From guillen at sk.tsukuba.ac.jp Wed Sep 1 15:42:19 2004 From: guillen at sk.tsukuba.ac.jp (Guillen Danielle) Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 15:42:19 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Re: On bike taxi References: DEFANGED[10]:<20040824035758.A4E4B2DE2F@mx-list.jca.ne.jp><13688.1093353168@www15.gmx.net><6.1.1.1.0.20040824172508.019fd770@alcor.concordia.ca><0b9c01c48a74$704b29b0" " $a62b4fca@Anil><6.1.1.1.0.20040825101228.01a140e0@alcor.concordia.ca><009901c48ab5$da7682d0$0101a8c0@fujitsu83p69tb> Message-ID: <00aa01c48fee$d46ba7b0$f5659e82@Transpog> Hello, For those interested on bike taxi, here's sharing my paper `Motorcycle-propelled Public Transport and Local Policy Development: The Case of `Tricycles" and `Habal-habal" in Davao City, Philippines, for additional information. It is downloadable at this site: http://www.iatss.or.jp/english/research/v28-n1/v28-n1-06/res-ab06.html I would be happy to get your feedback and comments as Im still continuing my research on this. Thanks. Best Regards, Marie Danielle Guillen Graduate Student Urban Transportation Laboratory Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences University of Tsukuba Tsukuba City, Japan 305-0821 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonathan E. D. Richmond" To: "Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport" Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 1:09 AM Subject: [sustran] Re: Information on 'Bike Taxi' > > Thank you Brendan, and I have by no means told you all the stories! > > One on my motorbike drivers in Phnom Penh had just almost killed me by > swerving sharply across and alongside the opposing flow of traffic to > avoid a policeman he'd spotted (the driver was unlicensed). As if this > wasn't enough excitement for one day, he next offered me a prostitute. > "No thanks; I don't want to die," I told him, as there seems to be no other > understanding of why a rich Westerner would not want a little extra > company. "$10 for a nice girl," he said. "Clean." I wasn't moved. > "AIDS," I replied. > > The driver had already told me he was saving for college, but I wondered > how effective he was at pursuing this goal. "And do you ever hire a > prostitute?" I asked. Yes, he did, he replied. Now, $10 is a lot of money > for a motorcycle driver to spend on anything, but maybe he gets a > nonmonetary commission for bringing in Westerners. I wasn't willing to > test out this theory, however, even for the benefit of the SUSTRAN list, > and confirmed to him that he was still returning me to my hotel. > > I will say you get to experience a lot of ordinary life from the back of a > motorbike. I have stopped en route and visited shops and homes. I have > been taken to the houses of drivers; in one case, I ended up going > to a pharmacy with one of them to help sort out what antibiotics he > needed for a small infection (and I ended up paying for them!); there are > three drivers (all from Cambodia) with whom I'm in occasional email > contact. One of them asked me to lend him money to buy a car. Er.... I > don't even have a car myself! > --Jonathan > ----- > > Jonathan E. D. Richmond 02 524-5510 (office) > Visiting Fellow Intl.: 662 524-5510 > Transportation Engineering program > School of Civil Engineering, Room N260B 02 524-8257 (home) > Asian Institute of Technology Intl.: 662 524-8257 > PO Box 4 > Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 02 524-5509 (fax) > Thailand Intl: 662 524-5509 > > e-mail: richmond@ait.ac.th Secretary: Ms. Nisarat Hansuksa > richmond@alum.mit.edu 02 524-6051 > Intl: 662 524-6051 > http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ > > From kisansbc at vsnl.com Thu Sep 2 22:19:47 2004 From: kisansbc at vsnl.com (Kisan Mehta) Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 18:49:47 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Re: One last word on our small planet. References: <014d01c48f46$f2ad8fc0$6501a8c0@home> Message-ID: <00b701c490ef$850fb880$3226020a@im.eth.net> Passing birthdays remind you once again that you have lost one year of your life without doing for the community that sustains you and that less years are now left to complete task that you have to complete before passing out of this life. Life personally is and has remained as hectic as it was and the day of birth was no execption. One devout Indian devotee complained 400 years ago to her God in her poems that her spirit has remained young while the body that encloses it is getting eroded. So, activities go on with lessthat earlier impacts on the bad things raising their head in the life of the poor, unfortunate and downtrodden. Matters of public interest including mobility remain life and death issues for them. Best wishes to all with love, Kisan Mehta Save Bombay Committee 620 Jame Jmashed Road, Dadar East, Mumbai 400014 Tel: 00 91 22 2414 9688 ----- Original Message ----- From: ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr To: Sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 4:10 PM Subject: [sustran] One last word on our small planet. Today is not quite like all others. It is the birthday of our friend Kisan Mehta of the Save Bombay Committee. Kisan? Let us all wish you, those you love and Bombay health, happiness and a long and creative life. Eric -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040902/223ceb33/attachment.html From jbs at u.washington.edu Fri Sep 3 04:02:18 2004 From: jbs at u.washington.edu (Jerry Schneider) Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 12:02:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] New PRT website, in English and Spanish Message-ID: > >Includes some very nice animations > >------------------------------------------------------- > >>From: "Jose M. Ripalda" > >>To: > >>Subject: www.personalrapidtransit.com > >>Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 12:51:12 +0200 > >> > >>Hi > >> > >>I have made an introductory web site explaining the basics of PRT. > Could you > >>please add a link to it in your web site? > >>I know there are quite a few sites on PRT already, but I though something > >>more appealing was needed. > >> > >>The link is http://www.personalrapidtransit.com/ > >> > >>Thanks in advance. > >> > >>Jose M. Ripalda > > > > > >- Jerry Schneider - > > Innovative Transportation Technologies > > http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans > > > > >- Jerry Schneider - > Innovative Transportation Technologies > http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans > > > > >------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> >Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. >Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! >http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM >--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > ><*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seattleprt/ > ><*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > seattleprt-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > ><*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > - Jerry Schneider - Innovative Transportation Technologies http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans From richmond at alum.mit.edu Fri Sep 3 15:41:07 2004 From: richmond at alum.mit.edu (Jonathan E. D. Richmond) Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 13:41:07 +0700 (SE Asia Standard Time) Subject: [sustran] JAPA Special Issue and APA Special Sessions Message-ID: Just wanted to make sure everyone on SUSTRAN knows about the special sessions on transportation at the upcoming APA conference in San Francisco (and the special issue of JAPA to follow). You will note that "transportation planning in developing countries" is one of the subject areas, and it would be nice to see some panels in this area. Best --Jonathan ----- Jonathan E. D. Richmond 02 524-5510 (office) Visiting Fellow Intl.: 662 524-5510 Transportation Engineering program School of Civil Engineering, Room N260B 02 524-8257 (home) Asian Institute of Technology Intl.: 662 524-8257 PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 02 524-5509 (fax) Thailand Intl: 662 524-5509 e-mail: richmond@ait.ac.th Secretary: Ms. Nisarat Hansuksa richmond@alum.mit.edu=09=09 02 524-6051 =09=09=09=09=09 Intl: 662 524-6051 http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 14:18:26 EDT From: Reid Ewing To: PLANET@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Subject: Extension of Deadline - JAPA Special Issue and APA Special Session= s American Planning Association Call for Abstracts 2005 Conference San Francisco, California =E2=80=9CPlanning and Transportation=E2=80=9D Special Sessions and Special Issue of JAPA The Journal of the American Planning Association is sponsoring special sessions at the national conference on Planning and Transportation. Selecte= d papers from the sessions will be included in a special issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association on Planning and Transportation. The number of conference sessions depends entirely on the quality, diversit= y, and number of proposals for papers that are received. The deadline for abstract submittals is September 7, 2004. Decisions on paper proposals wil= l be made sometime in late September. Association meetings will be held March 19 through 23, in San Francisco. T= he special sessions are being organized by Professor Reid Ewing of University = of Maryland. The JAPA special issue will be published in 2006. Authors wishi= ng to submit paper proposals should send 250-750 word abstracts to Professor Ewing (rewing1@umd.edu) by September 7, 2004. To illustrate the breadth of= this call, some examples of appropriate topics include: -- Changing paradigms for land use and transportation planning -- Mitigating transportation impacts of growth -- Creating livable streets -- Street connectivity and network design -- School siting and student transportation -- Transportation needs of special populations (elderly, youth, poor) -- Planning impacts of new fuels and new technologies -- Road pricing and other =E2=80=9Ccures=E2=80=9D for congestion -- Parking standards and shared parking -- Planning for pedestrians and cyclists -- Strategies to improve traffic safety -- Growth inducing effects of highways -- Costs and benefits of alternative transit technologies (bus, rail) -- Role of transit in an automobile culture -- GIS as a multimodal planning tool -- Sketch planning techniques for land use and travel forecasting -- Multimodal performance measurement -- Transportation planning in developing countries -- Transportation planning lessons from Europe -- Travel impacts of New Urbanism and smart growth -- Energy and environmental impacts of transportation -- Economic impacts of transportation investments From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Tue Sep 7 16:41:35 2004 From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr) Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:41:35 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Emissions could double: report Message-ID: <006501c494ae$1b68a640$6501a8c0@home> Dear Friends: A sharp reminder that we should shortly be getting back to our public peer review, critique and recommendations on the WBCSD Mobility 2030 report. I may have trouble handling this during the month since for my part I am close to 100% tired up in our terrific Toronto 2004 New Mobility Summit which has me in Toronto for the week 19-25 September (see http://ecoplan.org/toronto). But at the latest it will have my full attention upon my return here. But the fact is that these two apparently separate phenomena - a basically closed print report and hand wringing long term scenario by international industry and a wide open public query intended to lead to a short term action program and led by a wide range of concerned local groups -- are clearly related: not least because in Toronto we are looking for major modifications in a two year period directly ahead and not, as this latest report suggests when it, repeatedly, makes the point: ""Changing lifestyle patterns takes a very long time and generally speaking people don't do what they say (they will), Mr Stigson said." That's the point, eh? It seems as if in all these reports our good fiends at WBCSD and their members suggests that the only way out will be for us to buy our way out with their products. Hmm. With all good wishes, Eric Britton The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/ The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Tel: +331 4326 1323 Mobile: +336 8096 7879 24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96 IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63 Email: postmaster @ ecoplan.org Source: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/06/1094322711399.html?oneclick =true Emissions could double: report The Age, September 6, 2004 Global carbon dioxide emissions could double by 2050 if energy-saving measures are not universally introduced, an international energy report released in Sydney on Monday shows. The document Energy and Climate Change, released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development at the World Energy Congress, reports energy trends for the next 46 years. It highlights natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, bio-products and low energy appliances as tools to help reduce fast-growing levels of carbon dioxide. Speaking at the conference, a delegate from the Geneva-based council, Anne Lauvergeon, warned carbon growth was difficult to halt. "To give figures, in 2000 the world emitted around eight gigatons of carbon," Ms Lauvergeon said. "Under a business as usual scenario, in 2050, emissions could double to reach around 16 gigatons ... so if we don't act now, our future may become out of control." She said the pace of change in the energy industry was slow "like a super-tanker". Advertisement Advertisement "It takes time to change direction and you must anticipate," Ms Lauvergeon said. "And if you don't start on time, you cannot recover the situation and the consequences may spiral out of control." Council president Bjorn Stigson said the transport industry would move particularly slowly despite the introduction of hybrid vehicles. "Even if we start introducing low emission vehicles, your traditional vehicle will continue to grow in volume up to 2040," Mr Stigson told the audience. "And we can not find one single scenario that will mean core emissions from transport will peak and start to go down before 2030. "These are the challenges we are faced with and we must be realistic about them." He said progress had been made with the development of environmentally-friendly products, but many people were still tentative about using them. "Changing lifestyle patterns takes a very long time and generally speaking people don't do what they say (they will), Mr Stigson said. "Most people say they are willing to buy "green" products but they don't unless they believe they are of equal price and quality." The council, a coalition of 175 corporations, produced the report to stimulate forward thinking in businesses worldwide. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040907/597cada5/attachment.html From info at worldcarfree.net Wed Sep 8 02:36:02 2004 From: info at worldcarfree.net (World Carfree Network) Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 19:36:02 +0200 Subject: [sustran] WORLD CARFREE NEWS #12 - September 2004 Message-ID: <413E0DA2.8696.155B430@localhost> Dear sustran-discussers, We are sending our monthly bulletin as a one-time thing, as it contains some announcements you may be interested in -- specifically a Towards Carfree Cities IV conference report and a couple announcements about World Carfree Day. If you'd like to receive this bulletin on an ongoing basis, please see www.worldcarfree.net/bulletin for subscribe information. The bulletin is produced in several language versions. This is the 12th edition under the name World Carfree News; previously, there were 50 bulletins with the title Car Busters E-Bulletin. Today, we are moving toward using the Car Busters name only for our quarterly print magazine (see Carbusters.org/magazine/). Very best wishes, Everyone at the World Carfree Network International Coordination Centre, Prague _________________________ WORLD CARFREE NEWS >>> ____________________________________ Edition no. 12 - September 2004 - English version ........................................................... "I want Americans to drive. You want to drive a great big SUV? Terrific, terrific. That's America." - John Kerry, August 6, on the presidential campaign trail Contents: IN BRIEF WORLD NEWS - NEW CAPITAL FOR SOUTH KOREA? - ACTIVISTS STOP LYON FORMULA 1 - THE DEATH OF THE ELECTRIC CAR ANNOUNCEMENTS - WORLD CARFREE DAY IS COMING! - SEND A WORLD CARFREE DAY E-CARD - DAYS OF ACTION AGAINST THE OIL INDUSTRY - SEND A VOLUNTEER TO PRAGUE FOR A YEAR - TCFC IV BERLIN TAKES NETWORK TO NEW LEVEL - WANT TO HOST TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VI? - INTERNSHIPS AT CARFREE.COM - INVITE A GROUP TO JOIN WORLD CARFREE NETWORK DISCLAIMER __________________ IN BRIEF >> __________________________ - Thousands of cyclists rode through the streets of Manhattan in a Republican-bashing, environment-promoting display of bike power that resulted in more than 100 arrests: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/28/politics/campaign/28protes t.html ?ex=1094726977&ei=1&en=e62d067e2611d0eb - Both a rail line and a highway are planned between Europe and China through Central Asia. The highway plan, as usual, is further along in the process. A treaty was signed by 23 nations at a UN meeting and outlines a network that would link the continents (as if they weren't already linked) in some 140,000 km of roads. Proponents wax on with comparisons to the ancient Silk Road, while visions of truckloads of cheap plastic knick-knacks from Chinese factories may prove less romantic: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3671105.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3660467.stm - Want to eliminate SUVs from your neighbourhood? On streets with a vehicle weight limit of 6,000 pounds (3,000 kg), you might be surprised to learn that many SUVs are over-weight and therefore already illegal: http://www.slate.msn.com/id/2104755. If your city refuses to enforce these existing regulations evenly, you may have legal recourse. - The popularity of the SUV, however, is waning in the US, largely due to rising fuel costs. In 2000, just 1 in 10 SUV drivers defected to another type of vehicle at trade-in time. Now, the ratio is nearly 4 in 10: http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0408/31/a01- 257913.htm _______________ WORLD NEWS >> __________________ NEW CAPITAL FOR SOUTH KOREA? South Korea has decided to move its capital from Seoul to a more central location within the country, near Gongju in South Chungchong province. Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan argues that the new capital would decentralise and boost the economy, although a major impetus might be that Seoul is within easy-pickins' missle range of North Korea. Construction of the new capital, which has yet to be named, is due to begin in 2007 and be completed by 2030, on a site slightly larger than Manhattan (7,100 hectares). Seoul is plagued by smog and notorious traffic jams. Creating smog and traffic jams in the new capital is projected to cost between US$45 billion and $94 billion. The move has been talked about for decades, yet many don't understand the wisdom of going ahead with the project at a time when South Korea's economy is faltering. And of course if Korea were ever reunified, the capital would probably have to move yet again. Civic groups are appealing the plan; opposition parties have called for a referendum. So far there are no proposals for the world's first modern carfree city. ACTIVISTS STOP LYON FORMULA 1 Shocked that Green-Socialist coalition city council would organise a demonstration of Formula 1 cars on the streets of Lyon's city centre, five local activists decided to take matters into their own hands and alert the population of the dangers of the automobile. During the September 5 event, they jumped over the security barriers and ran on the track towards the starting line - delaying the official programme for one hour, and causing the cancellation of one of the scheduled events. The activists hailed from Regroupement Pour Une Ville Sans Voiture (Group for a Carfree City) and Casseurs de Pub (the independent French version of Adbusters). They were jailed and then released in the evening. Organising the Formula 1 event is just the latest controversial act by Lyon's Green-Socialist leaders. Gilles Buna, the former Green Party mayor of Lyon District 1, is now the Deputy Mayor for Urbanism for the entire city. His plan to build 5,000 parking spaces in the city centre is meeting fierce opposition from residents and community activists, who find themselves almost longing for the days when the city was run by the right-wing Raymond Barre. Barre brought in a tramway line, built some bike paths and refused to build more than 1,000 parking spaces in the city centre. So ironically, Lyon's Greens have represented regression painted over with ecological newspeak. These are not parking spaces, but "parcs residents" and "coulees vertes." "Excessive solutions [not constructing more parking] are anything but ecological," says Buna. "Ecology is about maintaining balance." THE DEATH OF THE ELECTRIC CAR Electric cars are all but dead. Although popular with the consumer, Ford Motor Company's Th!nk electric vehicles were lined up for the scrap heap. Ford had successfully killed a California regulation requiring the introduction of 'zero- emission vehicles,' so the company could simply sell off its Th!nk subsidiary. It took a Greenpeace campaign to get Ford to sell its remaining stock of 350 vehicles to a Norwegian company. Victory? Don't start mourning yet. These so-called 'zero-emission vehicles' merely displace pollution from the tailpipe to the power plant while doing nothing to address a host of car-induced environmental and social ills - from sprawl to social alienation to habitat destruction. An electric taxicab caused America's first car fatality in 1899, and since then, more than twice as many people have died in US car collisions than in all the wars in US history. Meanwhile, Ford introduced the "Escape" - a hybrid SUV controversially endorsed by the Sierra Club, a major US environmental group. "While Europeans long ago simply went to smaller cars, here we are, performing the equivalent of open-heart surgery on an elephant, offering it the engine of a hummingbird," noted Derrick Jackson in the Boston Globe. "It might work, but it would work better if Americans were simply not so vain." John Kerry and his presidential running mate John Edwards have both signed up on the waiting list to buy an "Escape." ___________________ ANNOUNCEMENTS >> ______________________________ WORLD CARFREE DAY IS COMING! Time to take action - September 22 is World Carfree Day! This of course means that whatever you've got planned is probably already rolling. You can register your local event using our on-line form at www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/. (This will help us in collecting post-event reports.) On the website you will also find a list of other participating cities, along with useful links and various resources to make your organising effort run smoothly. Good luck; may the force of change be with you. SEND A WORLD CARFREE DAY E-CARD We've got a new function on Worldcarfree.net - you can now send your friends (or enemies) an e-card telling them about World Carfree Day. At www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/ecard.php, you can choose one of three cards and add a personal message. Tell all your autoholic friends (of course you have some) to stop their disgusting habit - at least for one day. Spread the word! EUROPEAN DAYS OF ACTION AGAINST THE OIL INDUSTRY AND FOR A FOSSIL FUEL-FREE FUTURE: OCTOBER 14-17 [excerpt of submission by London Rising Tide] London Rising Tide is calling for the above-titled days of action, to coincide with the European Social Forum and related grassroots events in London, October 14-17. Oil fuels the engine of economic growth. When that oil is burnt, it becomes the CO2 that is screwing up the weather as well as the lives of the world's (poorest) people. We live in a system that values profit above all else, and this insane outlook is undermining the long-term stability of our planet. The October action days are a time for people who see climate change as a symptom of this screwed up system to draw strength from a widespread show of simultaneous unity- in-diversity. The European Social Forum is a chance to kickstart a Europe-wide network of resistance to the fundamentally flawed and failed fossil fuel experiment, while embracing the principle of 'climate justice.' Leave the oil in the ground. Let our communities own and run their own renewable energy supplies. Dismantle capitalism and Big Oil, in October 2004 and every day in various diverse ways. Spread hope... Contact London Rising Tide: london(at)risingtide.org.uk. SEND A VOLUNTEER TO PRAGUE FOR A YEAR If you are with a European nonprofit organisation, consider the idea of sending a volunteer aged 26 or under to join World Carfree Network in Prague for a year, via the European Voluntary Service (EVS) programme. The programme pays all expenses and living costs. This is a great opportunity for the volunteer to develop new skills and assist the network, while living in the Czech Republic. Skills particularly in demand are journalism and graphic design. If you are interested, please send us a query as soon as possible. We will need the volunteer's CV (resume) by October 1. The project would begin approximately in February, and run for 12 months. It is only valid for European citizens. Contact: info(at)worldcarfree.net. TCFC IV BERLIN TAKES NETWORK TO NEW LEVEL Nearly 200 people from 30 countries on four continents descended on Berlin from July 19-24 for the Towards Carfree Cities IV conference. The days were filled with presentations, workshops, on-site visits to innovative local projects, and social evening events such as a film night and a closing party with two live bands. The main day featured presentations by Derek Turner, who implemented London's congestion charge; Erika Jangen, responsible for the European carfree day programme; and Karsten Wagner, initiator of Germany's first carfree district. It closed with a bittersweet story from Markus Heller of how Berlin nearly had its own carfree quarter, until the secret service took the site away so that it could relocate its offices from Munich. Other highlights included John Adams' witty talk on hypermobility, Sajay Samuels' eloquent warning about the subtle dangers of designed spaces, and the many workshops that featured the foremost thinkers and doers in fields ranging from carfree housing to carfree days to non- motorised transport in the majority world. Thursday saw conference participants mount up on Deutsch- Bahn's Call-A-Bikes to check out the local pedestrian zones, optically carfree quarters and traffic calming projects, as well as 'Jugendstrasse' (youth street) and the Berlin Wall Greenway. Participants also said goodbye to 30 riders from the Ecotopia Biketour, a World Carfree Network project that went by bike all the way from Vienna through Berlin to the annual Ecotopia gathering in The Netherlands. On Friday, July 23, the network held its first Annual General Meeting (AGM). You can find the minutes at www.worldcarfree.net/about_us/agm2004.php. A Steering Committee of seven people was formed to engage in decision- making throughout the year, and to help shape the direction of the network. You can reach the Steering Committee via any of its members, listed on www.worldcarfree.net/about_us/steering.php. The AGM approved all 26 groups as full Member Organisations. All Member Organisations (including three new provisional ones) are listed at www.worldcarfree.net/about_us/memberorgs.php. In summary, the conference was our biggest and most successful yet. Clean Air Action Group is set to carry on the conference series with Towards Carfree Cities V in Budapest next July. WANT TO HOST TOWARDS CARFREE CITIES VI? Proposals to host TCFC VI (to be held in 2006, ideally in North America) should be sent to the carfree_network listserve by December 10 (this year). A decision on location will be made by the end of January. If you are considering submitting a proposal, please see our draft Conference Organising Manual, which explains what the organising would involve and what proposals should include: www.worldcarfree.net/conference/manual.php. INTERNSHIPS AT CARFREE.COM Joel Crawford, who manages the Carfree.com website, is offering intern positions in Cascais, Portugal, focussing on two projects: The Carfree Design Manual and the Carfree Institute. For details, see http://www.carfree.com/papers/notes4interns.html. INVITE A GROUP TO JOIN WORLD CARFREE NETWORK World Carfree Network now has nearly 30 member organisations! At our recent annual meeting, one participant suggested that we grow the network further by having each member organisation invite another group to join. This seems like a great idea to us, so if you can invite another group to join, please do so, and refer them to www.worldcarfree.net/about_us/memberorgs.php for details. Groups in Asia, Latin America and Africa are especially encouraged to join. _____________________ DISCLAIMER >> _____________________________ Feeling lonely? Need more two-way communication than a bulletin can provide? Think that the editors are dominating the bulletin with their own announcements? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we encourage you to subscribe to the World Carfree Network discussion listserve: carfree_network@lists.riseup.net. Simply subscribe by sending an e-mail to carfree_network- subscribe@lists.riseup.net. [end] ----------- Unsubscribe information can be found at ________________________________________________ WORLD CARFREE NETWORK Kratka 26, 100 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic tel: +(420) 274-810-849 - fax: +(420) 274-816-727 - ________________________________________________ From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Wed Sep 8 16:48:23 2004 From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr) Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 09:48:23 +0200 Subject: [sustran] WBCSD background - Economist article on industry challenges: #2 Message-ID: <006b01c49578$3892b790$6501a8c0@home> >From The Economist, Sep 2nd 2004 RIPE FOR REVOLUTION New kinds of cars are about to produce a new kind of car industry AMERICANS are queuing up to add a Prius, a new petrol-electric hybrid car, to the trio of gas-guzzlers parked in the average suburban driveway. There is no doubt about it: this car is cool. It is not only fashionable in the usual way--the favourite model of Hollywood movie stars--but also in a new and startling manner. The Prius serves not only as a green credential for its owner, but also as an exciting high-tech gizmo. Yet for anyone watching the fortunes of the car industry closely, the Prius represents something else as well--the quiet revolution that is about to engulf the car industry itself. Leading that revolution is Toyota, manufacturer of the Prius. It is no accident that Toyota, Japan's biggest car firm, is now pioneering the industry's move into new kinds of environmentally friendly vehicles with a cleverly marketed and commercially viable product. Toyota is a relentless competitor which has overtaken Ford in terms of sales and is now tailgating the industry's leader, General Motors (GM). The widespread use of all-electric, non-polluting vehicles, using hydrogen fuel-cell systems (like GM's concept car above), is probably still 20 years away. The Prius, with its little electric motor performing as a supplement to its petrol engine, is just a small step in that direction. But it is significant, because it represents two things that promise to transform the entire car industry--new technology and new production methods. SO LAST CENTURY The car business is ripe for revolution. As our survey of the industry in this issue describes, it has chronic problems. Once it epitomised 20th-century capitalism, but today it looks poorly equipped to thrive in the 21st century, or even to survive in its present form. Many of the world's biggest car firms are destroying wealth rather than creating it. About half of the industry is regularly incapable of earning a decent return on its invested capital. Although it still accounts for about a tenth of economic activity in rich countries, it has been virtually shut out of stockmarkets for the past 20 years, accounting for a mere 1% of total market capitalisation. Only the support of governments and the patience of founding families keep many companies going. Even this has often not made car making profitable. For years companies such as General Motors and Ford have relied on their finance arms to stay afloat. Laden with gold-plated pension and health schemes from an earlier, more profitable age, Detroit sometimes seems like a Swedish-style welfare state paid for by a consumer-finance business specialising in cars. This is unsustainable. Long-term liabilities are being met by repeated financing via the corporate bond market, the only part of the capital markets that most car companies can tap. But there are plenty of ideas knocking around for how the industry might transform its fortunes. Ambitious mergers are no longer regarded as the answer, especially after the disastrous acquisition of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz in 1998. Instead, the focus is on ways to adapt the mass production system invented by Henry Ford to the realities of today's markets. All car firms have learned from Toyota how to use just-in-time, lean production to make cars much more efficiently. A continuous flow of parts arrives from the other side of the world (increasingly from China) just when they are needed. But, oddly, the finished cars then sit in parking lots for up to 90 days before they are sold, usually at a discount because they are not the colour or do not have the optional extras that the buyer wants. The whole industry is straining to find ways of making cars to order rather than producing them for inventory. The industry is also trying to respond to changing tastes. As consumers become more choosy, the market is fragmenting into a bewildering array of niches. As a result, car manufacturers are struggling to make their assembly lines flexible enough to produce, say, roadsters in the morning and pick-ups in the afternoon. But as the market fragments, flexibility alone may not be enough. Smaller production runs, smaller factories and new ways of assembling cars are likely to be needed as well. Henry Ford could one day be history, to borrow one of his own famous put-downs. Economies of scale alone used to dictate the industry's shape, but changing markets could be more conducive to smaller, less capital-intensive companies. Such changes are already lowering the barriers to entry to new entrants. Some parts suppliers have taken over the role of final assembly of niche models for big car firms, and others are doing more of the development work on new cars. The virtual car company could be in sight: perhaps one day some firms will own only technology, design and a brand, while a contract-manufacturing industry, born of today's suppliers, springs up, a path already taken by the consumer electronics and computer industries. Also pushing the car industry in this direction is the fact that cars themselves are evolving into something akin to consumer electronics products, and this trend is likely to accelerate. Cars are already lighter than they were, and they contain growing numbers of chips and other electronic gear. Luxury models have features such as adaptive cruise control that keeps drivers from hitting the car in front. Electronic controls and little electric motors could soon be providing steering and braking as well, much as they do in aircraft. As electronics replaces clutches, steering boxes and other mechanical features, cars will become still lighter. THRILL ME Those firms slow to innovate will surely exhaust even the patience of protective governments and founding families, and so fade away. Those that are successful at coping with the big technological, marketing and financial changes beginning to sweep the car industry, as Toyota has so far shown itself to be, should survive. But for the next few decades they, too, will have to scramble to adapt. And the car industry's privileged status as the pre-eminent example of the power of mass production looks finished. The industry of the future will look more like other consumer products businesses--crowded, fast-moving and a slave to the whims of customers. See this article with graphics and related items at Go to http://www.economist.com for more global news, views and analysis from the Economist Group. - ABOUT ECONOMIST.COM - Economist.com is the online version of The Economist newspaper, an independent weekly international news and business publication offering clear reporting, commentary and analysis on world politics, business, finance, science & technology, culture, society and the arts. 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We will not send you any future messages as a result of your being the recipient of this e-mail. - COPYRIGHT - This e-mail message and Economist articles linked from it are copyright (c) 2004 The Economist Newspaper Group Limited. All rights reserved. http://www.economist.com/help/copy_general.cfm Economist.com privacy policy: http://www.economist.com/about/privacy.cfm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040908/60668eb3/attachment-0001.html From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Thu Sep 9 22:58:03 2004 From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr) Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 15:58:03 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Help Toronto help you: Sept. 2004 New Mobility Summit Message-ID: <017501c49675$080fa6c0$6501a8c0@home> Thursday, September 09, 2004, Paris, France, Europe Dear Friends, As an old friend of sustainable transport and social justice, I would like to ask you to do something today that I truly think will benefit both the thorny world push to better and safer transport in cities - and at the end of the day, I am quite sure, for your city and yourselves. We have as some of you know recently launched an ambitious Open Society Transportation Initiative with a group of public interest originations in the city of Toronto, which is building on their fourth successive Car/Free Day project and taking it much further and for far more than a single day. For background, let me direct you now to the website for the Toronto 2004 New Mobility Summit which you will find at http://ecoplan.org/toronto, which while not quite complete already is a pretty good source of information and insight for pioneering international effort. In this context we would like ask you specifically following. You will see on the menu an item marked Guestbook. This open public dialogue has been prepared to invite and share information, views and support from people who care about doing better in our cities, It is open to local residents, to anyone across Canada and to you, our friends and colleagues world wide who share these concerns. It will take you less than ten minutes to have a look and then to pop in share your views, and indeed we think that the exercise, the questions asked may be of a sort that might be helpful to you in organizing your own thoughts and actions on the subject. Finally, I am confident that Toronto's lead in this is going to show the way for other cities and groups, as a time when new ideas and new energy are badly needed. Thanks for giving this your serious thought and hopefully a bit of your time. Indeed, we all thank you. With all good wishes, Eric Britton The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/ The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Tel: +331 4326 1323 Mobile: +336 8096 7879 24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96 IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63 Email: postmaster @ ecoplan.