiago, CHILE /^^^/_\< /^^^^^\ Tel: (56 2) 236 9232 Fax: 236 9233 / (*)/(*) \ From mobility at igc.apc.org Wed Apr 1 02:07:22 1998 From: mobility at igc.apc.org (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 09:07:22 -0800 (PST) Subject: [sustran] Transport in the South Message-ID: <2.2.16.19980331125609.19ef47f0@pop.igc.org> Dear Sarah Roberts, Some answers in the text At 10:04 AM 3/31/98 EST, SRIIED wrote: > >At the International Insitute for Environment and Development in London (a not >for profit research and policy institute) we are doing some work on >perspectives and action on sustainable consumption in the South for the UK >Department for International Development.Transport is one of the key sectors >that we are looking at. > >I am hoping that members of sustrans-discuss might help us make this section a >pertinent and hard-hitting one. I would greatly value your help in finding >specific information, your thoughts on how different countries in the South >can develop a sustainable transport system that gives access to mobility to a >wide range of people and examples of initiatives that are attempting to make >this happen. Please see my specific questions below. > >1. Up to date information on vehicle ownership (non-motorised as well as >motorised) and trends in Southern countries (at a country level if possible). >Is there anywhere on the web that I can access this kind of data or does >anyone know where I can get hold of it. For motorized vehicle ownership I use the annual reports of the Motor VEhicles Manufacturing Association in the U.S. The Economist Economic Intelligence Unit also puts out auto industry sales information by country which covers some developing countries. For non-motorized vehicle data, data in africa is very difficult to come-by. John Howe has researched this question (jdhowe@ihe.nl). Worldwatch in Washington D.C. published a report on bicycle sales; I believe it was Chris Flavin. You could ask him where he got his data. Michael Replogle at EDF (michaelr@edf.org) and Chiaki Kuranami at Padeco in Japan (did research on nmvs in Asia) Maybe Paul Guitink at World BAnk would have better ideas. (pguitink@worldbank.org) >2. Information on and who is buying cars (what level of income) in different >countries in the South and the propotion of journeys that people at different >levels of income make by different modes. This has to be pieced together from country specific studies. I've compiled what I know about this in my upcoming Transport Policy for UNDP. Jonas Rabinovitch at UNDP can maybe send you this document which is only in draft form. (jonas.rabinovitch@undp.org) >3. Thoughts on the extent to which there can be any 'leapfrogging' by Southern >countries to a more sustainable transport system than the one which exists in >richer countries? In terms of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, almost all developing countries transport systems are more environmentally sustainable than those in developed countries. US alone responsible for something like 32% of global CO2 emissions from transport. On a per capita basis, developing countries look very good due to low levels of motorization. Chinese system based on bicycles is extremely sustainable compared to developed countries. Aggregate emissions levels in big metro areas in terms of ppm etc. look much worse, but cities like Tianjin look pretty good, as do most secondary cities. >4. Examples of sustainable transport initiatives in the South which have been >relatively successful (apart from Curitiba!). There are bits and pieces of good things going on. I'd suggest you look at my UNDP report. It has all I know about these things. Best, Walter Hook ITDP >Your thoughts on any of these questions would be extremely useful. > >Best wishes > >Sarah Roberts > > ________________________________________________________________________________ The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) 115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205 New York, NY 10001 Tel 212-629 8001, Fax 212-629 8033 mobility@igc.apc.org From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Wed Apr 1 05:53:53 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 15:53:53 -0500 (EST) Subject: [sustran] Walter's comments on Transport in the South In-Reply-To: <2.2.16.19980331125609.19ef47f0@pop.igc.org> Message-ID: On Tue, 31 Mar 1998, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy wrote: > Dear Sarah Roberts, [snip]> > > There are bits and pieces of good things going on. I'd suggest you look at > my UNDP report. It has all I know about these things. > > Best, > Walter Hook > ITDP > > > [snip]> > Walter, All you know? You are being far too modest. Walter, while you are talking about this subject, I would love to hear what you think about the future of sustainable tranportation in places like China. The Worldwatch Institute paints the picture that they are hell bent on becoming an automobile-centered society. Eric B. > ________________________________________________________________________________ > > The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) > 115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205 > New York, NY 10001 > Tel 212-629 8001, Fax 212-629 8033 > mobility@igc.apc.org > > > From kwood at central.co.nz Wed Apr 1 10:38:32 1998 From: kwood at central.co.nz (Kerry Wood) Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 13:38:32 +1200 Subject: [sustran] Transport in the South Message-ID: Sarah Roberts wrote >At the International Insitute for Environment and Development in London (a not >for profit research and policy institute) we are doing some work on >perspectives and action on sustainable consumption in the South for the UK >Department for International Development.Transport is one of the key sectors >that we are looking at. > >I am hoping that members of sustrans-discuss might help us make this section a >pertinent and hard-hitting one.... In New Zealand there have been some good studies done by the Ministry of Transport, looking at the vehicle fleet fuel efficiency, external costs, valuing the road network etc. But unfortunately there has been very little action. The most relevant report is: Greenhouse gas emissions from NZ Transport (106 pages + appendices) from MoT, P O Box 3175, Wellington, New Zealand Little or no information is available on the non-motorised modes. I am writing a thesis on bicycle safety, and I have been unable to find out even whether cycling is getting safer or more dangerous. Probably the latter. Now the government is thinking about corporatising the roads. If they go ahead it will certailny be interesting... Regards Kerry Wood Transport Consultant Phone/fax + 64 4 801 5549 e-mail kwood@central.co.nz 1 McFarlane St Wellington 6001 New Zealand From ob110ob at IDT.NET Wed Apr 1 03:09:52 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 10:09:52 -0800 Subject: [sustran] Walter's comments on Transport in the South References: Message-ID: <35213170.9F4@idt.net> Eric Bruun wrote: > > On Tue, 31 Mar 1998, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy wrote: > > > Dear Sarah Roberts, > > [snip]> > > > > There are bits and pieces of good things going on. I'd suggest you look at > > my UNDP report. It has all I know about these things. > > > > Best, > > Walter Hook > > ITDP > > > > > [snip]> > > > Walter, All you know? You are being far too modest. > > Walter, while you are talking about this subject, I would love to hear > what you think about the future of sustainable tranportation in places > like China. The Worldwatch Institute paints the picture that they > are hell bent on becoming an automobile-centered society. > > Eric B. > > > ________________________________________________________________________________ > > > > The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) > > 115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205 > > New York, NY 10001 > > Tel 212-629 8001, Fax 212-629 8033 > > mobility@igc.apc.org > > I've been hearing much the same thing, they're routing bicycles and becaks from the streets etc., embarking on road building projects and seeking automoblie plants/partnerships. They should be looking at electric trolleys and cars. But gas is faster and also easily taxable, road building looks impressive and makes the city look modern. So I have to guess that the more 'attractive' package will win in the short term. Obwon 212 942 5581 small world isn't it? :-) From driddell at ING.SUN.AC.ZA Thu Apr 2 11:22:02 1998 From: driddell at ING.SUN.AC.ZA (Wayne Duff-Riddell) Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 11:22:02 GMT+0200 Subject: [sustran] (Fwd) Superelevation design packages. Message-ID: <5AB62A253A@ing.sun.ac.za> Forwarded message: From: Self To: utsg@mailbase.ac.uk Subject: Superelevation design packages. Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 11:21:30 GMT+0200 Hello Can anyone help us with the names of software packages which can be used to aid in the design of horizontal alignment of roads, especially superelevation? Wayne Duff-Riddell University of Stellenbosch Tel: +27 21 8084647 Fax: +27 21 8084361 E-Mail: driddell@ing.sun.ac.za From chris at mailnet.rdc.cl Fri Apr 3 07:52:35 1998 From: chris at mailnet.rdc.cl (Christopher Zegras) Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 18:52:35 -0400 Subject: [sustran] More Opinions on Santiago Highway Message-ID: <199804022252.SAA25508@mailnet3.rdc.cl> Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 COSTANERA NORTE MAKES NO SENSE Sources: LA EPOCA Keywords: URBAN ISSUES; ENVIRONMENT (Ed note: The following op-ed against the controversial Costanera Norte highway project was written by Marcel Claude, a former Central Bank economist who now leads the Terram Foundation. The article originally appeared in La Epoca). It is impossible to comprehend the existence a highway project like the Costanera Norte, as it will only encourage the further proliferation of the city's worst polluter, the automobile. Look at the terrible congestion and traffic jams that crowd Santiago's streets, the great efforts made by highly developed countries to reduce private automobile use, the rise in the planet's temperature caused by the burning of fossil fuels, mostly by the car, the acknowledgment by authorities that the fundamental cause of Santiago's air pollution is the private automobile, and the existence of proven urban transportation alternatives like the Metro. But the most disconcerting aspect of the project has been the attempt by public officials to avoid an evaluation of its environmental impacts, by quickly putting it up to bid while the private companies were voluntarily submitting themselves to the Environmental Impact Evaluation System. Also worrisome is that the government is participating as both judge and party to the controversy. It is not only proposing the project through the Ministry of Public Works but also participating with the right to vote on its approval or denial in the National Environmental Council. The environmental variable is obviously being given no importance, since the toll charges established don't account for the costs of pollution or environmental damage, but rather include only the costs of construction and the profits for investors. The plan calls for the razing of residential, commercial and tourism areas and the destruction of the flanks of San Cristobal Hill, while city land-use regulations prohibit the hill's use for roadworks. It doesn't seem important that for the last 30 years the blatant failure of the current transport model has been repeated time and time again. After enormous spending for the construction of new urban highways, these soon become saturated, resulting in worse congestion of other roads in the network. Has anyone noticed any difference in the vehicular flow between the old Irarrazaval Street and the new one, with one-way traffic in the morning? When English engineers called for the construction of the M- 25, they thought it would clear up London's congested access routes, but it hasn't worked out that way. The same happened in Paris with its ring road and in California with most urban highway expansions. Given that year after year more and more vehicles flood into Santiago, and even more will now be able to enter through the new highway, can anyone claim that the Costanera Norte will be any different? The project also brings with it a price tag of US$330 million and a guarantee of profits for private investors, an increase in Santiago's air pollution and the irretrievable loss of many neighborhoods and the Metropolitan Park. The Costanera Norte project runs completely contrary to authentic modernity, which can only exist along with free and critical thinking, habitable urban spaces, cities for human beings rather than for automobiles, a creative spirit, and the desire to reach higher states of moral existence, in which the development of material considerations doesn't utweigh that of moral growth and the spiritual strengthening of humanity. Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 Christopher Zegras http://www.iiec.org /\ /^\ Instituto Internacional para la Conservacion de Energia /^\ /_o\ / \ General Flores 150, Providencia, Santiago, CHILE /^^^/_\< /^^^^^\ Tel: (56 2) 236 9232 Fax: 236 9233 / (*)/(*) \ From Guruswam at apogee-us.com Fri Apr 3 08:20:43 1998 From: Guruswam at apogee-us.com (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 18:20:43 -0500 Subject: [sustran] More Opinions on Santiago Highway Message-ID: Glad to see you've persuaded some Chileans to write op-ed pieces. --- Dharm Guruswamy, Associate, Transportation Environmental Economics, Apogee/Hagler Bailly (http://www.apogee-us.com) 4350 East-West Highway, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone: (301) 657-7546 | Fax: (301) 654-9355 | E-mail: guruswam@apogee-us.com -----Original Message----- From: Christopher Zegras [SMTP:chris@mailnet.rdc.cl] Sent: Thursday, April 02, 1998 5:53 PM To: Charles_Rivasplata@ci.sf.ca.us; alt-transp@flora.org; sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: [sustran] More Opinions on Santiago Highway Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 COSTANERA NORTE MAKES NO SENSE Sources: LA EPOCA Keywords: URBAN ISSUES; ENVIRONMENT (Ed note: The following op-ed against the controversial Costanera Norte highway project was written by Marcel Claude, a former Central Bank economist who now leads the Terram Foundation. The article originally appeared in La Epoca). It is impossible to comprehend the existence a highway project like the Costanera Norte, as it will only encourage the further proliferation of the city's worst polluter, the automobile. Look at the terrible congestion and traffic jams that crowd Santiago's streets, the great efforts made by highly developed countries to reduce private automobile use, the rise in the planet's temperature caused by the burning of fossil fuels, mostly by the car, the acknowledgment by authorities that the fundamental cause of Santiago's air pollution is the private automobile, and the existence of proven urban transportation alternatives like the Metro. But the most disconcerting aspect of the project has been the attempt by public officials to avoid an evaluation of its environmental impacts, by quickly putting it up to bid while the private companies were voluntarily submitting themselves to the Environmental Impact Evaluation System. Also worrisome is that the government is participating as both judge and party to the controversy. It is not only proposing the project through the Ministry of Public Works but also participating with the right to vote on its approval or denial in the National Environmental Council. The environmental variable is obviously being given no importance, since the toll charges established don't account for the costs of pollution or environmental damage, but rather include only the costs of construction and the profits for investors. The plan calls for the razing of residential, commercial and tourism areas and the destruction of the flanks of San Cristobal Hill, while city land-use regulations prohibit the hill's use for roadworks. It doesn't seem important that for the last 30 years the blatant failure of the current transport model has been repeated time and time again. After enormous spending for the construction of new urban highways, these soon become saturated, resulting in worse congestion of other roads in the network. Has anyone noticed any difference in the vehicular flow between the old Irarrazaval Street and the new one, with one-way traffic in the morning? When English engineers called for the construction of the M- 25, they thought it would clear up London's congested access routes, but it hasn't worked out that way. The same happened in Paris with its ring road and in California with most urban highway expansions. Given that year after year more and more vehicles flood into Santiago, and even more will now be able to enter through the new highway, can anyone claim that the Costanera Norte will be any different? The project also brings with it a price tag of US$330 million and a guarantee of profits for private investors, an increase in Santiago's air pollution and the irretrievable loss of many neighborhoods and the Metropolitan Park. The Costanera Norte project runs completely contrary to authentic modernity, which can only exist along with free and critical thinking, habitable urban spaces, cities for human beings rather than for automobiles, a creative spirit, and the desire to reach higher states of moral existence, in which the development of material considerations doesn't utweigh that of moral growth and the spiritual strengthening of humanity. Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 Christopher Zegras http://www.iiec.org /\ /^\ Instituto Internacional para la Conservacion de Energia /^\ /_o\ / \ General Flores 150, Providencia, Santiago, CHILE /^^^/_\< /^^^^^\ Tel: (56 2) 236 9232 Fax: 236 9233 / (*)/(*) \ From Guruswam at apogee-us.com Fri Apr 3 08:21:09 1998 From: Guruswam at apogee-us.com (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 18:21:09 -0500 Subject: [sustran] More Opinions on Santiago Highway Message-ID: Sorry about sending the reply to the whole list :-). --- Dharm Guruswamy, Associate, Transportation Environmental Economics, Apogee/Hagler Bailly (http://www.apogee-us.com) 4350 East-West Highway, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone: (301) 657-7546 | Fax: (301) 654-9355 | E-mail: guruswam@apogee-us.com -----Original Message----- From: Christopher Zegras [SMTP:chris@mailnet.rdc.cl] Sent: Thursday, April 02, 1998 5:53 PM To: Charles_Rivasplata@ci.sf.ca.us; alt-transp@flora.org; sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: [sustran] More Opinions on Santiago Highway Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 COSTANERA NORTE MAKES NO SENSE Sources: LA EPOCA Keywords: URBAN ISSUES; ENVIRONMENT (Ed note: The following op-ed against the controversial Costanera Norte highway project was written by Marcel Claude, a former Central Bank economist who now leads the Terram Foundation. The article originally appeared in La Epoca). It is impossible to comprehend the existence a highway project like the Costanera Norte, as it will only encourage the further proliferation of the city's worst polluter, the automobile. Look at the terrible congestion and traffic jams that crowd Santiago's streets, the great efforts made by highly developed countries to reduce private automobile use, the rise in the planet's temperature caused by the burning of fossil fuels, mostly by the car, the acknowledgment by authorities that the fundamental cause of Santiago's air pollution is the private automobile, and the existence of proven urban transportation alternatives like the Metro. But the most disconcerting aspect of the project has been the attempt by public officials to avoid an evaluation of its environmental impacts, by quickly putting it up to bid while the private companies were voluntarily submitting themselves to the Environmental Impact Evaluation System. Also worrisome is that the government is participating as both judge and party to the controversy. It is not only proposing the project through the Ministry of Public Works but also participating with the right to vote on its approval or denial in the National Environmental Council. The environmental variable is obviously being given no importance, since the toll charges established don't account for the costs of pollution or environmental damage, but rather include only the costs of construction and the profits for investors. The plan calls for the razing of residential, commercial and tourism areas and the destruction of the flanks of San Cristobal Hill, while city land-use regulations prohibit the hill's use for roadworks. It doesn't seem important that for the last 30 years the blatant failure of the current transport model has been repeated time and time again. After enormous spending for the construction of new urban highways, these soon become saturated, resulting in worse congestion of other roads in the network. Has anyone noticed any difference in the vehicular flow between the old Irarrazaval Street and the new one, with one-way traffic in the morning? When English engineers called for the construction of the M- 25, they thought it would clear up London's congested access routes, but it hasn't worked out that way. The same happened in Paris with its ring road and in California with most urban highway expansions. Given that year after year more and more vehicles flood into Santiago, and even more will now be able to enter through the new highway, can anyone claim that the Costanera Norte will be any different? The project also brings with it a price tag of US$330 million and a guarantee of profits for private investors, an increase in Santiago's air pollution and the irretrievable loss of many neighborhoods and the Metropolitan Park. The Costanera Norte project runs completely contrary to authentic modernity, which can only exist along with free and critical thinking, habitable urban spaces, cities for human beings rather than for automobiles, a creative spirit, and the desire to reach higher states of moral existence, in which the development of material considerations doesn't utweigh that of moral growth and the spiritual strengthening of humanity. Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 Christopher Zegras http://www.iiec.org /\ /^\ Instituto Internacional para la Conservacion de Energia /^\ /_o\ / \ General Flores 150, Providencia, Santiago, CHILE /^^^/_\< /^^^^^\ Tel: (56 2) 236 9232 Fax: 236 9233 / (*)/(*) \ From ant at c2i.net Fri Apr 3 19:59:43 1998 From: ant at c2i.net (Tore Berge, ANT) Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 12:59:43 +0200 (MET DST) Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, Even if I have followed the discussion with much interest since May 97, this is my first mail to the SUSTRAN DISCUSS list. I am the general director of ANT, the Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and Transport. ANT, the Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and Transport, has got financial support to do a project on: How to integrate land use and transport planning and develop coherent local transport systems. The intention is to make an international ?inventory? of relevant measures and planning procedures. Besides describing the different measures, the project will focus on the actual results of implemented measures and procedures. If possible the project will describe measures directed towards the transportation of persons and measures directed towards the transportortation of goods. ANT has already described some of these measures in the report ?Greening Urban Transport - Land use planning?, published by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E) in 1994 - like the public transport index in Hammersmith and Fulham in London and the Dutch ABC system. The idea is to develop a list with further examples, also from countries outside Europe, like the ISTEA and the Metropolitan Planning Organizations in USA, and to get more information on the actual outcomes of the implemented measures. I would be very interested in getting suggestions to relevant measures that could be included in this list, and names and addresses to persons and institutions to contact for further information. Best regards Tore Berge ANT The Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and Transport PB 2035 Gr?nerlokka N-0505 OSLO Tel +47 22 71 56 60 Fax +47 22 38 23 03 E-mail ant@c2i.net From ob110ob at IDT.NET Fri Apr 3 12:18:59 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Thu, 02 Apr 1998 19:18:59 -0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: OSTANERA NORTE MAKES NO SENSE References: <199804022252.SAA25508@mailnet3.rdc.cl> Message-ID: <35245523.91C@idt.net> Christopher Zegras wrote: > > Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl > April 2, 1998 > COSTANERA NORTE MAKES NO SENSE My objection to this project, if I were to have one, would be directed to human health issues as well. I suspect that this highway, if it is going to climb over a hill with residents down below, is more than just dangerous but absurd. Here's my thinking: We've got this 'epidemic' of poor people suffing asthsmatic conditions in NY and there are studings getting underway on it. Right now the suspects are pollution. But since there seems to be many cases in the South Bronx, and since I know that the oft daylong congested, elevated Brucker Expressway courses through this area. I add that to my experience of bicycling through this area many times at various times of the year. In the summer and winter, when sunlight is strong and the highway is congested, there are long 1,500 ft pools of ozoneated air along the adjacent city streets. Bike riding, being the vigorous activity it is, I'd bet that I get a really good dosing of ozone. I know that I'm slowed down and have trouble breathing for hours after riding through this area when such conditions persist. However, for the people living in these neighborhoods, depending on which way the wind is blowing and it's speed, are probably subjected to much longer periods of exposure over time because they live there all day long, week in and week out. Putting a highway on a hill overlooking neighborhoods presents too much of a danger that the neighborhoods below will become saturated with elevated levels of ozone which burns out the lining of the lungs. Since ozone is heavier than air, when wind velocities are low, it makes sense to believe that the ozone will concentrate in the low lying areas. If people live there, they will recieve frequent doseing with this noxious gas, which is formed when sunlight interacts with polluted air. This would almost mandate that some ventilation capacity be built and utilized to capture the polluted air at it's source (the highway, which should be covered) for transport away from inhabited areas, as well as being treated before it's released back into the environment. That is, unless thousands of people don't mind being poisoned slowly. Obwon From ghawkes at sover.net Fri Apr 3 22:09:37 1998 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 08:09:37 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems Message-ID: <004c01bd5f01$c214f000$9f4519ce@Pghawkes> Dear Tore & Sustran Colleagues, In response to your request for information you might like to go to http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm for a vision of the transportation system we are working toward. We have been testing and refining the travel surface for the past four years and are now installing it over existing bicycle, pedestrian and wheelchair surfaces (wood & concrete) nationwide. By this June we will have a 2' x 4' structural travel surface panel that can be used for low speed bicycle and pedestrian paths. Once we have demonstrated the merits of this structural panel surface we hope to attract the investment to proceed quickly toward our vision of a light vehicle transportation system similar to what we describe at http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm. We have not yet prepared information for dissemination other than what is on the web site. In May we will be testing the first structural surfacing panels. In June we should have photographs and specifications up at www.biketrack.com . I hope this has been of some help. Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. RR 1, Box 247 Woodstock, VT 05091 USA ghawkes@sover.net -----Original Message----- From: Tore Berge, ANT To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Date: Friday, April 03, 1998 6:42 AM Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems >Dear Colleagues, > >Even if I have followed the discussion with much interest since May 97, >this is my first mail to the SUSTRAN DISCUSS list. I am the general >director of ANT, the Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and >Transport. > >ANT, the Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and Transport, has got >financial support to do a project on: How to integrate land use and >transport planning and develop coherent local transport systems. > >The intention is to make an international ?inventory? of relevant measures >and planning procedures. Besides describing the different measures, the >project will focus on the actual results of implemented measures and >procedures. If possible the project will describe measures directed towards >the transportation of persons and measures directed towards the >transportortation of goods. > >ANT has already described some of these measures in the report ?Greening >Urban Transport - Land use planning?, published by the European Federation >for Transport and Environment (T&E) in 1994 - like the public transport >index in Hammersmith and Fulham in London and the Dutch ABC system. > >The idea is to develop a list with further examples, also from countries >outside Europe, like the ISTEA and the Metropolitan Planning Organizations >in USA, and to get more information on the actual outcomes of the >implemented measures. > >I would be very interested in getting suggestions to relevant measures that >could be included in this list, and names and addresses to persons and >institutions to contact for further information. > >Best regards >Tore Berge > >ANT >The Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and Transport >PB 2035 Gr?nerlokka >N-0505 OSLO >Tel +47 22 71 56 60 >Fax +47 22 38 23 03 >E-mail ant@c2i.net > > From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Fri Apr 3 23:18:32 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 09:18:32 -0500 (EST) Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I have lived in Norway for four years, and I must say, there is not much you can learn about making livable communities or coherent transportation systems from the US. If we had any sense we would be coming to you to learn. Nevertheless, you might want to start with the Transportation Action Network website, http://www.transact.org Also, the National Transit Institute has a course in "Coordinating Transportation and Land Use" that is taught by some of the best academic talent in the US. If you had the money to travel to attend, you would learn the state of the practice. I believe I have an e-mail version of the course description. If I find it in my overflowing files I will forward it to you. If you need more ideas, contact me again. Eric Bruun From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sat Apr 4 08:48:30 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Fri, 03 Apr 1998 15:48:30 -0800 Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems References: <004c01bd5f01$c214f000$9f4519ce@Pghawkes> Message-ID: <3525754E.3EA2@idt.net> Gerry Hawkes wrote: > > Dear Tore & Sustran Colleagues, > > In response to your request for information you might like to go > to http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm for a vision of the > transportation system we are working toward. > Gerry? I've just viewed the website [mostly text] Please keep us posted as to when pictures become available. Also, I've been reading a faq on picture compression stuff and I've learned that gif is better for up to 256 colors and grayscale-non natural/artwork with few color differences. While the Jpeg is better for real photo work. Without getting too technical - Jpeg both loses some pix info in compression (which can be high and therefore fast for 24 bit 16m color images) and it also tends to blend colors from one pixel to the next. It normally does these things at just below 'eye detection' levels so that while one compression/expansion means little loss by way of quality, repeated processing (com/exp) caused additional degrading especially if coupled with editing (to minimize cut multiples of 16 pixels from left and/or top, this keeps 'blocks' more 'readable' to the jpeg program). But to avoid altogether, simply use other image editors and only compress the final product. This works fine. I would enjoy seeing 'deployment' art work/renderings which can give a better view of what is envisioned as the end result and 'assist relief' box drawings which help understand/explain details. Since I ride both long and short trips around the city (NY) in all weather conditions, I'd like to visualize the provision of a system that will work to deflect the harsher elements of such trips. Yet, it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't provide 'clutter' of senic views which would become a nusiance when they aren't needed, even if a blessing when they are. To be sure, covered trails is more efficient than carrying a shelter around with you [bike shells etc]. And unless you're planning to allow/accomodate 'heavy' hpv's such as loaded carryalls, workbikes and pedicabs/pedicars and the like, then smaller hills shouldn't be a problem that requires motorized assists. That should save on motors, power and expense. But that comes after terms - 'small/big hill' - is defined. Oh yes! Before I forget, for anyone who might be interested. This week in New York City local news much attention was drawn to a storekeeper who was given a $1,000 dollar fine by the Parks Dept. for chaining his bike to a tree on the street in front of his shop. The Parks Commissioner, after the story made news, offered to cancel the ticket if the storekeeper would hug and say a few nice words to the tree. He did and so the story made the papers again. But, anyone who bikes in NYC knows that there's a real shortage of bike racks. Most lamp posts and street signs are often taken up by the bikes of the businesses on the streets. On the side streets, which are residential/commercial mix, the residents often 'store' their bikes on the few sign posts and lamp posts so visitors coming into the area have little choice of where to lock up for their stay. Iron property gates and fences usually draw someone's ire if used, so we must try to avoid that as much as possible. Although, I believe, the previous adm. loosened the rules regarding stores, businesses, pvt. cits., liablity if and when they provide bike racks for public use, very few [ but growing numbers] of places provide them. Schools and colleges are coming on board, and a few busineses too. But across the board it seems they are unable to find very efficient racks to provide. So, if someone is already engaged in working with this kind of problem that you know of, wheather commercial or not, this information might be of some help to them. BTW bike useage in the city is growing, even while Asian countries seem to be trending the other way. We'd probably have even more bike usage if someone could come up with a foldable hpv/carryall type workbike/transporter capable of carrying packages and being able to be stored in a small space. Thanks for the attention and Regards Obwon From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Mon Apr 6 17:15:55 1998 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (John Whitelegg) Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 09:15:55 +0100 Subject: [sustran] articles wanted Message-ID: <01BD613D.A5405D00@ras-pptp-1.lancs.ac.uk> ---------- From: Dharm Guruswamy[SMTP:Guruswam@apogee-us.com] Sent: Friday, April 03, 1998 12:21 AM To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: RE: [sustran] More Opinions on Santiago Highway Would someone please write an article on the Costanera Norte highway project for the June issue of World Transport Policy and Practice? This issue will concentrate on major highway projects around the world, their planning processes, financing and evaluation, the role pf private financing and the role of the world construction industry in lobbying for these projects. We will be covering the Israeli Road No 6, the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (UK), roads around Melbourne in Australia. Any other ideas please? very best wishes John Whitelegg Editor, World Transport Policy and Practice COSTANERA NORTE MAKES NO SENSE Sources: LA EPOCA Keywords: URBAN ISSUES; ENVIRONMENT (Ed note: The following op-ed against the controversial Costanera Norte highway project was written by Marcel Claude, a former Central Bank economist who now leads the Terram Foundation. The article originally appeared in La Epoca). It is impossible to comprehend the existence a highway project like the Costanera Norte, as it will only encourage the further proliferation of the city's worst polluter, the automobile. Look at the terrible congestion and traffic jams that crowd Santiago's streets, the great efforts made by highly developed countries to reduce private automobile use, the rise in the planet's temperature caused by the burning of fossil fuels, mostly by the car, the acknowledgment by authorities that the fundamental cause of Santiago's air pollution is the private automobile, and the existence of proven urban transportation alternatives like the Metro. But the most disconcerting aspect of the project has been the attempt by public officials to avoid an evaluation of its environmental impacts, by quickly putting it up to bid while the private companies were voluntarily submitting themselves to the Environmental Impact Evaluation System. Also worrisome is that the government is participating as both judge and party to the controversy. It is not only proposing the project through the Ministry of Public Works but also participating with the right to vote on its approval or denial in the National Environmental Council. The environmental variable is obviously being given no importance, since the toll charges established don't account for the costs of pollution or environmental damage, but rather include only the costs of construction and the profits for investors. The plan calls for the razing of residential, commercial and tourism areas and the destruction of the flanks of San Cristobal Hill, while city land-use regulations prohibit the hill's use for roadworks. It doesn't seem important that for the last 30 years the blatant failure of the current transport model has been repeated time and time again. After enormous spending for the construction of new urban highways, these soon become saturated, resulting in worse congestion of other roads in the network. Has anyone noticed any difference in the vehicular flow between the old Irarrazaval Street and the new one, with one-way traffic in the morning? When English engineers called for the construction of the M- 25, they thought it would clear up London's congested access routes, but it hasn't worked out that way. The same happened in Paris with its ring road and in California with most urban highway expansions. Given that year after year more and more vehicles flood into Santiago, and even more will now be able to enter through the new highway, can anyone claim that the Costanera Norte will be any different? The project also brings with it a price tag of US$330 million and a guarantee of profits for private investors, an increase in Santiago's air pollution and the irretrievable loss of many neighborhoods and the Metropolitan Park. The Costanera Norte project runs completely contrary to authentic modernity, which can only exist along with free and critical thinking, habitable urban spaces, cities for human beings rather than for automobiles, a creative spirit, and the desire to reach higher states of moral existence, in which the development of material considerations doesn't utweigh that of moral growth and the spiritual strengthening of humanity. Courtesy of Chipnews www.chip.cl April 2, 1998 Christopher Zegras http://www.iiec.org /\ /^\ Instituto Internacional para la Conservacion de Energia /^\ /_o\ / \ General Flores 150, Providencia, Santiago, CHILE /^^^/_\< /^^^^^\ Tel: (56 2) 236 9232 Fax: 236 9233 / (*)/(*) \ -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 4359 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/19980406/3369a18d/attachment.bin From Pguitink at worldbank.org Mon Apr 6 23:20:32 1998 From: Pguitink at worldbank.org (Paulus A. Guitink) Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 10:20:32 -0400 Subject: [sustran] articles wanted Message-ID: <852565DE.004DAAA6.00@WBLN0014.worldbank.org> (436.3 7-23-1997)) id 852565DE.004F9581 ; Mon, 06 Apr 1998 10:29:16 -0400 X-Lotus-FromDomain: WORLDBANK Maybe the proposed Northern Ring Road in Lima, Peru (preliminary cost estimation US$ 300 million), is another example. The World Bank was involved in the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and resettlement studies for the project, but will not be involved in financing the road (the Japanese will be the main financier). The road will connect the Lima-Callao port area and the Lima International Airport with the Panamericana Norte, and improve (motorized) accessibility to one of Lima's most densely populated low income areas (San Juan de Lurigancho). best regards, Paul Guitink Transport Consultant From Guruswam at apogee-us.com Tue Apr 7 01:05:29 1998 From: Guruswam at apogee-us.com (Dharm Guruswamy) Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 12:05:29 -0400 Subject: [sustran] articles wanted Message-ID: Or the proposed Sao Paulo ring road... --- Dharm Guruswamy, Associate, Transportation Environmental Economics, Apogee/Hagler Bailly (http://www.apogee-us.com) 4350 East-West Highway, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone: (301) 657-7546 | Fax: (301) 654-9355 | E-mail: guruswam@apogee-us.com -----Original Message----- From: Paulus A. Guitink [SMTP:Pguitink@worldbank.org] Sent: Monday, April 06, 1998 10:21 AM To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: Re: [sustran] articles wanted (436.3 7-23-1997)) id 852565DE.004F9581 ; Mon, 06 Apr 1998 10:29:16 -0400 X-Lotus-FromDomain: WORLDBANK Maybe the proposed Northern Ring Road in Lima, Peru (preliminary cost estimation US$ 300 million), is another example. The World Bank was involved in the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and resettlement studies for the project, but will not be involved in financing the road (the Japanese will be the main financier). The road will connect the Lima-Callao port area and the Lima International Airport with the Panamericana Norte, and improve (motorized) accessibility to one of Lima's most densely populated low income areas (San Juan de Lurigancho). best regards, Paul Guitink Transport Consultant From litman at IslandNet.com Tue Apr 7 00:57:17 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 08:57:17 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980406085717.007ffd70@pop.IslandNet.com> Tore Berge asked: >ANT, the Norwegian Federation for Local Environment and Transport, has got >financial support to do a project on: How to integrate land use and >transport planning and develop coherent local transport systems. > >The intention is to make an international ?inventory? of relevant measures >and planning procedures. Besides describing the different measures, the >project will focus on the actual results of implemented measures and >procedures. If possible the project will describe measures directed towards >the transportation of persons and measures directed towards the >transportortation of goods. Our institute has developed a list of "Win-Win" strategies that encourage more sustainable transportation, and are fully justified in terms of economic benefits. These strategies can recieve support from traditional transportation professionals concerned with congestion and facility capacity, governments and businesses concerned with reducing road and parking facility costs, public safety officials, and community residents concerned with quality of life issues, as well as environmentalists. Please contact our institute if you have questions about these or other travel demand management strategies. =================================================================== Win-Win Transportation Management Strategies To Reduce Greenhouse Gases Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Win-Win" transportation management strategies provide economic, environmental and social benefits. They can meet a significant portion of greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and reduce traffic congestion, road and parking facility costs, accidents, and local pollution; increase