From edelman at greenidea.eu Wed Sep 2 18:11:09 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:11:09 +0200 Subject: [sustran] 2010 plans upset South Africa's taxis Message-ID: <4A9E36AD.6080608@greenidea.eu> 2010 plans upset South Africa's taxis By Lucy Fleming BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8225742.stm Published: 2009/09/02 08:05:58 GMT *As South Africa rolls out new buses in Johannesburg ahead of the 2010 football World Cup, thousands of minibus taxi-drivers in Cape Town want to put the brakes on a similar plan to revamp the coastal city's transport system. * They fear the government's intentions to improve transport for football fans and leave what has been termed a "legacy project" in the cities hosting the tournament will cost them their jobs. " * They only care about their pockets * " Minibus taxi passenger "This soccer World Cup seems like it is coming to just chop our necks off, because it's taking our bread from the table. They'll push us out of a business," says Mandla Mata, chair of the Western Cape National Taxi Alliance (WCNTA). But the City of Cape Town says such worries are unfounded and the World Cup is an opportunity to introduce a bus-based public transport system that is reliable, scheduled and safe, while improving services to some areas. This would be a relief to many commuters who feel their needs and safety are not always central to the taxis. "They only care about their pockets," one passenger travelling between Khayletsha and Bellville said, pointing out that the window next to him could not open. "You mustn't trust these guys if they lose their temper," he added - and related a story about how a female passenger lost her eye after she was attacked by a driver for not having the fare. Improved public transport may also encourage drivers to leave their cars at home, which would help ease the city's terrible rush-hour traffic jams. City planners have said Cape Town's Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) system will be based on the existing minibus and bus industries. "They will be the drivers of the system. In the first phase we want them to form two companies - so we have a competitive element - and they operate the IRT system for the city - the feeder buses and the trunk routes," explains City of Cape Town spokeswoman Kylie Hatton. Minibus owners would be given shares in a company based on their current market share. And if anything, Ms Hatton says, the IRT would mean drivers who work long hours without holiday and sick leave will be better off. "They'll be moving into a system where they will have fixed working hours and it won't be passenger-based system, it'll be a kilometres-travelled system." The financial pressure to make as many trips as possible is seen as one factor in the minibus taxis' poor safety record. * Apartheid legacy * At Bellville taxi rank, about 20km from Cape Town city centre, one driver admitted it would be good to work an eight-hour day instead of the 12 to 16 hours most work. " * Lack of regulation has allowed the space for a certain lawlessness to creep in - that needs to be dealt with * " Kylie Hatton City of Cape Town spokeswoman But the general belief amongst the drivers chatting by their buses and eating breakfast after the morning rush hour was that they could not trust any dictum from on high. "We're not interested in IRT - they want to take over our transportation," said one driver, who had been up since 3.00am. "They're taking away what has belonged to us for so many years," another said. This ownership of the industry seems to be at the crux of problem for the City of Cape Town. The minibus taxi industry was one of the few areas of the economy that black business was allowed to run under apartheid. And taxi operators guard their hard-fought independence and self-regulation with pride. Mr Mata says each route, which can have up to 50 owner-operators each with between six and 10 vehicles, is run by an association. They ensure that drivers, who get about 25% of their bus's takings, only ply one route to avoid the fierce battles over territory that have given the industry such a bad reputation. Strict rules also apply in the ranks so that drivers cannot jump the queue. Yet 15 years since the end of apartheid, the relationship between the minibus taxis and the government are still fraught. Taxi-owners complain that a government initiative to scrap older vehicles for newer, safer models by subsiding loans did not materialise for many. This so-called recapitalisation scheme and what taxi-drivers see as harassment from the police checking permits and safety has left them even more distrustful of the authorities. "I understand the sensitivities," says Ms Hatton. "But unfortunately it is an industry that has been largely unregulated - that lack of regulation has also allowed the space for a certain lawlessness to creep in as well - and that needs to be dealt with." "Approximately 40% of taxi drivers in the city operate without a permit," she says. Negotiations are ongoing between the WCNTA and transport officials to tackle such problems, but Mr Mata says they should not see this as a nod from his members to the IRT. He says their main opposition to it stems from the fact that they have not been included at the planning stages. "They say it's going to happen whatever, like it or not," Mr Mata says. "If they can't listen to us then it is not a democracy - it's despotism; it's like the last generation when they decided everything for you." Ms Hatton urges patience and says the IRT will be phased in slowly. After the introduction of rapid bus link between the airport and city centre this year, a pilot project will be rolled out along the poorly serviced west coast. " * You can see that it is not promises that they can fulfil * " WCTA's Mandla Mata Only after this - in 2011 or 2012 - will other Cape Town routes will be affected. "There is no big bang approach - there's no attempt to put people in financial stress," she says, adding that most of the transport industry is on board and it is only a minority who oppose the scheme. It is difficult to come by numbers, but Mr Mata says his alliance represents about 152 routes - with more than 45,000 drivers - and their support is growing. It has held several strikes this year bringing misery to commuters, especially those living in townships around Cape Town who rely on taxis to get to work. The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) recently called off a national strike in protest at the similar Johannesburg bus system following warnings from the government. But Mr Mata says in the Western Cape more taxi stayaways are on the cards before the World Cup kicks off. "They are promising a lot of promises but you can see that it is not promises that they can fulfil - they're just blinding us." Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8225742.stm Published: 2009/09/02 08:05:58 GMT ? BBC MMIX -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.facebook.com/toddedelman www.flickr.com/photos/edelman PRIVATE URBAN CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From gabbyherm at yahoo.com Wed Sep 2 16:05:28 2009 From: gabbyherm at yahoo.com (Gabrielle Hermann) Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 09:05:28 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Road Safety Infrastructure Spending devoted NMT--project examples and figures needed! Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, In writing a section for the forthcoming UNEP paper, "Share the Road: Minimum 10% for Safety, Sustainability, and Accessibility" (funded by the FIA Foundation) ITDP Europe has been asked to discuss what current road infrastructure budget allocations look like in terms of road safety. Specifically we need examples of road building projects where the budget line item for road safety is broken down to show what percentage and how much is allocated to such NMT infrastructure as raised sidewalks, traffic signals, separated cycle lanes, road signage, raised zebra crossings, pedestrian crossing islands, etc. We would need to know what percentage of the entire project is devoted to road safety infrastructure since the paper and the Share the Road Campaign advocates for devoting at least 10% of road infrastructure budgets to road safety We would very much appreciate any suggestion on where we could get access to such figures for specific projects in either Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Thank you in advance, Gabrielle Hermann ITDP Europe From edelman at greenidea.eu Thu Sep 3 18:24:42 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:24:42 +0200 Subject: [sustran] India: Vehicle manufacturers seek scrappage incentive Message-ID: <4A9F8B5A.4020607@greenidea.eu> India: Vehicle manufacturers seek scrappage incentive To read this requires membership - which I dont have - but you can join free or search elsewhere for links... BUT I am not sure what you have heard about this programme in Europe and the USA... here is a good link to get you started: -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.facebook.com/toddedelman www.flickr.com/photos/edelman PRIVATE URBAN CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Privatautostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From sutp at sutp.org Thu Sep 3 19:29:18 2009 From: sutp at sutp.org (SUTP Team) Date: Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:59:18 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Reading List on Public Transport Integration Message-ID: <4A9F9A7E.1020503@sutp.org> Travelling from A to B by public transport in any major city most often involves some kind of mode change. While such transfers are necessary even in the most sophisticated transport networks, there are some principles that make a journey by different forms of public transport as seamless as possible. Summarized here under the term Public Transport Integration, these measures aim at facilitating the use of any public transport mode available in a city or region to reach one?s destination. Prominent features of Public Transport Integration include, for example, one single ticket for the whole journey, adequate transfer facilities, and coordinated schedules of different transport modes. This document aims at providing the reader with an overview of relevant literature on Public Transport Integration. Issues range from organizational and institutional aspects ? e.g. how an integration of different operators can be achieved and which role authorities may play ? to more technical aspects, such as the development of integrated ticketing systems. The reading list is organized as follows: ? General literature ? Case studies including includes best practices and projects from countries around the world ? Links to related projects, organizations and selected actors in the field of Public Transport Integration Link: http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1757&Itemid=1&lang=uk From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Thu Sep 3 20:30:32 2009 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 19:30:32 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Re: Reading List on Public Transport Integration References: <4A9F9A7E.1020503@sutp.org> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090903/cc952106/attachment.html From operations at velomondial.net Fri Sep 4 00:11:12 2009 From: operations at velomondial.net (Pascal van den Noort) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 17:11:12 +0200 Subject: [sustran] New Amsterdam Bike Slam Message-ID: <9c503bfbbc6699dfa066768d0019278c@velomondial.net> ? THE NEW AMSTERDAM BIKE SLAM Dutch and American designers face off in a battle for the future of urban cycling in NYC For four days, the best minds in transportation from New York City and Amsterdam will square off in the New Amsterdam BIKE SLAM. The competition is hosted by New York's Transportation Alternatives and Amsterdam's V?lo Mondial, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's arrival on the land that would become New Amsterdam, and eventually New York City.?This conference cum competition explores the aesthetic of cycling and issues of sustainable mobility. The result? A world-class transportation summit, a dance party, a bridge across the Atlantic and - most importantly - a design proposal for advancing cycling in New York City to the level of the Netherlands, the only country with more bikes than people. ? ? GLOBAL TRENDS IN SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY ? New York and Amsterdam, like many other global cities, face challenges regarding mobility and requiring immediate solutions. An urgent look at necessary changes in mobility is the objective of the symposium? ?Global trends in sustainable mobility.? For that purpose we have invited speakers to debate ideas that would further our thinking about cities and mobility. ? How did Amsterdam and New York get to where we are now with regard to mobility and what analyses can we bring to the table? What are the systematic differences in urban planning between New York and Amsterdam? Do these differences only exist in the field of mobility or has it other psychological and cultural backgrounds? What makes cities not only livable, but attractive to live in, and what good can mobility bring or bad by making things disappear? Can cities live with less or no petrol cars at all and what does such an idea do to the economy? How will public transport play a role in the triangle with emission rich mobility and more sustainable modes of transport? ? This issues will be discussed in the program: Global Trends to Sustainable Mobility ? FULL PUBLIC SCHEDULE? ? Symposium & Salon: Global Trends in Sustainable Mobility When: Friday, September 11, 9 am - 5 pm Where: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, Manhattan? What: Presentations by and conversations with some of the world?s leading experts on innovative transportation policy, including Frans Timmermans (Minister of European Affairs, The Netherlands), Ric Bell, Executive Director Center for Architecture, Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, Adnan Rahman (ECORYS Transport), Willem de Jager (RABO Bank), and Ruth Oldenziel (TU Eindhoven).? In the afternoon, opening by Chris Ward of the PSW Port Authority followed by workshops with Pieter de Haan (Institute for Shared Space), Herman Gelissen (OV FIETS), Arjen Jaarsma (Balancia), Jeff Olson (Alta Planning), Paul White (Transportation Alternatives), and Pascal van den Noort (Velo Mondial: Amsterdam Cycling to Sustainability) ? New Amsterdam BIKE SLAM and Dance Party? Where: Cielo nightclub, 18 Little West 12th Street, Manhattan? When: Saturday, September 12, 10 pm - 4 am? What: New Amsterdam BIKE SLAM design teams face-off at Cielo nightclub to pitch their visions for making lower Manhattan and Brooklyn a bicycling area on par with Amsterdam. The BIKE SLAM begins in front of a live audience and celebrity judges including Alexandros Washburn (Chief Urban Designer for New York City Department of City Planning), Renaud Dutreil (Chairman of LVMH), David Lewis (Principal, LTL Architects), Sergio Palleroni (Founder, Basic Initiative) and Deborah Marton (Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space). The SLAM is followed by a late night dance party at this renowned club in the Meatpacking District and the deep house beats of DJ John 'Julius' Knight and the Dutch DJ, DJ Kosmo. Advance tickets available fromhttp://newamsterdambikeslam.org/? ? New Amsterdam Bike Slam Award Ceremony? When: Sunday, September 13,11:45am?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Where: Battery Park, Castle Clinton Stage What: As part of the Harbor Day celebrations, winners of the New Amsterdam Bike Slam receive their awards from the Mayor of Amsterdam Job Cohen up on stage: free Dutch bicycles, courtesy of Workcycles. ? ? Contact: Pascal J.W. van den Noort For Amsterdam Cycling to Sustainability ? Velo Mondial? +31206270675 landline +31627055688 mobile phone Velo Mondial's Blog? -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 19279 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090903/515fa400/attachment.gif From edelman at greenidea.eu Fri Sep 4 03:40:24 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:40:24 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Something to think about India can't seem to find funding for good public transpotation Message-ID: <4AA00D98.9020505@greenidea.eu> Sinking billions into nuclear weapons Praful Bidwai Rediff.com, 3 August 2009 http://www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?act_id=19806 When Ms Gursharan Kaur, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife, broke a coconut on the hull of the INS Arihant amidst the chanting of Vedic verses, the Indian government took a step towards realising its post-1998 quest for a grand nuclear weapons power status. When the submarine is commissioned in a few years, India will have a 'second-strike capability': Even if its land-or air-based nuclear weapons are destroyed/immobilised, India can still fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the adversary from the ship, which can stay underwater for months at a time and is therefore hard to detect. The Arihant's launch has been called a great achievement of indigenous technology, which gives 'real teeth' to nuclear deterrence and enhances India's security without threatening others. Dr Singh said: 'We do not have any aggressive designs, nor do we seek to threaten anyone...' But the rationale of nuclear deterrence is based on inducing terror through mass destruction weapons. According to that doctrine, you prevent your enemy from nuking you by threatening 'unacceptable damage' through an attack which instantly kills hundreds of thousands or millions of civilians. Nuclear deterrence is a deeply flawed doctrine and was described for half-a-century by India as morally 'abhorrent' and strategically irrational. However, what of the claim that the Arihant is an indigenous technological feat, which shows mastery of 'complex' skills of compacting the reactor which propels the submarine? In fact, the core of the Arihant technology lies in the reactor's design and construction. And that technology came from Russia [ Images ]. Scores of Russian engineers were sent to India to aid the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). It was the Russians who supplied the vital designs, precision equipment based on their VM-5 reactor, and the technology of miniaturising the reactor. At the launch, Dr Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony and Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta all appreciatively mentioned Russia's 'cooperation' -- a euphemism for virtually building the reactor, fitting it with high-quality components and providing precision welding inputs. Present at the function were 143 Russian engineers, designers and consultants who were crucial participants in the project. So much for the 'indigenous' technology claim. In fact, the nuclear submarine project is a long story of failures on the part of the DAE and DRDO, two of the worst performing departments of the government, which have never completed a major project on schedule and without huge cost overruns such as 200 or 500 percent. The submarine project was sanctioned in 1970 by Indira Gandhi [ Images ]. Then DAE secretary Raja Ramanna's original design of 1975 proved totally unviable and had to be abandoned after about Rs 100 crores (or Rs 1 billion in today's terms) was spent on it. The DAE learnt no lessons from this disaster. Indeed, when a critic with a reactor engineering doctorate, then navy Captain B K Subba Rao, voiced his doubts about its design, he was victimised. He was arrested on his way abroad for an academic conference and charged with espionage -- an accusation he successfully disproved after long periods in jail. The project, codenamed Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), was relaunched in 1975 under the DRDO, helped by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai [ Images ] and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, and a large number of consultants in the public and private sectors. This soaked up as much as Rs 2,500 crores (Rs 25 billion) in research and development (R&D) costs alone within two decades. But the project failed because the concerned agencies couldn't fabricate high-quality components and equipment. In 1987-1988, India decided to try 'reverse engineering' by leasing from the USSR a Charlie-class nuclear submarine, renamed Chakra, for three years. This too yielded no worthwhile results in design or fabrication. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and the lease wasn't renewed. Finally, in 1998, construction began on the submarine's hull. A basically Russian-designed compact pressurised-water reactor was eventually fitted into the hull after nine years. Meanwhile, the cost meter kept ticking. India has so far spent a humongous Rs 30,000 crores (Rs 300 billion) on the ATV, with virtually no side benefits. This equals the entire budget of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act last year, which generated 45 million person days of employment. This makes nonsense of rational public-spending priorities. But the government is planning to build 10 nuclear submarines. Work on two has already started. India has also negotiated the lease of yet another Russian submarine, a hunter-killer type, distinct from the Arihant, which is a ballistic-missile launcher. The lease will cost another Rs 350 crores (Rs 3.5 billion) -- although the Navy brass says it's not keen on the hunter submarine. However, will the Arihant give India greater security via nuclear deterrence? Deterrence assumes that nuclear adversaries don't attack each other because they are fully aware of each other's nuclear doctrines, want to avert 'unacceptable damage' from retaliation, and hence will behave rationally at all times. Equally, it assumes there will be no strategic misperceptions or miscalculations, and no accidents whatever. These assumptions don't hold in reality. During the Cold War, there were countless misperceptions and accidents with counter-strikes being averted at the last minute. Weather rockets were confused for missiles. Vessels carrying nuclear weapons collided with one another. The world was lucky that nukes weren't used. There were 20,000 false alerts which could have led to instant retaliation -- despite sophisticated command and control systems on which $6 trillion were spent. In the India-Pakistan case, no such sophisticated systems exist. There's a rich history of miscalculation from 1965, 1990, 1999 and 2001-2002 -- when war almost broke out. Indeed, Kargil [ Images ] did happen -- a mid-sized military conflict with more than 40,000 troops. This falsified the deterrence premise that nuclear powers don't fight conventional wars. Clearly, nuclear deterrence is too flawed and unstable a basis on which to build security. Even old warhorses like Robert McNamara, who recently died, came to that conclusion. India will go down that very slippery slope and court disaster while continuing to deprive half its population of minimum needs. Yet there's no limit on how much we'll be asked to spend on the military in the name of the Holy Cow of 'security'. And we're only at the first stage of acquisition of a large arsenal of nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles, including missiles, aircraft and ships of various description, along with the requisite command and control systems, and elaborate means to protect so-called nuclear assets, which inevitably become a liability. As this column has consistently argued since the Pokharan II blasts of 1998, India's nuclear weapons pursuit is likely to lead to a runaway increase in arms spending -- over and above rising expenditure on conventional weapons. Since 1998, military spending has risen threefold in absolute terms, the highest such increase since Independence. As India builds up its nuclear arsenal, its adversaries will also try to match it or retain their superiority. The real danger is an uncontrolled arms race in which your adversaries, not you, become the decision maker. Throughout the Cold War, India rightly warned against the degenerative and unstable nature of nuclear deterrence and a runaway arms race. It is repeating that historic folly on a continental scale -- and possibly beyond, given India's (and China's) ambitious plans to build a blue-water navy, develop long-range inter-continental ballistic missiles and acquire 'Star Wars'-style ballistic missile defence systems. Today, there's virtually no internal or external restraint on military spending -- witness the 34 per cent spurt in the defence budget in a single year, which will probably go through Parliament without a debate. This cannot be justified in the name of fighting terrorism. You don't need amphibian ships, long-range fighter planes, aircraft carriers and nuclear-capable missiles to combat terrorism. Yet, so low is the accountability of the armed services that they can get away with wild budget increases, which they often don't fully spend. Nothing illustrates this better than the latest CAG report on the acquisition of the Russian aircraft-carrier Admiral Gorshkov. This was first offered in 1994 as a 'free gift' provided India pays for its refitting and buys jetfighters to be put on it deck. A 'fixed price' contract was signed for $974 million. The ship was to be delivered refurbished by August 2008. Soon, Russia demanded an additional $1.2 billion and pushed the delivery date to December 2012. But last year, Russia further raised the bill dramatically to $2.9 billion. India is now negotiating hard, but it's unlikely that the price tag will be under $2.5 billion. Besides, the ship won't even have a 'close-in' weapons system until 2017. According to the CAG report, the supreme, if ugly, irony is that the 'Navy is acquiring a second-hand refitted carrier that has half the lifespan and is 60 percent more expensive than a new one.' A CAG official describes the Gorshkov deal as 'the biggest defence mess-up' ever. The Gorshkov case isn't unique. Other major arms deals, including the French Scorpene submarine (price tag, Rs 18,701 crores/Rs 187.01 billion) and British advanced jet-trainer (cost, Rs 8,120 crores/Rs 81.20 billion), are also marked by allegations of undue favours, huge kickbacks, and dilution of warranty and performance norms. This only underscores the need for greater accountability on the defence services' part and for strict Parliamentary oversight of military contracts. Rediff.