[sustran] Re: Bus, LRT, and heavy rail - comments from a by-stander

[Regina_Therese_MANZO at ura.gov.sg]

Hello Jonathan and Sustran -

Gina Manzo wrote:

It reminds me of boys
and their need to be "king of the hill", the need to strive for the
superlative - in sport, warfare, in the professional field, etc.  Perhaps
everyone needs to go out for a good joust or round of football/soccer.

Jonathan replied:

Alas, Gina, there is indeed a risk of the arguments appearing this way,
but with such a characterization 
it appears that both sides are in an
advocacy position and neither one nor the other has a special claim on the
truth.

This is the case - neither postion does have "a special claim on the 
truth."  Both rail and bus are important, and the complexities of each 
have to be assessed for each metro region.  Let's understand more details 
of each so we can better use each as appropriate in a sustainable 
transport system - not one at the exclusion of the other. 

regards,
Gina

Regina Manzo, AICP „X Urban Redevelopment Authority „X 45 Maxwell Road „X 
URA Centre „X Singapore 069118 „X? ph +65 6321-8305 „X
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"Jonathan E. D. Richmond" <richmond at alum.mit.edu>
Sent by: 
sustran-discuss-bounces+regina_therese_manzo=ura.gov.sg at list.jca.apc.org
04/05/2004 12:12
Please respond to Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport

 
        To:     Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport 
<sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
        cc: 
        Subject:        [sustran] Re: Bus, LRT, and heavy rail - comments from a by-stander


Gina Manzo wrote:

It reminds me of boys
and their need to be "king of the hill", the need to strive for the
superlative - in sport, warfare, in the professional field, etc.  Perhaps
everyone needs to go out for a good joust or round of football/soccer.


Alas, Gina, there is indeed a risk of the arguments appearing this way,
but with such a characterization it appears that both sides are in an
advocacy position and neither one nor the other has a special claim on the
truth.

Pro-rail forces have distorted data, sometimes because their advocacy has
simply led them to take the most positive assumptions, but also sometimes
through outright dishonesty. The performance results in the US are quite
clear, as I found in a comprehensive study that set out to be entirely
objective.

Unfortunately, there are rail opponents who are against public transport
in general. Some of them favor more roadbuilding; others are against any
form of public expenditure on transport systems. The presence of their
arguments clouds the issues and does indeed make it all appear like a
football (or possibly boxing) match, and it becomes extremely hard for
people like myself who care about providing good value transport systems
-- especially to serve the poorest members of society -- to get the truth
through.

                                                  --Jonathan


-----

Jonathan E. D. Richmond                               02 524-5510 (office)
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        richmond at alum.mit.edu                                          02 
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