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040909/98daa2de/attachment.html From Armin.Wagner at gtz.de Mon Sep 13 18:10:12 2004 From: Armin.Wagner at gtz.de (Wagner Armin GTZ 4413) Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 11:10:12 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Air Quality Management - GTZ Approach Message-ID: > "Investing in people's health and their environment > is a prerequisite for sustainable development" > - World Health Organisation > > Dear Colleagues, > > More than 1.4 billion city dwellers daily breathe in polluted air, containing harmful substances, which often exceeds the standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) three- to fourfold. About three million pre-mature deaths, especially among the poor, can be traced directly to the effects of air pollution, and children suffer increasingly from respiratory diseases. > > Mitigating air pollution is an extremely important contribution to improving urban quality of life. GTZ can look back on more than 15 years of experience in the realm of Air Quality Management (AQM). Our advisory services focus primarily on decision-makers in authorities, institutions and organisations on a local, regional and national level. Our target is the reduction of air pollutant emissions through institutional capacity building as well as through numerous measures in the transport, energy, industrial, household and waste sectors. > > GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Technische Zusammenarbeit) is an important and industry-neutral service advisor in the realm of integrated clean air strategies. The services offered not only entail access to technical know-how in all matters concerning clean air, but also advisory services about institutional processes as well as institutional and political frameworks for a successful implementation and realisation of a clean air policy. > > Please feel invited to visit our relaunched website: Air Quality Management () with detailed information on our approach, services and projects. > > We are happy to receive your comments and suggestions on our approach and our new website. > > Best regards, > > > Stefan Opitz Dr. Jan Schwaab > Senior Manager Product Manager > "> Clean Air in Cities> "> > Transport and Mobility > From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Mon Sep 13 18:34:10 2004 From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr) Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 11:34:10 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth Message-ID: <00d701c49974$d4cfc9e0$6501a8c0@home> Source: http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1070172004, Sun 12 Sep 2004 Dear Friends, Not that there is anything new in this, but I do think it is salutary from time to time to lend a patient ear to other views and voices. This is a bit overheated, but part of our job is to listen and figure out how to handle the entire ball of wax and not just our favored part of it. Eric The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth DR DAN Barlow, the head of research for Friends of the Earth and a member of the Forthright Alliance, used "sustainable" seven times in 300 words about a new Forth bridge. Sustainable alternatives, least sustainable, sustainable option, sustainable transport, sustainable transport planning, sustainable transport alternatives, neither sustainable nor supportable... He was against a new bridge. "Sustainable" means a lot to environmental lobbyists. It is like perpetual motion or alchemy - a chimera that takes scant account of reality or practicality. It has been endowed with a mystic quality, such as "renewable" or "consultation", and become an ingredient in roundhead collectivist jargon. Dr Barlow went through the entire lexicon when The Scotsman gallantly provided him with space to make the case against a new Forth crossing: entirely premature; bring forward; relevant authorities; current consultation; further undermine public transport network; wholly unconvincing; smokescreen; entirely possible; using existing rail infrastructure; grandiose mega-project; increase city traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions; worsen air pollution; environmentally destructive; entirely unacceptable; stop promoting new road-building. The collapse of his argument was entirely his own fault. Argot of the centre left (or left left for all I know) like this bears out Dr Goebbels' propaganda principle that if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough, it will come to be the truth. Nothing has been more sustainable, in the truest sense of the word, than John Fowler and Benjamin Baker's masterpiece the Forth Bridge. Here is a symbol of sustainability, reliability, strength, integrity and solidarity - there every day since 1890, not merely sustainable but in human terms virtually everlasting. Enduring, unremitting, continuous, perpetual, the Forth Bridge has never failed us. What a contrast to 'sustainables' or 'renewables' like wind power. The Forth Road Bridge was the railway bridge's logical companion. It has been there 40 years and the facts are plain. In 1964, four million vehicles used it; now 24 million do. These are not all frivolous tourists. They are going to work; their bridge allows them to live in the country or by the sea instead of living in the city. Some people have a preference for the city, but quite a lot do not, and they deserve a choice. Cars provide a choice that the roundheads would deny them. What myths and delusions have been peddled in the guise of environmentalism. One is that more roads generate more traffic. But there is nothing sinful about traffic. It means activity, freedom, visits to elderly relatives, more goods brought to more people by more lorries. Trying to make the world feel guilty about more roads and more journeys is a new sort of Nimbyism, on behalf of tax-obsessed social engineers and dirigistes, to whom curtailing travel is more important than encouraging it. In the recent 'The Future of Transport' White Paper, Tony Blair says: "We recognise that we cannot simply build our way out of the problems we face." Alistair Darling, the transport secretary, contributes the foreword. "We cannot build our way out of the problems we face," he repeats. The report prattles on gormlessly: "We cannot build our way out of the problems we face on our road networks." Perhaps the same person wrote it all. Even Dr Goebbels employed decent sub-editors. Heigh-ho, repeat a falsehood often enough and it will come to be the truth. Even the Tories believe building more roads is mistaken. They have swallowed the soothsayers' bait. The RAC and the AA are not much better. How astonishing that they all fall for the roundheads' mantra about balancing the need for travel and sustaining the quality of life. There is no contradiction. Quality of life includes being able to move around the country. It includes travelling by car or train or aeroplane when you want to, when you need to, without an Orwellian authority saying you mustn't. Cromwell, Knox and the Puritan Fathers would rejoice over Dr Barlow and his Friends prophesying doom for us all because we want to build more roads and use our cars. If democracy has any meaning, it is agreeing what most people want, and there is not much doubt that most people want to travel by car. Not everybody has a car. Roundheads enjoy making the point. But who amongst us has never travelled in one? Cars, ambulances, vans, lorries are all traffic. People support roads, although the environment industry tries to make them feel bad about it: the favourite sword of Damocles is global warming and the greenhouse effect. But let us remember there is a body of opinion that blames cars, another that blames aeroplanes, another that blames chopping down the rainforests, and another that blames the burgeoning industrialisation of China and India and Saddam Hussein's arson of the oil wells. There is a body of opinion that says global warming is merely the sun getting hotter, while others say it is cyclical and the Ice Age will return. The roundheads say cars are to blame and we should feel guilty about them. Victor Meldrew, for once, was right: "I don't believe it!" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040913/acaae6d7/attachment.html From ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr Mon Sep 13 18:52:54 2004 From: ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr (ecoplan.adsl@wanadoo.fr) Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 11:52:54 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Help Toronto help you: Message-ID: <00f701c49977$7243a410$6501a8c0@home> Dear Sustran Friends of over the years, You are going to think I am being awfully pushy, perhaps even to the point of rudeness in insisting a bit on this, but I would like to ask you to reach into your bank of patience and indulge me as one of your faithful international partners in sustainable development and social justice. Please do this for us (and indeed for yourself): 1. Click to the Toronto 2004 New Mobility Summit which you will find at http://ecoplan.org/toronto. Spend ten minutes in having a look around. 2. Then click to the Guestbook. This open public dialogue has been prepared to invite and share information, views and support from people who care about doing better in our cities. You will see the first handful of comments and responses, real food for thought, including one message from our Sustran friend and colleague Kisan Mehta 3. Actually filling in your own info and views will take you less than ten, and indeed we think that the exercise, the questions asked may be of a sort that might be helpful to you in organizing your own thoughts and actions on the subject. Finally I would like to invite you to keep your eye on how this works out in the coming weeks, bearing in mind that the Summit will be taking place from 20-25 September and that the various reports, etc. will be put on line as the various events take place. My thought behind this? That if some of us put our heads together we can find ways to adapt this approach to one or two cities in the Sustran bailiwick that badly need new ideas and orientations - and a far greater sense of urgency and actions. (This perhaps being the outstanding accomplishment of this approach, its very short term on-street orientation.) There you have it and for those of you who do not wish to pitch in here, I hope at least that you will forgive my boring insistence. But it's the only way that I know to get important things done. ;-) Eric PS. By the way, I am aware of the fact that the Toronto materials on the site are still far from being what they should be, but what you see here is more or less a first draft cobbled by me from here in Paris. So if you spot weaknesses, errors, omissions, whatever, it would be very kind if you would help us do better. The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/ The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France Tel: +331 4326 1323 Mobile: +336 8096 7879 24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96 IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63 Email: postmaster @ ecoplan.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040913/78f52b65/attachment-0001.html From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Tue Sep 14 10:30:48 2004 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 09:30:48 +0800 Subject: [sustran] FW: Air Quality Management - GTZ Approach Message-ID: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A046779@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Dear sustran-discussers This came to me from Manfred Breithaupt of GTZ who asked me to share with you all. Paul > > "Investing in people's health and their environment > is a prerequisite for sustainable development" > - World Health Organisation > > Dear Colleagues, > > More than 1.4 billion city dwellers daily breathe in polluted > air, containing harmful substances, which often exceeds the > standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) three- > to fourfold. About three million pre-mature deaths, > especially among the poor, can be traced directly to the > effects of air pollution, and children suffer increasingly > from respiratory diseases. > > Mitigating air pollution is an extremely important > contribution to improving urban quality of life. GTZ can look > back on more than 15 years of experience in the realm of Air > Quality Management (AQM). Our advisory services focus > primarily on decision-makers in authorities, institutions and > organisations on a local, regional and national level. Our > target is the reduction of air pollutant emissions through > institutional capacity building as well as through numerous > measures in the transport, energy, industrial, household and > waste sectors. > > GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Technische Zusammenarbeit) is > an important and industry-neutral service advisor in the > realm of integrated clean air strategies. The services > offered not only entail access to technical know-how in all > matters concerning clean air, but also advisory services > about institutional processes as well as institutional and > political frameworks for a successful implementation and > realisation of a clean air policy. > > Please feel invited to visit our relaunched website: Air > Quality Management > > ) with > detailed information on our approach, services and projects. > > We are happy to receive your comments and suggestions on our > approach and our new website. > > Best regards, > > > Stefan Opitz Dr. Jan Schwaab > Senior Manager Product Manager > " Clean Air in Cities " > Transport and Mobility > > From aables at adb.org Mon Sep 13 17:54:33 2004 From: aables at adb.org (aables@adb.org) Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 16:54:33 +0800 Subject: [sustran] EU policy declaration on cycling Message-ID: Here is a copy of a policy declaration that promotes cycling in Europe (Thanks, Karl F). Could our European friends please tell us if this had been adopted? Thanks. Au _______________________________________ Aurora Fe (Au) A. Ables Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Asian Development Bank Phone ++632 632 4444 local 70820 Fax ++632 636 2381 Email aables@adb.org Website http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040913/efc4481a/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: European policy declaration on cycling.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 23079 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040913/efc4481a/Europeanpolicydeclarationoncycling.bin From papon at inrets.fr Tue Sep 14 17:42:54 2004 From: papon at inrets.fr (Francis Papon) Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:42:54 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Re: EU policy declaration on cycling In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Yes it has been adopted: ? (At) 10:15 +0200 14/09/04, BERGUA JIMENEZ, Edorta ?crivait (wrote) : >En effet, cette note politique et la d?claration ont ?t? adopt?es au >conseil des ministres de Ljubljana, selon la r?ponse que j'ai re?u >de la Conf?rence Europ?enne des Ministres des Transports. > >Je vous envoie ci-joint la traduction fran?aise. > >Edorta Bergua >______________________________ >KALAPIE >Hiriko txirrindularien elkartea >Asociaci?n de ciclistas urbanos/as >1872 posta-kutxatila >E-20080 DONOSTIA > >kalapie@euskalnet.net >http://www.kalapie.org ? (At) 16:54 +0800 13/09/04, aables@adb.org ?crivait (wrote) : >Here is a copy of a policy declaration that promotes cycling in >Europe (Thanks, Karl F). Could our European friends please tell us >if this had been adopted? Thanks. > >Au >_______________________________________ >Aurora Fe (Au) A. Ables >Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) >Asian Development Bank >Phone ++632 632 4444 local 70820 >Fax ++632 636 2381 >Email aables@adb.org >Website http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia > >Annexe convertie: Jupiter:European policy declaration on (PDF >/CARO) (00089875) -- Francis Papon, mailto:francis.papon@inrets.fr tel +33147407270 Ingenieur en Chef des Ponts et Chaussees, chercheur @ INRETS/DEST/EEM, 2, av. du General Malleret-Joinville, F-94114 Arcueil France http://www.inrets.fr/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040914/c11af1df/attachment-0001.html From ericbruun at earthlink.net Fri Sep 17 10:51:09 2004 From: ericbruun at earthlink.net (Eric Bruun) Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:51:09 -0400 Subject: [sustran] distance based fuel tax technology test Message-ID: <015101c49c58$db129620$c0fb45cf@earthlink.net> Mileage Tax Road Tested Jul 20, 2004 GPS World Working under a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation, two engineering professors at Oregon State University designed and demonstrated a GPS and wireless system for "vehicles miles traveled" (VMT) that could replace the state?s gasoline tax. The system calculates how many miles a vehicle has traveled since its last refueling, computes a fee, and adds it to the fuel cost while the vehicle is still at the fuel pump. Watchdogs have already objected that such a system would charge the same mileage rate for gas-guzzling SUVs, super-efficient hybrid cars, and everything in between. Others have pointed to a potential threat to privacy. (Impetus for the project actually came from projections that increased fuel efficiency could reduce state revenues from gas taxes to the point, as early as 2014, that it could no longer maintain road infrastructures.) On the plus side, using GPS in the on-vehicle device gives the capability to implement "congestion pricing" ? charging different per-mile rates based on roads or regions traveled, or times of day. It could also exclude miles driven outside state borders. In a May demonstration, researchers David Kim and David Porter drove prototype vehicles through zones set up within the city of Corvallis to demonstrate how the system counts miles and then wireless incorporates the user fee into fuel purchases at test gas pumps. AFX Technologies International of Dallas, Texas, customized the in-vehicle units, based on its Mobile Minion asset tracking product, which uses Trimble?s Lassen SQ GPS module. The VMT will start a pilot trial with 400 volunteer drivers in Eugene, Oregon later this year. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040916/815c702a/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 295 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040916/815c702a/attachment.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 212 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040916/815c702a/attachment-0004.gif From pjavsicas at earthlink.net Fri Sep 17 23:49:00 2004 From: pjavsicas at earthlink.net (pjavsicas@earthlink.net) Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 10:49:00 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: hgtrans: distance based fuel tax technology test Message-ID: <241420-22004951714490112@M2W055.mail2web.com> Doesn't seem like a great leap in technology to then adjust the on board chip for the vehicle's fuel efficiency - or emissions rating. Peter Javsicas Original Message: ----------------- From: Eric Bruun ericbruun@earthlink.net Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:51:09 -0400 To: CONS-SPST-SPRAWL-TRANS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG, hgstransport@yahoogroups.com, sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org, Rogerboldt@aol.com, Stephen@gabites.co.nz, johanna@africon.co.za, RDELMIST@ebe.uct.ac.za, bo.ostlund@tfk.se, o.galella@trafixconsultants.com, brendon.hemily@sympatico.ca, borning@cs.washington.edu, beimborn@csd.uwm.edu, nhmw@mit.edu, morlok@seas.upenn.edu, allen@wharton.upenn.edu, vuchic@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, pucher@rci.rutgers.edu, gthompsn@coss.fsu.edu, TMatoff@ltk.com, jschumann@ltk.com, francisvanek@yahoo.com, j-schofer@northwestern.edu, jack@cdta.org, gregg@cutr.usf.edu, joel@miamidade.gov, maryon.john@urban-transport.com Subject: hgtrans: distance based fuel tax technology test Mileage Tax Road Tested Jul 20, 2004 GPS World Working under a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation, two engineering professors at Oregon State University designed and demonstrated a GPS and wireless system for "vehicles miles traveled" (VMT) that could replace the state?s gasoline tax. The system calculates how many miles a vehicle has traveled since its last refueling, computes a fee, and adds it to the fuel cost while the vehicle is still at the fuel pump. Watchdogs have already objected that such a system would charge the same mileage rate for gas-guzzling SUVs, super-efficient hybrid cars, and everything in between. Others have pointed to a potential threat to privacy. (Impetus for the project actually came from projections that increased fuel efficiency could reduce state revenues from gas taxes to the point, as early as 2014, that it could no longer maintain road infrastructures.) On the plus side, using GPS in the on-vehicle device gives the capability to implement "congestion pricing" ? charging different per-mile rates based on roads or regions traveled, or times of day. It could also exclude miles driven outside state borders. In a May demonstration, researchers David Kim and David Porter drove prototype vehicles through zones set up within the city of Corvallis to demonstrate how the system counts miles and then wireless incorporates the user fee into fuel purchases at test gas pumps. AFX Technologies International of Dallas, Texas, customized the in-vehicle units, based on its Mobile Minion asset tracking product, which uses Trimble?s Lassen SQ GPS module. The