From secretariat at slocatpartnership.org Tue Apr 1 19:14:27 2014 From: secretariat at slocatpartnership.org (SLoCaT Partnership) Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 21:14:27 +1100 Subject: [sustran] SLoCaT Survey on Poverty and Transport- We Value Your Opinion Message-ID: Web version http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-e-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-n/ | Unsubscribe http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-u-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-p/ http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-fb-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-x/ Like http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-fb-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-m/ http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-tw-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-c/ Tweet http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-tw-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-q/ Forward http://partnershiponsustainablelowcarbontransport.forwardtomyfriend.com/r-tkmsjuw-BFE8653E-xltpyk-l-a TABLE OF CONTENTS ? SLoCaT Survey on Poverty and Transport SLoCaT Survey on Poverty and Transport Following the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), the global community is discussing a new global agenda on sustainable development. The Rio+20 outcome document "The Future We Want", as well as the Report of the Secretary General's High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda state that the need to eradicate poverty needs to underpin the post-2015 global development agenda. Transport infrastructure and services play an important role to play in economic and social development and as reflected in the objectives of the Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT [http://www.slocat.net]) which focus on the integration of sustainable transport in global policies on sustainable development and climate change. The 2014 SLoCaT work program includes the development of a collaborative program on transport and poverty amongst its members. To aid the development of this collaborative work program a Literature Review is being carried out by the Overseas Development Institute. Through this survey [https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/povertyandtransport] we hope to get a better understanding of the manner in which organisations working on transport are dealing with poverty issues and also of their thinking on future priorities. You can access the survey from this link, https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/povertyandtransport [https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/povertyandtransport]. The closing date of the survey is 11th April. We would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation. The results of the survey will be posted on the SLoCaT website. We also offer to send them to you by email. If you would like more information on the survey or the SLoCaT Collaborative Work Program on Poverty and Transport, please contact Talya Enriquez Romano at talya.enriquezromano@slocatpartnership.org. Unsubscribe instantly http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-u-xltpyk-tkmsjuw-f/ www.slocat.net [http://www.slocat.net/] Powered by CreateSend.ie [http://www.createsend.ie] From litman at vtpi.org Wed Apr 2 12:45:57 2014 From: litman at vtpi.org (Todd Litman) Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 20:45:57 -0700 Subject: [sustran] VTPI News - Spring 2014 Message-ID: <09a201cf4e26$1ed05fd0$5c711f70$@vtpi.org> ----------- VTPI NEWS ----------- Victoria Transport Policy Institute "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity" ------------------------------------- Spring 2014 Vol. 14, No. 1 ----------------------------------- The Victoria Transport Policy Institute is an independent research organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transportation problems. The VTPI website (http://www.vtpi.org ) has many resources addressing a wide range of transport planning and policy issues. VTPI also provides consulting services. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEW VTPI DOCUMENTS ==================== "Critique of 'Transit Utilization and Traffic Congestion: Is There a Connection?'" (http://www.vtpi.org/R&M_critique.pdf ). The study, 'Transit Utilization and Traffic Congestion: Is There a Connection?' by Thomas A. Rubin and Fatma Mansour, found a positive correlation between public transit utilization (per capita transit trips and passenger-miles) and traffic congestion intensity (increased Travel Time Index) among U.S. cities. They claim this demonstrates that public transit is ineffective at reducing congestion. This report critiques their study. Their analysis: ? Contains omissions and biases which tend to underestimate the congestion reductions provided by high quality transit. ? Uses