From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 1 03:00:17 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:00:17 +0200 Subject: [sustran] May there be many more such days! Message-ID: <008901c90b93$71b364d0$551a2e70$@britton@ecoplan.org> Exec Sum: The bottom line here is to point you to a delightful photo montage by Bill Cunningham, New York Times photographer of car-less streets in New York at http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/30/fashion/20080830-street/index. html . But first a word from our sponsor: '-) Fourteen years ago next month, I, in a moment of pure passion, tossed out a challenge in a keynote address to a distinguished audience of some four hundred planers, policy makers and various media types in an international conference on Accessible Cities (Ciudades Accesibles) in the form of a proposal which I called "Thursday - A Breakthrough Strategy for Reducing Car Dependence in Cities". It was basically a strategic plan for harnessing car-free or car-less days as a tool for first educating and then changing a city. If you click to http:// www.carfreedays.newmobility.org and once there pop the word "Thursday" into the Search box and then hit the first item, it will take you to the full original proposal and game plan. Here is how it opened: Thursday is a proposal for a city, neighborhood or group... . To spend one carefully prepared day without cars. . To study and observe closely what exactly goes on during that day. And then... . To reflect publicly and collectively on the lessons of this experience and on what might be prudently and creatively done next to build on these. The point of departure for this exercise is the determination that you cannot usefully engage in meaningful dialogue with addicts : that what you have to do is start treating them in some way. As often as not this means thrusting the poor souls (especially poor in this case, since we are in fact talking about ourselves) into a no-choice situation, at least for a time. In this particular instance our proposed "treatment" will be to find an answer to the following question in three main parts: . Is there a way to get drivers out of their cars in one or more cities... . In ways which will be tolerable in a pluralistic democracy... . For at least be long enough to allow those concerned to learn a great deal more about the whole complex of things that need to be adjusted and introduced to make a car-less (or, more accurately, less-car) urban transport paradigm actually work? One of the main tasks of planners and policy makers is (or at least should be) to ask creative questions. This one turns out to be a pretty interesting question indeed: one that presents us with quite a neat set of targets and opportunities. * * * This comes to mind fourteen years later in the context of Bill Cunningham lovely piece on car-free NY streets because it is very much the kind of thing I had in mind in the first place. The cheerless truth is that of the thousands of tries at Car Free Days in almost as many cites, few have got much beyond the annoyance stage for most people in the cities concerned. But this project ginned up by the consortia of the city's ever stronger and more able public interest groups and the mayor's office is an example of how to take a great joyful step in the right direction. There have, fortunate, been dozens of cities that have taken this approach, and in all cases, step by step, they change the picture for the city as a whole. As Mr. Cunningham says so innocently: May there be many more such days! http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/30/fashion/20080830-street/index. html From carlosfpardo at gmail.com Mon Sep 1 09:38:14 2008 From: carlosfpardo at gmail.com (Carlosfelipe Pardo) Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:38:14 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Re: May there be many more such days! In-Reply-To: <008901c90b93$71b364d0$551a2e70$@britton@ecoplan.org> References: <008901c90b93$71b364d0$551a2e70$@britton@ecoplan.org> Message-ID: <48BB3976.9010801@gmail.com> Eric, We also have to give credit to Bogot?... in December 1974 there was the first "Carfree Streets" Sunday ever, and today it is 118kms of Carfree streets every Sunday... it was also what inspired the Summer Streets in New York, from what I understand. Though you Carfree days concept is a great complement! Best regards, Carlos. Eric Britton wrote: > Exec Sum: The bottom line here is to point you to a delightful photo > montage by Bill Cunningham, New York Times photographer of car-less streets > in New York at > http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/30/fashion/20080830-street/index. > html . But first a word from our sponsor: '-) > > > > > > Fourteen years ago next month, I, in a moment of pure passion, tossed out a > challenge in a keynote address to a distinguished audience of some four > hundred planers, policy makers and various media types in an international > conference on Accessible Cities (Ciudades Accesibles) in the form of a > proposal which I called "Thursday - A Breakthrough Strategy for Reducing Car > Dependence in Cities". It was basically a strategic plan for harnessing > car-free or car-less days as a tool for first educating and then changing a > city. If you click to http:// > www.carfreedays.newmobility.org and once there pop the word "Thursday" into > the Search box and then hit the first item, it will take you to the full > original proposal and game plan. > > > > Here is how it opened: > > > > Thursday is a proposal for a city, neighborhood or group... > > . To spend one carefully prepared day without cars. > > . To study and observe closely what exactly goes on during that day. > And then... > > . To reflect publicly and collectively on the lessons of this > experience and on what might be prudently and creatively done next to build > on these. > > > > The point of departure for this exercise is the determination that you > cannot usefully engage in meaningful dialogue with addicts : that what you > have to do is start treating them in some way. As often as not this means > thrusting the poor souls (especially poor in this case, since we are in fact > talking about ourselves) into a no-choice situation, at least for a time. In > this particular instance our proposed "treatment" will be to find an answer > to the following question in three main parts: > > > > . Is there a way to get drivers out of their cars in one or more > cities... > > . In ways which will be tolerable in a pluralistic democracy... > > . For at least be long enough to allow those concerned to learn a > great deal more about the whole complex of things that need to be adjusted > and introduced to make a car-less (or, more accurately, less-car) urban > transport paradigm actually work? > > > > One of the main tasks of planners and policy makers is (or at least should > be) to ask creative questions. This one turns out to be a pretty interesting > question indeed: one that presents us with quite a neat set of targets and > opportunities. > > * * * > > > > This comes to mind fourteen years later in the context of Bill Cunningham > lovely piece on car-free NY streets because it is very much the kind of > thing I had in mind in the first place. The cheerless truth is that of the > thousands of tries at Car Free Days in almost as many cites, few have got > much beyond the annoyance stage for most people in the cities concerned. > > > > But this project ginned up by the consortia of the city's ever stronger and > more able public interest groups and the mayor's office is an example of how > to take a great joyful step in the right direction. There have, fortunate, > been dozens of cities that have taken this approach, and in all cases, step > by step, they change the picture for the city as a whole. > > > > As Mr. Cunningham says so innocently: May there be many more such days! > > > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/30/fashion/20080830-street/index. > html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > -------------------------------------------------------- > IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. > > Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 1 15:09:40 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 08:09:40 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Sustainable Urban Transport - 850 programs and websites - (work in progress) Message-ID: <005101c90bf9$5dba6a30$192f3e90$@britton@ecoplan.org> I am pleased to share this private note from Anzir Boodoo on this topic, because it points up just how difficult it is not only to compile such a list but also how hard it is to keep it up to date. His industriousness and clarity of thinking on this is exemplary, and I hope very much when and if he has the time from his PhD studies he will be able to make those changes in the UK end of this inventory. Now all we need is to deal with the rest of this long list. Any ideas? Thanks so much Anzir. Team work. Eric britton ____________________________ ERIC BRITTON New Mobility Partnerships 8, rue Joseph Bara - 75006 Paris France T: 331 4326 1323 - www.newmobility.org -----Original Message----- From: Anzir Boodoo [mailto:ab@transcience.co.uk] Sent: Sunday, 31 August 2008 23:02 To: eric.britton@ecoplan.org Subject: Re: [UTSG] Sustainable Urban Transport - 850 programs and websites - (work in progress) Eric, On 29 Aug 2008, at 11:21, Eric Britton wrote: > In a next stage, we would like to ask you to review and share with > us all > your corrections and additions to this valuable inventory. Please > address > them to me off list, so that we can work our way through them here > and make > these changes and update this listing here for public consultation > and use. OK... (I've checked the UK sites) 25. The Birmingham Northern Relief Road has been built and opened a couple of years ago, so I don't think it's relevant to point to the Alliance Against it. 47 & 58 are the same 122 Carfree UK is not hyphenated 135 should read "Liverpool to Lille" not "Liverpool to Little" 136 Central Trains' franchise has changed - see http://www.londonmidland.com , who despite their name, run the West Midlands suburban rail network 148 The Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport (UK) (CILT(UK) - http://www.ciltuk.org.uk 184 The official page for London trams is http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2674.aspx 192 should say 192, not 1 201 Cycling Intitiatives Register is at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/cyclefacilities/cyclinginitiativesre gister (aren't government reorganisations wonderful?) 224 Die Bahn (was Deutsche Bahn) is at http://www.bahn.de 234 Rail Users Consultative Committees have been abolished, and Passenger Focus deal with that now - http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk 242 & 243 are duplicates, but neither works 288 EWS Railway (DB Schenker UK) are at http://www.ews-railway.co.uk/ - they are a freight operator only 310 The Glasgow Subway (Underground) is at http://www.spt.co.uk/subway/index.html 314 The British Bus Timetable doesn't come under the aegis of Southern Vectis buses any more - you'd be best off going to Transport Direct - http://www.transportdirect.info 316 Great North Eastern Railway lost their franchise - it's probably not worth giving franchised operators links on here, but instead linking into the main UK National Rail site at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk 317 I was once a contributor to RailInfo, about 10 years ago! It's very much dead now (the site no longer exists). More up to date information is available on National Rail at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/cyclists.html 320 This points to a holding page which connects to NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). NICE is number 475 323 There is an extra space in the link which stops it from working 324 HDA has been replaced by NICE (see 320, 475) - http://www.nice.org.uk - some of the stuff on walking is "missing" and as part of the day job I'm trying to track it down... 327 No longer works. I'd never heard of them to be honest... 331 There is an extra space in the link which stops it from working 342 The link is now http://home.wmin.ac.uk/transport/inphormm/inphormm.htm 346 see 148 352 The first link does not work, the pages at ITS Leeds are at http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/projects/isa/index.htm 372 This should link to European Mobility Week - http://www.mobilityweek.eu 373 This is no longer active by the looks of it 376 I've not heard of these people, and the website is a holding page (probably dead). InnovITS do this sort of stuff now - http://www.innovits.com/ 382 should be updated, it is now Cyclecraft http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/ 384 is a commercial company selling timetabling software. see 314 385 should probably point to PlusBus http://www.plusbus.info 399 is now http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/section.asp?sectiontype=listmixed&catid=1981 400 has an extra space at the end of the URL 402 doesn't work, but that is definitely their web address 405 does not work 406 just redirects to LiftShare 408 the link is wrong, but the text is right! It should be http://www.lcc.org.uk 409 does not work 411 is now called London TravelWatch http://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/ 413 doesn't work, but should go to http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2688.aspx 415 is about a civil engineering project completed some years ago 416. see 411 418 no longer works 419 no longer works, the City Council's cycling pages are at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=1000 11&documentID=732 420 no longer works 422 no longer works 425 Manchester Metrolink (trams) are at http://www.metrolink.co.uk/ despite the name, this is a tram network 426 The Manual for Streets is at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/manualforstre ets - it is actually published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in partnership with the Department for Transport 427 goes to a site on noise mitigation! I don't have a clue where what you want is - the address redirects to the Intute academic search site, and the domain is the National Maritime Museum 429 This doesn't work, and there is no reference to MATTISSE on Birmingham Council's website 431 Merseytravel (Merseyside PTE) is at http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/ 432 Metro (West Yorkshire PTE) is at http://www.wymetro.com 434 is a former rail franchise, see http://www.nationalrail.co.uk 436 no longer works 455 is wrong, but the correct link just redirects to Traffic Scotland - http://www.trafficscotland.org 461 no longer seems to exist 466 doesn't seem to exist any more 468 just redirects to Sustrans - http://www.sustrans.org.uk 470 no longer exists, use http://www.dft.gov.uk/results?view=Filter&h=m&m=4553&s=5876&pg=1 (Department for Transport Cycling) 471 use http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach for coach services - all their bus and train services have been rebranded as National Express as well! 473 is properly titled "National Mobility Service" 479 duplicates 461, which does not work 481 is now Environmental Protection UK - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/ 489 is dead. I think PowerShift is closed, so the nearest you'll get is probably http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/what_can_i_do_today/smarter_driving/alte rnative_fuel 494 does not work. Nexus' correct website address is http://www.nexus.org.uk - this includes the Metro which they operate (essentially a U- Stadtbahn) 500 see 489, it seems to be a duplicate 501 the link is not what it says - http://www.niches-transport.org/ works, but the link points somewhere else! 503 redirects to https://www.liftshare.org/securesites/ londonliftshare/ which means it's safe to assume Transport for London operate this now 506 does not work - Sustrans have the route planner at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1089651611859 507 is a UK rail franchise which has changed hands - see http://www.nationalrail.co.uk 508 The Department for Regional Development look after devolved regional transport issues in Northern Ireland - http://www.drdni.gov.uk/ 512 is spelt wrongly, and in any case would be http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/traffic_and_travel.htm - this site started in Nottingham and this is essentially a local service (although Nottingham City and Nottingham County are now split for administrative purposes) 517 OPRAF was absorbed into the Department for Transport some years ago as DfT Rail Directorate 523 is misspelt, but I still can't find it with the correct spelling - try Transport for London cycling at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/8966.aspx 524 has an extra space in the URL 527 doesn't point where it says, it should go to http://www.parkingtoday.com/ 532 doesn't go where it says, and should go to http://www.pteg.net/ 537 is now at http://www.cir.soc.napier.ac.uk/researchprojects/op/displayoneproject/resear chprojectid/57742 538 is misspelt and should be http://user.itl.net/~wordcraf/lexicon.html 539 cannot be found 546 doesn't go where it says it does - http://www.eu-portal.net/ 549 has an extra space in the URL 550 see 489 555 The address for PTRC is http://www.ptrc-training.co.uk/ 556 PTI is part of Traveline, and the web journey planner is Transport Direct - see 314 557 This page is no longer there - Southampton University Transport Research Group is at http://www.trg.soton.ac.uk/ 558 no longer works, try http://www.transportdirect.info 560 the web address works, but should now be http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Recreation/Greenways/index.asp and the organisation is called "Natural England" 563 the link goes to the wrong place, it should link to http://www.rfg.org.uk 564 duplicates 234 566 Railfuture's main page link has a space appended to the URL, so doesn't work 568 Railtrack is now Network Rail - http://www.networkrail.co.uk 569 neither link works, but I think this is part of Railfuture now, see 566 574 redirects to London Travelwatch 575 no longer works, see 401 578 does not point to the right place and should be http://www.rudi.net 579 Rethink does not appear to have its own domain any more. The main AirportWatch site is at http://www.airportwatch.org.uk 583 has a space appended to the URL. Please note that train drivers have their own Union - ASLEF - http://www.aslef.org.uk/ 584 "This site has been disabled for security or other reasons" (!) 585 is part of the Campaign for Better Transport, http://www.bettertransport.org.uk 586 no longer exists 587 also doesn't seem to be there any more 592 links to someone else's page - I used to work at this place (Loughborough University Transport Studies Group) and have not heard of this resource, so it might be long gone... In any case you could link to Loughborough's Transport and Infrastructure Research Group at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cv/research/ce_ti.html 593 Friends of the Earth resources are at http://www.foe.org.uk/resource/index.shtml 594 should go to http://www.rua.org.uk/ but goes to a PDF file on their site 595 is run by the Environmental Transport Association at http://www.eta.co.uk/ - the campaign doesn't seem to exist any more 607 http://www.rural-transport.net/ is Actions on the Integration of Rural Transport Services 609 I don't know where to find this... my supervisor will know, but she's away 610 is all in Cyrillic, it's actually at http://www.hertsdirect.org/envroads/roadstrans/rsu/schooltravel/saferroutes/ 611 doesn't go where it says it does, and in any case is part of the Department for Transport - I don't know where this particular group is 612 see 461, 479 614 one of my ex-colleagues worked with these people, but I don't know where this has gone 616 is now called Cycling Scotland - http://www.cyclingscotland.org 617 see 616 618 is the link to (UK) National Statistics, not Scottish Statistics 621 Secure Stations is now at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/crime/sss/ 624 see 517 629 is at http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/research/newprojectDetails.php?id=500 631 redirects to CityCarClub -http://www.citycarclub.co.uk/ 634 see 623 639 SACTRA is at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/economics/sactra/ 640 I don't think this is running any more 643 http://www.buzzatstockley.co.uk/travel/ 645 points to the Ramblers Association - http://www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns/safetocross.html 646 has a space appended to the URL 648 doesn't link to where it says it does 650 see 373 652 I can't find this 658 National Cycle Network redirects to Sustrans, and Ride the Net goes nowhere 664 see 613 671 see 272 673 There is no longer a dedicated page for taxis on the DfT website 681 links to Society Guardian (a section of a newspaper!) and should go to http://www.communities.gov.uk/thamesgateway/ 686 is completely malformatted, and goes to the Carfree Day Yahoo Group! see 560 687 see 230 688 doesn't work, though the link points to the wrong site in any case 690 doesn't work 695 see 346 705 see 534 706 see 570 708 see 616 712 see 679 713 has the wrong link, but redirects to London LiftShare (Transport for London) in any case 714 The Trainline is an online rail ticket agency 720 has the wrong link, see 585 721 is at http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/research/newprojectDetails.php?id=414 723 see 455 726 is at http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/drivers_centre/login.html and needs a login 729 doesn't link to where it says it does 730 doesn't link to where it says it does 735 see 733 737 is dead 739 should be http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ctr/ 740 would probably be on NICE's website now, see 475 741 should be http://www.hud.ac.uk/schools/applied_sciences/trans/research.htm 744 does not work now 752 is http://www.acorp.uk.com 754 see 448 757 Transport Statistics are held by National Statistics - http://www.statistics.gov.uk/glance/#travel 759 is at http://home.wmin.ac.uk/transport/ 760 is the Transport Studies Unit at Imperial College London 762 I can't find this 764 is now called the Campaign for Better Transport - http://www.bettertransport.org.uk , see 585 and others 765 see 489 779 would be here now - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/index.htm - but there's no sign of something specifically on Awareness Initiatives 781 see 488 782 goes to a shop 783 does not work 784 redirects to TravelWise UK 785 redirects to the Telework Association 790 see 448 and 754 792 see 494 795 doesn't go where it says it does, see 800 796 "it works!" (but that's all the website says!) 797 doesn't go where it says it does, see 800 798 see TransportDirect 799 doesn't go where it says it does 800 doesn't go where it says it does 801 duplicates 800 806 see 371 and 793 807 see 67, 356, 370 and 794 809 doesn't go where it says it does 814 might be http://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/activities/departments/mace/ 817 does not work 818 see 342 821 is dead 830 is at http://www.vca.gov.uk/ 855 is misspelt, and in any case the site is now dead 857 is actually the link for the Welsh government 861 is dead 868 is dead 872 is dead 874 is dead From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 1 15:09:40 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 08:09:40 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Sustainable Urban Transport - 850 programs and websites - (work in progress) Message-ID: <005101c90bf9$5dba6a30$192f3e90$@britton@ecoplan.org> I am pleased to share this private note from Anzir Boodoo on this topic, because it points up just how difficult it is not only to compile such a list but also how hard it is to keep it up to date. His industriousness and clarity of thinking on this is exemplary, and I hope very much when and if he has the time from his PhD studies he will be able to make those changes in the UK end of this inventory. Now all we need is to deal with the rest of this long list. Any ideas? Thanks so much Anzir. Team work. Eric britton ____________________________ ERIC BRITTON New Mobility Partnerships 8, rue Joseph Bara - 75006 Paris France T: 331 4326 1323 - www.newmobility.org -----Original Message----- From: Anzir Boodoo [mailto:ab@transcience.co.uk] Sent: Sunday, 31 August 2008 23:02 To: eric.britton@ecoplan.org Subject: Re: [UTSG] Sustainable Urban Transport - 850 programs and websites - (work in progress) Eric, On 29 Aug 2008, at 11:21, Eric Britton wrote: > In a next stage, we would like to ask you to review and share with > us all > your corrections and additions to this valuable inventory. Please > address > them to me off list, so that we can work our way through them here > and make > these changes and update this listing here for public consultation > and use. OK... (I've checked the UK sites) 25. The Birmingham Northern Relief Road has been built and opened a couple of years ago, so I don't think it's relevant to point to the Alliance Against it. 47 & 58 are the same 122 Carfree UK is not hyphenated 135 should read "Liverpool to Lille" not "Liverpool to Little" 136 Central Trains' franchise has changed - see http://www.londonmidland.com , who despite their name, run the West Midlands suburban rail network 148 The Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport (UK) (CILT(UK) - http://www.ciltuk.org.uk 184 The official page for London trams is http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2674.aspx 192 should say 192, not 1 201 Cycling Intitiatives Register is at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tal/cyclefacilities/cyclinginitiativesre gister (aren't government reorganisations wonderful?) 224 Die Bahn (was Deutsche Bahn) is at http://www.bahn.de 234 Rail Users Consultative Committees have been abolished, and Passenger Focus deal with that now - http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk 242 & 243 are duplicates, but neither works 288 EWS Railway (DB Schenker UK) are at http://www.ews-railway.co.uk/ - they are a freight operator only 310 The Glasgow Subway (Underground) is at http://www.spt.co.uk/subway/index.html 314 The British Bus Timetable doesn't come under the aegis of Southern Vectis buses any more - you'd be best off going to Transport Direct - http://www.transportdirect.info 316 Great North Eastern Railway lost their franchise - it's probably not worth giving franchised operators links on here, but instead linking into the main UK National Rail site at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk 317 I was once a contributor to RailInfo, about 10 years ago! It's very much dead now (the site no longer exists). More up to date information is available on National Rail at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/cyclists.html 320 This points to a holding page which connects to NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). NICE is number 475 323 There is an extra space in the link which stops it from working 324 HDA has been replaced by NICE (see 320, 475) - http://www.nice.org.uk - some of the stuff on walking is "missing" and as part of the day job I'm trying to track it down... 327 No longer works. I'd never heard of them to be honest... 331 There is an extra space in the link which stops it from working 342 The link is now http://home.wmin.ac.uk/transport/inphormm/inphormm.htm 346 see 148 352 The first link does not work, the pages at ITS Leeds are at http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/projects/isa/index.htm 372 This should link to European Mobility Week - http://www.mobilityweek.eu 373 This is no longer active by the looks of it 376 I've not heard of these people, and the website is a holding page (probably dead). InnovITS do this sort of stuff now - http://www.innovits.com/ 382 should be updated, it is now Cyclecraft http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/ 384 is a commercial company selling timetabling software. see 314 385 should probably point to PlusBus http://www.plusbus.info 399 is now http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/section.asp?sectiontype=listmixed&catid=1981 400 has an extra space at the end of the URL 402 doesn't work, but that is definitely their web address 405 does not work 406 just redirects to LiftShare 408 the link is wrong, but the text is right! It should be http://www.lcc.org.uk 409 does not work 411 is now called London TravelWatch http://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/ 413 doesn't work, but should go to http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2688.aspx 415 is about a civil engineering project completed some years ago 416. see 411 418 no longer works 419 no longer works, the City Council's cycling pages are at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=1000 11&documentID=732 420 no longer works 422 no longer works 425 Manchester Metrolink (trams) are at http://www.metrolink.co.uk/ despite the name, this is a tram network 426 The Manual for Streets is at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/manualforstre ets - it is actually published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in partnership with the Department for Transport 427 goes to a site on noise mitigation! I don't have a clue where what you want is - the address redirects to the Intute academic search site, and the domain is the National Maritime Museum 429 This doesn't work, and there is no reference to MATTISSE on Birmingham Council's website 431 Merseytravel (Merseyside PTE) is at http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/ 432 Metro (West Yorkshire PTE) is at http://www.wymetro.com 434 is a former rail franchise, see http://www.nationalrail.co.uk 436 no longer works 455 is wrong, but the correct link just redirects to Traffic Scotland - http://www.trafficscotland.org 461 no longer seems to exist 466 doesn't seem to exist any more 468 just redirects to Sustrans - http://www.sustrans.org.uk 470 no longer exists, use http://www.dft.gov.uk/results?view=Filter&h=m&m=4553&s=5876&pg=1 (Department for Transport Cycling) 471 use http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach for coach services - all their bus and train services have been rebranded as National Express as well! 473 is properly titled "National Mobility Service" 479 duplicates 461, which does not work 481 is now Environmental Protection UK - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/ 489 is dead. I think PowerShift is closed, so the nearest you'll get is probably http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/what_can_i_do_today/smarter_driving/alte rnative_fuel 494 does not work. Nexus' correct website address is http://www.nexus.org.uk - this includes the Metro which they operate (essentially a U- Stadtbahn) 500 see 489, it seems to be a duplicate 501 the link is not what it says - http://www.niches-transport.org/ works, but the link points somewhere else! 503 redirects to https://www.liftshare.org/securesites/ londonliftshare/ which means it's safe to assume Transport for London operate this now 506 does not work - Sustrans have the route planner at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1089651611859 507 is a UK rail franchise which has changed hands - see http://www.nationalrail.co.uk 508 The Department for Regional Development look after devolved regional transport issues in Northern Ireland - http://www.drdni.gov.uk/ 512 is spelt wrongly, and in any case would be http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/traffic_and_travel.htm - this site started in Nottingham and this is essentially a local service (although Nottingham City and Nottingham County are now split for administrative purposes) 517 OPRAF was absorbed into the Department for Transport some years ago as DfT Rail Directorate 523 is misspelt, but I still can't find it with the correct spelling - try Transport for London cycling at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/8966.aspx 524 has an extra space in the URL 527 doesn't point where it says, it should go to http://www.parkingtoday.com/ 532 doesn't go where it says, and should go to http://www.pteg.net/ 537 is now at http://www.cir.soc.napier.ac.uk/researchprojects/op/displayoneproject/resear chprojectid/57742 538 is misspelt and should be http://user.itl.net/~wordcraf/lexicon.html 539 cannot be found 546 doesn't go where it says it does - http://www.eu-portal.net/ 549 has an extra space in the URL 550 see 489 555 The address for PTRC is http://www.ptrc-training.co.uk/ 556 PTI is part of Traveline, and the web journey planner is Transport Direct - see 314 557 This page is no longer there - Southampton University Transport Research Group is at http://www.trg.soton.ac.uk/ 558 no longer works, try http://www.transportdirect.info 560 the web address works, but should now be http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Recreation/Greenways/index.asp and the organisation is called "Natural England" 563 the link goes to the wrong place, it should link to http://www.rfg.org.uk 564 duplicates 234 566 Railfuture's main page link has a space appended to the URL, so doesn't work 568 Railtrack is now Network Rail - http://www.networkrail.co.uk 569 neither link works, but I think this is part of Railfuture now, see 566 574 redirects to London Travelwatch 575 no longer works, see 401 578 does not point to the right place and should be http://www.rudi.net 579 Rethink does not appear to have its own domain any more. The main AirportWatch site is at http://www.airportwatch.org.uk 583 has a space appended to the URL. Please note that train drivers have their own Union - ASLEF - http://www.aslef.org.uk/ 584 "This site has been disabled for security or other reasons" (!) 