VMT will start a pilot trial with 400 volunteer drivers in Eugene, Oregon later this year. -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . From kviethung at gmx.de Mon Sep 20 18:00:16 2004 From: kviethung at gmx.de (Viet Hung Khuat) Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 11:00:16 +0200 (MEST) Subject: [sustran] Pedestrians's street in Hanoi! References: <00d701c49974$d4cfc9e0$6501a8c0@home> Message-ID: <30081.1095670816@www16.gmx.net> Dear All, >From 1.10.2004, the "Pedestrians's street" will be applied on Hang Dao - Dong Xuan streets that are the center line of the Hanoi Ancient quater. The pilot schedule will be from 20-24:00 (Sommer) and 19-24:00 (Winter) from Friday to Sunday. This pilot project is the first application of pedestrian zone measures in Vietnam and it is a very positive signal of the increasing of environmetal awareness among Hanoi people and politicians. I hope that, the time and the area will be extended after a short period. We will see!! HUNG -- **************************************** Khuat Viet Hung, M.Eng (C/o: Prof. Manfred Boltze) Institut fuer Verkehr, TU Darmstadt Petersenstrasse 30, 64287 Darmstadt, Deutschland Tel. : + 49-6151-16 2026 Fax: + 49-6151-16 2045 NEU: GMX ProMail mit bestem Virenschutz http://www.gmx.net/de/go/mail +++ Empfehlung der Redaktion +++ Internet Professionell 10/04 +++ From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Tue Sep 21 15:36:56 2004 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 14:36:56 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test Message-ID: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A046786@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> I have written something related to this topic. It has a Singapore-focus but is probably of wider interest too. It is a work-in-progress, so comments criticisms are welcome. "A vehicle quota integrated with road usage pricing: a mechanism to ease the phase-out of high fixed vehicle taxes in Singapore" by Dr Paul A. Barter Abstract This expository paper suggests a way to integrate a vehicle quota with usage based charging, including road pricing. It thereby challenges assumptions that ownership control requires high fixed vehicle costs. It focuses on Singapore, which has high purchase taxes and a Vehicle Quota System. These are effective but result in certain problems. The authorities are gradually relaxing ownership control and increasing reliance on usage charges. Mechanisms are proposed to variabilise fixed taxes, including the vehicle permit price, in ways that are compatible with the vehicle quota. This could make the shift to usage-based charging more efficient, complete and flexible. The full draft is at www.spp.nus.edu.sg/docs/wp/wp56.pdf Paul Dr Paul A. Barter Visiting Fellow, LKY School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore 5 Arts Link, Singapore 117570 Tel: +65-6874 3324; Fax: +65-6778 1020 Email: paulbarter@nus.edu.sg I am speaking for myself, not for my employers. > Original Message: > ----------------- > From: Eric Bruun ericbruun@earthlink.net > Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:51:09 -0400 > To: CONS-SPST-SPRAWL-TRANS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG, > hgstransport@yahoogroups.com, sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org, > Rogerboldt@aol.com, Stephen@gabites.co.nz, > johanna@africon.co.za, RDELMIST@ebe.uct.ac.za, > bo.ostlund@tfk.se, o.galella@trafixconsultants.com, > brendon.hemily@sympatico.ca, borning@cs.washington.edu, > beimborn@csd.uwm.edu, nhmw@mit.edu, morlok@seas.upenn.edu, > allen@wharton.upenn.edu, vuchic@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, > pucher@rci.rutgers.edu, gthompsn@coss.fsu.edu, > TMatoff@ltk.com, jschumann@ltk.com, francisvanek@yahoo.com, > j-schofer@northwestern.edu, jack@cdta.org, > gregg@cutr.usf.edu, joel@miamidade.gov, > maryon.john@urban-transport.com > Subject: hgtrans: distance based fuel tax technology test > > > > > Mileage Tax Road Tested > > > > > Jul 20, 2004 > GPS World > > > > > Working under a grant from the Oregon Department of > Transportation, two engineering professors at Oregon State > University designed and demonstrated a GPS and wireless > system for "vehicles miles traveled" (VMT) that could replace > the state?s gasoline tax. The system calculates how many > miles a vehicle has traveled since its last refueling, > computes a fee, and adds it to the fuel cost while the > vehicle is still at the fuel pump. > Watchdogs have already objected that such a system > would charge the same mileage rate for gas-guzzling SUVs, > super-efficient hybrid cars, and everything in between. > Others have pointed to a potential threat to privacy. > (Impetus for the project actually came from projections that > increased fuel efficiency could reduce state revenues from > gas taxes to the point, as early as 2014, that it could no > longer maintain road > infrastructures.) > > On the plus side, using GPS in the on-vehicle device > gives the capability to implement "congestion pricing" ? > charging different per-mile rates based on roads or regions > traveled, or times of day. It could also exclude miles driven > outside state borders. > > In a May demonstration, researchers David Kim and David > Porter drove prototype vehicles through zones set up within > the city of Corvallis to demonstrate how the system counts > miles and then wireless incorporates the user fee into fuel > purchases at test gas pumps. AFX Technologies International > of Dallas, Texas, customized the in-vehicle units, based on > its Mobile Minion asset tracking product, which uses > Trimble?s Lassen SQ GPS module. > > The VMT will start a pilot trial with 400 volunteer > drivers in Eugene, Oregon later this year. > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . > > > From richmond at alum.mit.edu Tue Sep 21 15:47:00 2004 From: richmond at alum.mit.edu (Jonathan E. D. Richmond) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 13:47:00 +0700 (SE Asia Standard Time) Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test In-Reply-To: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A046786@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> References: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A046786@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Hi Paul... I am also doing work on this very subject among others (and planning to present it at the APA conference in San Francisco) and would like to cite you even if your work is in progress. Hope that is ok. One of the students who went to Singapore also did some work on this topic. Regards, --Jonathan On Tue, 21 Sep 2004, Paul Barter wrote: > I have written something related to this topic. It has a Singapore-focus > but is probably of wider interest too. It is a work-in-progress, so > comments criticisms are welcome. > > "A vehicle quota integrated with road usage pricing: a mechanism to ease > the phase-out of high fixed vehicle taxes in Singapore" by Dr Paul A. > Barter > > Abstract > This expository paper suggests a way to integrate a vehicle quota with > usage based charging, including road pricing. It thereby challenges > assumptions that ownership control requires high fixed vehicle costs. It > focuses on Singapore, which has high purchase taxes and a Vehicle Quota > System. These are effective but result in certain problems. The > authorities are gradually relaxing ownership control and increasing > reliance on usage charges. Mechanisms are proposed to variabilise fixed > taxes, including the vehicle permit price, in ways that are compatible > with the vehicle quota. This could make the shift to usage-based > charging more efficient, complete and flexible. > > The full draft is at www.spp.nus.edu.sg/docs/wp/wp56.pdf > > Paul > > Dr Paul A. Barter > Visiting Fellow, LKY School of Public Policy, > National University of Singapore > 5 Arts Link, Singapore 117570 > Tel: +65-6874 3324; Fax: +65-6778 1020 > Email: paulbarter@nus.edu.sg > I am speaking for myself, not for my employers. > > > > Original Message: > > ----------------- > > From: Eric Bruun ericbruun@earthlink.net > > Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:51:09 -0400 > > To: CONS-SPST-SPRAWL-TRANS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG, > > hgstransport@yahoogroups.com, sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org, > > Rogerboldt@aol.com, Stephen@gabites.co.nz, > > johanna@africon.co.za, RDELMIST@ebe.uct.ac.za, > > bo.ostlund@tfk.se, o.galella@trafixconsultants.com, > > brendon.hemily@sympatico.ca, borning@cs.washington.edu, > > beimborn@csd.uwm.edu, nhmw@mit.edu, morlok@seas.upenn.edu, > > allen@wharton.upenn.edu, vuchic@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, > > pucher@rci.rutgers.edu, gthompsn@coss.fsu.edu, > > TMatoff@ltk.com, jschumann@ltk.com, francisvanek@yahoo.com, > > j-schofer@northwestern.edu, jack@cdta.org, > > gregg@cutr.usf.edu, joel@miamidade.gov, > > maryon.john@urban-transport.com > > Subject: hgtrans: distance based fuel tax technology test > > > > > > > > > > Mileage Tax Road Tested > > > > > > > > > > Jul 20, 2004 > > GPS World > > > > > > > > > > Working under a grant from the Oregon Department of > > Transportation, two engineering professors at Oregon State > > University designed and demonstrated a GPS and wireless > > system for "vehicles miles traveled" (VMT) that could replace > > the state?s gasoline tax. The system calculates how many > > miles a vehicle has traveled since its last refueling, > > computes a fee, and adds it to the fuel cost while the > > vehicle is still at the fuel pump. > > Watchdogs have already objected that such a system > > would charge the same mileage rate for gas-guzzling SUVs, > > super-efficient hybrid cars, and everything in between. > > Others have pointed to a potential threat to privacy. > > (Impetus for the project actually came from projections that > > increased fuel efficiency could reduce state revenues from > > gas taxes to the point, as early as 2014, that it could no > > longer maintain road > > infrastructures.) > > > > On the plus side, using GPS in the on-vehicle device > > gives the capability to implement "congestion pricing" ? > > charging different per-mile rates based on roads or regions > > traveled, or times of day. It could also exclude miles driven > > outside state borders. > > > > In a May demonstration, researchers David Kim and David > > Porter drove prototype vehicles through zones set up within > > the city of Corvallis to demonstrate how the system counts > > miles and then wireless incorporates the user fee into fuel > > purchases at test gas pumps. AFX Technologies International > > of Dallas, Texas, customized the in-vehicle units, based on > > its Mobile Minion asset tracking product, which uses > > Trimble?s Lassen SQ GPS module. > > > > The VMT will start a pilot trial with 400 volunteer > > drivers in Eugene, Oregon later this year. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . > > > > > > > ----- Jonathan E. D. Richmond 02 524-5510 (office) Visiting Fellow Intl.: 662 524-5510 Urban Environmental Management program, School of Environment, Resources and Development Room N260B 02 524-8257 (home) Asian Institute of Technology Intl.: 662 524-8257 PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 02 524-5509 (fax) Thailand Intl: 662 524-5509 e-mail: richmond@ait.ac.th Secretary: Ms. Suchitra Piempinsest richmond@alum.mit.edu 02 524-5642 Intl: 662 524-5642 http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ From richmond at alum.mit.edu Tue Sep 21 15:47:54 2004 From: richmond at alum.mit.edu (Jonathan E. D. Richmond) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 13:47:54 +0700 (SE Asia Standard Time) Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test In-Reply-To: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A046786@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> References: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A046786@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: Sorry... I accidentally sent a message to Paul to the whole list. Would we not be better off leaving the "reply to" to the original author, with the option to send to the list needing to be chosen? --Jonathan ----- Jonathan E. D. Richmond 02 524-5510 (office) Visiting Fellow Intl.: 662 524-5510 Urban Environmental Management program, School of Environment, Resources and Development Room N260B 02 524-8257 (home) Asian Institute of Technology Intl.: 662 524-8257 PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 02 524-5509 (fax) Thailand Intl: 662 524-5509 e-mail: richmond@ait.ac.th Secretary: Ms. Suchitra Piempinsest richmond@alum.mit.edu 02 524-5642 Intl: 662 524-5642 http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ From lfwright at usa.net Tue Sep 21 19:13:10 2004 From: lfwright at usa.net (Lloyd Wright) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 06:13:10 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test Message-ID: <488iiuJ6Z0688S03.1095761590@cmsweb10.cms.usa.net> Dear Paul, It is an interesting paper, and it is good see some creativity being applied to different charging approaches. I wonder, though, if ultimately the vehicle quota system is dropped and a distance-based scheme is the sole mechanism, then there will be significant purchases of second vehicles. Families could get around a 25,000 km quota by simply purchasing many vehicles. Further, if a person has a 25,000 km quota, then there may be a psychological push to fully use up your credits, even when there may not be an actual demand for the distance. Or persons may end up leasing out the vehicles which have spare kilometres. Whenever there are credit systems based on a total amount, then the system works to ensure persons will fully use the available credits. By contrast, marginal charges, such as the ERP, are effective in directly charging for each km at the point of use, and thus directly provide an incentive to curb usage. The paper begins with the point that the current combination of vehicle quotas and road pricing has "major drawbacks". But it is not quite clear what those major drawbacks are. The only point made in this regard is that the large upfront vehicle costs dwarf the marginal ERP charges, and thus psychologically create a situation where usage seems inexpensive. If this is the only problem, it seems like you could just change the balance (e.g., raise the ERP charges). This would seem far simpler and more effective than introducing another new scheme altogether. I do not know the situation in Singapore well, but it seems somewhat implicit in the paper that the vehicle quota system is under political pressure. Are new schemes being proposed because ultimately consumer pressure will mean a lifting of the vehicle quota system? Thanks for sharing the paper. Best, Lloyd Wright University College London ------ Original Message ------ Received: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 02:37:18 AM EDT From: "Paul Barter" To: "sustran-discuss" Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test I have written something related to this topic. It has a Singapore-focus but is probably of wider interest too. It is a work-in-progress, so comments criticisms are welcome. "A vehicle quota integrated with road usage pricing: a mechanism to ease the phase-out of high fixed vehicle taxes in Singapore" by Dr Paul A. Barter Abstract This expository paper suggests a way to integrate a vehicle quota with usage based charging, including road pricing. It thereby challenges assumptions that ownership control requires high fixed vehicle costs. It focuses on Singapore, which has high purchase taxes and a Vehicle Quota System. These are effective but result in certain problems. The authorities are gradually relaxing ownership control and increasing reliance on usage charges. Mechanisms are proposed to variabilise fixed taxes, including the vehicle permit price, in ways that are compatible with the vehicle quota. This could make the shift to usage-based charging more efficient, complete and flexible. The full draft is at www.spp.nus.edu.sg/docs/wp/wp56.pdf Paul Dr Paul A. Barter Visiting Fellow, LKY School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore 5 Arts Link, Singapore 117570 Tel: +65-6874 3324; Fax: +65-6778 1020 Email: paulbarter@nus.edu.sg I am speaking for myself, not for my employers. > Original Message: > ----------------- > From: Eric Bruun ericbruun@earthlink.net > Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:51:09 -0400 > To: CONS-SPST-SPRAWL-TRANS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG, > hgstransport@yahoogroups.com, sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org, > Rogerboldt@aol.com, Stephen@gabites.co.nz, > johanna@africon.co.za, RDELMIST@ebe.uct.ac.za, > bo.ostlund@tfk.se, o.galella@trafixconsultants.com, > brendon.hemily@sympatico.ca, borning@cs.washington.edu, > beimborn@csd.uwm.edu, nhmw@mit.edu, morlok@seas.upenn.edu, > allen@wharton.upenn.edu, vuchic@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, > pucher@rci.rutgers.edu, gthompsn@coss.fsu.edu, > TMatoff@ltk.com, jschumann@ltk.com, francisvanek@yahoo.com, > j-schofer@northwestern.edu, jack@cdta.org, > gregg@cutr.usf.edu, joel@miamidade.gov, > maryon.john@urban-transport.com > Subject: hgtrans: distance based fuel tax technology test > > > > > Mileage Tax Road Tested > > > > > Jul 20, 2004 > GPS World > > > > > Working under a grant from the Oregon Department of > Transportation, two engineering professors at Oregon State > University designed and demonstrated a GPS and wireless > system for "vehicles miles traveled" (VMT) that could replace > the state?s gasoline tax. The system calculates how many > miles a vehicle has traveled since its last refueling, > computes a fee, and adds it to the fuel cost while the > vehicle is still at the fuel pump. > Watchdogs have already objected that such a system > would charge the same mileage rate for gas-guzzling SUVs, > super-efficient hybrid cars, and everything in between. > Others have pointed to a potential threat to privacy. > (Impetus for the project actually came from projections that > increased fuel efficiency could reduce state revenues from > gas taxes to the point, as early as 2014, that it could no > longer maintain road > infrastructures.) > > On the plus side, using GPS in the on-vehicle device > gives the capability to implement "congestion pricing" ? > charging different per-mile rates based on roads or regions > traveled, or times of day. It could also exclude miles driven > outside state borders. > > In a May demonstration, researchers David Kim and David > Porter drove prototype vehicles through zones set up within > the city of Corvallis to demonstrate how the system counts > miles and then wireless incorporates the user fee into fuel > purchases at test gas pumps. AFX Technologies International > of Dallas, Texas, customized the in-vehicle units, based on > its Mobile Minion asset tracking product, which uses > Trimble?s Lassen SQ GPS module. > > The VMT will start a pilot trial with 400 volunteer > drivers in Eugene, Oregon later this year. > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . > > > From richmond at alum.mit.edu Tue Sep 21 20:16:19 2004 From: richmond at alum.mit.edu (Jonathan E. D. Richmond) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 18:16:19 +0700 (SE Asia Standard Time) Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test In-Reply-To: <488iiuJ6Z0688S03.1095761590@cmsweb10.cms.usa.net> References: <488iiuJ6Z0688S03.1095761590@cmsweb10.cms.usa.net> Message-ID: The vehicle quota system is under political pressure. The Singapore government is becoming paranoid about skilled young people leaving Singapore and, in various surveys with college students and the like, has found inability to purchase a car because of cost as a major cause of discontent. My feeling is that change is possible, although there are heavy conservative pressures to keep the quota charges which bring in much revenue -- and the Singapore government always likes revenue! I think there is a legitimate concern, also, that lifting quotas could lead to environmental problems, however skillful the attempts to provide charging mechanisms which will maintain equivalent control. As one person told me, if quotas go, the next political pressure will be to reduce (or not to increase) tolls --Jonathan On Tue, 21 Sep 2004, Lloyd Wright wrote: > Dear Paul, > > It is an interesting paper, and it is good see some creativity being applied > to different charging approaches. > > I wonder, though, if ultimately the vehicle quota system is dropped and a > distance-based scheme is the sole mechanism, then there will be significant > purchases of second