congestion intensity rather than congestion costs indicators, and so it ignores the congestion avoided by users of grade-separated transit. ? Fails to account for confounding factors such as city size, density and employment rates. ? Includes all regional transit use although only high quality, grade separated service on major urban corridors is expected to reduce congestion. Other studies which account for these factors indicate that high quality transit can reduce congestion. As a result of their omissions and biases, Rubin and Mansour?s study provides no guidance for answering policy questions such as whether appropriate transit service improvements can help reduce congestion, and how to maximize the value of transit investments. PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE =================== "Testing The Housing And Transportation Affordability Index In A Developing World Context: A Sustainability Comparison Of Central And Suburban Districts In Qom, Iran" (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X14000377 ). This article by Ali A. Isalou, Todd Litman and Behzad Shahmoradi, published in 'Transport Policy' applies Housing and Transportation (H+T) Affordability Index analysis in Qom City, Iran. The results indicate that suburban-area households spend over 57% of their monthly income on housing and transport, significantly more than the 45% spent by households in the central district. This illustrates the feasibility of applying housing and transportation affordability analysis in developing country cities to help identify truly affordable and sustainable development. "Evaluating Public Transportation Local Funding Options" (http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/JPT17.1.pdf ). This article published in the 'Journal of Public Transportation' describes and evaluates eighteen potential local funding options suitable for financing public transportation projects and services. These options are evaluated according to eight criteria, including potential revenue, predictability and sustainability, horizontal and vertical equity, travel impacts, strategic development objectives, public acceptance and ease of implementation. This is a somewhat larger set of options, and more detailed and systematic evaluation, than most previous studies. This study discovered no new options that are particularly cost effective and easy to implement; each has disadvantages and constraints. As a result, its overall conclusion is that a variety of funding options should be used to help finance the local share of public transit improvements to insure stability and distribute costs broadly. "Ready or Waiting" (http://www.vtpi.org/AVIP_TTI_Jan2014.pdf ). This article in 'Traffic Technology International' discusses how autonomous, self-driving vehicles are likely to develop and be deployed during the next few decades, and how they are likely to affect transport planning decisions such as road and parking supply, as well as public transit demand. "Smarter Congestion Relief In Asian Cities: Win-Win Solutions To Urban Transport Problems" (http://www.vtpi.org/T&C_congestion_relief.pdf ). This article published in 'Transport and Communications Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific' describes new and better ways to solve urban traffic congestion problems. It emphasizes win-win strategies that help achieve multiple planning objectives and therefore maximize overall benefits. The win-win approach can be applied to many types of transportation problems, and is particularly appropriate in rapidly-developing Asian cities. "Transportation Demand Management: Win-Win Solutions to Transport Problems" (http://tinyurl.com/ljvj5m ). These proceedings from the 2012 International Conference on Mobility and Transport include Todd Litman?s keynote presentation on win-win solutions. The papers are diverse, ranging from theoretical discussions of "How and Why Planners Make Traffic Increasing Plans" to various case studies of demand management efforts, including walking, cycling and public transport improvements. "Long-Run Trends in Car Use" (http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/pub/new.html ). This report summarises Transportation Research Forum Roundtable 152 which examined changes in car use. It found that many developed countries are experiencing motor vehicle travel peaking. The task for policy-makers is to identify transportation strategies that can respond to changing and difficult-to-predict travel demands. "Avoiding Bridge Tolls Probably Not Saving You Much" (http://tinyurl.com/o5h5p5b ). This 'Vancouver Sun' newspaper article discusses whether it is rational for motorists to drive several kilometers from a new bridge to an older bridge to avoid paying $3.00 tolls, and the implications of such toll avoidance for transport policy. Recent Planetizen Blogs (http://www.planetizen.com/blog/2394 ): "Economically Successful Cities Favor Space-Efficient Modes" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/67722 ) "Road Tolls Are Fair and Benefit the Poor" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/67554 ) "Location Optimization Tools: Toward More Comprehensive and Multi-Modal Indicators" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/67261 ) "How Should We Measure Traffic Congestion?" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/67172 ) "More Bicycle Route Debate, Or Valuing Multi-Modalism" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/67037 ) "Smarter Congestion Evaluation ? An Example" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/66726 ) ?Smarter Congestion Solutions in 2014" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/66677 ) "Who Subsidizes Whom? " (http://www.planetizen.com/node/66359 ) "Mythbusting: Exposing Half-Truths That Support Automobile Dependency" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/66268 ) Let?s be friends. Todd Litman regularly posts on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/todd.litman ). Befriend him now! BEEN THERE, DONE THAT ======================= "How Communities Can Reduce Transportation Emissions By 50%" (http://tinyurl.com/qdh9suy ), BC Sustainable Energy Association 11 March 2014 podcast, including slideshow and UTube video links. UPCOMING EVENTS ================== I-TED 2014 ? International Transportation Economic Development Conference (https://tti.tamu.edu/conferences/ited2014 ), 9-11 April, Dallas, Texas. Todd Litman will be presenting three papers, which we will post on our website in the future. USEFUL RESOURCES ================= "Preliminary Evaluation of Alternative Methods of Transportation Analysis" (http://opr.ca.gov/docs/PreliminaryEvaluationTransportationMetrics.pdf ) by the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research, discusses new ways to evaluate urban transportation system performance. This is part of the state?s efforts to develop more comprehensive and multi-modal indicators for transportation project evaluation. This issue is discussed in my Planetizen column, "Change Management: Do Planners Lead or Follow?" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/67340 ). VTPI submitted comments titled, "Beyond Roadway Level-of-Service: Improving Transport System Impact Evaluation" (http://www.vtpi.org/CGOP_LOS.pdf )/ "SLoCaT Results Framework on Sustainable Transport" (http://www.slocat.net/resultsframework ) is a major international program to provide guidance on sustainable transportation policies and targets to incorporate into the United Nation?s Sustainable Development Goals. They welcome feedback. "Rethinking Streets: An Evidence-Based Guide to 25 Complete Street Transformations" (http://pppm.uoregon.edu/news/book-simplifies-street-redesigns ) documents twenty-five case studies from around the country that helped transform streets to better accommodate walking, biking, and transit use while enhancing commercial activity, with minimal to no negative impact on automobile access. "Desarrollo Orientado al Transporte: Regenerar Las Ciudades Mexicanas Para Majorar La Movididad"(http://mexico.itdp.org/documentos/desarrollo-orientado-al-transpo rte-dot ) and in English "Transit Oriented Development: Regenerate Mexican Cities to Improve Mobility" (http://mexico.itdp.org/wp-content/uploads/Transit-Oriented-Development.pdf ) by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, describes why and how to create more walkable and transit-oriented communities The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates (http://www.publictransportation.org ) is a national organization of grassroots transit rider organizations and advocates that supports public transportation improvements. "Saving Lives with Sustainable Transport" (http://www.embarq.org/en/saving-lives-with-sustainable-transport ). This new EMBARQ study investigates the safety impacts of sustainable transport around the world. The evidence suggests that projects that improve resource-efficient modes, such as high-quality public transport systems, and reduce traffic, such as congestion charging, significantly increase traffic safety in addition to other co-benefits. "The Road to Prosperity: Real-Time Approaches to Economic Improvement" (http://tinyurl.com/p5s2djw ) discusses how improving local transportation options (walking, cycling, ridesharing and public transit) can help increase true affordability, using Do?a Ana County, a semi-rural New Mexico community, as an example. "The Economics of Transportation Systems: A Reference for Practitioners" (http://tinyurl.com/q5e24oh ). This Online book by Professor Kara Kockelman is designed to introduce transportation practitioners to the underlying economic realities of their profession. It illustrates economic concepts through transportation applications and case studies, covering a wide range of topics including transportation costs and