travel choices; save consumers money; increase employment and economic productivity; improve community livability; and increase social equity. Win-Win strategies are cost effective and technically feasible. They remove distortions in transportation markets that encourage automobile travel and discourage development and use of more efficient alternatives. They are ideal "no regrets" measures that should be implemented regardless of uncertainties concerning global warming impact costs. If fully implemented, Win-Win strategies could reduce motor vehicle travel 15-30%. Win-Win strategies can generate broad support. Transportation professionals concerned with congestion, governments concerned with road and parking facility costs, health officials concerned with traffic crashes, environmentalists concerned with pollution and sprawl, and community residents concerned with local quality of life issues all have reasons to support Win-Win programs. Federal ------- Make employer provided transit benefits tax exempt. Current federal tax policy allows most automobile commuters to receive free parking without paying income tax on this benefit, while employer provided transit passes are fully taxed. Eliminating this bias increases transit commuting 5-20% among employees offered this benefit. (Employer Provided Transit Passes: A Tax Exempt Benefit, Transport 2000 Canada, 1997.) Provincial/State ---------------- Distance based vehicle insurance and registration fees. Basing vehicle insurance and registration fees on distance traveled provides a significant financial incentive to reduce driving. It is predicted to reduce vehicle travel by approximately 10%, reduce crash rates, increase equity, and save consumers money. (Todd Litman, "Distance Based Vehicle Insurance as a TDM Strategy," Transportation Quarterly, Summer 1997.) Least-cost transportation planning and funding. Least-cost planning means that strategies to reduce demand are considered equally with strategies to increase capacity, that all significant impacts are considered, and that the public is involved in developing and evaluating alternatives. This allows demand management strategies to receive appropriate consideration. (Dick Nelson and Don Shakow, "Least-Cost Planning" Transportation Research Record 1499, 1996, pp. 19-27.) Regional and Local ------------------ Local and regional transportation demand management programs. Local and regional governments can achieve substantial financial savings and support environmental goals by encouraging more efficient travel. In one community, travel demand management is predicted to reduce road construction costs from $120- to $15-million, and reduce greenhouse emissions by 3%. (TravelSmart Project, City of Kamloops, British Columbia, 1997.) More flexible zoning requirements. Local governments can reduce parking requirements for businesses that have travel management programs. This gives businesses more options and reduces motor vehicle use. (John Shaw, Planning for Parking, Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1997.) Transportation Efficient Development and Location Efficient Mortgages. Several strategies can help develop more transportation efficient communities (Reid Ewing, Best Development Practices, Planners Press, Chicago, 1996.), and encourage "location efficient" housing. (Hoeveler, "Accessibility vs. Mobility: The Location Efficient Mortgage," Public Investment, American Planning Asso., Chicago, September 1997.) Parking "Cash Out". This strategy means that employees who receive parking subsidies are also offered the cash equivalent if they use other modes. This typically reduces automobile commuting by 10-30%, and increases equity by giving non-drivers benefits comparable to those received by drivers. (Donald Shoup, "An Opportunity to Reduce Minimum Parking Requirements," Journal of the American Planning Association, Winter 1995, pp. 14-28.) Transportation Management Associations. Transportation management associations provide services such as rideshare matching, transit information, and parking coordination in a commercial district or mall. This allows even small businesses to participate in commute trip reduction programs, and achieves more efficient use of resources. (Ferguson, Ross and Meyer, "Transportation Management Associations," Transportation Research Record, #1346, 1992, pp. 36-43.) School trip management. Ten to fifteen percent of peak period vehicle trips involve parents driving children to school. Some communities now support travel alternatives for these trips. This gives families more choices, encourages exercise, and reduces vehicle use. (Kowey, Hunter & Associates, Way To Go, Go Green Choices, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Vancouver, 1997.) Car sharing. Car sharing businesses and cooperatives allow residents to use vehicles when necessary, while maintaining a strong financial incentive to use alternative modes for other trips. Drivers who join such organizations typically reduce their vehicle use by 50%. (Steininger, Vogl and Zettl, "Car Sharing Organizations," Transport Policy, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1996, pp. 177-185.) Traffic calming. Traffic calming includes various strategies to reduce traffic speeds and volumes on specific roads, and make them more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. This increases community livability in addition to other economic and environmental benefits. (Ewing and Kooshian, "U.S. Experience with Traffic Calming," ITE Journal, August 1997, pp. 28-33.) For more information on these strategies contact the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada phone/fax: 250-360-1560 email: litman@islandnet.com website: www.islandnet.com/~litman. From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Tue Apr 7 17:02:39 1998 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (John Whitelegg) Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 09:02:39 +0100 Subject: [sustran] articles wanted Message-ID: <01BD6207.CEFCA980@ras-pptp-1.lancs.ac.uk> ---------- From: Dharm Guruswamy[SMTP:Guruswam@apogee-us.com] Sent: Monday, April 06, 1998 5:05 PM To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: RE: [sustran] articles wanted Dear Paul, I would be delighted if you or a colleague would write an article on the Sao Paulo ring road or the situation in Lima or both. This is just waht I need. I am very keen to make this issue of WTPP responsive to South American conditions as well as Africa and Asia. Please send something by e-mail or snail mail: 53 Derwent Rd Lancaster LA1 3ES UK very best wishes John Whitelegg Or the proposed Sao Paulo ring road... --- Dharm Guruswamy, Associate, Transportation Environmental Economics, Apogee/Hagler Bailly (http://www.apogee-us.com) 4350 East-West Highway, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone: (301) 657-7546 | Fax: (301) 654-9355 | E-mail: guruswam@apogee-us.com -----Original Message----- From: Paulus A. Guitink [SMTP:Pguitink@worldbank.org] Sent: Monday, April 06, 1998 10:21 AM To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: Re: [sustran] articles wanted (436.3 7-23-1997)) id 852565DE.004F9581 ; Mon, 06 Apr 1998 10:29:16 -0400 X-Lotus-FromDomain: WORLDBANK Maybe the proposed Northern Ring Road in Lima, Peru (preliminary cost estimation US$ 300 million), is another example. The World Bank was involved in the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and resettlement studies for the project, but will not be involved in financing the road (the Japanese will be the main financier). The road will connect the Lima-Callao port area and the Lima International Airport with the Panamericana Norte, and improve (motorized) accessibility to one of Lima's most densely populated low income areas (San Juan de Lurigancho). best regards, Paul Guitink Transport Consultant -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 2653 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/19980407/d17dda77/attachment.bin From j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk Tue Apr 7 17:04:02 1998 From: j.whitelegg at lancaster.ac.uk (John Whitelegg) Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 09:04:02 +0100 Subject: [sustran] articles wanted Message-ID: <01BD6207.D19A85E0@ras-pptp-1.lancs.ac.uk> ---------- From: Paulus A. Guitink[SMTP:Pguitink@worldbank.org] Sent: Monday, April 06, 1998 3:20 PM To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: Re: [sustran] articles wanted Dear Paul, This is an excellent sugggestion. can you write a shortish 3000 word article or pass on my request to a colleague? very best wishes John Whitelegg (436.3 7-23-1997)) id 852565DE.004F9581 ; Mon, 06 Apr 1998 10:29:16 -0400 X-Lotus-FromDomain: WORLDBANK Maybe the proposed Northern Ring Road in Lima, Peru (preliminary cost estimation US$ 300 million), is another example. The World Bank was involved in the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and resettlement studies for the project, but will not be involved in financing the road (the Japanese will be the main financier). The road will connect the Lima-Callao port area and the Lima International Airport with the Panamericana Norte, and improve (motorized) accessibility to one of Lima's most densely populated low income areas (San Juan de Lurigancho). best regards, Paul Guitink Transport Consultant -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 2113 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/19980407/cec9cb08/attachment.bin From dan-dan at emailp-i.indo.net.id Wed Apr 8 01:47:18 1998 From: dan-dan at emailp-i.indo.net.id (dan-dan@emailp-i.indo.net.id) Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 23:47:18 +0700 Subject: [sustran] CONTRA-98, 9-10 June 1998 - 2nd announcement Message-ID: <199804071647.XAA24990@smtp-intern.indo.net.id> Second Announcement ------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CONTRA-1998) JUNE 9-10 1998 GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA - INDONESIA theme : THE PROSPECT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO ENHANCE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CONTENT: A. About the Conference B. Conference Programme C. Venue D. Schedule A. ABOUT THE CONFERENCE THE BACKGROUND In a global economic change, transportation as a social, cultural, and economic mobility will be confronted with a great demand of speed, reliability, efficiency, in support of an even higher competitive business atmosphere. In this borderless environment, the national transportation network has inevitably, become a subsystem of regional and even a global network service. Transportation developments should therefore be directed towards keeping the compatibility between national network and global network in a continuous chain of a reliable and efficient economic movement. Transportation development strategies have already been closely associated with regional development. The relationship between spatial arrangement- as part of a regional development - and transportation characteristics have been described through published research results, references, and also the operational experiences of developed countries. The implementation of various findings in developing countries, especially Indonesia still inherit some weaknesses, particularly caused by : 1. More complex geographical, cultural, institutional, and other local problems are still not covered by the existing theories. 2. Poor condition on the control spatial utilization and transportation provision. Some good achievements may coincidentally the result of individual sector. These cause either overlap or gap measures or schemes which will lead to inefficiency of public money. These weaknesses often exist in the process of determining policies and strategies since the comprehensive approach leading to integrated actions is often neglected. The orientation of decision making is more directed toward sectoral purpose. The above adverse impact could be worsened by the use of transportation models from developed countries whose applicability is still questionable. Basic modifications are inevitably needed before it is used as a transportation planning and control mechanism for developing countries. It is realized that this global compatibility brings along a very high consequence in the planning of investment, especially for developing countries whose governments and public sectors having difficulties to fully afford the investment.It is clearly indicated that the public-private partnership is very essential to improve the quality of services offered by the transportation sector. It should be born in mind however, that government intervention is still necessary to protect the society?s best interest. Due to this government limitations, especially in developing countries, some paradigms should be included into government main policy guidelines, such as : 1. Creating a conducive environment to motivate and stimulate a bigger role and participation of private sector in the provision of transportation infrastructure and service. 2. Technology innovation as well as sophisticated management in transportation sector that lead to a reliable and competitive transportation service (low cost, high quality, on time delivery, excellent service, progressive marketing) must be envisaged. 3. Fostering transportation technology in line with natural resources and energy conservation, as well as making it compatible with the environment are serious unavoidable challenges. 4. Research to identify the relationship between economic growth and transportation development and vice versa should be encouraged, especially in support of economic growth and directing towards poverty alleviation. Although those main streams are probably acceptable and applicable for other countries, they still need an assessment and operational specification which can be used as an integrated, continuous, effective, and efficient action plan leading to a more reliable global transportation system. Public and private partnership scheme in transportation investment has been an important issue on reducing government?s lack of investment fund to provide transportation service. ESCAP (1997) has identified several obvious benefits that might arise from private sector involvement in infrastructure development: 1. A reduction in both administrative and the financial burdens on the public sector can be achieved through the transfer of public sector activities and employees to the private sector. 2. Financial gains could accrue from the sale of infrastructure assets, savings on investment and operating expenditure, revenue from lease payments from the private entities, and the transfer of the government?s outstanding debt to private operators. 3. Private sector involvement could enhance the dynamism of the economy in the long run through improved efficiency, a favourable impact on the international perception of the country?s investment climate and a strengthening of the local capital market. It is in this line the Conference on Transport and Regional Development (CONTRA-98) is organised. CONTRA-98 is one of the seminar series initiated by the Indonesian Transport Society that will discuss this important issue in conjunction with promoting regional development, particularly to areas which are least develop. The conference is organised jointly by Indonesian Ministry of Communication, ndonesian Transport Society and Gadjah Mada University and supported by the Transportation and Communication Division of ESCAP - UN THE OBJECTIVES 1. To exchange ideas between Western experts and local experts on transportation problems in Asia Pacific. 2. To explore unique transportation problems of developing countries around Asia Pacific and try to get the best solution on: ? The lack of understandings on the relation between transportation and regional development: policy issues, strategies, modeling issues ? The existence of disparities and dicotomies in social and economic aspects of regional development, which include urban - rural, urban poor - urban wealth society and gender conscious planning perspectives. ? The needs of greater role for private participation in development through transportation investment ? Inter and intra-sectoral aspects of transport in supporting regional development 3. To formulate directions in enhance public-private partnership to develop transportation in developing countries. THE FORUM 2-day conference, and poster session covering the following aspects: ? Transportation planning strategy, regional development and sustainable development ? Public-private partnership in transportation investment ? Modeling regional transport ? Multimodal transportation ? Case studies Paralel workshop will be organized to discuss the following themes: ? Transportation Planning ? Regional Planning ? Transport Financing Workshop session will be an excellence opportunity to combine academic and theoretical aspects of regional transportation approach and practical issues in the implementation of public and private partnership scheme. TIME AND VENUE 9 - 10 June 1998 ? GADJAHMADA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA - INDONESIA ? HYATT REGENCY YOGYAKARTA LANGUAGE Official conference language is English. ORGANIZERS The Indonesian Ministry of Communication Indonesian Transport Society Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE Minister of Research and Technology Secretary General, the Ministry of Communication Chairman, Indonesian Transport Society Rector, Gadjah Mada University Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Dr. Suyono Dikun Coordinator Dr. Bambang Sugeng Co-coordinator Dr. Heru Sutomo Co-coordinator Mr. Waldijono, MSc. Co-coordinator Mr. Tri Sunoko Dr. Hermanto Dardak Drs. N.W. Teweng, M.S.Tr. Dr.-Ing. Achmad Munawar Dr.-techn. Danang Parikesit THE SPEAKERS The speaker are prominent national and international figures is transportation and regional development as well as international experts/consultant in the implementation of public-private partnership scheme. Among others, the speakers and paper presenters are: The World Bank/ADB (to be confirmed) Prof. William Young, Monash University, Australia Prof. Knoflacher, TU Vienna, Austria Prof. K. Ohta, Tokyo University, Japan Prof. Inamura, Mr. Azis Osman, M.Sc. Tohoku University, Japan Prof. AD May, Dr. Nick Marler, Dr. P. Timms, Leeds University, UK Dr. Estlander, Dr. V. Himannen, VTT, Finland Prof. Budhi Tjahjati, National Development Planning Agency, Indonesia (to be confirmed) Prof. Phillip Smith, Mr. Cungki Kusdardjito, M.Sc., Univ. of Queensland, Australia Dr. Sarosh I Khan, Colorado University, USA ESCAP/UN Dr. Lars Haglund, University of Karlstad, Denmark Prof. Kusbiantoro, Urban and Reginal Development Institute/Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia (to be confirmed) Dr. Ping Huang, Nothern Jiaotong University, China Prof. H. Tsukaguchi, Ritsumeikan University, Japan Mr. Kardi Teknomo, M.Eng., Mrs. Gloria Gerilla, M.Eng., Petra University, Indonesia Mr. Budhi Hartanto, M.Sc. Maranatha University, Indonesia Mr. Syaiful Teteng, East Kalimantan Regional Development Planning Agency, Indonesia Mr. Rusmadi Suyuti, M.Eng. Sc., Mr. Merjaldi Loeis, M.Sc. and Mr. Bambang Rumanto, M.Sc. Agency for the Asessment and Implementation of Technology (BPPT), Indonesia Mr. Unggul Cariawan, PT. Jasa Marga - Indonesian Toll Road Company, Indonesia University of Indonesia, Indonesia Dr. Kawik Sugiana, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS The Conference limits 300 participants which come from various government institutions, lending agencies, NGOs, private organisations and companies, researchers, university lecturers and students. ADRESS OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE CONTRA-98 Yogyakarta Dr. Danang Parikesit Civil Enginering Department Faculty of Engineering Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta 55281 INDONESIA tel. +62 274 902246, 512796 fax. +62 274 512796 email mstt_ugm@yogya.wasantara.net.id CONTRA-98 Jakarta Ir. Rudi Salahuddin, MEM Transportation and Communication Bureau National Development Planning Agency Jl. Taman Suropati No. 2 Jakarta, INDONESIA tel. + 62 21 3148550 + 62 21 3905650 ext 1339, 1402 fax. + 62 21 3148550 email: rudybun@pusdata.dprind.go.id B. POST CONFERENCE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMES After the conference, the Organizing Committee in cooperation with the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents, Yogyakarta Chapter will, upon request, organize recreational programmes for participants and their spouses which include: 1. Yogyakarta City Tour. A 4-hour tour of Yogyakarta city, known as the cultural heart of Indonesia. This tour will take you to various tourism attractions in Yogyakarta and antiques as well as art galleries which sell quality products. 2. Borobudur Temple - Prambanan Temple - Kraton (Sultan?s Palace) Tour. The tour will take you to a stroll through Javanese history. Borobudur is a Buddhist temple which is known as the largest in the world whereas Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex, known as a thousand temples. These temples were lost for centuries but now revealed in all its ancient magificence. The Sultan?s Palace has a very important role in the Indonesian history and independence. The palace was also contributed significantly to the Gadjah Mada University at the initial stage of its foundings by donating its buidlings as class rooms. For most Yogyakarta residence, the palace is still magnifying its glory and now become the center of people?s power. 3. Village tour. This interesting tour will take you with various traditional mode of transport to a Javanese village which produces traditional medicines C. CONFERENCE VENUE SENATE HALL, GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY The Conference opening will take place at the Senate Hall, Gadjah Mada University. The Senate Hall is traditionally used for Senate?s meetings and highly academic occations. The Conference has an honor to use the hall, showing the recognition of the University to the conference as being an important academic meeting. Universitas Gadjah Mada - UGM - Indonesian language was founded in Yogyakarta, Central Java in december 19, 1949 - the first national university after the Indonesian independence. At its foundings, UGM was a small group of professors meeting in modest quarters donated by the Sultan of Yogyakarta. It is now Indonesia?s largest university situated on an extensive modern campus containg over than 30,000 full time students and 2,100 school and research center members. UGM has extensive links, exchange and working relationships with more than sixty seven educational and international institutions around the globe. HYATT REGENCY YOGYAKARTA Hyatt Regency is ideally situated in the north part of Yogyakarta area with the Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in the world at the background . This hotel will be the venue for the rest of the conference and workshop. Yogyakarta?s cultural ambience provides an ideal venue for the creative theme event like CONTRA-98. The 650 square meter, multi functional ballroom can be designed to accommodate a meeting as few as 20 people, to cocktails or a banquet up to 1,000 people. The facilities are organized by a team of professionals who have the style, enthusiasm and innovation to exceed all expectations. D. REGISTRATION REGISTRATION FEE Due to the generous contribution of the sponsors, the organizing committe have now the reduced registration fee. USD 160/Rp. 800.000 Non-MTI member/EASTS countries participant USD 60/Rp. 300.000 MTI member/EASTS countries participant/student USD 60/Rp. 300.000 Accompanying person (exchange rate 1 USD = Rp 5,000) Membership of the Indonesian Transport Society (for Indonesian citizen) can be obtained from the by sending the registration form or sending an email containing the name, address and organization to the Organizing Committee. The organizing committee is able to assist the participants to book their hotel. Upon request, we can assist you to arrange the accomodation during your stay in Yogyakarta. The choice of hotels is as follows: Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta (5*) - Conference venue Ambarukmo Palace Hotel (4*) Santika Hotel (4*) Radisson Hotel (4*) Novotel (3*) Phoenix Heritage Hotel (3*) Jayakarta (3*) Ibis Hotel (3*) Century Hotel (3*) Puri Artha Hotel (2*) Peti Mas Guest House (non star) Wisma Kagama - University accomodation All hotels are within 20 minutes travel time with the taxi. The price will vary according to the classification of hotels, but they range from Rp. 200.000 (USD 20) to Rp. 500.000 (USD 100). For reservation, one night hotel deposit will be required. TRANSPORT The most comfortable and relatively cheap local transport, especially for foreigners is taxi. All participants will however, be picked up at the station/airport so long they state their arrival time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- REGISTRATION AND ACCOMODATION FORM NAME : CONTACT ADDRESS : TEL. : FAX. : EMAIL : REGISTRATION FEE : MTI MEMBER/EASTS COUNTRIES PARTICIPANT/STUDENT [ ] USD 60 NON MTI MEMBER [ ] USD 160 ACCOMPANYING PERSON [ ] USD 60 CHECK IN DAY : CHECK OUT DAY : ARRIVAL DATE : FLIGHT NO. : DEPARTURE DAY : FLIGHT NO. : I wish to reserve : [ ] single room(s) [ ] double room(s) on non star/2*/3*/4*/5* hotel. Please advise me with the price. I have sent/will send the registration fee and one night hotel deposit to : Organizing Committee CONTRA-98 Account No. 361.0339.700 BANK NIAGA, Cik di Tiro Branch YOGYAKARTA 55281 INDONESIA From dan-dan at emailp-i.indo.net.id Wed Apr 8 01:47:18 1998 From: dan-dan at emailp-i.indo.net.id (dan-dan@emailp-i.indo.net.id) Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 23:47:18 +0700 Subject: [sustran] CONTRA-98, 9-10 June 1998 - 2nd announcement Message-ID: <980407135936234@mail> Second Announcement ------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CONTRA-1998) JUNE 9-10 1998 GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA - INDONESIA theme : THE PROSPECT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO ENHANCE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CONTENT: A. About the Conference B. Conference Programme C. Venue D. Schedule A. ABOUT THE CONFERENCE THE BACKGROUND In a global economic change, transportation as a social, cultural, and economic mobility will be confronted with a great demand of speed, reliability, efficiency, in support of an even higher competitive business atmosphere. In this borderless environment, the national transportation network has inevitably, become a subsystem of regional and even a global network service. Transportation developments should therefore be directed towards keeping the compatibility between national network and global network in a continuous chain of a reliable and efficient economic movement. Transportation development strategies have already been closely associated with regional development. The relationship between spatial arrangement- as part of a regional development - and transportation characteristics have been described through published research results, references, and also the operational experiences of developed countries. The implementation of various findings in developing countries, especially Indonesia still inherit some weaknesses, particularly caused by : 1. More complex geographical, cultural, institutional, and other local problems are still not covered by the existing theories. 2. Poor condition on the control spatial utilization and transportation provision. Some good achievements may coincidentally the result of individual sector. These cause either overlap or gap measures or schemes which will lead to inefficiency of public money. These weaknesses often exist in the process of determining policies and strategies since the comprehensive approach leading to integrated actions is often neglected. The orientation of decision making is more directed toward sectoral purpose. The above adverse impact could be worsened by the use of transportation models from developed countries whose applicability is still questionable. Basic modifications are inevitably needed before it is used as a transportation planning and control mechanism for developing countries. It is realized that this global compatibility brings along a very high consequence in the planning of investment, especially for developing countries whose governments and public sectors having difficulties to fully afford the investment.It is clearly indicated that the public-private partnership is very essential to improve the quality of services offered by the transportation sector. It should be born in mind however, that government intervention is still necessary to protect the society?s best interest. Due to this government limitations, especially in developing countries, some paradigms should be included into government main policy guidelines, such as : 1. Creating a conducive environment to motivate and stimulate a bigger role and participation of private sector in the provision of transportation infrastructure and service. 2. Technology innovation as well as sophisticated management in transportation sector that lead to a reliable and competitive transportation service (low cost, high quality, on time delivery, excellent service, progressive marketing) must be envisaged. 3. Fostering transportation technology in line with natural resources and energy conservation, as well as making it compatible with the environment are serious unavoidable challenges. 4. Research to identify the relationship between economic growth and transportation development and vice versa should be encouraged, especially in support of economic growth and directing towards poverty alleviation. Although those main streams are probably acceptable and applicable for other countries, they still need an assessment and operational specification which can be used as an integrated, continuous, effective, and efficient action plan leading to a more reliable global transportation system. Public and private partnership scheme in transportation investment has been an important issue on reducing government?s lack of investment fund to provide transportation service. ESCAP (1997) has identified several obvious benefits that might arise from private sector involvement in infrastructure development: 1. A reduction in both administrative and the financial burdens on the public sector can be achieved through the transfer of public sector activities and employees to the private sector. 2. Financial gains could accrue from the sale of infrastructure assets, savings on investment and operating expenditure, revenue from lease payments from the private entities, and the transfer of the government?s outstanding debt to private operators. 3. Private sector involvement could enhance the dynamism of the economy in the long run through improved efficiency, a favourable impact on the international perception of the country?s investment climate and a strengthening of the local capital market. It is in this line the Conference on Transport and Regional Development (CONTRA-98) is organised. CONTRA-98 is one of the seminar series initiated by the Indonesian Transport Society that will discuss this important issue in conjunction with promoting regional development, particularly to areas which are least develop. The conference is organised jointly by Indonesian Ministry of Communication, ndonesian Transport Society and Gadjah Mada University and supported by the Transportation and Communication Division of ESCAP - UN THE OBJECTIVES 1. To exchange ideas between Western experts and local experts on transportation problems in Asia Pacific. 2. To explore unique transportation problems of developing countries around Asia Pacific and try to get the best solution on: ? The lack of understandings on the relation between transportation and regional development: policy issues, strategies, modeling issues ? The existence of disparities and dicotomies in social and economic aspects of regional development, which include urban - rural, urban poor - urban wealth society and gender conscious planning perspectives. ? The needs of greater role for private participation in development through transportation investment ? Inter and intra-sectoral aspects of transport in supporting regional development 3. To formulate directions in enhance public-private partnership to develop transportation in developing countries. THE FORUM 2-day conference, and poster session covering the following aspects: ? Transportation planning strategy, regional development and sustainable development ? Public-private partnership in transportation investment ? Modeling regional transport ? Multimodal transportation ? Case studies Paralel workshop will be organized to discuss the following themes: ? Transportation Planning ? Regional Planning ? Transport Financing Workshop session will be an excellence opportunity to combine academic and theoretical aspects of regional transportation approach and practical issues in the implementation of public and private partnership scheme. TIME AND VENUE 9 - 10 June 1998 ? GADJAHMADA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA - INDONESIA ? HYATT REGENCY YOGYAKARTA LANGUAGE Official conference language is English. ORGANIZERS The Indonesian Ministry of Communication Indonesian Transport Society Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE Minister of Research and Technology Secretary General, the Ministry of Communication Chairman, Indonesian Transport Society Rector, Gadjah Mada University Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Dr. Suyono Dikun Coordinator Dr. Bambang Sugeng Co-coordinator Dr. Heru Sutomo Co-coordinator Mr. Waldijono, MSc. Co-coordinator Mr. Tri Sunoko Dr. Hermanto Dardak Drs. N.W. Teweng, M.S.Tr. Dr.-Ing. Achmad Munawar Dr.-techn. Danang Parikesit THE SPEAKERS The speaker are prominent national and international figures is transportation and regional development as well as international experts/consultant in the implementation of public-private partnership scheme. Among others, the speakers and paper presenters are: The World Bank/ADB (to be confirmed) Prof. William Young, Monash University, Australia Prof. Knoflacher, TU Vienna, Austria Prof. K. Ohta, Tokyo University, Japan Prof. Inamura, Mr. Azis Osman, M.Sc. Tohoku University, Japan Prof. AD May, Dr. Nick Marler, Dr. P. Timms, Leeds University, UK Dr. Estlander, Dr. V. Himannen, VTT, Finland Prof. Budhi Tjahjati, National Development Planning Agency, Indonesia (to be confirmed) Prof. Phillip Smith, Mr. Cungki Kusdardjito, M.Sc., Univ. of Queensland, Australia Dr. Sarosh I Khan, Colorado University, USA ESCAP/UN Dr. Lars Haglund, University of Karlstad, Denmark Prof. Kusbiantoro, Urban and Reginal Development Institute/Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia (to be confirmed) Dr. Ping Huang, Nothern Jiaotong University, China Prof. H. Tsukaguchi, Ritsumeikan University, Japan Mr. Kardi Teknomo, M.Eng., Mrs. Gloria Gerilla, M.Eng., Petra University, Indonesia Mr. Budhi Hartanto, M.Sc. Maranatha University, Indonesia Mr. Syaiful Teteng, East Kalimantan Regional Development Planning Agency, Indonesia Mr. Rusmadi Suyuti, M.Eng. Sc., Mr. Merjaldi Loeis, M.Sc. and Mr. Bambang Rumanto, M.Sc. Agency for the Asessment and Implementation of Technology (BPPT), Indonesia Mr. Unggul Cariawan, PT. Jasa Marga - Indonesian Toll Road Company, Indonesia University of Indonesia, Indonesia Dr. Kawik Sugiana, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS The Conference limits 300 participants which come from various government institutions, lending agencies, NGOs, private organisations and companies, researchers, university lecturers and students. ADRESS OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE CONTRA-98 Yogyakarta Dr. Danang Parikesit Civil Enginering Department Faculty of Engineering Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta 55281 INDONESIA tel. +62 274 902246, 512796 fax. +62 274 512796 email mstt_ugm@yogya.wasantara.net.id CONTRA-98 Jakarta Ir. Rudi Salahuddin, MEM Transportation and Communication Bureau National Development Planning Agency Jl. Taman Suropati No. 2 Jakarta, INDONESIA tel. + 62 21 3148550 + 62 21 3905650 ext 1339, 1402 fax. + 62 21 3148550 email: rudybun@pusdata.dprind.go.id B. POST CONFERENCE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMES After the conference, the Organizing Committee in cooperation with the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents, Yogyakarta Chapter will, upon request, organize recreational programmes for participants and their spouses which include: 1. Yogyakarta City Tour. A 4-hour tour of Yogyakarta city, known as the cultural heart of Indonesia. This tour will take you to various tourism attractions in Yogyakarta and antiques as well as art galleries which sell quality products. 2. Borobudur Temple - Prambanan Temple - Kraton (Sultan?s Palace) Tour. The tour will take you to a stroll through Javanese history. Borobudur is a Buddhist temple which is known as the largest in the world whereas Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex, known as a thousand temples. These temples were lost for centuries but now revealed in all its ancient magificence. The Sultan?s Palace has a very important role in the Indonesian history and independence. The palace was also contributed significantly to the Gadjah Mada University at the initial stage of its foundings by donating its buidlings as class rooms. For most Yogyakarta residence, the palace is still magnifying its glory and now become the center of people?s power. 3. Village tour. This interesting tour will take you with various traditional mode of transport to a Javanese village which produces traditional medicines C. CONFERENCE VENUE SENATE HALL, GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY The Conference opening will take place at the Senate Hall, Gadjah Mada University. The Senate Hall is traditionally used for Senate?s meetings and highly academic occations. The Conference has an honor to use the hall, showing the recognition of the University to the conference as being an important academic meeting. Universitas Gadjah Mada - UGM - Indonesian language was founded in Yogyakarta, Central Java in december 19, 1949 - the first national university after the Indonesian independence. At its foundings, UGM was a small group of professors meeting in modest quarters donated by the Sultan of Yogyakarta. It is now Indonesia?s largest university situated on an extensive modern campus containg over than 30,000 full time students and 2,100 school and research center members. UGM has extensive links, exchange and working relationships with more than sixty seven educational and international institutions around the globe. HYATT REGENCY YOGYAKARTA Hyatt Regency is ideally situated in the north part of Yogyakarta area with the Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in the world at the background . This hotel will be the venue for the rest of the conference and workshop. Yogyakarta?s cultural ambience provides an ideal venue for the creative theme event like CONTRA-98. The 650 square meter, multi functional ballroom can be designed to accommodate a meeting as few as 20 people, to cocktails or a banquet up to 1,000 people. The facilities are organized by a team of professionals who have the style, enthusiasm and innovation to exceed all expectations. D. REGISTRATION REGISTRATION FEE Due to the generous contribution of the sponsors, the organizing committe have now the reduced registration fee. USD 160/Rp. 800.000 Non-MTI member/EASTS countries participant USD 60/Rp. 300.000 MTI member/EASTS countries participant/student USD 60/Rp. 300.000 Accompanying person (exchange rate 1 USD = Rp 5,000) Membership of the Indonesian Transport Society (for Indonesian citizen) can be obtained from the by sending the registration form or sending an email containing the name, address and organization to the Organizing Committee. The organizing committee is able to assist the participants to book their hotel. Upon request, we can assist you to arrange the accomodation during your stay in Yogyakarta. The choice of hotels is as follows: Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta (5*) - Conference venue Ambarukmo Palace Hotel (4*) Santika Hotel (4*) Radisson Hotel (4*) Novotel (3*) Phoenix Heritage Hotel (3*) Jayakarta (3*) Ibis Hotel (3*) Century Hotel (3*) Puri Artha Hotel (2*) Peti Mas Guest House (non star) Wisma Kagama - University accomodation All hotels are within 20 minutes travel time with the taxi. The price will vary according to the classification of hotels, but they range from Rp. 200.000 (USD 20) to Rp. 500.000 (USD 100). For reservation, one night hotel deposit will be required. TRANSPORT The most comfortable and relatively cheap local transport, especially for foreigners is taxi. All participants will however, be picked up at the station/airport so long they state their arrival time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- REGISTRATION AND ACCOMODATION FORM NAME : CONTACT ADDRESS : TEL. : FAX. : EMAIL : REGISTRATION FEE : MTI MEMBER/EASTS COUNTRIES PARTICIPANT/STUDENT [ ] USD 60 NON MTI MEMBER [ ] USD 160 ACCOMPANYING PERSON [ ] USD 60 CHECK IN DAY : CHECK OUT DAY : ARRIVAL DATE : FLIGHT NO. : DEPARTURE DAY : FLIGHT NO. : I wish to reserve : [ ] single room(s) [ ] double room(s) on non star/2*/3*/4*/5* hotel. Please advise me with the price. I have sent/will send the registration fee and one night hotel deposit to : Organizing Committee CONTRA-98 Account No. 361.0339.700 BANK NIAGA, Cik di Tiro Branch YOGYAKARTA 55281 INDONESIA From litman at IslandNet.com Wed Apr 8 07:19:58 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 15:19:58 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper In-Reply-To: <199804022252.SAA25508@mailnet3.rdc.cl> Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980407151958.00815100@pop.IslandNet.com> Dear Colleagues and Friends, I recently completed a 40-page draft paper titled "Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets; Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts." In it I attempt to define the major criteria for optimal pricing and markets, estimate optimal prices for an average automobile, use the results to calculate the change in vehicle travel that might result from optimal pricing, and discuss the implications of changing from current to more optimal pricing. Below is the report abstract. I am looking for up to a dozen reviewers of this paper. Please let me know if you would like a copy, and if so, whether I can send it as a Word 97 file attachment, or whether you need a hard copy (and if so, your preferred mailing address). Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman =========================================== Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts DRAFT 2 April 1998 By Todd Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute ABSTRACT This paper explores the potential of developing more optimal transport prices and markets, and resulting impacts on vehicle travel, consumer costs, environmental and land use impacts, economic development, and social welfare. Optimal pricing must balance economic efficiency, equity, and transaction costs. Optimal markets must offer consumers choices and information, minimize distortions, encourage producer competition, and avoid social traps. Current transport prices and markets often fail to meet these criteria. Although distortions may have been justified when transaction costs were high and motor vehicle externalities relatively small, new pricing technologies and increasing concern over external costs justifies increased emphasis on marginal and full-cost pricing, and efforts to eliminate market distortions. Eleven specific strategies are proposed to create more optimal pricing and markets. These strategies would significantly increase the perceived cost of motor vehicle use while reducing fixed vehicle costs and externalities, increase consumer choices, and reduce market distortions. Higher vehicle costs would be offset by reductions in other taxes, consumer expenses, and motor vehicle externalities. Employment, productivity and economic development should increase. Most consumers should benefit overall. Full implementation of these proposed changes is predicted to reduce motor vehicle use by 40-65%. This indicates that current high levels of automobile use is partly an artifact of mispricing and market distortions, not consumer preference. Differences in the magnitude of vehicle travel between current and optimal pricing and markets represents reduced consumer welfare. Although there are a number of barriers to implementing more optimal pricing and markets, these can be minimized through good planning and management practices which make charges predictable and gradual, maximize public involvement, and address specific public concerns. =========================================== From inamura at plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Wed Apr 8 08:49:24 1998 From: inamura at plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp (Hajime Inamura) Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 08:49:24 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19980407151958.00815100@pop.IslandNet.com> Message-ID: <9804072349.AA03095@scorpio.plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp> Inamura@Tohoku-U,Japan wrote, Dear Mr. Todd Litman I am not sure I can make an appropriate comment for you, but I am interested in your paper stated below. Please send me as an attached file of Word 97. ********************* >Dear Colleagues and Friends, > >I recently completed a 40-page draft paper titled "Socially Optimal >Transport Prices and Markets; Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts." >In it I attempt to define the major criteria for optimal pricing and >markets, estimate optimal prices for an average automobile, use the results >to calculate the change in vehicle travel that might result from optimal >pricing, and discuss the implications of changing from current to more >optimal pricing. Below is the report abstract. > >I am looking for up to a dozen reviewers of this paper. Please let me know >if you would like a copy, and if so, whether I can send it as a Word 97 >file attachment, or whether you need a hard copy (and if so, your preferred >mailing address). > > >Sincerely, > >Todd Litman, Director >Victoria Transport Policy Institute >"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" >1250 Rudlin Street >Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada >Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 >E-mail: litman@islandnet.com >Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman > > > =========================================== > Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets > Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts > > DRAFT > 2 April 1998 > > By Todd Litman > Victoria Transport Policy Institute > > > ABSTRACT >This paper explores the potential of developing more optimal transport >prices and markets, and resulting impacts on vehicle travel, consumer >costs, environmental and land use impacts, economic development, and social >welfare. > >Optimal pricing must balance economic efficiency, equity, and transaction >costs. Optimal markets must offer consumers choices and information, >minimize distortions, encourage producer competition, and avoid social >traps. Current transport prices and markets often fail to meet these >criteria. Although distortions may have been justified when transaction >costs were high and motor vehicle externalities relatively small, new >pricing technologies and increasing concern over external costs justifies >increased emphasis on marginal and full-cost pricing, and efforts to >eliminate market distortions. > >Eleven specific strategies are proposed to create more optimal pricing and >markets. These strategies would significantly increase the perceived cost >of motor vehicle use while reducing fixed vehicle costs and externalities, >increase consumer choices, and reduce market distortions. Higher vehicle >costs would be offset by reductions in other taxes, consumer expenses, and >motor vehicle externalities. Employment, productivity and economic >development should increase. Most consumers should benefit overall. > >Full implementation of these proposed changes is predicted to reduce motor >vehicle use by 40-65%. This indicates that current high levels of >automobile use is partly an artifact of mispricing and market distortions, >not consumer preference. Differences in the magnitude of vehicle travel >between current and optimal pricing and markets represents reduced consumer >welfare. Although there are a number of barriers to implementing more >optimal pricing and markets, these can be minimized through good planning >and management practices which make charges predictable and gradual, >maximize public involvement, and address specific public concerns. > >=========================================== > > > > ------------------------------------------------- Hajime INAMURA inamura@plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Phone:+81-22-217-7492 Facsimile:+81-22-217-7494 Web :http://www.plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Department of Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, JAPAN ------------------------------------------------- From ghawkes at sover.net Wed Apr 8 11:32:47 1998 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 21:32:47 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems - EcoTrack Message-ID: <002001bd6296$9f228ce0$a44519ce@Pghawkes> Dear Obwon: Thanks for the very helpful information on file formats for web site photos. Below I have inserted responses after your questions and comments regarding the EcoTrack system. - Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. www.biketrack.com -----Original Message----- From: Obwon To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Date: Saturday, April 04, 1998 4:35 AM Subject: Re: [sustran] Coherent transport systems >Gerry Hawkes wrote: >> >> Dear Tore & Sustran Colleagues, >> >> In response to your request for information you might like to go >> to http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm for a vision of the >> transportation system we are working toward. >> > > Gerry? I've just viewed the website [mostly text] Please keep us >posted as to when pictures become available > I would enjoy seeing 'deployment' art work/renderings which can give a >better view of what is envisioned as the end result and 'assist relief' >box drawings which help understand/explain details. RESPONSE: You can get an idea of the EcoTrack surface pattern that will be used on the modular EcoTrack bicycle and pedestrian path system by going to http://www.biketrack.com/antislip.htm and looking at the photos of the tile surfaces there. By late May or early June this surface will be available in 2' x 4' structural plastic panels. We will get photos of these panels onto the web site shortly thereafter. While the panels will be used for docks, wheelchair ramps, and gangways, they will also have application for bicycle pedestrian bridges and the construction of bicycle pedestrian paths. We also have a patent pending on a modular truss system for easily and inexpensively constructing strong, but lightweight bicycle/pedestrian bridges, gangways and wheelchair access ramps. The truss system is designed to be assembled in two foot increments to any desired lengths with the structural 2'x4' panels forming the travel surface. The first truss systems will also come off the production line in late May or early June. Again we will get photos up on our web site shortly thereafter. We have thought some of posting photos of prototype panels and truss systems and/or our engineering drawings, but feel it is best to wait to post photos of the final production versions along with final specifications. >Since I ride both >long and short trips around the city (NY) in all weather conditions, I'd >like to visualize the provision of a system that will work to deflect >the harsher elements of such trips. > Yet, it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't provide 'clutter' of >senic views which would become a nusiance when they aren't needed, even >if a blessing when they are. To be sure, covered trails is more >efficient than carrying a shelter around with you [bike shells etc]. RESPONSE: You raise a good point. There will certainly be locations where you do not want the viewscape cluttered with covered bikeways, but in many cases covered bikeways will be less obtrusive than a busy highway bordered by buildings, signs, guardrails and several lanes of traffic. I envision a covered bikeway in which the sides roll up during good weather allowing the users to easily view their surroundings as well as minimizing the visual barrier. As we evolve the system, it may be possible to economically employ highly transparent plastics in the canopy and sides. > > And unless you're planning to allow/accomodate 'heavy' hpv's such as >loaded carryalls, workbikes and pedicabs/pedicars and the like, then >smaller hills shouldn't be a problem that requires motorized assists. >That should save on motors, power and expense. But that comes after >terms - 'small/big hill' - is defined. RESPONSE: Our 2'x4' travel surface panels are designed accepted "heavy" hpv's as will our final EcoTrack system. I was thinking of the electric motor assist as a way to encourage older people and the non-physically fit to ride bikes without being intimidated by hills. Anyway it will be awhile before we achieve the ability to provide electric assist. First we will produce a much improved riding surface then provide weather protection for that surface where appropriate. > > Oh yes! Before I forget, for anyone who might be interested. This week >in New York City local news much attention was drawn to a storekeeper >who was given a $1,000 dollar fine by the Parks Dept. for chaining his >bike to a tree on the street in front of his shop. The Parks >Commissioner, after the story made news, offered to cancel the ticket if >the storekeeper would hug and say a few nice words to the tree. He did >and so the story made the papers again. > > But, anyone who bikes in NYC knows that there's a real shortage of >bike racks. Most lamp posts and street signs are often taken up by the >bikes of the businesses on the streets. On the side streets, which are >residential/commercial mix, the residents often 'store' their bikes on >the few sign posts and lamp posts so visitors coming into the area have >little choice of where to lock up for their stay. Iron property gates >and fences usually draw someone's ire if used, so we must try to avoid >that as much as possible. > > Although, I believe, the previous adm. loosened the rules regarding >stores, businesses, pvt. cits., liablity if and when they provide bike >racks for public use, very few [ but growing numbers] of places provide >them. Schools and colleges are coming on board, and a few busineses >too. But across the board it seems they are unable to find very >efficient racks to provide. RESPONSE: You might want to look at http://www.biketrack.com/protect.htm . These bike parking module configurations are designed to protect trees while providing parking and security for up to 8 bikes per tree. If you want to keep bikes parallel between a curb and sidewalk, you just use 4 modules instead of 8. From ob110ob at IDT.NET Wed Apr 8 07:52:18 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 15:52:18 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Coherent transport systems - EcoTrack References: <002001bd6296$9f228ce0$a44519ce@Pghawkes> Message-ID: <352AAE21.6BB3@idt.net> Gerry Hawkes wrote: > > Dear Obwon: > > Thanks for the very helpful information on file formats for web > site photos. > [...] But across the board it seems they are unable to find very > >efficient racks to provide. > > RESPONSE: You might want to look at > http://www.biketrack.com/protect.htm . These bike parking module > configurations are designed to protect trees while providing > parking and security for up to 8 bikes per tree. If you want to > keep bikes parallel between a curb and sidewalk, you just use 4 > modules instead of 8. Nice looking rack, but I don't think it will do for NYC, where we have the most troublesome 'unauthorized bicycle removers', who easily defeat all but the case-hardened lock and chain devices. U locks such as Kryptonite will cost you your bike sure as shootin. Thieves break them easily with 2"x4" 's, this rack would quickly be filled by locked front tires missing the bike attached to them. I don't know how these guys work, but they even get bikes parked in very busy areas. Given our complex city laws etc., people are likely to interfere with a thief who goes to work on your bike after you walk away from it. Though it does happen sometimes the good samaritan takes quite a risk. If in the process of protecting your property he causes the thief to injure himself, he just might have to defend a law suit. I know, it's terrible but what can you do? A man who stopped to help a stricken person was later sued for 'mistreatment' that resulted in harm, though it wasn't meant to. NY'ers are so often treated to such news stories, it's amazing to see that anyone still even comes to the aid of another. Thank heavens we still do, but then too many walk on by (if the situation is less than life threatening) and New Yorkers understand that too. What we need for NYC, is a rack that can lock on the frame for short lock ups and frame/wheels for longer periods. The tiles are nice and will prevent puddling. But I worry about puddles only when they might cover ice. For bike riding I prefer smoothe to finely textured surface. This is largely because coarse textured surfaces produce a buzzing sound up around 20+ mph. The buzz may sound nice, especially on downhills where it's 'free' energy being wasted. But when you get on a flat, and the tires keep buzzing you know that's your work going up in sound. So I see the tiles as good for low speed bike areas, I wouldn't recommend that they be deployed on segments of long distance routes with out good cause. Such as segments of routes where bikers should slow because of various hazards, children, elderly etc. But often if I'm riding a long distance and I know that a route has hazards or obstacles I'm not above going 3 to 5 miles out of my way to avoid them. Covered trails are good in certain urban areas, wide enough to accommodate both bike and pedestrian traffic they'd be a plus and probably encourage more walking. In urban environments, if the weather's a bit off, taxi trips will replace walks as short as 1/4 mile. for example: Say 50th street 7th avenue, train station to Radio City/Rockefeller center at 50th street from 6th ave to 5th. A standard trip to be sure, but from 1/5th to 1/4 mile. Easily walk-able, but when it rains everyone will hail cabs. If there was a covered walkway, however, most people would probably continue to walk this route. That probably goes for many other routes as well (you can probably think of one's in your cities). Thus covered walks would free up taxi's for longer fares and probably reduce their concentration in the cities center during inclement weather. A good network of covered walkways/bicycle/hpv paths could do much to encourage people to park their car once in the urban area instead of continuing to drive it around, thus contributing to urban congestion where inefficient speeds (traffic lights etc) increase the pollution they generate in the exact place where we need it the least. What I'd like to see is the parking lots offering people hpv's or ev's to use locally after they park their car. Tricycles, carryalls, pedicars, perhaps station cars, all better suited to mobility in a congested area. Lower speeds require less energy, more energy-efficient vehicles. Lower speeds allow safer operation, I often wondered why some powerful car, out of control, didn't just mow it's way through NYC's building to curb throngs. It probably is just that we've been very lucky. We have had, over the last several years, car's and cabs mounting the sidewalk and doing damage to buildings and killing people. But for the few people killed and little property damaged, it seems small by comparison to what we know could have happed given our usual crowds. A single car out of control on a noon day sidewalk in midtown could easily kill and injure hundreds of people. The few mishaps we've had occured at low trafficed times of the day or somehow otherwise missed many people who might have been injured. So I guess that took some of the edge off what should have been a rising clamor for car control. A delivery person on a bike, a month or two ago, riding on the sidewalk, resulted in the death of a pedestrian. So now we've a campaign against biker's going on in the city with 10,000 $100 summonses being issued to cyclers in the last week alone. Our city councilmen are crying "Never again!" and "Stop the Killer Bicycles!" People are nodding their heads in agreement about just how dangerous bicycles are. Meanwhile there's little attention paid while cars continue to kill or injure one person every 43 seconds or so. Go figure. Obwon From schuster at ibtta.org Wed Apr 8 22:58:29 1998 From: schuster at ibtta.org (Neil D. Schuster) Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 09:58:29 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19980407151958.00815100@pop.IslandNet.com> References: <199804022252.SAA25508@mailnet3.rdc.cl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980408095829.006ab740@pop.cais.com> i'd be happy to review it; you can send it as a word 97 document. neil d. schuster executive director international bridge, tunnel and turnpike association 2120 L street, nw suite 305 washington, dc 20037 usa telephone: 1.202.659.4620 fax: 1.202.659.0500 e-mail: schuster@ibtta.org web site: http://www.ibtta.org From pwcl at wr.com.au Thu Apr 9 11:02:29 1998 From: pwcl at wr.com.au (Christine Laurence & Peter Wright) Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 12:02:29 +1000 Subject: [sustran] Don't miss out on getting connected Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980409120229.007053ec@wr.com.au> Conference regos are rolling in thick and fast - don't be the one who misses out on this great milestone in the field of sustainable, community friendly transport! Register now! Take a sickie (but don't quote me!), take a flexie, take a holiday but don't miss out! Its in just over 10 days time - Friday 17 and Saturday 18 April, at the incredibly accessible Granville TAFE, only 25 minutes from Central by train. Its being organised by the Nature Conservation Council's Smogbusters, Ettinger House and Western Sydney Community Forum. Get Connected has been organised to recharge enthusiasm, update and reshape ideas, and enable good working relationships to be formed beteween the community, local groups, transport providers, professionals, local and state governments. Here are a few highlights from the conference. If you'd like the whole program, email me and I'll send it as an attachment or fax it to you. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in attending. I've included an email registatration form at the bottom, and you can pay at the conference. Speakers David Engwicht, citizen activist, author of Traffic Calming and Towards an Eco-City: Calming the Traffic. David's lecture tours have been described as 'a joyous celebration of what a city at its best can be' : The problems in our cities are not caused by cars, bad zoning, engineers, planners, or lack of planning. They are the result of outdated paradigms. These outdated 'maps' cannot guide us in our attempt to rehumanise our cities. Participants will dig past the surface issues confronting our cities to explore what lays below. Please bring your reasoning powers, sense of humour, and willingness to dig. Felix Laube, has 15 years experience with public transport worldwide. His most detailed knowledge originates from the world acclaimed Zurich public transport system It will endeavour to work towards ideas which could be used to improve the situation in the Sydney metropolitan area. Tony Harris, NSW Auditor General The public service suffers a number of disadvantages in delivering infrastructure arrangements which offer value for money for NSW residents. They are not, however, inherent, and can be overcome. John Smith is Executive Director, Planning, with the NSW Department of Transport. He holds a Bsc (Hons) in Social Science and has worked in a variety of roles in the field of urban management, including transport, housing and property: How are we working for change, NSW Government initiatives. Kendall Banfield has qualifications and experience in environmental management and town planning. He currently works at the Institute for Sustainable Futures in Sydney where he was part of a transport costing project "Which costs more cars or public transport: comparing the economic performance of buses, trains and cars". Jane Salmon, wealth of experience in promotions, PR and media work: Getting your message across - skills and suggestions for local community groups to better get their message to the people they want to influence. Paul Mees, President of the Public Tranport User's Association and lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Paul has made a detailed study of the highly aclaimed Toronto transport system: what an integrated transport system looks like, what the features are and how we can achieve integration. Tony Mossfield is a social ecologist who lives in Hawkesbury, specialinsing in regional development, in particular the development of Greater Western Sydney: Similarity of European settlement patterns and transport patterns to Aboriginal settlement patterns and transport routes, subservience of GWS to Sydney’s needs and GWS transport to Sydney’s transport needs, planning for future via regional identity. Les Macdonald currently works with the Uniting Ministry with the Ageing. He is the former head of the Public Transport Advisory Council, and has worked in the field of transport for a number of years. This presentation will look at the benefits of light rail and make suggestions on how this should be funded. Bob Burton has written extensively on greenwashing, the manipulation of community politics and public opinion to achieve the aims of the corporate sector in self promotion or undermining legitimate community opposition: Unmasking the PR Industry: campaigning in an era of counter campaigns. Public relations is a multi-billion dollar, transnational, propaganda for hire indusrty. Its sophisticated issues management techniques are increasingly being used in counter campaigns against social change and environmental groups. Vanessa Roberts is a community health worker at Merrylands Community Health Centre in the areas of crime prevention and community safety. She has been a Steering Committee member of the Safe Women Project since 1996. This presentation will focus on developing partnerships and integrated approaches to the planning, design, and management of transport, including taking the needs of all women in the community into account. Gabrielle Kueper, PhD candidate at the Institute of Sustainable Futures researching a thesis on the interaction between science and policy in state of the environment reporting: the need for a comprehensive cycle network in Sydney, current progress towards this network, including the 4 link bike plan and the benefits of cycling as a form of public transport. Alison Gibbins, ex-NSW Environment Officer with the National Union of Students & Kerry Nettle, student environmentalist involved in the campaigns to oppose the M2 and Eastern Distributor : Win your campaign - how to employ all the skills available in your organisation to run a sucessful campaign. It includes using a strategy chart to ensure that all aspects of the campaign are covered. Paul Elliott, cinematographer film director and transport activist. He has directed music videos for Midnight Oil, Regurgitator and Crowded House. In 1997, he helped set up Reclaim the Streets in Australia: The creation of an Australia wide direct action network dedicated to taking back our streets from cars. Charlie Richardson, Central Sydney Community Transport Group: Attention is paid to environmental problems associated with using petroleum, but we have almost forgotten that it will not last forever. How long will we have it, and what happens when we don’t. Friday night ExTRAVELganza at the Parramatta Town Hall. 7pm - 10pm Vanessa Wagner, Triple J comedienne, is our hostess for the evening as we whirl you through a night of fun filled transport cabaret! Have a laugh along with Nick Possum, Oral Roberts (aka Mother Superior, Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence), a short excerpt from the stage play "Autogedden", jazz music, torch singers and more!!!! $25.00 for cabaret and dinner. Booze on sale. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yes!! I'd like to register for the Get Connected conference. Name: Organisation: Address: Postcode: Phone: (w) (h) Fax: Email: I will attend on: ____Friday ____Friday night ____Saturday I will: ____pay on the day ____send a cheque now "Ettinger House" PO Box 47W, Fairfield West 2165 Cost: $120 both days/$80 one day Government/industry $80 both days/$40 one day Community group/waged individual $40 both days/ $20 one day Concession $25/15 Friday night Lunch, morning and afternoon tea are provided. Vegetarian and vegan catered for. Free childcare is provided - it is essential you contact us to confirm A free shuttle bus will run between Granville Station and the TAFE. The TAFE is a 10 minute walk from the station. Both Granville TAFE and Parramatta Town Hall are wheelchair accessible. Enjoy! From litman at IslandNet.com Thu Apr 9 21:57:56 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 05:57:56 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation Workshop In-Reply-To: <07000552818656@sustainability.com> Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980409055756.0082b100@pop.IslandNet.com> Last week I attended the federal government sponsored "Workshop on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation in Canada," April 2-3 in Toronto. More than 150 participants (more than had been expected) spent the two days reviewing the problem and discussing solutions. Here are my impressions of the event: * Canada made a commitment at Kyoto to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% from 1990 levels by 2012. Because vehicle emission trends are increasing (more drivers, more vehicles, more miles per vehicle, lower fuel efficiency), this will require a 21% or greater reduction in emissions over what would otherwise occur. Similar reductions will be needed to meet the U.S. 7% emission reduction goals (which have yet to be ratified by Congress). * There has been a long-standing debate as to whether the best way to achieve this reduction is through technological modifications to automobiles (more efficient vehicles and alternative fuels), or through changes in travel behavior. The general consensus among the experts at this workshop is that both will be needed. Richard Gilbert of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation estimates that technology improvements could achieve about 1/3, and travel behavior could achieve about 2/3 of the needed reduction at the lowest cost. (For more information contact the Centre at 15 Borden Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 2M8; 416-923-9970; email: cstctd@web.net). * A number of presenters emphasized that increased vehicle fuel efficiency reduces the cost of driving, resulting in more total vehicle travel which consumes a portion of the energy savings. Thus, if fleet fuel efficiency increases by an average of 30%, vehicle owners will drive perhaps 10% more than if their per-kilometre fuel costs were higher, resulting in only a 20% net fuel savings. This is called a "take back" effect. Analyses that fails to take this into account will overestimate the emission reduction benefits of vehicle efficiency improvements (are you listening Amory Lovins?). * My greatest frustration with the conference was the tendency to evaluate solutions only in terms of greenhouse gas emission reductions, without considering other benefits to society. The evaluation criteria that we were required to use in breakout sessions where individual solutions were discussed and prioritized, included "Emission Reduction Effectiveness" and "Costs to Society", but no category for "Other Benefits to Society." Frankly, greenhouse gas emission reduction is a pretty low priority for most transportation professionals. Only if we can identify strategies that help address their problems are we likely to achieve coordination between different stakeholders: planners, transportation engineers, local government officials, environmentalists, public health advocates, etc. In other words, we are still using "reductionist" thinking to solve problems that require integrated solutions. * I did my best to promote "Win-Win" strategies, which are travel demand management strategies which are justified for their economic benefits (reduced congestion, road and parking facility costs, crash costs, user costs, etc.) and for the sake of equity, but which could also reduce a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions (see summary below). However, there is still a lot of ignorance about travel demand management (the only strategies many "experts" seem to know about are increased fuel taxes or road pricing). Many environmentalists don't seem to appreciate how little weight environmental issues carry among transportation professionals (most of whom are still eager to widen roads to accommodate more vehicle travel and urban sprawl.) I can see that it will take a lot more work for TDM strategies to get the attention they deserve. * There is a lot of interest in emission trading, but nobody seems to know how it could apply broadly to transportation. In theory, emission trading allows the cheapest strategy to be used to reduce emissions, but environmentalists are skeptical that it will result in anything more than an accounting exercise, in which high-polluters pay token amounts for greenhouse gas emission reduction measures that would have been implemented anyway. * There is a lot of research just beginning to identify and prioritize potential emission reduction strategies. Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and Economy is commissioning a "Backgrounder" to summarize the issues and options, and there is ongoing research by U.S. federal laboratories and OECD agencies. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman ---------------------------------------------------------- Win-Win Transportation Management Strategies To Reduce Greenhouse Gases Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Win-Win" transportation management strategies provide economic, environmental and social benefits. They can meet a significant portion of greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and reduce traffic congestion, road and parking facility costs, accidents, and local pollution; increase travel choices; save consumers money; increase employment and economic productivity; improve community livability; and increase social equity. Win-Win strategies are cost effective and technically feasible. They remove distortions in transportation markets that encourage automobile travel and discourage development and use of more efficient alternatives. They are ideal "no regrets" measures that should be implemented regardless of uncertainties concerning global warming impact costs. If fully implemented, Win-Win strategies could reduce motor vehicle travel 15-30%. Win-Win strategies can generate broad support. Transportation professionals concerned with congestion, governments concerned with road and parking facility costs, health officials concerned with traffic crashes, environmentalists concerned with pollution and sprawl, and community residents concerned with local quality of life issues all have reasons to support Win-Win programs. FEDERAL (CANADA) Make employer provided transit benefits tax exempt. Current federal tax policy allows most automobile commuters to receive free parking without paying income tax on this benefit, while employer provided transit passes are fully taxed. Eliminating this bias increases transit commuting 5-20% among employees offered this benefit. (Employer Provided Transit Passes: A Tax Exempt Benefit, Transport 2000 Canada, 1997.) STATE/PROVINCIAL Distance based vehicle insurance and registration fees. Basing vehicle insurance and registration fees on distance traveled provides a significant financial incentive to reduce driving. It is predicted to reduce vehicle travel by approximately 10%, reduce crash rates, increase equity, and save consumers money. (Todd Litman, "Distance Based Vehicle Insurance as a TDM Strategy," Transportation Quarterly, Summer 1997.) Least-cost transportation planning and funding. Least-cost planning means that strategies to reduce demand are considered equally with strategies to increase capacity, that all significant impacts are considered, and that the public is involved in developing and evaluating alternatives. This allows demand management strategies to receive appropriate consideration. (Dick Nelson and Don Shakow, "Least-Cost Planning" Transportation Research Record 1499, 1996, pp. 19-27.) REGIONAL AND LOCAL Local and regional transportation demand management programs. Local and regional governments can achieve substantial financial savings and support environmental goals by encouraging more efficient travel. In one community, travel demand management is predicted to reduce road construction costs from $120- to $15-million, and reduce greenhouse emissions by 3%. (TravelSmart Project, City of Kamloops, British Columbia, 1997.) More flexible zoning requirements. Local governments can reduce parking requirements for businesses that have travel management programs. This gives businesses more options and reduces motor vehicle use. (John Shaw, Planning for Parking, Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1997.) Transportation Efficient Development and Location Efficient Mortgages. Several strategies can help develop more transportation efficient communities (Reid Ewing, Best Development Practices, Planners Press, Chicago, 1996.), and encourage "location efficient" housing. (Hoeveler, "Accessibility vs. Mobility: The Location Efficient Mortgage," Public Investment, American Planning Asso., Chicago, September 1997.) Parking "Cash Out". This strategy means that employees who receive parking subsidies are also offered the cash equivalent if they use other modes. This typically reduces automobile commuting by 10-30%, and increases equity by giving non-drivers benefits comparable to those received by drivers. (Donald Shoup, "An Opportunity to Reduce Minimum Parking Requirements," Journal of the American Planning Association, Winter 1995, pp. 14-28.) Transportation Management Associations. Transportation management associations provide services such as rideshare matching, transit information, and parking coordination in a commercial district or mall. This allows even small businesses to participate in commute trip reduction programs, and achieves more efficient use of resources. (Ferguson, Ross and Meyer, "Transportation Management Associations," Transportation Research Record, #1346, 1992, pp. 36-43.) School trip management. Ten to fifteen percent of peak period vehicle trips involve parents driving children to school. Some communities now support travel alternatives for these trips. This gives families more choices, encourages exercise, and reduces vehicle use. (Kowey, Hunter & Associates, Way To Go, Go Green Choices, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Vancouver, 1997.) Car sharing. Car sharing businesses and cooperatives allow residents to use vehicles when necessary, while maintaining a strong financial incentive to use alternative modes for other trips. Drivers who join such organizations typically reduce their vehicle use by 50%. (Steininger, Vogl and Zettl, "Car Sharing Organizations," Transport Policy, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1996, pp. 177-185.) Traffic calming. Traffic calming includes various strategies to reduce traffic speeds and volumes on specific roads, and make them more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. This increases community livability in addition to other economic and environmental benefits. (Ewing and Kooshian, "U.S. Experience with Traffic Calming," ITE Journal, August 1997, pp. 28-33.) For more information on these and other travel demand management strategies contact the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada; Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560; E-mail: litman@islandnet.com; Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman From mnichols at iclei.org Fri Apr 10 02:49:55 1998 From: mnichols at iclei.org (Matt Nichols) Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 10:49:55 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: sustran-discuss V1 #184 Message-ID: <19980409140731.0088e0d5.in@mail.iclei.org> RE>sustran-discuss V1 #184 4/9/98 Do anyone else's Sustran postings often cut-off mid-article at the end? Mine seem to stop nearly every time, interupted by the end address info. Any suggested solutions? -------------------------------------- Date: 4/8/98 11:01 AM To: Matt Nichols From: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.or ENCLOSURE: A file arrived with this message. It is enclosed in the next message with this subject. * To leave, send the message UNSUBSCRIBE sustran-discuss-digest * to majordomo@mail.jca.ax.apc.org sustran-discuss Thursday, April 9 1998 Volume 01 : Number 184 In this issue: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper Re: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper Re: [sustran] Coherent transport systems - EcoTrack Re: [sustran] Coherent transport systems - EcoTrack Re: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 15:19:58 -0700 From: Todd Litman Subject: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper Dear Colleagues and Friends, I recently completed a 40-page draft paper titled "Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets; Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts." In it I attempt to define the major criteria for optimal pricing and markets, estimate optimal prices for an average automobile, use the results to calculate the change in vehicle travel that might result from optimal pricing, and discuss the implications of changing from current to more optimal pricing. Below is the report abstract. I am looking for up to a dozen reviewers of this paper. Please let me know if you would like a copy, and if so, whether I can send it as a Word 97 file attachment, or whether you need a hard copy (and if so, your preferred mailing address). Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman =========================================== Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts DRAFT 2 April 1998 By Todd Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute ABSTRACT This paper explores the potential of developing more optimal transport prices and markets, and resulting impacts on vehicle travel, consumer costs, environmental and land use impacts, economic development, and social welfare. Optimal pricing must balance economic efficiency, equity, and transaction costs. Optimal markets must offer consumers choices and information, minimize distortions, encourage producer competition, and avoid social traps. Current transport prices and markets often fail to meet these criteria. Although distortions may have been justified when transaction costs were high and motor vehicle externalities relatively small, new pricing technologies and increasing concern over external costs justifies increased emphasis on marginal and full-cost pricing, and efforts to eliminate market distortions. Eleven specific strategies are proposed to create more optimal pricing and markets. These strategies would significantly increase the perceived cost of motor vehicle use while reducing fixed vehicle costs and externalities, increase consumer choices, and reduce market distortions. Higher vehicle costs would be offset by reductions in other taxes, consumer expenses, and motor vehicle externalities. Employment, productivity and economic development should increase. Most consumers should benefit overall. Full implementation of these proposed changes is predicted to reduce motor vehicle use by 40-65%. This indicates that current high levels of automobile use is partly an artifact of mispricing and market distortions, not consumer preference. Differences in the magnitude of vehicle travel between current and optimal pricing and markets represents reduced consumer welfare. Although there are a number of barriers to implementing more optimal pricing and markets, these can be minimized through good planning and management practices which make charges predictable and gradual, maximize public involvement, and address specific public concerns. =========================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 08:49:24 +0900 From: Hajime Inamura Subject: Re: [sustran] Optimal Transport Pricing and Markets Paper Inamura@Tohoku-U,Japan wrote, Dear Mr. Todd Litman I am not sure I can make an appropriate comment for you, but I am interested in your paper stated below. Please send me as an attached file of Word 97. ********************* >Dear Colleagues and Friends, > >I recently completed a 40-page draft paper titled "Socially Optimal >Transport Prices and Markets; Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts." >In it I attempt to define the major criteria for optimal pricing and >markets, estimate optimal prices for an average automobile, use the results >to calculate the change in vehicle travel that might result from optimal >pricing, and discuss the implications of changing from current to more >optimal pricing. Below is the report abstract. > >I am looking for up to a dozen reviewers of this paper. Please let me know >if you would like a copy, and if so, whether I can send it as a Word 97 >file attachment, or whether you need a hard copy (and if so, your preferred >mailing address). > > >Sincerely, > >Todd Litman, Director >Victoria Transport Policy Institute >"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" >1250 Rudlin Street >Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada >Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 >E-mail: litman@islandnet.com >Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman > > > =========================================== > Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets > Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts > > DRAFT > 2 April 1998 > > By Todd Litman > Victoria Transport Policy Institute > > > ABSTRACT >This paper explores the potential of developing more optimal transport >prices and markets, and resulting impacts on vehicle travel, consumer >costs, environmental and land use impacts, economic development, and social >welfare. > >Optimal pricing must balance economic efficiency, equity, and transaction >costs. Optimal markets must offer consumers choices and information, >minimize distortions, encourage producer competition, and avoid social >traps. Current transport prices and markets often fail to meet these >criteria. Although distortions may have been justified when transaction >costs were high and motor vehicle externalities relatively small, new >pricing technologies and increasing concern over external costs justifies >increased emphasis on marginal and full-cost pricing, and efforts to >eliminate market distortions. > >Eleven specific strategies are proposed to create more optimal pricing and >markets. These strategies would significantly increase the perceived cost >of motor vehicle use while reducing fixed vehicle costs and externalities, >increase consumer choices, and reduce market distortions. Higher vehicle >costs would be offset by reductions in other taxes, consumer expenses, and >motor vehicle externalities. Employment, productivity and economic >development should increase. Most consumers should benefit overall. > >Full implementation of these proposed changes is predicted to reduce motor >vehicle use by 40-65%. This indicates that current high levels of >automobile use is partly an artifact of mispricing and market distortions, >not consumer preference. Differences in the magnitude of vehicle travel >between current and optimal pricing and markets represents reduced consumer >welfare. Although there are a number of barriers to implementing more >optimal pricing and markets, these can be minimized through good planning >and management practices which make charges predictable and gradual, >maximize public involvement, and address specific public concerns. > >=========================================== > > > > - ------------------------------------------------- Hajime INAMURA inamura@plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Phone:+81-22-217-7492 Facsimile:+81-22-217-7494 Web :http://www.plan.civil.tohoku.ac.jp Department of Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, JAPAN - ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 21:32:47 -0500 From: "Gerry Hawkes" Subject: Re: [sustran] Coherent transport systems - EcoTrack Dear Obwon: Thanks for the very helpful information on file formats for web site photos. Below I have inserted responses after your questions and comments regarding the EcoTrack system. - - Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. www.biketrack.com - -----Original Message----- From: Obwon To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Date: Saturday, April 04, 1998 4:35 AM Subject: Re: [sustran] Coherent transport systems >Gerry Hawkes wrote: >> >> Dear Tore & Sustran Colleagues, >> >> In response to your request for information you might like to go >> to http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm for a vision of the >> transportation system we are working toward. >> > > Gerry? I've just viewed the website [mostly text] Please keep us >posted as to when pictures