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Praful Bidwai, a fellow of the Transnational Institute, is a senior Indian journalist, political activist and widely published commentator. He is a co-author (with Achin Vanaik) of New Nukes: India, Pakistan and Global Nuclear Disarmament . -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.facebook.com/toddedelman www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From morten7an at yahoo.com Fri Sep 4 04:50:04 2009 From: morten7an at yahoo.com (Morten Lange) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 12:50:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Re: Road Safety Infrastructure Spending devoted NMT--project examples and figures needed! In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <353138.56706.qm@web51005.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hi Gabrielle Hermann, I am sorry that I can not answer your question on examples of 10% spending on infrastructure for NMT. ( Hmm, wait I have heard that Copenhagen spends a large portion of the road budget on cycling, and the same must hold true in many Dutch settings. No concrete figures or references though ) But your request did spark the following suggestion for a wholly different approach on the matter. I think the first item on the agenda should be to do some investigation and critical thinking into different approaches to achieving improved road safety for Healthy Transport (HT), or Human Powered Transport (HPT). It is paramount that the Global South does not copy the mistakes of the North, although some of statitistics suggest that segregation and expensive infrastructure is working. At what price have they been working ? Materials, huge costs, enourmous land-use, and land degradation, pollution, at times long detours for cyclists and pedestrians, improved access for cars, bad health problems beacuse of lack of exercise as part of the daily routine, blame the (HT) victims if they are run over, overdependence on very expensive and very unsustainable cars etc, etc. Furthermore the sitation in the Global South is completely different from the countries with the lowest figures for the number of deaths yearly per 100.000 inhabitants. The modal split is an ocean apart from what Sweden or the UK has, and thinking that modals splits should change in the Global South to mimick the North would be a big mistake. Healthy Transport (HT) and Human Powered Transport (HPT) are not generally used as concepts, I think, but I suggest these concepts or something of the sort be taken up as alternatives to the term non-motorized transport NMT, or vulnarable road users, mainly because they define cycling, walking et al positively, not as something "other" than cars etc. In evaluating the different approaches I suggest that the potential for win-win situations figure very prominently. Does the appraoch - improve accessibility and efficiency for HT/HPT - improve the competitiveness of HT/HPT - reduce greenhouse gas emissions - reduce other pollution to air, water, soil + noise pollution - improve the psychological / aesthetic environment - increase the liveability and / or attractiveness - entail flexibility and cooperation or rigid rules, with sharp edges - use resources in a close to optimal way - help the car, oil and tire lobby Road safety "activists" ( Is it fitting to call FIA an activist ? ) often overfocus on just that, and "forget" to see the whole picture. The road saefty problem is one in a big set of problems that have to do with the overuse of the car, and in part the overuse or wrong use of roadgoing motorised transport. The largest public health problem connected with transport is probably sedentary lifestyles and the resulting obesity, and a long range of life-threatening diseases. Some are associated with obesity, others not. Is is estimated that in the US 40.000 die in road accidents, and 400.000 from obesity. It has been suggested that half of the 400.000 stems from sedentary lifestyles, not getting the daily gentle exercise that cyclists and walkers get. WHO has publishes a large study showing that in many major Europeans cities fumes and suspended particulate matter ( mainly from cars exhaust pipes ) kill substantially more people than road accidents. I and many others are looking to solutions that slow down cars, and change the aesthetics of places so that they are more similar to cosy streets than the tracks for racing in computer games. Bring down the speeds of cars. Plant trees and bushes along roads. Bring life to the streets. Some experiments in urban settings with taking the infrastructure, including signs and traffic lights away, have been successful. Motorists and HT / HPT start to interact. Accidents have been reduced. Another appraoch in roughly the same vein, and then regarding cyclists specifically, is to paint bike-and-chevron markings in the streets. The markings remind bothe cyclists and motorists that cyc?ists are welcome on the streets. Very cheap, and effective in improving interactions between drivers and cyclists as well as saefty. And a small piece of bicycle advocacy that is a consrtant reminder to all. Used in Paris, San-Francisco, recently in Reykjaavik, and in many other cities. (e.g in Australia and North America ) Rural settings and some major roads in cities can demand different solutions. There higher speeds of cars can have its merits and separation will increase the accessibility and competitiveness HT / HPT. But the lessons from urban areas should still be kept in mind. Big detours or bad designs or lousy mainentance should be avoided. I am sorry if my style conveys that I purport some great authority on the subject. That was not my intention. I wish the proponents of segregation and expensive infrastructure would also include similar disclaimers :-) If anyone wants references to studies that support my claims, I guess many on the list will be able to help, including myself. Best Regards, Morten Lange, Reykavik Iceland ( and a former resident of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania ) --- On Wed, 2/9/09, Gabrielle Hermann wrote: > From: Gabrielle Hermann > Subject: [sustran] Road Safety Infrastructure Spending devoted NMT--project examples and figures needed! > To: sustran-discuss@jca.apc.org > Date: Wednesday, 2 September, 2009, 8:05 AM > Dear Colleagues, > > In writing a section for the forthcoming UNEP paper, "Share > the Road:? > Minimum 10% for Safety, Sustainability, and Accessibility" > (funded by? > the FIA Foundation) ITDP Europe has been asked to discuss > what current? > road infrastructure budget allocations look like in terms > of road? > safety. > > Specifically we need examples of road building projects > where the? > budget line item for road safety is broken down to show > what? > percentage and how much is allocated to such NMT > infrastructure as? > raised sidewalks, traffic signals, separated cycle lanes, > road? > signage, raised zebra crossings, pedestrian crossing > islands, etc.? We? > would need to know what percentage of the entire project is > devoted to? > road safety infrastructure since the paper and the Share > the Road? > Campaign advocates for devoting at least 10% of road > infrastructure? > budgets to road safety > > We would very much appreciate any suggestion on where we > could get? > access to such figures for specific projects in either > Africa, Asia,? > or Latin America. > > Thank you in advance, > > Gabrielle Hermann > ITDP Europe > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss 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. > > ================================================================ > 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 3 20:43:38 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 13:43:38 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Why do you require registration to download this? It is extremely irritating In-Reply-To: References: <4A9F9A7E.1020503@sutp.org> Message-ID: <025001ca2c8b$c9e89660$5db9c320$@britton@ecoplan.org> I agree entirely with Paul. The name of the game of sustainability is "minimum barriers". Best/Eric Britton Eric Britton | World Streets | The New Mobility Agenda | Paris | +331 4326 1323 | Skype newmobility From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Thu Sep 3 17:09:20 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 10:09:20 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Pedestrians left to suffer Message-ID: <015001ca2c6d$d9970150$8cc503f0$@britton@ecoplan.org> To my mind this is an important story with universal application. I wonder if there is any of you who might be interested, willing to write a shortish introduction, with an eye to explaining these universalities, things that every city needs to learn from and adapt. It would make a great piece for World Streets. All volunteers greatly received. Best/eric britton Thursday, September 3, 2009 - http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=104167 Pedestrians left to suffer All govts, DCC turn a blind eye to basic amenities http://www.thedailystar.net/photo/2009/09/03/2009-09-03__front01.jpgTrenches dug by Dhaka Wasa to replace sewerage pipelines remain a nightmare for people of Rayerbazar area. Photo: Shawkat JamilTawfique Ali Successive governments and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) have always deprived pedestrians of their basic amenities even though they constitute half the commuters in the capital. DCC entrusted with providing facilities to pedestrians has made it a norm to let Dhaka footpaths remain occupied with illegal structures, car parking, makeshift shops and construction materials, said experts. DCC has only a 390-kilometre long footpath while it has 1900 kilometres of roads including major arterial roads, alleys and lanes, said officials. A total of 52-foot over-bridges for pedestrians in the city remain unused, as the pedestrians don't prefer to use them. There are only four underpasses at Gulistan intersection, Gabtoli bus terminal, Sayedabad (Dhalpur) and Karwan Bazar. Except for the underpass at Sayedabad the rest are lying in dilapidated state. DCC gets a block allocation of Tk 2.5 crore from the government for repairs to the roads every fiscal year. Only a small fraction of it is spent on footpaths. It, however, sometimes works with donor funds to improve facilities for city pedestrians. Mainly DCC and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) are responsible for constructing roads and providing other facilities to pedestrians including pavements in the city. Dr M Rahmatullah, a noted transport-planning expert, said, "Pedestrians in Dhaka city are forced to take a carefree walk on the city streets only due to inadequate sidewalks. He said pedestrians also remain at risk because of lack of human care among the