benefits, pricing, location choices, project evaluation and economic impact analysis. "The California Department of Transportation: SSTI Assessment and Recommendations" (http://tinyurl.com/pq445l7 ). This report by the State Smart Transportation Initiative (http://www.ssti.us ) provides an assessment of the performance of the California Department of Transportation and recommendations for improvement, particularly institutional reforms that support more responsive, comprehensive and multi-modal transport planning. "Travel Demand Management: An Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of TDM Plans In Reducing Traffic And Parking In The Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area" (http://tinyurl.com/q6db4s4 ). This report by Spack Consulting evaluates TDM program effectiveness and potential financial savings. It finds that the TDM plans evaluated on average reduce traffic generation 27-37% and parking generation 11-21% compared with conventional standards. "Has Motorization in the U.S. Peaked?" (http://www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/publications.html ). This series of reports by Professor Michael Sivak explore current trends in U.S. vehicle ownership and use, providing more compelling evidence of changing travel demands. "California Travel Shift" (http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/paffairs/news/pressrel/14pr021.htm ). California's decennial household travel survey sampled more than 42,000 households in 2012. The results provide more evidence of a major shift in travel demands. The survey shows that the average California household made about 25% fewer automobile trips in 2012 than in 2001, and 65% to 75% more walking, biking, and public transit trips. For more discussion see: http://tinyurl.com/m2rmhke . "A New Course: How Innovative University Programs Are Reducing Driving On Campus And Creating New Models For Transportation Policy" (http://uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-course ). This report by the Public Interest Research Group describes various campus transportation management programs. "A Practical Tool For Multi-Modal Planning: Complete Streets Checklist" (http://blog.tstc.org/2014/02/06/steal-this-complete-streets-checklist ) is intended to help planners evaluate specific roadway projects. "Health and Smart Growth: Safety Tops Obesity" (http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/robert-steuteville/20924/health- and-smart-growth-safety-tops-obesity). This blob by Robert Steuteville provides critical analysis of MIT?s Health + Urbanism study, based in part on our research on smart growth traffic safety benefits. "Suburban Sprawl: Exposing Hidden Costs, Identifying Innovations" (http://thecostofsprawl.com/report/SP_SuburbanSprawl_Oct2013_opt.pdf ). This report evaluates the costs of dispersed, automobile-dependent development and ways to reduce those costs. "Urban Road-Building Linked to Poor Statewide Economic Performance" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/66977 ). This blog by Shane Phillip finds that roadway expansion is NEGATIVELY associated with productivity growth. This is consistent with other research which indicates that once a region has a mature highway system and peaking vehicle travel demand, as in most economically developed countries, further investments in roadway expansion are economically harmful because of their incremental costs. "Assessing the Potential for Reducing Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts through Transit-Oriented Development Infill along Existing Light Rail in Phoenix" (http://jpe.sagepub.com/content/33/4/395.full ) This study, published in the 'Journal of Planning Education & Research', evaluates the life-cycle energy and environmental impact assessment of the Phoenix light rail system, taking into account both direct and indirect impacts from vehicle and building production, and travel activity. The results indicate significant potential energy savings, and both local and global (greenhouse gas) emission reductions, plus economic and local livability benefits. It concluded that marginal benefits from new rail services are likely to significantly exceed marginal costs. GIZ Fuel Price Website (https://energypedia.info/index.php/International_Fuel_Prices ) publishes information on fuel prices for 135 countries around the world in a standard format suitable for economic evaluation. Here are a couple of their recent articles: "Fuelling Controversy" (http://tinyurl.com/p7dhd3u ), published in 'The Economist' describes efforts to reduce inefficient fuel subsidies in developing countries. 