585 is part of the Campaign for Better Transport, http://www.bettertransport.org.uk 586 no longer exists 587 also doesn't seem to be there any more 592 links to someone else's page - I used to work at this place (Loughborough University Transport Studies Group) and have not heard of this resource, so it might be long gone... In any case you could link to Loughborough's Transport and Infrastructure Research Group at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cv/research/ce_ti.html 593 Friends of the Earth resources are at http://www.foe.org.uk/resource/index.shtml 594 should go to http://www.rua.org.uk/ but goes to a PDF file on their site 595 is run by the Environmental Transport Association at http://www.eta.co.uk/ - the campaign doesn't seem to exist any more 607 http://www.rural-transport.net/ is Actions on the Integration of Rural Transport Services 609 I don't know where to find this... my supervisor will know, but she's away 610 is all in Cyrillic, it's actually at http://www.hertsdirect.org/envroads/roadstrans/rsu/schooltravel/saferroutes/ 611 doesn't go where it says it does, and in any case is part of the Department for Transport - I don't know where this particular group is 612 see 461, 479 614 one of my ex-colleagues worked with these people, but I don't know where this has gone 616 is now called Cycling Scotland - http://www.cyclingscotland.org 617 see 616 618 is the link to (UK) National Statistics, not Scottish Statistics 621 Secure Stations is now at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/crime/sss/ 624 see 517 629 is at http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/research/newprojectDetails.php?id=500 631 redirects to CityCarClub -http://www.citycarclub.co.uk/ 634 see 623 639 SACTRA is at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/economics/sactra/ 640 I don't think this is running any more 643 http://www.buzzatstockley.co.uk/travel/ 645 points to the Ramblers Association - http://www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns/safetocross.html 646 has a space appended to the URL 648 doesn't link to where it says it does 650 see 373 652 I can't find this 658 National Cycle Network redirects to Sustrans, and Ride the Net goes nowhere 664 see 613 671 see 272 673 There is no longer a dedicated page for taxis on the DfT website 681 links to Society Guardian (a section of a newspaper!) and should go to http://www.communities.gov.uk/thamesgateway/ 686 is completely malformatted, and goes to the Carfree Day Yahoo Group! see 560 687 see 230 688 doesn't work, though the link points to the wrong site in any case 690 doesn't work 695 see 346 705 see 534 706 see 570 708 see 616 712 see 679 713 has the wrong link, but redirects to London LiftShare (Transport for London) in any case 714 The Trainline is an online rail ticket agency 720 has the wrong link, see 585 721 is at http://www.its.leeds.ac.uk/research/newprojectDetails.php?id=414 723 see 455 726 is at http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/drivers_centre/login.html and needs a login 729 doesn't link to where it says it does 730 doesn't link to where it says it does 735 see 733 737 is dead 739 should be http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ctr/ 740 would probably be on NICE's website now, see 475 741 should be http://www.hud.ac.uk/schools/applied_sciences/trans/research.htm 744 does not work now 752 is http://www.acorp.uk.com 754 see 448 757 Transport Statistics are held by National Statistics - http://www.statistics.gov.uk/glance/#travel 759 is at http://home.wmin.ac.uk/transport/ 760 is the Transport Studies Unit at Imperial College London 762 I can't find this 764 is now called the Campaign for Better Transport - http://www.bettertransport.org.uk , see 585 and others 765 see 489 779 would be here now - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/index.htm - but there's no sign of something specifically on Awareness Initiatives 781 see 488 782 goes to a shop 783 does not work 784 redirects to TravelWise UK 785 redirects to the Telework Association 790 see 448 and 754 792 see 494 795 doesn't go where it says it does, see 800 796 "it works!" (but that's all the website says!) 797 doesn't go where it says it does, see 800 798 see TransportDirect 799 doesn't go where it says it does 800 doesn't go where it says it does 801 duplicates 800 806 see 371 and 793 807 see 67, 356, 370 and 794 809 doesn't go where it says it does 814 might be http://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/activities/departments/mace/ 817 does not work 818 see 342 821 is dead 830 is at http://www.vca.gov.uk/ 855 is misspelt, and in any case the site is now dead 857 is actually the link for the Welsh government 861 is dead 868 is dead 872 is dead 874 is dead From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 1 16:00:07 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 09:00:07 +0200 Subject: [sustran] =?iso-8859-1?Q?=22We_also_have_to_give_credit_to_Bogot?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?=E1_=22?= Message-ID: <008401c90c00$698fb9d0$3caf2d70$@britton@ecoplan.org> Thanks so much for that good heads-up Carlos. Bogot? of course is also well known as one of the real Car Free Day heroes. But actually I am not sure that it gets the first place on the historic list, though it certainly makes a handy addition to the quite long list of previous events you will find if you click the top menu item TimeLine at www.carfreedays.newmobility.org . If you can check and give me a line or two of detail on this, we will be pleased to add it to this good list. If you have read the original Thursday paper, you will have noted the early para on this which reads as follows:: ?There is of course nothing new about a proposal for a car-free day. In addition to a growing number of small city center closure projects and pedestrian zones of varying sizes and sorts, over the last decades there have been literally hundreds of cases of cities that have banned car traffic for a single day, some special event, or during some particular (usually crisis) period.? My point challenge was and is to see how we might put such happy occasional events into a broader strategic action framework. And of course one of the most important outcomes of this entire collaborative project was that it paved the way for our terrific collaboration in early 2000 to lay the base for Bogot??s first ever Car Free Day, for which your mayor, Enrique Pe?alosa and I were jointly awarded the Stockholm Challenge Environment Award for precisely this collaboration. Team work. That?s what we do. Eric Britton Timeline: Some Major Car Free (Days) Benchmarks The following chronology assembles some of the main benchmark events of the last decades, which together have gradually built on each other's accomplishments to leave us today with a movement that is, to say the least, only now beginning to get under way. (Please understand that this is intended only as a starting point and there are a very large number of cities and events that are not covered here. Of course. But it does hit a number of the main international highlights, and certainly can serve to give you an idea of the increasing momentum of the C/FD movement in cities around the world.) 1. 1958, New York. Demonstrations of neighbors of the Washington Square Park area of New York City eventually block proposed extension of Fifth Avenue, which would have eliminated this popular public park and social oasis. 2. 1961, New York. One of the ring leaders of the 1958 demonstration, Jane Jacobs , publishes The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Vintage Books, opening up the discussions of car restraint in cities 3. Autumn, 1968, Groningen, The Netherlands. First neighborhood Woonerf The goal of this at first entirely illegal project led by local residents was to claim back the street for cars and create safe space for people 4. 1972, Delft, The Netherlands. First "official" Woonerf opened 5. 1973, Abbaye de Royaumont, France The OECD Development Center and EcoPlan (The Commons) organize 4 day international brainstorm on combining car restraint and non-conventional or "in-between" transit (paratransit) in Third World cities 6. January-February, 1974, Switzerland Four Car Free Sundays organized and greatly enjoyed by all during "Oil Crisis" 7. 1981, East Germany (DDR). First German Car Free Day takes place. 8. October 1988, Paris. "Cities without Cars?" program begins. International, unstructured, non-bureaucratic, topic-driven, long term cooperative program launched by EcoPlan and The Commons. (Later morphs into today's New Mobility Agenda 9. September 1991, New York. First International Conference on Auto-Free Cities. Organized by Transportation Alternatives 10. September 1992, San Francisco. Critical Mass More or less anarchist, at least self-organizing, group cranks up to take back the streets from cars. Still at it. 11. Fall 1992, Paris, France. First @ccess Forum opens in cooperation with ECTF on Internet. Car Free day concept discussed and expanded on this international list. 12. Fall 1992, Ottawa, Canada. Auto-Free Ottawa Newsletter started. 13. March 1994, Amsterdam. Car Free Cities Network Launched by DG XI and Eurocities 14. 14 October 1994, Toledo, Spain. Thursday: Car Free Day Proposal, work plan and public call for international collaboration presented at Spanish "Ciudades Accesibles" Congress. (Representatives of Car Free Cities and future Reykjavik, Bath and La Rochelle CFD projects all present.) 15. Winter 1994/5: Long term international contact/support CFD program created on the Web under The Commons and the New Mobility Agenda 16. 8 May 1996, Copenhagen: Copenhagen Declaration Issued by international meeting of European government groups. 17. 5 June 1996, Reykjavik, Iceland. Car Free Day Organized by local government and held in Iceland's capital city. 18. 11th June 1996, Bath, U.K. Bath Car Free Day First British Car Free day. (A Green Transport Week street party had already been organised in Bath in June 1995.) 19. 1997, U.K. National Car Free Days The ETA steps forward and co-ordinates first three annual CFD's in Britain. 20. 9 September 1997, La Rochelle, France. Journ?e sans voiture Lead by Mayor Michel Cr?peau and Jacques Tallut, La Rochelle organizes France's first real CFD. 21. 21 October, 1997, Paris. Thursday: Car Free Day proposal, presentation made to French Ministry of the Environment. Proposal from this Consortium made as part of The Common's "Smogbuster" package for fighting car-related pollution and other problems in French cities. (The Ministry later uses this foundation to launch its own "En ville, sans ma voiture?" program one year later. 22. 26 October - 1 November 1997, Lyons, France. First Towards Car Free Cities Conference Organized by International Youth for Action and other. CarBusters program launched. 23. Winter 1997, Amsterdam. Car Free Times Car Free Times publishes Volume 1, Number 1 (with no public support and made freely available). 24. Winter, 1997, Paris. @World Car Free Day Consortium This open NGO site was first established by The Commons as part of their long term New Mobility program on the WWW to support Car Free day organization and expert follow-up in cities all over the world. 25. June 21 1998, Mobil Ohne Auto , Germany-wide Car Free Mobility Day 26. September 22, 1998, " En ville, sans ma voiture?", France. French Ministry of the Environment and 34 French cities organize "En ville, sans ma voiture?" ("A day in the city without my car?). 27. December 1, 1999, Britain. First National ETA Car Free Planning support (UK) Sharing information on planning for European Car Free Day in Britain 28. September 19, 1999, The Netherlands. First National Car Free Sunday in the Netherlands 29. 22 September 1999, First European "Pilot Car Free Day". On Wednesday 22 September 1999, 66 French towns participated in "En ville, sans ma voiture ?", (2nd edition), while in parallel 92 Italian towns organized the first Italian National Car Free Day, "In citt? senza la mia auto". The Canton of Geneva also participated in what later was later called the first European "Pilot Day", wherein all the participating cities designated Car Free areas in their canters. 30. Sunday 26th of September 1999, First Belgian CFD announced 31. 1 December 1999, UK. Consortium of interested individuals and groups sets up first independent national support group on Web to promote CFD's in Britain (see menu to left for direct link) 32. Sunday, February 6, 2000, Italy Environment Minister Edo Ronchi opens first of 4 successive Car Free Sundays in Italy, to take place on first Sunday of month for next four months. 33. 24 February 2000, Bogot?, Colombia. The Bogot? Challenge The City of Bogot? organizes in cooperation with the World Car Free Day Consortium Sin mi carro en Bogot?, the world's first large scale "Thursday" CFD project, and launches its Bogot? Challenge to the rest of the world. 34. 5 June 2000. The Commons win Stockholm Challenge Environment Prize for outstanding accomplishment in supporting February 2000 Bogota Car Free Day, and invites the Mayor of Bogota to accept the award as a joint prize demonstrating the potential for technology-mediated international collaboration in support of major sustainability projects. 35. 10-18 June 2000, U.K. Green Transport Week , U.K. 36. 24-27 June 2000, Bremen, GermanyCar Free Cities conference in Bremen 37. 21 September 2000. First CarBusters call for a World Car Free Day inviting independent projects to organize on that day, and later announced as a planned annual Open event. (Car Busters asks us to support their project, which we, as always, do.) 38. 22 September 2000. First European Car Free Day The government sponsors reported that 760 European towns jointly organized the first pan-European "In town, without my car!" day. 39. 14 October 2000. Chengdu City of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, started the first ever "Car Free Day" of the nation. 40. 29 October 2000. Bogot? holds world's first Car Free Referendum (which passes with flying colors) 41. 1 November 2000. Earth Car Free Day program launched by The Commons and WC/FD Consortium in cooperation with Earth Day Network. Preparations get under way for first ECFD on 19 April 2001. 42. 1 February 2001. Bogota launches first ECFD 2001 project with its second Dia sin Carro. 43. Spring 2001. "Domeniche ecologiche 2001" - Italian Ministry of the Environment organises first Ecological Sundays Car Free program, running on five weekends in 44. 19 April 2001. First Earth Car Free Day More than 300 hundred groups and cities around the world participate in this first ECFD organized by The Commons WC/FD program and Earth Day Network(the detailed results of which can be accessed here ). 45. May-December 2001. Numerous independent Days and demonstrations organized and reported and supported by the World Car/Free Day Consortium of The Commons. 46. September 2001. Second European CFD and second CarBusters World Car Free Day organized. 47. 19 September 2001 Shed Your Car Day - FremantleFirst Australian CFD 48. September 22nd, 2001 Toronto became first Canadian and North American city to officially host a Car Free Day. 49. November 2001. United Nations contacts The Commons and proposes a joint world level project: the United Nations Car Free Days Programme , to be organized as a run-up to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, demonstrating that this approach is one that can make a difference. 50. 6-8 February 2002. First United National Regional Car Free Days Practicum organized for Latin America, in cooperation with and support of the third Car Free Day in Bogota Colombia. Practicum brings together a delegation of mayors from across the region to observe and exchange information on the CFD approach for their cities. (The Commons participation in all stages is "CO2-free", mediated by the Internet and an expanding array of new communications and distance work technologies. ) 51. 8-10 May 2002. Second UN Car Free Day Demonstration and Practicum for Regional Mayors taking place in Fremantle, West Australia. 52. 19 April 2002. First European Mobility Week launched by EC in Brussels Planned as annual event in September around their "In town without my car!" program. 53. 2002. World Car Free Network founded, building on the work of CarBusters. 54. 2002. Canadian Car Free Day Network established 55. Sept. 2003 Montreal became the first Canadian city to hold a major downtown, weekday street closure. 56. Sept. 2003 Camden (UK)celebrates first Travelwise Week building on Car Free Days celebrated every year since 2000 57. July 2004. Towards Carfree Cities III, Berlin Organized by World Car Free Network 58. 19 to 24 September 2004. Toronto's first New Mobility Week launches a public enquiry into new less-car packages of policies and measures 59. 22 September 2004 "In town, without my car!", organized by the European Commission and national partners 60. 16 to September 2004 European Mobility Week Etc. etc. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 1 17:20:35 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 10:20:35 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Sustainable Urban Transport - 850 programs and websites - (work in progress) Message-ID: <00ad01c90c0b$9f024730$dd06d590$@britton@ecoplan.org> From: Mari J?ssi [mailto:mari@seit.ee] Sent: Monday, 1 September 2008 09:36 Hi, Eric! This kind of international list of close to 1000 links could be easily edited collaboratively -- in a Wiki or Google Site type of shared editing environment. Updating it through an administrator makes it more then double work -- looking for updates, explaining the updates, understanding the explanations and finally making the updates. Of course it works when there are only minor changes, but when there are hundreds of small changes, then it takes too much to administrate. World Carfree Network has just started a wiki page on CFD events worldwide. http://editthis.info/wcd/Main_Page So maybe you want to consider using a wiki type of platform for updating this list. Now, looking through the list I think it is not very useful for getting an overview of organizations working on sustainable urban transport -- listing a mixture of organizations from Swedish Road Administration to European Association of Motorcycle builders, The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to Birmingham Airport does not make much sense. It seems that the list is just a print of Google search with very general keywords of urban transport from 2006 -- anyone can do a more practical search on Google with updated links. So -- making it more functional is another job than just getting the links correct and throwing out dead projects and needs some discussion what we want from this list actually. Best greetings from Tallinn, Mari Estonian Green Movement www.autovaba.ee PS. Thanks and right on Mari. We have recently started a wiki for just this kind of group work at http://editthis.info/newmobility/Main_Page. For the moment it is a start-up mess, but perhaps some of you might join in to help make it better. I might add that this is in parallel with our rather good entry in the Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mobility_Agenda. I have yet to figure out how to make all of this synch ? which is one of the reasons for our Knowledge project (http://www.knowledge.newmobility.org). From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 1 20:32:24 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 13:32:24 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Newsletters and Discussion Groups for Researchers, Policy-Makers and Planners in the Transport Sector Message-ID: <010a01c90c26$6a9ceed0$3fd6cc70$@britton@ecoplan.org> The following very handy listing of international sources just in from our colleagues at GTZ http://www.gtz.de/transport. It should find a useful place on your hard disk. And if you go to the New Mobility Knowledge Environment site at http://www.knowledge.newmobility.org you will see that the Search engine on the left menu already provides quick access to the contents not only of these sites but of going on one hundred international programs and groups working in our sector to advance our common cause. From Mari at pdv-systeme.de Mon Sep 1 17:20:35 2008 From: Mari at pdv-systeme.de (Mari at pdv-systeme.de) Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 10:20:35 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Sustainable Urban Transport - 850 programs and websites - (work in progress) Message-ID: <00ad01c90c0b$9f024730$dd06d590$@britton@ecoplan.org> From: Mari J???ssi [mailto:mari@seit.ee] Sent: Monday, 1 September 2008 09:36 Hi, Eric! This kind of international list of close to 1000 links could be easily edited collaboratively -- in a Wiki or Google Site type of shared editing environment. Updating it through an administrator makes it more then double work -- looking for updates, explaining the updates, understanding the explanations and finally making the updates. Of course it works when there are only minor changes, but when there are hundreds of small changes, then it takes too much to administrate. World Carfree Network has just started a wiki page on CFD events worldwide. http://editthis.info/wcd/Main_Page So maybe you want to consider using a wiki type of platform for updating this list. Now, looking through the list I think it is not very useful for getting an overview of organizations working on sustainable urban transport -- listing a mixture of organizations from Swedish Road Administration to European Association of Motorcycle builders, The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to Birmingham Airport does not make much sense. It seems that the list is just a print of Google search with very general keywords of urban transport from 2006 -- anyone can do a more practical search on Google with updated links. So -- making it more functional is another job than just getting the links correct and throwing out dead projects and needs some discussion what we want from this list actually. Best greetings from Tallinn, Mari Estonian Green Movement www.autovaba.ee PS. Thanks and right on Mari. We have recently started a wiki for just this kind of group work at http://editthis.info/newmobility/Main_Page. For the moment it is a start-up mess, but perhaps some of you might join in to help make it better. I might add that this is in parallel with our rather good entry in the Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mobility_Agenda. I have yet to figure out how to make all of this synch ??? which is one of the reasons for our Knowledge project (http://www.knowledge.newmobility.org). From regina at wholechoice.net Wed Sep 3 14:04:49 2008 From: regina at wholechoice.net (Gina Anderson) Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:04:49 +0800 Subject: [sustran] msnbc: bicycle commuting increasing worldwide, not in US In-Reply-To: <00ad01c90c0b$9f024730$dd06d590$@britton@ecoplan.org> References: <00ad01c90c0b$9f024730$dd06d590$@britton@ecoplan.org> Message-ID: <20080903130449.1yqe45ir28sgsc8k@www.wholechoice.net> For bicyclists, a widening patchwork world As oil prices rise, U.S. lags behind two-wheeled boom in rest of world http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26478179/ -- Regina Anderson, AICP WholeChoice Project Management, Master Planning, Sustainability Singapore From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 4 18:31:15 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 11:31:15 +0200 Subject: [sustran] video on public bicycles in Spanish Message-ID: <005001c90e70$fd0c7d70$f7257850$@britton@ecoplan.org> Thanks to C.Nnos for the heads-up. A very neat 2 minute video on public bicycles in Spanish just put on line at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtEJWzXT2Wc From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 4 18:31:15 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 11:31:15 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [WorldCityBike] video on public bicycles in Spanish Message-ID: <005001c90e70$fd0c7d70$f7257850$@britton@ecoplan.org> Thanks to C.Ninos for the heads-up. A very neat 2 minute video on public bicycles in Spanish just put on line at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtEJWzXT2Wc From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 4 18:31:15 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 11:31:15 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [WorldCityBike] video on public bicycles in Spanish Message-ID: <005001c90e70$fd0c7d70$f7257850$@britton@ecoplan.org> Thanks to C.Ninos for the heads-up. A very neat 2 minute video on public bicycles in Spanish just put on line at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtEJWzXT2Wc From ggardner at worldwatch.org Fri Sep 5 07:05:51 2008 From: ggardner at worldwatch.org (Gary Gardner) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 18:05:51 -0400 Subject: [sustran] 3 questions Message-ID: <81625B49261E634A846AE4E15173B5FC1FD8A9@server.worldwatch.org> Hi everyone-- I am new to this listserve and hope you can offer some guidance. Here at the Worldwatch Institute we are planning to undertake a new project to give cycling a higher profile in many cities worldwide. Part of the plan will be to produce a Worldwatch paper on the topic next year (which happens to be the 20th anniversary of one of the most popular Worldwatch Papers ever, "Vehicle for a Small Planet" by Marcia Lowe). But there will also be a heavy outreach component to give the paper legs, and impact. I am writing for advice. Because we want the paper to have impact, we need to be clear about our audience and our strategy for impact. You can help by answering these three questions: 1) Based on your experience with these issues, would you advise that we target our research and writing to --city elected officials? --city policymakers/bureaucrats? --sustainable transport NGOs? --mass public? --others? --some combination of the above? 2) What strategy (what coalition, what outreach, what networks, etc) would you advise us to employ in addressing these audiences? 