drivers. At least 50 percent of the total city commuters go to their workplaces on foot, said Prof Nazrul Islam, an urban researcher and currently chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC). "All the footpaths must be freed completely from illegal occupancy and encroachment," said Islam. According to Prof Islam, approximately one crore people live in the DCC area (central city) and around 90 to 95 percent of the poor and low-income people make their journey to workplaces on foot. Prof Jubayer-bin-Alam of Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) who is working on a British Council-sponsored study on Sustainable Transport for Urban Poor said a total of 12 lakh out of 20 lakh garment workers go to their workplaces on foot in the central part of the city. It is an offence to destroy pavements at will to make way for houses, he said, adding that no government agencies prevent such acts. Maruf Rahman, project officer of Transport Policy Programme of WBB Trust, said that existing traffic signals are not pedestrian-friendly. People usually feel discouraged to use foot over-bridges. Moreover, physically disabled, elderly people, children and women have no alternative to foot over-bridges. "Dhaka Integrated Transport Study (DITS) reported in 1997 that 60 percent of the total commuters move on foot," he said, "but the Strategic Transport Plan (STP) showed it only at 14 percent. The 20-year STP approved two years back gave priority to pedestrians and proposed to pursue the Pedestrian First Policy but it earmarked only Tk 70 crore for developing pedestrian facilities out of Tk 36000 crore (5.2 billion US Dollars) proposed investment. Prof Jubayer termed it ridiculous and said that 60 percent share of the pedestrians in 1997 fell suddenly down to 14 percent in 2005 with no such tangible development for them. Sultana Akhtar Sumi, a 20-year student of Narayanganj Art College, died on April 3 as she stepped on a live wire and fell off the under-construction footbridge near Shishu Park at Shahbagh intersection. A journalist died at Bangla Motors intersection while crossing the road in 2005. A Dhaka University student Shammee Akhter Happy was crushed to death by a speeding bus while crossing Shahbagh intersection in 2005. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the communications ministry, said that most of the existing footpaths are illegally occupied. "City footpaths have never been under government control," he said, adding: "We face strong resistance whenever we try to free them from occupants." He said that many foot over-bridges were set up without any proper plan and the committee would examine how those expensive structures were installed. The committee will sit on August 27 and raise the issue of pedestrian facilities, he added. DCC Town Planner Sirajul Islam said, "It is unfortunate and unlike other countries that pedestrians don't get priority in transport planning in our country." Despite repeated attempts DCC Mayor Sadeq Hossain Khoka was not available for his opinion. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 48151 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090903/0a8a63b4/attachment.jpe From sudhir at cai-asia.org Sun Sep 6 11:19:55 2009 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 10:19:55 +0800 Subject: [sustran] In pictures: Bus schools in Delhi slums Message-ID: Dear all, I found this very interesting - "In pictures: Bus schools in Delhi slums" - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8236636.stm Do you know of any other city which uses "Public Transport facilities" as schools? Co-benefits :-) regards 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 litman at vtpi.org Wed Sep 9 00:36:22 2009 From: litman at vtpi.org (Todd Alexander Litman) Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:36:22 -0700 Subject: [sustran] Home Location Preferences and Their Implications For Smart Growth - New VTPI Report Message-ID: <20090908155019.91E392DEB1@mx-list.jca.ne.jp> The following report is now available free at the VTPI website. "Where We Want To Be: Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth" (http://www.vtpi.org/sgcp.pdf ) Summary Smart growth consists of more compact, accessible, multi-modal community development. This can provide numerous benefits to residents who live in such areas and society overall. Critics claim that most consumers dislike this type of community and so are harmed by public policies that encourage it. This analysis suggests otherwise. Although market surveys indicate that most North American households preferred single-family homes, they also indicate strong and growing consumer preference for smart growth features such as accessibility and modal options (reflected as short commutes and convenient walkability to local services). Twenty years ago less than a third of households preferred smart growth, but this is projected to increase to two thirds of households within two decades. This reflects various demographic and economic trends, including aging population, rising fuel prices, and increased health and environmental concerns. In addition, suburban lifestyles and automobile travel have become less glamorous. An increasing portion of consumers now aspire to urban lifestyles for at least part of their lifecycle, and the housing market correction in 2008 spoiled confidence in suburban real estate investments. Households are likely to be more rational and cautious in the future. Described differently, for a few decades consumer housing and transportation decisions seemed to defy basic rules of economics. Housing location decisions seemed insensitive to transportation cost factors such as commute distance and fuel prices, resulting in dispersed housing and automobile-dependent lifestyles. Walking, cycling and public transit were dismissed as inferior and undesirable modes, even where they are efficient and cost effective. Increasing congestion, fuel prices, health and environmental concerns causes consumers to be more rational. Some embrace this opportunity while others react with fear. This is not to suggest that automobile travel and suburban living will end. Under even aggressive smart growth policies most North Americans will continue to live in single-family houses, although a greater portion will be small-lot, attached housing such as townhouses. However, the demand for new housing is likely to shift dramatically. The current stock of large-lot, single-family houses in exurban locations currently exceeds demand, causing prices to plummet and foreclosures to rise. At best, it will take years for such homes to regain their 2005 market value (in real, inflation-adjusted terms). More likely, consumer demand for such housing will never fully recover. On the other hand, the market for small-lot, attached housing in accessible, multi-modal communities is strong. Such housing has maintained its value and demand is projected to increase significantly in the future due to structural demographic and economic trends. Communities and developers that respond to these market shifts can succeed. Those that continue past policies are likely to fare poorly. This is good news overall since more compact, accessible, multi-modal housing can provide many benefits to consumers and society. It gives consumers better options and greater efficiency. Smart growth residents benefit directly from time savings, financial savings, and increased safety and health. Society benefits from infrastructure cost savings, improved opportunity for disadvantaged populations, and improved environmental quality. Claims that smart growth deprives consumers of preferred housing options are clearly inaccurate. Sprawl housing is now abundantly available at discounted prices, while smart growth housing is scarce in many regions, which drives up prices, making it unaffordable to the lower income households that need it most. Sprawl results, in part, from planning and market distortions that favor dispersed development and automobile travel. There are many reasons to correct these distortions and support smart growth. Such reforms will result in land use development patterns that better reflect consumer preferences. 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 edelman at greenidea.eu Thu Sep 10 21:16:46 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:16:46 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Bus riding Samoans stranded in road switch Message-ID: <4AA8EE2E.6030602@greenidea.eu> *Excerpt: The change will also allow imports of used cars from Japan and Singapore. *http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8247960.stm Samoans stranded in road switch *Samoans reliant on bus travel have been stranded by the country's switch earlier this week to driving on the left of the road instead of the right. * All but about 18 of the Pacific island nation's buses are banned from driving because their doors now open onto the middle of the road. Bus operators want state aid to modify their vehicles, but talks with the prime minister have so far failed. Samoa is the first country to make such a change since the 1970s. Reports from Samoa said there had been no accidents since the switch on Monday, despite widespread predictions of road mayhem from opponents. Before the switchover, bus drivers had been reluctant to go to the expense of converting their vehicles. "A few of the bus owners did not believe that we would proceed [with the change]," Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said after meeting a group of them on Wednesday. He said was considering a request to grant them an extension of three to six months, so they could continue driving while completing the necessary modifications. He said he would give an answer to their request on Thursday. The Samoan government introduced the change to end its reliance on expensive, left-hand-drive imports from America. It hopes that the large Samoan expatriate communities in Australia and New Zealand will now ship used, more affordable vehicles back to their homeland. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8247960.stm Published: 2009/09/10 09:39:38 GMT ? BBC MMIX ** -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.facebook.com/toddedelman www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From kaye.patdu at cai-asia.org Fri Sep 11 12:25:30 2009 From: kaye.patdu at cai-asia.org (Kaye Patdu) Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:25:30 +0800 Subject: [sustran] =?windows-1252?Q?Sustainable_Urban_Mobility_in_Asia_=28?= =?windows-1252?Q?SUMA=29_News_Digest_Vol=2E_6_Issue_7_=96_11_Septe?= =?windows-1252?Q?mber_2009?