vehicles. Families could get around a 25,000 km quota by > simply purchasing many vehicles. > > Further, if a person has a 25,000 km quota, then there may be a psychological > push to fully use up your credits, even when there may not be an actual demand > for the distance. Or persons may end up leasing out the vehicles which have > spare kilometres. Whenever there are credit systems based on a total amount, > then the system works to ensure persons will fully use the available credits. > By contrast, marginal charges, such as the ERP, are effective in directly > charging for each km at the point of use, and thus directly provide an > incentive to curb usage. > > The paper begins with the point that the current combination of vehicle quotas > and road pricing has "major drawbacks". But it is not quite clear what those > major drawbacks are. The only point made in this regard is that the large > upfront vehicle costs dwarf the marginal ERP charges, and thus psychologically > create a situation where usage seems inexpensive. If this is the only > problem, it seems like you could just change the balance (e.g., raise the ERP > charges). This would seem far simpler and more effective than introducing > another new scheme altogether. > > I do not know the situation in Singapore well, but it seems somewhat implicit > in the paper that the vehicle quota system is under political pressure. Are > new schemes being proposed because ultimately consumer pressure will mean a > lifting of the vehicle quota system? > > Thanks for sharing the paper. > > Best, > > Lloyd Wright > University College London > > ------ Original Message ------ > Received: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 02:37:18 AM EDT > From: "Paul Barter" > To: "sustran-discuss" > Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test > > I have written something related to this topic. It has a Singapore-focus > but is probably of wider interest too. It is a work-in-progress, so > comments criticisms are welcome. > > "A vehicle quota integrated with road usage pricing: a mechanism to ease > the phase-out of high fixed vehicle taxes in Singapore" by Dr Paul A. > Barter > > Abstract > This expository paper suggests a way to integrate a vehicle quota with > usage based charging, including road pricing. It thereby challenges > assumptions that ownership control requires high fixed vehicle costs. It > focuses on Singapore, which has high purchase taxes and a Vehicle Quota > System. These are effective but result in certain problems. The > authorities are gradually relaxing ownership control and increasing > reliance on usage charges. Mechanisms are proposed to variabilise fixed > taxes, including the vehicle permit price, in ways that are compatible > with the vehicle quota. This could make the shift to usage-based > charging more efficient, complete and flexible. > > The full draft is at www.spp.nus.edu.sg/docs/wp/wp56.pdf > > Paul > > Dr Paul A. Barter > Visiting Fellow, LKY School of Public Policy, > National University of Singapore > 5 Arts Link, Singapore 117570 > Tel: +65-6874 3324; Fax: +65-6778 1020 > Email: paulbarter@nus.edu.sg > I am speaking for myself, not for my employers. > > > > Original Message: > > ----------------- > > From: Eric Bruun ericbruun@earthlink.net > > Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:51:09 -0400 > > To: CONS-SPST-SPRAWL-TRANS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG, > > hgstransport@yahoogroups.com, sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org, > > Rogerboldt@aol.com, Stephen@gabites.co.nz, > > johanna@africon.co.za, RDELMIST@ebe.uct.ac.za, > > bo.ostlund@tfk.se, o.galella@trafixconsultants.com, > > brendon.hemily@sympatico.ca, borning@cs.washington.edu, > > beimborn@csd.uwm.edu, nhmw@mit.edu, morlok@seas.upenn.edu, > > allen@wharton.upenn.edu, vuchic@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, > > pucher@rci.rutgers.edu, gthompsn@coss.fsu.edu, > > TMatoff@ltk.com, jschumann@ltk.com, francisvanek@yahoo.com, > > j-schofer@northwestern.edu, jack@cdta.org, > > gregg@cutr.usf.edu, joel@miamidade.gov, > > maryon.john@urban-transport.com > > Subject: hgtrans: distance based fuel tax technology test > > > > > > > > > > Mileage Tax Road Tested > > > > > > > > > > Jul 20, 2004 > > GPS World > > > > > > > > > > Working under a grant from the Oregon Department of > > Transportation, two engineering professors at Oregon State > > University designed and demonstrated a GPS and wireless > > system for "vehicles miles traveled" (VMT) that could replace > > the state?s gasoline tax. The system calculates how many > > miles a vehicle has traveled since its last refueling, > > computes a fee, and adds it to the fuel cost while the > > vehicle is still at the fuel pump. > > Watchdogs have already objected that such a system > > would charge the same mileage rate for gas-guzzling SUVs, > > super-efficient hybrid cars, and everything in between. > > Others have pointed to a potential threat to privacy. > > (Impetus for the project actually came from projections that > > increased fuel efficiency could reduce state revenues from > > gas taxes to the point, as early as 2014, that it could no > > longer maintain road > > infrastructures.) > > > > On the plus side, using GPS in the on-vehicle device > > gives the capability to implement "congestion pricing" ? > > charging different per-mile rates based on roads or regions > > traveled, or times of day. It could also exclude miles driven > > outside state borders. > > > > In a May demonstration, researchers David Kim and David > > Porter drove prototype vehicles through zones set up within > > the city of Corvallis to demonstrate how the system counts > > miles and then wireless incorporates the user fee into fuel > > purchases at test gas pumps. AFX Technologies International > > of Dallas, Texas, customized the in-vehicle units, based on > > its Mobile Minion asset tracking product, which uses > > Trimble?s Lassen SQ GPS module. > > > > The VMT will start a pilot trial with 400 volunteer > > drivers in Eugene, Oregon later this year. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . > > > > > > > > > > ----- Jonathan E. D. Richmond 02 524-5510 (office) Visiting Fellow Intl.: 662 524-5510 Urban Environmental Management program, School of Environment, Resources and Development Room N260B 02 524-8257 (home) Asian Institute of Technology Intl.: 662 524-8257 PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 02 524-5509 (fax) Thailand Intl: 662 524-5509 e-mail: richmond@ait.ac.th Secretary: Ms. Suchitra Piempinsest richmond@alum.mit.edu 02 524-5642 Intl: 662 524-5642 http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Tue Sep 21 20:50:40 2004 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 19:50:40 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test Message-ID: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A04678A@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Dear Lloyd Thanks for taking time to read and comment. > I wonder, though, if ultimately the vehicle quota system is > dropped and a distance-based scheme is the sole mechanism, > then there will be significant purchases of second vehicles. > Families could get around a 25,000 km quota by simply > purchasing many vehicles. Actually, they can't get around it this way. The proposal is to allow Singapore's vehicle quota to be retained (but to allow the auction price - known as the COE price - to be variabilised). If demand for vehicles increases, then the price under the vehicle-quota auction would still rise just like now. The Singapore authorities would retain the ability to control vehicle numbers just like now. Also please note that the 25,000 km is not a usage quota. Instead, 25,000 km is one suggestion for a usage limit for the vehicle taxes (including the quota auction price). In other words, it is a tax-paid allowance. A usage limit is not a quota, it is just a neat way to variabilise lump-sum vehicle taxes. (I am proposing usage limits to replace the current 10-year limit on the auction price) You can keep using your vehicle after the usage limit is used up. You just need to pay another round of vehicle taxes. The proposal is for such payments to become routine, whenever you run out of your tax-paid allowance. The incentive to drive less is in trying to delay your next round of vehicle taxes. It truly is usage-based charging, albeit integrated with the vehicle quota scheme. > Further, if a person has a 25,000 km quota, then there may be > a psychological push to fully use up your credits, even when > there may not be an actual demand for the distance. Or > persons may end up leasing out the vehicles which have spare > kilometres. Whenever there are credit systems based on a > total amount, then the system works to ensure persons will > fully use the available credits. I think you may be assuming that there is a time limit on the 25,000 kms (as with other similar proposals in the literature). Under this proposal there is no such time limit. If you decide to use your vehicle sparingly, then you could make your vehicle taxes last for many years. So there is no incentive to use up any quota. > By contrast, marginal charges, such as the ERP, are effective > in directly charging for each km at the point of use, and > thus directly provide an incentive to curb usage. Agreed. And this proposal also charges for every km by running down your tax-paid usage allowance and making your next payment loom up faster. > The paper begins with the point that the current combination > of vehicle quotas and road pricing has "major drawbacks". > But it is not quite clear what those major drawbacks are. > The only point made in this regard is that the large upfront > vehicle costs dwarf the marginal ERP charges, and thus > psychologically create a situation where usage seems > inexpensive. If this is the only problem, it seems like you > could just change the balance (e.g., raise the ERP charges). > This would seem far simpler and more effective than > introducing another new scheme altogether. The main problem is indeed mainly the sunk costs psychology. This HAS prompted the Singapore authorities to begin to gradually reduce fixed vehicle costs, as you suggest. So they do indeed plan to rely more on usage charges like ERP. I certainly agree with you that Singapore could reduce fixed costs dramatically and just let the ERP mechanism do its work. However, they are unable to reduce the fixed taxes very quickly (for various good reasons explained in the paper). They also seem unwilling to comtemplate going very far in this direction. An important reason is fear about the possibility of sky high ERP prices, with uncertain political cost. Under the existing mechanisms, reducing fixed costs and increasing usage costs necessarily involves a large increase in the vehicle fleet (unless demand is dampened by economic crisis or such like). There is an understandable reluctance to let go of control over vehicle numbers. (Speculating a bit, but I imagine that nightmare scenarios haunt the authorities here as they contemplate the day fixed vehicle taxes are suddenly dropped to zero... Would thousands of people rush out to buy new vehicles for the first time, not realising that ERP charges are about to skyrocket. These people then feel extremely annoyed a few months later when they find they can't afford to actually drive their new vehicles.) The main point of the paper is therefore that it allows the authorities to retain this policy lever, the vehicle quota, while eliminating its main downside. It would allow them to quickly remove the sunk costs problem yet to be gradual about loosening their control of vehicle numbers. Have I managed to clarify? Paul From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Tue Sep 21 21:54:12 2004 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 20:54:12 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test Message-ID: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A04678B@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Jonathan Richmond wrote: > The vehicle quota system is under political pressure. The > Singapore government is becoming paranoid about skilled young > people leaving Singapore and, in various surveys with college > students and the like, has found inability to purchase a car > because of cost as a major cause of discontent. My feeling is > that change is possible, although there are heavy > conservative pressures to keep the quota charges which bring > in much revenue -- and the Singapore government always likes > revenue! Using very simple (simplistic?) reasoning, I think that the proposal in my paper should allow the same traffic control as the existing system but with lower revenue. This is because it removes conflicting messages in the existing system. High fixed vehicle taxes make the usage costs seem trivial, so ERP charges must be high to have any impact. The contradictions in the existing system make it more expensive for motorists than it needs to be. Of course, I may be neglecting something which a more sophisticated economic analysis would reveal. > I think there is a legitimate concern, also, that > lifting quotas could lead to environmental problems, however > skillful the attempts to provide charging mechanisms which > will maintain equivalent control. As one person told me, if > quotas go, the next political pressure will be to reduce (or not to > increase) tolls --Jonathan Agreed. However, don't forget that an important feature of the Singapore demand management system is the extent to which the mechanisms for the pricing have 'automatic triggers' (or are 'quantity based' in the economic jargon). For example, the COE prices under the vehicle quota rise and fall with demand and the ERP price changes are triggered by traffic speeds going beyond a certain target range. This helps depoliticise them to some extent... Although not completely of course! This allows the political debate about pricing to be shifted to being not about prices themselves (very difficult to defend) to being about the size of the quota, the amount of road building, the speed targets, and such like, which are much easier to defend. Paul From ericbruun at earthlink.net Wed Sep 22 09:16:13 2004 From: ericbruun at earthlink.net (Eric Bruun) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 20:16:13 -0400 Subject: [sustran] See Item 13 Message-ID: <014301c4a039$648786c0$7efd45cf@earthlink.net> There were a lot of issues raised when I read this. Probably for others as well. Just two highlights: 1) The Kuala Lampur airport description boasts that it is environmentally sustainable. 2) There is going to continual and massive investment around the Detroit airport when much of the area is abandoned brownfields and transit is substandard. Eric ----- Original Message ----- From: Bernie Wagenblast To: Transportation Communications Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 5:48 PM Subject: [transport-communications] Tuesday, September 21, 2004 Transportation Communications Newsletter Tuesday, September 21, 2004 -- ISSN: 1529-1057 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **TCN Editor Seeking Job** Please see below for details. 1) Airlines Told to Turn Over Passenger Data Link to Associated Press story via the Times Union: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=287583&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=9/21/2004 Link to news release from the Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=44&content=09000519800cf2f3 2) Traffic Congestion and Reliability: Linking Solutions to Problems Link to report from the Federal Highway Administration: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion_report/congestion_report.pdf 3) New Traffic System in Seoul Drawing International Attention Link to story in The Korea Times: http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200409/kt2004092117164911960.htm 4) New Texas I-10 Traffic Incident Management Plan Needs Work Link to story on KFOX-TV: http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/3746806/detail.html 5) Houston MetroRail Passes Pose Problem Smart card delay is giving some an unlimited free ride. Link to article in the Houston Chronicle: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2803970 6) A Crossroad in Technology Remote-control train operation is controversial. Link to article in The Roanoke Times: http://www.roanoke.com/business%5C10901.html Unions Exchange Barbs http://www.roanoke.com/business%5C10906.html 7) New Vision for Auto Repairs Wearable digital data screen gives technicians information as they make repairs. Link to Associated Press story via The Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002040561_microvision20.html 8) Sydney to Bridge Harbor with Wi-Fi Ferries Link to article on ZDNet News Australia: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/wireless/0,39020348,39167304,00.htm 9) GM to Double Production of OnStar-Equipped Vehicles Link to Associated Press story via MLive.com: http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1095796549290400.xml&storylist=newsmichigan Link to news release from General Motors: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040921/detu009_1.html 10) Articles on Michigan CrainTech - Telematics of the '90s Gets a Lesson in 2004 Reality http://michigan.craintech.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=3879 - Suppliers Race to Develop Electronic Components http://michigan.craintech.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=3880 - Auto Suppliers Sense Profit in Electronics http://michigan.craintech.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=3881 - Convergence Show Continues to Grow http://michigan.craintech.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=3878 11) Terror Attacks Spur Israel Road Deaths Spike-Study Link to Reuters story: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=6284431 12) Travel-Time Info on Minnesota Freeway Tuesday Link to story in the Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4991500.html (free registration required) 13) Airport Cities - October 4-6 - Detroit Link to further information: http://www.airportcities.info/ 14) Wireless Warehouse Europe 2004 - October 14-15 - Brussels Link to further information: http://www.eyefortransport.com/warehouse/index.shtml Today in Transportation History: *50th Anniversary* - September 21, 1954: The Lehigh Valley Thruway (US Route 22) opens between Allentown and Easton, Pennsylvania. http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-4route22sep19,0,2222499.story?coll=all-newslocal-hed **I was recently laid-off so I'm now searching for a new transportation-related position. While most of you know me through my work with the TCN, I've been employed in a variety of positions in the transportation field over the past 25 years. This has included work in both the public and private sectors, the media and freelance work. Below you'll find a link to my abbreviated resume. Ideally, I'd like a position that uses both my transportation and communications skills. This could include operations, public affairs and marketing. I'm also available for freelance voice work. If you'd like more information, or a sample of my voice work, please drop me a line at i95berniew@aol.com. Thanks! Resume link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications-add/message/17** =================================================== The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. For a free subscription please send an e-mail message to: transport-communications-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To unsubscribe please send a message to: transport-communications-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com TCN homepage: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications Questions, comments about the Transportation Communications Newsletter? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast, at i95berniew@aol.com ? 