3) Do you have any suggestions for funding sources that could underwrite such a project? Thanks so much for any suggestions! Gary Gardner Co-Director, State of the World 2008 Worldwatch Institute California office (to reach Gary) 411 Central Avenue Grass Valley, CA 95945 TEL: 530-273-7027 ggardner@worldwatch.org Main office 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 TEL: 202-452-1999 www.worldwatch.org From dsengupta at gmail.com Fri Sep 5 11:15:05 2008 From: dsengupta at gmail.com (Dibu Sengupta) Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 22:15:05 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Public Transportation Trade Mission to India - announcement Message-ID: All, Ron Boenau and Venkat Pindiprolu of FTA gave me the following announcement to circulate. Those interested should contact them. Thanks, Dibu =========================================================== *public transportation Trade Mission to India* *September 2008* Federal Transit Administrator James S. Simpson will be leading a public transportation trade mission to India from September 22-30, 2008. The cities on this itinerary include New Delhi (September 22-23); Visakhapatnam (September 24-25); Hyderabad (September 26-27); and Mumbai (September 28-30). India is investing a considerable amount of funding to improve its urban transportation system over the next several years. There are 393 metropolitan areas in India that have a population of 100,000 or more, and 63 of these cities have over one-half million population. These 63 cities have been targeted by the national government for significant urban transportation improvements. The country's urban population is currently around 30 percent of its total population. Experience throughout the world indicates that, as economies grow, rapid urbanization takes this proportion to over 60 percent before stabilization occurs. In recognition of this growth, the Indian Ministry of Urban Development has identified 12 cities to be awarded grants ranging from $100-150 million to improve their urban transportation systems. This mission will begin in New Delhi, the seat of the national government. The city is developing plans for a 200-250 mile rail system, as well as a significant expansion of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Experimental Line. The delegation will meet with senior officials from New Delhi Metro and the BRT Experimental Line. An industry roundtable is also being planned that will provide an opportunity for the U.S. public transportation industry to engage in dialogue with government and private sector organizations from India. The second city on the itinerary, Visakhapatnam, has a population of nearly 2 million and is one of the 100 fastest growing cities in the world. The city is the recipient of a major BRT grant from the national government. The delegation is being invited to participate in an International BRT workshop which will include participants representing regional, national and international transportation interests. A separate meeting with heads of transportation agencies that attend the workshop is also planned. The third city on the itinerary, Hyderabad, is a city of 6 million. An initial phase of a new metrorail project is currently under construction, and the city is planning for a major BRT system with funding from the national government. A meeting with state and city officials is planned with a particular focus on rail and bus improvements for the city. A separate meeting is also planned with the Institution of Engineers in Hyderabad. The Institution is comprised of engineering executives and staff in public and private organizations in India who are intimately involved in planning, design, and operations of public transportation in the country. A final stop in this itinerary will be in Mumbai, a city of over 13 million that plans an investment of approximately $50 billion for transportation improvements over a 20-year period. The metropolitan population is expected to reach 34 million by 2031. The proposed infrastructure will include 280 miles of a rail network and 65 miles of commuter rail. In addition, the U.S. Commercial Service [ http://www.buyusa.gov/india/en/partner.html] has matchmaking services such as a Gold Key that provides customized market research, pre-screened one-on-one meetings, and follow-up as well as International partner searches and background reports on possible Indian partners. If interested, send an application to Nisha.Wadhawan@mail.doc.gov before August 15, 2008. If you desire to find out more about this trade mission, you may contact Mr. Ronald Boenau at (202-366-0195), Ronald.Boenau@dot.gov.; or Mr. Venkat Pindiprolu at (202-366-8061), Venkat.Pindiprolu@dot.gov., to advise of your interest. From fekbritton at gmail.com Sat Sep 6 18:04:38 2008 From: fekbritton at gmail.com (fekbritton at gmail.com) Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 11:04:38 +0200 Subject: [sustran] http://www.sdamovers.com/ In-Reply-To: <0016362835b6297a57045634f5b8@google.com> References: <0016362835b6297a57045634f5b8@google.com> Message-ID: <001901c90fff$9c8181e0$d58485a0$@com> Does anyone here know anything about http://www.sdamovers.com/. They have just published a very nice synopsis of the work of the New Mobility Agenda, taking their materials from the Wikipedia entry. That's very kind, but I am a bit curious to know who they are (it looks to me like they are a shipping firm) and why they are doing this. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but simply curious. Kind thanks - and maybe this would be best handled privately? Via Eric.Britton@newmobility.org - unless you think better. Eric Britton From shovan1209 at yahoo.com Sun Sep 7 17:00:56 2008 From: shovan1209 at yahoo.com (Saiful Alam) Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2008 01:00:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: <20080907030115.369732C61B@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> Message-ID: <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> ? Are private cars the ideal transport? ? Let us return to the private car.? Whatever convenience and comfort it provides comes at various costs.? Cars are the main source of pollutants worldwide.? There is no such thing as a clean car; cars just vary in the amount they pollute.? Despite increasingly stringent emissions control standards over the decades in the US, cars pollute more than they used to?because people are driving farther.? ? It is difficult for us to appreciate just how much cars pollute.? The air in Dhaka City, after all, improved dramatically after the banning of two-stroke baby taxis, and again with the introduction of unleaded fuel.? However, this is by no means an indication that the air in Dhaka is clean.? Any trip to the countryside is a reminder of the pleasure of breathing clean air.? Even in Dhaka, if we wake up early and take a walk, we can experience a bit of the pleasure of fresh air; as each car passes, we can also understand just how much each car pollutes the air.? As the streets fill with cars, the pollution rises.? On hartal days, despite large numbers of people moving about the city, the air is fresh and the city (violence aside) is quiet. ?Cars?and the wide paved roads needed to accommodate them?also emit a great deal of heat, making Dhaka even more insufferable in the many hot months. ? Cars also are the main cause of noise pollution.? A full 97% of students in Dhaka in a survey on noise pollution said that their studying is disrupted by car horns; 96% of the general public interviewed mentioned car horns as the main cause of noise pollution in Dhaka.[1]? When rickshaws were on strike in October 2004, there were no rickshaws on the streets, yet the streets were as noisy as ever. ? We would argue that since cars only transport roughly 10-20% of travelers, they should only have access to 10-20% of road space, for moving and parking?and should respect the rest of users, as well as the right to some peace and quiet of all the people working and living next to roads.? ?Presumably one component of civilization is respecting the rights of others.? The attitude of drivers?who represent the wealthiest portion of society?that they alone should have full access to roads?is anti-democratic, anti-civilization, and disturbingly elitist.? A society in which people fail to respect the rights of others, and in which the rich believe they should have special privileges on the roads as well as in every other aspect of life, is a society destined to fall into crime, selfishness, viciousness, and lack of the neighborly friendliness that allows people to live comfortably together Syed Siful Alam?Shovan shovan1209@yahoo.com ? From litman at vtpi.org Mon Sep 8 04:16:42 2008 From: litman at vtpi.org (Todd Alexander Litman) Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:16:42 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <20080907030115.369732C61B@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.2.20080907121022.096e1068@mail.islandnet.com> For more detailed analysis of the full costs of different forms of transport, and the benefits of shifts from automobile to alternative modes, see the report "Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis" (www.vtpi.org/tca ). Under urban-peak conditions, automobile use is particularly costly while other modes are relatively efficient. By the way, this report is currently being updated, so a new version should be posted in about a month. Unfortunately, current transportation markets are distorted in various ways that favor mobility over accessibility and automobile transport over other modes, resulting in economically excessive automobile travel, a less diverse and efficient transportation system, and more sprawl than is optimal. Described more positively, there are many potential economic, social and environmental benefits to market and planning reforms that encourage more efficient transportation. This is discussed in my paper, "Socially Optimal Transport Prices and Markets" (www.vtpi.org/sotpm.pdf ). My analysis indicates that in a more efficient market, consumers would choose to own fewer cars, drive 30-50% less, rely more on alternative modes, and be better off overall as a result. This is certainly true of developed countries, and is probably equally true in developing countries. Best wishes, -Todd Litman At 01:00 AM 9/7/2008, Saiful Alam wrote: > >Are private cars the ideal transport? > >Let us return to the private car. Whatever >convenience and comfort it provides comes at >various costs. Cars are the main source of >pollutants worldwide. There is no such thing as >a clean car; cars just vary in the amount they >pollute. Despite increasingly stringent >emissions control standards over the decades in >the US, cars pollute more than they used >to?because people are driving farther. > >It is difficult for us to appreciate just how >much cars pollute. The air in Dhaka City, after >all, improved dramatically after the banning of >two-stroke baby taxis, and again with the >introduction of unleaded fuel. However, this is >by no means an indication that the air in Dhaka >is clean. Any trip to the countryside is a >reminder of the pleasure of breathing clean >air. Even in Dhaka, if we wake up early and >take a walk, we can experience a bit of the >pleasure of fresh air; as each car passes, we >can also understand just how much each car >pollutes the air. As the streets fill with >cars, the pollution rises. On hartal days, >despite large numbers of people moving about the >city, the air is fresh and the city (violence >aside) is quiet. Cars?and the wide paved roads >needed to accommodate them?also emit a great >deal of heat, making Dhaka even more insufferable in the many hot months. > >Cars also are the main cause of noise >pollution. A full 97% of students in Dhaka in a >survey on noise pollution said that their >studying is disrupted by car horns; 96% of the >general public interviewed mentioned car horns >as the main cause of noise pollution in >Dhaka.[1] When rickshaws were on strike in >October 2004, there were no rickshaws on the >streets, yet the streets were as noisy as ever. > >We would argue that since cars only transport >roughly 10-20% of travelers, they should only >have access to 10-20% of road space, for moving >and parking?and should respect the rest of >users, as well as the right to some peace and >quiet of all the people working and living next to roads. > Presumably one component of civilization is > respecting the rights of others. The attitude > of drivers?who represent the wealthiest portion > of society?that they alone should have full > access to roads?is anti-democratic, > anti-civilization, and disturbingly elitist. A > society in which people fail to respect the > rights of others, and in which the rich believe > they should have special privileges on the > roads as well as in every other aspect of life, > is a society destined to fall into crime, > selfishness, viciousness, and lack of the > neighborly friendliness that allows people to live comfortably together > >Syed Siful Alam Shovan >shovan1209@yahoo.com Sincerely, Todd Alexander Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org) litman@vtpi.org Phone & Fax 250-360-1560 1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA ?Efficiency - Equity - Clarity? From richmond at alum.mit.edu Mon Sep 8 04:23:33 2008 From: richmond at alum.mit.edu (Jonathan Richmond) Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2008 23:23:33 +0400 (Russian Daylight Time) Subject: [sustran] Re: Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: <6.2.3.4.2.20080907121022.096e1068@mail.islandnet.com> References: <20080907030115.369732C61B@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <6.2.3.4.2.20080907121022.096e1068@mail.islandnet.com> Message-ID: My reaction to the original posting was "so what?" I have a similar reaction again now. The issue is not one primarily of economic analysis, but of political and institutional constraints on many levels -- from ineffective bureaucracies to political machinery that puts a lot of weight on pleasing the motorist lobby. We could of course repeat the whole discussion about why people do in fact obtain extraordinary value from automobility and ask why public transport has not been developed to offer those sorts of benefits, but I don't think that is the point here. The point is that if the current situation is to change then political and institutional structures have to change, and discussion should revolve increasingly around how to bring that about. --Jonathan! On Sun, 7 Sep 2008, Todd Alexander Litman wrote: > > For more detailed analysis of the full costs of > different forms of transport, and the benefits of > shifts from automobile to alternative modes, see > the report "Transportation Cost and Benefit > Analysis" (www.vtpi.org/tca ). Under urban-peak > conditions, automobile use is particularly costly > while other modes are relatively efficient. By > the way, this report is currently being updated, > so a new version should be posted in about a month. > > Unfortunately, current transportation markets are > distorted in various ways that favor mobility > over accessibility and automobile transport over > other modes, resulting in economically excessive > automobile travel, a less diverse and efficient > transportation system, and more sprawl than is > optimal. Described more positively, there are > many potential economic, social and environmental > benefits to market and planning reforms that > encourage more efficient transportation. This is > discussed in my paper, "Socially Optimal > Transport Prices and Markets" > (www.vtpi.org/sotpm.pdf ). My analysis indicates > that in a more efficient market, consumers would > choose to own fewer cars, drive 30-50% > less, rely more on alternative modes, and be > better off overall as a result. This is certainly > true of developed countries, and is probably > equally true in developing countries. > > > Best wishes, > -Todd Litman > > At 01:00 AM 9/7/2008, Saiful Alam wrote: >> >> Are private cars the ideal transport? >> >> Let us return to the private car. Whatever >> convenience and comfort it provides comes at >> various costs. Cars are the main source of >> pollutants worldwide. There is no such thing as >> a clean car; cars just vary in the amount they >> pollute. Despite increasingly stringent >> emissions control standards over the decades in >> the US, cars pollute more than they used >> to?because people are driving farther. >> >> It is difficult for us to appreciate just how >> much cars pollute. The air in Dhaka City, after >> all, improved dramatically after the banning of >> two-stroke baby taxis, and again with the >> introduction of unleaded fuel. However, this is >> by no means an indication that the air in Dhaka >> is clean. Any trip to the countryside is a >> reminder of the pleasure of breathing clean >> air. Even in Dhaka, if we wake up early and >> take a walk, we can experience a bit of the >> pleasure of fresh air; as each car passes, we >> can also understand just how much each car >> pollutes the air. As the streets fill with >> cars, the pollution rises. On hartal days, >> despite large numbers of people moving about the >> city, the air is fresh and the city (violence >> aside) is quiet. Cars?and the wide paved roads >> needed to accommodate them?also emit a great >> deal of heat, making Dhaka even more insufferable in the many hot months. >> >> Cars also are the main cause of noise >> pollution. A full 97% of students in Dhaka in a >> survey on noise pollution said that their >> studying is disrupted by car horns; 96% of the >> general public interviewed mentioned car horns >> as the main cause of noise pollution in >> Dhaka.[1] When rickshaws were on strike in >> October 2004, there were no rickshaws on the >> streets, yet the streets were as noisy as ever. >> >> We would argue that since cars only transport >> roughly 10-20% of travelers, they should only >> have access to 10-20% of road space, for moving >> and parking?and should respect the rest of >> users, as well as the right to some peace and >> quiet of all the people working and living next to roads. >> Presumably one component of civilization is >> respecting the rights of others. The attitude >> of drivers?who represent the wealthiest portion >> of society?that they alone should have full >> access to roads?is anti-democratic, >> anti-civilization, and disturbingly elitist. A >> society in which people fail to respect the >> rights of others, and in which the rich believe >> they should have special privileges on the >> roads as well as in every other aspect of life, >> is a society destined to fall into crime, >> selfishness, viciousness, and lack of the >> neighborly friendliness that allows people to live comfortably together >> >> Syed Siful Alam Shovan >> shovan1209@yahoo.com > > > Sincerely, > Todd Alexander Litman > Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org) > litman@vtpi.org > Phone & Fax 250-360-1560 > 1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA > ?Efficiency - Equity - Clarity? > > -------------------------------------------------------- > IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. > > Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). > ----- Jonathan Richmond Transport Adviser to the Government of Mauritius Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping New Government Centre, Level 4 Port Louis Mauritius +230 707-1134 (Mauritius mobile: most reliable way to reach me) +1 (617) 395-4360 (US phone number rings at home -- call me in Mauritius for the price of a call to the US). e-mail: richmond@alum.mit.edu http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ From sutp at sutp.org Mon Sep 8 10:22:14 2008 From: sutp at sutp.org (SUTP Team) Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:22:14 +0700 Subject: [sustran] SUTP Newsletter July - August, 2008 Message-ID: <48C47E46.3040607@sutp.org> Sustainable Urban Transport Project (GTZ SUTP) Update July - August, 2008 This newsletter gives updates on the SUTP resources, news and events related to our topic of interest. For more information or feedback, please contact sutp@sutp.org, or visit our website at www.sutp.org (China users go to www.sutp.cn ). *****Project related News***** (For greater detail of the news below, please click the link below each item) Overview on transport newsgroups and newsletters 27 August 2008 In times of massive information overflow, guidance to information on best-practices, to new reports and publications as well as references to other organisations and knowledge pools is needed. Our brief overview provides a list of various (on-line) newsletters and discussion-groups in the transport sector that may assist you in your daily work. Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1278&Itemid=1&lang=uk GTZ SUTP supports NMT policies in Bogot? 08 August 2008 On August 6, 2008, Carlosfelipe Pardo from GTZ SUTP participated in a meeting with the local Institute of Urban Development of Bogot?, Chamber of Commerce, Mobility Secretary and other transport-related organizations and groups of the city. The objective of the meeting was to follow up on recent activities related to bicycle use in the city and propose improvements to bicycle policies, infrastructure and education that will increase the use of this vehicle in the city, since its rise from 0.58% of trips in 1998 to 2.2% in 2003 has not increased since that year. Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1251&Itemid=1&lang=uk International Seminar-cum-Workshop on "BRT Systems in India and Abroad" 01 August 2008 The Indo-German Institute of Advanced Technology and Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering in collaboration with the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation will be holding an International Seminar?cum-Workshop on "BRT Systems in India and Abroad" from 24th to 26th September, 2008 at Visakhapatnam, India. The event is sponsored by the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) along with other partners, and also attended by many urban transport planners, policy-makers and other government officials. Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1234&Itemid=1&lang=uk NMT event in Bogot? 21 July 2008 During the week of July 16-18, 2008, GTZ held a series of events on Non Motorised Transport (NMT) in Bogot? in conjunction with the local Chamber of Commerce and Municipal Institute for Recreation and Sports (IDRD). Main events were a 2-day training course on NMT (with material provided by Interface for Cycling Expertise and a one-day international event on NMT. The one day event had speakers from local government and international experts. By clicking "read more", see more information on the one day event. The one day event had participation from Bogot?'s mayor, Chamber of Commerce Vice President, and Mr Oscar Ruiz from Instituto de Recreaci?n y Deporte. International speakers included Mr Juan Merallo (Spain), Mr Bernardo Baranda (ITDP M?xico), Mr Cristi?n Navas Duk (Chile) and Mr Paolo Puelles (Lima). Carlosfelipe Pardo gave a presentation on behalf of GTZ SUTP. Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1203&Itemid=1&lang=uk Spanish translation of the module 5d - CDM in the transport sector 8 July 2008 Module 5d of the GTZ sourcebook, entitled "The CDM in the transport sector" has been translated to Spanish and published today. This module describes the rationale behind the Carbon Development Mechanism (CDM) and how it could be applied to the transport sector, while also providing a case study of the UNFCCC approved TransMilenio CDM methodology. The module has been translated by Laura Varano, and it has also been translated to Portuguese and Chinese. Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1209&Itemid=1&lang=uk GTZ delivers 2-day and 6-day training courses on Mass Transit in Indore (India) 1 July 2008 GTZ SUTP has delivered training courses on Mass Transit in Indore (India) from June 26 to July 1, as part of the SUMA* project. The training courses were held in cooperation with WRI-Embarq and ITDP, and main trainers were Dar?o Hidalgo (WRI), Shreya Gadepalli (ITDP), Carlosfelipe Pardo (GTZ). The courses were: a 6-day course targeted towards preselected Indian future trainers and a 2-day course for local government officials, transport planners and various other mass transit stakeholders. More information on the training courses can be had by sending an email to sutp[at]sutp.org Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1201&Itemid=1&lang=uk ***Upcoming Events about Sustainable Urban Transport**** (segregated chronologically) Date : 04.09.2008 Venue : Vienna, AT Title : IIID Expert Forum on Traffic Guiding Systems'08 Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=275&lang=uk Date : 08.09.2008 Venue : Bristol, UK Title : 5th Cycling and Society Symposium Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=265&lang=uk Date : 09.09.2008 Venue : Manila, PH Title : ADB Transport Forum Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=263&lang=uk Date : 12.09.2008 Venue : Chennai, IN Title : Best Practices to Relieve Congestion Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=247&lang=uk Date : 15.09.2008 Venue : Sao Paulo, BR Title : Energy Efficiency and Competitiveness Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=271&lang=uk Date : 15.09.2008 Venue : Prince Edward Island, CA Title : Pathways to a Sustainable Future Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=256&lang=uk Date : 18.09.2008 Venue : Tartu, EE Title : BYPAD Final Conference Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=250&lang=uk Date : 23.09.2008 Venue : Berlin, DE Title : InnoTrans 2008 Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=219&lang=uk Date : 24.09.2008 Venue : Naples, IT Title : Sustainable City and Creativity Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=254&lang=uk Date : 24.09.2008 Venue : Visakhapatnam, IN Title : International Seminar and Workshop on Bus Rapid Transit Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=264&lang=uk Date : 25.09.2008 Venue : Stuttgart, DE Title : Networks for Mobility Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=238&lang=uk Date : 11.10.2008 Venue : Amsterdam, NL Title : The Ideal City Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=257&lang=uk Date : 15.10.2008 Venue : St. Petersburg, RU Title : Sustainable Urban Transport Planning Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=274&lang=uk Date : 22.10.2008 Venue : Milan, IT Title : 2nd Sustainable Development Conference Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=239&lang=uk Date : 22.10.2008 Venue : Toronto, CA Title : Urban Climate Solutions Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=268&lang=uk Date : 22.10.2008 Venue : Sydney, AU Title : 9th World Congress of Metropolis Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=248&lang=uk Date : 27.10.2008 Venue : Mexico, MX Title : IV International Congress on Sustainable Transport Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=260&lang=uk Date : 03.11.2008 Venue : Nanjing, CN Title : Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum Read more : http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&func=details&did=227&lang=uk More events can be viewed from the link below http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56&lang=uk IMPORTANT NOTE If you haven?t registered to our site or were only registered to the previous website, we would be pleased if you can validate your email and account info just by going to http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=registers&lang=en and registering on-line. Alternatively, you can send us the following details to sutp@sutp.org and we?ll send you details of your login information: Name: Organisation: Position: Email address: SUTP username (we suggest using namelastname): Postal Address: City: Country: Thank you very much for your consideration. SUTP Team -- GTZ ? Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP) 0942, Transport and Tourism Division, UNITED NATIONS, ESCAP Building, Rajadamnern Nok Ave., Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Ph: +66 (0)2 288 1321 Fax: +66 (0)2 280 6042 Email: sutp@sutp.org Web: http://www.sutp.org From c_bradshaw at rogers.com Mon Sep 8 05:48:50 2008 From: c_bradshaw at rogers.com (Chris Bradshaw) Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2008 16:48:50 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Are private cars the ideal transport? References: <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <019101c911b7$bcaa8930$0202a8c0@acer56fb35423d> > We would argue that since cars only transport roughly 10-20% of travelers, > they should only have access to 10-20% of road space, for moving and > parking—and should respect the rest of users, as well as the right to some > peace and quiet of all the people working and living next to roads. This is a good point: equity for all travellers. It applies not just to space for travel and parking, but the various forms of pollution. Under the right conditions, cars produce, per passenger, less pollution and noise than larger public-transit vehicles. The X-transit discussion here diverges over whether smaller vehicles should be visualized as large cars or small buses. The latter tends to fail because the driver cost is spread over so few passengers, which government can justify only if it serves very small, needy populations, which in turn makes frequency so poor. But if seen as the former, the service, mediated by cell-phone matching, means that every driver's empty seats are available, as long as his route coincides enough with the person needing a ride. Such a scheme relieves the system of driver costs. But cars are private, so no go. The car fails by being the second-best mode for most trips, rarely the best. This is because it is used from destination to destination, a tool of mobility _and_ access (only the short walk to its parking space is excepted). It needs to be driven through walk-first environments because it is privately owned and its owner expects it to be ready-and-willing 'acap' (as close as possible). > A society in which people fail to respect the rights of others, and in > which the rich believe they should have special privileges on the roads as > well as in every other aspect of life, is a society destined to fall into > crime, selfishness, viciousness, and lack of the neighborly friendliness > that allows people to live comfortably together With cars being private, they too often are occupied by only the owner, leaving the other 4-6 seats empty (except when used for storage for personal 'effects'). The owner, rich or poor, sees this privacy as his right. The car's footprint is 'amortized' only over one traveler. The relationship to these negative social trends is not just that of car causing them, but reflecting the breakdown. Private cars both cause the breakdown of share vehicle systems, and are the beneficiaries of that breakdown ("I have to have my own car. Transit is too infrequent, and walking and cycling are too dangerous." We can never share the roads unless we find a way to share all the vehicles used on them. This is more common in the so-called underdeveloped countries. While they are trying to copy the developed countries' idea of 'success,' the reverse should be the situation. When people go into the public realm, it should be to mix with others. Being in a private car is not providing that contact, not producing the humility and tolerance societies need. All governments, who are dependent on these attitudes, should have a bias in favour of sharing the corridors and the vehicles used on them. Supporting the private-car regime is a form of societal suicide. Chris Bradshaw, Ottawa From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 8 22:51:10 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 15:51:10 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: <1220868349.1308.30568.m45@yahoogroups.com> References: <1220868349.1308.30568.m45@yahoogroups.com> Message-ID: <00b501c911b9$f5572200$e0056600$@britton@ecoplan.org> There are several basic contradictions here that we need to come to grips with in answering this question in a useful manner. The first is that for much of the past and in many parts of the world "they" - think of them as the "car system" -- were and indeed still often are very good at what they do. Or at least are largely perceived as such. And if we lose sight of this, we will not win the battle of the transition which must now take place. It will not be won by rhetorical flourishes, nodding of heads and mumbling agreement within the choir. In this context, also need to keep in view the enormous technical, entrepreneurial and resource capabilities of the car industry. Like it or not, they are an important part of the solutions. Though in this respect we need to keep in mind the statement of Arthur Okun, then chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, when he wrote: "Two cheers for the market, not three". That third cheer being of course for wise governance, which is the way in which we put these entrepreneurial and technical competences to work for society as a whole. The underlying challenge, as we all here now very well, is that despite the massive changes we are enduring in our lives, in our cities and on our sweltering planet, the private car continues to be for a vast majority of all people a beautiful dream. It is this dream, and the fact that is it so utterly in contrast with the terribly harsh realities that are now upon us, both at the level of the planet and certainly in our cities, that needs to be addressed. That car I so dearly covet is in my mind's eye a magic carpet. I can hop in it and it will seamlessly, effortlessly and quickly transport me to exactly where I want to go and when I want to get there. I arrive, leave in front of the door, fresh, smiling and exactly on time, a man in charge. The truth lies otherwise. And the communication of this truth, and of the ways of dealing with it, is our job. Because if we do not do it, who will? * * * For the history minded, here is how Sam Johnson made the contract between the traveler's dream and the realities, some years back He that travels in theory has no inconveniences; he has shade and sunshine at his disposal, and wherever he alights finds tables of plenty and looks of gaiety. These ideas are indulged till the day of departure arrives, the chaise is called, and the progress of happiness begins. A few miles teach him the fallacies of imagination. The road is dusty, the air is sultry, the horses are sluggish, and the postilion brutal. He longs for the time of dinner that he may eat and rest. The inn is crowded, his orders are neglected, and nothing remains but that he devour in haste what the cook has spoiled, and drive on in quest of better entertainment. He finds at night a more commodious house, but the best is always worse than he expected. Samuel Johnson, The Idler, no. 58, in Universal Chronicle, London, 26 May 1759 This is the message that we need to get across. Reality. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 8 23:15:01 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 16:15:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] BBC WORLD DEBATE ? Message-ID: <00e101c911bd$4aa57ba0$dff072e0$@britton@ecoplan.org> From: Roselle Leah K. Rivera [mailto:dazzle_DWDS@yahoo.com] Hello out there. Just wondering if anyone watched the BBC World Debate last night on television? (a show done in Houston) The "debaters" were the Mayor of Houston, the President of Shell, an executive from Nissan, a woman from Baker's Institute. a man from The Economist, among others. It was indeed interesting how BBC called it a debate but all in the panel/speakers seemed to agree with each other. Amazing how much air time is given to so called debates like this. Was just wondering about your reactions. roselle@den haag ROSELLE LEAH K RIVERA PhD Fellow Institute of Social Studies Kortenaerkade 12 2518 AX The Hague The Netherlands Faculty Department of Women and Development Studies College of Social Work and Community Development University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City PHILIPPINES ----- Original Message ---- From: Eric Britton To: KyotoWorldCities@yahoogroups.com Cc: john@thackara.com; carfree_cities@yahoogroups.com; Dan Burden ; Danijel Rebolj Sent: Saturday, August 2, 2008 11:38:17 AM Subject: [KyotoWorldCities] We can't save the planet, unless we also save our communities This is not normally the place to take your valuable time with poached materials from the press that many of you may run across anyway. However today, these two articles from the same journal (www.iht.com ) are important because of the way in which they frame our shared interests. Namely that we can?t save the planet unless we also save our communities. Let?s you and me keep working at it, eh? Eric Britton Paul Krugman: Can the planet be saved? By Paul Krugman Friday, August 1, 2008 PRINCETON, New Jersey: Recently the Web site The Politico asked Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, why she was blocking attempts to tack offshore drilling amendments onto appropriations bills. "I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet," she replied. I'm glad to hear it. But I'm still worried about the planet's prospects. True, Pelosi's remark was a happy reminder that environmental policy is no longer in the hands of crazy people. Remember, less than two years ago Senator James Inhofe - a conspiracy theorist who insists that global warming is a "gigantic hoax" perpetrated by the scientific community - was the chairman of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee. Beyond that, Pelosi's response shows that she understands the deeper issues behind the current energy debate. Most criticism of John McCain's decision to follow the Bush administration' s lead and embrace offshore drilling as the answer to high gas prices has focused on the accusation that it's junk economics - which it is. A McCain campaign ad says that gas prices are high right now because "some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America." That's just plain dishonest: the U.S. government's own Energy Information Administration says that removing restrictions on offshore drilling wouldn't lead to any additional domestic oil production until 2017, and that even at its peak the extra production would have an "insignificant" impact on oil prices. What's even more important than McCain's bad economics, however, is what his reversal on this issue - he was against offshore drilling before he was for it - says about his priorities. Back when he was cultivating a maverick image, McCain portrayed himself as more environmentally aware than the rest of his party. He even cosponsored a bill calling for a cap-and-trade system to limit greenhouse-gas emissions (although his remarks on several recent occasions suggest that he doesn't understand his own proposal). But the lure of a bit of political gain, it turns out, was all it took to transform him back into a standard drill-and-burn Republican. And the planet can't afford that kind of cynicism. In themselves, limits on offshore drilling are only a modest-sized issue. But the skirmish over drilling is the opening stage of a much bigger fight over environmental policy. What's at stake in that fight, above all, is the question of whether we Americans will take action against climate change before it's utterly too late. It's true that scientists don't know exactly how much world temperatures will rise if we persist with business as usual. But that uncertainty is actually what makes action so urgent. While there's a chance that we'll act against global warming only to find that the danger was overstated, there's also a chance that we'll fail to act only to find that the results of inaction were catastrophic. Which risk would you rather run? Martin Weitzman, a Harvard economist who has been driving much of the recent high-level debate, offers some sobering numbers. Surveying a wide range of climate models, he argues that, overall, they suggest about a 5 percent chance that world temperatures will eventually rise by more than 10 degrees Celsius (that is, world temperatures will rise by 18 degrees Fahrenheit). As Weitzman points out, that's enough to "effectively destroy planet Earth as we know it." It's sheer irresponsibility not to do whatever we can to eliminate that threat. Now for the bad news: Sheer irresponsibility may be a winning political strategy. McCain's claim that opponents of offshore drilling are responsible for high gas prices is ridiculous - and to their credit, major news organizations have pointed this out. Yet McCain's gambit seems nonetheless to be working: Public support for ending restrictions on drilling has risen sharply, with roughly half of voters saying that increased offshore drilling would reduce gas prices within a year. Hence my concern: If a completely bogus claim that environmental protection is raising energy prices can get this much political traction, what are the chances of getting serious action against global warming? After all, a cap-and-trade system would in effect be a tax on carbon (though McCain apparently doesn't know that), and really would raise energy prices. The only way we're going to get action, I'd suggest, is if those who stand in the way of action come to be perceived as not just wrong but immoral. Incidentally, that's why I was disappointed with Barack Obama's response to McCain's energy posturing - that it was "the same old politics." Obama was dismissive when he should have been outraged. So as I said, I'm very glad to know that Nancy Pelosi is trying to save the planet. I just wish I had more confidence that she's going to succeed. Breaking a town from the center By Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern Friday, August 1, 2008 RIPTON, Vermont: Robert Frost wrote once that "good fences make good neighbors." We love Frost - we live on land he once owned in this small Green Mountain town - but that's the poet being cynical. What really makes for good neighbors, as the 562 residents have learned over the years, is a post office like the one this town has enjoyed since the 1800s. Tucked into a tiny corner of the general store, the post office is our town commons, a place where neighbor has no choice but to rub shoulders with neighbor. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a sign went up a few weeks ago saying that the U.S. Postal Service was closing our post office. If we wanted our mail, the sign said, we'd have to drive to the next town, which is at the bottom of a winding gorge, on a road that is only marginally passable. It's a 10-mile round trip, for some, and 18 miles for others, which is not an inconsiderable distance in these days of $4 a gallon gas. And talk about carbon footprint. But these are merely the obvious, measurable costs. As soon as the closure sign went up on the post office door, people began to mobilize. And they weren't just the usual suspects - the ones who serve on the town board or run the recycling program. They were fifth-generation Vermonters, they were carpenters, they were teachers, retirees and gardeners - they were a representative sampling of us all. Some said they'd hang around the store in case the postal service made good on its threat to remove the bank of mail boxes, the old kind, with a glass window and a combination lock. (After two days, the Postal Service backed down.) Scores of calls were made - to the postmaster general, to various regional USPS offices, to customer service. (We would have sent letters, but there was no place to buy stamps in town.) Scores more calls were made to the Vermont congressional delegation. A meeting was called, and 124 residents crowded into town hall to voice their concern. The media came, drawn less by what was happening to our mail than what was happening in our town - our passion, commitment and solidarity. How quaint! These days, the average American has half as many close friends as his predecessor half a century ago, and shares meals with neighbors and family half as often. But in our little town, there are community suppers, a monthly coffee house, family soccer games, a farmers' market. As Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernard Sanders and Representative Peter Welch wrote to the postmaster general, Jack Potter, "The town of Ripton is a small, close-knit community. The Ripton General Store and the post office are a center and a primary gathering place for residents." The fact is, as almost everyone who packed town hall pointed out, the reason we're so close-knit is because of the post office - and because, especially, it's in the one retail business in town. This is how towns get broken, someone pointed out at the meeting: Send people away from the center and it cannot hold; make them drive to the bottom of the mountain to get their mail, and they'll shop there, too. Soon enough the ancient red building, which stocks the bread and milk and eggs that lets us stay close to home on a snowy day, will become history, too. Not long after the congressional delegation wrote to Postmaster Potter, we all received letters of apology from the regional headquarters. Sorry, it said, for shutting down your post office without giving you proper notice. As to whether anyone was sorry for shutting to begin with, or what plans they had for the future, it didn't say. So the people in town kept asking, kept sending e-mails, did more research. We learned, for instance, how the postal service strategic plan calls for more "streamlined" operations and how we weren't the only rural community fighting to hold on to this vital public service. And then, suddenly, the mail came back to Ripton. Though it's too early to say it's for good - we still don't have a postmaster, and the window is open just a few hours a day, staffed by townspeople - it was a defining moment for our community: Getting our mail was sweet, but having our post office was even sweeter. Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern are writers. McKibben's most recent book is "The Bill McKibben Reader," and Halpern's is "Can't Remember What I Forgot." From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 8 22:51:10 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 15:51:10 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: <1220868349.1308.30568.m45@yahoogroups.com> References: <1220868349.1308.30568.m45@yahoogroups.com> Message-ID: <00b501c911b9$f5572200$e0056600$@britton@ecoplan.org> There are several basic contradictions here that we need to come to grips with in answering this question in a useful manner. The first is that for much of the past and in many parts of the world "they" - think of them as the "car system" -- were and indeed still often are very good at what they do. Or at least are largely perceived as such. And if we lose sight of this, we will not win the battle of the transition which must now take place. It will not be won by rhetorical flourishes, nodding of heads and mumbling agreement within the choir. In this context, also need to keep in view the enormous technical, entrepreneurial and resource capabilities of the car industry. Like it or not, they are an important part of the solutions. Though in this respect we need to keep in mind the statement of Arthur Okun, then chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, when he wrote: "Two cheers for the market, not three". That third cheer being of course for wise governance, which is the way in which we put these entrepreneurial and technical competences to work for society as a whole. The underlying challenge, as we all here now very well, is that despite the massive changes we are enduring in our lives, in our cities and on our sweltering planet, the private car continues to be for a vast majority of all people a beautiful dream. It is this dream, and the fact that is it so utterly in contrast with the terribly harsh realities that are now upon us, both at the level of the planet and certainly in our cities, that needs to be addressed. That car I so dearly covet is in my mind's eye a magic carpet. I can hop in it and it will seamlessly, effortlessly and quickly transport me to exactly where I want to go and when I want to get there. I arrive, leave in front of the door, fresh, smiling and exactly on time, a man in charge. The truth lies otherwise. And the communication of this truth, and of the ways of dealing with it, is our job. Because if we do not do it, who will? * * * For the history minded, here is how Sam Johnson made the contract between the traveler's dream and the realities, some years back He that travels in theory has no inconveniences; he has shade and sunshine at his disposal, and wherever he alights finds tables of plenty and looks of gaiety. These ideas are indulged till the day of departure arrives, the chaise is called, and the progress of happiness begins. A few miles teach him the fallacies of imagination. The road is dusty, the air is sultry, the horses are sluggish, and the postilion brutal. He longs for the time of dinner that he may eat and rest. The inn is crowded, his orders are neglected, and nothing remains but that he devour in haste what the cook has spoiled, and drive on in quest of better entertainment. He finds at night a more commodious house, but the best is always worse than he expected. Samuel Johnson, The Idler, no. 58, in Universal Chronicle, London, 26 May 1759 This is the message that we need to get across. Reality. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 8 23:15:01 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 16:15:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] BBC WORLD DEBATE ? Message-ID: <00e101c911bd$4aa57ba0$dff072e0$@britton@ecoplan.org> From: Roselle Leah K. Rivera [mailto:dazzle_DWDS@yahoo.com] Hello out there. Just wondering if anyone watched the BBC World Debate last night on television? (a show done in Houston) The "debaters" were the Mayor of Houston, the President of Shell, an executive from Nissan, a woman from Baker's Institute. a man from The Economist, among others. It was indeed interesting how BBC called it a debate but all in the panel/speakers seemed to agree with each other. Amazing how much air time is given to so called debates like this. Was just wondering about your reactions. roselle@den haag ROSELLE LEAH K RIVERA PhD Fellow Institute of Social Studies Kortenaerkade 12 2518 AX The Hague The Netherlands Faculty Department of Women and Development Studies College of Social Work and Community Development University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City PHILIPPINES ----- Original Message ---- From: Eric Britton To: KyotoWorldCities@yahoogroups.com Cc: john@thackara.com; carfree_cities@yahoogroups.com; Dan Burden ; Danijel Rebolj Sent: Saturday, August 2, 2008 11:38:17 AM Subject: [KyotoWorldCities] We can't save the planet, unless we also save our communities This is not normally the place to take your valuable time with poached materials from the press that many of you may run across anyway. However today, these two articles from the same journal (www.iht.com ) are important because of the way in which they frame our shared interests. Namely that we can?t save the planet unless we also save our communities. Let?s you and me keep working at it, eh? Eric Britton Paul Krugman: Can the planet be saved? By Paul Krugman Friday, August 1, 2008 PRINCETON, New Jersey: Recently the Web site The Politico asked Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, why she was blocking attempts to tack offshore drilling amendments onto appropriations bills. "I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet," she replied. I'm glad to hear it. But I'm still worried about the planet's prospects. True, Pelosi's remark was a happy reminder that environmental policy is no longer in the hands of crazy people. Remember, less than two years ago Senator James Inhofe - a conspiracy theorist who insists that global warming is a "gigantic hoax" perpetrated by the scientific community - was the chairman of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee. Beyond that, Pelosi's response shows that she understands the deeper issues behind the current energy debate. Most criticism of John McCain's decision to follow the Bush administration' s lead and embrace offshore drilling as the answer to high gas prices has focused on the accusation that it's junk economics - which it is. A McCain campaign ad says that gas prices are high right now because "some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America." That's just plain dishonest: the U.S. government's own Energy Information Administration says that removing restrictions on offshore drilling wouldn't lead to any additional domestic oil production until 2017, and that even at its peak the extra production would have an "insignificant" impact on oil prices. What's even more important than McCain's bad economics, however, is what his reversal on this issue - he was against offshore drilling before he was for it - says about his priorities. Back when he was cultivating a maverick image, McCain portrayed himself as more environmentally aware than the rest of his party. He even cosponsored a bill calling for a cap-and-trade system to limit greenhouse-gas emissions (although his remarks on several recent occasions suggest that he doesn't understand his own proposal). But the lure of a bit of political gain, it turns out, was all it took to transform him back into a standard drill-and-burn Republican. And the planet can't afford that kind of cynicism. In themselves, limits on offshore drilling are only a modest-sized issue. But the skirmish over drilling is the opening stage of a much bigger fight over environmental policy. What's at stake in that fight, above all, is the question of whether we Americans will take action against climate change before it's utterly too late. It's true that scientists don't know exactly how much world temperatures will rise if we persist with business as usual. But that uncertainty is actually what makes action so urgent. While there's a chance that we'll act against global warming only to find that the danger was overstated, there's also a chance that we'll fail to act only to find that the results of inaction were catastrophic. Which risk would you rather run? Martin Weitzman, a Harvard economist who has been driving much of the recent high-level debate, offers some sobering numbers. Surveying a wide range of climate models, he argues that, overall, they suggest about a 5 percent chance that world temperatures will eventually rise by more than 10 degrees Celsius (that is, world temperatures will rise by 18 degrees Fahrenheit). As Weitzman points out, that's enough to "effectively destroy planet Earth as we know it." It's sheer irresponsibility not to do whatever we can to eliminate that threat. Now for the bad news: Sheer irresponsibility may be a winning political strategy. McCain's claim that opponents of offshore drilling are responsible for high gas prices is ridiculous - and to their credit, major news organizations have pointed this out. Yet McCain's gambit seems nonetheless to be working: Public support for ending restrictions on drilling has risen sharply, with roughly half of voters saying that increased offshore drilling would reduce gas prices within a year. Hence my concern: If a completely bogus claim that environmental protection is raising energy prices can get this much political traction, what are the chances of getting serious action against global warming? After all, a cap-and-trade system would in effect be a tax on carbon (though McCain apparently doesn't know that), and really would raise energy prices. The only way we're going to get action, I'd suggest, is if those who stand in the way of action come to be perceived as not just wrong but immoral. Incidentally, that's why I was disappointed with Barack Obama's response to McCain's energy posturing - that it was "the same old politics." Obama was dismissive when he should have been outraged. So as I said, I'm very glad to know that Nancy Pelosi is trying to save the planet. I just wish I had more confidence that she's going to succeed. Breaking a town from the center By Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern Friday, August 1, 2008 RIPTON, Vermont: Robert Frost wrote once that "good fences make good neighbors." We love Frost - we live on land he once owned in this small Green Mountain town - but that's the poet being cynical. What really makes for good neighbors, as the 562 residents have learned over the years, is a post office like the one this town has enjoyed since the 1800s. Tucked into a tiny corner of the general store, the post office is our town commons, a place where neighbor has no choice but to rub shoulders with neighbor. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a sign went up a few weeks ago saying that the U.S. Postal Service was closing our post office. If we wanted our mail, the sign said, we'd have to drive to the next town, which is at the bottom of a winding gorge, on a road that is only marginally passable. It's a 10-mile round trip, for some, and 18 miles for others, which is not an inconsiderable distance in these days of $4 a gallon gas. And talk about carbon footprint. But these are merely the obvious, measurable costs. As soon as the closure sign went up on the post office door, people began to mobilize. And they weren't just the usual suspects - the ones who serve on the town board or run the recycling program. They were fifth-generation Vermonters, they were carpenters, they were teachers, retirees and gardeners - they were a representative sampling of us all. Some said they'd hang around the store in case the postal service made good on its threat to remove the bank of mail boxes, the old kind, with a glass window and a combination lock. (After two days, the Postal Service backed down.) Scores of calls were made - to the postmaster general, to various regional USPS offices, to customer service. (We would have sent letters, but there was no place to buy stamps in town.) Scores more calls were made to the Vermont congressional delegation. A meeting was called, and 124 residents crowded into town hall to voice their concern. The media came, drawn less by what was happening to our mail than what was happening in our town - our passion, commitment and solidarity. How quaint! These days, the average American has half as many close friends as his predecessor half a century ago, and shares meals with neighbors and family half as often. But in our little town, there are community suppers, a monthly coffee house, family soccer games, a farmers' market. As Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernard Sanders and Representative Peter Welch wrote to the postmaster general, Jack Potter, "The town of Ripton is a small, close-knit community. The Ripton General Store and the post office are a center and a primary gathering place for residents." The fact is, as almost everyone who packed town hall pointed out, the reason we're so close-knit is because of the post office - and because, especially, it's in the one retail business in town. This is how towns get broken, someone pointed out at the meeting: Send people away from the center and it cannot hold; make them drive to the bottom of the mountain to get their mail, and they'll shop there, too. Soon enough the ancient red building, which stocks the bread and milk and eggs that lets us stay close to home on a snowy day, will become history, too. Not long after the congressional delegation wrote to Postmaster Potter, we all received letters of apology from the regional headquarters. Sorry, it said, for shutting down your post office without giving you proper notice. As to whether anyone was sorry for shutting to begin with, or what plans they had for the future, it didn't say. So the people in town kept asking, kept sending e-mails, did more research. We learned, for instance, how the postal service strategic plan calls for more "streamlined" operations and how we weren't the only rural community fighting to hold on to this vital public service. And then, suddenly, the mail came back to Ripton. Though it's too early to say it's for good - we still don't have a postmaster, and the window is open just a few hours a day, staffed by townspeople - it was a defining moment for our community: Getting our mail was sweet, but having our post office was even sweeter. Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern are writers. McKibben's most recent book is "The Bill McKibben Reader," and Halpern's is "Can't Remember What I Forgot." From litman at vtpi.org Tue Sep 9 02:36:09 2008 From: litman at vtpi.org (Todd Alexander Litman) Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:36:09 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Re: Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: References: <20080907030115.369732C61B@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <6.2.3.4.2.20080907121022.096e1068@mail.islandnet.com> Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.2.20080908102804.0577dfd0@mail.islandnet.com> While it may be obvious to some of us that current transport planning results in "excessive" automobile travel, justifying policy reforms to reduce per capita vehicle travel, encourage shifts to more resource efficient modes, and encourage more accessible and multi-modal land use patterns, I don't think this concept is universally accepted. In fact, the idea that society is better off with less mobility seems counterintuitive to many people - they see it as a burden, an example of large, short-term economic sacrifices made for the sake of uncertain, long-term future environmental benefits. Even a lot of experts, such as energy policy analysts, assume that any reduction in vehicle travel is harmful to consumers and businesses. I think it is very useful to be able to show that there are also strong economic justifications for policy and planning reforms that reduce motor vehicle travel. Best wishes, -Todd Litman At 12:23 PM 9/7/2008, Jonathan Richmond wrote: >My reaction to the original posting was "so what?" > >I have a similar reaction again now. > >The issue is not one primarily of economic analysis, but of >political and institutional constraints on many levels -- from >ineffective bureaucracies to political machinery that puts a lot of >weight on pleasing the motorist lobby. > >We could of course repeat the whole discussion about why people do >in fact obtain extraordinary value from automobility and ask why >public transport has not been developed to offer those sorts of >benefits, but I don't think that is the point here. > >The point is that if the current situation is to change then >political and institutional structures have to change, and >discussion should revolve increasingly around how to bring that about. > > --Jonathan! > > > > > >On Sun, 7 Sep 2008, Todd Alexander Litman wrote: > >> >>For more detailed analysis of the full costs of >>different forms of transport, and the benefits of >>shifts from automobile to alternative modes, see >>the report "Transportation Cost and Benefit >>Analysis" (www.vtpi.org/tca ). Under urban-peak >>conditions, automobile use is particularly costly >>while other modes are relatively efficient. By >>the way, this report is currently being updated, >>so a new version should be posted in about a month. >> >>Unfortunately, current transportation markets are >>distorted in various ways that favor mobility >>over accessibility and automobile transport over >>other modes, resulting in economically excessive >>automobile travel, a less diverse and efficient >>transportation system, and more sprawl than is >>optimal. Described more positively, there are >>many potential economic, social and environmental >>benefits to market and planning reforms that >>encourage more efficient transportation. This is >>discussed in my paper, "Socially Optimal >>Transport Prices and Markets" >>(www.vtpi.org/sotpm.pdf ). My analysis indicates >>that in a more efficient market, consumers would >>choose to own fewer cars, drive 30-50% >>less, rely more on alternative modes, and be >>better off overall as a result. This is certainly >>true of developed countries, and is probably >>equally true in developing countries. >> >> >>Best wishes, >>-Todd Litman >> >>At 01:00 AM 9/7/2008, Saiful Alam wrote: >>> >>>Are private cars the ideal transport? >>> >>>Let us return to the private car. Whatever >>>convenience and comfort it provides comes at >>>various costs. Cars are the main source of >>>pollutants worldwide. There is no such thing as >>>a clean car; cars just vary in the amount they >>>pollute. Despite increasingly stringent >>>emissions control standards over the decades in >>>the US, cars pollute more than they used >>>to?because people are driving farther. >>> >>>It is difficult for us to appreciate just how >>>much cars pollute. The air in Dhaka City, after >>>all, improved dramatically after the banning of >>>two-stroke baby taxis, and again with the >>>introduction of unleaded fuel. However, this is >>>by no means an indication that the air in Dhaka >>>is clean. Any trip to the countryside is a >>>reminder of the pleasure of breathing clean >>>air. Even in Dhaka, if we wake up early and >>>take a walk, we can experience a bit of the >>>pleasure of fresh air; as each car passes, we >>>can also understand just how much each car >>>pollutes the air. As the streets fill with >>>cars, the pollution rises. On hartal days, >>>despite large numbers of people moving about the >>>city, the air is fresh and the city (violence >>>aside) is quiet. Cars?and the wide paved roads >>>needed to accommodate them?also emit a great >>>deal of heat, making Dhaka even more insufferable in the many hot months. >>> >>>Cars also are the main cause of noise >>>pollution. A full 97% of students in Dhaka in a >>>survey on noise pollution said that their >>>studying is disrupted by car horns; 96% of the >>>general public interviewed mentioned car horns >>>as the main cause of noise pollution in >>>Dhaka.