= Message-ID: <81215e5a0909102025n1b278acdj64bf1d88bd5b3ea8@mail.gmail.com> *Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest Vol. 6 Issue 7 - 11 September 2009 * SUMA News Digest is a free monthly e-mail publication that features news, information, and events related to sustainable urban transportation in Asia. *** VISIT THE SUMA PAGES: http://www.cleanairnet.org/suma *** *SUMA PARTNERS ON THE MOVE! * Fourth City Workshop of CAI-Asia China Network: Advancing Vehicle Emission Management (VEM): Emission Standards, Fuel Quality and Fuel Efficiency4-5 August 2009, Qingdao, China The Fourth City Workshop of the CAI-Asia China Network: "Advancing Vehicle Emission Management (VEM): Emission Standards, Fuel Quality and Fuel Efficiency" was recently concluded in Qingdao, Shandong Province on 4-5 August 2009 at the Huanghai Hotel Qingdao. It was attended by 11 CAI-Asia member cities plus Beijing; officials and staff from Qingdao Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB), Vehicle Emissions Control Center (VECC), Tsinghua University, Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), CAI-Asia Center offices in Manila and Beijing, and the expert from US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). The workshop was a great opportunity for cities to exchange experiences in AQM, provide feedback on the new AQ and SUT policies and measures planned for implementation, learn new and innovative ways to address air pollution, and communicate with CAI-Asia their AQ priorities and needs in the next few years. During the workshop, CAI-Asia also updated the participants with the activities under the Air Quality and Transport Programs (SUMA Program). To read the presentations at the workshop, please visit http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73548.html Ahmedabad BRTS - The new Janmarg BRT system, in the process of being completed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, meets most of the highest standards applied internationally. It is already a "best practice" of BRT in South Asia, in sharp contrast to the bus corridors in operation in Delhi and Pune, which are off to a good start but still have much room for improvement. To read more, visit http://thecityfix.com/ahmedabad%E2%80%99s-janmarg-changing-the-game-for-brt-systems-in-india/ *NEWS REPORTS* *HEADLINES* China: Higher polluting vehicles face higher taxes http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-09/08/content_8665303.htm Singapore: Towards a pedestrian-friendly nation http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090909-166610.html Viet Nam: HCMC considers Singapore way to get rid of chaos http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Hochiminhcity/2009/9/74062/ Brunei: How 'Green' is Brunei's future? http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/200908205216/Local-News/how-green-is-bruneis-future.html Indonesia: New govt urged to fix public transportation services http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73575.html India: India to make fuel efficiency mandatory from 2011 http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73579.html *Bangladesh:* Bangladesh Launches Special Drive To Ease Traffic Jam http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73567.html *Bhutan:* Traffic ethics non-existent *http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73568.html* *Philippines:* P3-B ethanol plant is Southeast Asia's 1st http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73582.html Thailand: Green fuels to make up 20% http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73584.html Thailand:Thailand to propose B2bn road to Tavoy http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73585.html Viet Nam: City's traffic situation seen worsening in next 10 years http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2009/09/867839/ Viet Nam: Ha Noi deal signed for VN's first elevated metro http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73585.html * * * * *INTERESTING FINDS/SEMINARS* *Urban Transport Policy as if People and the Environment Mattered: Pedestrian Accessibility the First Step*** The rapid growth in motor vehicle ownership and activity in India is causing a wide range of serious health, environmental, socio-economic, and resource use impacts, even as it provides mobility to millions, and contributes to employment and the economy. The loss of accessibility for pedestrians is one of the most important of these negative impacts, which remains neglected by policy. Urban transport planning is fundamentally about moral and political choices - about what kind of cities we want for ourselves and our future generations, whether urban space is primarily for people or motor vehicles, and what we owe each other. While motor vehicles play a vitally important role, as do planning and infrastructure for them, and technological measures to mitigate their impacts, an urban transport policy that focuses on these measures to the exclusion of infrastructure for walking and other non-motorised modes is likely to prove futile, even counter-productive. There is, therefore, an urgent need for an integrated approach that addresses multiple impacts, caters to multiple modes and road users, and is sensitive to the needs, capabilities and constraints in the Indian context. Read more @ http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73551.html and http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73581.html *Driving and the Built Environment: The Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions -- Special Report 298* TRB *Special Report 298: Driving and the Built Environment: Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions*examines the relationship between land development patterns and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the United States to assess whether petroleum use, and by extension greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, could be reduced by changes in the design of development patterns. The report estimates the contributions that changes in residential and mixed-use development patterns and transit investments could make in reducing VMT by 2030 and 2050, and the impact this could have in meeting future transportation-related GHG reduction goals. Read Report Summary @ http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73586.html For the full report, please visit http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?topic=294 Policy Research Working Paper 5017-Lock-in Effects of Road Expansion on CO2Emissions: Results from a Core-Periphery Model of Beijing In the urban planning literature, it is frequently explicitly asserted or strongly implied that ongoing urban sprawl and decentralization can lead to development patterns that are unsustainable in the long run. One manifestation of such an outcome is that if extensive road investments occur, urban sprawl and decentralization are advanced and locked-in, making subsequent investments in public transit less effective in reducing vehicle kilometers traveled by car, gasoline use and carbon dioxide emissions. Using a simple core-periphery model of Beijing, the authors numerically assess this effect. The analysis confirms that improving the transit travel time in Beijing's core would reduce the city's overall carbon dioxide emissions, whereas the opposite would be the case if peripheral road capacity were expanded. This effect is robust to perturbations in the model's calibrated parameters. In particular, the effect persists for a wide range of assumptions about how location choice depends on travel time and a wide range of assumptions about other aspects of consumer preferences. Read the full paper @ http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73587.html *Cities and Social Equity: Inequality, territory and urban form* Cities and Social Equity is a report by the Urban Age research team with commissioned pieces from Ipsos MORI, United Nations Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD), the Centre for Metropolitan Studies (CEM), Get?lio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University. In 2008, the Urban Age undertook and commissioned research on the five largest cities in South America (S?o Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Bogot? and Lima). With a combined population of nearly 60 million and dramatic growth in recent decades, these five cities are places of mix, change and extreme polarization which can be destabilizing, inhumane and wasteful of resources. Cities and Social Equity assesses the impact of inequality in an urban context with comparative research and data collection in the five cities (including innovative mapping of inequality to identify the pockets of privilege and deprivation in each city). While the research work commissioned in the report has a specific focus on the problems facing S?o Paulo, the region's pre-eminent city, their findings have wider resonance for cities throughout the world. Read more @ http://www.urban-age.net//publications/reports/southAmerica/ * * * * *MARK YOUR CALENDARS* 5th International Marketing Conference - Successfully marketing public transport, 7-9 October 2009, Lisbon, Portugal http://www.uitp.org/events/2009/lisbon/en/ 8th International Conference of EASTS, 19-October, 2009, Surabaya http://www.easts2009.org/ Accident Prevention: Road Safety Measures 4th IRF Regional Conference on Road Safety, 23 October 2009, New Delhi, India http://www.irfnet.org/eventdetail.php?catid=1&id=100&title=4th%20Regi... 2nd MENA Public Transport Congress and Showcase , 25-27 October 2009, Doha, Qatar http://www.uitp.org/events/2009/qatar/en/index.cfm TRAINING PROGRAMME, 8th Training Programme for Public Transport Managers, 16-18 November 2009, Belfast http://www.uitp.org/events/2009/8Training/en/index.cfm Urban Mobility India - 2009, 3-December 2009, New Delhi http://www.iutindia.org/urban2009.html TRB 89th Annual Meeting, 10 January, 2010, Washington DC http://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/default.asp ** * * CONTRIBUTE * * * * To contribute articles, news items, or event announcements for the next issue, send an email with the complete details and URL source to suma-news-owner@googlegroups.com with subject "FOR SUMA NEWS". Past issues can be found at http://groups.google.com/group/suma-news ** * * ABOUT SUMA * * * * The Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) program is supported by the Asian Development Bank through a grant from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. SUMA is implemented by the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center (www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia), in partnership with EMBARQ - the World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport (http://embarq.wri.org), GTZ Sustainable Urban Transport Project ( www.sutp.org), Interface for Cycling Expertise ( www.cycling.nl), Institute for Transportation and Development Policy ( www.itdp.org), and United Nations Center for Regional Development ( www.uncrd.or.jp/est) From sudhir at cai-asia.org Sat Sep 12 10:36:56 2009 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:36:56 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Road accidents are the biggest killer of young people Message-ID: Dear all, * *Latest research says that the Road accidents are the No.1 cause of death among young people around the world accounting for 14% of male and 5% of female deaths. See - Global patterns of mortality in young people: a systematic analysis of population health data - http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2960741-8/abstract See the report @ http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200909/20090912/article_413571.htm regards 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 Tue Sep 15 00:58:25 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:58:25 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [World Streets] Transaid: Emergency Transport in Northern Nigeria Message-ID: <02c801ca3554$3b1e7fe0$b15b7fa0$@britton@ecoplan.org> Transaid is an international development organisation that seeks to reduce poverty and improve lives in Africa and across the developing world through creating better transport. Here is a transport partnership project they are working on in Northern Nigeria. -- Sustainable development and social justice? Think Africa! -- --> Full text of this article appears today in World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> To read Streets on the Global South click to http://tinyurl.com/ws-globalsouth PS. Want to support their project? Here's the story in brief: ?Ed O'Connor, a Transaid volunteer, is one of 4 finalists competing for 2 places in the Vodafone World of Difference competition. If Ed wins one of the 2 places Vodafone will pay his salary for 12 months, and additionally Vodafone will provide ?20K for expenses and project costs. If Ed wins he will be running the Emergency Transport project in Northern Nigeria. This is an extremely vital project which will develop a system of transport to allow women living in remote rural areas access to health facilities to give birth safely. A ground breaking project and a great opportunity for Transaid. How to vote: You have to go to Facebook to make this one work. Visit the page on Facebook called 'World of difference UK 2009', click on ?wall?, then on the second item on the wall click on Edwards name, you will then be asked to accept the polling software and be able to click on Edward?s name to cast your vote. From yanivbin at gmail.com Tue Sep 15 13:31:56 2009 From: yanivbin at gmail.com (Vinay Baindur) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:01:56 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Union ministry frames service benchmark for public transport for JNNURM cities Message-ID: <86b8a7050909142131x500f9ed3lf8cd220d6b90deb7@mail.gmail.com> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/pune/Union-ministry-frames-service-benchmark-for-public-transport-for-JNNURM-cities/articleshow/5007069.cms Union ministry frames service benchmark for public transport for JNNURM citiesManish Umbrajkar, TNN 14 September 2009, 04:34am IST PUNE: Even as the need for improving poor public transport in the city has been stressed by various civic groups and numerous study reports earlier, the Union