2004 Bernie Wagenblast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links a.. To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/ b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: transport-communications-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040921/9ad56914/attachment.html From kennaughkb at yahoo.com.au Wed Sep 22 11:50:53 2004 From: kennaughkb at yahoo.com.au (Kirk Bendall) Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 12:50:53 +1000 (EST) Subject: [sustran] Re: See Item 13 In-Reply-To: <014301c4a039$648786c0$7efd45cf@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <20040922025053.73577.qmail@web21321.mail.yahoo.com> - Airport authorities may not be subject to relevant landuse palnning strategies/policies - how sutainable is a strategy based on air travel driven activity at $30 a barrel? - $40? $50? Kirk Bendall Wollongong Australia --- Eric Bruun wrote: > There were a lot of issues raised when I read this. > Probably for others as well. Just two highlights: > > 1) The Kuala Lampur airport description boasts that > it is environmentally sustainable. > > 2) There is going to continual and massive > investment around the Detroit airport when much of > the area is abandoned brownfields and transit is > substandard. > > Eric > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Bernie Wagenblast > To: Transportation Communications > Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 5:48 PM > Subject: [transport-communications] Tuesday, > September 21, 2004 > > > Transportation Communications Newsletter > > Tuesday, September 21, 2004 -- ISSN: 1529-1057 > > 13) Airport Cities - October 4-6 - Detroit > Link to further information: > http://www.airportcities.info/ > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. http://au.movies.yahoo.com From ifrtd at gn.apc.org Wed Sep 22 18:42:46 2004 From: ifrtd at gn.apc.org (IFRTD) Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 10:42:46 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20040922094104.91F0D14B841@mail.gn.apc.org> I don't think that is a very good idea - it would increase the possibility that interesting exchanges become bilateral ones and get lost to other members (some who, like me, may not contribute much but are interested in the debates!) Priyanthi Fernando IFRTD -----Original Message----- From: sustran-discuss-bounces+ifrtd=gn.apc.org@list.jca.apc.org [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+ifrtd=gn.apc.org@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan E. D. Richmond Sent: 21 September 2004 06:48 To: Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test Sorry... I accidentally sent a message to Paul to the whole list. Would we not be better off leaving the "reply to" to the original author, with the option to send to the list needing to be chosen? --Jonathan ----- Jonathan E. D. Richmond 02 524-5510 (office) Visiting Fellow Intl.: 662 524-5510 Urban Environmental Management program, School of Environment, Resources and Development Room N260B 02 524-8257 (home) Asian Institute of Technology Intl.: 662 524-8257 PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 02 524-5509 (fax) Thailand Intl: 662 524-5509 e-mail: richmond@ait.ac.th Secretary: Ms. Suchitra Piempinsest richmond@alum.mit.edu 02 524-5642 Intl: 662 524-5642 http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Thu Sep 23 12:04:20 2004 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 11:04:20 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Fwd: Fuel subsidy problem awaits Bambang Message-ID: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A039ABD@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Straits Times SEPT 23, 2004 http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,274074,00.html? Indonesian Election Fuel subsidy problem awaits Bambang Striking a balance between easing pressure on budget and protecting the poor needs to be done urgently JAKARTA - The ability of Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is poised to become the country's sixth president, will be sorely tested when he comes to grips with the country's fuel subsidy policy. Top officials and businessmen agree that the subsidy needs to be reviewed urgently as it is ineffective and puts too heavy a burden on the state budget. 'We suggest the elimination of subsidies on bunker oil, premium petrol and industrial diesel oil. 'The subsidies for automotive diesel oil and kerosene should be maintained for the moment, as these types of fuel are mostly used by the poor,' Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Tuesday. The current government launched several years ago a programme to gradually scrap fuel subsidies, but it put the programme on hold this year to avoid unrest breaking out during the election. In the past, fuel price increases have led to widespread protests and riots - a political liability for any president. The situation was made more acute in March when Indonesia - an oil producer which is a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) - became a net importer for the first time. Initially, the Megawati government had allocated 14.5 trillion rupiah (S$2.7 billion) for the fuel subsidy this year. However, since the government is determined not to raise fuel prices despite soaring worldwide oil prices, the subsidy may more than triple from the initial figure. In the revised 2004 state budget, currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives, the government proposed a whopping 63 trillion rupiah fuel subsidy, almost equal to the 69.6 trillion rupiah proposed for development spending throughout the year. For next year's budget, the current government has proposed 33.6 trillion rupiah for the subsidy, at an assumed oil price of US$24 (S$40) per barrel. In reality, the subsidy could be much higher as there is a consensus among oil traders that the realistic price of oil will be about US$40 per barrel throughout next year. The ballooning fuel subsidy has caused concern as it has hampered the government's efforts to promote education and health programmes. Critics note that it has been enjoyed by car owners rather the poor, and a large volume of the subsidised fuel has been smuggled out of the country. Mr Bambang pledged earlier in a televised debate to apply a more targeted and 'pro-poor' fuel subsidy in order to strike a balance between reducing pressure on the state budget and protecting the poor. -- Jakarta Post/ Asia News Network ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040923/a845b941/attachment.html From ccordero at amauta.rcp.net.pe Thu Sep 23 12:37:31 2004 From: ccordero at amauta.rcp.net.pe (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Carlos_Cordero_Vel=E1squez?=) Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 22:37:31 -0500 Subject: [sustran] octubre a escala humana Message-ID: <001a01c4a11e$f3f00220$33b601c8@pentiumiii> CICLORED El bolet?n del transporte a escala humana Oct-Nov, 04 Este boleto, para Pili y C?sar y su largo viaje. Viaje a Italia ?D?nde termina un viaje? ?Qu? ocurre si al llegar no has llegado? ?Cu?l es el paso que nos devuelve? Un viaje sentado e inm?vil, un trayecto contradictorio, eso es el cine. M?s cercano al tren y su ventana en las pel?culas de acci?n, a la bicicleta y su manubrio en los dramas y a los r?sticos autom?viles y su simpleza en los blockbusters. A diferencia del transporte a escala humana, la velocidad y la perspectiva cinematogr?fica poco dependen de uno, est?n sujetas a la imaginaci?n y la sensibilidad de otros. Pero como en todo, una lectura atenta y la forja de cierta sensibilidad nos permite interactuar con el mundo del frente. Son los d?as de las fiestas nacionales y no hay mejor fiesta que reencontrarse con los amigos que vienen a pasar unos d?as desde su exilio personal. Esos d?as que en Lima imponen su letargo, su manto de cielo gris infinito. Como cualquier otra ruta y poni?ndole un poco de abstracci?n al asunto, el cine es tambi?n una voluntad, un proceso arduo y laborioso y despu?s un resultado, un viaje tambi?n. Pero no el de todos los d?as, trayecto impuesto al individuo con ruta y horario, suerte de gravamen urbano que permite la subsistencia. No, es un viaje elegido. Mientras pedaleo al encuentro del sabor del ceviche y la conversaci?n amical, la tarde y su s?bado fluyen despacio, el almuerzo es seguido por un caf? y un postre cercano. Entrada la tarde, due?os de la ley de la calle, decidimos ir de compras y aprovechamos la caminata para recoger unas fotos en Miraflores y regresar m?s tarde para un corto Viaje a Italia, en el peque?o cine de Barranco. Uno siempre recuerda los viajes elegidos, los tramos largos o breves en busca de una reuni?n, de un rostro amable, en pos de la promesa de una ciudad; pero en ese proceso tiende a olvidar la moldura de los que nunca fueron, la impronta de aquellos destinos rezagados por el azar o el tiempo. Esos viajes son a veces nuestra pel?cula personal. Bordeamos el mar en direcci?n a Miraflores, poni?ndonos al d?a, cont?ndonos las vidas, la de ellos que vuelven despu?s de tiempo, la de nosotros que estando aqu? estuvimos antes lejos. Son aquellos viajes a trav?s de la vida de otros, contados como las antiguas seriales, por cap?tulos. Al llegar, la tienda de fotos no atiende y hay que desandar el camino, conversarlo nuevamente y as?, reconstruir el destino del pr?ximo viaje. Hablamos de proyectos personales, del futuro que pensamos construir entre esta visita y la siguiente, y caminando el tiempo adquiere esa dimensi?n que lo aleja de su forma com?n de instrumento para tornarse parte de uno, aliado de lo que se dice, de los gestos que uno hace, cerc?ndonos como el malec?n que nos acompa?a; cuando de pronto nos asalta la hora del cine y en la puerta nos dicen que ya empez? la pel?cula. El fracaso de ese nuevo destino, de su funci?n de correveidile de los deseos, nos deja molestos, pero sin tanta prisa buscamos una pel?cula de alquiler, algo de comer y poco de beber para inventarnos un nuevo viaje. Un viaje elegido comporta una libertad mayor: un destino propio, una ruta flexible en direcci?n y tiempo y la posibilidad real de elegir compa??a y forma. El viaje elegido nos expresa y baja de la rutina, y compensa la caminata o el esfuerzo de la bicicleta por la cambiante comuni?n entre el espacio y el tiempo. Al borde de la noche encontramos Un D?a Muy Especial, un viaje distinto a Italia, con Mastroniani y la Loren zafados de sus papeles habituales. Yo no s? si esto explique la naturaleza del viaje propio, del trayecto como intenci?n, tal vez no. ?l en el rol de un homosexual estigmatizado por la Italia fascista y ella, una matrona cansada de la tiran?a dom?stica y envuelta en la ideolog?a de la ?poca. Pero a diferencia de los viajes por necesidad, el viaje elegido tiene una flexibilidad mayor. Ambos en un duelo magistral que se levanta sobre la tragedia de sus vidas, con cada di?logo perseguido por el discurso oficial y las marchas de la farsa militar, a modo de divorcio entre la intimidad del apartamento y la calle. El proceso y el resultado de un viaje siempre son algo dif?cil de distinguir porque andan mezclados, entreverados en la conversaci?n, el paisaje y la vida. No lo decimos, pero lo sabemos. Al final, una jornada particular, un d?a especial, puede enredar un t?tulo y una realidad. &&& Terra E de nada valeria acontecer de eu ser gente e gente ? outra alegria diferente las estrelas de onde nem tempo nem espacio que a fuerza mande coragem pra gente te dar carinho durante toda viagem que realizas no nada a trav?s do cual carregas o nome da tua carne (Caetano Veloso, Terra) &&& Retrato triste de Santiago Los pasajes de Santiago son laberintos. Peque?as cuevas de comerciantes, parecen fachadas de algo oculto. Ah? la ciudad es de nadie. Apenas un permanente tr?nsito de peque?ez y mediocridad. Todo es ordinario y sexual. Las farmacia homeop?ticas y los zapateros remendones. Las oficinas de la loter?a y las agencias h?picas. Las vitrinas con ropa interior femenina. Los escaparates con condimentos orientales para los refugiados del Per?. Los juguetes tra?dos de Hong Kong. Aviones de pl?stico con trompas de elefante. Bacinicas con la sonrisa de Mickey Mouse. Insecticidas al lado de ventiladores. V?deos con car?tulas de samur?is. Mercer?as con cintas nupciales. Mendigos ofreciendo pa?uelos de papel para las narices agripadas. Minifaldas a punto de explotar sobre nalgas rollizas. Galanes que fuman eternamente un cigarrillo a la espera de que a alguien se le caiga alg?n billete al comprar una revista. Florer?as con coronas baratas para difuntos indigentes. Timadores que arrojan tres monedas sobre las baldosas y luego que aplastan una con el zapato para que se apueste d?nde est?. Reparadores de neum?ticos de bicicletas desinflados. Infinitas farmacias con yerbas para el h?gado, la gonorrea, el tratamiento de piedras vesiculares y el aumento benigno de la pr?stata. Y en el centro de todo, con escalas cubiertas de alfombras que en alguna otra d?cada fueron muelles y elegantes, los cines rotativos que comienzan a funcionar antes del ahora del almuerzo. Los espect?culos para solitarios y cesantes. Para desdentados y pr?fugos. Para los amantes de las pantallas con artes marciales y suecas incansables galopando vergas africanas en alg?n lugar tur?stico del mediterr?neo. (Antonio Sk?rmeta, El Baile de la Victoria, Ed. Planeta, 2003) Otro retrato de Santiago Les avisamos que est?n "en el aire" el nuevo sitio de los Arriba 'e la Chancha, agrupaci?n de ciclistas urbanos que pertenece a Ciudad Viva. Est? muy simp?tico, con noticias e informaciones breves y ?tiles, as? que les invitamos a visitarlo en: http://www.arribaelachancha.cl/ Adem?s, les ofrecemos como bot?n de muestra el art?culo de portada del nuevo sitio. ?Bravo los valientes ciclistas! Llaman la atenci?n y nos hacen reflexionar m?s, en esta vida tan tensionada. Hay que tener ojo con las contradicciones, como por ejemplo ir en auto a pasar una hora -- andando en una bicicleta estacionaria -- cuando uno podr?a perfectamente andar por todos lados en bicicleta en Santiago. Muchos piensan que es "muy peligroso", pero la verdad es que no es as?. Hay muchas rutas seguras y r?pidas, y habr?n muchas m?s en la medida que ocupemos la calle con este modo de transporte urbano ideal. (Lake Sagaris) &&& La temperatura Fahrenheit Estuve leyendo que Ray Bradbury se molest? porque Michael Moore utiliz? de manera inconsulta la met?fora y el t?tulo de su novela Fahrenheit 451 (F451) para su documental antibush. No deber?a. Es un homenaje, cincuenta y tantos a?os despu?s de su publicaci?n. A ra?z de la an?cdota, me he preguntado qu? puede haber en com?n entre obras de distinto formato y lenguaje, y cuando digo ambas no me refiero ?nicamente a la relaci?n entre ellas, tambi?n a la relaci?n entre ellas y su tiempo. F451 fue publicada pocos a?os despu?s del fin de la segunda guerra mundial y F9-11 en el contexto de la invasi?n a Irak, no es casual entonces que ambas muestren una profunda convicci?n pacifista, entendi?ndose como recusaciones de sociedades cada vez m?s alejadas de un proyecto humano y racional y gobernadas por aparatos econ?micos y medi?ticos capaces de reinterpretar y justificar constantemente las acciones propias, met?fora llevada al extremo por la pel?cula Matrix. F451 dise?a una sociedad donde los libros est?n prohibidos y, parad?jicamente, cuya perversi?n institucional m?s evidente reside en el rol de los bomberos, suerte de ej?rcito de ocupaci?n encargado de quemarlos. (F451 es la temperatura a la cual arde el papel). En la superficie de la historia, el lugar de los libros proscritos es ocupado por una televisi?n omnipresente, es decir, una suplantaci?n de la relaci?n personal e imaginativa entre el lector y su libro por una relaci?n masiva, acaso una met?fora de las relaciones en una sociedad de personas aisladas, sostenidas por v?nculos precarios, pero cuya fragmentaci?n es sumamente funcional al poder. Cada personaje de F451 es un ejemplo de la dificultad para encontrar destinos satisfactorios en los valores sociales predominantes. Personajes arrojados al fuego social, calcinados por la ausencia de un destino propio y enriquecedor. El propio Bradbury ha narrado en alguna entrevista que la primera idea de la novela le vino a la cabeza un d?a mientras caminaba solo y fue detenido e interrogado por la polic?a, por eso, por caminar. ?Qu? est? ocurriendo con una sociedad cuando caminar, el acto mas simple del que disponemos, se vuelve sospechoso?. Creo que la misma sospecha debe haber alcanzado a Moore cuando percibe que los medios masivos y el estado introducen y utilizan el miedo de manera creciente para intentar conformar un ser social al servicio de ileg?timos intereses. Tanto Bowling for Columbine como F9-11 - los dos ?ltimos trabajos de Moore - despliegan la misma hip?tesis: el miedo como instrumento para lograr objetivos pol?ticos estatales y corporativos, como ejercicio habitual del poder, el miedo para afirmar valores antidemocr?ticos, para generar inseguridad y crear respuestas emocionales, alojadas y adormecidas en una seguridad construida sobre la mentira y el desprecio a la diferencia. El bombero protagonista de F451 y el yo narrativo de Moore comparten una misma l?gica y esperanza: el poder del individuo para desenmascarar y rebelarse frente a los m?s obvios mecanismos del discurso oficial, a partir de los propios medios que ofrece la sociedad: la alerta general, la construcci?n de lazos interpersonales y colectivos y la deconstrucci?n del discurso del poder (la gestualidad en los momentos anteriores a las presentaciones televisivas de Bush no pueden ser mas reveladores). En F451, el discurso del poder, encarnado en el jefe de los bomberos ("no se puede construir una casa sin clavos y madera, si no quieres construirla, esconde los calvos y la madera. Si no quieres que una persona sea infeliz pol?ticamente, no le des dos lados de una historia para que se preocupe, dale uno, o mejor a?n, ninguno") muestra un rasgo que aparece de manera m?s obvia en el documental: la permanente contradicci?n entre el discurso y el ejercicio del poder, que apela a la guerra como justificaci?n de la paz y la propia conciencia de la falsedad de su discurso, que en F451 sabe que la prohibici?n de los libros postula suprimir su carga conflictual, pero de paso sirve para eliminar todo su potencial liberador y que ambas son las caras indesligables de la moneda vital, por lo que el punto cr?tico del discurso oficial es presentarse como supresor de diferencias, como tranquilizador y generador de seguridad. Si algo diferencia ambas obras es el acento en la deconstruci?n de los lazos sociales que construyen los personajes: mientras F 451 se ubica al lado de los que empiezan a tomar conciencia de la situaci?n, F9-11 intentar revelar los lazos personales y financieros que atan al poder y c?mo su actuaci?n impacta y decide sobre la vida y muerte de millones de personas. Ambos Fahrenheit son tambi?n muestras de una temperatura social, afiebrada por la carga tan?tica del discurso oficial: en F451 los personajes buscan la muerte por querer encontrar la vida, en la medida que no son totalmente concientes de que el discurso predominante que viene desde las alturas del poder promete muerte pero se presenta a s? mismo como una lucha que intenta representar la vida: la vida somos nosotros y nuestros valores, sin importar si ese "nosotros" y esos valores son cada vez m?s reducidos, m?s encarcelados en su propia limitaci?n. Tal vez esa sea la diferencia m?s grande entre Bradbury y Moore, mientras que para el primero la muerte es un s?ntoma social muy profundo y s?lo encontrar? una salida fuera de la sociedad, para Moore, cincuenta a?os despu?s, con ejemplos palpables y reales, la muerte es un negocio de intereses concretos. Contacto Miro el contacto en blanco y negro, las formas peque?itas de Cartagena, lo repaso desde arriba, hacia la derecha y cuando llego al ?ltimo recuadro me veo cambiando el rollo, reemplazando el tono gris de las fotos por uno en colores y recuerdo en cada una de las im?genes, en su forma secuencial, el trayecto que bordea la muralla y el mar. Me pregunto si es posible inventar de nuevo el cine y unir cada una de las fotos y volver al movimiento de los pasos, a la sensaci?n del calor agobiante y ser algo m?s que una foto: un instante preciso de la memoria. &&& Entre indecisiones y borracheras La mujer, sentada en el bar no deshojaba margaritas, se las beb?a. &&& Del sue?o a la realidad de las V?as Verdes Hace nada menos que once a?os so??bamos con llegar a tener lo que hoy es toda una realidad. Aquellos trenes que un d?a dejaron de pasar por los viejos caminos de hierro, nos dejaron un halo de nostalgia, pero a la vez la ilusi?n de emprender la aventura de darles una nueva vida. Y as? nacieron las V?as Verdes. Con tes?n, cari?o, ilusi?n, perseverancia y con la idea clara de convertir aquellas viejas v?as de ferrocarril en apasionantes recorridos por los que pudi?ramos discurrir todos a paso calmo, seguro y confiado emprendimos esta apasionante aventura. Lejos de ellas dejar?amos al autom?vil para acercar a las personas - tal y como lo hiciera el ferrocarril- el entorno, el paisaje, los pueblos y las ciudades. Hoy, en Espa?a podemos recorrer m?s de mil kil?metros por estas brechas hist?ricas que han vuelto, con un nuevo esp?ritu a ver la luz... y as?, pretendemos seguir avanzando por la v?a de la movilidad a escala humana, por el respetuoso acercamiento a la naturaleza y por un turismo m?s sostenible y accesible para todos. Y cada d?a somos m?s quienes participamos