[sustran] Sustran-discuss Digest, Vol 31, Issue 12

[Sunny]

When accessibility has to be addressed then the need for high density 
has also to be satisfied making people use other means such as walking 
or cycling, but in developing cities and heavily car dependent cities 
this is not the case. Governments and people (in some cases) mistake 
mobility for accessibility and in their view as long as it is just a 15 
min car journey it is not far. Increasing the Public transit efficiency 
will encourage people to use bus for a short travel and encouraging 
walking an cycling and high density living with a mixed land use will be 
very advantageous. Many Asian cities be it India or a city like Bangkok 
has a very good urban fabric of mixed land-use, if required people need 
not travel long for daily needs, but the unwelcoming road infrastructure 
poses a threat and makes people use car even to cross a road. One such 
is the pedestrian overpass, in my opinion, it is an incentive for cars 
so that the cars need not stop for the people who cross the road. These 
overpasses in many places are not utilised properly and the people still 
cross the road in the conventional manner resulting in accidents and 
deaths in many cases.

I absolutely agree with Zvi that rail investments are very wise and 
important for a city but the results of these investments are not 
immediate, they need time and one backdrop of these investments is the 
high initial cost and long pay back periods (if fares are to be 
affordable even by the poor). On the other hand an investment on BRT 
would be a next wise option as the system is similar to Light rail and 
can be integrated with regular bus service. On long run the system can 
be replaced for a light rail.

Investing in other mass transit is also good but in many cases due to 
the over expectation of results the project are termed failed and even 
due to design and planning flaws these high investments fail. Some good 
failed examples would be the Delhi Metro this is not entirely due to 
financial reasons but due to lack of networks with other modes. Though 
Bangkok has an impressive Sky train system the fares are high making the 
poor and middle class deprived of the benefits and on the other hand the 
appalling bus service drives people to ride a car or taxi!.

Charging car users might not be politically advantageous from the 
outside but mayors of cities like London, Seoul, Bogota Curitiba, Dar es 
Salaam *did not* *lose* their election for the second time. People will 
hesitate to spend money at first if there is no alternative but if they 
are given a good alternative means of travel then surely I feel they 
will not be disappointed. Transport planning has to be done keeping poor 
and middle class in mind. Rich people at any state will not leave their 
cars unless any means like the "Elite Transit" that Litman was talking a 
few posts back might bring them to transit.

Sincerely,
Sunny,

Santhosh Kumar. K
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies,
Mahidol University,
Thailand
sksunny at gmail.com
sunnysanthosh at gmail.com