urban development ministry has now stepped in to frame service level benchmarks for public transport and pedestrian facilities and has asked all JNNURM mission cities to improve their levels of service. The main focus areas for assessment of service levels include quality and financial sustainability of public transport, pedestrians safety and infrastructure facilities, non-motorised transport, usage of Intelligent Transport System facilities, travel speed along major corridors, road safety, availability of parking facilities and pollution levels in the city. As per directions of the urban development ministry, the performance measurements will have to be carried out by the urban local bodies and the transport undertaking that is the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). The performance levels will have to be disseminated widely and in fact, would be a part of mandatory disclosure of information. The levels of service have been specified from 1 to 4, where 1' is the highest level of service while four is the lowest. The municipal corporation and the PMPML will have to release performance report cards, mentioning the current baseline and actual accomplishments of performance during subsequent periods of time. The performance report cards also need to mention the brief plan of action for achieving the targeted performance level. In a detailed note, the ministry has framed the benchmarks for each service, the indicators, and the method to determine the benchmarks. The service level benchmark for public transport would indicate the city-wide level of services provided during peak hours, that is, 8 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 8 pm. The indicators for determining the service levels for public transport includes the presence of organised public transport, extent of availability, service coverage or density of bus route network, frequency of service, level of comfort and percentage of buses as per urban specifications of buses. For determining service levels related to pedestrian facilities, the criteria include percentage of city covered with footpaths which are wider than 1.2 metres, street lighting, and signalised intersection delays for pedestrians. Similarly for service levels of non-motorised facilities, the criteria includes presence of non-motorised tracks (cycle tracks), coverage of cycle tracks, encroachments on NMV roads, and NMV parking facilities near terminals. The level of usage of intelligent transport system facilities will be determined by the availability of traffic surveillance system, passenger information system, usage of global positioning system, signal synchronisation, and integrated ticketing system. Service level benchmarks regarding travel speed of motorised and mass transit vehicles along major corridors will be determined in terms of average speed of vehicles which will be influenced by number of vehicles along the road, number of signals per km and the average intersection delay. The service levels regarding availability of parking spaces indicates restriction of free parking space for all vehicles. The indicators for this include availability of paid parking space, and that at least 50 per cent of parking spaces should be "paid parking." The pollution levels will be determined by the presence of respiratory particulate matter, suspended particulate matter, Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide. The financial sustainability of public transport would be determined by the extent of non-fare revenue, staff to bus ratio, and operating ratio of buses. Speaking to TOI, joint chairman and managing director of PMPML, Satish Kulkarni, said that as of now, the directions regarding service level benchmarks have not been received. "We know that such service level benchmarks are being framed. But, so far, we have not received any directions in this regard," he said. Kulkarni added that there is always a scope for improvement in public services and the desired service levels will be achieved. PMPML still runs short of buses PUNE: The fact that the PMPML is facing a major shortage of buses to cater to the population of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad has been repeatedly acknowledged by the authorities themselves. Former chairman and managing director of PMPML, Nitin Khade, who was suddenly transferred last month, had given a detailed account of the PMPML situation recently when the first JNNURM bus was inducted in the fleet in the first week of July. The PMPML, he said, has a fleet of 1,441 buses, of which 267 have been taken on lease from private operators. Of these, 1,174 buses, owned by the transport undertaking, 219 are more than ten years old. The frequent breakdown of these vehicles affects the transport services and creates a bad image of the transport undertaking, he had said. He had mentioned that Pune has just 28 buses for every lakh population. The PMPML, however, is making all efforts to procure buses and cross the 2,100 mark by this year end. While 650 buses are to be procured under the JNNURM scheme, 162 buses are being taken on lease from private operators. Another 75 buses are to be taken from funds made available by both the municipal corporations. Buses, which are more than ten years old, are to be scrapped once the new buses are inducted in the fleet, the authorities said. City lacks proper pedestrian facilities PUNE: The city lacks proper pedestrian facilities such as proper footpaths, zebra markings, pedestrian railings and signals. This finds mention in the detailed traffic analysis and accident report published recently by the traffic police department. According to the report, as many as 126 pedestrians lost their lives in road accidents in 2008. In addition, 401 pedestrians were injured, many seriously. The report has recommended that the city needs footpaths of adequate width and continuity. Traffic authorities have also reiterated the need for improving public transport facilities. Meanwhile, the city is already set to have the Intelligent Transport System wherein movement of traffic on all vehicles, traffic violations are to be monitored continuously. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Tue Sep 15 19:33:43 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:33:43 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [World Streets] "Take a ride where the drivers aren't rude to you. "
BRT... Message-ID: <023c01ca35f0$06de5e20$149b1a60$@britton@ecoplan.org> 'Have you heard of this BRT in Joburg? Are we going to get this thing in Cape Town?' Xoliswa Mtshali is dusting my office bookshelves, moving copies of MOBILITY magazine around and looking at the photographs of TransMillenio in the latest issue. She's spent the last week or so - like most other people in South Africa - watching news footage of the country's first-ever BRT, Rea Vaya, which launched on 1 September. And friends of hers who live in Soweto have told her that the bus service is like nothing they've ever encountered before. -- Sustainable development and social justice? Think Africa! -- --> Full text of this article appears today in World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> To read Streets on the Global South click to http://tinyurl.com/ws-globalsouth . __,_._,___ From sudhir at cai-asia.org Wed Sep 16 09:39:53 2009 From: sudhir at cai-asia.org (Sudhir) Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:39:53 +0800 Subject: [sustran] In Seoul, Subway Riders Learn a New Way to Walk Message-ID: Dear all, very interesting news... http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/in-seoul-subway-riders-learn-a-new-way-to-walk/ But will it really solve pedestrian congestion and reduce accidents? :-) cheers 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 paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Wed Sep 16 18:43:21 2009 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:43:21 +0800 Subject: [sustran] BRT comes to Joburg (And then what?) Message-ID: >From the World Streets blog, an Item by Gail Jennings Wednesday, September 16, 2009 "Take a ride where the drivers aren't rude to you... " BRT comes to Joburg (And then what?) 'Have you heard of this BRT in Joburg? Are we going to get this thing in Cape Town?' Xoliswa Mtshali is dusting my office bookshelves, moving copies of MOBILITY magazine around and looking at the photographs of TransMillenio in the latest issue. She's spent the last week or so - like most other people in South Africa - watching news footage of the country's first-ever BRT, Rea Vaya, which launched on 1 September. And friends of hers who live in Soweto have told her that the bus service is like nothing they've ever encountered before. 'It's cheap - not expensive like taxis. The music is not loud, they say. You can know when the bus will arrive... The bus doesn't have to wait to be full before it goes...' But the best, according to Xoliswa: 'The drivers, they are not rude to you!' As we're talking, another 'BRT update from Rea Vaya' lands in my in-box. Today, talk is around emissions standards, and how the bus service will continue despite security threats. And the ruling-party ANC has criticized Soweto Taxi Services for allegedly intimidating taxi owners who support the Bus Rapid Transit system. Last week two passengers were injured by taxi gunmen, and a high-profile taxi leader was murdered. ... See http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/09/take-ride-where-drivers-ar ent-rude-to.html for the whole article. From paulbarter at nus.edu.sg Thu Sep 17 09:23:54 2009 From: paulbarter at nus.edu.sg (Paul Barter) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:23:54 +0800 Subject: [sustran] Recent public transport costs studies? References: Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090917/186270e7/attachment.html From edelman at greenidea.eu Thu Sep 17 11:38:14 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:38:14 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Re: Recent public transport costs studies? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4AB1A116.1050006@greenidea.eu> Hi Paul, We can assume that you are telling the inquisitor that this is the wrong/just part of the question? ;-) In other words what about vehicle acquisition costs, running costs, energy supply, complementary infrastructure, increase in tax revenue because of rise in property values (not that that is good thing) or stimulated retail, decrease in emissions/road fatalities.... I wish I had some funny quote from a dead man or woman which would sum this up in a nutshell... - T Paul Barter wrote: > > I have been asked off-list for some quick data. The question is "What > are the comparative costs per km (or mile) of recent heavy rail, light > rail, and BRT systems in Asia." > > Does anyone know where to turn for a quick answer, preferably with a > table of > projects giving data? > > I should know but have not been keeping track of this. > > Replies to the list are OK, since this is likely to be of general > interest. > > Paul > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss 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. > > ================================================================ > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.facebook.com/toddedelman www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From carlosfpardo at gmail.com Thu Sep 17 21:36:12 2009 From: carlosfpardo at gmail.com (Carlosfelipe Pardo) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:36:12 -0500 Subject: [sustran] Re: Recent public transport costs studies? In-Reply-To: <4AB1A116.1050006@greenidea.eu> References: <4AB1A116.1050006@greenidea.eu> Message-ID: <7272a1b30909170536q275df338u9def1aa863f263c1@mail.gmail.com> Paul, The BRT planning guide has summary tables of these costs in Chapter 2. You can download it from http://www.itdp.org/index.php/microsite/brt_planning_guide/ . However, all these costs are always debatable, since there are some versions which include the entire right of way and others just the station and trunk lines. A typical misunderstanding with, for example, BRT costs from Bogot?, is that they even include land acquisition costs and expropriation of phase 2 (plus mixed traffic lanes), which have increased km costs up to 15 million USD (but have been as low as 4 million in other trunk lines), and these costs are compared with just the station and trunk lines or roadway needed for an LRT, which would have a similar cost but is of course an incoherent and biased comparison (Todd's comments about what to include are also very relevant here). The same is done with many other comparisons of BRT vs LRT vs metro etc etc, and some consultants (and even academics!) are happy to provide loose statements such as "if you have more than 8 million people in your city, you MUST have a metro"... which is highly debatable as well (??) These issues have stirred very heated discussions in various cases, and I guess this will also be the case as soon as I hit the "send" button (here we go... yay!). Best regards, Carlos. 