[sustran] Re: How many more conferences??

[bruun at seas.upenn.edu]

Dear Kanthi, Eric and others:

I think the thrust of this discussion is that many changes most of us  
on this listserve would like to see seem to get talked and studied to  
death. My example from the US is Transit Signal Priority (TSP). For  
years people would be studying algorithms even though there are lots  
from other countries that could be borrowed. Also, cost-benefit  
analyses would be performed and presented. But the real problem was  
institutions and political power (or lack thereof), not technical  
understanding or lack of strong justifications for TSP.

My personal experience is that, unless there is a real champion in the  
local or state government, trying
to educate decision makers is a waste of time. I know that this isn't  
true everywhere, but it is often the case. For example, where I live,  
Philadelphia, the attitude of many politicians is based on their  
experience of growing up here. To many of them, transit was seen as  
just for the poor and maybe as a supplement for the peak hours. These  
people don't see it as important to the fabric of the city. But I  
don't say they are anti-transit, they often aren't well informed about  
other urban issues either, like energy conservation, housing, parking,  
etc.  Often it is wishful thinking to view them as academic types who  
try hard to inform themselves.

It is hard to have successful outreach to the public, either. In the  
US, deregulation of TV and radio have made it so that there are very  
few public service ads or TV shows where the public can learn about  
different possibilities. One must be very self motivated. Meanwhile,  
there is no shortage of unfair statements that news shows leave  
unchallenged. For example, there is always mention of transit as  
requiring subsidies, but almost never any mention of the fact that  
auto use is highly subsidized and competing for our tax money beside  
transit, schools, parks, fire, police, etc.

Also, even well-intentioned decison makers can't do anything if the  
governance structures are undemocratic or obsolete. So, I think if any  
conferences are to be held, they don't need to be about engineering  
and cost-benefit technical analyses, they need to be about means of  
outreach to the public to inform them about alternatives, and about  
legislative changes to make institutions more responsive to  
aforementioned technical analyses.

Eric Bruun


Quoting Kanthi Kannan <kanthikannan at gmail.com>:

> Dear Eric and others
>
> Greetings!!
>
> In my mail regarding "How Many More Conferences" my intention was not to
> target any specific conference but to discuss the issue and try and find out
> if we as a collective group could really change at least a few things on the
> ground.
>
> In Hyderabad, the situation is becoming worse because of the footpath
> encroachment by vehicles and also the dustbins on the footpaths. The
> authorities turn a blind eye to this and only want vehicular traffic to move
> rapidly.
>
> They have in fact made a zone of almost 6 km without any signals and all the
> motorists are only too happy about this move.
>
> Also I feel that we need to re-examine our core issues and what we can do
> for implementing these ideas.
>
> Let me again state that I have nothing against conferences and definitely
> our group is pro sharing.
>
> My only plea is for all of us to examine and try and find out what needs to
> be done.
>
> I think that all of us are optimists and particularly those from India
> otherwise we will not be able to campaign and fight the battle at all.
>
> We know that we will win (I keep stating this in all the interviews that I
> give to the local media) but again when and therefore at what cost needs to
> be thought.
>
> Warm Regards
>
> Kanthi
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sustran-discuss-bounces+kanthikannan=gmail.com at list.jca.apc.org
> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+kanthikannan=gmail.com at list.jca.apc.org] On
> Behalf Of eric britton
> Sent: 06 September 2010 22:19
> To: WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com; sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
> Cc: 'Dinesh Mohan'; rishiagg at gmail.com
> Subject: [sustran] How many more conferences??
>
> Couple of quick points about my mail on this of 4 Sept.
>
>
>
> 1.     The planned date for India conference of the World Share/Transport
> Forum is 2012 (not 2010).
>
> 2.     I really believe in this approach and I do hope that many of you will
> follow the manner in which we are trying to open the door in Kaohsiung,
> along with the rather broad array of ways of following up (collaborative
> workshops, master classes, city dialogues, etc.). Now that's at
> Www.kaohsiung.sharetransport.org
>
> 3.     And of course everything that I have said with really quite a bit of
> passion on the topic of the huge split between what is known and appreciated
> at the leading edge in India, and the for the most part terribly backward
> polices and investments that rule the day in our sector in that great and
> sprawling country --- well that can of course be equally said of my much
> beloved native country the USA (and believe me it's not always easy), which
> is not only racing steadily backward in terms of all the key global
> indicators in our sector, but is in the process serving as the perverse
> model and excuse for all the rest.
>
>
>
> I am by the blood that runs in my veins an optimist. And I know that a
> number of us and yet others are going to get together to bring the
> share/transport agenda into the leading edge of transport policy and
> practice in many parts of the world - and I want you to now that I am
> already boiling to work with you all to make it a major shaping event in
> India, as soon as we can get to work on it. Today might be a good day to
> start.
>
>
>
> Sharing, after all, is our only choice.
>
>
>
> Eric Britton
>
>
>
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> equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing  
> countries (the 'Global South').
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