del hechizo de las V?as Verdes. Algo deben tener de m?gico, porque ejercen un misterioso embrujo sobre quienes a ellas se acercan: ya nunca pueden alejarse y olvidarlas. Si quieres saber m?s de las v?as verdes: www.viasverdes.com &&& Una ruta por el patio trasero de la ciudad Siempre me ha fascinado la idea de poder salir de la gran ciudad por viejos caminos y sin pisar asfalto. Para los que vivimos en Madrid es esta una tarea cada vez mas dif?cil. A modo de entrenamiento un buen amigo y yo salimos el pasado s?bado para retomar pistas y caminos que -yo al menos- hacia casi diez a?os que no tomaba. Desde la famosa Casa de Campo tomamos rumbo SW. para seguir a espaldas de la Ciudad de la Imagen, donde est? la sede de Telemadrid. Es esta una inmensa cu?a de terreno que siguiendo el arroyo de Meaques se interna en la ciudad. En realidad se trata de un antiguo terreno militar que est? en "barbecho" a la espera de que una ambiciosa operaci?n urban?stica arrase con la ?ltima escapatoria que le queda a la Casa de Campo para no morir estrangulada por el cemento y el asfalto. Pasada la zona militar hay que cruzar una autopista de circunvalaci?n (M-40), un nuevo "corte" en la vieja ruta y que ha sido salvado gracias a un paso inferior, me imagino por que as? lo pedir?an los militares. Graffitis en los muros, alg?n escombro y restos de los cambios de aceite de los coches nos salen al paso. Muy cerca de aqu? la OTAN construye su flamante e inmenso Cuartel General para el SW de Europa, seguro que el terreno se lo han regalado mientras que la gente no encuentra piso. El siguiente "corte" del inmenso pastel en que se ha convertido la regi?n de Madrid lo encontramos como a ocho o diez kil?metros del anterior: La autopista M-50. Se trata de una nueva circunvalaci?n, esta no lleva ni seis meses abierta. Por pura casualidad y por que Repsol ha instalado una enorme gasolinera, nuestro camino coincide con un cambio de sentido bajo rasante: puro asfalto, no hay ni un m?sero paso de ganado ni un espacio para -por ejemplo- ??Caballos!! que bonito debe ser hacer esto a caballo,,, pero por aqu? los equinos NO podr?an pasar. No hay tampoco ning?n tipo de tratamiento de conexi?n o se?alizaci?n para facilitar el paso del camino bajo la autopista. Por supuesto que la gasolinera est? abierta, esto es lo ?nico que parece que funciona bien en este pa?s. Se me ha olvidado comentar que antes de llegar hasta aqu? y a escasos tres kil?metros al norte del camino por donde hemos pasado, el horizonte azul de la sierra de Guadarrama se ve ahora "mermado" por el skiline de la "Ciudad Bancaria del BSCH" (Banco Santander Central Hispano). Os lo puedo describir: donde antes pastaban ovejas, saltaban las liebres y circulaban bicis ahora se ha levantado la sede central de este banco y donde ir?n a trabajar al d?a del orden de 8.000 personas, todas en coche porque el tranv?a de comunicaci?n Boadilla-BSCH-Madrid no estar? construido hasta dentro de cuatro a?os, all? cuando todo el mundo est? habituado a ir en coche. Ni que decir tiene que todo este terreno antes agr?cola ha sido recalificado una vez que se compr? a precio rustico para edificarlo como suelo urbanizable, ah: el BSCH tiene tambi?n un campo de golf. Seguimos la ruta: Pr?xima parada Villaviciosa de Od?n, el reino del chalet adosado con jard?n y piscina. Yo creo que deben de gastar m?s agua regando las praderas que toda la provincia de Teruel (con todo mi cari?o a los altoaragoneses). Dejamos atr?s Villaviciosa por un terreno de pol?gonos industriales, escombreras y fincas custodiadas por perros que ladran de calor y desesperaci?n. Alg?n d?a tendremos que hablar de esos pobres bichos atados a una eterna cadena y que siempre ladran al paso del ciclista. La bajada hacia el valle del r?o Guadarrama ???PARQUE NATURAL!!! Es absolutamente surrealista. Una inmensidad de chalets, casas adosadas, naves industriales y construcciones ilegales aparece ante la visi?n del ciclista, esto tiene un nombre: Colonia Guadarrama y Parque Coimbra.....Todo ello a espaldas de la N-V donde se levanta el flamante y lujoso parque de Nieve Artificial Madrid Xanad?. Esto es el Verdadero Patio Trasero de la ciudad, de aqu? la denominaci?n de mi mensaje.... ?Es qu? en m?s de treinta a?os de Ayuntamientos democr?ticos no se ha podido frenar la especulaci?n y el destrozo del paisaje??? Cruzamos el r?o Guadarrama por el impresionante puente abandonado del ferrocarril Madrid-Almorox. Se trata de un precioso puente met?lico oxidado y apenas protegido por una rid?cula alambrada. En cualquier otro lugar esta antigua v?a f?rrea habr?a sido rehabilitada como V?a Verde para hacer un bonito itinerario (por ejemplo) desde la estaci?n de Cercan?as de M?stoles hasta Navalcarnero, una idea barata y con ?xito asegurado debido a la bonanza del perfil y a lo bonito que es el pueblo de Navalcarnero. ?Qu? existe a cambio? un puente a punto de caerse, una v?a ocupada por todo tipo de edificaciones, una estaci?n -R?o Guadarrama- vandalizada y la guinda del pastel y casi lo que m?s me ha cabreado: la inminente urbanizaci?n de todo el espacio que hay a la entrada a Navalcarnero y que puede suponer la desaparici?n definitiva de una hipot?tica v?a verde..... As? es como potenciamos en Madrid los recursos naturales y culturales, sepult?ndolos bajo las orugas de una excavadora. Perdonarme por el ladrillo, pero cuatro horas bajo el sol de agosto y dando pedales dan para ?stas y m?s reflexiones. (colaboraci?n de Miguel ?ngel Delgado) &&& El buen David Lo encontr? a la salida de un bar. Me cont? que era un rey destronado, mientras entonaba una vieja melod?a que hablaba de cumplea?os y ma?anitas. &&& Fabricantes de autos se sienten apretados por la contaminaci?n DETROIT. Un no escucha a menudo a los analistas financieros hablar acerca del cambio clim?tico, pero este mes John Casesa, un analista de Merrill Lynch, organiz? una tele conferencia para abordar una problem?tica cuesti?n para los fabricantes de autos de Detroit: dado que los reguladores en todo el mundo se mueven en la direcci?n de reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero que provienen de los autos y a mejorar la eficiencia de los combustibles, ?Qu? pasar? si Wall Street agrega estos costos? La respuesta m?s probable no har? muy felices a la General Motor (GM) ni a la Ford. La convocatoria de Casesa inclu?a una presentaci?n del World Resources Institute, un grupo de pol?tica ambiental en Washington que recientemente public? un reporte sobre el tema junto a Sustainable Asset Management, un grupo de inversi?n con residencia en Zurich. El reporte indica que GM y Ford perder?n m?s, financieramente, que cualquier otro fabricante de autos, al cumplir las regulaciones que los grupos esperan que los EE UU, Jap?n y Europa, adopten en la siguiente d?cada. El reporte estima que Ford tendr?a que gastar $403 m?s en cada veh?culo para alcanzar los nuevos est?ndares previstos y GM tendr?a que gastar $377 m?s. En contraste, Honda s?lo deber?a agregar al costo, $24. Carro por carro, BMW tendr?a que gastar m?s que Ford o GM, $649 en cada veh?culo, se?al? el reporte, pero debido a que sus precios son m?s altos, tendr?a menos dificultad para absorber el costo. Quiz? el hallazgo m?s importante para GM y Ford, los dos mayores fabricantes de autos en los EE UU, es que los competidores extranjeros, particularmente Toyota Motor, pueden estar siendo ayudados por regulaciones m?s duras, debido a que ya han invertido mucho m?s en tecnolog?as para la eficiencia del combustible, como los sistemas de motores h?bridos (gas/electricos), que podr?an generar nuevas utilidades. Las regulaciones relacionadas a la econom?a del combustible y los gases que se cree causan el calentamiento global son "una de las claves que conducir?n la competitividad en la industria en la siguiente d?cada y m?s all?," dijo Duncan Austin, quien hasta hace poco fue el Economista Senior del World Resources Institute. La Uni?n Europea y Jap?n atraviesan fases irregulares en las emisiones de gases que atrapan el calor, las cuales se elevan y caen de acuerdo al uso del combustible. La administraci?n Bush se ha alejado del convenio internacional, conocido como el Protocolo de Kyoto, para controlar dichas emisiones, pero California ha dise?ado su propio plan, y muchos Estados del noreste puede seguir esta ruta. "Como un analista del mercado de autos, estoy muy preocupado sobre el lado riesgoso de la ecuaci?n," Casesa de Merrill Lynch, dijo. "Para las compa??as de auto dom?sticas hemos tenido una pol?tica de energ?a c?moda, pero hay nuevos temas como el cambio clim?tico, y hay nuevos asuntos geopol?ticos y militares que se vinculan con nuestra pol?tica energ?tica." El resultado podr?an ser est?ndares de combustible/econom?a m?s duros, dijo Casesa. Lo que ser?a doloroso para Ford y GM porque se apoyan grandemente en la venta de veh?culos ligeros que son menos eficientes en el uso del combustible: camionetas y SUVs (sport utility vehicles). Niki Rosinski, un analista financiero que colabor? con el reporte y trabaj? para Sustainable Asset Management hasta hace poco , se?al? lo que denomin? "la intensidad del carb?n" en las ganancias de Ford, queriendo mostrar el sustento de la compa??a en producir veh?culos que consumen m?s combustible y emiten la mayor parte del di?xido de carbono y otros gases que los cient?ficos se?alan como causantes del cambio clim?tico. "Sesenta por ciento de las ventas globales de Ford vienen del mercado norteamericano y en el Mercado norteamericano , 60 por ciento de su ventas vienen de camionetas, que constituyen ochenta por ciento de las utilidades de sus operaciones norteamericanas", dijo Rosinski. El informe del instituto predice que debido a las nuevas regulaciones, las utilidades de Ford ser?n diez por ciento m?s bajas que las esperadas de ahora al 2015 y que las ganancias de GM ser?n 7 por ciento menores. (Danny Hakim, New York Times Julio 27, 2004, traducci?n nuestra) La Ciclorumba, bit?cora de un ciclopaseo Cuando ca?a la tarde un grupo de aproximadamente diez personas nos encontramos en la casa de Hugo; era jueves y las vacaciones apenas estaban comenzando. Nos pusimos atuendos extravagantes, m?scaras, maquillaje y peinados, tambi?n llevamos timbres, cornetas, pitos y nuestros silbidos. Salimos a tomarnos la calle a manera de festival o caravana, invitando a otros ciclistas y peatones con volantes que explicaban por qu? sal?amos esa noche armados con nuestras ciclas a las calles bogotanas. Despu?s de una hora de pedaleo el grupo ya se acercaba a treinta personas, cada una montando su bicicleta, el elemento que nos hac?a estar all?, en disposici?n de circular por las v?as vetadas para quienes cargamos con el estigma de ser "ciclistas" y que hoy adem?s ?ramos comparceros invitando a una fiesta sobre dos ruedas alineadas, vitalizadas por el constante golpe caracter?stico del pedal. Entrada la noche, la ciudad se empez? a acostumbrar a esta ciclorumba, ciclopaseo, en otros momentos manifestaci?n y a veces comparsa, que reivindicaba una vieja pero poco practicada forma de socializaci?n: la bicicleta combinada con el disfraz, el panfleto y la fiesta. A mitad del recorrido apareci? en nuestro camino el pan, que pas? a ser tambi?n protagonista de la historia... panes de queso, croissant, roscones, mantecadas, bizcochos y otras delicias que se pueden encontrar en muchos rinconcitos de una ciudad como Bogot?. La lluvia de pan ces? para que el recorrido continuara y los ?vidos asistentes pas?ramos ahora a devorar metros de pavimento, de calle, esas mismas que casi a diario son parte de nuestras vidas. El cierre se hizo con broche de oro. Durante algunos minutos interpusimos nuestras bicis y la m?sica enfrentando a Transmilenio, que lejos de ser un digno medio de transporte masivo, es un monstruo que representa la corrupci?n, la rapacidad, la enajenaci?n y la expropiaci?n de un fragmento de ciudad que nos pertenece a todas y todos. Alegr?a, una peque?a dosis de satisfacci?n y la cita para una nueva jornada dentro de un mes, son los resultados de esta corta pero significativa actividad. ?Bienvenida la fiesta, la ciclo rumba, el ciclopaseo! Nuestra ciudad est? ah? para ser redescubierta, redise?ada, reflexionada y reenrumbada. (enviado por Cayena, Pacho y los Combos Ciclistas de Bogot?) &&& Me lo mand? Nicanor "Cuando veo un adulto en una bicicleta, tengo fe en el futuro de la especie humana" ( H.G. Wells ) Carlos Cordero Vel?squez CICLORED - Centro de Asesor?a y Capacitaci?n para el Transporte y Ambiente Pasaje Lavalle 110 - Lima 04 Per? telf: (51 1) 4671322 From caj24 at cornell.edu Thu Sep 23 15:48:11 2004 From: caj24 at cornell.edu (Craig August Johnson) Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 02:48:11 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [sustran] Re: distance based fuel tax technology test In-Reply-To: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A04678B@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> References: <0C270D0ABD2B8B44900A88DE0887F49A04678B@MBOX01.stf.nus.edu.sg> Message-ID: <26696.137.132.3.10.1095922091.squirrel@137.132.3.10> Dear Paul, I appreciated reading your article and found it quite thought-provoking. One thing I am interested in though, is that your article (nor does much of the literature I have read) address the cost of a parked vehicle. Increasing the usage-based costs and decreasing or variablizing fixed-based cost would make it cheaper to buy a car but more expensive to drive one. Perhaps, if such a policy would be implemented, one would see more people buying cars for the first time as well an increase in people buying second cars. While this policy would be successful in mitigating traffic congestion, this policy would do nothing to solve the problem of lack of parking, and perhaps might even exacerbate the parking problem by increasing the demand for parking. In a place like Singapore with little land and high density, an increase in the parking requirements could have potentially quite high costs, in terms of higher parking requirements for commercial and residential developers, more land needing to be devoted for parking by the city, and higher parking costs for the car-owner. So I guess my question is, Would an increase in parking demand really be much of a problem? And if so, how does one take into account an increase in the cost of parking if one variabilizes the fixed-based costs? Thanks, Craig Johnson From Alan.Howes at cbuchanan.co.uk Thu Sep 23 22:40:02 2004 From: Alan.Howes at cbuchanan.co.uk (Alan Howes) Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:40:02 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth Message-ID: I note that the (no doubt male) writer prefers to remain anonymous. I would love to see his face if a new road was planned next to HIS back garden. Alan -- Alan Howes Associate Transport Planner Colin Buchanan and Partners 4 St Colme Street Edinburgh EH3 6AA Scotland email: alan.howes@cbuchanan.co.uk tel: (0)131 240 2892 (direct) (0)131 226 4693 (switchboard) (0)7952 464335 (mobile) fax: (0)131 220 0232 www: http:/www.cbuchanan.co.uk/ _______________________________ This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Unless you are the named addressee, or authorised to receive it for the addressee, you may not copy or use it, or disclose it to anyone else. If you have received this email in error please contact the sender by replying to this email. Any views expressed by an individual within this email which do not constitute or record professional advice relating to the business of CBP, do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Any professional advice or opinion contained within this email is subject to our terms and conditions of business. We have taken precautions to minimise the risk of transmitting software viruses. We cannot accept liability for any loss or damage caused by software viruses. _______________________________ >>> 13/09/04 10:34:10 >>> Source: http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1070172004, Sun 12 Sep 2004 Dear Friends, Not that there is anything new in this, but I do think it is salutary from time to time to lend a patient ear to other views and voices. This is a bit overheated, but part of our job is to listen and figure out how to handle the entire ball of wax and not just our favored part of it. Eric The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth DR DAN Barlow, the head of research for Friends of the Earth and a member of the Forthright Alliance, used "sustainable" seven times in 300 words about a new Forth bridge. Sustainable alternatives, least sustainable, sustainable option, sustainable transport, sustainable transport planning, sustainable transport alternatives, neither sustainable nor supportable... He was against a new bridge. "Sustainable" means a lot to environmental lobbyists. It is like perpetual motion or alchemy - a chimera that takes scant account of reality or practicality. It has been endowed with a mystic quality, such as "renewable" or "consultation", and become an ingredient in roundhead collectivist jargon. Dr Barlow went through the entire lexicon when The Scotsman gallantly provided him with space to make the case against a new Forth crossing: entirely premature; bring forward; relevant authorities; current consultation; further undermine public transport network; wholly unconvincing; smokescreen; entirely possible; using existing rail infrastructure; grandiose mega-project; increase city traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions; worsen air pollution; environmentally destructive; entirely unacceptable; stop promoting new road-building. The collapse of his argument was entirely his own fault. Argot of the centre left (or left left for all I know) like this bears out Dr Goebbels' propaganda principle that if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough, it will come to be the truth. Nothing has been more sustainable, in the truest sense of the word, than John Fowler and Benjamin Baker's masterpiece the Forth Bridge. Here is a symbol of sustainability, reliability, strength, integrity and solidarity - there every day since 1890, not merely sustainable but in human terms virtually everlasting. Enduring, unremitting, continuous, perpetual, the Forth Bridge has never failed us. What a contrast to 'sustainables' or 'renewables' like wind power. The Forth Road Bridge was the railway bridge's logical companion. It has been there 40 years and the facts are plain. In 1964, four million vehicles used it; now 24 million do. These are not all frivolous tourists. They are going to work; their bridge allows them to live in the country or by the sea instead of living in the city. Some people have a preference for the city, but quite a lot do not, and they deserve a choice. Cars provide a choice that the roundheads would deny them. What myths and delusions have been peddled in the guise of environmentalism. One is that more roads generate more traffic. But there is nothing sinful about traffic. It means activity, freedom, visits to elderly relatives, more goods brought to more people by more lorries. Trying to make the world feel guilty about more roads and more journeys is a new sort of Nimbyism, on behalf of tax-obsessed social engineers and dirigistes, to whom curtailing travel is more important than encouraging it. In the recent 'The Future of Transport' White Paper, Tony Blair says: "We recognise that we cannot simply build our way out of the problems we face." Alistair Darling, the transport secretary, contributes the foreword. "We cannot build our way out of the problems we face," he repeats. The report prattles on gormlessly: "We cannot build our way out of the problems we face on our road networks." Perhaps the same person wrote it all. Even Dr Goebbels employed decent sub-editors. Heigh-ho, repeat a falsehood often enough and it will come to be the truth. Even the Tories believe building more roads is mistaken. They have swallowed the soothsayers' bait. The RAC and the AA are not much better. How astonishing that they all fall for the roundheads' mantra about balancing the need for travel and sustaining the quality of life. There is no contradiction. Quality of life includes being able to move around the country. It includes travelling by car or train or aeroplane when you want to, when you need to, without an Orwellian authority saying you mustn't. Cromwell, Knox and the Puritan Fathers would rejoice over Dr Barlow and his Friends prophesying doom for us all because we want to build more roads and use our cars. If democracy has any meaning, it is agreeing what most people want, and there is not much doubt that most people want to travel by car. Not everybody has a car. Roundheads enjoy making the point. But who amongst us has never travelled in one? Cars, ambulances, vans, lorries are all