'The Economic Cost of Global Fuel Subsidies' (www.uce3.berkeley.edu/WP_069.pdf ), estimated that global gasoline and diesel subsidies totalled $110 billion in 2012, primarily in petroleum-producing countries that maintain low fuel prices. Under baseline supply and demand elasticities assumptions annual world deadweight losses are estimated to total $44 billion, or $76 to $92 billion including increased external costs. "Tools for Sustainable Urban Transport Experts" (http://tinyurl.com/nv2ylom ). This new and comprehensive collection of urban transport tools aims to provide support to experts in designing and implementing sustainable urban transport strategies and measures. It is designed for experts involved in urban transport and will help them to easily find appropriate measures and approaches in order to make their urban transport vision come true. Thematically, it covers all areas relevant to sustainable urban transport including public and non-motorized transport, emission reduction strategies, and pedestrian and bicycle friendly street design. "Our Cities Ourselves: 10 Principles for Transport in Urban Life" (http://www.itdp.org/documents/2010-OurCitiesOurselves_Booklet.pdf ). This attractive and accessible booklet written by Gehl Architects for the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) describes how cities can become more sustainable through better planning. "Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business, People for Bike and Alliance for Biking and Walking" (http://tinyurl.com/o3koex7 ). This report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking (http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org ) describes ways that cycling improvements support local economic development, including supporting urban real estate development, helping businesses attract talented workers, reducing healthcare costs, and supporting local retail activity. "Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design" (http://thehappycity.com ). This enjoyable book by Charles Montgomery discusses how better urban design can help people become happier, healthier and wealthier. It cites scientific evidence but relies primarily on stories about specific people and places to make its points. "A New Partnership: Rail Transit and Convention Growth" (http://tinyurl.com/pgk3qv3 ). This report by the American Public Transportation Association evaluates the role that high quality public transit plays in the economic success of downtown convention centers. "The Economics of Place: The Value of Building Communities Around People" (www.mml.org/economics_of_place_book/index.html ).This book describes why and how cities and towns can support sustainable economic development by implementing policies that emphasize multi-modal accessibility and urban neighborhood quality. It shows that, as the economy becomes more global and knowledge-based, competitiveness relies on attracting talented people and the industries they support; in the old economy, people followed jobs, but in the new economy, jobs follow talented people. "Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit" (http://www.wri.org/publication/saving-lives-sustainable-transport ). Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a high-quality, efficient public transport mode. This EMBARQ report provides a synthesis of existing literature and new data, and develops a detailed analysis of BRT economic, environmental and social impacts. "From Here to There: A Creative Guide to Making Public Transport the Way to Go" (http://tinyurl.com/p2bofwf ). This attractive guide by EMBARQ provides practical advice for making public transportation attractive and competitive. "Children?s Travel Behaviour And Its Health Implications" (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X12000030 ). This article by Roger Mackett published in Transport Policy examines the nature of children?s travel behavior and implications for their physical activity and health. "Cycling, Health and Safety" (http://internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/safety/cycling.html ). This report by the International Transport Forum evaluates overall cycling safety and health impacts, and describes ways to improve cycling safety. It concludes that health benefits can outweigh negative impacts by a factor of 20, and the key to maximizing net benefits to create safer paths and roads through government policy and city action. "Capacity Building on Sustainable Urban Transport" (http://capsut.org ) is an international program dedicated to capacity building in sustainable urban transport, including workshops, webinars and other learning opportunities. 