[sustran] sustainable transport vision for Hong Kong - collaborator needed

Lisa Hopkinson lisah at civic-exchange.org
Wed Mar 28 09:25:29 JST 2001


Dear SUSTRAN members,

Civic Exchange is a nonprofit think tank in Hong Kong (www.civic-exchange.org) with a focus on sustainability issues. We are looking for a collaborator for our study to outline practical elements of A MORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG.
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The basic idea is to develop an independent 'vision' of how to make theHong Kong transport system far more sustainable over the next several decades.  Dr Bill Barron of the University of Hong Kong who is the Project Leader for the study will do one vision and we are looking for an overseas expert to do another. Each vision would consist of a number of specific practical steps that arguably could be undertaken within the next decade or so. 
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For each step there should be at least some degree of rough quantification to show the scale and time frame (major, secondary/long term, mid term) of the expected impacts of each step in addressing Hong Kong's major transport related problems (worsening congestion, pollution, noise). To the extent feasible, it would also be useful to qualitatively assess benefits related to such things as lessening community disruption and overall quality of life due to transport externalities. For your information, the need to fundamentally reassess transport policy in Hong Kong occurs in the context of a projected 20% increase in population over the next 15 years in a setting which is already among the most densely populated in the world.  
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It is expected that the major elements to be considered would include [but not necessarily be limited to]: (i) broad approaches to urban passenger rail system financing (e.g., the cost share covered by fares, by government, from other sources), (ii) the role of various zero or low emission road transport technologies (e.g., electric trolley buses, trams, fuel cells, CNG, clean diesel, (iii) mid and long term planning options (e.g., pedestrianization, greater separation of sensitive
receivers from noise/pollution emitters).  Of course, if the overseas expert has additional ideas that he/she thinks worth including in the vision, we would welcome these.
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For the overseas expert's participation we have budgeted $US 25,000 as payment, plus expenses for 2 Trips To Hong Kong (1 for a 10-12 day trip for familiarization and data collection that could take place anytime at the consultant's convenience between May and October  2001 and a second 2-4 day trip to participate (and make a presentation) in a public
seminar/forum and related activities -- in January or February 2002). This seminar/forum would also include presentation of a vision Dr Barron will develop along with (we hope) one presented by the government's Transport Bureau. The seminar/forum would be used to 'kick-off' a longer termeffort to stimulate a public debate and consultation with government
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In addition to the data collection trip, the overseas expert will be able to obtain some limited assistance from the project team in Hong Kong. 
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IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS CONSULTANCY,  PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND SEND DETAILS OF YOUR BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS. 

I look forward to hearing from you.

Lisa Hopkinson
Head of Research, Civic Exchange



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