2009/9/16 Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory > Hi Paul, > > We can assume that you are telling the inquisitor that this is the > wrong/just part of the question? ;-) > > In other words what about vehicle acquisition costs, running costs, > energy supply, complementary infrastructure, increase in tax revenue > because of rise in property values (not that that is good thing) or > stimulated retail, decrease in emissions/road fatalities.... > > I wish I had some funny quote from a dead man or woman which would sum > this up in a nutshell... > > - T > > > Paul Barter wrote: > > > > I have been asked off-list for some quick data. The question is "What > > are the comparative costs per km (or mile) of recent heavy rail, light > > rail, and BRT systems in Asia." > > > > Does anyone know where to turn for a quick answer, preferably with a > > table of > > projects giving data? > > > > I should know but have not been keeping track of this. > > > > Replies to the list are OK, since this is likely to be of general > > interest. > > > > Paul > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > If you get sustran-discuss 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. > > > > ================================================================ > > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries > (the 'Global South'). > > > -- > -------------------------------------------- > > Todd Edelman > Green Idea Factory > > Urbanstr. 45 > D-10967 Berlin > Germany > > Skype: toddedelman > Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 > Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 > > edelman@greenidea.eu > www.greenidea.eu > www.facebook.com/toddedelman > www.flickr.com/photos/edelman > > CAR is over. If you want it. > > "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" > - B. Brecht (with slight modification) > > -------------------------------------------------------- > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss > > -------------------------------------------------------- > If you get sustran-discuss 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. > > ================================================================ > 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 yanivbin at gmail.com Sun Sep 20 02:10:32 2009 From: yanivbin at gmail.com (Vinay Baindur) Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:40:32 +0530 Subject: [sustran] No feet for city pedestrians in Bengaluru In-Reply-To: <86b8a7050909191006h7b03ef7g44f0a872ab376e00@mail.gmail.com> References: <86b8a7050909191006h7b03ef7g44f0a872ab376e00@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <86b8a7050909191010u6c8f3e91oee4177b657811150@mail.gmail.com> http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/no-feet-city-pedestrians-647 No feet for city pedestrians Bengaluru, Sept. 18: The city?s footpaths have been usurped by construction companies, religious shrines, small-time vendors, trees and even electric posts. And some major roads never had a pavement to begin with! The dire situation faced by pedestrians in the city was brought to light by a report of the Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transport and Urban Planning (CiSTUP), which had been approached by the state government to think of ideas to make city roads accessible to pedestrians. A report on pedestrian policies has also been submitted to CiSTUP and the organisation will revert back with their recommendations. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior CiSTUP member said, ?The policy has been drafted after consulting several stakeholders. Once the CiSTUP submits the revised report to the government, it will work on implementing the same.? ?The traffic policies introduced during the last few years have been motorist-centric. It did not account for the pedestrians, who constitute a majority of road users. Our current emphasis is on pedestrian mobility and accessibility. The new policy will be implemented as soon as possible,? the member added. Traffic experts point out that the encroachment of footpaths will make the task more difficult. ?Clearing the encroachment on the footpaths is a pending issue and the government has to think of rehabilitation ideas to solve the problem,? said additional commissioner of police (traffic) Praveen Sood. ?We have said time and again that pedestrians must not be ignored in our policy planning. Almost 60 per cent of those who die on the city roads are on foot at the time. Riders of two-wheelers are also a high-risk fatality group, accounting for 30 per cent of the deaths. Safe pedestrian crossings, underpasses and skywalks are a must in some busy areas in Bengaluru. More resources also have to be mobilised by the government to ensure that pedestrians can walk safely on the roads in the city,? the additional commissioner added. From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Wed Sep 23 04:43:47 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:43:47 +0200 Subject: [sustran] =?iso-8859-1?Q?=5BWorld_Streets=5D_Bogot=E1=27s_Ghost_B?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?ike?= Message-ID: <00e201ca3bbd$09ca96d0$1d5fc470$@britton@ecoplan.org> Nicole Ca??n, a 10-year old student on her bike ride to school, was run over by a bus and, when thrown to the street, was killed by a taxi. As if this were not enough, both drivers of bus and taxi escaped, leaving the child on her deathbed with no one to take responsibility. Ghost bike ceremonies as memorials and calls for action By Carlos Felipe Pardo, ITDP country director, Colombia --> Full text of this article appears in today?s World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> To read all World Streets articles on children and school click to http://tinyurl.com/ws-children From andy.obermeyer at gtz.de Wed Sep 23 16:55:34 2009 From: andy.obermeyer at gtz.de (Obermeyer Andy GTZ 4413) Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:55:34 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Negotiating out of a Deadlock for Land Transport - Parallel event on October 1, 2009 in Bangkok Message-ID: <330B6D737D1475458AC93F02A6035D750559A0D9@CLUEXVS1.gtz.de> Dear Sustran reader, On Thursday, October 1, 2009 the parallel event "Negotiating out of a Deadlock for Land Transport" hosted by the Bridging the Gap Initiative takes place in Bangkok form 1-3pm. Location: Royal Princess Larn Luang Hotel, Larn Luang Room (Ground Floor) 269 Larn Luang Road, Pomprab, Bangkok 10100 Free shuttle bus from UNCC Venue at 12:30 or <10 minutes walking distance! AGENDA (13:00 - 15:00) (see also attached PDF) 1. Welcome and introduction to Bridging the Gap (Daniel Bongardt, GTZ) 2. Call for urgent action (Holger Dalkmann, TRL) 3. Negotiating Text suggestions (a brief statement on each suggestion is followed by a targeted discussion amongst invited negotiators and the audience) ? Mitigation (Holger Dalkmann, TRL) ? Adaptation (Heather Allen, UITP) ? Financing (Ko Sakamoto, TRL) ? Technology Transfer and Capacity Building (Caroline Edant, Veolia Transport) 4. Summarisation of discussion results (Daniel Bongardt, GTZ) The event includes a break with sandwiches, fruits and refreshments! CONTACTS Ko Sakamoto (TRL) ksakamoto@trl.co.uk Mobile: +44 782/7890804 Daniel Bongardt (GTZ) daniel.bongardt@gtz.de Mobile: +49 151/14073420 Further Information is provided on http://www.sutp.org/bridgingthegap/ Kind regards, Daniel Bongardt Daniel Bongardt Transport Policy Advisor Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH (German Technical Cooperation) Division 44 - Water, Energy, Transport Postfach 5180 65726 Eschborn GERMANY T + 49 6196/79-1375 F + 49 6196/79-801375 E daniel.bongardt@gtz.de I http://www.gtz.de/transport I http://www.sutp.org Check our Transport and Climate Change Webpage: http://www.sutp.org/bridging_the_gap Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH; Sitz der Gesellschaft/Registered Office Eschborn/Taunus, Germany; Registergericht/Registered at Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Eintragungs-Nr./Registration no. HRB 12394; USt-IdNr./VAT ID no. DE 113891176; Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates/Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Erich Stather, Staatssekretaer/State Secretary; Geschaeftsfuehrer/Managing Directors: Dr. Bernd Eisenblaetter, Dr. Hans-Joachim Preuss, Wolfgang Schmitt -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Bangkok_Agenda.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 323748 bytes Desc: Bangkok_Agenda.pdf Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090923/b5ee75e2/Bangkok_Agenda-0001.bin From edelman at greenidea.eu Wed Sep 23 19:08:10 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:08:10 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Germany: Court says drivers responsible for dodging Oktoberfest drunks Message-ID: <4AB9F38A.1050109@greenidea.eu> Some interesting insight into laws for driving in Germany... make sure you see link with comments - T ***** Court says drivers responsible for dodging Oktoberfest drunks http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090915-21927.html * Four days before the world's largest beer festival begins, a German court has ruled that a motorcyclist who collided with a drunken pedestrian during Oktoberfest in 2006 was partly to blame because she should have expected the road to be full of party-goers.* The female motorcyclist was driving at a legal speed of between 40 and 50 km per hour (25 and 31 mph) around midnight during the festival three years ago when she hit a man who was crossing the road at a red light during the beer festival. The Munich court ruled Monday that she "was 50 percent responsible" for the accident at the festival, which attracts millions of revellers every year. "During the Octoberfest there are, it is well known to the authorities, a large number of drunk people on the streets at night, who can not always be trusted to observe the rules of the road," the court said. "The motorcyclist should have adjusted her speed to be able to avoid these people," the statement added. The woman was ordered to pay half of the damages, estimated at EUR2,500, and her bid for EUR1,000 compensation for minor injuries sustained in the accident was refused. The man she hit - who was fighting her demand for damages in court - was held responsible for the other half of the money because he was crossing the street illegally. Oktoberfest runs form September 19 to October 4 this year. AFP/The Local (news@thelocal.de ) -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.facebook.com/toddedelman www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From edelman at greenidea.eu Fri Sep 25 23:47:33 2009 From: edelman at greenidea.eu (Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory) Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:47:33 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Vote for the Public Choice Award in the 4th UITP Marketing Awards Message-ID: <4ABCD805.3030608@greenidea.eu> **http://www.uitp.org/events/2009/lisbon/en/marketing.cfm The UITP Marketing Awards aim to reward creativity in the field of communication and adver?tising. This award competition is open exclusively to UITP members and its objective is to highlight creativity and innovation aimed at inducing a positive percep?tion of the general public and ensuring that the users themselves feel a sense of pride when using public transport. THE 4th UITP Marketing Awards reached the final phase of the competition and this edition can already be considered as a success. Indeed, the Programme Committee of the Marketing Conference had the difficult task to select the *10 finalists amongst more than 60 campaigns coming from **Asia**, **Australia**, **Latin America**, **North America** and **Europe*. There are two categories: *Commercial campaign and Printed campaign *and Conference participants in Lisbon will vote for the winner in both categories. *Between 5 August and 30 September, we invite everyone to vote for the Public's Choice Award in each category.