2,000 photos of the SUTP Photo collection are now on Flickr! (http://www.sutp.org/gallery/en-gallery ) "Optimizing Space to Decongest the Streets" (http://www.transportsviables.org/projets-et-activites/292-question-despace- english ) by the Quebec advocacy group Acc?s Transports Viables ("Access Sustainable Transportation") illustrate the amount of road space required by different travel modes, showing why it is important to favor space-efficient modes on congested roads. They also have a clever video (in French) at http://www.transportsviables.org/question-despace . * * * * * Please let us know if you have comments or questions about any information in this newsletter, or if you would like to be removed from our email list. And please pass this newsletter on to others who may find it useful. Sincerely, Todd Litman (litman@vtpi.org) Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org) Office: 250-360-1560 | Mobile: 250-508-5150 1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA ?Efficiency - Equity - Clarity? From yanivbin at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 17:33:03 2014 From: yanivbin at gmail.com (Vinay Baindur) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 14:03:03 +0530 Subject: [sustran] SMS-auto facility to kickstart on April 10 in Chennai Message-ID: SMS-auto facility to kickstart on April 10 in Chennai VIVEK NARAYANAN [image: Nearly 1,000 autorickshaws belonging to AITUC and other unions will be part of the 'SMS an auto' facility -- Photo: M. SRINATH] The HinduNearly 1,000 autorickshaws belonging to AITUC and other unions will be part of the 'SMS an auto' facility -- Photo: M. SRINATH TOPICS Passengers will be picked up from doorstep for just Rs. 10 above meter fare Starting Thursday, city residents will be able to hail an autorickshaw with their mobile phones. By simply sending a text message, passengers will now be picked up from their doorsteps, at an additional cost of just Rs. 10 above the meter fare. The service will be available 24x7. Nearly 1,000 autorickshaws belonging to the All-India Trade Union Congress and other unions will be part of the 'SMS an auto' service. Those who wish to avail the service can send an SMS to 9944733111, with the pincode of their locality and the name of the area they wish to travel to. "For example, if you are in Anna Salai and wish to travel to T. Nagar, your SMS should read '600002 space T. Nagar'. Within 15 seconds, the commuter will get an SMS with the contact numbers of autorickshaw drivers in the locality. "The commuter can then call the driver directly. After reaching her/his destination, the passenger can pay as per meter and give an additional Rs. 10 as service charge," he says. Passengers will not have to bargain with the drivers or wait for an autorickshaw in the sun," says K. Navaneethan, a technology partner for the SMS facility. The autorickshaw driver too will have to send an SMS to indicate his availability. "All the drivers are verified by us," says Mr. Navaneethan. The facility will also ensure autorickshaws do not ply empty. "After dropping off a passenger, the driver needs to message us a particular code, so we know his location. His contact number will then be given to other commuters in the area," says J. Seshasayanam, secretary of Madras Metro Auto Drivers' Association, affiliated to AITUC. Though commuters are happy, they are unsure about how well the service will function. "It is helpful for senior citizens, of course. But the number of autorickshaws engaged in the service does not seem like much," says M. Seshadri, a resident of Adyar. Keywords: text messaging , SMS-auto facility , All-India Trade Union Congress , Chennai autos From secretariat at slocatpartnership.org Mon Apr 21 17:17:34 2014 From: secretariat at slocatpartnership.org (SLoCaT Partnership) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 18:17:34 +1000 Subject: [sustran] SLoCaT Newsletter April 2014 Message-ID: Web version http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-e-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-n/ | Unsubscribe http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-u-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-p/ http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-fb-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-x/ Like http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-fb-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-m/ http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-tw-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-c/ Tweet http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-tw-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-q/ Forward http://partnershiponsustainablelowcarbontransport.forwardtomyfriend.com/r-tkhdhuutir-DFBF815B-pukkhdt-l-a TABLE OF CONTENTS ? SPECIAL FOCUS: Road Safety Resolution ? UPDATE FROM SLoCaT PARTNERSHIP ? SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ? CLIMATE CHANGE ? RECENT PUBLICATIONS ? NEWS FROM SLoCaT MEMBERS IN OTHER NEWS Upcoming Events International Transport Forum, [http://www.slocat.net/event/1139]21-23 May 2014 Leipzig-Germany Velo-city Global, [http://www.slocat.net/event/1160] 27-30 May 2014, Adelaide-Australia High Level on Transport and Climate Change [http://www.slocat.net/event/1185], 22 September 2014, New York-USA Transport Day 2014 [http://www.slocat.net/transportday2014], 7 December 2014, Lima-Peru SPECIAL FOCUS: Road Safety Resolution UN road safety debate