become available > I would enjoy seeing 'deployment' art work/renderings which can give a >better view of what is envisioned as the end result and 'assist relief' >box drawings which help understand/explain details. RESPONSE: You can get an idea of the EcoTrack surface pattern that will be used on the modular EcoTrack bicycle and pedestrian path system by going to http://www.biketrack.com/antislip.htm and looking at the photos of the tile surfaces there. By late May or early June this surface will be available in 2' x 4' structural plastic panels. We will get photos of these panels onto the web site shortly thereafter. While the panels will be used for docks, wheelchair ramps, and gangways, they will also have application for bicycle pedestrian bridges and the construction of bicycle pedestrian paths. We also have a patent pending on a modular truss system for easily and inexpensively constructing strong, but lightweight bicycle/pedestrian bridges, gangways and wheelchair access ramps. The truss system is designed to be assembled in two foot increments to any desired lengths with the structural 2'x4' panels forming the travel surface. The first truss systems will also come off the production line in late May or early June. Again we will get photos up on our web site shortly thereafter. We have thought some of posting photos of prototype panels and truss systems and/or our engineering drawings, but feel it is best to wait to post photos of the final production versions along with final specifications. >Since I ride both >long and short trips around the city (NY) in all weather conditions, I'd >like to visualize the provision of a system that will work to deflect >the harsher elements of such trips. > Yet, it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't provide 'clutter' of >senic views which would become a nusiance when they aren't needed, even >if a blessing when they are. To be sure, covered trails is more >efficient than carrying a shelter around with you [bike shells etc]. RESPONSE: You raise a good point. There will certainly be locations where you do not want the viewscape cluttered with covered bikeways, but in many cases covered bikeways will be less obtrusive than a busy highway bordered by buildings, signs, guardrails and several lanes of traffic. I envision a covered bikeway in which the sides roll up during good weather allowing the users to easily view their surroundings as well as minimizing the visual barrier. As we evolve the system, it may be possible to economically employ highly transparent plastics in the canopy and sides. > > And unless you're planning to allow/accomodate 'heavy' hpv's such as >loaded carryalls, workbikes and pedicabs/pedicars and the like, then >smaller hills shouldn't b [Message ID: -1320089232] [Internet header:] >From owner-sustran-discuss-digest@mail.jca.ax.apc.org Wed Apr 08 13:19:37 1998 Received: by mail.iclei.org from localhost (router,SLMail V2.5); Wed, 08 Apr 1998 13:19:37 -0500 Received: by mail.iclei.org from mail.jca.ax.apc.org (210.151.253.121::mail daemon; unverified,SLMail V2.5); Wed, 08 Apr 1998 13:19:28 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by mail.jca.ax.apc.org (8.8.8/3.6W_JCA-AX-K5) id CAA21865 for sustran-discuss-digest-outgoing; Thu, 9 Apr 1998 02:00:39 +0900 (JST) Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 02:00:39 +0900 (JST) Message-Id: <199804081700.CAA21865@mail.jca.ax.apc.org> From: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org (sustran-discuss) To: sustran-discuss-digest@jca.ax.apc.org Subject: sustran-discuss V1 #184 Reply-To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Sender: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Errors-To: owner-sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Precedence: bulk From hobbes at t-online.de Sat Apr 11 17:20:46 1998 From: hobbes at t-online.de (Barbara Gruehl Kipke) Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 10:20:46 +0200 Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all the solutions? Message-ID: <352F27DE.DB70A5B2@mobility-consultant.com> Dear Sustainable Transport Activists, Hi! I'm new to your discussion list! You're welcome to find out more about me at my web site: http://www.mobility-consultant.com. Maybe you can help me with two issues that have cropped up: 1) We are trying to convince German development aid agencies to put more money into the sustainable transport modes (ie. walking, cycling, animal drawn alternatives, hand carts etc.). One guy from GTZ (an important development aid agency) has written a counter-argument saying among other things that it is not a bright future/perspective if we start with the bicycle and the next development step is the polluting 2-wheelers ? la Hanoi, Vietnam or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Asian region seems to abound with this problem. You must have come up with some alternative scenarios?! I thought Singapore might have banned motorcycles/2-wheelers from their streets...is that the case? It would seem a good combination of public transport together with bike & ride ? la Japan could be the way forward. How did Japan tame the motorcycle development. Do you have other positive examples of how Asian cities have handled the 2-wheeled motorized "pest"? For your information, I have already looked at Sustran-discuss files 134, 136, 138, 167 that discuss this subject. Are there additional comments you can provide me with? 2) The GTZ guy mentions Hong Kong as a city that has solved "the transport problem". Hong Kong can thus "show us the way forward" according to this guy. I was in Hong Kong many years ago, but I don't remember it being particularly great in terms of its transport solutions. I haven't seen too much written on Hong Kong that would lead me to believe that they are very innovative or effective. How do you see the transport situation in Hong Kong? Thanks in advance for feedback! Yours sincerely from the deep Black Forest in Germany (where the Black Forest Cake comes from...) -- Barbara Gruehl Kipke (M.B.A.) Mobility Consultant Horber Gaessle 13 Tel./Fax: 0049 7451 6985 72160 Horb e-mail: barbara@mobility-consultant.com Germany http://www.mobility-consultant.com From ghawkes at sover.net Sun Apr 12 10:13:56 1998 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 20:13:56 -0500 Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all the solutions? Message-ID: <000f01bd65b0$4582ee60$884519ce@Pghawkes> Barbara - I think both you and the GTZ fellow are right. You are correct in that walking and bicycling are economical, efficient and healthy ways to alleviate the congestion and pollution caused by using fossil fuel powered, motorized vehicles for short trips. The GTZ fellow is right in that people tend to "upgrade" to noisy, highly polluting two stroke engine powered motor bikes in order to increase their speed and range. Having been in Ouagadougou several times on consulting assignments as well as in numerous other cities with high motor bike traffic, I need no convincing that two-cycle motor bikes are not a means of transportation to be encouraged. We need to create conditions and infrastructure that promotes walking, bicycling, and muscle powered movement of goods, but also channels the inevitable desire for more speed, power and range to clean, quiet, affordable vehicles. A vision of how I think this might be achieved can be found at http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm We have been testing and developing the surface to be used in the EcoTrack transportation system since 1993. We now have many installations of the surface on steps, wheelchair access ramps, gangways, bicycle/pedestrian bridges, etc. around the U.S. A partial listing of these sites can be found at http://www.biketrack.com/install.htm The next step toward the EcoTrack transportation system will be the introduction of structural travel surface panels that may be placed together to form high quality walking and bicycle riding surfaces without the need for a wood or metal sub-surface and eliminating the need to excavate and pave. The first 2'x4' panels will be available by the end of next month along with a new, modular truss system for building economical bicycle and pedestrian bridges. Please watch www.biketrack.com for developments. We will be posting more details on the surfacing panels and modular truss system during the month of May. Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. Woodstock, Vermont USA www.biketrack.com ghawkes@sover.net Tel. 802-457-3275 Fax. 802-457-3704 -----Original Message----- From: Barbara Gruehl Kipke To: Activists Date: Saturday, April 11, 1998 3:51 AM Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all the solutions? >Dear Sustainable Transport Activists, > >Hi! I'm new to your discussion list! You're welcome to find out more >about me at my web site: http://www.mobility-consultant.com. > >Maybe you can help me with two issues that have cropped up: >1) We are trying to convince German development aid agencies to put more >money into the sustainable transport modes (ie. walking, cycling, animal >drawn alternatives, hand carts etc.). One guy from GTZ (an important >development aid agency) has written a counter-argument saying among >other things that it is not a bright future/perspective if we start with >the bicycle and the next development step is the polluting 2-wheelers ? >la Hanoi, Vietnam or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. > >The Asian region seems to abound with this problem. You must have come >up with some alternative scenarios?! I thought Singapore might have >banned motorcycles/2-wheelers from their streets...is that the case? It >would seem a good combination of public transport together with bike & >ride ? la Japan could be the way forward. How did Japan tame the >motorcycle development. Do you have other positive >examples of how Asian cities have handled the 2-wheeled motorized >"pest"? > >For your information, I have already looked at Sustran-discuss files >134, 136, 138, 167 that discuss this subject. Are there additional >comments you can provide me with? > >2) The GTZ guy mentions Hong Kong as a city that has solved "the >transport problem". Hong Kong can thus "show us the way forward" >according to this guy. > >I was in Hong Kong many years ago, but I don't remember it being >particularly great in terms of its transport solutions. I haven't seen >too much written on Hong Kong that would lead me to believe that they >are very innovative or effective. > >How do you see the transport situation in Hong Kong? > >Thanks in advance for feedback! > >Yours sincerely from the deep Black Forest in Germany >(where the Black Forest Cake comes from...) >-- >Barbara Gruehl Kipke (M.B.A.) >Mobility Consultant > >Horber Gaessle 13 Tel./Fax: 0049 7451 6985 >72160 Horb e-mail: barbara@mobility-consultant.com >Germany http://www.mobility-consultant.com > From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sun Apr 12 08:59:36 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 16:59:36 -0700 Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all the solutions? References: <000f01bd65b0$4582ee60$884519ce@Pghawkes> Message-ID: <353003E8.1567@idt.net> Given the views expressed, it can only make sense to offer limited motor free zones where walking and hpv travel are permitted, encouraged and possibly assisted by electric propulsion schemes. Perhaps an over head power rail that would allow one to operate a hybrid hpv/ev in the area and leave their motorized vehicle quite some distance away. The worst percentage of pollution as well as the most harmful effects are both created and delivered in high congestion areas. Because they are available there in high concentrations where they can directly access people before they disperse. And because the engines themselves operate with decreasing efficiency as average operating speeds decline. If small combution engine free zones can be created and say moving sidewalks, hpv's ev's trams or trolley's are used to navigate the area. People, say eating lunch on sidewalk cafes won't have their foods 'seasoned' with partially burnt fossilized fuel, so they might enjoy it better. People also might note that the air doesn't have that 'urban motorized' smell to every breath they are taking. So they might then approve that such areas be expanded to include nearby congested areas. Once people become acustomed to traveling within these areas and find they are pleasant healthy places (because of the exercise offered by hpv use and lower pollution/noise/stress levels). Then it becomes a simple matter to have people accept getting from one of these area's to another such area by use of motorized public transportation. Since motorized public transportation operates more efficiently over longer distances with fewer stops. Well, that's my contribution, hope it's some help. Obwon From rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org Mon Apr 13 14:51:47 1998 From: rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org (Roberto Verzola) Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 14:51:47 Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong Message-ID: <199804130633.OAA04121@phil.gn.apc.org> >numerous other cities with high motor bike traffic, I need no >convincing that two-cycle motor bikes are not a means of >transportation to be encouraged. Will somebody please clarify if it is true that two-cycle motor bikes are of the low-compression type? Barry Commoner in The Closing Circle made a distinction between low-compression engines and high-compression engines (as found in cars), and says that the pollution is much worse for high-compression engines (SOx, NOx, lead, etc.) than for low-compression engines (water vapor, CO2, unburnt fuel, etc.). Obviously, walking and biking are even less pollutive than 2-cycle motors, but are we or are we not justified in lumping together 2-cycle and 4/6-cycle engines? Obet Verzola > >We need to create conditions and infrastructure that promotes >walking, bicycling, and muscle powered movement of goods, but >also channels the inevitable desire for more speed, power and >range to clean, quiet, affordable vehicles. A vision of how I >think this might be achieved can be found at >http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm > >We have been testing and developing the surface to be used in >the EcoTrack transportation system since 1993. We now have many >installations of the surface on steps, wheelchair access ramps, >gangways, bicycle/pedestrian bridges, etc. around the U.S. A >partial listing of these sites can be found at >http://www.biketrack.com/install.htm > >The next step toward the EcoTrack transportation system will be >the introduction of structural travel surface panels that may be >placed together to form high quality walking and bicycle riding >surfaces without the need for a wood or metal sub-surface and >eliminating the need to excavate and pave. The first 2'x4' >panels will be available by the end of next month along with a >new, modular truss system for building economical bicycle and >pedestrian bridges. Please watch www.biketrack.com for >developments. We will be posting more details on the surfacing >panels and modular truss system during the month of May. > >Gerry Hawkes >Bike Track, Inc. >Woodstock, Vermont USA > >www.biketrack.com > >ghawkes@sover.net > >Tel. 802-457-3275 >Fax. 802-457-3704 > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Barbara Gruehl Kipke >To: Activists >Date: Saturday, April 11, 1998 3:51 AM >Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all >the solutions? > > >>Dear Sustainable Transport Activists, >> >>Hi! I'm new to your discussion list! You're welcome to find out >more >>about me at my web site: http://www.mobility-consultant.com. >> >>Maybe you can help me with two issues that have cropped up: >>1) We are trying to convince German development aid agencies to >put more >>money into the sustainable transport modes (ie. walking, >cycling, animal >>drawn alternatives, hand carts etc.). One guy from GTZ (an >important >>development aid agency) has written a counter-argument saying >among >>other things that it is not a bright future/perspective if we >start with >>the bicycle and the next development step is the polluting >2-wheelers =E0 >>la Hanoi, Vietnam or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. >> >>The Asian region seems to abound with this problem. You must >have come >>up with some alternative scenarios?! I thought Singapore might >have >>banned motorcycles/2-wheelers from their streets...is that the >case? It >>would seem a good combination of public transport together with >bike & >>ride =E0 la Japan could be the way forward. How did Japan tame the >>motorcycle development. Do you have other positive >>examples of how Asian cities have handled the 2-wheeled >motorized >>"pest"? >> >>For your information, I have already looked at Sustran-discuss >files >>134, 136, 138, 167 that discuss this subject. Are there >additional >>comments you can provide me with? >> >>2) The GTZ guy mentions Hong Kong as a city that has solved "the >>transport problem". Hong Kong can thus "show us the way forward" >>according to this guy. >> >>I was in Hong Kong many years ago, but I don't remember it being >>particularly great in terms of its transport solutions. I >haven't seen >>too much written on Hong Kong that would lead me to believe that >they >>are very innovative or effective. >> >>How do you see the transport situation in Hong Kong? >> >>Thanks in advance for feedback! >> >>Yours sincerely from the deep Black Forest in Germany >>(where the Black Forest Cake comes from...) >>-- >>Barbara Gruehl Kipke (M.B.A.) >>Mobility Consultant >> >>Horber Gaessle 13 Tel./Fax: 0049 7451 6985 >>72160 Horb e-mail: barbara@mobility-consultant.com >>Germany http://www.mobility-consultant.com >> > > From ghawkes at sover.net Mon Apr 13 20:11:45 1998 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 06:11:45 -0500 Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong Message-ID: <000801bd66cc$f3145740$834519ce@Pghawkes> It is my understanding that modern, high compression automobile engines are indeed much more polluting than older, lower compression auto engines. From what I have read and observed, a 2-cycle (or 2-stroke) engine causes approximately 1,000 times the air pollution as an automobile engine. I think this is primarily due to the use of lubricating oil in the gasoline mix. I am not certain how compression ratios affect the pollution output of 2-cycle engines, but one would think that higher compression ratios would at least create more NOx. Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. Woodstock, VT USA www.biketrack.com -----Original Message----- From: Roberto Verzola To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Date: Monday, April 13, 1998 3:38 AM Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong > >Will somebody please clarify if it is true that two-cycle motor bikes >are of the low-compression type? Barry Commoner in The Closing Circle >made a distinction between low-compression engines and >high-compression engines (as found in cars), and says that the >pollution is much worse for high-compression engines (SOx, NOx, lead, >etc.) than for low-compression engines (water vapor, CO2, unburnt >fuel, etc.). > >Obviously, walking and biking are even less pollutive than 2-cycle >motors, but are we or are we not justified in lumping together 2-cycle >and 4/6-cycle engines? > >Obet Verzola > From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Mon Apr 13 23:16:27 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 10:16:27 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] two-stroke versus four-stroke In-Reply-To: <199804130633.OAA04121@phil.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: About the relative efficiency of two-stroke engines: High- versus low-compression: Higher compression does lead to different exhaust products and tetra-ethyl lead was used to prevent "knocking" at high compression ratios. However, high compression is thermodynamically more efficient, meaning that more useful work is gotten from a unit of fuel. So the secret is to make high compression engines that optimize the fuel combustion so as to avoid both low compression related pollution and high compression related pollution. This is done with electronic fuel injection and with valve/combustion chamber design and valve timing. Carburetors versus fuel injection: The problems with the two strokes that are in common use are several. They are built for low price with obsolete technology and tooling. One problem is that they have old-fashioned carburetors instead of fuel injection, even a better carburetion system would improve pollution and power output, fuel injection even more. Valves versus no valves But the big problem with small two strokes (ship and loco engines are different) is that they have no valves. Valves are central to controlling the intake, combustion, and exhaust processes carefully over a wide range of RPMs and load conditions. Valves also add weight, expense and maintenance costs. Again, cheapness wins out. What to do Since cheapness is driving the process, probably the only way to get cleaner engines is to put tough regulations in place, including periodic spot checks of vehicles. Otherwise people will just buy the cheapest vehicles -- why buy one that costs more, is heavier, has less power, and needs to have its valves adjusted regularly just because it pollutes less? From rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org Tue Apr 14 00:19:28 1998 From: rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org (Roberto Verzola) Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 00:19:28 Subject: [sustran] low compression vs high compression engines Message-ID: <199804131553.XAA05614@phil.gn.apc.org> I would first of all like to thank Gerry Hawkes and Eric Bruun for their quick replies. However, the issue remains unclear to me: 1. Are motorcycle engines low-compression engines? (I seem to have come across this information somewhere, but I don't exactly remember now where...). If they are: 2. Do low-compression engines (like motorcycles) produce more pollution than high-compression engines? Here, as I said earlier, Barry Commoner made what seems to me a very lucid explanation why the more recent, more efficient high-compression engines are actually worse polluters than the older low-compression engines that they replaced. Here's Commoner: (The Closing Circle, p.168) "In the internal combustion engine, gasoline is mixed with air in the cylinders, and the mixture is then ignited at a suitable moment, by means of an electric spark. Just before it is ignited the fuel-air mixture is compressed by the cylinder piston. The cylinder pressure has a great deal to do with the amount of power that the engine can deliver; generally the greater the pressure the higher the power output. For reasons which are yet to be fully explained, the automobile industry long ago became committed to increasing the engine's power. In 1925, when the first records became availalbe, the average passenger car engine delivered 55 horsepower; by 1946 the average was 100 horsepower. Between 1946 and 1958 average horsepower was driven upward by the engineers to reach 240 in 1958. In that year, in response to foreign competition, United States manufacturers introduced the "compact" car, which a smaller engine. As a result, between 1958 and 1961, average horsepower dropped from 240 to 175. Then a curious nearly biological phenomenon occurred -- the "compact" cars gradually grew in size and in engine power, so that between 1961 and 1968, average horsepower climbed again, to 250. "To achieve increase horsepower, it was necessary to increase engine compression; the relevant measure, "compression ratio", rose from 5.9 in 1946 to 9.3 in 1961. It then dipped briefly, along with horsepower, but, recovering from that aberration, climbed upward again, reaching an average of 9.5 in 1968. Thus, the low-powered, low-compression engine was displaced between 1946 and 1968. This technological displacement, like many others in that period, has strongly intensified the impact of automobile travel on the environment. Commoner then proceeds to explain why the high-compression high-power engines caused more pollution: 1. "...high-power engines are less efficient in their use of fuel -- especially when run at low speeds, as they are in the car-choked city streets -- the amount of gasoline burned per mile traveled increased. In 1946 passenger cars averaged about 15 miles per gallon; by 1968 the average was about fourteen miles per gallon. This meant more fuel combustion -- and therefore more air pollution from gasoline combustion products -- per vehicle mile traveled." 2. "At high cylinder pressures, the explosive combustion is uneven, causing a jarring "knock" which decreases engine power. To suppress engine knock, it became necessary to add tetraethyl lead to the gasoline." 3. "As compression ratio increased, so did the engine's operating temperature; this has sharply increased the amount of nitrogen oxides emitted per unit of engine use." In the text, he cited actual statistical figures showing how high-compression, high-power engines produced more pollution. Obet From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Tue Apr 14 05:06:17 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 16:06:17 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] low compression vs high compression engines In-Reply-To: <199804131553.XAA05614@phil.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: I think that there is still some confusion of issues here. High compresssion does not automatically mean over-powered. Being over powered is a different issue. Diesel engines have higher compression than gasoline, but are substantially more efficient in terms of work per unit of fuel. They are not popular in small vehicles because they are heavier to resist the higher pressures, and they cost a lot more. The old reasons against high compression are not necessarily true any longer, as the combustion can now be regulated to vary in temperature and to have more idealized "swirl". Most two stroke motorcycles have relatively low compression ratios. They can be boosted, but at great expense in reliability, which is the tradeoff made for racing engines. But again, they are polluters more because of their primitive design of carburetion and lack of valves as much as anything else. Companies are not selling more advanced engine designs in the less developed world. Eric From rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org Tue Apr 14 08:56:44 1998 From: rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org (Roberto Verzola) Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 08:56:44 Subject: [sustran] low compression vs high compression Message-ID: <199804140048.IAA06609@phil.gn.apc.org> >The old reasons against high compression are not necessarily >true any longer, as the combustion can now be regulated to >vary in temperature and to have more idealized "swirl". Barry Commoner was quite definite that high-compression engines produced worse pollution than low-compression ones. Can you please substantiate your statement, which seems to contradict Commoner's conclusions? (Not that I am looking for a debate; I was simply convinced by Commoner's very strong arguments, and I haven't seen convincing counter-arguments or substantiation yet from postings here.) >Most two stroke motorcycles have relatively low compression >ratios. They can be boosted, but at great expense in reliability, This confirms what I suspected: that motorcycles in general are low-compression engines. According to Commoner again, the main products of combustion in a low-compression engine are water, carbon dioxide and unburnt fuel. In high-compression (and therefore high-temperature too) engines, chemistry kicks in and produces a different set of combustion by-products, which are worse pollutants. >are polluters more because of their primitive design of >carburetion and lack of valves as much as anything else. This seems to imply that a more primitive design means more pollution, which is not necessarily so. In fact, Commoner's message, in his chapter "The Technological Flaw" was that often more modern designs are more counter-ecological (and he cited quite a number of examples, not only automobiles), because design is guided less by ecological than by profit considerations. Obet Verzola From joel at xs4all.nl Tue Apr 14 19:39:47 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 11:39:47 +0100 Subject: [sustran] low compression vs high compression engines In-Reply-To: <199804131553.XAA05614@phil.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980414113947.007a8980@pop.xs4all.nl> I'll have a stab at this. >1. Are motorcycle engines low-compression engines? (I seem to have >come across this information somewhere, but I don't exactly remember >now where...). Not all motorcycle engines are 2-stroke, although most of the smaller ones are. Four-stroke engines are always valved and always provide excellent "scavenging" of the previous burned charge. As already said, small 2-stroke engines are almost never valved, and scavenging, while better than it was a few decades ago, is still poor. Non-valved engines require crankcase compression in order to feed the air-fuel mixture through the intake reeds, and this precludes the splash/ force-feed crankcase lubrication universally used in 4-stroke and large, valved 2-stroke engines. This means that the crankcase lubricant has to be supplied by mixing it with the fuel, which is what gives 2-stroke engines their characteristic putrid exhaust stink. While the ratio of fuel-to-oil was greatly reduced in the 50s and 60s, it seems now to hang at about 50:1 or 100:1. I'm not sure about compression ratios, although I have the idea that most 2-stroke engines are fairly low compression. Four-stroke engines are made with a fairly wide of compression ratios. Diesel engines are always high compression engines, with a minimum ratio of 16:1, running up to about 24:1. This is required in order to ignite the fuel, there being no spark. This is, I believe, the cause of the problems with NOx, which is formed during the buring of fuel under high pressure. The output of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide from Diesel engines is extremely low in comparison with the raw exhaust of gasoline engines (without a catalytic converter, which, once warmed up to its ignition temperature, burns the excess hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide to water and carbon dioxide). >If they are: > >2. Do low-compression engines (like motorcycles) produce more >pollution than high-compression engines? Here, as I said earlier, >Barry Commoner made what seems to me a very lucid explanation >why the more recent, more efficient high-compression engines are >actually worse polluters than the older low-compression engines that >they replaced. Here's Commoner: (The Closing Circle, p.168) > >"In the internal combustion engine, gasoline is mixed with air in the >cylinders, and the mixture is then ignited at a suitable moment, by >means of an electric spark. Just before it is ignited the fuel-air >mixture is compressed by the cylinder piston. The cylinder pressure >has a great deal to do with the amount of power that the engine can >deliver; generally the greater the pressure the higher the power >output. For reasons which are yet to be fully explained, the >automobile industry long ago became committed to increasing the >engine's power. In 1925, when the first records became availalbe, the >average passenger car engine delivered 55 horsepower; by 1946 the >average was 100 horsepower. Between 1946 and 1958 average horsepower >was driven upward by the engineers to reach 240 in 1958. In that year, >in response to foreign competition, United States manufacturers >introduced the "compact" car, which a smaller engine. As a result, >between 1958 and 1961, average horsepower dropped from 240 to 175. >Then a curious nearly biological phenomenon occurred -- the "compact" >cars gradually grew in size and in engine power, so that between 1961 >and 1968, average horsepower climbed again, to 250. One thing to watch out for here is that horsepower was figured differently up until some time in the 1970s (I believe). The consumer movement forced auto manufacturers to provide more accurate (i.e., lower) horsepower ratings. This was a step-wise change, and I'm not sure exactly when it occurred. I have the idea that horsepower ratings declined by about 40% from one year to the next. >"To achieve increase horsepower, it was necessary to increase engine >compression; the relevant measure, "compression ratio", rose from 5.9 >in 1946 to 9.3 in 1961. It then dipped briefly, along with horsepower, >but, recovering from that aberration, climbed upward again, reaching >an average of 9.5 in 1968. Thus, the low-powered, low-compression >engine was displaced between 1946 and 1968. This technological >displacement, like many others in that period, has strongly >intensified the impact of automobile travel on the environment. It is not intrinsically necesary to raise compression ratios to increase power output, but it is the easiest means. It is worth noting that many European cars from the 50s and 60s (when fuel was extremely expensive in real terms) were mostly high-compression engines because these provided the highest output from a small, lightweight engine, which in turn helped to keep the cars small and light. >Commoner then proceeds to explain why the high-compression high-power >engines caused more pollution: > >1. "...high-power engines are less efficient in their use of fuel -- >especially when run at low speeds, as they are in the car-choked city >streets -- the amount of gasoline burned per mile traveled increased. The real issue here, I believe, is that engines achieve their best fuel efficiency at maximum rated torque. (The most useful measure is pounds of fuel per horsepower-hour.) With large Diesel engines, maximum rated torque usually occurs at maximum rated speed, which is to say at maximum rated horsepower. That is why Diesel railroad locomotives engines are usually only run at two speeds: full output and idle. Smaller, lighter, less efficient automotive engines usually achieve maximum torque at about half their maximum rated speed. They also achieve their best fuel economy at this speed, but usually at much less than wide-open throttle. The reason for this is that these engines inject extra fuel under full-load conditions in order to get the most possible power out of a small block. The result is that these engines deliver terrible fuel efficiency under full-load conditions. If you were to design a car that would not go faster than, say, 60 MPH, and would take, say, 20 seconds to achieve this speed, you could give it a much lower power engine than is customary today, and you could optimize it to deliver excellent fuel efficiency at highway speeds. Its rotational speed would probably be considerably lower than is normal today. The older engines (from the 1950s) were slow turning, low compression engines. If you remember the 1955 straight-6 Chevrolet from that period, it had relatively low horsepower but a very flat torque curve, so it worked fine with just a 3-speed transmission. Today's high-output engines are very "peaky" and need 5-speed transmissions to deliver high acceleration. >In 1946 passenger cars averaged about 15 miles per gallon; I think the actual peak would have been closer to around 20 MPG in the mid-50s. >by 1968 the >average was about fourteen miles per gallon. This meant more fuel >combustion -- and therefore more air pollution from gasoline >combustion products -- per vehicle mile traveled." There is no direct correlation between amount of fuel burned and pollution created. A modern high-compression engine delivers a very clean exhaust when the catalytic converter is running because partitally combusted exhaust gasses are fully burned in the converter. I'm not sure about the NOx problem, however. Nor about some of the newer concerns with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. >2. "At high cylinder pressures, the explosive combustion is uneven, >causing a jarring "knock" which decreases engine power. To suppress >engine knock, it became necessary to add tetraethyl lead to the >gasoline." There are other ways of raising the octane rating than adding tetraethy lead, and these are used in premium unleaded gasoline (probably also in all unleaded gasoline, but I'm not sure). >3. "As compression ratio increased, so did the engine's operating >temperature; this has sharply increased the amount of nitrogen oxides >emitted per unit of engine use." Yes, but as already stated, all other things being equal, the higher the combustion temperature, the higher the thermodynamic efficiency of the engine. >In the text, he cited actual statistical figures showing how >high-compression, high-power engines produced more pollution. Might be interesting if you could post this. Sorry for the long-winded post. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Tue Apr 14 23:17:46 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 10:17:46 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] low compression vs high compression In-Reply-To: <199804140048.IAA06609@phil.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: On 14 Apr 1998, Roberto Verzola wrote: > >The old reasons against high compression are not necessarily > >true any longer, as the combustion can now be regulated to > >vary in temperature and to have more idealized "swirl". > > Barry Commoner was quite definite that high-compression engines > produced worse pollution than low-compression ones. Can you please > substantiate your statement, which seems to contradict Commoner's > conclusions? (Not that I am looking for a debate; I was simply > convinced by Commoner's very strong arguments, and I haven't seen > convincing counter-arguments or substantiation yet from postings > here.) You are not going to get the kind of definitive argument that you demand in short answers to postings. The point that Barry Commoner made is true, but in a misleading sense. If we had all low compression engines there would be less NOx, for example, but we would be consuming far more total fuel because of the low efficiency of low compression -- it is a thermodynamic fact of life that higher temperatures (which go with the higher pressures) give higher efficiency. Thus bigger engines would offset many of the gains from lower compression. That is why I mentioned compromise solutions where combustion chambers are designed carefully to burn part of the charge at lower and part at higher temperature. This is how the Honda CVCC engine complied with pollution regulations far ahead of deadlines. > > >Most two stroke motorcycles have relatively low compression > >ratios. They can be boosted, but at great expense in reliability, > > This confirms what I suspected: that motorcycles in general are > low-compression engines. According to Commoner again, the main > products of combustion in a low-compression engine are water, carbon > dioxide and unburnt fuel. In high-compression (and therefore > high-temperature too) engines, chemistry kicks in and produces a > different set of combustion by-products, which are worse pollutants. > > >are polluters more because of their primitive design of > >carburetion and lack of valves as much as anything else. > > This seems to imply that a more primitive design means more pollution, > which is not necessarily so. In fact, Commoner's message, in his > chapter "The Technological Flaw" was that often more modern designs > are more counter-ecological (and he cited quite a number of examples, > not only automobiles), because design is guided less by ecological > than by profit considerations. > > Obet Verzola > When I say "primitive" I mean that they use non-carefully matched and tuned components. These motorcycles do not have the best carburation, internal cylinder porting , and timing for optimum pollution performance. If they used the same equipment (at higher cost, of course) that was sold in Europe or the United States, just this change alone could already decrease pollution. At any given power output level and displacement, modern engines can always be made to pollute less than older designs. I believe it is not just profit considerations (this is more relevant to selling in rich countries) it is cost considerations that cause the sale of obsolete designs in the poorer countries. > > From rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org Wed Apr 15 10:50:58 1998 From: rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org (Roberto Verzola) Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 10:50:58 Subject: [sustran] Re: low compression vs high compression Message-ID: <199804150241.KAA10203@phil.gn.apc.org> I thank Eric and Joel for their patient explanations. I will study the points and perhaps reevaluate my own thinking, which is mainly based on Barry Commoner's analysis of low-compression vs. high-compression engines. But I still haven't seen any response to Commoner's assertion that the main byproducts of low-compression burning are water vapor and CO2, while that of high-compression burning are different and worse pollutants altogether, because the chemistry is different at higher pressures/temperatures. If he is right (he called the high-compression engine a more efficient smog generator), it would still make the high-compression engine more pollutive. If I appear to belabor the point, this is because in the Philippines motorcycle engines are widely used for public transport within and among neighboring villages, using what we call "tricycles" (motorcycles with sidecars), and some designs can carry as much as 10 people... So it is important for me (as I am involved in sustainable transport issues) to know how pollutive these engines are, vis-a-vis private cars, jeepneys (somewhat smaller than minibuses in the Philippine setting) or buses. Regards. Obet Verzola From sarafrk at cbme.iitd.ernet.in Wed Apr 15 13:57:34 1998 From: sarafrk at cbme.iitd.ernet.in (Dr.Rajeev Saraf) Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 10:27:34 +0530 (IST) Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong In-Reply-To: <199804130633.OAA04121@phil.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: I am this "low-compression" and "high compression" terminology for the first time. Generally, we talk about 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines for motorised two wheelers (MTWs). Cars have 4-stroke engines. In 4-stroke engines, Hydrocarbon emissions are much lower than 2-stroke engines due to beter burning of the fuel. In 2-stroke engines, a large amount of unburnt fuel is emitted into the air. For the same reason, two-stroke engine have a lower CO/CO2 emissions than 4-storke engines. Since the burning is better in 4-stoke engine, there is higher emission of carbon oxides which is a byproduct of burning. It should also be noted that 4-storke engines provide better mileage. ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr Rajeev Saraf | Urban and Transport Planner | SENIOR PROJECT SCIENTIST | PHONE : 91-11-6858703 APPLIED SYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAM | EMAIL : sarafrk@cbme.iitd.ernet.in IIT DELHI 110016 | FAX : 91-11-6862037 INDIA | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 13 Apr 1998, Roberto Verzola wrote: > >numerous other cities with high motor bike traffic, I need no > >convincing that two-cycle motor bikes are not a means of > >transportation to be encouraged. > > Will somebody please clarify if it is true that two-cycle motor bikes > are of the low-compression type? Barry Commoner in The Closing Circle > made a distinction between low-compression engines and > high-compression engines (as found in cars), and says that the > pollution is much worse for high-compression engines (SOx, NOx, lead, > etc.) than for low-compression engines (water vapor, CO2, unburnt > fuel, etc.). > > Obviously, walking and biking are even less pollutive than 2-cycle > motors, but are we or are we not justified in lumping together 2-cycle > and 4/6-cycle engines? > > Obet Verzola > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We need to create conditions and infrastructure that promotes > >walking, bicycling, and muscle powered movement of goods, but > >also channels the inevitable desire for more speed, power and > >range to clean, quiet, affordable vehicles. A vision of how I > >think this might be achieved can be found at > >http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm > > > >We have been testing and developing the surface to be used in > >the EcoTrack transportation system since 1993. We now have many > >installations of the surface on steps, wheelchair access ramps, > >gangways, bicycle/pedestrian bridges, etc. around the U.S. A > >partial listing of these sites can be found at > >http://www.biketrack.com/install.htm > > > >The next step toward the EcoTrack transportation system will be > >the introduction of structural travel surface panels that may be > >placed together to form high quality walking and bicycle riding > >surfaces without the need for a wood or metal sub-surface and > >eliminating the need to excavate and pave. The first 2'x4' > >panels will be available by the end of next month along with a > >new, modular truss system for building economical bicycle and > >pedestrian bridges. Please watch www.biketrack.com for > >developments. We will be posting more details on the surfacing > >panels and modular truss system during the month of May. > > > >Gerry Hawkes > >Bike Track, Inc. > >Woodstock, Vermont USA > > > >www.biketrack.com > > > >ghawkes@sover.net > > > >Tel. 802-457-3275 > >Fax. 802-457-3704 > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Barbara Gruehl Kipke > >To: Activists > >Date: Saturday, April 11, 1998 3:51 AM > >Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all > >the solutions? > > > > > >>Dear Sustainable Transport Activists, > >> > >>Hi! I'm new to your discussion list! You're welcome to find out > >more > >>about me at my web site: http://www.mobility-consultant.com. > >> > >>Maybe you can help me with two issues that have cropped up: > >>1) We are trying to convince German development aid agencies to > >put more > >>money into the sustainable transport modes (ie. walking, > >cycling, animal > >>drawn alternatives, hand carts etc.). One guy from GTZ (an > >important > >>development aid agency) has written a counter-argument saying > >among > >>other things that it is not a bright future/perspective if we > >start with > >>the bicycle and the next development step is the polluting > >2-wheelers =E0 > >>la Hanoi, Vietnam or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. > >> > >>The Asian region seems to abound with this problem. You must > >have come > >>up with some alternative scenarios?! I thought Singapore might > >have > >>banned motorcycles/2-wheelers from their streets...is that the > >case? It > >>would seem a good combination of public transport together with > >bike & > >>ride =E0 la Japan could be the way forward. How did Japan tame the > >>motorcycle development. Do you have other positive > >>examples of how Asian cities have handled the 2-wheeled > >motorized > >>"pest"? > >> > >>For your information, I have already looked at Sustran-discuss > >files > >>134, 136, 138, 167 that discuss this subject. Are there > >additional > >>comments you can provide me with? > >> > >>2) The GTZ guy mentions Hong Kong as a city that has solved "the > >>transport problem". Hong Kong can thus "show us the way forward" > >>according to this guy. > >> > >>I was in Hong Kong many years ago, but I don't remember it being > >>particularly great in terms of its transport solutions. I > >haven't seen > >>too much written on Hong Kong that would lead me to believe that > >they > >>are very innovative or effective. > >> > >>How do you see the transport situation in Hong Kong? > >> > >>Thanks in advance for feedback! > >> > >>Yours sincerely from the deep Black Forest in Germany > >>(where the Black Forest Cake comes from...) > >>-- > >>Barbara Gruehl Kipke (M.B.A.) > >>Mobility Consultant > >> > >>Horber Gaessle 13 Tel./Fax: 0049 7451 6985 > >>72160 Horb e-mail: barbara@mobility-consultant.com > >>Germany http://www.mobility-consultant.com > >> > > > > > > From joel at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 15 17:10:46 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 09:10:46 +0100 Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong In-Reply-To: References: <199804130633.OAA04121@phil.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980415091046.007ab7e0@pop.xs4all.nl> >I am this "low-compression" and "high compression" terminology for the >first time. Compression ratios are not directly related to the operating cycle-- it is possible to have high and low compression engines using either of the cycles. >Generally, we talk about 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines for >motorised two wheelers (MTWs). Cars have 4-stroke engines. >In 4-stroke engines, Hydrocarbon emissions are much lower than 2-stroke >engines due to beter burning of the fuel. And also due to the use of catalytic converters in many cases. >In 2-stroke engines, a large >amount of unburnt fuel is emitted into the air. This is not strictly correct--2-stroke Diesel engines are not very different in this regard as compared to 4-stroke Diesels. The valveless 2-stroke enginess commonly used in cheap, lightweight vehicles are invariably filty in my experience. >For the same reason, two-stroke engine have a lower CO/CO2 emissions than >4-storke engines. >Since the burning is better in 4-stoke engine, there >is higher emission of carbon oxides which is a byproduct of burning. When you burn a hydrocarbon, it all eventually ends up as water and CO2 (excepting impurities like sulfur). Some of the emissions hang around for a while in some other form, causing all the well-known problems, before ultimately breaking down into water and CO2. Since 4-stroke engines are usually considerably more efficient, they burn less fuel for a given output, and so result in less total CO2 emission. >It should also be noted that 4-storke engines provide better mileage. Yes ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From zui at ihe.nl Wed Apr 15 18:39:05 1998 From: zui at ihe.nl (Mark Zuidgeest) Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 11:39:05 +0200 (W. Europe Daylight Time) Subject: [sustran] motorcycle behaviour modelling Message-ID: The use of motorcycles is increasing tremendously in a.o. some Asian and African cities. The proper understanding of their behaviour in a traffic stream at intersection approaches may lead to: 1. Better design of intersections; 2. Estimate of environmental capacity of intersections with high percentage of motor cycles in a traffic stream. At present we are intending to pursue a research on this topic. Therefore, we kindly request for literature on related topics and/or relevant data (counts, observations, video material). Thank you for your cooperation. Tarig O. Medani Mark Zuidgeest ___________________________________________________ Mark Zuidgeest IHE Transport and Road Engineering Department (T&RE) P.O.Box 3015 2601 DA Delft The Netherlands tel. +31(0)15.2151840 fax. +31(0)15.2122921 ___________________________________________________ From leongsm at yahoo.com Wed Apr 15 22:43:15 1998 From: leongsm at yahoo.com (siewmun leong) Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 06:43:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] motorcycle behaviour modelling Message-ID: <19980415134315.22838.rocketmail@send1c.yahoomail.com> Hi Mark I think cities in south east asia are important sites for your cities, particularly in Kuala Lumpur city. I am interested in your cities and keep me posted. Thanks Siewmun Leong Ph.D Urban Transportation Department City Hall Kuala Lumpur ---Mark Zuidgeest wrote: > > The use of motorcycles is increasing tremendously in a.o. some Asian and > African cities. The proper understanding of their behaviour in a traffic > stream at intersection approaches may lead to: > > 1. Better design of intersections; > 2. Estimate of environmental capacity of intersections with high > percentage of motor cycles in a traffic stream. > > At present we are intending to pursue a research on this topic. > > Therefore, we kindly request for literature on related topics and/or > relevant data (counts, observations, video material). > > Thank you for your cooperation. > > Tarig O. Medani > Mark Zuidgeest > > ___________________________________________________ > Mark Zuidgeest > > IHE Transport and Road Engineering Department (T&RE) > P.O.Box 3015 > 2601 DA Delft > The Netherlands > tel. +31(0)15.2151840 > fax. +31(0)15.2122921 > ___________________________________________________ > > > > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Wed Apr 15 23:29:20 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 10:29:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong In-Reply-To: Message-ID: This comment addresses a couple of the latest postings on this subject. I do not have the emissions data handy for the type of motorcycles used in the Phillipines, but they are most likely 2 stroke engines of obsolete design, thus they have two strokes (pardon the pun) against them. They probably are very serious polluters, especially of unburned and partially burnt fuel, relative to their size and weight. If I recall where I have seen estimates of emissions for such vehicles, I will post it. It can probably be estimated by looking at data for 1970s or early 1980s designs of low powered two stroke engines sold in Europe and North America. Four stroke motorcycles, or even carefully designed two stroke motorcycles, could drastically improve the pollution level, but like I mentioned before, these cost more and thus the difficulty. Also, regardless of design, the continual intermittent use of these vehicles all day creates extra pollution, as engines burn very uncleanly when the engine is not at operating speed. This is a major flaw with any kind of personal motorized transportation. Eric On Wed, 15 Apr 1998, Dr.Rajeev Saraf wrote: > > I am this "low-compression" and "high compression" terminology for the > first time. Generally, we talk about 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines for > motorised two wheelers (MTWs). Cars have 4-stroke engines. > In 4-stroke engines, Hydrocarbon emissions are much lower than 2-stroke > engines due to beter burning of the fuel. In 2-stroke engines, a large > amount of unburnt fuel is emitted into the air. > For the same reason, two-stroke engine have a lower CO/CO2 emissions than > 4-storke engines. Since the burning is better in 4-stoke engine, there > is higher emission of carbon oxides which is a byproduct of burning. > > It should also be noted that 4-storke engines provide better mileage. > > ___________________________________________________________________________ > Dr Rajeev Saraf | > Urban and Transport Planner | > SENIOR PROJECT SCIENTIST | PHONE : 91-11-6858703 > APPLIED SYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAM | EMAIL : sarafrk@cbme.iitd.ernet.in > IIT DELHI 110016 | FAX : 91-11-6862037 > INDIA | > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > On 13 Apr 1998, Roberto Verzola wrote: > > > >numerous other cities with high motor bike traffic, I need no > > >convincing that two-cycle motor bikes are not a means of > > >transportation to be encouraged. > > > > Will somebody please clarify if it is true that two-cycle motor bikes > > are of the low-compression type? Barry Commoner in The Closing Circle > > made a distinction between low-compression engines and > > high-compression engines (as found in cars), and says that the > > pollution is much worse for high-compression engines (SOx, NOx, lead, > > etc.) than for low-compression engines (water vapor, CO2, unburnt > > fuel, etc.). > > > > Obviously, walking and biking are even less pollutive than 2-cycle > > motors, but are we or are we not justified in lumping together 2-cycle > > and 4/6-cycle engines? > > > > Obet Verzola > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We need to create conditions and infrastructure that promotes > > >walking, bicycling, and muscle powered movement of goods, but > > >also channels the inevitable desire for more speed, power and > > >range to clean, quiet, affordable vehicles. A vision of how I > > >think this might be achieved can be found at > > >http://www.biketrack.com/visions.htm > > > > > >We have been testing and developing the surface to be used in > > >the EcoTrack transportation system since 1993. We now have many > > >installations of the surface on steps, wheelchair access ramps, > > >gangways, bicycle/pedestrian bridges, etc. around the U.S. A > > >partial listing of these sites can be found at > > >http://www.biketrack.com/install.htm > > > > > >The next step toward the EcoTrack transportation system will be > > >the introduction of structural travel surface panels that may be > > >placed together to form high quality walking and bicycle riding > > >surfaces without the need for a wood or metal sub-surface and > > >eliminating the need to excavate and pave. The first 2'x4' > > >panels will be available by the end of next month along with a > > >new, modular truss system for building economical bicycle and > > >pedestrian bridges. Please watch www.biketrack.com for > > >developments. We will be posting more details on the surfacing > > >panels and modular truss system during the month of May. > > > > > >Gerry Hawkes > > >Bike Track, Inc. > > >Woodstock, Vermont USA > > > > > >www.biketrack.com > > > > > >ghawkes@sover.net > > > > > >Tel. 802-457-3275 > > >Fax. 802-457-3704 > > > > > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > > >From: Barbara Gruehl Kipke > > >To: Activists > > >Date: Saturday, April 11, 1998 3:51 AM > > >Subject: [sustran] 1) Motorised 2 wheelers 2)Hong Kong has all > > >the solutions? > > > > > > > > >>Dear Sustainable Transport Activists, > > >> > > >>Hi! I'm new to your discussion list! You're welcome to find out > > >more > > >>about me at my web site: http://www.mobility-consultant.com. > > >> > > >>Maybe you can help me with two issues that have cropped up: > > >>1) We are trying to convince German development aid agencies to > > >put more > > >>money into the sustainable transport modes (ie. walking, > > >cycling, animal > > >>drawn alternatives, hand carts etc.). One guy from GTZ (an > > >important > > >>development aid agency) has written a counter-argument saying > > >among > > >>other things that it is not a bright future/perspective if we > > >start with > > >>the bicycle and the next development step is the polluting > > >2-wheelers =E0 > > >>la Hanoi, Vietnam or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. > > >> > > >>The Asian region seems to abound with this problem. You must > > >have come > > >>up with some alternative scenarios?! I thought Singapore might > > >have > > >>banned motorcycles/2-wheelers from their streets...is that the > > >case? It > > >>would seem a good combination of public transport together with > > >bike & > > >>ride =E0 la Japan could be the way forward. How did Japan tame the > > >>motorcycle development. Do you have other positive > > >>examples of how Asian cities have handled the 2-wheeled > > >motorized > > >>"pest"? > > >> > > >>For your information, I have already looked at Sustran-discuss > > >files > > >>134, 136, 138, 167 that discuss this subject. Are there > > >additional > > >>comments you can provide me with? > > >> > > >>2) The GTZ guy mentions Hong Kong as a city that has solved "the > > >>transport problem". Hong Kong can thus "show us the way forward" > > >>according to this guy. > > >> > > >>I was in Hong Kong many years ago, but I don't remember it being > > >>particularly great in terms of its transport solutions. I > > >haven't seen > > >>too much written on Hong Kong that would lead me to believe that > > >they > > >>are very innovative or effective. > > >> > > >>How do you see the transport situation in Hong Kong? > > >> > > >>Thanks in advance for feedback! > > >> > > >>Yours sincerely from the deep Black Forest in Germany > > >>(where the Black Forest Cake comes from...) > > >>-- > > >>Barbara Gruehl Kipke (M.B.A.) > > >>Mobility Consultant > > >> > > >>Horber Gaessle 13 Tel./Fax: 0049 7451 6985 > > >>72160 Horb e-mail: barbara@mobility-consultant.com > > >>Germany http://www.mobility-consultant.com > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > From t2962813 at cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp Thu Apr 16 15:25:22 1998 From: t2962813 at cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp (Md. Mohsin Jahangir Sarker) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 15:25:22 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Suggesstions wanted Message-ID: <3535A452.9CE36EF4@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Hello everybody I am 1st year Ph.D. student of Utsunomiya University, Japan in regional planning department. I am interested to do my Ph.D. research work in the field of mixed transportation and land use. I will be very much grateful to you all, if you please advice me and suggest me  something in this regard and inform me about the scopes available to do research in this field, which will be worthwhile in my Ph.D. research work. Thanking you in anticipation.   Mohsin J. Sarker Regional Planning Utsunomiya University, Japan Email : t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/19980416/7580eb2f/attachment.htm From ifrtd at gn.apc.org Thu Apr 16 19:42:47 1998 From: ifrtd at gn.apc.org (Niklas Sieber) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 10:42:47 +0000 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion In-Reply-To: <3535A452.9CE36EF4@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Message-ID: <199804160944.KAA04369@mail.gn.apc.org> Dear Sustran Discussants I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an image problem but also a physical one, especially when the temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. My questions are now: 1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? 2. Which technical improvements reduce environmental damages of motorcycles? Regarding the low purchasing power it is essential that these improvements have low costs. 3. In case that there is no low cost solution, would it be desirable that Development Cooperation subsidises the technical improvements? _____________ Niklas Sieber International Forum for Rural Transport and Development 150 Southampton Row London WC1 B5AL, UK Tel.: +44 171/ 278 3682, Fax: +44 171/ 278 6880 e-mail: ifrtd@gn.apc.org Webpage: http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd From ghawkes at sover.net Thu Apr 16 21:34:35 1998 From: ghawkes at sover.net (Gerry Hawkes) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 07:34:35 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image Message-ID: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> I think the best way to improve the image of bicycles is to first improve travel surface conditions for cyclists and to reduce or eliminate conflicts with motorized vehicles, pedestrians and animals. Obviously this can not be done over a widespread area by governments that are short on cash, but high quality, limited access, bicycle only, transportation corridors could be established for "cross town" bicycle traffic. These transportation corridors would most likely need to be lightweight, low cost, elevated structures to avoid space constraints and conflict at intersections. Once such bicycle transportation corridors were established, the next logical step would be to provide free electric power for electric bicycles. This power could come from conductor wires and/or solar panels above the system and be picked up by electric bicycles in much the same way electric street cars have for almost a century. The flexible electric pick-up "antennas" on the back of bicycles could also double as safety flags that make bicycles more visible when they merge with conventional traffic. The advantage here is that the electric bicycles would also serve as viable means of personal transportation off the main transportation corridors, utilizing pedal power and battery assist. Cost to the government for providing free electricity would be small compared to the public health costs of pollution. The image of clean, quiet, bicycles traveling above the chaos in the streets below, protected from the sun and rain by canopies and without any expense for fuel should be quite appealing. NOTE: I will be out of the US and out of e-mail contact from 18 April - 30 April, so I will not be able to respond to questions and comments during that time. Gerry Hawkes Bike Track, Inc. Woodstock, Vermont USA www.biketrack.com -----Original Message----- From: Niklas Sieber To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Date: Thursday, April 16, 1998 5:35 AM Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion Dear Sustran Discussants I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an image problem but also a physical one, especially when the temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. My questions are now: 1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? 2. Which technical improvements reduce environmental damages of motorcycles? Regarding the low purchasing power it is essential that these improvements have low costs. 3. In case that there is no low cost solution, would it be desirable that Development Cooperation subsidises the technical improvements? _____________ Niklas Sieber International Forum for Rural Transport and Development 150 Southampton Row London WC1 B5AL, UK Tel.: +44 171/ 278 3682, Fax: +44 171/ 278 6880 e-mail: ifrtd@gn.apc.org Webpage: http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd From joel at xs4all.nl Thu Apr 16 20:44:38 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 12:44:38 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion In-Reply-To: <199804160944.KAA04369@mail.gn.apc.org> References: <3535A452.9CE36EF4@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980416124438.007a6d10@pop.xs4all.nl> >I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very >interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ >that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income >increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. >Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French >mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an >image problem but also a physical one, especially when the >temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. This sort of problem is one of the reasons why the reference design for carfree cities which we are developing does not require the use of bicycles. In many areas, they can't be used year-round due to weather extremes. >My questions are now: > >1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? In 40 degree heat, maybe nothing. I've seen in Bali that people would buy and use bikes, but as soon as they had enough money, they bought a 70cc motorcycle (the old reliable Honda is a 4-stroke, and so a good deal cleaner than the usual scooter). >2. Which technical improvements reduce environmental >damages of motorcycles? Regarding the low purchasing >power it is essential that these improvements have low costs. The motorcycle is usually ridden fairly short distances at moderate speeds. This seems to me to be a reasonable recipie for battery-powered two-wheelers, and Lee Iacoca is supposed to be busy developing something along these lines. >3. In case that there is no low cost solution, would it be desirable >that Development Cooperation subsidises the technical improvements? It may be that private enterprise can handle this, maybe with some initial support. Some restrictions on emissions would help provide the incentive for using other technologies. (Bangkok already required its 3-wheelers to move from gasoline to propane. This helped air quality some.) Also, noise restrictions might make battery power much more competitive, since the petroleum- fueled vehicles will have considerable difficulty achieving reasonable noise levels. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From geary at cmr.gov Fri Apr 17 01:52:40 1998 From: geary at cmr.gov (Riley Geary) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 12:52:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion Message-ID: <199804161652.MAA17488@hod.CSS.GOV> J.H. Crawford writes: >> I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very >> interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ >> that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income >> increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. >> Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French >> mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an >> image problem but also a physical one, especially when the >> temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. > > This sort of problem is one of the reasons why the reference design > for carfree cities which we are developing does not require the > use of bicycles. In many areas, they can't be used year-round due > to weather extremes. Try telling that to the Chinese! Let's not forget that at least as many people rely on the bicycle for their primary means of transportation in the PRC alone as those who rely on the private automobile globally. And despite 40 C summers and -30 C winters, half a billion Chinese somehow manage to keep commuting by bicycle--even in the rain and snow. As far as image goes, in China riding a bike is considered a perfectly respectable way of getting around, and probably enjoys a higher social status than either walking or taking one of the perpetually crowded public busses. >> 1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? > > In 40 degree heat, maybe nothing. I've seen in Bali that > people would buy and use bikes, but as soon as they had > enough money, they bought a 70cc motorcycle... Fortunately, this does not seem to be the case in China, at least not yet, though government regulation of motorcycles may have a lot to do with it. And while overcrowded public busses may offer some practical advantages over bikes in the dead of winter, in 40 C summers it's a different story entirely. Riley R. Geary -- League of American Bicyclists Arlington, VA geary@cmr.gov From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Fri Apr 17 02:46:55 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 13:46:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion In-Reply-To: <199804160944.KAA04369@mail.gn.apc.org> Message-ID: On Thu, 16 Apr 1998, Niklas Sieber wrote: > Dear Sustran Discussants > > I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very > interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ > that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income > increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. > Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French > mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an > image problem but also a physical one, especially when the > temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. > > My questions are now: > > 1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? No short answer. It varies from place to place. I think Walter Hook at the Institute for Transport and Development Policy ( a regular reader of this group) might know some contacts in different developing countries. For developed countries, contact John Pucher, pucher@rci.rutgers.edu, for very current info. about how Germany has succeeded in dramatically increasing bicycle use. He also can shed light on other countries as well, of course. > > 2. Which technical improvements reduce environmental > damages of motorcycles? Regarding the low purchasing > power it is essential that these improvements have low costs. Switch to late model four-stroke engines of modest power. Or at least late model two-stroke engines. There is no other solution. They do cost more, if they didn't the Japanese and eastern European companies would not be selling obsolete designs. In fact, they probably sell all of the tooling for local assembly in the case of large countries like India. I doubt they will sell their latest tooling. in the United States, I believe Honda builds most components and assembles them, but their engines (the biggest trade secret and most valuable parts) are still built in Japan. > > 3. In case that there is no low cost solution, would it be desirable > that Development Cooperation subsidises the technical improvements? > I don't think that technology is the issue. The giant Japanese corporations like Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki could afford to do their own development in any case. Maybe subsidizing the purchasing of electrically boosted bicycles could help drive down the unit cost and help them to catch on. In most cases, a boost up hill or with heavy loads is all that is needed. People don't always need all of the power of a real motorcycle. > _____________ > Niklas Sieber > International Forum for Rural Transport and Development > 150 Southampton Row > London WC1 B5AL, UK > Tel.: +44 171/ 278 3682, Fax: +44 171/ 278 6880 > e-mail: ifrtd@gn.apc.org > Webpage: http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd > From t2962813 at cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp Fri Apr 17 11:08:47 1998 From: t2962813 at cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp (Md. Mohsin Jahangir Sarker) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 11:08:47 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) transportation and Landuse. References: Message-ID: <3536B9AF.C81BC338@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Hello everybody Non-motorized vehicle is the most cost effective transportation mode especially for short trips. It is also sustainable for our community. Because, it is non-polluting, energy conservative, traffic calming, cheap, takes very small space, widely available, easily accessible and so on. For long trips we can use the combination of? non-motorized transport mode and mass transit mode. So, what type of land use patterns is sustainable for this type of sustainable transportation system ? You know that land use pattern of South-Asian countries is more or less mixed type and population density of these countries is also very high. About 25% to 80% trips are of non-motorized transport (bicycle, cycle rickshaw, etc.). So, again? what type of transportation systems is better or best for the land use pattern of South-Asian countries. I think maximum will suggest? for mass transit system. But what will be the transportation mode to access the stations of mass transit system ? I am really interested to do my Ph.D. research work on this field : Mixed (motorized, especially mass transit and non-motorized) transportation and land use. And, I am interested to know, how much works have been done in this field and what are they, and what are recent scopes available to do research in this field. So, I will be very much grateful to you all, if you please inform me something whatever you know on this regard. Thanks Mr.? Jerry Schneider for your worthwhile response. Your ITT web site is really helpful. Thanking you all in anticipation. ? Mohsin J. Sarker Ph.D. student Regional planning Utsunomiya University, Japan Email : t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp ? Jerry Schneider wrote: > You might find something of interest at my ITT website - address below. > > - Jerry Schneider - > ?? Home page: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/ > ??? Innovative Transportation Technologies (ITT) Web site: > ????????????? http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/ ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/19980417/039f045f/attachment.htm From ob110ob at IDT.NET Fri Apr 17 01:31:05 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 09:31:05 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> Message-ID: <35363249.2ACA@idt.net> One thing that can be done easily and cheaply to enhance the image of bicycles most dramatically is for the gov'ts to simply show preference for them. Firstly, and I've been riding a bicycle in city for many a year, mandating that cyclists stop for all traffic lights and otherwise operate in much the same manner as cars or other motorized traffic is of course ludicrous. 1. Momentum comes to the cyclist at high cost. If there is no cross traffic, or pedestrians sufficient to make progress perilous. One feels the weight of the rediculousness of continued waiting in light of the low top speeds that will be achived and the inconvenience of having needlessly discarded momentum. 2. On uphills matters get worse. Momentum is even harder to regain, the hard work needed to get going raises blood pressure again and again. Unlike a car which cannot feel these effects, the body responds and makes cycling just a little less pleasant than it would be if a more constant speed could be maintained as long as it is possible to do so safetly. 3. The longer the trip the more lights one encounters and overall travel time approaches the absurd. For instance I might ride some 200 city blocks each of which has a light at the corner. I can, and have safely covered the distance in 35 - 45 minutes ignoring lights when it made good sense to do so. If I observed traffic lights, which can be as long as 1.5 minutes on avg. I'd be stopping for 1.5 mins. about every 3 or 4 blocks on level ground and probably every 2 to 3 blocks on uphills. A quick and dirty, casual estimate yields about 90 minutes added to my trip. And for what? My methods have served me for over 35 years without one serious accident, and two minor ones from which all parties walked away without complaint (except me, I suffered a cut and a bruise. In most bicycle accidents, even in encounters with pedestrians, it's the cyclist who is the most likely to get hurt and sustain injuries.) Yet, we are hounded to 'follow the rules of the road' that are designed for hard steel, gasoline powered motors. And by people who have never even taken a bike out and ridden in traffic for any appreciable distance or time. If you want better rules of the road for bikers and hpv's you must first have the people who will make the laws get out and ride under local conditions and not ride their comfortable leather office chairs into a 'fray' the mechanicx of which they don't have even a clue. Laws that give bikers preference on the road would do much to encourage and elevate biking. Realizing that the one who will expend the least effort when stoping and starting is required is the person driving the auto, means that one should reasonably give the biker the right of way. Doesn't it make sense to give preference to the machine powered by a heart, blood pressure and muscle over the one using oil, gasoline and metal? No reasonable person can even make a comparison between the two, how can they be reasonably be held to the exact same rules? History has shown me that it is more than just reasonable two have people operating in the same space by two different sets of rules. It's not just possible its an actual reality that happens all the time. Just as there are major differences in rules of the road between the different types of vehicles, so too there should be consideration made for the handicaps/advantages of bikes. (the short answer lol!) Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Fri Apr 17 02:12:19 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 10:12:19 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion References: <3535A452.9CE36EF4@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> <3.0.1.32.19980416124438.007a6d10@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <35363BF3.2BCD@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > >I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very > >interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ > >that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income > >increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. > >Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French > >mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an > >image problem but also a physical one, especially when the > >temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. > The major part of the problem in comparing bike use to motorized tranport, it seems to me is the division factor of distance to be traveled. Where many long trips have to be made with and frequency or with variable demand, motorized tranportation wins simply because it's easy and available on instant demand. Where more leisurly travel requirements can 'fill the bill' and trips are frequent but short. The bicycle wins, especially in area where congestion impedes competeting vehicles, such as urban/ and local suburban neighborhood travel. In these areas, if motorized travel wins out it's probably due more to the availablity of an already acquired motor vehicle rather than any considered choice. Many people living in downtown new york city, and you can't consider them poor, will use bicycles to get from club to club, the library schools visiting and shopping. Then get their car only when it's time to go out of the city or carry passengers with them and/or make trips outside the neighborhood. As I said a long, long time ago, most people first choose to purchase a vehicle that is capable of satisfying the largest variety of transport needs. Then they continue to apply that vehicle (usually it's purchase precludes the purchase of a secondary or alternative means of travel) to all their tranportation requirements even when it's efficiency falls far below any set of operational 'optimums' concievable. It's seen as a neccessary trade off. So, if for example a part of the day's auto use involves tolerating 6 m.p.h. travel at 8 or so m.p.g., then so be it. These instances of ineffective/inefficient use are tolerable because of better performance over all. Only when such inefficiencies become less escapable, do people find some 'breakpoint' were they are no longer tolerable and so seek alternatives to escape them. For example, if you had the same commute to the office as a co-worker who came in by train. You discovered he was there everyday, earlier or more reliably on time than you who relied on your car. You found that his routine 30 min. commute, was competitive with your often vexing 45 - 50 minute variable commute which routinely encounter traffic jams and unexpecting shortages of parking when the city had special events in town. You'd probably begin to seriously consider the alternative offered by the train. But without an easy comparison available to be made, you'd probably simply accept your situation as normal, and continue to deal with it as best you could. If someone accomplished the same trip as the two of you by bike, without apparent difficulty and at appreciably lower costs. Then it's entirely possible that you'd give serious consideration to that option as well as the train option. Of course, in a world where status symbols are overly important, and cars continue to be the symbol of status, no such comparisons are likely to be made. It will simply be assumed that the best way to display status is to spend more money to accomplish the same tasks as others do cheaply. Thusly, inefficiency becomes the most sought/highly prized mode to be emulated. Which in turn allows those offering 'environmentalist' considerations to be branded as either poor or cheap. Obwon From joel at xs4all.nl Fri Apr 17 17:25:55 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:25:55 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980417092555.007aa790@pop.xs4all.nl> Due to a list server problem, this response was truncated, so I am sending it again. >I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very >interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ >that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income >increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. >Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French >mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an >image problem but also a physical one, especially when the >temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. This sort of problem is one of the reasons why the reference design for carfree cities which we are developing does not require the use of bicycles. In many areas, they can't be used year-round due to weather extremes. >My questions are now: > >1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? In 40 degree heat, maybe nothing. I've seen in Bali that people would buy and use bikes, but as soon as they had enough money, they bought a 70cc motorcycle (the old reliable Honda is a 4-stroke, and so a good deal cleaner than the usual scooter). >2. Which technical improvements reduce environmental >damages of motorcycles? Regarding the low purchasing >power it is essential that these improvements have low costs. The motorcycle is usually ridden fairly short distances at moderate speeds. This seems to me to be a reasonable recipie for battery-powered two-wheelers, and Lee Iacoca is supposed to be busy developing something along these lines. >3. In case that there is no low cost solution, would it be desirable >that Development Cooperation subsidises the technical improvements? It may be that private enterprise can handle this, maybe with some initial support. Some restrictions on emissions would help provide the incentive for using other technologies. (Bangkok already required its 3-wheelers to move from gasoline to propane. This helped air quality some.) Also, noise restrictions might make battery power much more competitive, since the petroleum- fueled vehicles will have considerable difficulty achieving reasonable noise levels. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From joel at xs4all.nl Fri Apr 17 18:05:40 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 10:05:40 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: <35363249.2ACA@idt.net> References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> We're treading on contentious turf here, so let me start by saying what I think about bicycles PERSONALLY. 1. I love to ride a bike in the countryside. One of the most enjoyable days I ever spent was biking a long distance over a dedicated path on a beautiful day in Denmark. 2. I have a perfectly good 10-speed garaged a few minutes walk from my home in Amsterdam, generally regarded as one of the best biking cities in the world. I hardly ever ride it because it is frightfully dangerous due to wreckless speeding car drivers and the narrow or non-existant bike paths. 3. I am now starting to get furious with bicyclists, who have recently taken to riding on the sidewalks here because the streets are so crowded and dangerous. I can no longer go for a peaceful, contemplative walk because I have to be on the lookout for bikes all the time. The bicyclists are usually incensed if you say anything to them about their behavior. They also almost never stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, even if the pedestrian is crossing with the light. This leads me to some simple conclusions GENERALLY: 1. Street space is a precious commodity, especially in older European cities. 2. Street space ought to be apportioned by priority as follows: first: pedestrians second: public transport vehicles (they carry the most people of all modes for the amount of space they occupy) third: bicyclists fourth: delivery trucks fifth, if there's anything left over: private cars and taxis 3. Traffic regulations should be set up to provide absolute clarity on these matters, a situation which does not exist in the Netherlands at this time. The regulations should be based on the priorities for occupation of street space (above). All street users should obey these laws, and they should be stringently enforced. Exactly how this is all arranged is not clear and will probably vary from city to city because of differing circumstances. All wheeled vehicles must stop for pedestrians who have the right of way. In most cases, I think the pedestrian should have presumptive right of way at all corners unless other traffic is heavy enough to warrant a traffic light, in which case the pedestrians should not hamper the movement of vehicles which have a green light. I have no problem with bicyclists running red lights (or pedestrians jay-walking), as long as they abide by the simple principle that they must not hamper the passage of pedestrians and vehicles which, at that moment, have right of way. >1. Momentum comes to the cyclist at high cost. If there is no cross >traffic, or pedestrians sufficient to make progress perilous. One feels >the weight of the rediculousness of continued waiting in light of the >low top speeds that will be achived and the inconvenience of having >needlessly discarded momentum. The new electric bikes coming on the market solve this problem-- your braking energy is stored in the battery, which can be used to accelerate after the stop. > A quick and dirty, casual estimate yields about 90 minutes added to my >trip. And for what? My methods have served me for over 35 years without >one serious accident, and two minor ones from which all parties walked >away without complaint (except me, I suffered a cut and a bruise. In >most bicycle accidents, even in encounters with pedestrians, it's the >cyclist who is the most likely to get hurt and sustain injuries.) I'm not sure. I don't have statistics. I do know that pedestrians sometimes get killed by bicyclists. What happened in your one accident? > Laws that give bikers preference on the road would do much to >encourage and elevate biking. Realizing that the one who will expend >the least effort when stoping and starting is required is the person >driving the auto, means that one should reasonably give the biker the >right of way. Doesn't it make sense to give preference to the machine >powered by a heart, blood pressure and muscle over the one using oil, >gasoline and metal? No reasonable person can even make a comparison >between the two, how can they be reasonably be held to the exact same >rules? Most of these problems relate to the fact that bikes just don't have enough room on the streets. The sad part of it is that bikes are only twice as space-efficient as single-occupancy cars in terms of people carried per lane-mile per hour. (I'm not sure I believe this figure, but it is widely quoted.) So bikes aren't really helping much with the congestion problem. The space-efficiency issue is what underlies my prioritization above. > History has shown me that it is more than just reasonable two have >people operating in the same space by two different sets of rules. It's >not just possible its an actual reality that happens all the time. Just >as there are major differences in rules of the road between the >different types of vehicles, so too there should be consideration made >for the handicaps/advantages of bikes. One of the biggest difficulties is that managing traffic gets steadily more difficult the more different speed ranges there are that are being accommodated on the same roadway. The most difficult mix is cars, mopeds, bikes, carts, and pedestrians. In the Netherlands mopeds are allowed to use the bike paths under the assumption that the speed difference between a moped and a bike is less than the speed difference between a moped and a car. In fact, many of the mopeds have been illegally souped up and travel as fast as a car, gravely endangering the bicyclists. To say nothing of the horrible stink they leave behind. We're dealing with a critical issue here. I look forward to the disucssion. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Sat Apr 18 00:08:27 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 11:08:27 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: I think the space efficiency of bicycles you quoted, at only twice as good per lane mile as an auto, is not correct. Bicycles do not need the lane width, nor do they have to travel single file, rather they can move in formation like a squadron of fighter aircraft. I would like to suggest using the time-area approach where the vehicle's own space, the shadow it occupies for maintaining a safe distance and the time for which it occupies the space are analyzed simultaneously. Furthermore, this method unifies the space occupied for parking with the space occupied while traveling to get the entire impact on the area in question. Using this method, I find bicycles to be very space efficient. Cars are very poor, not just because of their size, but because as speed increases, the standoff distance increases, not to mention their extremely high parking requirements. The time-area method is described in Bruun and Vuchic, "Time -Area Concept: Development, Meaning, and Application," Transportation Research Record 1499, 1995. The article does not show the bicycle computation, but you will get the idea. A little bit of effort is required to adjust for the fact that bicycles do not have to travel single file. Thus, I submit that from a space standpoint, bicyclese are superior. In fact, the wall of bicycles one sees on roads in China is an order of magnitude more efficient than if cars were traveling single file in however many lanes one could fit in the right of way. Eric From schuster at ibtta.org Sat Apr 18 02:47:28 1998 From: schuster at ibtta.org (Neil D. Schuster) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:47:28 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: References: <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980417134728.006a2998@pop.cais.com> not only are bicycles space efficient, they cause virtually no damage to roadways. one of the issues relating to motorcycle use of toll roads is whether they should pay the same axle rate as passenger cars and whether they cause the same amount of road damage as cars. of course, the other issue is how much space motorcycles take up; if tolls are set on the use of highway space, a motorcycle takes up almost as much road capacity as a car. neil d. schuster executive director international bridge, tunnel and turnpike association 2120 L street, nw suite 305 washington, dc 20037 usa telephone: 1.202.659.4620 fax: 1.202.659.0500 e-mail: schuster@ibtta.org web site: http://www.ibtta.org From ccordero at amauta.rcp.net.pe Sat Apr 18 05:11:08 1998 From: ccordero at amauta.rcp.net.pe (Carlos Cordero V.) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 16:11:08 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] two wheelers Message-ID: Dear Colleges, The question raised by Niklas, about the need to increase the image of bicycles, has come a comment from Gerry Hawkes calling for segregated facilities as building special bicycles tracks and also technical improvements like electrical assisted bicycles. Such changes will not come with out big moves in planners minds, specially in Latin America where the status quo rejects bicycle transportation as an alternative- complementary scenario to improve the transport system. In that context, some initial low cost measures should call for improving social-road safety and multimodal approachs in urban areas. Mainly it means that cycle user is recognize precisely as user of the system. Besides, this aproach do not call, initially at least, for heavy investment and also contributes to fight two of the principal restraints to improve bicycle image: firstly, a wider range of daily users who should be allowed on the road, i.e. women, children and older people and secondly the theft problem wich normally make people unable to continue riding a bike after thief visit. Multimodal modal schemes, including cycle users, are normally absent in Latinoamerican transport systems. So if a two wheeler vehicle is not able to complete a whole trip we have a kind of crippled vehicle or if the whole range of users are not biking we have a ghetto for captive riders or young people on the road, then we really have an image problem or an incoplete image of the vehicle potential to fulfill transport needs. Carlos Cordero V. CICLORED Lima , Peru end Carlos Cordero Velasquez CICLORED e mail: ccordero@amauta rcp.net.pe Parque Federico Blume 158 Lima 18 PERU Fax 51 1 447 2675 telf 51 1 222 1921 From litman at IslandNet.com Sat Apr 18 07:35:07 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 15:35:07 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Congestion Impacts In-Reply-To: References: <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980417153507.00a586c0@pop.IslandNet.com> At 11:08 AM 4/17/98 -0400, Eric Bruun wrote: > >I think the space efficiency of bicycles you quoted, at >only twice as good per lane mile as an auto, is not correct. >Bicycles do not need the lane width, nor do they have to >travel single file, rather they can move in formation >like a squadron of fighter aircraft. Here is the analysis of bicycles' congestion impacts from "Quantifying Bicycling Benefits for Achieving Transportation Demand Management Goals," available from our institute. A. Congestion Traffic congestion costs include increased travel time, vehicle operating costs, stress and air pollution. The potential congestion reduction and travel time savings resulting from a shift from Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) travel to bicycling depends on specific circumstances. To analyze bicycle congestion impacts, traffic conditions are divided into four classes: 1. Uncongested roads or separated paths. Bicycling on uncongested roads causes no traffic congestion. 2. Congested roads with space for bicyclists. Bicycling on the road shoulder (common on highways); the curb lane (common in suburban areas and newer urban streets); or a designated bike lane contributes little to traffic congestion except at intersections and driveways where other vehicles' turning and lane shifting maneuvers may be delayed. Table 1 summarizes congestion impacts of bicycling by road width, although traffic volume and intersection design are also factors. Table 1 Passenger-Car Equivalents for Bicycles by Lane Width < 11 ft. Lane 11-14 ft. Lane > 14 ft. Lane ------------ -------------- ------------- Riding With Traffic 1.0 0.2 0.0 Riding Against Traffic 1.2 0.5 0.0 (Policy on Geometric Design for Streets and Highways, AASHTO (Washington DC), 1990.) 3. Narrow, congested roads with low speed traffic. Bicycling on a narrow, congested road when the rider can safely keep up with traffic (common in urban traffic averaging 15 mph or less) probably contributes slightly less to congestion than an average car, due to a bicycle's smaller size. 4. Narrow, congested roads with moderate to high speed traffic. Bicycling on a narrow, congested road when the rider is unable to keep up with traffic can contribute to traffic congestion, depending on how easily faster vehicles can pass. Congestion is reduced when automobile drivers shift to bicycling under the first three condition. Only under condition #4 would a shift from driving to bicycling fail to reduce congestion. This probably represents a minor portion of bicycle transport mileage because most bicyclists avoid riding under such conditions, and bicycling is forbidden on urban freeways where congestion costs are usually highest. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sat Apr 18 07:54:56 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 15:54:56 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3537DDC0.49BC@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > We're treading on contentious turf here, so let me start by > saying what I think about bicycles PERSONALLY. > [...] Nothing to be contentious about, I've read your replies (which I'm not going to copy into this reply) and I agree with you 100 percent. Your assesments of the situation are exactly mine, even if your view comes from the pavement as an annoyed pedestrian and mine comes from the road as an equally annoyed biker :-) Not to excuse bad conduct by bikers, I can explain some of their bad behaviours with answers that make the alternatives not very reasonable choices. I'm sure you can explain some pedestrian behavious in the same way. For the purposes of discussion, I'd rather leave the erratic, irrational/racial and lawless bikers, pedestrians, and motorists aside for later discussions and stick to the conflicts that present themselves to those in each category who really are trying to be safe courteous drivers, bikers, pedestrians but against whom circumstances work at various times. First I'll explain my accident since it illustrates various points. I was riding up Sixth avenue (which is one way northbound) in the new bike lanes the city had just built and provided. From the western curb, where cars were parked, there was approx. 3 ft of white stripped bike lane. This was shielded from traffic by a three inch high elevated safty island some two feet across. It stopped, at each intersection, short of the corners to provide a recess into which a 10 ft wide crosswalk was lined. Now, as I was comming north at a pretty good clip since the lane was clear and I had the lights, and there was no sign of the warning flash that the light at 42nd street just ahead of me would change. I maintained my speed because you don't want to get stuck at heavily trafficed 42nd street. As I went into the intersection, watching all the way, the crowd at the curb on the northside of the intersection was stand on the curb! Not out in the street as New Yorkers expect. They were properly standing back on the sidewalk, thus the bike lane was clear. Just as I entered the northside crosswalk, I saw the crowd line buckle a bit, this woman in a tan suit, came through crouched low and bolted in front of me. Fortunately I'd picked up on the crowd line at the curb making some movement, so I was already braking. But there was less than 3ft and about .5 a second in which to operate so we collided. She went down, and I of course toppled too. She got up and brushed herself off, gave me a nasty look and then turned to the crowd with a look of 'appeal' she got stone-faced disapproval, and scurried on her way, still moving against the light. Me? Because of the height the bike provides, when I caught myself with my hand to the pavement, I got a nasty cut and bruises to my plam. Of course the bike scraped and cut my shin as well. Otherwise I was none the worse for wear. All she got was a smudge on her dress, she had mainly fallen, not from the force of being struck by the bike, I was barely going fast enough at that point to give her more than a minor shove. She fell because her effort to dodge to the north (or along my path of travel) failed. Had she looked when she broke through the crowd, or stepped quickly across my path, we'd never have met. Instead she suddenly panicked, froze and crouched, then tried to turn to the north. Go figure. Anyway, they eventually had to remove the islands, so now all they have is a painted bike path. High cars, Trucks and Vans would straddle the islands and people waiting for parking spaces would block the many separations left to let parked cars in and out. It was a mess. But, from it all, I do remmeber and continue to thank the New York Pedestrian in my prayers for their efforts to try to make some order out of what is usually kamikazie catch-as-catch-can traffic/pedestrian space use. Who would even think from their experience on NYC streets that beneath it all there is a burning desire for order? Unfortunately, there are very real dangers in attempting to rely on order. It lulls one into a false sense of security (which I realized I had abandoned upon seeing those people being so well behaved), that allows us to fall prey to the errant recalcitrant/disorderly anarchist who we should know will always appear in some misguided attempt to take advantage of the situation. Oh boy, this message has gotten very long already and I've still got more to write and there are many more points to cover, points that you should have presented for your inspection. Tell you what, you cut that last post into bite sized peices and post the questions that are of highest order to you. That way I can stick to the issues most important too you. Okay? Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sat Apr 18 08:44:47 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 16:44:47 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3537E96F.DBF@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > We're treading on contentious turf here, so let me start by > saying what I think about bicycles PERSONALLY. > [...] Sidewalk cyclist: It is important to know some of the background of what causes this problem. Here in NYC, most cyclists aren't interested in riding on sidewalks crowded with pedestrian traffic. We prefer the streets because we can often move faster will less probablity of collision since pedetrians can and do move about on the sidewalks in unexpected ways. People talk walking backwards, stop suddenly and turn around etc., Yet... Dilivery people use the sidewalks, not just because they are pressed for time as in -deliver the meal while it's hot or the boss yells -- But also because cars at the curbside are often parked so tightly bumper to bumper, that you can't get to the sidewalk except from the corners. The nearest lampost to lock up, may well be several hundred feet past your destination. So that too induces time pressed riders to ride to it to save time. Our city blocks, the crosstown ones are about 1/6 mile in length or so. They are indeed very narrow, except for the main crosstown streets -- 1. Houston street (approx. 1 st.) 2. 14th street (about 1 mile north) 3. 23rd street 4. 42nd street 5. 57th street Which gives you some idea of how far the wide crosstown streets are spaced. Now, the average crosstown street in NY is usually a north and south side curb lane with parking and one and a half lanes, one way east or west, of travel space. This means that double parked cars or cars waiting, discharging passengers or picking them up, vans and trucks making deliveries, as well as garbage trucks making collections, cause the street to become so tightly blocked that even a bike can't squeeze through. Messengers, delivery people, of course are pressed because their time means money, being paid on commissions or tips, they need to keep their units high. Even casual bikers are vexed by such situations and are not willing to wait (sometimes as much as a half an hour) for traffic to clear on an over used block. So they are forced onto the sidewalks to get around these jams which can cost them terrible amounts of time. Time which drivers can usually make up by simply driving faster. For bikers there no such out. A radio assisted biker could make one or two deliveries in that half hour, resulting in a possible 5 to 7 dollars earnings, every penny of which they need very badly. Delivery people are usually on hourly, but they get chewed out and may lose their jobs if they deliever meals cold. Quite obviously these people don't take these jobs because they are the best of several competing options avaliable to them. So they are under extreme pressures to make things workout for themselves. So these things need to be considered when rulemaking/traffic design is under consideration. Instead, the city council has threatened these already struggling people with 150 dollar fines and the loss of their bikes, for taking actions they deemed necessary to either keep their jobs or make those jobs pay. If the police had strickly enforced these laws, thankfully they do not, the messenger and bike delivery industries would be effectively closed down. Delivery people could observe these laws, but then they'd be seen by their employers as ineffective in getting deliveries made properly. Messengers could observe these laws, but then they'd make fewer deliveries, make fewer commissions and not be able to hold on to the job becauee of the reduction in pay. Bosses/companies could try to either raise prices (not much luck there, believe me they've tried) or by hireing more bikers. Either way everyone suffers and that's even before these bikers get any fines or have their bikes confiscated, which of course put them out of business entirely. The casual rider too feels entitled to break these laws because they seem so unfair. People jay walk with impunity, so why shouldn't they be allowed to proceed through an intersection, against the light and after the traffic/pedestrians are clear? Why should thay have to sit the full minute, 1 $ 1/2 to 2 minutes when foot and auto traffic have cleared in fifteen to twenty seconds? Standing there with the bike on an empty street waiting for a light to change, while the light at the next block is green and will probably turn red before they get to it too. People who can and do ride bikes, hear of these dramatic enforcement programs and know that they aren't likely to enjoy riding under such strict and improper rules, simply stop riding bikes and stop planing too. If they haven't money to pay public transit fares, many of the trips they would make are simply abandoned. So it doesn't result in more transit fares and more deliveries will be assigned to motorized vehicles. Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sat Apr 18 09:00:19 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 17:00:19 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3537ED13.23C5@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > We're treading on contentious turf here, so let me start by > saying what I think about bicycles PERSONALLY. > [...] I can agree we need more and better studies done to see how street space can be apportioned more fairly. We also need better mass transit routing designs. I am, for instance, in complete disagreement with route designs which attempt to get busses, for example, into every nook and cranny of a neighborhood in an attempt to garner more fares. I'm vexed to no end when I see some of the tortorous routing designs taking busses up narrow, local neighborhood streets blowing heat and pollution there while stalled and blocking the thoroughfare because they're too big to maneuver easily. Meanwhile, this 'cover all bases' approach as well as viewing jitney's as competitors rather that 'feeders' makes transportation offers dramatically vexing to all. The passenger already on board is plagued by too many stops that are of little or no use to them, but waste their time simply to collect more fares on already overcrowded busses. When jitney's as feeders could easily make it more efficient to have bus stops placed further apart, thus speeding such trips as well as allowing busses to operate more efficiently thus lowering their polutive effects. In this coming age of information technology, people have even more need for exercise for their health and so a variety of hpv's which could provide opportunites for such exercise, lower pollution and still provide short distance transportation as well as employment, go unexamined, while people pay several hundereds of dollars per year to effectively 'waste' energy in a gym; for exercise, that could just as easily be expended solving some of their own tranportation problems motorlessly. Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sat Apr 18 09:43:05 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 17:43:05 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3537F719.2A75@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > We're treading on contentious turf here, so let me start by > saying what I think about bicycles PERSONALLY. > [...] I've ridden the new electric bikes, they're just a bit heavy enough to suspect that the riders will become almost totally dependant on the motor assist. They are geared wrong for pedaling, probably because of the motor, they pedal like they're in low gear when you've got it going on pedal power you've got to pedal very fast in high gear because you don't have a higher one. It's so annoying, not having a higher gear so you can scale back your cadence that you fall back to the motor out of sheer exasperation, and even inspite of the fact that you can pedal the thing much faster than the motor can push. So they need quite a bit more work. Still, they're going to cost more money and they're going to need more service than an ordinary bike and they'll probably be slower as well. They certainly still provide more pollution than an ordinary bike. But yes, they'll have little reason not to stop for traffic lights, since they don't have the momentum loss problems. Still, I've found in my years of riding that all that's really needed is the 'move when clear/safe rule' to be strickly applied. If police gave tickets to bikers who say crossed through an intersection while people were walking, or while oncomming cars were approaching, I'd not have a concern about that, if anything I'd welcome it! I'd also, however, want them to ticket pedestrians who stand out beyond the parked car line, in street waiting for the light to change. They block the bike path/lane that I must use, while I have the light. I have often just come to a stop rather than go around them when there's traffic overtaking me on my left. Often they won't even notice me until I pull to a stop right next to them, then they get a 'start' as if I might have hit them, give me a dirty look as if I'm the one making trouble. The law says they should be on the curb until the light has changed in their direction. Instead they often do a 'dance' in the street, walking backwards while talking and not watching traffic and simply wandering into my lane without looking. Usually I've seen them from two or three blocks away (yes, traffic conditions permitting I scan that far head for potential problems, even further if traffic is light.) I usually scan the sidewalks up ahead to notice if anything 'strange' is occuring. Like people walking backwards towards the curb while getting the last words in with someone. Or people running in a hurry to cross, anything odd, because usually the problem isn't resolved and by time you get there they've often placed themselves in the worst possible postions. I have to take particular note of cabs coming up from behind, since they will overtake you and pull to the curb suddenly in front of you, instead of taking a second to let you go by first. Double parked cars must be gotten around before any truck or bus can over take you while you are in this maneuver. Trucks, busses and vans seem to delight in skimming double parked cars, if you're in this space very often when they overtake you and pass, it's much more likely that you'll eventually become a 'statistical explaination' -- "Oh I didn't see him"! while you lay there crushed in the small space they left or under their wheels. I never go around a double parked car unless I can make eye contact with the drivers of the vehicles overtaking me. Even then it's risky business because for some reason drivers of box trucks almost never ever give way and leave enough space where you could have gotten through safely. So usually, if it a box truck or a bus, I'll just stop until they pass before going around. Like you say, the road is dangerous, indeed. I listen to engine sounds, they give a clue that some wild driver might be on the road. That's saved my life a number of times. If I even hear an engine racing wildly or even just high rev's, I get off the street immediately without even taking time to look for the source of the sound. Once, I jumped a curb and got onto the sidewalk, upon hearing an engine suddenly start racing. I fell and skinned my knee in the process, but happlily a black mercedes passed by me with three inches to spare on the sidewalk. I later heard on the news that a robbery had occured near that area, this could well have been the car, if so it would proably have taken my life had I not reacted so quickly. Believe me, I felt foolish while I was falling to the ground. It occured to me I had needlessly done something stupid. It took only a second to prove to me that I hadn't made a bad guess at all. So I still continue to do this maneuver, even though most times it proves to be false. There's only been two times when it proved true, but they were quite enough for me. Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Sun Apr 19 00:27:03 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 08:27:03 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) transportation and Landuse. References: <3536B9AF.C81BC338@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Message-ID: <3538C647.5826@idt.net> I will tell you this, from my reading on these lists over the last few years, I do get the distinct impression that most tranportation 'mixed' usage studies are between various motorized modes rather than between non-motorized and motorized. Being a biker in an urban city like NY. I have found that I can take my bike on the subway unimpeded. However that is not so with the longer train lines like the LIRR (long island Railroad) Where passes must be obtained in advance to do so and some (I suspect) rather restrictive rules are applied. Even though I have found using the subway bike combination to be a highly effective urban transportation solution. Over the year there have been some chilling attempts at imposing restrictive regulation thereupon. Nor am I addressing rule typs that would only make sense to anyone with what is essentially a large package in an overcrowded situation. But regulations of which I complain, would remove from the riders the flexiblity of applying commonsense or using good judgement. As if bicycle commuters/users were an undesirable thing to be prevented even at some costs. Fortunately, the TA police, applying their own good judgement, gave such rules the enforcement they deserved (namely none). Unfortunately too, over the last few weeks, our Mayor's drive to calm traffic, has included bikes going through lights and/or the wrong way on one way streets. Ovwr 10,000 bike summonses were issued costing 100 dollars or more. I'm certain that this has had a chilling effect on new or intended bicycle ridership. We have in NY, a system of one way streets and avenues that is even vexing to auto drivers, forcing one to at times drive as much as a mile out of your way to simply get to the next block. While this merely cost motorists time, it cost cyclists both time and muscular effort. So it's not something anyone would reasonably do without consideration. If you are on say 25th street (a eastbound one way street) and 6th avenue (a northbound one way avenue. and you wanted to go to 24th street. Your choice is to ride 300 feet south against traffic on 6th Ave, or ride 1/6 mile east on 25th, 300 ft south on B'way, 1/6 of a mile back west. You've gone over a 1/3 of a mile to get to a place you were only a moment away from. Add in stopping for traffic lights (not even right turn on red allowed) and you have a very frustrated biker, forced to spend some 15 minutes or more on what should have been a 30 second trip. I've wanted to take my bike outside the city by mass transit so I could ride when I got where I was going. The intercity bus lines (Greyhound and trailways) I've found will allow me to put my bike on board in their baggage compartment if I remove the front wheel. Less expensive Transit Authorities busses however, like New Jersey Transit, don't have baggage compartments on their inter-city lines. Bikes are very efficient for travel in American urban centers where traffic congestion/parking costs are high, and distances are likely to be short 1 - 2 miles most trips and 5 - 10 mile between extreme destinations. But seeing as there is little provision for traveling with a bike between cities, this mixed mode is hardly encouraged. It would be even more efficient to have 'station bikes' or something like the Seattle yellowbike program see http://www.yellowbike.com (I think or do a search on yellowbike and do another on redbike - another program in place although I forget exactly where). But even those bikes don't solve the problem of carrying goods of some bulk that may be purchased in various localities and getting them back to the station. That's where haveing various tricycle type vehicles with large transport baskets/carrying capacities and even two or more seats to allow people to travel together should be deployed. Especially in shopping centers where it is often found necessary to move the car from one end of the shopping center to the other. Often this 'local motion' takes place under very congested conditions. While a variety of hpv's that could make such trips unnecessary fail to be even considered no less deployed. These short auto trips, from one end of the mall to the other, are a source of stress, noise, pollution, death and injury. But these negatives are apparently so acceptable that effective alternaties that could attenuate them recieve scarce if any consideration. Obwon From farheen at riet.org.sg Mon Apr 20 13:19:45 1998 From: farheen at riet.org.sg (Farheen Mukri) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 12:19:45 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) transportation and Landuse. Message-ID: Hello there :) I remember there is some relevant material in a book I read a couple of years ago...which I can't recall the exact title but it has the words "...for a Sustainable Canberra" in it. Author - Prof. Peter Newman. He 's with the Institute for Science and Technology POlicy at Murdoch University. For all I know someone from ISTP could be well on this list. They may have a web site...am not sure. Also, check other works by Peter Newman. I remember there being some study done on transport related stuff and sustainable land use... Good luck! Farheen * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Farheen Mukri Snr Publications Exec. Regional Institute of Environmental Technology 3 Science Park Drive PSB Annex (Science Park) #04-08, Singapore 118223 Tel: 65-7744885 (DID) Fax:65-7732800 Email:farheen@riet.org.sg > ---------- > From: Md. Mohsin Jahangir > Sarker[SMTP:t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp] > Reply To: sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org > Sent: Friday, April 17, 1998 10:08 AM > To: sustran-discuss > Cc: jbs@u.washington.edu; Michael Replogle; flctr@sacd.arch.usf.edu > Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) > transportation and Landuse. > > Hello everybody > Non-motorized vehicle is the most cost effective transportation mode > especially for short trips. It is also sustainable for our community. > Because, it is non-polluting, energy conservative, traffic calming, > cheap, takes very small space, widely available, easily accessible and > so on. For long trips we can use the combination of? non-motorized > transport mode and mass transit mode. So, what type of land use > patterns is sustainable for this type of sustainable transportation > system ? > You know that land use pattern of South-Asian countries is more or > less mixed type and population density of these countries is also very > high. About 25% to 80% trips are of non-motorized transport (bicycle, > cycle rickshaw, etc.). So, again? what type of transportation systems > is better or best for the land use pattern of South-Asian countries. I > think maximum will suggest? for mass transit system. But what will be > the transportation mode to access the stations of mass transit system > ? > I am really interested to do my Ph.D. research work on this field : > Mixed (motorized, especially mass transit and non-motorized) > transportation and land use. And, I am interested to know, how much > works have been done in this field and what are they, and what are > recent scopes available to do research in this field. > So, I will be very much grateful to you all, if you please inform me > something whatever you know on this regard. Thanks Mr.? Jerry > Schneider for your worthwhile response. Your ITT web site is really > helpful. Thanking you all in anticipation. > ? > Mohsin J. Sarker > Ph.D. student > Regional planning > Utsunomiya University, Japan > Email : t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp > ? > Jerry Schneider wrote: > You might find something of interest at my ITT website - address > below. > - Jerry Schneider - > ?? Home page: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/ > ??? Innovative Transportation Technologies (ITT) Web site: > ????????????? http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/ > ? > From sarafrk at cbme.iitd.ernet.in Mon Apr 20 14:44:00 1998 From: sarafrk at cbme.iitd.ernet.in (Dr.Rajeev Saraf) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 11:14:00 +0530 (IST) Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion --- image In-Reply-To: <199804161652.MAA17488@hod.CSS.GOV> Message-ID: I think also this "IMAGE" stuff is a created phenomenon and is a direct function of the availability of bicycle infratsructure and institutional support. It is evident from cities in Netherlands, Cuba or even chinese cities. So if we want to change "imgae", we have to provide bicycle infrastruture and should have very strong institutional support. ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr Rajeev Saraf | Urban and Transport Planner | SENIOR PROJECT SCIENTIST | PHONE : 91-11-6858703 APPLIED SYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAM | EMAIL : sarafrk@cbme.iitd.ernet.in IIT DELHI 110016 | FAX : 91-11-6862037 INDIA | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Thu, 16 Apr 1998, Riley Geary wrote: > > J.H. Crawford writes: > > >> I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very > >> interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ > >> that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income > >> increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. > >> Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French > >> mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an > >> image problem but also a physical one, especially when the > >> temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. > > > > This sort of problem is one of the reasons why the reference design > > for carfree cities which we are developing does not require the > > use of bicycles. In many areas, they can't be used year-round due > > to weather extremes. > > Try telling that to the Chinese! Let's not forget that at least as many > people rely on the bicycle for their primary means of transportation in > the PRC alone as those who rely on the private automobile globally. And > despite 40 C summers and -30 C winters, half a billion Chinese somehow > manage to keep commuting by bicycle--even in the rain and snow. As far as > image goes, in China riding a bike is considered a perfectly respectable > way of getting around, and probably enjoys a higher social status than > either walking or taking one of the perpetually crowded public busses. > > >> 1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? > > > > In 40 degree heat, maybe nothing. I've seen in Bali that > > people would buy and use bikes, but as soon as they had > > enough money, they bought a 70cc motorcycle... > > Fortunately, this does not seem to be the case in China, at least not yet, > though government regulation of motorcycles may have a lot to do with it. > And while overcrowded public busses may offer some practical advantages > over bikes in the dead of winter, in 40 C summers it's a different story > entirely. > > Riley R. Geary -- League of American Bicyclists > Arlington, VA > geary@cmr.gov > From sarafrk at cbme.iitd.ernet.in Mon Apr 20 14:53:38 1998 From: sarafrk at cbme.iitd.ernet.in (Dr.Rajeev Saraf) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 11:23:38 +0530 (IST) Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion - weather issue In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19980417092555.007aa790@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: I do not think weather (heat) is really a issue with cycling. If it is a issue, it is as much a issue with motorised two whelers and cars running without an AC. ( it could be worse for cars). A study had shown that a speed of 20 km/hr for bicycles is sufficent to dry up the sweat that you may be generating by bicycling. As a matter of fact, when sweat dries up, you get a cool feeling ( loss of heat). If you are sitting inside a car without an AC in hot weather, you could also be sweating profusely. In any others weather, I do not see how a motorised two wheeler has advantage over bicycle. ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr Rajeev Saraf | Urban and Transport Planner | SENIOR PROJECT SCIENTIST | PHONE : 91-11-6858703 APPLIED SYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAM | EMAIL : sarafrk@cbme.iitd.ernet.in IIT DELHI 110016 | FAX : 91-11-6862037 INDIA | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Fri, 17 Apr 1998, J.H. Crawford wrote: > Due to a list server problem, this response was truncated, so > I am sending it again. > > >I found the debate about environmental impacts of motorcycles very > >interesting. The actual question was raised by Barbara, quoting GTZ > >that the bicycles are often replaced by motorcycles if income > >increases. A research from Ouagadougou corroborates this thesis. > >Bicycles are regarded as transport for the poor, while French > >mobylettes are preferred by the middle class. This is not only an > >image problem but also a physical one, especially when the > >temperature rises above 40 Celsius in the summer time. > > This sort of problem is one of the reasons why the reference design > for carfree cities which we are developing does not require the > use of bicycles. In many areas, they can't be used year-round due > to weather extremes. > > >My questions are now: > > > >1. What can be done to increase the image of bicycles? > > In 40 degree heat, maybe nothing. I've seen in Bali that > people would buy and use bikes, but as soon as they had > enough money, they bought a 70cc motorcycle (the old > reliable Honda is a 4-stroke, and so a good deal cleaner > than the usual scooter). > > >2. Which technical improvements reduce environmental > >damages of motorcycles? Regarding the low purchasing > >power it is essential that these improvements have low costs. > > The motorcycle is usually ridden fairly short distances > at moderate speeds. This seems to me to be a reasonable > recipie for battery-powered two-wheelers, and Lee Iacoca > is supposed to be busy developing something along these > lines. > > >3. In case that there is no low cost solution, would it be desirable > >that Development Cooperation subsidises the technical improvements? > > It may be that private enterprise can handle this, maybe > with some initial support. Some restrictions on emissions > would help provide the incentive for using other technologies. > (Bangkok already required its 3-wheelers to move from gasoline > to propane. This helped air quality some.) Also, noise restrictions > might make battery power much more competitive, since the petroleum- > fueled vehicles will have considerable difficulty achieving reasonable > noise levels. > > > > ### > > J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ > From t2962813 at cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp Mon Apr 20 17:04:09 1998 From: t2962813 at cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp (Md. Mohsin Jahangir Sarker) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 17:04:09 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) transportation and Landuse. References: Message-ID: <353B0179.7796822E@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Hello ! Thanks for your informations. I will search for related papers according to your recommendation. Again thanks a lot. Mohsin J. Sarker Regional Planning Utsunomiya University, Japan Email : t9802@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp? (use this from 1st May) ?????????? t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp?? (present address) Farheen Mukri wrote: > Hello there :) > I remember there is some relevant material in a book I read a couple of > years ago...which I can't recall the exact title but it has the words > "...for a Sustainable Canberra" in it. Author - Prof. Peter Newman. He > 's with the Institute for Science and Technology POlicy at Murdoch > University. For all I know someone from ISTP could be well on this list. > They may have a web site...am not sure. > > Also, check other works by Peter Newman.? I remember there being some > study done on transport related stuff and sustainable land use... > > Good luck! > Farheen > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Farheen Mukri > Snr Publications Exec. > Regional Institute of Environmental Technology > 3 Science Park Drive > PSB Annex (Science Park) > #04-08, Singapore 118223 > Tel: 65-7744885 (DID) Fax:65-7732800 Email:farheen@riet.org.sg > > > ---------- > > From:???????? Md. Mohsin Jahangir > > Sarker[SMTP:t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp] > > Reply To:???? sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org > > Sent:???????? Friday, April 17, 1998 10:08 AM > > To:?? sustran-discuss > > Cc:?? jbs@u.washington.edu; Michael Replogle; flctr@sacd.arch.usf.edu > > Subject:????? [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) > > transportation and Landuse. > > > > Hello everybody > > Non-motorized vehicle is the most cost effective transportation mode > > especially for short trips. It is also sustainable for our community. > > Because, it is non-polluting, energy conservative, traffic calming, > > cheap, takes very small space, widely available, easily accessible and > > so on. For long trips we can use the combination of? non-motorized > > transport mode and mass transit mode. So, what type of land use > > patterns is sustainable for this type of sustainable transportation > > system ? > > You know that land use pattern of South-Asian countries is more or > > less mixed type and population density of these countries is also very > > high. About 25% to 80% trips are of non-motorized transport (bicycle, > > cycle rickshaw, etc.). So, again? what type of transportation systems > > is better or best for the land use pattern of South-Asian countries. I > > think maximum will suggest? for mass transit system. But what will be > > the transportation mode to access the stations of mass transit system > > ? > > I am really interested to do my Ph.D. research work on this field : > > Mixed (motorized, especially mass transit and non-motorized) > > transportation and land use. And, I am interested to know, how much > > works have been done in this field and what are they, and what are > > recent scopes available to do research in this field. > > So, I will be very much grateful to you all, if you please inform me > > something whatever you know on this regard. Thanks Mr.? Jerry > > Schneider for your worthwhile response. Your ITT web site is really > > helpful. Thanking you all in anticipation. > > > > Mohsin J. Sarker > > Ph.D. student > > Regional planning > > Utsunomiya University, Japan > > Email : t2962813@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp > > > > Jerry Schneider wrote: > >?????? You might find something of interest at my ITT website - address > > below. > >?????? - Jerry Schneider - > >????????? Home page: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/ > >?????????? Innovative Transportation Technologies (ITT) Web site: > >???????????????????? http://weber.u.