* All winners will be announced at the closing of the 5th Marketing Conference to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 7-9 October. To increase the campaigns' visibility, UITP invites all members to add the link to this webpage on their own website to encourage the public's vote for the best campaigns. Finalists: Commercial Campaign TRANSPORT FOR LONDON: Considerate Travel campaign TMB: Corporate Campaign LVB: Auf den Hund gekommen WIENER LINIEN: With Wiener Linien to the European Championships! DE LIJN: Penguins and Fireflies *Printed Campaign* TRANSPORT FOR LONDON : Oyster i-Tunes SMRT: Escape with SMRT YARRA TRAMS : Did you know? METRO DE MADRID: Metro METRO DE SANTIAGO: I got you under my skin http://www.uitp.org/events/2009/lisbon/en/marketing.cfm -- -------------------------------------------- Todd Edelman Green Idea Factory Urbanstr. 45 D-10967 Berlin Germany Skype: toddedelman Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081 Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001 edelman@greenidea.eu www.greenidea.eu www.flickr.com/photos/edelman CAR is over. If you want it. "Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" - B. Brecht (with slight modification) From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Sep 25 09:33:12 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:33:12 +0200 Subject: [sustran] [World Streets] Kolkata: Old buses and trucks banned from city streets Message-ID: <087301ca3d77$cb3f0d30$61bd2790$@britton@ecoplan.org> Kolkata: Old buses and trucks banned from city streets The Bengal government has acted to implement the Calcutta High courts decision to check road accidents and cut down pollution levels. Vehicles more than 15 years old to be taken off Kolkata's streets. Local environmentalists cheer. World Streets is not quite so sure. The ban would apply to about 2,500 buses, 500 mini buses and 6000 taxis, roughly one fourth of the total number in the city. We invite discussion and updates. --> Full text of this article appears in today's World Streets at http://WorldStreets.org/ --> To read all World Streets articles on the Global South click to http://tinyurl.com/ws-globalsouth From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Fri Sep 25 12:42:26 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:42:26 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Taiwan carsharing ? + ZipCar Unofficial Commercial Message-ID: <09c601ca3d92$364547b0$a2cfd710$@britton@ecoplan.org> Have any of you info on a carshare operation or planned project anywhere in Taiwan? I am here at the moment and talking to people but thus far not a sign of this in sight. Might I be missing something? Kind thanks if you can fill us in on this. Why? Well, we think they should be having a close look at carsharing here. (But of course we think that people should be looking at carsharing in just about every city on the planet, so no big surprise there.) Carsharing: the 21st century's one percent solution answer to the very human requirement and desire for private mobility. At least for some of the people some of the time. Eric Britton PS. And now my recommendation for what I believe to be the most engaging (for some) video on carsharing, the ZipCar Unofficial Commercial, by http://dallaspenn.com/ . Now this may be a bit heavy and strange going if you are not fully plugged into US culture and its, let us say, franker variants and language. But if you are up for it, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T7_Apb_hKU &feature=PlayList&p=5112F07EB14FBED7&index=2 . The guy (Dallas) is a genius. For more of their work check it out at http://internetscelebrities.com/ PPS. We are starting a World Streets series on Street People, with their just released video on Street Vendors. Check it out on Monday at www.worldstreets.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 7674 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090925/2a881711/attachment.jpe From shovan1209 at yahoo.com Mon Sep 28 05:24:34 2009 From: shovan1209 at yahoo.com (Syed Saiful Alam) Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:24:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Saving the planet one step at a time Message-ID: <962988.91473.qm@web57105.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Saving the planet one step at a time Have you heard of climate change? Temperatures are getting higher. Storms are getting worse. Ice is melting and sea levels are rising. Portions of the coast of Bangladesh are likely to go underwater, lost forever. Millions will become homeless. The ability of the earth to sustain people is threatened. Why is climate change happening? Because people are burning up fossil fuels (diesel, petrol, natural gas, coal) at such rapid rates that future generations are now threatened. Is it possible to slow climate change? Yes, but we cannot continue to waste time. Carbon dioxide levels are rising rapidly. That is where the number 350 comes in. If we can limit CO2 in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million then we can avoid the worst of the harm to come. Is there anything we can do? No one person cam stop climate change but everyone contributes something significant. We can slow out own use of fossil fuels by walking and cycling and taking cycle rickshaws rather than using motorized transport. We can reduce our use of electricity. We can avoid, as a nation, burning coal (pure carbon) or selling it to others to burn. We can encourage the government to act to encourage reductions in fuel use and to encourage walking, cycling, and rickshaws. This will mean making some changes. Fortunately most of those changes are likely to increase rather than reduce our quality of life. Imagine being able to cycle safely in Dhaka. Imagine the air being fresh and clean. Imagine children and youth being able to play in side streets. If we move our focus from cars to people, from traveling long distances to accessing basic needs close to home, we can reduce congestion and all the misery it causes, We can have more time with family and for the other important parts of life. Remember 350 is not just a number. It is not just an ideal. It is something we can all work to make a reality. ? ???? ?? ?????? ?????????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ??????, ????? ????????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ??,?????????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ? ? ????? ?????? ???? ????????? ??????? ????,??????, ??????, ???????, ??????????? ??????? ???????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????????? ?? ???? ???????? ??????? ?? ????????? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ??????????? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ???? ???????? ??? ??????? ??????, ?????????? ???????? ????????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ????????? ????? ????? ????, ????? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ???????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????, ??????, ??????? ????????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ???? ??????? ??? ??????????? ????????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???????????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ????? ???????? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ????????? ??? ???? ? ??? ??????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?????????, ????????? ??? ??????????? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? Saving the planet one step at a time Syed Siful Alam?Shovan shovan1209@yahoo.com www.dhaka-rickshaw.blogspot.com From sutp at sutp.org Tue Sep 29 12:50:08 2009 From: sutp at sutp.org (SUTP Team) Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:20:08 +0530 Subject: [sustran] =?utf-8?Q?GTZ_Sourcebook_module_on_=E2=80=9CIntelligent?= =?utf-8?Q?_Transport_Systems=E2=80=9D_updated?= Message-ID: <4AC183F0.802@sutp.org> Will a city need all the latest technology and they will solve the traffic problems? If not, then what are the correct choices. Technology has been playing an important role in promoting vehicular safety, reducing driving stress, comfortable travel and increased efficiency of the whole transport system. These technologies applied in a package are called ?Intelligent Transport System (ITS)?. When carefully applied the ITS will create an efficient, safe and comfortable transport system. Often, policy-makers are in a situation where they are not properly informed on the right technological choices. The GTZ Sourcebook module on ?Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)? focuses on the choices for a city and also informs the reader of the various viable ITS options, their function and advantage. The focus of this module on ITS is on ITS applications that support the concept of sustainable transport by encouraging the following desirable outcomes which can be expected to find general acceptance: ? Equitable access and improved mobility and including reduced demand for motorised private transport; and improve the modal split in favour of walking, transit, and cycling; ? Improved transport efficiency and productivity; ? Improved safety and security; and ? Reduced environmental impact and improved ?liveability?, especially in congested city centres. The module was written by Mr. Phil Sayeg and Prof. Phil Charles and updated by the authors. The authors also wrote ITS Australia's Intelligent Transport Systems Hand- book that was published in 2003 and edit their quarterly Members' Information Pack. They are currently contributing to the development of the first ITS Strategy for Bangkok, Thailand. More information on the updated module and download links are available from http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1771&Itemid=1&lang=uk From dazzle_dwds at yahoo.com Wed Sep 30 07:48:54 2009 From: dazzle_dwds at yahoo.com (Roselle Leah K. Rivera) Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:48:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [sustran] Public Transport in the Floods in Metromanila Message-ID: <928743.95843.qm@web110115.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173432/public-transpo-now-floats-in-pasig-city-streets ? ROSELLE LEAH K RIVERA Faculty Department of Women and Development Studies College of Social Work and Community Development University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City PHILIPPINES From eric.britton at ecoplan.org Mon Sep 28 18:13:11 2009 From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org (Eric Britton) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:13:11 +0200 Subject: [sustran] Power to the pedestrian - Pedestrian Campaign by Mr. Karnik!! In-Reply-To: <49b0bf09.1e078e0a.1ca9.758e@mx.google.com> References: <49b0bf09.1e078e0a.1ca9.758e@mx.google.com> Message-ID: <030601ca401c$0529d510$0f7d7f30$@britton@ecoplan.org> cid:image003.jpg@01CA3E11.3A83E910 Paris. Monday, 28 September, 2009 Dear Friends, On 6 March Kanthi Kanaan kindly posted this nicely written article to Sustran which is very good and which we would like to reprint, possibly with revisions and additional information if the author wishes, to World Streets. However I do not know how to get in touch with Mr. Karniki. What we would really appreciate would be his latest version and thoughts on this important subject, along with a short bio note on the author (2-5 lines max) and a photo. Also it would be good if he or any of you might have some telling graphics, photographs which give a feel for his points. Kind thanks if you can help make this happen. And while you are at it, might you have an article of your own for World Streets. If you are interested, please have a look at http://tinyurl.com/ws-guidelines to get a feel for our approach. And of course I invite you to check into World Streets from time to time. We are the only sustainable transport daily on this poor planet of ours. (Somebody has to do it.) With all good wishes, Eric Britton ? ?? Read World Streets today at http://www.worldstreets.org/ New Mobility Partnerships - http://www.newmobility.org 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France, Europe +331 4326 1323 eric.britton(at)newmobility.org Skype: newmobility -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 7674 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090928/d331dba7/attachment.jpe