hears call for post-2015 action Global action to combat a growing worldwide epidemic road deaths and injuries must become part of the UN's new priorities for global development, the UN General Assembly was told on 10 April as it passed a new Resolution to address the crisis. Governments, including Brazil, Jamaica and Russia, urged inclusion of road safety in the post-2015 development goals due to be agreed next year. Speakers in the debate, including the US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, pledged support for the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The US co-sponsored the Resolution, which was introduced by Russia's Deputy Interior Minister, Victor Kiryanov. Governments at the UN have pledged to stabilise and reduce road deaths and injuries in a Decade of Action from 2011-2020, but progress is falling short. The issue must become part of the Post-2015 development goals so that millions of lives can be saved, the UN was told. Speaking at the UN, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Chair of the Commission for Global Road Safety, called for renewed action to save lives on the roads around the world. The Commission is funded by the FIA Foundation an independent UK charity providing philanthropic support to road safety efforts worldwide. Lord Robertson who was representing the UK Government during the debate said: "This new Resolution recognises the Commission for Global Road Safety's call for a target for reducing road deaths to become part of the new development goals. Such a global commitment is vital to save millions of lives around the world." He was joined by global road safety ambassador, actress Michelle Yeoh, who also addressed the UN General Assembly. She said: "We need new sources of funding to support road safety campaign. And we need new momentum in support of our shared objective for the Decade of Action, beginning with inclusion of road safety in the post-2015 goals." The new Resolution encourages Governments to consider road safety when negotiating the post-2015 development goals. The Commission is calling for a specific global target to reduce road fatalities by 50% to be included in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This would be consistent with the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The Commission is joining partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration and SLoCAT to call on Governments at the UN to support the Post-2015 road safety SDG target. Click here [http://www.makeroadssafe.org/longshortwalk/Pages/UNPost-2015OpenWorkingGroupresources.aspx] for an advocacy pack. Click here [http://www.makeroadssafe.org/news/2014/Pages/UNroadsafetydebatehearscallforpost-2015action.aspx] for further information on the UN Resolution A/68/L.40 'Improving Global Road Safety'. Thanks to Avi Silverman, Director of Campaigns and Communications, Fia Foundation, for his contribution to this article. UPDATE FROM SLoCaT PARTNERSHIP The most exciting SLoCaT news is that we are now well underway with the transformation of the SLoCaT Secretariat into a formal legal entity. We believe that this will enable us to serve the SLoCaT Partnership better and will help to strengthen the voice of sustainable, low carbon transport in global policies on sustainable development and climate change. We are very much pleased with the positive response to the plans to make SLoCaT into a more sustainable entity. It is encouraging to see that new organizations are coming forward who are willing to support the work of SLoCaT. More details on the changes in the structure of SLoCaT will be reported in the next newsletter. It is planned that the transformation of SLoCaT will be completed by June 2014. The first quarter of 2014 was a busy time for SLoCaT. We were able to make good progress with our advocacy to see sustainable transport fully integrated in the post-2015 development agenda. Linked to that the work of SLoCaT on poverty and sustainable transport really kicked off in the first quarter of 2014 with as first highlight the special event on "Sustainable Transport and Just Cities" at the World Urban Forum in Medellin, Colombia. Transport was identified as a key sector in the recent 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. SLoCaT has intensified its work with the UNFCCC Secretariat to better communicate the mitigation potential of land transport. Contracts were signed for Transport Day 2014 in December 2014 in Lima, Peru. We are working closely with the organizers of the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit to ensure that transport will be well represented at this critical event in September 2014. We would also like to welcome Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) [http://www.youthforroadsafety.org/]to SLoCaT Partnership as our newest member. Please visit the member page of YOURS [http://slocat.net/member/1186] on the SLoCaT Website