sustran-discuss-request at list.jca.apc.org wrote:
> In my opinion, the major issue in any region, particularly those which 
> are rapidly growing, is 'accessibility' to opportunities - and not 
> necessarily mobility. Why are so many people acquiring cars? Of course 
> as the economy grows and financing become more flexible more people can 
> afford private vehicles. But also note that these rapidly expanding 
> regions are often not structured in such a way that there is sufficient 
> accessibility to things (employment opportunities, schools, etc.) - 
> hence the /need/ to acquire the means of independent mobility. And 
> unfortunately rapid uncontrolled urban growth cannot be well served by 
> mass transit - hence the rapid rush to motorization!
>
> There is always the chicken and the egg issue. What comes first: 
> concentrated land uses, or the transportation infrastructure to serve 
> them? In places such as Hong Kong and Singapore there was a concerted 
> effort by the government to integrate land use developments together 
> with mass transit. In many other places local governments do not 
> necessarily have as much control over local land use so it is not so 
> simple to serve the population's needs via 'mass-transit'.
>
> I think that one of the legitimate arguments for rail-options is that 
> they are perceived as being more permanent - hence there is a better 
> chance of being able to formalize land use development around rail 
> rather than small-scale transit options. Still, is it realistic to 
> expect that just becauses an authority chooses a rail option, they will 
> miraculously now be able to control the way a given location develops?
>
> As for 'utilization charges' - no government ever earned much support 
> from the population by adding more taxes!
>
> Just some thoughts. Unfortunately I have no solutions.
>
> Zvi
>
> Dibu Sengupta wrote:
>
>   
>> And this malaise is spreading fast, not just in Bangalore or Pune but 
>> in the smaller towns as well. Foreign companies introducing new brands 
>> of cars, giving off low interest payments and people making a beeline 
>> for a new symbol of social status.
>>  
>> That's where transit authorities and the local jurisdictions come to 
>> the picture. Utilization charges mentioned by Sunny are probably the 
>> best way to tackle this automobile explosion!
>>  
>> Regards,
>>  
>> Dibu Sengupta
>> Transportation Engineer
>> VHB, Inc.
>>
>>     
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 14:22:37 -0500
> From: Zvi Leve <zvi at inro.ca>
> Subject: [sustran] 11th HKSTS International Conference -- abstract
> 	submission	deadline April 15, 2006
> To: sustran discussion forum <sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
> Message-ID: <441B0C7D.9040209 at inro.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: 	Re: 11th HKSTS International Conference -- abstract submission 
> deadline April 15, 2006
> Date: 	Fri, 17 Mar 2006 18:07:53 +0800
> From: 	S.C. Wong <hhecwsc at hkucc.hku.hk>
> To: 	(Recipient list suppressed)
>
>
>
>
> *** CALL FOR PAPERS ***
>
> _The Eleventh International Conference of Hong Kong Society for 
> Transportation Studies
> _Conference Theme: Sustainable Transportation
> December 9-11, 2006, Hong Kong
>
> The web site of the 11th HKSTS International Conference is at
> http://home.netvigator.com/~hksts/conf.htm
> <http://home.netvigator.com/%7Ehksts/conf.htm>Deadline for Submission of 
> Abstracts is _April 15, 2006_.
>
> Jointly organized by
> Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies,
> Department of Civil Engineering,The University of Hong Kong,
> School of Economics and Finance, The University of Hong Kong, and
> Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong
>
> Important Dates:
> Deadline for submission of abstracts: April 15, 2006
> Notification of acceptance of abstracts: May 31, 2006
> Deadline for submission of full papers: July 31, 2006
> Notification of acceptance of full papers: August 31, 2006
> Deadline for submission of final papers: September 30, 2006
> The 11th HKSTS International Conference: December 9, 2006
> Post Conference Workshop on "Integrated Multimodal Transportation": 
> December 11, 2006
>
> The Organizing Committee would be grateful if you would circulate the 
> call to colleagues and other interested parties.
>  
> We look forward to seeing you at the conference.
>
> With best wishes,
>
> S.C. Wong
> Chair, 11th HKSTS International Conference
>
> Timothy D. Hau
> Co-Chair, 11th HKSTS International Conference
>
> James Jixian Wang
> Co-Chair, 11th HKSTS International Conference
>
> [Apologies if you receive this announcement more than once!]
>
> ***************************************************************************
> Dr. S.C. Wong
> Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 
> Road, Hong Kong
> Tel: (852) 2859-1964; Fax: (852) 2559-5337; E-mail: hhecwsc at hkucc.hku.hk
> Personal Web: http://web.hku.hk/~hhecwsc/
>
> <http://web.hku.hk/%7Ehhecwsc/>CALL FOR PAPERS:
> Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation
> http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15568318.asp
> Editor, Transportmetrica
> http://www.transportmetrica.org/
> Chair, The Eleventh International Conference of Hong Kong Society for 
> Transportation Studies
> http://home.netvigator.com/~hksts/conf.htm
> <http://home.netvigator.com/%7Ehksts/conf.htm> 
> ***************************************************************************
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> ================================================================
> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). Because of the history of the list, the main focus is on urban transport policy in Asia.
>
> End of Sustran-discuss Digest, Vol 31, Issue 12
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