[1] When rickshaws were on strike in >>>October 2004, there were no rickshaws on the >>>streets, yet the streets were as noisy as ever. >>> >>>We would argue that since cars only transport >>>roughly 10-20% of travelers, they should only >>>have access to 10-20% of road space, for moving >>>and parking?and should respect the rest of >>>users, as well as the right to some peace and >>>quiet of all the people working and living next to roads. >>> Presumably one component of civilization is >>>respecting the rights of others. The attitude >>>of drivers?who represent the wealthiest portion >>>of society?that they alone should have full >>>access to roads?is anti-democratic, >>>anti-civilization, and disturbingly elitist. A >>>society in which people fail to respect the >>>rights of others, and in which the rich believe >>>they should have special privileges on the >>>roads as well as in every other aspect of life, >>>is a society destined to fall into crime, >>>selfishness, viciousness, and lack of the >>>neighborly friendliness that allows people to live comfortably together >>> >>>Syed Siful Alam Shovan >>>shovan1209@yahoo.com >> >> >>Sincerely, >>Todd Alexander Litman >>Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org) >>litman@vtpi.org >>Phone & Fax 250-360-1560 >>1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA >>?Efficiency - Equity - Clarity? >> >>-------------------------------------------------------- >>IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. >> >>Please go to >>http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the >>real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The >>yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot >>post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site >>makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement. >> >>================================================================ >>SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, >>equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing >>countries (the 'Global South'). > >----- >Jonathan Richmond >Transport Adviser to the Government of Mauritius >Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping >New Government Centre, Level 4 >Port Louis >Mauritius > >+230 707-1134 (Mauritius mobile: most reliable way to reach me) > >+1 (617) 395-4360 (US phone number rings at home -- call me in >Mauritius for the price of a call to the US). > >e-mail: richmond@alum.mit.edu >http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/ > Sincerely, Todd Alexander Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org) litman@vtpi.org Phone & Fax 250-360-1560 1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Sep 9 17:28:43 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:28:43 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Pune - No cars, please: City to take up cause with bicycle rally Message-ID: <007501c91256$14694320$3d3bc960$@britton@ecoplan.org> No cars, please: City to take up cause with bicycle rally Express News Service Pune, September 8 In a bid to popularise non-motorised transport along with encouraging it on the crowded city roads, various citizens' groups have decided to celebrate the "World Car Free Day" on September 22 by organising a bicycle rally. "The World Car Free day is celebrated in many cities through out the world and we are starting it as a symbolic gesture in the city," said activist Sujit Patwardhan. The culture of car dependency is increasing in the Indian cities and there is a need to discourage it, he said adding, "The idea behind the campaign is to raise awareness on the co-existence of non-motorised transport." Though it is not expected that there won't be cars on the streets on that particular day, Patwardhan said that a discussion will begin on the need of non-motorised transport in the city and the infrastructure required for it. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the city police have extended their support to the initiative. "The promotion of non-motorised transport through car-free day can well be extended later on a day per month." The bicycle rally will begin at 7.30 am from four different locations of Ozone in Aundh, near GPO in Camp, Karve statue in Kothrud and Shaniwarwada. All the four groups of cyclists will converge at Sambhaji Park on Jangli Maharaj Road at 9.30 am. "There are plans to organise various other events to celebrate the day and make the public aware of the rights for those who adopt non-motorised transport," said activist Sanskriti Menon. Appeals are being made at various levels in schools, colleges and offices for participation in the bicycle rally, she said. The campaign for non-motorised transport has been picking up momentum with the civic administration making provisions for infrastructure in road development work under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The PMC is designing cycle tracks in accordance with international standards and is getting expertise from the Netherlands. The construction of a 117-km cycle track is being done on the roads for Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Municipal Commissioner Praveensinh Pardeshi has been keen on promoting it by declaring every Tuesday 'cycle day' at the civic headquarters. His initiative received good response from various other government bodies in the city. The PMC, along with various social organisations, is also planning a "hire and ride" cycle programme for Pune on the lines of what's already there in Paris. From schipper at wri.org Tue Sep 9 17:34:46 2008 From: schipper at wri.org (Lee Schipper) Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 04:34:46 -0400 Subject: [sustran] FW: eceee 2009 Summer Study - Call for papers Message-ID: <46E2E1971BCEC1459149FBB1A4B4342C02891E2E@wricsex029330.WRI.CRM.Local> Eric, Bert, Sergio - last time we did this we got great papers in sustainable transport. Can you post on your respective web sites/lists Thanks lee Act! Innovate! Deliver! Reducing energy demand sustainably CALL FOR PAPERS eceee 2009 Summer Study 1-6 June 2009 La Colle sur Loup C?te d'Azur, France The 9th eceee Summer Study will provide policy-makers, researchers, activists and professionals with the most recent insight in energy efficiency thinking and practices. The collective experience embodied in this major European energy forum is a valuable guidebook for all those who strive to help decision-makers stop talking about saving energy and start deliver savings. Don?t miss out on this unique opportunity to present your experience, revitalize your inspiration and build new networks, join us! Call for papers is open for submissions. Deadline is 26 September 2008. http://www.eceee.org/summer_study/ -- eceee secretariat Tel: +46 8 673 11 30 (c/o Borg & Co) Sveavagen 98, 4 tr Fax: +46 8 673 04 44 113 50 STOCKHOLM e-mail: eceee@eceee.org Join eceee - the european council for an energy efficient economy. Find out more at http://www.eceee.org Regular news on energy efficiency @ http://www.eceee.org/news/newsletter/ From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Sep 12 17:37:49 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:37:49 +0200 Subject: [sustran] cities quantify emissions from reductions from transport solutions Message-ID: <007701c914b2$dad8b820$908a2860$@britton@ecoplan.org> Thanks to Lee Schipper for the heads-up Measuring the Invisible New EMBARQ publications help cities quantify emissions from reductions from transport solutions _____ Friday, September 05, 2008 | Washington, DC, United States http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/Hanoi_motos.jpg As transportation demand continues to rise at unprecedented rates, the need to compare alternative transport policies and their impacts on both CO2 emissions and local air pollution is becoming more and more critical. The challenge of quantifying these impacts, however, has hindered transparent and well-informed decision making. To address this barrier, EMBARQ/WRI has developed three case studies that illustrate methods for quantifying emissions from transportation solutions. * Queretaro, Mexico * Porto Alegre, Brazil * Hanoi, Vietnam CO2 and air pollutant emissions can be greatly reduced by improving cities' transportation systems, but accurately measuring these reductions can be a challenge. Queretaro, Mexico http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/WRI_EMBARQ_Quetaro-508C_Eng.jpg Like many fast growing medium-sized cities, Queretaro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the center of Mexico, must upgrade its public transportation system if it wishes to avoid succumbing to unmanageable levels of traffic congestion. EMBARQ/WRI worked with the city of Queretaro to quantify the emissions from the city's existing bus system, and showed that introducing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and improving the efficiency of the bus network could yield substantial emissions reductions. Introducing alternative fuel and vehicle and emission control technologies, on the other hand, were predicted to yield few additional reductions. Queretaro Case Study >> -- Porto Alegre, Brazil http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/WRI_EMBARQ_PortoAlegre-508C.jpg Porto Alegre, a medium size city in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, is planning to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and a fare integration scheme to reduce the number of buses and terminals in the city center and to increase bus ridership. EMBARQ/WRI worked with local partners to estimate the impact of these two proposed initiatives on air pollutants and CO2 emissions in the city. The results of this case study showed that the BRT system would reduce emissions by 25-31 thousand tones of CO2 per year, when compared to the business as usual scenario with fare integration. Interestingly, the study estimated that the fare integration plan, if implemented on its own, could actually increase emissions. Further analysis shows that cleaner fuels and emission control technologies would have a significant impact if applied to fleets with high annual mileage, such as the municipal or the metropolitan bus fleets. Porto Alegre Case Study >> _____ Hanoi, Vietnam http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/WRI_EMBARQ_Hanoi-508C_Eng-1.jpg Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, has a transport master plan that provides alternative scenarios for the City's transport system. EMBARQ/WRI and local partners studied how these scenarios would impact on air pollutant and CO2 emissions. The results of the analysis show that if government officials decide to further promote public transportation and to mandate stricter fuel quality and vehicle emission standards, it will be possible to stabilize emissions in 2020 at 2005 levels, while still ensuring the same level of mobility to Hanoi residents. Nevertheless, without measures to restrain the growth in overall vehicle traffic - particularly that of private cars - fuel use and transport emissions will grow significantly. A continued shift from two-wheelers to cars will mean an enormous increase in fuel use, even if the cars are very efficient. Such a shift is expected to cause enormous congestion problems because of the lack of space in Hanoi. Hanoi Case Study >> From sudhir at cai-asia.org Fri Sep 12 18:07:23 2008 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:07:23 +0800 Subject: [sustran] [cai-asia] Updates - Better Air Quality 2008 (12-14 November, Bangkok, Thailand) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Co Date: 2008/9/12 Subject: [cai-asia] Updates - Better Air Quality 2008 (12-14 November, Bangkok, Thailand) To: Clean Air Initiative -- Asia --------------------------- BETTER AIR QUALITY 2008 12-14 November 2008 Imperial Queen's Park Hotel Bangkok, Thailand --------------------------- Updates: 1. BAQ Awards - Last day for nominations (30 Sept 2008) 2. New room rates at the IQP hotel (as much as 25% off) 3. Pre-events schedule (10-11 Nov 2008) 4. BAQ Sponsors 5. Register online ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. BAQ 2008 AWARDS - Last Day for Nominations (30 September 2008) ----------------------------------------------------------------- KONG HA Award ------------- The Kong Ha Award is named in honor of the late chairperson of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), who served from December 2004 to April 2007. The award is a tribute to those persons in Asia who have a responsibility for the formulation of air quality management related policies and their day to day implementation in Asia. The award comes with a cash prize of US$10,000. We are still accepting nominations until 30 September 2008. Read more: http://baq2008.org/kongha-award YOUNG VOICES award ------------------ The 2008 Young Voices Award on Urban Air Pollution and Climate Change (the Young Voices) will be handed out for the first time at BAQ 2008 workshop. Eligible for the Young Voices award are full-time or part-time students currently enrolled at Universities or Colleges in an academic degree (undergraduate or advanced degree) program in a subject that is of relevance to urban air pollution and climate change in Asia. Applications will be accepted until 30 September 2008. Read more: http://baq2008.org/young-voices BEST 2008 NEWS STORY ON AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT ---------------------------------------------- The CAI-Asia Partnership has agreed to set up an award which recognizes the best news stories on air quality management in Asia. Two awards will be handed out: (i) one award to a representative from an international news organization and (ii) one award to a representative from a either a local (city)/national news organization or other organization with a media outreach based in Asia. Applications will be accepted until 30 September 2008. Read more: http://baq2008.org/media-award -------------------------------------------------- 2. New Hotels Rates at Imperial Queen's Park Hotel -------------------------------------------------- The IQP Hotel has agreed to a discounted rate of US$90 per night for a single, deluxe room (inclusive of breakfast). Previously, the room rate was US$120. Since the BAQ 2008 workshop will be held at the IQP Hotel, we encouraged participants to stay there during the event. For a complete list of rates, go to http://baq2008.org/hotels ------------------------- 3. Pre-Events at BAQ 2008 ------------------------- BAQ 2008's pre-events are organized by different institutions on a wide range of AQM-related topics. Details on each pre-events, including contact persons, are at http://baq2008.org/pre-events 9 to 11 November (venue: Asian Institute of Technology) --------------------------------------------------------- - Near-roadway and on-road exposures to air pollution: risk communication and decision making 10 November (venue: IQP hotel) ------------------------- - Mass Transit and Bus Rapid Transit Planning - Reducing Emissions from 2- and 3-wheelers in Asia - Transport, Environment and Climate Change - Training Needs on Air Quality Management in Asia 11 November (venue: IQP hotel) ------------------------------- - Toward Integrated Transportation Strategies in Asia: Overcoming Obstacles to Co-benefits - Monitoring the Co-Benefits of Reducing Emissions from Home Cooking and Heating - Transport Demand Management - Air quality research and management in Asia - A Short Training Courses on Introduction to Air Pollution Modeling - Launch of Cleaner Fleet Management Toolkit - Capitalizing on the potential of cycling in Asia - CAI-Asia Partnership and Center Planning 2009-2010 - Social Aspects of Urban Transport - Fuel Economy: Towards a Global Framework - Maritime Emissions and Green Ports - Financing Mechanisms for AQ and Climate Projects - Climate and Transport - Simple Interactive Model for Better Air Quality (SIM-air): Overview and Applications - Launch of Clean Air for Smaller Cities Project - Energy-efficient Buildings --------------------------------- 4. BAQ Sponsors - MAHA and others --------------------------------- The BAQ Organizing Committee would like to thank the following sponsors for making BAQ 2008 possible: MAHA - Diamond sponsor http://www.maha.de ---------------------- As a pioneer in the field of brake testing technology, MAHA has specialized in the testing of safety-relevant components and driving properties of all types of vehicles for over 3 decades. MAHA has been active in vehicle lifting technology with great success for over 25 years. MAHA's very own production facilities are the assurance that its products maintain a consistently high quality standard. With a team of over 1000 employees, MAHA's engineers and technicians provide answers and solutions for all questions involving vehicle safety testing and lifting technology. Its clients include vehicle manufacturers, test organizations, governments and workshops. Its extensive sales network guarantees an efficient worldwide service readiness and timely spare part supply. Ongoing expansion of our worldwide presence and strengthening of MAHA's service network is our goal in order to respond quickly and efficiently to customer's needs. The possibilities are endless; from individual test lanes up to country-wide test systems with communication networks for vehicle testing. Contacts: Tan Bee Heng Ben Tel: +65 96 28 75 82 Mobile: + 65 96 28 75 82 Fax: + 65 63 23 13 12 E-Mail: beeheng.tan@maha.com.sg Mailing address: MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co. KG.,Singapore Representative Office, 146 Robinson Road, # 06-0 Singapore 068909 Burger Klaus Tel: + 49 8374 585 124 Mobile: + 49 172 830 10 07 Fax: + 49 8374 585 497 E-Mail: Klaus.Burger@maha.de Mailing address: MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co. KG., Hoyen 20,87490 Haldenwang, Germany Web: www.maha.de AVL and Emitec - Platinum sponsors ---------------------------------- AVL (http://www.avl.com) is the world's largest privately owned and independent company for the development of powertrain systems with internal combustion engines as well as instrumentation and test systems. AVL develops and improves all kinds of powertrain systems and is a competent partner to the engine and automotive industry. In addition AVL develops and markets the simulation methods which are necessary for the development work. AVL also produces instruments and systems required for engine and vehicle testing. Quality, the environment and safety are all aspects that AVL values highly. AVL's Quality Management System is certified according to ISO 9001. Emitec (http://www.emitec.com) was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Siemens and GKN. The worldwide development of environmental awareness and the early decision of the automobile industry to employ catalytic converters to reduce pollution from exhaust gases were an advantage to the fast development of the young company. From the beginning, Emitec has relied upon metal as a material for all new and further developments and, within a few years, it had developed into one of the biggest manufacturers of metal catalyst carriers in the world. Corning, SGS, BASF, S?d-Chemie Group, and Umicore - Gold sponsors ----------------------------------------------------------------- Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. SGS is a global leader and innovator in verification, testing and certification services. BASF - The Chemical Company is investing in Research and Development to find solutions for the problems of the future. S?d-Chemie Group is active in the area of catalysts, environment technology, absorbents & additives. Umicore's goal of sustainable value creation is based on this ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials solutions in line with its mission: materials for a better life. -------------------------------------------------------- 5. Register Online - http://www.baq2008.org/registration -------------------------------------------------------- All participants must register to be a part of the biggest AQM event in Asia this year. For more information on the different registration fees, see http://www.baq2008.org/payment For those who would like to apply for full or partial sponsorship, see http://www.baq2008.org/terms-sponsorship -------------- About BAQ 2008 -------------- BAQ 2008 will be held at the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok, from 12 to 14 November 2008 (with pre-events scheduled on 10-11 November). About 1,000 people are expected to attend from Asia, Europe and the Americas. BAQ 2008 is organized by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of the Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), and the CAI-Asia Center, in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). - BAQ 2008 Secretariat baq2008@cai-asia.org --- You are currently subscribed to cai-asia as: sudhir@cai-asia.org. To view archived messages, go to http://groups.google.com/group/cai-asia. Important note: This is a moderated listserv. If you encounter problems, or if you would like to remove your name from our listserv, email Mike Co [mike.co(at)cai-asia(dot)org] AND Gianina Panopio [gianina.panopio(at)cai-asia(dot)org] Please do not email your complaints directly to the listserv. -- Sudhir Gota Transport Specialist CAI-Asia Center Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City Metro Manila, Philippines 1605 Tel: +63-2-395-2843 Fax: +63-2-395-2846 http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia Skype : sudhirgota From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Sep 12 18:38:51 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:38:51 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Jakarta - Other areas try out car-free idea Message-ID: <00b301c914bb$600267a0$200736e0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Other areas try out car-free idea The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The city administration is considering organizing a weekly car-free day in several areas of the capital on a rotating basis in an effort to reduce air pollution. Currently, the city holds one car-free day every month. Governor Fauzi Bowo said Thursday the plan might set aside the section of Jl. Sudirman from the Senayan traffic circle in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle as well as some areas in Kota in Central Jakarta. "The streets will be closed to motorists from about 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. We, however, are still discussing the program with the Jakarta's environmental management board (BPLHD)," said Fauzi. "By making car-free day routine, we hope to raise people's awareness about the importance of reducing the heavy air pollution in the city. Hopefully, the idea can go into effect next year," he said. The next car-free day will take place on Jl. Pramuka in East Jakarta on Sunday. BPLHD head Budirama Natakusumah said the thoroughfare would be closed to motorists from the Ahmad Yani intersection to the Matraman overpass from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Similar to the car-free days held on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin each month, the car-free day on Jl. Pramuka will only allow access to public transportation, such as Transjakarta buses and Metromini minivans. He said the administration would rotate the car-free day program among the five municipalities in the Jakarta jurisdiction. "It would be great to organize this program in all five areas at once, but we can't do that due to the lack of mobile laboratories for testing air quality," said Budirama as reported by kompas.com. "There is only one mobile lab which we borrowed from the State Minister for the Environment," he said. Jakarta's first car-free day was held on Sept. 22, 2002, on Jl. Sudirman, limiting vehicles from the Senayan traffic circle in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. It was organized once in 2003, twice in 2004, once again in 2005 and three times in 2007. In 2008, it has been held every month. There was no car-free day in 2006 because the city administration was reviewing a municipal bylaw on the program. In July 2008, car-free day was held on Jl. Letjen. Suprapto for the first time. The Central Jakarta administration chose that location because it fit the seven requirements for a car-free day site. The requirements include low air quality during peak traffic hours, a length of more than two kilometers, existing public transportation routes and the presence of offices, trade centers and residential areas. Car-free days often draw complaints from drivers because they cause congestion along other roads From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Sep 12 17:37:49 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:37:49 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] cities quantify emissions from reductions from transport solutions Message-ID: <007701c914b2$dad8b820$908a2860$@britton@ecoplan.org> Thanks to Lee Schipper for the heads-up Measuring the Invisible New EMBARQ publications help cities quantify emissions from reductions from transport solutions _____ Friday, September 05, 2008 | Washington, DC, United States http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/Hanoi_motos.jpg As transportation demand continues to rise at unprecedented rates, the need to compare alternative transport policies and their impacts on both CO2 emissions and local air pollution is becoming more and more critical. The challenge of quantifying these impacts, however, has hindered transparent and well-informed decision making. To address this barrier, EMBARQ/WRI has developed three case studies that illustrate methods for quantifying emissions from transportation solutions. * Queretaro, Mexico * Porto Alegre, Brazil * Hanoi, Vietnam CO2 and air pollutant emissions can be greatly reduced by improving cities' transportation systems, but accurately measuring these reductions can be a challenge. Queretaro, Mexico http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/WRI_EMBARQ_Quetaro-508C_Eng.jpg Like many fast growing medium-sized cities, Queretaro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the center of Mexico, must upgrade its public transportation system if it wishes to avoid succumbing to unmanageable levels of traffic congestion. EMBARQ/WRI worked with the city of Queretaro to quantify the emissions from the city's existing bus system, and showed that introducing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and improving the efficiency of the bus network could yield substantial emissions reductions. Introducing alternative fuel and vehicle and emission control technologies, on the other hand, were predicted to yield few additional reductions. Queretaro Case Study >> -- Porto Alegre, Brazil http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/WRI_EMBARQ_PortoAlegre-508C.jpg Porto Alegre, a medium size city in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, is planning to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and a fare integration scheme to reduce the number of buses and terminals in the city center and to increase bus ridership. EMBARQ/WRI worked with local partners to estimate the impact of these two proposed initiatives on air pollutants and CO2 emissions in the city. The results of this case study showed that the BRT system would reduce emissions by 25-31 thousand tones of CO2 per year, when compared to the business as usual scenario with fare integration. Interestingly, the study estimated that the fare integration plan, if implemented on its own, could actually increase emissions. Further analysis shows that cleaner fuels and emission control technologies would have a significant impact if applied to fleets with high annual mileage, such as the municipal or the metropolitan bus fleets. Porto Alegre Case Study >> _____ Hanoi, Vietnam http://embarq.wri.org/imageupload/WRI_EMBARQ_Hanoi-508C_Eng-1.jpg Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, has a transport master plan that provides alternative scenarios for the City's transport system. EMBARQ/WRI and local partners studied how these scenarios would impact on air pollutant and CO2 emissions. The results of the analysis show that if government officials decide to further promote public transportation and to mandate stricter fuel quality and vehicle emission standards, it will be possible to stabilize emissions in 2020 at 2005 levels, while still ensuring the same level of mobility to Hanoi residents. Nevertheless, without measures to restrain the growth in overall vehicle traffic - particularly that of private cars - fuel use and transport emissions will grow significantly. A continued shift from two-wheelers to cars will mean an enormous increase in fuel use, even if the cars are very efficient. Such a shift is expected to cause enormous congestion problems because of the lack of space in Hanoi. Hanoi Case Study >> From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 15 16:35:27 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:35:27 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Invitation to Knoogle Message-ID: <000001c91705$a4f1dfc0$eed59f40$@britton@ecoplan.org> Knoogle 1.0 is an in-process Google-based custom search engine which we are developing as part of our "silo-bridging" New Mobility Knowledge Environment project. It's now ready for in-house use. We will be pleased to share it with one and all here in Sustran, hopefully with some feedback from you as to how to improve for later versions. If you drop me a line, I will be pleased to send it on for your use and comments. I look forward to hearing from you. As always, Eric Britton PS. The next step in the Knowledge project will be to set up a CO2-busting open videoconferencing/group work service which will accommodate at least one dozen participants working in the areas of world transport policy and practice that bring us al together here. Stay tuned. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Sep 16 00:52:15 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:52:15 +0200 Subject: [sustran] China - Streets without cars advocated Message-ID: <01d001c9174b$088faef0$19af0cd0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Streets without cars advocated http://imgs.xinhuanet.com/icon/icon/typk.jpg www.chinaview.cn http://imgs.xinhuanet.com/icon/2006english/2007korea/space.gif2008-09-15 09:23:36 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/15/content_10003812.htm http://imgs.xinhuanet.com/icon/2006english/xiao.jpghttp://imgs.xinhuanet.com /icon/2006english/2007korea/space.gif http://imgs.xinhuanet.com/icon/2006english/da.jpghttp://imgs.xinhuanet.com/i con/2006english/2007korea/space.gif Print http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/15/xin_44208052011527961898822.jpg In this undated file photo, a clear blue sky brightens Beijing as a young boy stands in front of a floral display on Tianqiao Street, Beijing. (Photo Source: China Daily) Photo Gallery>>> BEIJING, Sept. 15 -- The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's initiation of a national car-free day on Sept. 22 is of significance to both the country's urban development and environmental protection. The theme, "humanized street", points to the trend in city renovations, of city roads in particular, in recent years. On that day from 7 in the morning until 7 in the evening, cities are encouraged to set aside a particular section of a street or road and make it open only to pedestrians, public buses, taxis and cyclists. If possible, some cities may keep all their streets or roads during the 12 hours closed to cars. This activity is meant to let residents feel how nice a street can be without the flow of speeding cars. Even those who drive cars will get to know how long queues of motor vehicles make urban streets an unwelcome space for urban dwellers. Thirty years back when the country was nicknamed the "kingdom of bicycles", almost all streets or roads had lanes for cyclists. They were flanked by trees on both sides, which would protect cyclists from the scorching sun in the summer and keep them safe from the possibility of being knocked down by motor vehicles. Pavements too were wider and shaded by trees. The rapid increase of the number of cars, both private and public, has prompted repeated road renovations in many cities, big cities like Beijing in particular. Roads and streets are much wider after renovations. Many narrower, separate lanes for cyclists are divided by just a painted line rather than by fences. Many pavements now are narrower so as to make room for motor vehicles. Most renovated roads or streets are much more friendly to cars than to cyclists or pedestrians. The theme of "humanized street" challenges the existing concept for road renovations. And it also points to the irony that increasingly wider roads have proved to be no solution to traffic jams. The restriction of cars on alternate days according to the last figures of their license plates has enabled Beijing residents to enjoy the cleanest air and clearest sky in years during the Olympic Games. This has resulted in a heated debate on whether the restriction should be kept as a permanent rule. Obviously Beijing residents have become much more aware of how the quality of their life has been negatively affected by the increasing number of cars. But many are still reluctant to give up the convenience that driving brings them. Yet, if the national car-free day is regularly observed, it can drive home how cities with less cars on the road can benefit all the residents. That, in turn, can push authorities and city planners to provide more convenient and comfortable public transport. And such moves can attract more residents to use public transport means. (Source: China Daily) From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Sep 16 16:13:01 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:13:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] According to Penalosa, democracy is not a political process. It embodies itself in the urban development agenda. Message-ID: <00a801c917cb$aa5e3370$ff1a9a50$@britton@ecoplan.org> Enrique Penalosa to speak at seminar on urban development http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif By our correspondent 9/16/2008 Karachi With a fast-growing population and increasing pace of urbanisation, cities in Pakistan are facing mounting problems related to mobility and public transport. Confronted with similar challenges, many cities around the world are re-thinking 'traditional' approaches to urban transport by emphasising different priorities and approaches. The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-Citizens for a Better Environment (Shehri-CBE), has organised a seminar on "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility". The objective of this seminar is to provide key stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of life and make our cities more competitive. The main speaker will be Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and former mayor of Bogota, Colombia. During his tenure as Mayor, the city of 7 million underwent tremendous change and led to development of the (now) world famous TransMillenio Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). Penalosa has been featured in The New York Times, Herald Tribune, PBS Television, BBC and many others and has advised cities throughout the world such as Cape Town, Denver, Berkeley, Seattle, Melbourne, Sao Paulo amongst others. Penalosa will speak on "Sustainable Urban Development and Transportation". Penalosa argues that cities in developing countries - if they continue on their current trajectory of development - will take another century-and-a-half to reach the sophistication of cities in the West. When elected mayor, Pensalosa took action against car owners who parked their vehicles on green belts. He reduced the width of roads in the city centre and, in turn, increased the width of sidewalks. He rejected a project proposal from JICA to build a multibillion-dollar rapid mass-transit system and instead spent a fraction of the amount in providing dedicated bus lanes. He introduced TransMillenio, a bus rapid transit system based on the one developed by Jamie Lerner in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. He stopped all money being spent on roads for cars, and instead spent it on schools, museums, developing public parks and nearly 300 km of pedestrian and cycle promenades. Penalosa is of the view that money spent on automobile infrastructure is money wasted. Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, has allocated nearly a quarter of a billion rupees for the feasibility study of an overhead expressway along Lahore's Ferozepur Road. The CDA in Islamabad just launched the Rs2.3 billion Zero Point Interchange Project and the CDGK is also looking at at least two overhead automobile expressways. This is in the face of the fact that a disproportionately small number of people actually own and drive cars. The automobile elite have a throttle grip on our urban development agenda. According to Penalosa, democracy is not a political process. It embodies itself in the urban development agenda. If you see billions of rupees being spent on a road that doesn't have proper sidewalks, you don't have democracy: you have an urban automobile elite telling you a man in a car is more important than a man on a bicycle. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Sep 16 16:13:01 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:13:01 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] According to Penalosa, democracy is not a political process. It embodies itself in the urban development agenda. Message-ID: <00a801c917cb$aa5e3370$ff1a9a50$@britton@ecoplan.org> Enrique Penalosa to speak at seminar on urban development http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif By our correspondent 9/16/2008 Karachi With a fast-growing population and increasing pace of urbanisation, cities in Pakistan are facing mounting problems related to mobility and public transport. Confronted with similar challenges, many cities around the world are re-thinking 'traditional' approaches to urban transport by emphasising different priorities and approaches. The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-Citizens for a Better Environment (Shehri-CBE), has organised a seminar on "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility". The objective of this seminar is to provide key stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of life and make our cities more competitive. The main speaker will be Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and former mayor of Bogota, Colombia. During his tenure as Mayor, the city of 7 million underwent tremendous change and led to development of the (now) world famous TransMillenio Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). Penalosa has been featured in The New York Times, Herald Tribune, PBS Television, BBC and many others and has advised cities throughout the world such as Cape Town, Denver, Berkeley, Seattle, Melbourne, Sao Paulo amongst others. Penalosa will speak on "Sustainable Urban Development and Transportation". Penalosa argues that cities in developing countries - if they continue on their current trajectory of development - will take another century-and-a-half to reach the sophistication of cities in the West. When elected mayor, Pensalosa took action against car owners who parked their vehicles on green belts. He reduced the width of roads in the city centre and, in turn, increased the width of sidewalks. He rejected a project proposal from JICA to build a multibillion-dollar rapid mass-transit system and instead spent a fraction of the amount in providing dedicated bus lanes. He introduced TransMillenio, a bus rapid transit system based on the one developed by Jamie Lerner in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. He stopped all money being spent on roads for cars, and instead spent it on schools, museums, developing public parks and nearly 300 km of pedestrian and cycle promenades. Penalosa is of the view that money spent on automobile infrastructure is money wasted. Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, has allocated nearly a quarter of a billion rupees for the feasibility study of an overhead expressway along Lahore's Ferozepur Road. The CDA in Islamabad just launched the Rs2.3 billion Zero Point Interchange Project and the CDGK is also looking at at least two overhead automobile expressways. This is in the face of the fact that a disproportionately small number of people actually own and drive cars. The automobile elite have a throttle grip on our urban development agenda. According to Penalosa, democracy is not a political process. It embodies itself in the urban development agenda. If you see billions of rupees being spent on a road that doesn't have proper sidewalks, you don't have democracy: you have an urban automobile elite telling you a man in a car is more important than a man on a bicycle. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Sep 17 18:30:24 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:30:24 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Quantifying Emissions Reductions from Transport Solutions - Hanoi Case Study Message-ID: <00c401c918a8$0572c5f0$105851d0$@britton@ecoplan.org> This is an important piece of work by our friends at World Resources and EMBARQ, so let me just cut and paste the Exec Summary here to get you going, and then point you to the full report at http://embarq.wri.org/documentupload/EMBARQ_Measuring_the_Invisible_Hanoi.pd f Eric Britton Measuring the Invisible: Quantifying Emissions Reductions from Transport Solutions - Hanoi Case Study Executive Summary The primary goal of EMBARQ's study in Hanoi was to test a methodology for estimating local and global emissions from a series of transport activ-ity scenarios and alternative-vehicle emissions standards prepared for the city of Hanoi. EMBARQ worked with local partners from AVL Ltd., the Hanoi University of Technology, and consultants from CONTRANS AB to collect transport activity data, develop emission factors, and assign emission values to past, present, and future emission scenarios. These scenarios were then presented to Vietnamese officials to help them make informed deci-sions among the various policy choices. This case study analyzes the emission impacts of two alternative transport policies previously outlined in the Hanoi Integrated Development and Environment Pro-gram (HAIDEP) Master Plan. One policy emphasizes im-proving public transport, while the other is a business-as-usual scenario with higher automobile growth (ALMEC, 2007). These mutually exclusive policies were thought to represent the most probable future scenarios for the city's transport system. Most background data used for emis-sion calculations came from the HAIDEP Master Plan, although some modifications and extrapolations were made based on proxy data from Europe or Turkey. The study includes a series of assumptions about changes in demand and supply of transport services and about poli-cies for investment and vehicle emission standards that have been deemed reasonable by various experts. Our results showed that if government officials decide to promote public transportation to a higher degree and to mandate stricter fuel quality and vehicle emission standards, it will be possible to stabilize emissions in 2020 at 2005 lev-els, while still ensuring the same level of mobility to Hanoi residents. However, without measures to restrain the growth in overall vehicle traffic, particularly that of individual ve-hicles, fuel use and emissions will grow significantly. A continued shift from two-wheelers to cars will mean an enormous increase in fuel use, even if the cars are very effi-cient. Such a shift is expected to cause enormous congestion problems because of the lack of space in much of the city of Hanoi. Conversely, measures to restrain individual vehicle use in favor of mass transit or non-motorized transport will result in lower emissions and fuel use. Emissions will also be higher in 2020 than today, unless very stringent vehicle emission standards, such as Euro 4, are imposed within sev-eral years so as to affect virtually every vehicle on the road by 2020. The sooner emission mitigation measures are imple-mented, the lower future emission will be. The team preparing this study presented the results to the city and national authorities in workshops in December 2006 and March 2007. These results caught the attention of city and national government authorities and technical experts because they illustrated the impact of future growth and highlight, above all, the impact of decisions that Hanoi government authorities can make today. Topics of debate among government officials and local experts included the ranking of the severity of the problems and prioritizing the policy measures. In addition to stimulating a public health debate, the Vietnamese parties involved acquired a new ap-preciation of the value of calculating local emissions and fuel consumption of different kinds of vehicles, as well as the importance of understanding actual traffic patterns and coordinating actions among the various government de-pendencies. Finally, the local and national experts involved in the project agreed on the need for an observational body dedicated to transport and environment. This is a promis-ing development and reflects the changing attitude toward urban transport planning and long-term environmental and social sustainability. Although Hanoi's future is not yet clear of pollution, it seems to be a little brighter than yesterday. The present study recommends that further work be done to measure vehicle ownership, activity, fuel use, and emission factors. Such data generation would enable ex-perts and government authorities to achieve a higher level of certainty when comparing the impact of alternative fu-ture transport and emission control policies. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Sep 17 18:30:24 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:30:24 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Quantifying Emissions Reductions from Transport Solutions - Hanoi Case Study Message-ID: <00c401c918a8$0572c5f0$105851d0$@britton@ecoplan.org> This is an important piece of work by our friends at World Resources and EMBARQ, so let me just cut and paste the Exec Summary here to get you going, and then point you to the full report at http://embarq.wri.org/documentupload/EMBARQ_Measuring_the_Invisible_Hanoi.pd f Eric Britton Measuring the Invisible: Quantifying Emissions Reductions from Transport Solutions - Hanoi Case Study Executive Summary The primary goal of EMBARQ's study in Hanoi was to test a methodology for estimating local and global emissions from a series of transport activ-ity scenarios and alternative-vehicle emissions standards prepared for the city of Hanoi. EMBARQ worked with local partners from AVL Ltd., the Hanoi University of Technology, and consultants from CONTRANS AB to collect transport activity data, develop emission factors, and assign emission values to past, present, and future emission scenarios. These scenarios were then presented to Vietnamese officials to help them make informed deci-sions among the various policy choices. This case study analyzes the emission impacts of two alternative transport policies previously outlined in the Hanoi Integrated Development and Environment Pro-gram (HAIDEP) Master Plan. One policy emphasizes im-proving public transport, while the other is a business-as-usual scenario with higher automobile growth (ALMEC, 2007). These mutually exclusive policies were thought to represent the most probable future scenarios for the city's transport system. Most background data used for emis-sion calculations came from the HAIDEP Master Plan, although some modifications and extrapolations were made based on proxy data from Europe or Turkey. The study includes a series of assumptions about changes in demand and supply of transport services and about poli-cies for investment and vehicle emission standards that have been deemed reasonable by various experts. Our results showed that if government officials decide to promote public transportation to a higher degree and to mandate stricter fuel quality and vehicle emission standards, it will be possible to stabilize emissions in 2020 at 2005 lev-els, while still ensuring the same level of mobility to Hanoi residents. However, without measures to restrain the growth in overall vehicle traffic, particularly that of individual ve-hicles, fuel use and emissions will grow significantly. A continued shift from two-wheelers to cars will mean an enormous increase in fuel use, even if the cars are very effi-cient. Such a shift is expected to cause enormous congestion problems because of the lack of space in much of the city of Hanoi. Conversely, measures to restrain individual vehicle use in favor of mass transit or non-motorized transport will result in lower emissions and fuel use. Emissions will also be higher in 2020 than today, unless very stringent vehicle emission standards, such as Euro 4, are imposed within sev-eral years so as to affect virtually every vehicle on the road by 2020. The sooner emission mitigation measures are imple-mented, the lower future emission will be. The team preparing this study presented the results to the city and national authorities in workshops in December 2006 and March 2007. These results caught the attention of city and national government authorities and technical experts because they illustrated the impact of future growth and highlight, above all, the impact of decisions that Hanoi government authorities can make today. Topics of debate among government officials and local experts included the ranking of the severity of the problems and prioritizing the policy measures. In addition to stimulating a public health debate, the Vietnamese parties involved acquired a new ap-preciation of the value of calculating local emissions and fuel consumption of different kinds of vehicles, as well as the importance of understanding actual traffic patterns and coordinating actions among the various government de-pendencies. Finally, the local and national experts involved in the project agreed on the need for an observational body dedicated to transport and environment. This is a promis-ing development and reflects the changing attitude toward urban transport planning and long-term environmental and social sustainability. Although Hanoi's future is not yet clear of pollution, it seems to be a little brighter than yesterday. The present study recommends that further work be done to measure vehicle ownership, activity, fuel use, and emission factors. Such data generation would enable ex-perts and government authorities to achieve a higher level of certainty when comparing the impact of alternative fu-ture transport and emission control policies. From zvi.leve at gmail.com Wed Sep 17 23:48:19 2008 From: zvi.leve at gmail.com (Zvi Leve) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:48:19 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Fwd: CASPT 09 CALL FOR PAPERS In-Reply-To: <6.2.1.2.2.20080917215341.05d26820@hkucc.hku.hk> References: <6.2.1.2.2.20080917215341.05d26820@hkucc.hku.hk> Message-ID: This conference might be of interest to some of you. Best regards, Zvi ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CASPT09 Secretary Date: Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 9:53 AM Subject: Re: CASPT 09 CALL FOR PAPERS To: *** CALL FOR PAPERS *** CASPT 2009 11th International Conference on Advanced Systems for Public Transport Hong Kong, July 20 - 22, 2009 (Previous CASPT conferences: Leeds, 2006, San Diego, 2004, Berlin, 2000, Boston, 1997, Lisbon, 1993, Montreal, 1990, Hamburg, 1987, Montreal, 1983, Leeds, 1980, Chicago, 1975) This conference is the 11th in the series that serves as a forum for the international community of researchers, practitioners and vendors on all aspects of public transport planning and operations. To reflect the expanded scope of this conference series, it takes on the new title "Conference on Advanced Systems for Public Transport" from its previous title of "Computer-Aided Scheduling of Public Transport". CASPT covers significant contributions to the theory and application of systems and methodologies for advancing public transport planning and operations. CASPT encourages not only the generation and presentation of new ideas, but also hopes to instigate productive collaborations between participants from academia, industry, and government. The themes of the conference include, but are not limited to: ? Public transport network and route planning ? Timetables planning and generation ? Vehicle (bus, train, tram, ferry, ...) scheduling ? Driver and crew scheduling ? Operations monitoring, control and management ? Information management ? Passenger information, trip planning, route guidance ? Public transport regulations and competition ? Financial Sustainability ? Public private partnership ? Practical experience with scheduling and planning methods ? Other areas related to passenger transport (large-scale optimization, etc) INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Avi Ceder (New Zealand) Joachim R. Daduna (Germany) Mark Hickman (USA) Leo Kroon (The Netherlands) Raymond Kwan (United Kingdom) Hong K. Lo (Hong Kong) Pitu Mirchandani (USA) Stefan Voss (Germany) Alex Wardrop (Australia) Nigel H.M. Wilson (USA) IMPORTANT SUBMISSION DEADLINES Extended Abstracts October 15, 2008 Full papers April 1, 2009 Extended Abstracts (about 1000 words) must be received electronically (in PDF) not later than October 15, 2008. They should be submitted via the web-based submission system: https://editorialexpress.com/caspt09 Papers will be selected for presentation based on extended abstracts, with notification by December 20, 2008. Selected contributors should submit a full version of the paper (up to 30 pages including figures and tables) electronically (in PDF) not later than April 1, 2009. Post conference publications: Selected refereed papers will be published in a book by an international publisher or special issues in reputable journals after the conference. For more information, contact: CASPT 09 Conference Secretary c/o Department of Civil Engineering The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong secretary@caspt09.org www.caspt09.org [Apologies if you receive this announcement more than once!] From zvi.leve at gmail.com Wed Sep 17 23:48:19 2008 From: zvi.leve at gmail.com (Zvi Leve) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:48:19 -0400 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Fwd: CASPT 09 CALL FOR PAPERS In-Reply-To: <6.2.1.2.2.20080917215341.05d26820@hkucc.hku.hk> References: <6.2.1.2.2.20080917215341.05d26820@hkucc.hku.hk> Message-ID: This conference might be of interest to some of you. Best regards, Zvi ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CASPT09 Secretary Date: Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 9:53 AM Subject: Re: CASPT 09 CALL FOR PAPERS To: *** CALL FOR PAPERS *** CASPT 2009 11th International Conference on Advanced Systems for Public Transport Hong Kong, July 20 - 22, 2009 (Previous CASPT conferences: Leeds, 2006, San Diego, 2004, Berlin, 2000, Boston, 1997, Lisbon, 1993, Montreal, 1990, Hamburg, 1987, Montreal, 1983, Leeds, 1980, Chicago, 1975) This conference is the 11th in the series that serves as a forum for the international community of researchers, practitioners and vendors on all aspects of public transport planning and operations. To reflect the expanded scope of this conference series, it takes on the new title "Conference on Advanced Systems for Public Transport" from its previous title of "Computer-Aided Scheduling of Public Transport". CASPT covers significant contributions to the theory and application of systems and methodologies for advancing public transport planning and operations. CASPT encourages not only the generation and presentation of new ideas, but also hopes to instigate productive collaborations between participants from academia, industry, and government. The themes of the conference include, but are not limited to: ? Public transport network and route planning ? Timetables planning and generation ? Vehicle (bus, train, tram, ferry, ...) scheduling ? Driver and crew scheduling ? Operations monitoring, control and management ? Information management ? Passenger information, trip planning, route guidance ? Public transport regulations and competition ? Financial Sustainability ? Public private partnership ? Practical experience with scheduling and planning methods ? Other areas related to passenger transport (large-scale optimization, etc) INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Avi Ceder (New Zealand) Joachim R. Daduna (Germany) Mark Hickman (USA) Leo Kroon (The Netherlands) Raymond Kwan (United Kingdom) Hong K. Lo (Hong Kong) Pitu Mirchandani (USA) Stefan Voss (Germany) Alex Wardrop (Australia) Nigel H.M. Wilson (USA) IMPORTANT SUBMISSION DEADLINES Extended Abstracts October 15, 2008 Full papers April 1, 2009 Extended Abstracts (about 1000 words) must be received electronically (in PDF) not later than October 15, 2008. They should be submitted via the web-based submission system: https://editorialexpress.com/caspt09 Papers will be selected for presentation based on extended abstracts, with notification by December 20, 2008. Selected contributors should submit a full version of the paper (up to 30 pages including figures and tables) electronically (in PDF) not later than April 1, 2009. Post conference publications: Selected refereed papers will be published in a book by an international publisher or special issues in reputable journals after the conference. For more information, contact: CASPT 09 Conference Secretary c/o Department of Civil Engineering The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong secretary@caspt09.org www.caspt09.org [Apologies if you receive this announcement more than once!] From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 18 22:16:08 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:08 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city Message-ID: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif Wednesday, September 17, 2008 By our correspondent - http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 Karachi What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and former mayor of Bogota, Colombia. Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at a local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of life and make our cities more competitive. Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the west and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their lives, he added. What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is a city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving the cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of people. He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it would improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to bus stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not very late and they can think about it now," he added. He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there is no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," he proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus owners/drivers depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this mess as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them where they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public transport service improves. Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in seconds and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," he continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is worth it. Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were managerial problems and lack of political will. Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues and Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be car free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he said. Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul Islam said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure if launched without proper planning. http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 18 22:16:08 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:08 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city Message-ID: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif Wednesday, September 17, 2008 By our correspondent - http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 Karachi What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and former mayor of Bogota, Colombia. Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at a local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of life and make our cities more competitive. Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the west and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their lives, he added. What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is a city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving the cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of people. He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it would improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to bus stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not very late and they can think about it now," he added. He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there is no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," he proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus owners/drivers depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this mess as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them where they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public transport service improves. Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in seconds and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," he continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is worth it. Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were managerial problems and lack of political will. Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues and Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be car free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he said. Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul Islam said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure if launched without proper planning. http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif From peebeebarter at gmail.com Fri Sep 19 16:54:16 2008 From: peebeebarter at gmail.com (Paul Barter) Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:54:16 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Are private cars the ideal transport? In-Reply-To: <019101c911b7$bcaa8930$0202a8c0@acer56fb35423d> References: <36935.99969.qm@web57104.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <019101c911b7$bcaa8930$0202a8c0@acer56fb35423d> Message-ID: <6fc1c1110809190054j31ee1aedv8e2e38a2703edf1e@mail.gmail.com> Sorry to come in late on this conversation. This relates quite closely to some work I have been doing (on which I fruitfully sought Chris's feedback a few months back). I have written a blog post about it here ( http://reinventingtransport.blogspot.com/2008/09/should-we-can-we-make-our-cars.html) which links to a longer paper and to a poster. The basic idea is this: The way cars are possessed has not had the close attention it deserves. The primary way of gaining access to cars has been assumed to be via owning one. Possession has thus been taken for granted, preventing us from seeing it as possibly problematic. However, the link between car use and car possession is eroding, in both practice and in theory. High mobility had been widely assumed to require a car but it has recently become possible to envisage excellent mobility through an integrated package of services and modes, including convenient access to cars, without needing to possess one. This reveals possession (and its sharp contrast with being car-free) as a source of 'rigidities' that inhibit active choice making in travel. Chris Bradshaw's ideas on 'metered access to shared cars' (MASC) as well as various New Mobility ideas obviously resonate. Paul Barter http://reinventingtransport.blogspot.com/ 2008/9/8 Chris Bradshaw > > We would argue that since cars only transport roughly 10-20% of > travelers, > > they should only have access to 10-20% of road space, for moving and > > parking?and should respect the rest of users, as well as the right to > some > > peace and quiet of all the people working and living next to roads. > > This is a good point: equity for all travellers. It applies not just to > space for travel and parking, but the various forms of pollution. Under > the > right conditions, cars produce, per passenger, less pollution and noise > than > larger public-transit vehicles. > > The X-transit discussion here diverges over whether smaller vehicles should > be visualized as large cars or small buses. The latter tends to fail > because the driver cost is spread over so few passengers, which government > can justify only if it serves very small, needy populations, which in turn > makes frequency so poor. But if seen as the former, the service, mediated > by cell-phone matching, means that every driver's empty seats are > available, > as long as his route coincides enough with the person needing a ride. Such > a scheme relieves the system of driver costs. But cars are private, so no > go. > > The car fails by being the second-best mode for most trips, rarely the > best. > This is because it is used from destination to destination, a tool of > mobility _and_ access (only the short walk to its parking space is > excepted). It needs to be driven through walk-first environments because > it > is privately owned and its owner expects it to be ready-and-willing 'acap' > (as close as possible). > > > A society in which people fail to respect the rights of others, and in > > which the rich believe they should have special privileges on the roads > as > > well as in every other aspect of life, is a society destined to fall into > > crime, selfishness, viciousness, and lack of the neighborly friendliness > > that allows people to live comfortably together > > With cars being private, they too often are occupied by only the owner, > leaving the other 4-6 seats empty (except when used for storage for > personal > 'effects'). The owner, rich or poor, sees this privacy as his right. The > car's footprint is 'amortized' only over one traveler. > > The relationship to these negative social trends is not just that of car > causing them, but reflecting the breakdown. Private cars both cause the > breakdown of share vehicle systems, and are the beneficiaries of that > breakdown ("I have to have my own car. Transit is too infrequent, and > walking and cycling are too dangerous." > > We can never share the roads unless we find a way to share all the vehicles > used on them. This is more common in the so-called underdeveloped > countries. While they are trying to copy the developed countries' idea of > 'success,' the reverse should be the situation. > > When people go into the public realm, it should be to mix with others. > Being in a private car is not providing that contact, not producing the > humility and tolerance societies need. All governments, who are dependent > on these attitudes, should have a bias in favour of sharing the corridors > and the vehicles used on them. > > Supporting the private-car regime is a form of societal suicide. > > Chris Bradshaw, Ottawa > > From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Sep 19 23:19:22 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:19:22 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Knoogle x/Paratransit 1.0 Message-ID: <00b601c91a62$b8b72fa0$2a258ee0$@britton@ecoplan.org> We are in the process of developing a special combined search engine to serve people interested in knowing more about x/Paratransit. And I would be very grateful to have your views, not matter how quick and how negative. The address is www.xmobility.net. It is still very much work in progress and both incomplete and rough edged. That said it is not too early for you to have a go at it. And in your remarks do not be kind if it's an effort, We want to fix this thing and make it useful. Thanks for giving this your time if you wish, Eric Britton Introduction: Knoogle x/Paratransit 1.0 is a combined search engine the goal of which is to provide rapid access to a select group of programs, sources and databases that specifically address out topic. x/Paratransit refers a broad and varied class of transportation services that have in common that they get people (and goods) in and around cities in road vehicles, smaller than full sized buses, driven by real human beings, dynamically shared with others, and in best cases aided by state of the art communications technologies -- and all of that as no less than the vital supplement needed to offer "car-quality" mobility in most of our ever-more crowded, ever-more environmentally stressed 21st century cities without killing the cities themselves. We invite you to test our new 1.0 combined search engine to view the results of a quick unified scan based on your initially chosen key words, combing through close to two hundred carefully selected international programs and sources that we view as leading the way in their work and competence in our heavily challenged sector world-wide. (The name combines the two basic components that make it work, KNOwledge and goOGLE, into a single memorable (?) word (pronounced "kah-noogle").) What makes Knoogle klick? There are four main building blocks of this tool set, the first of which is Google's excellent search functionality which does the heavy lifting. Our contribution is simply to point it in the right direction, as follows: The targeted sources: The next building block is the selection of programs and sources to which we have directed the search engine. Thus far close to two hundred in number, each has been carefully screened for inclusion here as a result of our research identifying what we regard as the premier sources and programs working in the areas that specifically concern us - sustainable transport, new mobility, climate, environment, reform programs, etc. To get a feel for these sources all you have to do is try a few sample searches and inspect the programs that are called up in the search results. (If you click here, you will see an in-process (partial) listing of these excellent sources.) Key words: In carrying out your search you can of course use the usual key word filters in combination And if your Knoogle search comes up short, you have immediate access to a full Google search. Search refinements: Then as a next narrowing device, you will see that each search results page also shows in the four top rows a total of sixteen "Search refinements" which we have developed on what we see as key topics of interest, ranging from different transport modes. Refinements are labels that you apply to websites. They appear as a list of links above search results, offering you a way to narrow their search. Try it, use it and let us know how to improve it for all. Here is how to get in touch: The New Mobility Agenda - http://www.invent.newmobility.org Europe: 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France T: +331 4326 1323 Skype : ericbritton New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.partners.newmobility.org USA: 9440 Readcrest Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90210 T: +1 310 601-8468 Skype: newmobility searches 177 sites, including: www.earth-policy.org/, www.transportforqualityoflife.com/, http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/index.shtml, http://www.adb.org/Publications/default.asp, http://www.newscientist.com/ Last updated: Sep 19, 2008 From adhiraj.joglekar at googlemail.com Fri Sep 19 20:33:40 2008 From: adhiraj.joglekar at googlemail.com (Dr Adhiraj Joglekar) Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:33:40 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city Message-ID: I agree with the overall direction suggested but feel there has to be a move towards using a broader term instead of BRTS. Many take a rather purist approach on this matter. If its late for London and NY, its late for many cities in the developing world. Mumbai for instance will struggle to implement a Bogota style BRT (only the Western and Eastern Highways in Mumbai have the width to consider such models). Just like Mumbai, I know Pune well enough to say its another city which does not have roads with the desired width. Many in Bangalore feel its an issue their too (and I won't be surprised if it becomes a problem in Karachi as well). I prefer Bus Priority (as used in UK) as an all encompassing term over and obove BRT . In fact Mumbai's BEST does phenomenally well. The basics are there and a huge number of Mumbai roads can accomodate the bus lane strategy of London without spending anywhere near what a BRTS will cost (leave aside costs of a Metro). What is practically implementable and logically appropriate is oft left aside when proponents of one model try to score over the other (LRT Vs BRT Vs MRT etc). In all these heated debates, that small cities could do very well with a solid basic traditional bus based public transport model, is unfortunately a neglected fact. Pune plans to implement BRT on roads where total numbers (for all modes) commuting are less than 5k per hour. The basis of selection of the corridors is not defined by *need *rather by *width *of roads. One may find number of pictures of crowded BRT buses in Delhi (this link http://flickr.com/photos/8754860@N02 with a number of pics was sent to me by someone hoping to excite me about Delhi BRT). But how is one to define success of such ventures? Were the buses not crowded before the BRT on this stretch? The success to me should be defined by how many switch to buses - The question asked should, have the number of personal vehicles in use gone down? When one sees the pictures (in the above link) of Delhi BRT - it is sad to see the narrow width of footpaths (infact pedestrians are being forced on to cycle paths). One will hope that the vision is to succeed with the BRT, get people out of their personal vehicles and thus expect even larger numbers of people on foot and hence have walkways double the size one finds currently. It seems the compromise has been to pave way for Win-Win-Lose solution and all effort has been made to not hamper personal vehicles - the ultimate winners thus are a showcase BRT and the personal motorised vehicles lobby while the pedestrians are as usual the loosers. While Pune, the other city in India to implements pilot BRT is yet to provide footpaths and cycle tracks, one can see the constraints caused by lack of width - it will be impossible to make way for pedestrians crosswalks or subways when the footpath width is so narrow. The effect has been to get pedestrians to mix with the vehicles at junctions - effectively increasing stop times at traffic light cycles. It also means bus stops are close to junctions thus ensuring they remain at their rudimentry best (very unlike BRT stations elsewhere) and I worry the proximity probably removes the chance of implementing smart signals prioritising buses (as one will hope they are 20-30 seconds away and in motion approaching junctions to trip the traffic lights to change and give them priority. The message thus should be use every cosy-effective method (and not just BRT in its pure form), look at other models and more significantly do something to cause an effective shift from 2/4 wheelers to buses and sustain it by removing subsidy on fuel, introducing paid parking, congestion charging (travel on 2 wheels is cheaper than bus tickets in India). Without managing demand a BRT is not very different from redundant models of building flyovers, elevated roads and the rest. If exsisting 2/4 wheele users move to BRT, they leave behind space which will be taken up in no time by the ever increasing middle class of India (growing by 10% every year). Would I like BRT in Pune? Sure, but it still covers (even when all 120km is in place) only 10% of Pune roads. With no centralised CBD and people moving in all directions, the demographics do not favour a typical BRT by itself to succeed. One should consider every method (London is great in that respect) to spread the web of prioritising buses to every corner of a city. I am oft misunderstood as being anti-BRT. Its the opposite. My message to BRT crusaders is when giving advise, go beyond the pure model, expand the scope of buses and offer advise regarding implementing bus priority rather than just BRT. Cheers Adhiraj On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 4:00 AM, wrote: > Send Sustran-discuss mailing list submissions to > sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > sustran-discuss-request@list.jca.apc.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > sustran-discuss-owner@list.jca.apc.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than > "Re: Contents of Sustran-discuss digest..." > > > ######################################################################## > Sustran-discuss Mailing List Digest > > IMPORTANT NOTE: When replying please do not include the whole digest in > your reply - just include the relevant part of the specific message that you > are responding to. Many thanks. > > About this mailing list see: > http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss > ######################################################################## > > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city > (Eric Britton) > 2. [NewMobilityCafe] Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a > developed city (Eric Britton) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:08 +0200 > From: "Eric Britton" > Subject: [sustran] Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed > city > To: , > > Cc: 'Oscar Edmundo Diaz' > Message-ID: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > > > Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > Wednesday, September 17, 2008 > By our correspondent - > http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 > > Karachi > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian > streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass > transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and > former > mayor of Bogota, Colombia. > > Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised > "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City > District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton > Climate > Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at > a > local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key > stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially > inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of > life and make our cities more competitive. > > Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the > vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the > west > and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. > > Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are > crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that > please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their > lives, > he added. > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public > places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. > > "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is a > city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th > century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving the > cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that > the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a > big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian > streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. > > Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced > cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway > built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront > and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an > example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 > billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a > beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also > mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of > people. > > He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it > would > improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 > per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to > bus > stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build > bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not > very late and they can think about it now," he added. > > He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible > especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there is > no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. > "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of > political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more > important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. > > Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens > coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will > discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated > expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus > Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," > he > proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more > flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. > > A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main > problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus owners/drivers > depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this mess > as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them > where > they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre > therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full > and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing > and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public > transport service improves. > > Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only > in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as > this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per > direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their > tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in seconds > and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. > "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," > he > continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish > some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is > worth it. > > Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and > the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were managerial > problems and lack of political will. > > Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute > for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues and > Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He > also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be > car > free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles > that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he > said. > > Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul Islam > said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the > project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is > likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of > planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can > meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure if > launched without proper planning. > > > > > > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:08 +0200 > From: "Eric Britton" > Subject: [sustran] [NewMobilityCafe] Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his > concept of a developed city > To: , > > Cc: 'Oscar Edmundo Diaz' > Message-ID: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > > > Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > Wednesday, September 17, 2008 > By our correspondent - > http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 > > Karachi > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian > streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass > transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and > former > mayor of Bogota, Colombia. > > Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised > "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City > District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton > Climate > Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at > a > local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key > stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially > inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of > life and make our cities more competitive. > > Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the > vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the > west > and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. > > Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are > crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that > please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their > lives, > he added. > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public > places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. > > "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is a > city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th > century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving the > cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that > the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a > big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian > streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. > > Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced > cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway > built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront > and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an > example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 > billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a > beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also > mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of > people. > > He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it > would > improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 > per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to > bus > stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build > bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not > very late and they can think about it now," he added. > > He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible > especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there is > no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. > "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of > political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more > important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. > > Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens > coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will > discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated > expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus > Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," > he > proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more > flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. > > A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main > problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus owners/drivers > depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this mess > as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them > where > they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre > therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full > and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing > and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public > transport service improves. > > Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only > in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as > this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per > direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their > tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in seconds > and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. > "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," > he > continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish > some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is > worth it. > > Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and > the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were managerial > problems and lack of political will. > > Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute > for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues and > Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He > also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be > car > free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles > that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he > said. > > Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul Islam > said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the > project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is > likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of > planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can > meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure if > launched without proper planning. > > > > > > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > > End of Sustran-discuss Digest, Vol 61, Issue 13 > *********************************************** > From bruun at seas.upenn.edu Tue Sep 23 01:45:40 2008 From: bruun at seas.upenn.edu (bruun at seas.upenn.edu) Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:45:40 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city In-Reply-To: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> References: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> Message-ID: <20080922124540.19on5mtq8080ocs0@webmail.seas.upenn.edu> All well and good in theory to build "cheaply". In practice, it can be impossible or it can actually take longer to build the cheap solution. Have a look at Delhi, the Metro is now far along and the BRT network is only now beginning. This delay of benefits to the city while fighting for control of the streets or to expropriate land is also a form of expense that should be discounted from the lower construction costs. Nor is "flexibility" always a good thing, or even relevant. Somemtimes permanence is desired in order to focus development. Also, one should distinguish between the "best for the money for the particular situation at hand" and the "absolute best alternative regardless of construction expense". No one can tell me that Transmillenio is absolutely better than the best metro systems in the world. I admire Penalosa, but I think BRT advocates overstate their case. Eric Bruun Quoting Eric Britton : > > > > Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > Wednesday, September 17, 2008 > By our correspondent - http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 > > Karachi > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian > streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass > transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and former > mayor of Bogota, Colombia. > > Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised > "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City > District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton Climate > Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at a > local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key > stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially > inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of > life and make our cities more competitive. > > Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the > vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the west > and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. > > Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are > crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that > please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their lives, > he added. > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public > places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. > > "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is a > city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th > century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving the > cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that > the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a > big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian > streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. > > Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced > cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway > built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront > and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an > example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 > billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a > beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also > mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of > people. > > He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it would > improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 > per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to bus > stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build > bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not > very late and they can think about it now," he added. > > He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible > especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there is > no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. > "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of > political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more > important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. > > Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens > coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will > discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated > expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus > Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," he > proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more > flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. > > A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main > problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus owners/drivers > depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this mess > as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them where > they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre > therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full > and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing > and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public > transport service improves. > > Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only > in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as > this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per > direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their > tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in seconds > and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. > "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," he > continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish > some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is > worth it. > > Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and > the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were managerial > problems and lack of political will. > > Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute > for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues and > Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He > also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be car > free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles > that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he > said. > > Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul Islam > said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the > project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is > likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of > planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can > meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure if > launched without proper planning. > > > > > > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif > > > > > > > > > From whook at itdp.org Tue Sep 23 02:30:30 2008 From: whook at itdp.org (Walter Hook) Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:30:30 -0400 Subject: [sustran] Re: Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city In-Reply-To: <20080922124540.19on5mtq8080ocs0@webmail.seas.upenn.edu> References: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> <20080922124540.19on5mtq8080ocs0@webmail.seas.upenn.edu> Message-ID: Dear Eric, Your comments infuriate me, as usual. The Metro project in Delhi was discussed for years before anyone in India had ever heard of Bus Rapid Transit. Lima's Metro is still a hole in the ground after decades. Where is our Second Avenue Subway, by the way? The MTA has a $1 billion deficit and Wall Street is in freefall. When do you think we will build the 2nd Avenue Subway when $700 billion is going to bail out our banks? Isn't it time to start looking for cheaper solutions, even here in 'wealthy' US cities, where a couple billion dollars a mile could go a whole lot farther with BRT solutions. The fight for control of our streets, is, after all, the whole point, no? By going around the problem on our city streets, you also don't solve the problem of traffic fatalities, the air pollution, unsafe conditions for cyclists, etc. The Delhi BRT system, for all its flaws, wasn't just about buses, it was about good pedestrian space, organized spaces for vendors, and good bicycling lanes. BRT actually got the government to pay attention to all these problems with their road design. Your solution of going around the problem is like moving to the suburbs to avoid the problems of the city rather than fixing the problems in the city. Who is saying TransMilenio is better than the best Metro system in the world? What is the point of this sort of question? Our field is full of distortions and misrepresentations by advocates of one mode or another. But have a bit of proportion, Eric. There is a long history of metro rail advocates overstating the benefits of their projects, misrepresenting projected profits, projected demand numbers, convincing governments in developing countries of the merits of spending taxpayers money on costly projects that largely benefit a few corporations and a few wealthy neighborhoods. If a few BRT advocates have occasionally overstated their case, they are in very good company. I believe some rail advocates were recently arrested in Brazil for paying bribes, btw. w -----Original Message----- From: sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org@list.jca.apc.org [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of bruun@seas.upenn.edu Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 12:46 PM To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org Subject: [sustran] Re: Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city All well and good in theory to build "cheaply". In practice, it can be impossible or it can actually take longer to build the cheap solution. Have a look at Delhi, the Metro is now far along and the BRT network is only now beginning. This delay of benefits to the city while fighting for control of the streets or to expropriate land is also a form of expense that should be discounted from the lower construction costs. Nor is "flexibility" always a good thing, or even relevant. Somemtimes permanence is desired in order to focus development. Also, one should distinguish between the "best for the money for the particular situation at hand" and the "absolute best alternative regardless of construction expense". No one can tell me that Transmillenio is absolutely better than the best metro systems in the world. I admire Penalosa, but I think BRT advocates overstate their case. Eric Bruun Quoting Eric Britton : > > > > Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif > > > Wednesday, September 17, 2008 > By our correspondent - http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 > > Karachi > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian > streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass > transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and former > mayor of Bogota, Colombia. > > Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised > "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City > District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton Climate > Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at a > local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key > stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially > inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of > life and make our cities more competitive. > > Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the > vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the west > and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. > > Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are > crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that > please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their lives, > he added. > > What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is not > the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public > places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. > > "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is a > city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th > century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving the > cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that > the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a > big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian > streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. > > Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced > cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway > built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront > and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an > example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 > billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a > beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also > mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of > people. > > He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it would > improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 > per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to bus > stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build > bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not > very late and they can think about it now," he added. > > He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible > especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there is > no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. > "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of > political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more > important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. > > Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens > coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will > discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated > expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus > Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," he > proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more > flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. > > A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main > problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus owners/drivers > depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this mess > as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them where > they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre > therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full > and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing > and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public > transport service improves. > > Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only > in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as > this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per > direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their > tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in seconds > and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. > "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," he > continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish > some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is > worth it. > > Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and > the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were managerial > problems and lack of political will. > > Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute > for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues and > Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He > also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be car > free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles > that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he > said. > > Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul Islam > said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the > project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is > likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of > planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can > meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure if > launched without proper planning. > > > > > > > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement. ================================================================ SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). From carlosfpardo at gmail.com Tue Sep 23 02:39:44 2008 From: carlosfpardo at gmail.com (Carlosfelipe Pardo) Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:39:44 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Re: Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city In-Reply-To: References: <01f401c91990$be28a6d0$3a79f470$@britton@ecoplan.org> <20080922124540.19on5mtq8080ocs0@webmail.seas.upenn.edu> Message-ID: <48D7D860.8080506@gmail.com> Also, on the topic of rail costs in the long term (which is normally a pro-rail argument), there is an interesting article in a recent Economist (link and title, subtitle below): http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12209493 Holes underground Sep 11th 2008 From /The Economist/ print edition Expensive Tube upgrades could mean sacrifices elsewhere Walter Hook wrote: > Dear Eric, > > Your comments infuriate me, as usual. > > The Metro project in Delhi was discussed for years before anyone in India > had ever heard of Bus Rapid Transit. Lima's Metro is still a hole in the > ground after decades. Where is our Second Avenue Subway, by the way? The > MTA has a $1 billion deficit and Wall Street is in freefall. When do you > think we will build the 2nd Avenue Subway when $700 billion is going to bail > out our banks? Isn't it time to start looking for cheaper solutions, even > here in 'wealthy' US cities, where a couple billion dollars a mile could go > a whole lot farther with BRT solutions. > > The fight for control of our streets, is, after all, the whole point, no? > By going around the problem on our city streets, you also don't solve the > problem of traffic fatalities, the air pollution, unsafe conditions for > cyclists, etc. The Delhi BRT system, for all its flaws, wasn't just about > buses, it was about good pedestrian space, organized spaces for vendors, and > good bicycling lanes. BRT actually got the government to pay attention to > all these problems with their road design. Your solution of going around the > problem is like moving to the suburbs to avoid the problems of the city > rather than fixing the problems in the city. > > Who is saying TransMilenio is better than the best Metro system in the > world? What is the point of this sort of question? > > Our field is full of distortions and misrepresentations by advocates of one > mode or another. But have a bit of proportion, Eric. There is a long > history of metro rail advocates overstating the benefits of their projects, > misrepresenting projected profits, projected demand numbers, convincing > governments in developing countries of the merits of spending taxpayers > money on costly projects that largely benefit a few corporations and a few > wealthy neighborhoods. If a few BRT advocates have occasionally overstated > their case, they are in very good company. > > I believe some rail advocates were recently arrested in Brazil for paying > bribes, btw. > > w > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org@list.jca.apc.org > [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org@list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf > Of bruun@seas.upenn.edu > Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 12:46 PM > To: sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org > Subject: [sustran] Re: Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed > city > > > All well and good in theory to build "cheaply". In practice, it can be > impossible or it can actually take longer to build the cheap solution. > Have a look at Delhi, the Metro is now far along and the BRT network > is only now beginning. This delay of benefits to the city while > fighting for control of the streets or to expropriate land is also a > form of expense that should be discounted from the lower construction > costs. > > Nor is "flexibility" always a good thing, or even relevant. Somemtimes > permanence is desired in order to focus development. > > Also, one should distinguish between the "best for the money for the > particular situation at hand" and the "absolute best alternative > regardless of construction expense". No one can tell me that > Transmillenio is absolutely better than the best metro systems in the > world. > > I admire Penalosa, but I think BRT advocates overstate their case. > > Eric Bruun > > > Quoting Eric Britton : > > >> >> Ex-Bogota Mayor presents his concept of a developed city >> >> >> http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif >> >> >> http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif >> >> >> http://www.thenews.com.pk/images/shim.gif >> >> >> Wednesday, September 17, 2008 >> By our correspondent - >> > http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=136333 > >> Karachi >> >> What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is >> > not > >> the quality of expressways, highways or flyovers but that of pedestrian >> streets, bicycle tracks, public parks, water fronts and bus ways for mass >> transit, says Enrique Penalosa, a world renowned urban strategist and >> > former > >> mayor of Bogota, Colombia. >> >> Penalosa said this during his presentation in a seminar on organised >> "Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility" which was organised by the City >> District Government Karachi (CDGK) in collaboration with the Clinton >> > Climate > >> Initiative (CCI), a programme of the Clinton Foundation, and SHEHRI-CBE at >> > a > >> local hotel on Tuesday. The objective of this seminar is to provide key >> stakeholders an opportunity to hear about a different and more socially >> inclusive and efficient urban vision, which would improve the quality of >> life and make our cities more competitive. >> >> Penalosa who was the main speaker at the seminar discussed in detail the >> vision of a developed city and gave several practical examples from the >> > west > >> and parts of Asia on how that vision can be materialised. >> >> Public parks, pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and water fronts are >> crucial for a city to be developed, he said. These are the things that >> please people that make them happier and improve the quality of their >> > lives, > >> he added. >> >> What makes a difference between a developed city and a backward city is >> > not > >> the quality of highways or elevated expressways but the quality of public >> places, pedestrian streets, and bicycle tracks linked with busways. >> >> "A developed city is one where rich uses public transport. A good city is >> > a > >> city for the poor, elderly and children," said Penalosa. He adds, "20th >> century would be remembered as a disaster in urban history since giving >> > the > >> cities to cars is the biggest mistake we ever made." He further said that >> the developed cities in Europe realised that building roads for cars was a >> big mistake. It was not what they wanted therefore, they built pedestrian >> streets stretching up to hundreds of kilometres. >> >> Giving an example of some developed cities, he said most of the advanced >> cities have demolished their highways and expressways. In Boston a highway >> built at a cost of US $24 billion was demolished to construct a waterfront >> and pedestrian and bicycle tracks at both sides of it. He also gave an >> example of an expressway in Seoul that was built with a cost of US $7 >> billion and that too had to be demolished to finally convert into a >> beautiful waterfront with wide pedestrian tracks on either side. He also >> mentioned of a 23 km bicycle path in Columbia that is used by thousands of >> people. >> >> He also proposed for 1000 km pedestrian network in Karachi and said it >> > would > >> improve people's life and they would be happy. "It would save them some 30 >> per cent of their income and people would love to use bicycles to get to >> > bus > >> stands, he said. "In fact New York and London too would love to build >> bicycle tracks but it is too late for them. However, for Karachi it is not >> very late and they can think about it now," he added. >> >> He proposed to build side ways for pedestrians as wide as possible >> especially in the areas near schools. "Cars parked everywhere when there >> > is > >> no space for pedestrians is not what you call development;" he criticised. >> "This is not a democratic thinking," he added. There is huge lack of >> political will and it is telling the poor that the people in cars are more >> important than those on feet or bicycles," he commented. >> >> Building pedestrian streets, bicycle tracks and side ways for the citizens >> coupled with a good public transport system that provide mass transit will >> discourage the use of cars. "Building high velocity roads and elevated >> expressways won't solve the problems of Karachi," he said. "Rapid Bus >> Transit (RBT) is the only solution and is perfectly possible in Karachi," >> > he > >> proposed. Exclusive busways are needed for mass transit, RBT is more >> flexible than subways and it can be built with low cost, he said. >> >> A good public transport is one with low cost and high frequency, the main >> problem of public transport in Karachi is 'the income of bus >> > owners/drivers > >> depend on per passenger. This is why these buses have created all this >> > mess > >> as they run behind each and every single passenger, pick and drop them >> > where > >> they want. Under RBT the owner is paid on the basis of per kilometre >> therefore the driver doesn't bother whether the bus operates empty or full >> and they do not stop everywhere for passengers thus abide by their timing >> and run at a decent speed. As a result of that the quality of public >> transport service improves. >> >> Penalosa further said that TransMillenio has earned great success not only >> in the West but also in Asia. This is the only possibility for Karachi as >> this system can carry 50,000 passengers per hour per kilometre per >> direction. "There can be modern stations where people will pay for their >> tickets at the station so that they can get into and off the bus in >> > seconds > >> and on one ticket they can change two to three buses," he elaborated. >> "Similarly there should be feeder buses to carry people to RBT stations," >> > he > >> continued. He said that in Karachi the government might have to demolish >> some buildings to construct busways and pedestrians' sideways but it is >> worth it. >> >> Replying to a question he said, this was perfectly possible in Karachi and >> the problem was not of technology or finance. In fact there were >> > managerial > >> problems and lack of political will. >> >> Following the presentation by Penalosa, Oscar Diaz, Sr Director, Institute >> for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) delivered a talk on "Issues >> > and > >> Challenges of Public Transport and Mobility in Developing Countries". He >> also proposed ways to reduce use of cars from the road. "There should be >> > car > >> free days, additional taxes on gasoline and licenced plates for vehicles >> that will help reduce the number of cars from the roads in peak hours," he >> said. >> >> Talking to journalists, Director General Mass Transit Malik Zaheer Ul >> > Islam > >> said that they had already adopted RBT for Karachi and were working on the >> project on priority basis. The work on first three corridors of RBT is >> likely to begin this December, however, according to Penalosa a lot of >> planning and work needs to be done before the launching of RBT or it can >> meet the same fate as it did in Delhi India and thus result in a failure >> > if > >> launched without proper planning. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> http://www.thenews.com.pk/share/dot.gif >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via > YAHOOGROUPS. > > Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join > the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups > version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real > sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). > Apologies for the confusing arrangement. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS. > > Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). > > From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 25 17:20:54 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:20:54 +0200 Subject: [sustran] World Car Free Day 2008? - Please honk Message-ID: <00a601c91ee7$a370d810$ea528830$@britton@ecoplan.org> Invitation to share: May we ask you to send us a short email note in answer to the following questions about the Car Free Day 2008 invitational that was organized by the European Commission and its allies on Monday the 22nd. We will then compile the responses and if enough of interest comes in will of course share with our friends here, for broader distribution in turn if they feel it useful. Thanks. Eric Britton . Your city: ______________ . Event date: ______________ . URL (if available): ______________ 1. Was a Car Free Day organized this year in your city?: a. Yes ______________ b. No ______________ c. Don't know ______________ 2. Was it widely publicized and widely known? a. Yes ______________ b. No ______________ c. Don't know ______________ 3. Would you call it a success in terms of helping change people's attitudes toward the place of cars in your city? a. Yes ______________ b. No ______________ c. Don't know ______________ 4. What were the outstanding accomplishments/characteristics of its success (or less success)? ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ 5. Has an effort been made to evaluate impacts of the Day? a. Yes ______________ b. No ______________ c. Don't know ______________ d. Who carried out this analysis? _____________________________________ d. Link to report? _____________________________________ 6. Do you reckon that the organizers in your city will make a major strategic effort to evaluate, rethink, improve and extend its impacts in 2010? a. Yes I do __________ b. I rather doubt it (or worse) __________ c. Don't have a feel for it really. __________ 7. Do you know of some other city/project that appears to have got this right? (Where please and a few words on what you appreciate in particular) ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ 8. Finally, any thoughts about PARK(ing) Day (http://www.parkingday.org ) as a strategy to change attitudes about cars in cities? ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ Thanks for sharing, Eric Britton __,_._,___ From kavitawankhade at rediffmail.com Tue Sep 30 15:48:29 2008 From: kavitawankhade at rediffmail.com (kavita wankhade) Date: 30 Sep 2008 06:48:29 -0000 Subject: [sustran] Support to an NGO in India Message-ID: <20080930064829.52266.qmail@f4mail-235-133.rediffmail.com> ? Dear All, I have been approached by an NGO that needs help with developing project proposals etc. for urban transport. They will be providing the data etc. Does anyone know of any individual or organisation in Delhi who will be ready to provide this service (paid) to the NGO. If so, can you please pass on the references to me, and I will put them in touch with the NGO. Regards Kavita From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 29 23:12:59 2008 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:12:59 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Mobilien: Paris' Version of Bus Rapid Transit Message-ID: <00e901c9223d$7d8d4710$78a7d530$@britton@ecoplan.org> Latest from StreetFilms at http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/mobilien/ Text introduction: Le Mobilien is Paris' version of what we know as a bus rapid transit system or a surface mass transport network. Paris has been doing "bus rapid transit" for decades, and after years of on-street operation and continuous fine-tuning they have now developed a system which they call the "Mobilien" - French for MOBI-lity plus "LIEN" which means link. Linking mobility. Unlike the BRTs that most US cities are looking at, the Mobilien adapts to different city contexts (i.e. street width and specific neighborhood dynamics). Mobilien doesn't aim at producing top speeds but making steady progress through the traffic stream. It launched in Paris after three years of planning in 2004 with the goal of cutting down on car traffic. To make the project possible, Paris' officials eliminated much on-street parking to create dedicated bus lanes that are shared with bicycles, taxis and emergency vehicles. Eric Britton from the new Mobility Agenda took me on a tour of Mobilien Comments welcome via NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com