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/ > > > > ? From Stephen.Browne at ss.pacific.co.jp Tue Apr 21 02:44:53 1998 From: Stephen.Browne at ss.pacific.co.jp (Stephen Browne) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 17:44:53 +0000 Subject: [sustran] Car Safety and Landuse. References: Message-ID: <353B896F.871@ss.pacific.co.jp> Dear Members, Much is heard about new cars that have new and improved safety features, for the passengers inside. I would be intersted in hearing what anybody might know about new and improved safety features that are aimed at decreasing driver / pedestrian and driver / cyclist accidents. Changing traffic laws and the provision of better facilities for cyclists is one obvious method. But is there anything that car manufacturers themselves can do ? I was reading a US Department of Transport report defending the use of Right Turn on Red ( RTOR ) lanes saying that the overall percentage of cyclists and pedestrians killed in these situations is low. But if a bike lane is positioned on the drivers inside, is a RTOR lane still feasible? Would the benefits of giving the cyclist more right of way outweigh the increased air pollution of idling cars? Living and working here in the Japan, the situation as regards cycling is difficult. For a start there are very few cycle lanes. Most roads, especially suburban ones, are extremely narrow, barely allowing two cars to squeeze by, let alone two cars and a bike. The police also delight in towing your bike away from outside subway stations, there of course being no proper place to leave them ( You also don't have to lock them with a kryptonite to something solid, this being Japan - thereby facilitating their removal) . This results in only a $20 fine but is not condusive to promoting cycling. Connecting Yokohama and East Tokyo an undersea tunnel has just been opened, the Aqualine, costing a staggering $800 a mm - its 20km long so work that out ! This is part of Tokyo's ambitious triple ring road plan. Yet they don't have any bike parking at my local subway station, and as for trying to bring a bike onto the subway itself, that is always good for a laugh if you are in need of one. In short, spending $16 Billion on a 20 km road, yet not having even a basic cyle lane network, should be a lesson to the world in how not to plan your city. I hope these questions can initiate debate Regards, Stephen Browne Pacific Consultants Urban and Regional Planning Section 7th floor, Urban square Yokohama Yokohama-shi Kanagawa-ku Sakae-cho,1-1, Japan 221-0052 Tel : 045 - 451 - 2851 Fax : 045 -450 -2156 email : Stephen.Browne@ss.pacific.co.jp From joel at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 20 17:13:53 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:13:53 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: <3537ED13.23C5@idt.net> References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980420091353.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> > I can agree we need more and better studies done to see how street >space can be apportioned more fairly. We also need better mass transit >routing designs. I am, for instance, in complete disagreement with >route designs which attempt to get busses, for example, into every nook >and cranny of a neighborhood in an attempt to garner more fares. I'm >vexed to no end when I see some of the tortorous routing designs taking >busses up narrow, local neighborhood streets blowing heat and pollution >there while stalled and blocking the thoroughfare because they're too >big to maneuver easily. Route design is terribly difficult. Long circuitous routes are terrible as you suggest. The problem with low densities is that it's basically impossible to provide decent service--too few riders. > Meanwhile, this 'cover all bases' approach as well as viewing jitney's >as competitors rather that 'feeders' makes transportation offers >dramatically vexing to all. The passenger already on board is plagued >by too many stops that are of little or no use to them, but waste their >time simply to collect more fares on already overcrowded busses. When >jitney's as feeders could easily make it more efficient to have bus >stops placed further apart, thus speeding such trips as well as allowing >busses to operate more efficiently thus lowering their polutive effects. Problem here is that once on the jitneys, people will want to stay on them to their final destination. People hate to transfer, and I don't blame them. It's an incredible waste of time. So you end up with Manila, where the streets are mobbed by jitneys. This, of course, is not as bad as it might be--they are at least not in private cars, and my experience with Indonesian bemos is that you can get a LOT of people in a jitney. In a city without a real center, jitneys may be a pretty good solution. They need to be cleaned up (so do buses), but they can provide quite flexible transport at fairly reasonable cost. Because of the smaller number of passengers, they don't have to stop as often as buses, so service should be somewhat faster. > In this coming age of information technology, people have even more >need for exercise for their health and so a variety of hpv's which could >provide opportunites for such exercise, lower pollution and still >provide short distance transportation as well as employment, go >unexamined, while people pay several hundereds of dollars per year to >effectively 'waste' energy in a gym; for exercise, that could just as >easily be expended solving some of their own tranportation problems >motorlessly. If you're riding an exercise bike in a gym, you won't get hit by a car (unless one comes in through the plate glass window). Danger is the #1 reason why I don't ride a bike even in Dutch cities any more. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From joel at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 20 17:04:52 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:04:52 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: <3537DDC0.49BC@idt.net> References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980420090452.007b6530@pop.xs4all.nl> > First I'll explain my accident since it illustrates various points. I >was riding up Sixth avenue (which is one way northbound) in the new bike >lanes the city had just built and provided. From the western curb, >where cars were parked, there was approx. 3 ft of white stripped bike >lane. This was shielded from traffic by a three inch high elevated >safty island some two feet across. It stopped, at each intersection, >short of the corners to provide a recess into which a 10 ft wide >crosswalk was lined. > > Now, as I was comming north at a pretty good clip since the lane was >clear and I had the lights, and there was no sign of the warning flash >that the light at 42nd street just ahead of me would change. I >maintained my speed because you don't want to get stuck at heavily >trafficed 42nd street. As I went into the intersection, watching all >the way, the crowd at the curb on the northside of the intersection was >stand on the curb! Not out in the street as New Yorkers expect. They >were properly standing back on the sidewalk, thus the bike lane was >clear. > > Just as I entered the northside crosswalk, I saw the crowd line buckle >a bit, this woman in a tan suit, came through crouched low and bolted in >front of me. Fortunately I'd picked up on the crowd line at the curb >making some movement, so I was already braking. But there was less than >3ft and about .5 a second in which to operate so we collided. She went >down, and I of course toppled too. She got up and brushed herself off, >gave me a nasty look and then turned to the crowd with a look of >'appeal' she got stone-faced disapproval, and scurried on her way, still >moving against the light. This is a very clear-cut case, not what I was expecting at all. The woman was clearly 100% at fault for this accident. > Anyway, they eventually had to remove the islands, so now all they >have is a painted bike path. High cars, Trucks and Vans would straddle >the islands and people waiting for parking spaces would block the many >separations left to let parked cars in and out. It was a mess. But, >from it all, I do remmeber and continue to thank the New York Pedestrian >in my prayers for their efforts to try to make some order out of what is >usually kamikazie catch-as-catch-can traffic/pedestrian space use. Who >would even think from their experience on NYC streets that beneath it >all there is a burning desire for order? Oh, absolutely. It's the only way New Yorkers manage to survive. New York is in fact the most orderly city I've ever seen (never been to Tokyo). ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From joel at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 20 17:01:04 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:01:04 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Motorcycle discussion - weather issue In-Reply-To: References: <3.0.1.32.19980417092555.007aa790@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980420090104.007b6830@pop.xs4all.nl> >I do not think weather (heat) is really a issue with cycling. If it is a >issue, it is as much a issue with motorised two whelers and cars running >without an AC. ( it could be worse for cars). >A study had shown that a speed of 20 km/hr for bicycles is sufficent to >dry up the sweat that you may be generating by bicycling. As a matter of >fact, when sweat dries up, you get a cool feeling ( loss of heat). >If you are sitting inside a car without an AC in hot weather, you could also >be sweating profusely. >In any others weather, I do not see how a motorised two wheeler has >advantage over bicycle. In Western societies we have unfortunately reached the point where it is impolite to sweat (and god forbid, to give off any smell). I don't know about others, but I remain hot for as long as an hour after walking briskly or cycling moderately hard for more than about 20 minutes. Don't get me wrong--I love to bicycle, but Western ethos makes it pretty difficult. If these are not issues in India, and if people are willing to bike in 45 degree heat in the blazing sun, that's the best news I've heard in a long time. In the USA it's hard to get people to even take the bus in areas like Phoenix because of the heat (about 45, too). They don't want to get hot while waiting for the bus--they'd rather take the (air conditioned) car. Regards, ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From joel at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 20 17:18:33 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:18:33 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: <3537F719.2A75@idt.net> References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980420091833.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> > I've ridden the new electric bikes, they're just a bit heavy enough to >suspect that the riders will become almost totally dependant on the >motor assist. They are geared wrong for pedaling, probably because of >the motor, they pedal like they're in low gear when you've got it going >on pedal power you've got to pedal very fast in high gear because you >don't have a higher one. > > It's so annoying, not having a higher gear so you can scale back your >cadence that you fall back to the motor out of sheer exasperation, and >even inspite of the fact that you can pedal the thing much faster than >the motor can push. So they need quite a bit more work. I suspect they do. This is an infant technology, but one that seems very promising to me. Electronic controls are getting so good that it should be a relatively simple matter to solve the problems you mention. > Still, they're going to cost more money and they're going to need more >service than an ordinary bike and they'll probably be slower as well. Should be faster. That's the whole idea. >They certainly still provide more pollution than an ordinary bike. Still neglible in comparison to any other motorized mode. > Still, I've found in my years of riding that all that's really needed >is the 'move when clear/safe rule' to be strickly applied. If police >gave tickets to bikers who say crossed through an intersection while >people were walking, or while oncomming cars were approaching, I'd not >have a concern about that, if anything I'd welcome it! That might work. Interpretation might be an issue, but maybe not. The same principle could be applied to pedestrians, too. > The law says they should be on the curb until the light has changed in >their direction. Instead they often do a 'dance' in the street, walking >backwards while talking and not watching traffic and simply wandering >into my lane without looking. Usually I've seen them from two or three >blocks away (yes, traffic conditions permitting I scan that far head for >potential problems, even further if traffic is light.) > > I usually scan the sidewalks up ahead to notice if anything 'strange' >is occuring. Like people walking backwards towards the curb while >getting the last words in with someone. Or people running in a hurry to >cross, anything odd, because usually the problem isn't resolved and by >time you get there they've often placed themselves in the worst possible >postions. > > I have to take particular note of cabs coming up from behind, since >they will overtake you and pull to the curb suddenly in front of you, >instead of taking a second to let you go by first. Double parked cars >must be gotten around before any truck or bus can over take you while >you are in this maneuver. Trucks, busses and vans seem to delight in >skimming double parked cars, if you're in this space very often when >they overtake you and pass, it's much more likely that you'll eventually >become a 'statistical explaination' -- "Oh I didn't see him"! while you >lay there crushed in the small space they left or under their wheels. > > I never go around a double parked car unless I can make eye contact >with the drivers of the vehicles overtaking me. Even then it's risky >business because for some reason drivers of box trucks almost never ever >give way and leave enough space where you could have gotten through >safely. So usually, if it a box truck or a bus, I'll just stop until >they pass before going around. > > Like you say, the road is dangerous, indeed. I listen to engine >sounds, they give a clue that some wild driver might be on the road. >That's saved my life a number of times. If I even hear an engine racing >wildly or even just high rev's, I get off the street immediately without >even taking time to look for the source of the sound. Once, I jumped a >curb and got onto the sidewalk, upon hearing an engine suddenly start >racing. I fell and skinned my knee in the process, but happlily a black >mercedes passed by me with three inches to spare on the sidewalk. > > I later heard on the news that a robbery had occured near that area, >this could well have been the car, if so it would proably have taken my >life had I not reacted so quickly. Believe me, I felt foolish while I >was falling to the ground. It occured to me I had needlessly done >something stupid. It took only a second to prove to me that I hadn't >made a bad guess at all. So I still continue to do this maneuver, even >though most times it proves to be false. There's only been two times >when it proved true, but they were quite enough for me. I get a wonderful flavor of what bike riding is for you from the paragraphs above. It's a sport, one you play to the limits. It's obvious that biking occupies your entire attention. I have no problem with this at all, but I don't expect very many people either to make the kind of study of street behavior that you have or to accept a mode that requires such constant vigilance in the face of danger. It's fine for those who want to do it, but I don't think many people will accept this way of traveling. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From joel at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 20 17:24:30 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:24:30 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) transportation and Landuse. In-Reply-To: <3538C647.5826@idt.net> References: <3536B9AF.C81BC338@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980420092430.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> > Being a biker in an urban city like NY. I have found that I can take >my bike on the subway unimpeded. However that is not so with the longer >train lines like the LIRR (long island Railroad) Where passes must be >obtained in advance to do so and some (I suspect) rather restrictive >rules are applied. But if lots of people tried to take their bikes on the subway, it would be banned because of the space it requires. Even here in Amsterdam on the new metro lines, only two bikes are allowed in each metro car. > But regulations of which I complain, would remove from the riders the >flexiblity of applying commonsense or using good judgement. As if >bicycle commuters/users were an undesirable thing to be prevented even >at some costs. Fortunately, the TA police, applying their own good >judgement, gave such rules the enforcement they deserved (namely none). I'm afraid that common sense and consideration for one's neighbors are no longer a reliable way to run anything. If the trend continues unchecked, it's the end of civilization. > Unfortunately too, over the last few weeks, our Mayor's drive to calm > Bikes are very efficient for travel in American urban centers where >traffic congestion/parking costs are high, and distances are likely to >be short 1 - 2 miles most trips and 5 - 10 mile between extreme >destinations. But seeing as there is little provision for traveling with >a bike between cities, this mixed mode is hardly encouraged. Even here it's not easy, and the Dutch probably have the best bike infrastructure in the world. You can take your bike on pretty much any train, but you have to buy a separate ticket for it. City buses and trams do not accept bikes. You can rent a bike at most train stations for about $3/day, which is an excellent solution in many cases. They rent a LOT of bikes this way. They're decently-maintained, single speed bikes. > It would be even more efficient to have 'station bikes' or something >like the Seattle yellowbike program see http://www.yellowbike.com (I >think or do a search on yellowbike and do another on redbike - another >program in place although I forget exactly where). But even those bikes >don't solve the problem of carrying goods of some bulk that may be >purchased in various localities and getting them back to the station. We're trying the "provo" bikes again here after a 30 year lapse. Last time, all 20,000 were stolen within a week. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From joel at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 20 17:08:51 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 09:08:51 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image In-Reply-To: <3537E96F.DBF@idt.net> References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980420090851.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> > Sidewalk cyclist: > > It is important to know some of the background of what causes this >problem. Here in NYC, most cyclists aren't interested in riding on >sidewalks crowded with pedestrian traffic. We prefer the streets >because we can often move faster will less probablity of collision since >pedetrians can and do move about on the sidewalks in unexpected ways. >People talk walking backwards, stop suddenly and turn around etc., > > Yet... Dilivery people use the sidewalks, not just because they are >pressed for time as in -deliver the meal while it's hot or the boss >yells -- But also because cars at the curbside are often parked so >tightly bumper to bumper, that you can't get to the sidewalk except from >the corners. The nearest lampost to lock up, may well be several >hundred feet past your destination. So that too induces time pressed >riders to ride to it to save time. There's a really simple and perfectly legal solution: dismount and walk the bike. Now, I don't have a real problem if people ride slowly and carefully on sidewalks that aren't crowded and make a point of yielding to pedestrians, but how do you make this a point of law? > So these things need to be considered when rulemaking/traffic design >is under consideration. Instead, the city council has threatened these >already struggling people with 150 dollar fines and the loss of their >bikes, for taking actions they deemed necessary to either keep their >jobs or make those jobs pay. If the police had strickly enforced these >laws, thankfully they do not, the messenger and bike delivery industries >would be effectively closed down. Delivery people could observe these >laws, but then they'd be seen by their employers as ineffective in >getting deliveries made properly. Maybe not. If the laws were universally obeyed, then all courrier services would be on an even footing. Prices would rise some, demand would decline a little, but the total amount of work in the busines would probably stay about the same. What else are the customers going to do to get their stuff around? Not taxis, not pedestrians, so what's left? Bike courriers. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org Mon Apr 20 20:00:15 1998 From: rverzola at phil.gn.apc.org (Roberto Verzola) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 20:00:15 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image Message-ID: <199804201135.TAA24201@phil.gn.apc.org> >Problem here is that once on the jitneys, people will want to >stay on them to their final destination. People hate to transfer, >and I don't blame them. It's an incredible waste of time. So >you end up with Manila, where the streets are mobbed by jitneys. I am from Manila and I LOVE jeepneys (as we call them). I use them most of the time, and prefer them to buses. I don't consider them problems at all -- they're an efficient public transport mode. Obet Verzola From ob110ob at IDT.NET Mon Apr 20 13:45:46 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1998 21:45:46 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> <3.0.1.32.19980420090452.007b6530@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <353AD2FA.F46@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > Well, I'm particularly careful because I've been in hospitals many times before and I have no illusions about what modern medicine can do. I'll usually 'get back' at pedestrians who do stupid things like step into the street without looking directly at oncoming traffic by simply pulling up to them and stopping and pointedly waiting for them to clear my path. I find this infinitely more preferable to challenging on coming traffic over taking me, since I can't rely on drivers to even see me (as they often say they didn't after they've hit a biker or anything else and that includes not only trucks and busses but trees and buildings as well any biker who relies on motorists vision or attention is playing a very high risk game. Owing to my patience and caution, I don't have accidents because I avoid dangerous and complex traffic situations whenever and where ever I sight them. It costs only a few seconds to do so, but the alternative is to face odds where 'win' is much to small and the 'loss' can be much too big. You can 'win' one hundred times, beating the odds by going into dangerous situations simply to save a little time or momentum and still gain nothing of useful value. Lose once and it may all be gone. So using that view, I don't trust good and/or courteous drivers sharing the road with me, their mistakes, slips etc, could be very horrible affairs. That doesn't mean I ride like a total 'wimp' either, but I just don't take unreasonable risks or at least as much as I'm reasonable able to avoid them. That accident p**d me off, simply because it need never have happened, and of all the people who should have caused it, it seems likel she would be the very type to join in complaining about bike riders had the right occassion arose. Most of the people who envision problems with bikes and auto traffic, it's easy to see that they've never ridden a bike in traffic. They attempt to set the standards, for the purposes of rulemaking, at the extreme limits defined by the most radical fringe group of riders as if we were all some kind of daredevils on bikes. I know that I'm capable of determining when it is and/or is not safe to proceed through a light. I've done it thousands and thousands of times over several decades and so have many other bike riders. Done properly it's not a problem at all, certainly anyone who has experience riding in the city will see that it's not a problem even worthy of the time spent addressing it. In fact, one of the major reasons for traffic lights has nothing to do with getting people across the street safetly from any point of view that they wouldn't be able to cross if cars didn't stop moving. If all the traffic lights in a city were turned off, people would still be able to successfully cross the streets safely. Probably even more safely than they do because they have lights to rely upon and trust them to stop vehicles when they shouldn't. It's the brakes that stop the car not the light, but people will still walk out into the street in front of still moving traffic bearing down on them, expecting the vehicle to be able to stop simply because the light is red. Without lights I think they'd take more care and be more certain that cars couldn't hit them when they attempted to cross. The main trouble is, without traffic lights the periods spent waiting to cross safely would be highly variable and indeed very long on heavily trafficed streets. Now I'm not saying that this is only the absolute benefit of traffic lights, I'm just saying that it's a major part of the consideration for having them. There was a time when they simply weren't available in the earlier days of auto use. I wonder how the pedestrian to car accident statistics looked way back then as compared to say a decade or so after they became widely available and used? I'm of a mind to suspect that if those statistic were examined and adjusted properly they might very well reflect that without traffic lights people exercised greater caution. If so, then the best set of rules would be those that inspired caution rather than reliance on symbolic or routine ceremonies or conventions which can unexpectedly fail for various phyical reasons. Regardless of what the parties intended. They tell people, for instance, not to point guns at people if they don't intend to shoot. The reasoning behind this is not that it threatens a person unintentionally as it does. But for the more important reason that the gun isn't totally under the control of the person handling it. They can and do discharge without operator assistance and quite against the holders intentions. But people continue to warn young people who don't know this fact, to not point the gun. The younger/inexperienced person continues the dangerous behaviour because they still think they are in control, therefore what they believe that what they don't intend can't happen! By time experience gets a chance to teach them differently it's probably too late. See the difference I'm trying to convey? If people believe that cars will stop when the light turns red, they rely too heavily on that convention and move even while vehicles are beaaring down on them. And of course drivers come to expect that the car will stop whenever they apply the brakes. Unfortunately neither condition is always true nor can a red light stop a car if the driver doesn't respond to it. I believe too that many cabs hit pedestrians because they are suscuptable to making many unpredictable manuevers as they attempt to pick up and drop off fares. Their accident rate should be assisted by people feeling that they can stand in certain areas of the street without caution. This would be true if you could assume that all driver watch to see where they are aiming their vehicles, but alas that's not the case either. Often drivers will look at an area, but fail to see people heading towards it or otherwise about to enter it. They then turn their attention somewhere else and proceed to move the vehicle or allow it to move, without realizing that the space they are about to enter has become occupied since they last looked. Oh well, I hope (even where I might be wrong) that there's something in this that you might find useful inspite of what errors I might have made Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Mon Apr 20 14:42:40 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1998 22:42:40 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> <3.0.1.32.19980420091353.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <353AE050.5FF6@idt.net> I'll take the jitney part to answer. Truly as you say people hate to change vehicles. But it also occurs to me that most people waiting for busses aren't usually encumbered with packages/baggage etc. Which of course suggests that it's jitney design that creates the problem by allowing people to get comfortable for what should only be a short connecting ride to a longer distance mass transit stop. Then there's the matter of fare splitting, since people hate paying too fares as well. Okay, let's attempt to attack these two problems. 1. Suppose we make the jitney's 'flatbed' covered standee only vehicles? We could have them built with lockable fold down seats which could be used between rush hours. During the rush hours the seats would be folded down and people would step on stand for a short mile or 1/2 mile trip and be glad to get off and tranfer to the more comfortable long distance vehicle. 2. Today we have electronic fare collection card systems available, so fare splitting wouldn't be the nightmare of accounting it could be. The jitney segement of the trip could be recorded by the passenger simply dipping or swiping their fare cards on a small even hand held unit provided by the TA (Transit Authority) for which the jitney operator could have use of with a sufficient deposit. In exchange for providing the needed connectivity/passenger gathering service during rush hours they would gain the right to operate during the off hours providing local or what other service they found profitable. Probably even leaving the TA to be able to cut back on attempting to maintain certain levels of service during unprofitable off peak hours. The portion of the fares that the jitney operator needs from passengers traveling during peak times would be very low considering the volume. He'd probably rely on such revenue to meet a portion of his basic expenses, since he is likely to make more money on his off peak fares where he puts his seat up and services entire trips or routes himself. Naturally such a system only accounts for the greatest bulk of travelers. But with them more profitably and efficently served it's easy to turn to the errant variables. Handicapped commuters, can be provided for in any of a number of ways. First their locations could be identified and their routine travel needs examined to seek what the best way of handling their need on a regular basis would be. A jitney or two could be 'pulled' out of rush hour service and assigned to address their routine needs on a regular basis. I don't see this as too much of a problem if the system is saving money and allowed to operate more efficienly there should be profits to deploy on solutions. As it is now, TA's are required to give back rush hour profits to provide off peak service with the same costly apparatus that should more reasonably be shut. In or under this grossly over simplified model (I'm sure ) busses run faster and travel full and trains are less expensive to reach since commuters don't have to maintain cars to reach them and still keep their convienent door-to-door service. They get off the train coming home and they've got a 'free' ride to their door as an extension of their TA fare. If they dally to shop in the commercial areas usually found adjacent to train stations and bus depots, then they know that after the rush hour expires, they'll have only to pay the jitney's regular fare to get home. But they'll have a seat and options of traveling to places other than being required to go directly home. People expect to pay for optional services so that shouldn't impact the plan much at all negatively, but it allows the jitneys to make up the rest of what they need to survive and prosper. Now... before I paint a picture of commuters waxing euphoric and smiling through their day's in pastel colored gingerbread/storybook neighborhoods. I'll let you guy tear it apart. Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Mon Apr 20 15:22:28 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1998 23:22:28 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Mixed (motorized and non-motorized) transportation and Landuse. References: <3536B9AF.C81BC338@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp> <3.0.1.32.19980420092430.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <353AE9A4.394E@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: Forgive me but I'm going to do a lot of deleting of stuff we agree on and need not be readdressed here. > But if lots of people tried to take their bikes on the > subway, it would be banned because of the space it > requires. Even here in Amsterdam on the new metro > lines, only two bikes are allowed in each metro car. True if you assume that people will not use commonsense/courtesy, I see some evidence that some people might or would be inclined to try. I believe that such people's untoward efforts could be managed more effectively and to everyone else's benefit with individual citations or summonses. Post the rules, make them both reasonable and clear. These are intelligent people we're dealing with not mindless "monkey see monkey do" cattle. We're supposed to be providing tranportation configured to the needs of the travelers. As opposed to making the travelers configure themselves to what we feel is comfortable or easy for us to provide. After all, it's a service provided to people for pay, not an exercise in regimentation to be enforced upon the riders. So, in that view, if people prefer to travel with their bikes in great numbers it hooves the the TA to make satisfactory provision for them rather than force the traveler to reconfigure their preferences. For instance they could provide a bike car at the end of the train with rack that allow bikes to be stored efficiently by hanging them. The rack might even provide a locking mechanizm for those takeing longer rides so they could go to another car and find a comfortable seat. Of course some people will forget their bikes or not attend to them insufficient time to get off at their stops. But that's a problem that they create and must risk, they could always stay with their bike as a precaution if they are uncertain. Otherwise they know that they run the normal risks associated with recovery. Much the same as people who leave valuables on the trains. Missed stops, unless there are very long distances involved are even less of a bother, our subway system in NY has stops that are as close as 1/4 mile in some places and certainly not more than 1/2 mile so it's a short ride back. I also like the freedom having the bike gives me, to take the line that I'm already on and not change trains to get closer, but simply get as close to my destination as this one will take me and ride the extra distance. ob > > I'm afraid that common sense and consideration for one's neighbors > are no longer a reliable way to run anything. If the trend continues > unchecked, it's the end of civilization. This deserves a chuckle, the crossbow too was predicted to be the end civilization as they knew it. :-D ob [...] > You can take your > bike on pretty much any train, but you have to buy a separate > ticket for it. City buses and trams do not accept bikes. > You can rent a bike at most train stations for about $3/day, > which is an excellent solution in many cases. They rent a LOT of > bikes this way. They're decently-maintained, single speed bikes. I don't know about this, do they charge people with 'large packages' extra fares too for the package? Or are they just charging based on the competeing utility of the "package ". There's a lot to be said in favor of being able to get a bike where ever you go. It lessens the difficulties associated with tranporting one. But, not everyone's made of money. People need to get themselves and their equiptment to their destinations. Otherwise the utility of the tranporting system loses some of it's value. That could very well translate into a shift back to cars. Which is where we started in the first place. Obwon > We're trying the "provo" bikes again here after a 30 year lapse. > Last time, all 20,000 were stolen within a week. Omigosh, 20,000 bikes stolen! I'd suspect Cuba, you know that they recently switched to bikes as the prefered mode of travel. But seriously, yes, that is a problem. But there might be a solution... Checkpoint systems makes metal foil transponders. They can be hidden in the bike during it's manufactor and it would make the bike both locateable and identifiable with a 'reader' device. I think they had the same thief problem in Seattle with their yellow bike program, maybe I'll surf there later and see what they did about the problem. Obwon > ### > > J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From ob110ob at IDT.NET Mon Apr 20 16:06:25 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 00:06:25 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> <3.0.1.32.19980420090851.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <353AF3F1.273A@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > > Sidewalk cyclist: > > > > There's a really simple and perfectly legal solution: dismount and > walk the bike. Now, I don't have a real problem if people ride > slowly and carefully on sidewalks that aren't crowded and make > a point of yielding to pedestrians, but how do you make this a > point of law? I don't like reaching for legal solutions so fast! That's probably why we have laws that define in so much detail how you should butter your bread. In fact you don't even need a new law or any penalties besides. Police can give citations that have to be answered in court. Even if there isn't a fine for the objectionable activity cited, it's still a terrible chore to have to appear and answer. Since failure to do so could result in much worse action - a warrant and possibly time spent waiting in jail to see the judge. That's more than enough punishment for a first offender of such inconsequential rules. When I do ride through pedestrians (at street fair etc., because of my bad feet) I straddle the bike center bar and 'leg' it along. I usually don't even draw any attention. But the key here again is not the simple draconian impostion of a blanket prohibition. I've found many sidewalks in the city that are long 1/4 to 1/2 mile that are infinitely preferable to the streets they abutt. There are sidewalks in normally high traffic areas that are so bereft of foot traffic that a biker might chose to use them because the street itself is either under construction, blocked or in disrepair. The key, again is judgement and failing that a bit of community action. I don't think that if several pedestrians simply addressed the problem riders with a bit of verbal notice, that bikers would totally ignore it. If that attracted the attention of a nearby policeman, he could issue a citation as well. Not the 100 dollar fines the Mayor here has demanded. Taking that money away from the biker may make some impression, I'm not sure. But at their rates of pay it's got to hurt the people depending on that bikers wages even more! Such inconsiderate actions I can hardly support. Our own Mayor, for instance, has suggested that people on welfare who refuse work have money taken away from them. He openly theorizes that if their children go without eating that will motivate them. Right, punish the children for the parents failings. Anyone see anything wrong with this picture? It would be fine if we all made good wages, had nice houses and plenty to eat. But to take money from people who clearly don't have it is crude, rude and highly improper! Obwon > > So these things need to be considered when rulemaking/traffic design > >is under consideration. Instead, the city council has threatened these > >already struggling people with 150 dollar fines and the loss of their > >bikes, for taking actions they deemed necessary to either keep their > >jobs or make those jobs pay. If the police had strickly enforced these > >laws, thankfully they do not, the messenger and bike delivery industries > >would be effectively closed down. Delivery people could observe these > >laws, but then they'd be seen by their employers as ineffective in > >getting deliveries made properly. > > Maybe not. If the laws were universally obeyed, then all > courrier services would be on an even footing. Prices would > rise some, demand would decline a little, but the total > amount of work in the busines would probably stay about > the same. What else are the customers going to do to get > their stuff around? Not taxis, not pedestrians, so what's left? > Bike courriers. That's the trouble! When you put pressure on any economic or social order that order tends to change in ways that seek advantages. The bosses have one set of objectives the riders another. The bosses need to move the same number of messages with slower riders will see the solution as hiring more riders. Even if they raise prices a bit, the increase in staffing will cut the riders earnings. On the other hand even the best paid riders are poor by regular wage earning standards, so it behooves them to take any increase in stride and still attempt to deliver more messages to push their earnings even higher. It's not like they're pulling down a thousand dollars a week and trying to make 1,100. It's more like they are earning 300 to 400 and taking home 200 to 300. So, if they want even a taste of the better things of life they've got to really hustle. Their rent takes half a month's pay. With every dollar so precious they'll individually come to whatever conclusions they can about obeying the law while they try to make the same income or more. It's a constant struggle and since the police can't be everywhere they'll more likely be rewarded for breaking the law than punished on that account. Those who obey the law will suffer as the faster riders take business away. If the police get the faster riders, they simply put them out of business because they're living at the extreme margin of the workforce. The slower law abiding riders won't earn much more money anyway and messages will back up in the office! That means that the business that uses only law abiding riders will be punished. So I'm sure that you can see that the only way for the gov't to remedy the problem would be for them to step in and regulate the rates that the services not only charge their clients but what they must pay the messenger as well and the number of deliveries that may be assigned to each. Under such regulation the whole bike messenger industry would collapse out of hopelessness. The police can no more reasonably regulate bike messengers/bikers than they can control jaywalkers, they have much more urgent things that need their attention and there's too many lawbreakers because people have come to see it as their right! I'm often amazed at how pedestrians will call out bikers for sanctions as law breakers and then scream if they get a ticket for jaywalking??? So what's all the hue and cry about obeying the law? The problem as I see it is, the law is entitled to some obedience to be sure, but not "mindless obedience", even your boss/minister/wife/president isn't entitled to that! Obwon > > ### > > J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From ob110ob at IDT.NET Mon Apr 20 16:17:03 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 00:17:03 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image References: <004101bd6934$049918c0$9a4519ce@Pghawkes> <3.0.1.32.19980417100540.007ac3d0@pop.xs4all.nl> <3.0.1.32.19980420091833.007b6ab0@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <353AF66F.1B0C@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > [...] I'm sure electric bike will improve too. ob > I get a wonderful flavor of what bike riding is for you from the > paragraphs above. It's a sport, one you play to the limits. It's > obvious that biking occupies your entire attention. I have no > problem with this at all, but I don't expect very many people > either to make the kind of study of street behavior that you > have or to accept a mode that requires such constant vigilance > in the face of danger. It's fine for those who want to do it, > but I don't think many people will accept this way of traveling. > > ### > > J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ Yes, sometimes I actually enjoy the danger, sometimes it's not quite that interesting. But one things for sure, if you've been biking as long as I have and you do want to avoid serious accidents you simply must concentrate. Of course there are areas where you can let your guard down. Late at night in the far reaches of Long Island or back streets and roads in Brooklyn or the Bronx. Even some Sunday's and holidays in Manhattan! I had a wonderful ride one 4th of July holiday on a Saturday, everyone was out of town, I rode almost the lenght of Columbus Avenue 4 full lanes of black top all to myself and I didn't even see one single car (well, maybe one). Warm rainy summer nights get's cars off the streets early too. So if you don't mind getting wet you can have a wonderful relaxing ride. Obwon From heathm at uclink4.berkeley.edu Tue Apr 21 04:34:02 1998 From: heathm at uclink4.berkeley.edu (Heath Maddox) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 12:34:02 -0700 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes Message-ID: <3.0.32.19980420123401.0091ae70@uclink4.berkeley.edu> Greetings Fellow Sustranslings: I am a cyclist and grad student in transportation planning at UC Berkeley. I am currently researching community "free" bicycle programs. Most information I have come across has been anecdotal and not very in-depth I have been in contact with a few individual sustrans people on this topic, but since it came up in general discussion anyway, I thought I'd put out a wider call for help.. Is there any hard data or analysis of such programs out there anywhere? If not, more anecdotal information, contact info. or internet links would also be helpful. Thank you very much, Heath Maddox Department of City and Regional Planning University of California, Berkeley From remonde at gsilink.com Wed Apr 22 00:29:56 1998 From: remonde at gsilink.com (remonde@gsilink.com) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 15:29:56 +0000 Subject: [sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image Message-ID: <199804210726.PAA02667@luke.gsilink.com> I am from Denmark but have resided in the Philippines since 1992, first in Metro Manila, now in Cebu City. I agree that jeepneys are a very convenient mode of transportation. It's very flexible, it's easy to get in and out, and they are everywhere. However, more should be done to discipline drivers and passengers. The jeepneys disburb others with their swirling from lane to lane and dropping off/taking up of passengers on every corner. It can't hurt passengers to learn to get on/off on designated bus stops. Jeepney drivers, on the other hand, should understand that by swirling, they make life difficult for their jeepney driver colleagues. In Cebu, many jeepneys are smoke belchers. We'll soon (hopefully) be launching a small project. We call it the Adopt a Jeepney for a Cleaner Cebu Project. This takes into consideration that most jeepney operators (60%) own only 1 or 2 jeepneys. Their capital is not sufficient to have the jeepney overhauled and the oil changed. Therefore the smoke belching. We're hoping that private business and civic organizations will "adopt" a jeepney, that is, provide small subsidies (maybe P2000/year or US$50) to poor jeepney operators. In the end, everybody should benefit. And we'll have a cleaner city. Warmest regards, Marit Stinus-Remonde Cebu Environmental Initiatives for Development Center, Inc. > >Problem here is that once on the jitneys, people will want to > >stay on them to their final destination. People hate to transfer, > >and I don't blame them. It's an incredible waste of time. So > >you end up with Manila, where the streets are mobbed by jitneys. > > I am from Manila and I LOVE jeepneys (as we call them). I use them > most of the time, and prefer them to buses. I don't consider them > problems at all -- they're an efficient public transport mode. > > Obet Verzola > > > > From t4-inoue at nri.co.jp Tue Apr 21 17:41:03 1998 From: t4-inoue at nri.co.jp (Taiichi INOUE) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 17:41:03 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Questions for people who have been to Japan Message-ID: <199804210841.RAA20358@nrims1.nri.co.jp> Dear, Now I have a research project. Its purpose is to clear the information needs when people are traveling in urban area. Our interest is focused on the information concerning transportation. I have some basic questions for people who have been to Japan. I'd be happy if you answer my questions. *When and where have you been to in Japan? Ex. Tokyo, Yokohama *Where are you from? *Have you ever felt that you had been difficult to get the information concerning transportation in these cities? If your answer is yes, please go on. *What were these information which you wanted? *Why did you think it was difficult? One of the main reasons was that many characters or signs were shown only in Japanese language. I understand this situation well, so I'd like to know your opinions except this matter. Think globally, Act locally. Consultant Taiichi Inoue Transport & Logistics System Strategy. Nomura Research Institute,Ltd. 2-2-1,Ootemachi,Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100,JAPAN tel +81-3-5203-0806 fax +81-3-5203-0810 Website http://www.nri.co.jp/ From ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu Tue Apr 21 23:28:51 1998 From: ebruun at rci.rutgers.edu (Eric Bruun) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 10:28:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Adopt a Jeepney? In-Reply-To: <199804210726.PAA02667@luke.gsilink.com> Message-ID: Are jeepneys really so marginal to operate that owners can not afford to tune their vehicles? Or is it that no one is forcing them to do so? Eric On Tue, 21 Apr 1998 remonde@gsilink.com wrote: > I am from Denmark but have resided in the Philippines since 1992, > first in Metro Manila, now in Cebu City. > > I agree that jeepneys are a very convenient mode of transportation. > It's very flexible, it's easy to get in and out, and they are > everywhere. However, more should be done to discipline drivers and > passengers. The jeepneys disburb others with their swirling from lane to > lane and dropping off/taking up of passengers on every corner. It > can't hurt passengers to learn to get on/off on designated bus stops. > Jeepney drivers, on the other hand, should understand that by > swirling, they make life difficult for their jeepney driver > colleagues. > > In Cebu, many jeepneys are smoke belchers. We'll soon (hopefully) be > launching a small project. We call it the Adopt a Jeepney for a > Cleaner Cebu Project. This takes into consideration that most jeepney > operators (60%) own only 1 or 2 jeepneys. Their capital is not > sufficient to have the jeepney overhauled and the oil changed. > Therefore the smoke belching. We're hoping that private business and > civic organizations will "adopt" a jeepney, that is, provide small > subsidies (maybe P2000/year or US$50) to poor jeepney operators. In > the end, everybody should benefit. And we'll have a cleaner city. > > Warmest regards, > Marit Stinus-Remonde > Cebu Environmental Initiatives for Development Center, Inc. > > > > >Problem here is that once on the jitneys, people will want to > > >stay on them to their final destination. People hate to transfer, > > >and I don't blame them. It's an incredible waste of time. So > > >you end up with Manila, where the streets are mobbed by jitneys. > > > > I am from Manila and I LOVE jeepneys (as we call them). I use them > > most of the time, and prefer them to buses. I don't consider them > > problems at all -- they're an efficient public transport mode. > > > > Obet Verzola > > > > > > > > > From litman at IslandNet.com Tue Apr 21 23:24:07 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 07:24:07 -0700 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.19980420123401.0091ae70@uclink4.berkeley.edu> Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980421072407.008452e0@pop.IslandNet.com> At 12:34 PM 4/20/98 -0700, Heath Maddox wrote: > >I am a cyclist and grad student in transportation planning at UC Berkeley. >I am currently researching community "free" bicycle programs. Most >information I have come across has been anecdotal and not very in-depth I >have been in contact with a few individual sustrans people on this topic, >but since it came up in general discussion anyway, I thought I'd put out a >wider call for help.. Is there any hard data or analysis of such programs >out there anywhere? If not, more anecdotal information, contact info. or >internet links would also be helpful. Thank you very much, Here is a website for Seattle's yellowbike program: http://www.yellowbike.com. I haven't looked at it, so I don't know what information it contains. I have not heard of any serious analysis of these programs in terms of evaluating their transportation/social benefits. Let me report on my personal experience. We had a program when I lived in Olympia, Washington a few years ago, in which a team of volunteers fixed up both children's and adult's bicycles which were donated to families that could use them through the local refugee center. Recipients also recieved helmets, safety instruction and help with repairs. All of the feedback we heard was very positive; the bicycles were highly valued by recipents and well cared for, and people involved in the program got lots of positive appreciation. I consider this program to be extremely successful in terms of both supporting alternative transportation and helping people. Here in Victoria, BC we have a "blue bike" program, in which volunteers fix up donated bicycles, paint them blue, and leave them around town for people to use. 17 bikes have been fixed up so far. I occasionally see them used, often rather dangerously, but almost as often I see them damaged and abandoned, sometimes obviously destroyed as a lark (such as the one that ended up in a tree). I suspect that the prople running this program spend as much additional miles of driving tracking and repairing these bicycles as the bicycles save in reduced automobile use. As much as I support alternative bicycling as a form of transportation and would like to see bicycles conveniently available, I don't think that a free bike program is an effective way to do it. Resources that are given away are often treated as having no value. I believe that the bikes are much better given to individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford a bicycle, along with the help they need to bicycle safely. If that isn't enough, I think that donated bicycles could be fixed up and rented for a nominal amount through some organization (college recreation centers, homeless shelters, YMCAs, refugee centers, etc.) by the hour, day or week, to allow people mobility, for example when visiting another neighborhood or city. Although many bike shops rent bicycles, these tend to be relatively expensive and the service is often not well advertised. A final bit of advice. There are LOTS of old bicycles sitting in basements and garages, and if you put out a call for donations you are almost guaranteed to get more than you need. However, most of these donations are junk, and you will almost certainly end up carting a lot to the dump. I suggest being very specific and selective about what types of bicycles you accept for donation, particularly if your sotrage space is limited. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman From ob110ob at IDT.NET Tue Apr 21 17:59:08 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 01:59:08 -0700 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes References: <3.0.5.32.19980421072407.008452e0@pop.IslandNet.com> Message-ID: <353C5FDC.7372@idt.net> Sadly I too must concur with Todd. Although the poor are given to complain and loudly about a lack of goods provided to them for free, quite ironically what they do get for free is not care for and the donors are made to feel they have wasted their efforts. One doesn't mind pouring water in the glass as long as the possibility of it filling holds. Even inspite of losses due to evaporation or spillage, if the glass will be handled carefully, it worth another trip to the well to fill it for someone. But when the glass is delievered to them half full only to have them empty it on the ground instead of drinking. Well, who in their right mind would make yet another trip to the well. Exasperated. Ob From joel at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 22 00:29:41 1998 From: joel at xs4all.nl (J.H. Crawford) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 16:29:41 +0100 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19980421072407.008452e0@pop.IslandNet.com> References: <3.0.32.19980420123401.0091ae70@uclink4.berkeley.edu> Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980421162941.007af510@pop.xs4all.nl> I understand that until the 1960s or so, students going to Cambridge University bought an old Raleigh 3-speed and brought it with them to the university. Everyone had one, and they were parked wherever convenient around the university. When you left, you simply took the nearest bike, not paying any attention to whether or not it was yours. This apparently worked without serious problems for many decades. Such a level of honesty is not to be anticipated anywhere these days. It belongs to the time when nobody locked his door. How sad. ### J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ From litman at IslandNet.com Wed Apr 22 08:47:43 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 16:47:43 -0700 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes In-Reply-To: <353C5FDC.7372@idt.net> References: <3.0.5.32.19980421072407.008452e0@pop.IslandNet.com> Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980421164743.0082f1b0@pop.IslandNet.com> At 01:59 AM 4/21/98 -0700, Obwan wrote: >Sadly I too must concur with Todd. Although the poor are given to >complain and loudly about a lack of goods provided to them for free, >quite ironically what they do get for free is not care for and the >donors are made to feel they have wasted their efforts. I should point out that it is not necessarilly low income people who are the intended users of free bikes, or the main misusers. The poor have not requested the blue bike program, and I suspect that most would prefer the type of "means tested" distribution I describe. If the target really is helping disadvantaged people, then giving them to individuals to own is far best. Most free bike programs have a somewhat different goal, to make bicycling convenient as an alternative travel mode (like those bicycles at Cambridge). I think that this is much more a middle-class, utopian concept. I don't think that we should blame the poor for their failure to take care of posessions (an issue for some, not for others), and we should certainly not assume that the senseless distruction of blue bikes is only done by lower income people. I suspect that our local late-night drinkers are the most frequent culprits. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman From remonde at gsilink.com Wed Apr 22 18:17:43 1998 From: remonde at gsilink.com (remonde@gsilink.com) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 09:17:43 +0000 Subject: [sustran] Adopt a Jeepney? Message-ID: <199804220114.JAA12395@luke.gsilink.com> Dear Eric, The jeepney fares are quite low. Aside from that, repair, especially spare parts, have become expensive. Most of the parts - including tires - are imported. According to the manager of one transpo organization here in Cebu City, the locally produced spare parts are of inferior quality. The jeepney owners (operators) hire drivers to drive the jeepney. So while jeepneys may be marginal (small operators and drivers are among the poor), one jeepney sustains the livelihood of at least two families (the operator's and the driver's). Filipino families have 5-8 members. We do have a problem of enforcement as well. Drivers/owners are slapped a fine if their jeepneys are caught smoke belching. In Metro Manila, big passenger buses are probably the worst when it comes to smokebelching. Many of these vehicles are imported second hand from Japan. Again, except for a few large bus companies, most operators own only 1 or 2 units. Marit > > Are jeepneys really so marginal to operate that owners can > not afford to tune their vehicles? Or is it that no one > is forcing them to do so? Eric > > > On Tue, 21 Apr 1998 remonde@gsilink.com wrote: > > > I am from Denmark but have resided in the Philippines since 1992, > > first in Metro Manila, now in Cebu City. > > > > I agree that jeepneys are a very convenient mode of transportation. > > It's very flexible, it's easy to get in and out, and they are > > everywhere. However, more should be done to discipline drivers and > > passengers. The jeepneys disburb others with their swirling from lane to > > lane and dropping off/taking up of passengers on every corner. It > > can't hurt passengers to learn to get on/off on designated bus stops. > > Jeepney drivers, on the other hand, should understand that by > > swirling, they make life difficult for their jeepney driver > > colleagues. > > > > In Cebu, many jeepneys are smoke belchers. We'll soon (hopefully) be > > launching a small project. We call it the Adopt a Jeepney for a > > Cleaner Cebu Project. This takes into consideration that most jeepney > > operators (60%) own only 1 or 2 jeepneys. Their capital is not > > sufficient to have the jeepney overhauled and the oil changed. > > Therefore the smoke belching. We're hoping that private business and > > civic organizations will "adopt" a jeepney, that is, provide small > > subsidies (maybe P2000/year or US$50) to poor jeepney operators. In > > the end, everybody should benefit. And we'll have a cleaner city. > > > > Warmest regards, > > Marit Stinus-Remonde > > Cebu Environmental Initiatives for Development Center, Inc. > > > > > > > >Problem here is that once on the jitneys, people will want to > > > >stay on them to their final destination. People hate to transfer, > > > >and I don't blame them. It's an incredible waste of time. So > > > >you end up with Manila, where the streets are mobbed by jitneys. > > > > > > I am from Manila and I LOVE jeepneys (as we call them). I use them > > > most of the time, and prefer them to buses. I don't consider them > > > problems at all -- they're an efficient public transport mode. > > > > > > Obet Verzola > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From ob110ob at IDT.NET Wed Apr 22 06:41:05 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 14:41:05 -0700 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes References: <3.0.32.19980420123401.0091ae70@uclink4.berkeley.edu> <3.0.1.32.19980421162941.007af510@pop.xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <353D1271.476@idt.net> J.H. Crawford wrote: > > I understand that until the 1960s or so, students going to > Cambridge University bought an old Raleigh 3-speed and > brought it with them to the university. Everyone had one, > and they were parked wherever convenient around the > university. When you left, you simply took the nearest > bike, not paying any attention to whether or not it > was yours. This apparently worked without serious problems > for many decades. > > Such a level of honesty is not to be anticipated anywhere > these days. It belongs to the time when nobody locked > his door. > > How sad. > > ### > > J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel@xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/ In today's society, with prepackaged foods etc, the family skills have changed dramatically and so to has the ability and need for the poor to rely upon one another. They need money to get the latest goods produced more effciently and attractively packaged so that handmade homemade has little if any market left for it. As we creep towards a "Gobal Umbilical" society the neighbor holds less utiltity than they once did and so the sense of community declines forcing everyone into the mold of the "Modern Business", provide your seervice and go home. But the poor are excluded from maximizing their participation in the grand scheme, so with declining community supports they are left to their own devices to survive. Survive in a world where the resources come to them through a 'pipeline', with a 'spigot' that only currency can open. Where once there was barter and trade. It's a world that is creeping towards alienation, with people feeding machines runing faster and faster. Somewhere we have to stop and take a good look at what we're creating, if we don't slow down, it will be the demand of the customers (artificially created) at the other end of the 'pipeline' that will make us the slaves of the machines we built to serve us. Obwon From ob110ob at IDT.NET Wed Apr 22 06:43:50 1998 From: ob110ob at IDT.NET (Obwon) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 14:43:50 -0700 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes References: <3.0.5.32.19980421072407.008452e0@pop.IslandNet.com> <3.0.5.32.19980421164743.0082f1b0@pop.IslandNet.com> Message-ID: <353D1315.EDF@idt.net> Todd Litman wrote: > > At 01:59 AM 4/21/98 -0700, Obwan wrote: > >Sadly I too must concur with Todd. Good point and I will take it! Obwon From remonde at gsilink.com Thu Apr 23 04:26:27 1998 From: remonde at gsilink.com (remonde@gsilink.com) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 19:26:27 +0000 Subject: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes Message-ID: <199804221122.TAA21919@luke.gsilink.com> I have been residing in Philippines since 1992, so i do not know all the little details of the free bike program in Copenhagen. However, it's something like this: Public bicycles are parked in bicycle parking areas. They are locked to the stand with a lock and chain. To get the bicycle, one has to insert a coin in the lock, and then the bicycle will be released. If the bicycle is returned to a proper bicycle parking stand (there are several all over town), and locked, one's deposit will be returned. If you don't park the bike properly, you'll forfeit your coin. I'm not sure whether the bicycles are second hand. What i know is that they are very unattractive. No gears or fancy gadgets. Just a plain bike which nobody would like to steal. Business can put their adds on the bicycles - that keeps the program going (funds are needed for annual repairs). 1000s of bicycles are stolen every year in Copenhagen (many of them "exported" to East Europe). Some bicycles are stolen by lazy people on their way home from the disco at night. The public bike is supposed to prevent the latter type of theft. They also provide a simple and free alternative to folks who want to bike but either don't have a bike or who commute some distance, walk (now bike) another. Marit > At 12:34 PM 4/20/98 -0700, Heath Maddox wrote: > > > >I am a cyclist and grad student in transportation planning at UC Berkeley. > >I am currently researching community "free" bicycle programs. Most > >information I have come across has been anecdotal and not very in-depth I > >have been in contact with a few individual sustrans people on this topic, > >but since it came up in general discussion anyway, I thought I'd put out a > >wider call for help.. Is there any hard data or analysis of such programs > >out there anywhere? If not, more anecdotal information, contact info. or > >internet links would also be helpful. Thank you very much, > > Here is a website for Seattle's yellowbike program: > http://www.yellowbike.com. I haven't looked at it, so I don't know what > information it contains. I have not heard of any serious analysis of these > programs in terms of evaluating their transportation/social benefits. > > Let me report on my personal experience. We had a program when I lived in > Olympia, Washington a few years ago, in which a team of volunteers fixed up > both children's and adult's bicycles which were donated to families that > could use them through the local refugee center. Recipients also recieved > helmets, safety instruction and help with repairs. All of the feedback we > heard was very positive; the bicycles were highly valued by recipents and > well cared for, and people involved in the program got lots of positive > appreciation. I consider this program to be extremely successful in terms > of both supporting alternative transportation and helping people. > > Here in Victoria, BC we have a "blue bike" program, in which volunteers fix > up donated bicycles, paint them blue, and leave them around town for people > to use. 17 bikes have been fixed up so far. I occasionally see them used, > often rather dangerously, but almost as often I see them damaged and > abandoned, sometimes obviously destroyed as a lark (such as the one that > ended up in a tree). I suspect that the prople running this program spend > as much additional miles of driving tracking and repairing these bicycles > as the bicycles save in reduced automobile use. > > As much as I support alternative bicycling as a form of transportation and > would like to see bicycles conveniently available, I don't think that a > free bike program is an effective way to do it. Resources that are given > away are often treated as having no value. I believe that the bikes are > much better given to individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford > a bicycle, along with the help they need to bicycle safely. > > If that isn't enough, I think that donated bicycles could be fixed up and > rented for a nominal amount through some organization (college recreation > centers, homeless shelters, YMCAs, refugee centers, etc.) by the hour, day > or week, to allow people mobility, for example when visiting another > neighborhood or city. Although many bike shops rent bicycles, these tend to > be relatively expensive and the service is often not well advertised. > > A final bit of advice. There are LOTS of old bicycles sitting in basements > and garages, and if you put out a call for donations you are almost > guaranteed to get more than you need. However, most of these donations are > junk, and you will almost certainly end up carting a lot to the dump. I > suggest being very specific and selective about what types of bicycles you > accept for donation, particularly if your sotrage space is limited. > > > > > > Sincerely, > > Todd Litman, Director > Victoria Transport Policy Institute > "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" > 1250 Rudlin Street > Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada > Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 > E-mail: litman@islandnet.com > Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman > > > From litman at IslandNet.com Thu Apr 23 04:01:53 1998 From: litman at IslandNet.com (Todd Litman) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 12:01:53 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Road Fight In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980422120153.0083dbd0@pop.IslandNet.com> The recently announced Transport Master Plan for the Perth region ('Transforming WA') raises several concerns. It is in opposition to efforts in most developed countries to develop a more diversified transportation system and encourage more efficient use of existing capacity. There are many justifications for this trend, it saves governments and businesses money (reduced road and parking facility costs), gives consumers better mobility choices, reduces accidents and pollution, and increases community livability. It tends to increase equity by giving non-drivers better travel choices. A more diverse transportation system also enhances regional economic development and employment, since expenditures on private automobiles tend to provide far fewer regional jobs than the same money spent on public transit. It is important to use a comprehensive analysis framework for evaluating the long-term impacts of roadway capacity increases. Such a framework must incorporate the effects of generated traffic. It must also include the incremental parking facility and downstream congestion costs of highway widening. For example, when comparing highway capacity expansion against a transit or other TDM alternative for improving access to a downtown area, it should not just consider the direct facility costs to the government agency. It should also consider the additional parking facility costs and increased downtown congestion and surface street road improvements that will be needed to accommodate the additional cars, costs that are avoided if the same number of people arrive by transit or rideshare vehicles. The framework should also account for the vehicle cost savings to households that result from increased transit use, and the benefits to disadvantaged populations from increased travel choices. Our research indicates that many roadway projects that are considered cost effective based on a narrow analysis framework turn out to be less attractive when a more comprehensive and accurate analysis framework is used. It is also important to consider a full range of alternatives. Our institute has identified more than three dozen travel demand management strategies that can be implemented, many of which provide multiple benefits. For example, cashing-out free parking is justified on equity grounds and can save money for businesses if matched with reduced parking requirements, as well as reducing traffic congestion and other external costs. Similarly, distanced-based vehicle insurance is justified for the sake of equity, but can reduce about 10% of total personal vehicle travel, while increasing vehicle insurance affordability. The "Win-Win" strategies we promote are justified in terms of economic benefits, while also providing significant equity and environmental benefits at not extra cost. The funding mechanism proposed for the Perth roadway projects is particularly inappropriate, because it increases fixed rather than variable vehicle costs. This is both unfair (since vehicle owners must pay regardless of how much or little they drive), and economically inefficient, since it fails to "marginalize" costs. This represents a major distortion of the transportation market which encourages wasteful travel habits. It would be far more fair and economically efficient, and contribute far more to increased regional productivity, to raise funds through road pricing, a kilometer charge, or a fuel tax, which are correlated to vehicle use, rather than increasing fixed vehicle registration fees. Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 E-mail: litman@islandnet.com Website: www.islandnet.com/~litman ============================================================ References (available from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute): * Transportation Cost Analyzer (Software) * Distance-based Vehicle Insurance as a TDM Strategy * Defining and Quantifying Public Transit Benefits * Evaluating Transportation Equity * Generated Traffic; Implications for Transport Planning * Guide to Calculating Transportation Demand Management Benefits * Potential Transportation Demand Management Strategies * Socially Optimal Road Transport Markets and Prices; Principles, Strategies and Travel Impacts * Transportation Cost Analysis for Sustainability * Win-Win Transportation Strategies > >PLAN DETAILS > >Western Australia's Transport Minister Eric Charlton released his more than >$1.3 billion (road) Transport Master Plan on Easter Monday, called >'Transforming WA'. > >Total cost of the Master Plan is $1.47 billion ($957 m in Perth, $513 m in >the regions). Of these amounts, less than $100 m (7%) is being spent on public >transport. Putting this in context, WA's State budget is around $7 billion >per year. > >The big costs in the Master Plan are: >- Widening the Narrows Bridge which currently carries 155,000 vpd ($70 m) >- - from 8 lanes (6 car lanes, 1 bus lane and 1 shared pedestrian/bike path) >- - to 11 lanes plus a breakdown lane (8 car lanes, 2 bus lanes and 1 >ped/bike path). >- Kwinana Freeway improvements ($280 m) >- Tonkin Highway 25 km extension ($140 m) >- Future Freeway alignment to Mandurah ($90 m) >- Roe Highway extension to Kwinana Freeway ($84 m) >- Cockburn Road realignment ($50 m) >- Other road projects (all up, including the above, $957 m) >- road projects in the regions including an Outback Highway to Alice >Springs (totalling $514 m). > >The justifications for the plan are obvious, simplistic, populist, >unvalidated and wrong: >- The State Premier, Richard Court called the plan 'crucial for WA's >economic and social development'. >- Eric Charlton, the Minister for Transport claims that motorists will save >money: 'For every dollar the average West Australian spends on the higher >registration fees will save them $7 through less travelling time, fewer >accidents and decreased pollution'. It is also claimed that the new roads >will save fuel. >- One third of the road projects would be completed just before the next >election in 2000. > >To sell the plan, the government has launched a $400,000 advertising >campaign, including slick TV advertising and brochures to 1 million >households to convince a population already addicted to cars of the >'rightness' of more roads and more cars. > >Funding is to come from an increase in the motor vehicle registration fee >by between $50 and $100 depending on the weight of the car. This will bring >the government $80 million per year. So the project will be funded by loans >serviced by this new tax. > >Construction is to begin immediately and be finished in 10 years. > >Although the Minister claims over the past year that he consulted with >'everyone' and that therefore the plan is not his but the plan of the >people, no-one has yet admitted to being consulted. Some, such as the >premier road organisation, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), were presented >with the plan before its release, but they had no opportunity to change it >(even they say a third of the projects are not justified). > >Reactions to the Master Plan include: >- The opposition (Labor) says the priority should be a rail line to >Rockingham in the south (a corridor without any rail service) to get people >out of cars, not widening the Narrows bridge and freeway. >- Independent Perth MLA Philip Pendal (ex-Liberal) described the decision >as 'outrageous' and a 1960s traffic planning mentality. >- Greens (WA) want a train line down the freeway median as a priority. >- Rockingham's Mayor says the new plan would improve access for Rockingham >residents to jobs and education facilities. However, he would still rather >see a train down the freeway to 'get people out of cars'. >- Mandurah Mayor thinks the freeway should be further extended to Mandurah >(85 km south of Perth CBD), (it will be), but has always said a rail >service is a higher priority. >- Local South Perth Mayor says the new bridge will 'produce more cars on a >bigger freeway'. He wants more public transport. >- The very road-orientated car club, the RAC, thinks one-third of the roads >cannot be justified. They oppose any increase in motor vehicle registration >fees to pay for the plan (as, according to them, motorists are already >paying more than their share of transport costs). >- the WA Council of Social Services condemned the increase in car >registrations as being a new tax which will hit the lower income groups. >- every letter published in the newspaper is aghast at the road plan. All >have called for improvements to public transport. So far there hasn't been >one letter congratulating the Minister on his foresightedness and many have >said how other sectors of society such as education and health, which are >starved of funds should have priority over roads. >- Both the West Australian and the Sunday Times newspapers have >editorialised against the roads plan. From R.W.Lee at massey.ac.nz Thu Apr 23 08:36:46 1998 From: R.W.Lee at massey.ac.nz (richard w. lee) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 23:36:46 +0000 Subject: [sustran] Re: sustran-discuss V1 #200; Free/Community Bikes in New Zealand Message-ID: <2.2.16.19980422163606.0e1fe526@mail.massey.ac.nz> I teach transportation planning at Massey University in New Zealand and am currently doing the same at UCLA as a visiting faculty member. I also serve as chair of the Green Bike Trust, a charitiable organisation that has made free bikes available in Palmerston North, New Zealand, a University city of 75,000, since February of this year. I have been at UCLA since shortly after the launch, but I am getting occasional updates. Formal evaluation of the scheme is underway, but incomplete at this time. Basically the Green Bike plan has proven successful at recycling old bikes, and, even more imporartantly, as an employment training programme for the community's long term unemployed. Since the launch, they're have been some thefts/vandalisations of bikes, but the favourable publicity from the launch has resulted in increased donations of old bikes, many times the number needed to replace those stolen or destroyed. A bigger problem has been compliance with New Zealand's manadatory helmet law; it's harder to keep the helmets with the bike, A distinctive colour-scheme on the helmet has made theft and recovery easier. In the end, user's of the bike are responsible for wearing a helmet. I did a pre-launch paper for the first annual New Zealand Urban Cycling Symposium in October, 1997. This short paper analyzed what I could find on community bike schemes throughout the world up to that point. I also did a very brief post-launch analysis for *Community Manawatu*, a New Zealand monthly newsmagazine that covers community welfare initiatives. To summarise very briefly: Community ownership (which includes sponsorship from both local busninesses and local government and Ongoing maintenance and replacement of bikes appear critical tot he success of such programs. If successful, they can have many benefits, non-transport-related as well as transport-related. I can send both papers as Word 6.0 attachments to anyone interested. My Massey University e-mail address reaches me here at UCLA. I look forward to further disccusions on this topic. Dr. Richard W. Lee >Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 07:24:07 -0700 >From: Todd Litman >Subject: Re: [sustran] city bikes/free bikes > >At 12:34 PM 4/20/98 -0700, Heath Maddox wrote: >> >>I am a cyclist and grad student in transportation planning at UC Berkeley. >>I am currently researching community "free" bicycle programs. Most >>information I have come across has been anecdotal and not very in-depth I >>have been in contact with a few individual sustrans people on this topic, >>but since it came up in general discussion anyway, I thought I'd put out a >>wider call for help.. Is there any hard data or analysis of such programs >>out there anywhere? If not, more anecdotal information, contact info. or >>internet links would also be helpful. Thank you very much, > Dr. Richard Lee, Visiting Faculty Department of Urban Planning School of Public Policy and Social Research 3250 Public Policy Building Box 951656 Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1656 PHONE: 310.825.1446 (home: 310.208.4523) FAX: 310.206.5566 E-mail:R.W.Lee@massey.ac.nz From tkpb at barter.pc.my Sat Apr 25 15:45:51 1998 From: tkpb at barter.pc.my (Paul Barter) Date: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 14:45:51 +0800 (MYT) Subject: [sustran] Rural transport and development list Message-ID: Sustran-discuss participants may be interested to know that there is a new discussion list to promote discussion, research and exchange of information on rural transport and development issues in low income or developing countries. It has been established by the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development, an international network that is devoted to promoting an alternative approach to these issues. IFRTD's contact details are below. This new list is very much complementary to the sustran-discuss list which tends to focus on urban issues in low-income and middle-income countries. >To join this list send the command > join rural-transport-development Your Name >to the Mailbase SERVER at mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk Here is a recent posting to give you an idea. >Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 15:38:29 +0000 >Subject: Need vs Demands >From: "Niklas Sieber" >To: rural-transport-development@mailbase.ac.uk .... > >Dear all, > >I followed the discussion from Simon and David on the needs versus the >demand approach. I basically agree with both contributions, but I >would like to emphasize the aspect of income generation again. > >David wrote: >> the advantages for the poorer sections of the community are >> generally fewer and relate more to improved access to health >> and other facilities >I wonder how can a poor person benefit from improved accessibility if >the transport fare is not affordable and he can't pay the medicine? > >A solution to this problem can be only investments which enable the >majority of rural farmers to increase their income. I believe that we >have to emphasize this aspect much more when promoting appropriate >rural transport. I am thinking especially about the (1) effects of IMT >on agricultural production and marketing, (2) income generation with >rural transport services, (3) effects of increased competition in >rural transport on agricultural producer prices. > >We have to demonstrate that the appropriate approach has a lot of >economic advantages compared to the conventional focus on roads and >cars. If we are not able to show this, appropriate transport will >always be regarded as a social issue, which has low priority in the >eyes of decision makers. > >I would be happy to hear the opinion of other members of the >discussion group as well. > >Niklas >_____________ >Niklas Sieber >International Forum for Rural Transport and Development >150 Southampton Row >London WC1 B5AL, UK >Tel.: +44 171/ 278 3682, Fax: +44 171/ 278 6880 >e-mail: ifrtd@gn.apc.org >Webpage: http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd > A. Rahman Paul BARTER, SUSTRAN Resource Centre c/o Asia Pacific 2000, PO Box 12544, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fax: +603 253 2361, E-mail: or The SUSTRAN Resource Centre hosts the Secretariat of SUSTRAN (the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific). SUSTRAN is dedicated to promoting transport policies and investments which foster accessibility for all; social equity; ecological sustainability; health and safety; public participation; and high quality of life. From chris at mailnet.rdc.cl Tue Apr 28 04:00:12 1998 From: chris at mailnet.rdc.cl (Christopher Zegras) Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 15:00:12 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Fuel Consumption Effects of I/M Programs Message-ID: <199804271900.PAA22375@rdc.cl> Dear friends, Various references mention that Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Programs can bring about reductions in vehicle fuel consumption on the order of 2-10%. Is anyone familiar with I/M Programs that have had a component aimed specifically at addressing vehicle fuel efficiency? I am trying to determine what the additional cost would be to a vehicle I/M Program, to have a component that would explicitly address vehicle fuel consumption, and estimate what the expected benefits might be. Any references, contacts, and other information would be most welcome. Thanks, Chris Zegras Christopher Zegras http://www.iiec.org /\ /^\ Instituto Internacional para la Conservacion de Energia /^\ /_o\ / \ General Flores 150, Providencia, Santiago, CHILE /^^^/_\< /^^^^^\ Tel: (56 2) 236 9232 Fax: 236 9233 / (*)/(*) \ From ibike at ibike.org Thu Apr 30 20:23:53 1998 From: ibike at ibike.org (International Bicycle Fund) Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 04:23:53 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Intl Bike Fund Newsletter Announcement Message-ID: <003101bd742e$2dc450c0$aac1c8cf@default> The latest issue of IBF News is now available. Featured in this issue are articles on: 1) Cuba’s bike policies 2) Case study on activism in Honduras 3) Bicycle friendly laws in Poland 4) Book Review on "Rethinking Tourism and Eco-travel" by Deborah McLaren. If you would like to be on the email distribution list for the newsletter please let us know. The newsletter is also available on our web site: www.ibike.org (If you regularly receive a printed copy of the newsletter and are willing to have just an email version please let us know. This will save us paper and postage.) The following documents are also available from IBF by email: Additional Documents Available: *** STUDENT BICYCLE ESSAY CONTEST Announcement *** *** Press Releases and Fact sheets on fundraising, cross-cultural, bicycle tour programs *** Zimbabwe (June-Aug.) Malawi (Aug.-Sept.) Ethiopia and Eritrea (Sept.-Oct.) Mali, Togo and Benin (Oct.-Nov.) Cameroon (Dec) Cuba (Dec.-Jan) Uganda (Jan.) Tanzania (Feb.) Tunisia (April) Additional information on these and dozens of other topics are available on our web site: www.ibike.org Happy cycling! International Bicycle Fund