traffic. People support roads, although the environment industry tries to make them feel bad about it: the favourite sword of Damocles is global warming and the greenhouse effect. But let us remember there is a body of opinion that blames cars, another that blames aeroplanes, another that blames chopping down the rainforests, and another that blames the burgeoning industrialisation of China and India and Saddam Hussein's arson of the oil wells. There is a body of opinion that says global warming is merely the sun getting hotter, while others say it is cyclical and the Ice Age will return. The roundheads say cars are to blame and we should feel guilty about them. Victor Meldrew, for once, was right: "I don't believe it!" From et3 at et3.com Fri Sep 24 03:25:37 2004 From: et3 at et3.com (Daryl Oster) Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 14:25:37 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20040923182543.2B4BD2C537@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> > -----Original Message----- > Alan Howes > Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 9:40 AM > > I note that the (no doubt male) writer prefers to remain anonymous. I > would love to see his face if a new road was planned next to HIS back > garden. > > Alan His countenance receiving such news would likely be sanguine compared to the pallor that would befall him upon news of a train track instead of a road. Noise is usually the main objection of the NIMBYs. Trains are much louder than roads. A maglev train like Transrapid is about the same sound pressure as a road. ETT (see www.et3.com ) uses less than 1/50th of the energy per passenger as a train, and Maglev is 128 times more sound pressure than the virtually silent ETT. The capacity of ETT is 10 times greater than a road or train, and much faster. Daryl Oster et3@et3.com , www.et3.com POB 1423, Crystal River FL 34423-1423 (352)257-1310 From mpotter at gol.com Fri Sep 24 09:01:29 2004 From: mpotter at gol.com (mpotter) Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 09:01:29 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Re: Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth In-Reply-To: <20040923182543.2B4BD2C537@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> References: <20040923182543.2B4BD2C537@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> Message-ID: Really? What train? What road? Those are broad categories. Property values are sometimes a good indicator of what's going on. In Japan, residential property 5 minutes walk from train stations is noticeably higher in value than that 25 or 30 minutes walk away, where as housing along expressways is cheaper. Though my research is less than comprehensive, I find the same to be true in Chicago. Mark Potter Fukuoka, Japan On Sep 24, 2004, at 3:25 AM, Daryl Oster wrote: > > >> -----Original Message----- >> Alan Howes >> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 9:40 AM >> >> I note that the (no doubt male) writer prefers to remain anonymous. I >> would love to see his face if a new road was planned next to HIS back >> garden. >> >> Alan > > His countenance receiving such news would likely be sanguine compared > to the > pallor that would befall him upon news of a train track instead of a > road. > > Noise is usually the main objection of the NIMBYs. Trains are much > louder > than roads. A maglev train like Transrapid is about the same sound > pressure > as a road. ETT (see www.et3.com ) uses less than 1/50th of the energy > per > passenger as a train, and Maglev is 128 times more sound pressure than > the > virtually silent ETT. The capacity of ETT is 10 times greater than a > road > or train, and much faster. > > Daryl Oster > > et3@et3.com , www.et3.com > POB 1423, Crystal River FL 34423-1423 (352)257-1310 > > > > From guillen at sk.tsukuba.ac.jp Fri Sep 24 10:49:12 2004 From: guillen at sk.tsukuba.ac.jp (Guillen Danielle) Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 10:49:12 +0900 Subject: [sustran] Re: world carless day article References: <20040923182543.2B4BD2C537@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> Message-ID: <000a01c4a1d8$b1398040$97659e82@Transpog> Hi there! I just thought this article is worth sharing from one of my favorite opinion writers in the Philippines as well as what my brother's friend is doing regarding this matter. Have a great and hopefully, car-free weekend ahead : ) ========================================== There's The Rub : Carless Updated 00:41am (Mla time) Sept 23, 2004 By Conrado de Quiros Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the September 23, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer I SAW my friend Jack Yabut on the ANC television channel last Monday. He was plugging for the World Carless Day, which is tomorrow. Like Earth Day and No Smoking Day, World Carless Day means to draw attention to a bane, in this case smog and traffic caused by motor vehicles, and to find ways to lessen it. Jack himself had several suggestions -- organizing car pools, taking public transport (chief of them the overhead Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit), biking, and walking to the office or home if they are not too far off. The trick is to take things one step at a time, he said, but to do them with some regularity. Maybe you can take public transport once a week, quite apart from your car-ban day. You do that regularly, it becomes a habit, and habits make for attitudinal changes. Asked what inspired him to take up this crusade, Jack said that honestly it wasn't lofty heroism but plain self-interest. He wants to breathe reasonably clean air, a fact that has become less Print this story Send this story Write the editor View other stories and less possible in Metro Manila today. His concern is not exaggerated. I myself have a graphic image of Metro Manila's pollution in my head. I was on an out-of-town trip one summer's day some years ago, and as usual I took the dawn flight. I do that because I can no longer tolerate traffic, it wastes my time and frays my nerves. The plane had just taken off and I could see gray light breaking in the east. Then to my surprise, I saw a line streaking across the horizon just above the sleeping city. Everything below it was dark as soot and everything above it was clear as sky. It took some moments for me to realize what that line was. It was where the smog began, or rose up to. It startled me to realize I lived in the very depths of that dark soot. I was glad I was leaving it, if only temporarily. The biggest contributor there are, of course, the motor vehicles. And private cars -- however more efficient their exhausts are compared to those of buses and jeepneys -- are the main culprit. That is so because of their sheer inefficiency in ferrying one or two persons from Point A to Point B at any given time compared to buses and jeepneys and trains that haul a horde of bedraggled carcasses over the same time and space. Private cars are also easily the biggest contributor to traffic by the same token. Too much space, too few people. I myself drive, but I feel no small pangs of conscience when I see tricycles and buses groaning with human cargo. I still get pissed off when the tricycles ply the main roads, holding up traffic for the faster vehicles, and the buses block my path, particularly in the part of the SM mall that leads out to EDSA highway (a simple problem the half dozen or so traffic aides there can't seem to solve); but the recognition I am lugging my sole carcass over some distance while they are doing so hundreds of them gives me pause. I do take the MRT, as I've said in an earlier column, going to Makati, at least on the occasions I am persuaded to go there. It is not my favorite part of the metropolis; Manila is, for reasons that have nothing to do with Atienza. It is not merely that I manage to escape the huge parking lot known as Edsa-one of the joys of taking the Metro Rail Transit is looking down at all the cars not moving below and knowing you are not there -- it is that I manage to escape the cares of finding a place to park in the huge non-parking lot known as Makati City. Jack is right: Sometimes, enlightened self-interest does the trick. I know the arguments that have been raised against public transport. Mainly, that it sucks. It is crowded, it is slow and it is a pickpocket's or holdup man's paradise. The argument is not without merit, although, like the issue of leaving the country and working abroad, it is a chicken-and-egg tangle. The solution is itself the problem. We leave the country, the country gets worse, others find more reason to leave it. We buy more and more cars, public transport is left to the dogs or the poor, we buy more and more cars. And kill ourselves -- and our children -- with lung problems. Or cancer: Haven't you noticed that's been on the rise over the years? But that's another story. Clearly, government must do its job of improving public transport. Chief of them by running more trains. Omar Lopez had an interesting letter the other day (Inquirer, Sept. 21, 2004) saying we are the only country on Earth that doesn't have a decent train system and enumerating the many merits of having one. Chief of them making travel easier to and from the provinces, thereby decongesting Metro Manila. I've said the same thing a number of times. The problem isn't the demonstrable lack of merit of trains, it is the demonstrable lack of will of government. The one thing that stands formidably in its way is the car lobby, which includes the sellers of cars, gasoline, tires and other car-related products as well as the public officials, elective or appointive, who corner funds with which to build substandard, or even non-existent, roads and bridges. Government must do its job, but we have to do ours, too. Cars aren't just a means of transport in this country, they are a state of mind. They carry with them a culture -- a "car culture" -- that has our urban dwellers agog over Ford's invention. Jack is right, too about taking things one step at a time. Literally, in the case of walking. That is something by the way you learn when you visit Europe and other countries: though their dwellers live far more luxuriously than we do, they have not forgotten how to walk. Their own car culture has not wrecked their walking culture. A fellow Filipino once complained to me in one such sojourn: "Don't they ever think of having tricycles here?" No, my dear, they don't. Which is why they live far more luxuriously than we do. Carless is not the end of the world. It's just the start of it. Best Regards, Danielle Marie Danielle Guillen Urban Transport Lab. Doctoral Program in Policy and Planning Sciences University of Tsukuba Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba City Ibaraki, Japan 305-0821 Email Add: guillen@sk.tsukuba.ac.jp From litman at vtpi.org Sat Sep 25 04:25:45 2004 From: litman at vtpi.org (Todd Alexander Litman) Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 12:25:45 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Anti-car propaganda that is blindly accepted as truth In-Reply-To: References: <20040923182543.2B4BD2C537@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> <20040923182543.2B4BD2C537@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> Message-ID: <5.1.1.6.0.20040924122056.040b55c8@mail.highspeedplus.com> For a comprehensive summary of research on the property value impacts of rail transit see "FINANCING TRANSIT SYSTEMS THROUGH VALUE CAPTURE: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY" (http://www.vtpi.org/smith.htm), 2004. It shows that in many situations, residents value living near rail transit stations. Also, it is important to understand that rail transit is only one of many ways that people reduce their automobile travel. Most vehicle travel reductions consist of shifts to walking, closer locations, consolidated vehicle trips, telework and good old bus travel. Rail transit can play an important role, but is by no means essential for reducing car use. Best wishes, -Todd Litman At 09:01 AM 9/24/2004 +0900, mpotter wrote: >Really? What train? What road? Those are broad categories. > >Property values are sometimes a good indicator of what's going on. In >Japan, residential property 5 minutes walk from train stations is >noticeably higher in value than that 25 or 30 minutes walk away, where as >housing along expressways is cheaper. Though my research is less than >comprehensive, I find the same to be true in Chicago. > >Mark Potter >Fukuoka, Japan > >On Sep 24, 2004, at 3:25 AM, Daryl Oster wrote: > >> >> >>>-----Original Message----- >>>Alan Howes >>>Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 9:40 AM >>> >>>I note that the (no doubt male) writer prefers to remain anonymous. I >>>would love to see his face if a new road was planned next to HIS back >>>garden. >>> >>>Alan >> >>His countenance receiving such news would likely be sanguine compared to the >>pallor that would befall him upon news of a train track instead of a road. >> >>Noise is usually the main objection of the NIMBYs. Trains are much louder >>than roads. A maglev train like Transrapid is about the same sound pressure >>as a road. ETT (see www.et3.com ) uses less than 1/50th of the energy per >>passenger as a train, and Maglev is 128 times more sound pressure than the >>virtually silent ETT. The capacity of ETT is 10 times greater than a road >>or train, and much faster. >> >>Daryl Oster >> >>et3@et3.com , www.et3.com >>POB 1423, Crystal River FL 34423-1423 (352)257-1310 >> >> >> > > Sincerely, Todd Litman, Director Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" 1250 Rudlin Street Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560 Email: litman@vtpi.org Website: http://www.vtpi.org From ericbruun at earthlink.net Wed Sep 29 04:57:37 2004 From: ericbruun at earthlink.net (Eric Bruun) Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 15:57:37 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Fw: Philadelphia Inquirer -- Las Vegas monorail stumped on safety Message-ID: <00c501c4a59d$c2bc8600$28fb45cf@earthlink.net> > Posted on Sun, Sep. 26, 2004 > > Las Vegas monorail stumped on safety > > By Bill Ordine > > For The Inquirer > > All along, operators of Las Vegas' new monorail system have said they hoped > to sweeten revenues by having their sleek passenger cars shrink-wrapped in > flashy advertising of such sponsors as wireless phone providers and theme > parks. > > But it appears the most fitting advertiser for the super-hyped monorail > that debuted July 15 might well have been a citrus grower. A fat lemon > plastered on the side of the trains - already shut down twice - would > pretty much sum up the monorail's early performance. > > On Sept. 8, a two-pound piece of metal fell from the train, prompting an > extended shutdown of the line that runs a four-mile route roughly parallel > to the Vegas Strip. That mishap followed a Sept. 1 incident in which a > 60-pound tire assembly flew from a train and landed in a parking lot, > resulting in a six-day suspension of service. > > In August, a worker for the Canadian company that assembled the monorail > trains and operates the system accidentally opened the doors on the wrong > side of the car when it pulled into the Las Vegas Hilton station. Instead > of doors opening onto a platform, they opened onto a steep drop to the street. > > No one has been hurt in the problems, but confidence in the system's > reliability wears thin with each incident. > > All this comes after another incident in January when, during testing of > the monorail, a drive shaft dropped from a car. The monorail's start-up, > initially scheduled for the first quarter, was delayed until July. The > transportation system is owned by the Las Vegas Monorail Company, and the > vehicles are manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. > > "We want to become a reliable form of transportation, and we need to > demonstrate over an extended period of time we can do that. But our first > priority is safety," said Todd Walker, the monorail company's spokesman. > > After the Sept. 8 closing, Walker said that there was no timetable for a > resumption of service and that independent transit and safety experts would > examine the line. > > "We don't want to just know what happened yesterday and fix that problem," > Walker said. "We want an analysis of the entire system." > > The $650 million Las Vegas monorail system stands apart from most > mass-transit operations because it was privately financed. The trains run > east of Las Vegas Boulevard from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on the > southern end of the Strip, north to the Sahara Hotel & Casino. There are > seven stations: six at casinos and one at the massive Las Vegas Convention > Center. A one-way ride is $3, and the trip from end-to-end is supposed to > take 14 minutes. > > Expectations have been that the system would provide convenient transport, > mainly for visitors, along the busy tourist corridor and help relieve > vehicular congestion along Las Vegas Boulevard. The monorail was carrying > about 30,000 passengers a day, operators said. > > Contact Bill Ordine at ordineb@aol.com. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.751 / Virus Database: 502 - Release Date: 9/2/2004 > From figueroa at teksam.ruc.dk Wed Sep 29 19:02:55 2004 From: figueroa at teksam.ruc.dk (Maria Figueroa) Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:02:55 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Re: Survey on public battles against road construction In-Reply-To: <20040929030108.CD2712BDD4@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> Message-ID: Dear Sustran friends; Greetings everyone. I am doing a study of what goes on in the battles against new road construction. Big battles against new roads we all have heard of with increasing frequency during the last 10 years or more. Even though I am concentrating my research in three specific cases in Scandinavia, I think it will be (very) interesting to have a sense of the extent of these practices around the world. This kind of information (battles against roads) are not much of interest to the normal media, and I have not seen yet a good study about this. (Perhaps if any of you knows of one?) I believe that gap could start to be filled out with my research. So, in concrete terms I would like to pose the question to you, if you could help me start up with this survey. Just name the battle and I will follow the track you suggest. If you know of a road decision that has been contested by collective action (successfully or not), let me know the location, country and any contact information (name of organization or website, or else). Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. I promise I will share my results with Sustran at a later date. But you are welcome to contact me directly to the address below both to give or ask for information. Best regards, Maria Josefina Figueroa Ph.D Candidate Flux Center for Transport Research, TekSam, Roskilde University and National Environmental Research Institute Hus 12.1 Roskilde Universitetscenter DK-4000 Roskilde Denmark (+45) 4674 2568 figueroa@ruc.dk http://www2.teksam.ruc.dk/staff.cgi?initials=mjf From ifrtd at gn.apc.org Wed Sep 29 19:33:03 2004 From: ifrtd at gn.apc.org (IFRTD) Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 11:33:03 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: Survey on public battles against road construction In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20040929103113.D026414B6DB@mail.gn.apc.org> Dear Maria Your study sounds fascinating. In Sri Lanka, there has been several protests against ADB funded highways. I am sure Ranjith de Silva, or Upali Pannilage, reading this message will be able to supply you with more information. Interestingly, these protests, which focus on the reluctance of people to give over their land, contrast strongly with community road building programmes in rural Sri Lanka, where local people are donating their land to enable the roads to be constructed. Perceptions of ownership and usefulness, perhaps??? Good luck Priyanthi Fernando IFRTD From christinelaurence at pacific.net.au Wed Sep 29 20:03:51 2004 From: christinelaurence at pacific.net.au (christinelaurence@pacific.net.au) Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 21:03:51 +1000 Subject: [sustran] Re: Survey on public battles against road construction In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <002501c4a614$00face10$0301010a@peterctj4err94> Hello Moderator, Apologies for sending that big email to the list, I actually meant to send it directly to Maria, not to make it publically available. Please don't send it to the list. Thank you Christine Laurence