to learn more about their activities in road safety and sustainable transport. SLoCaT's effectiveness as a partnership is determined by the support its partners are willing to give to the organization. I am confident that based on the interest shown by our members and others that SLoCaT has a strong future as an organization to effectively promote the interests of the sustainable transport community. Cornie Huizenga, Secretary General, SLoCaT Partnership SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OWG on Sustainable Development Goals and SLoCaT Results Framework SLoCaT's activities on sustainable transport in 2014 were dominated by the efforts [http://www.slocat.net/transport-open-working-group-process] to see sustainable transport reflected in the discussion and outputs of the UN Open Working Group (OWG), which is charged with developing recommendations for a concise set of Sustainable Development Goals. SLoCaT's advocacy towards the OWG is guided by the SLoCaT Results Framework on Sustainable Transport [http://www.slocat.net/resultsframework], which has been acknowledged as a key input to the work of the OWG. The proposed SLoCaT Results Framework promotes 6 targets; 3 of which focus on the developmental role of transport by calling for improved rural, urban and national access, and 3 sustainability targets including road safety, air pollution and climate change. The Results Framework has been presented in a range of events over the last three months. Following the discussions of the 7th OWG session, in January 2014, SLoCaT is no longer calling for a separate stand alone transport SDG but in stead proposes that its targets on sustainable transport are included under other SDGs on e.g. food security and agriculture, health, energy or cities. The OWG has now conducted two negotation sessions. The analysis [http://www.slocat.net/sites/default/files/u10/slocat-comparison-of-19-owg-focal-areas-and-sdsn-10_goals-feb_27.pdf] of the proposed focus areas [http://slocat.net/sites/default/files/u10/3276focusareas.pdf] for the post-2015 development agenda by the OWG co-chairs as input for the 9th OWG session indicates that the proposed targets by SLoCaT were, with the exception of the rural transport target, all included in the proposals of the co-chairs. In preparation of the 11th OWG Session 5-9 May the co-chairs prepared a further proposal [http://www.slocat.net/sites/default/files/u10/working_document_for_owg_sdgs_11th_session_17_apr_2014.pdf], reducing the number of focal areas to 16. In terms of relevance for the SLoCaT proposed targets. Rural transport is now included as an indicator for sustainable infrastructure; road safety has been removed from Health and is now only listed under sustainable cities; urban transport and air pollution remain to be listed under sustainable cities focus area; and fuel economy, one of the key indicators under the proposed SLoCaT Climate Change target is listed under the energy focus area. The SLoCaT target on provision of national acccess and regional connectivity is no longer included. SLoCaT contribution to the UNGA-ECOSOC Debate Post-2015 Partnerships Cornie Huizenga, the SLoCaT Secretary General, in his contribution to the UNGA-ECOSOC Debate on post-2015 partnerships called for an ambitious institutional framework to be able to implement the ambitious post 2015 development agendacalled for the in the Rio+20 Outcome Document "The Future We Want". He was speaking in the session [http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2014/ga11499.doc.htm] scaling up partenerships opportunities in sustainable infrastructure. Poverty and Sustainable Transport As part on its work on Sustainable Transport and Poverty, SLoCaT is developing a collaborative program on transport and poverty amongst its members. As input to the development of the collaborative workprogram SLoCaT has launched a survey [https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/povertyandtransport] to get a better understanding of the manner in which organisations working on transport are dealing with poverty issues and also of their thinking on future priorities. The closing date of the survey has been extended till April 29. Poverty and human rights were also the focus of a special event [http://www.slocat.net/event/1150]on 'Sustainable Transport and Just Cities' organized by SLoCaT and UN-Habitat on 7th April in Medellin, Colombia as part of the 7th World Urban Forum (WUF). The response to this event and the survey underscore the importance of having a broad based developmental approach to sustainable transport. WUF 7 was one of the key events for SLoCaT in 2014. Several of SLoCaT's members were present in Medellin and were responsible for, or contributing to one of the more than 30 transport events [http://www.slocat.net/sites/default/files/u11/summary_table_transport_related_events_at_world_urban_forum_7_2.pdf] at WUF 7. Access to safe, affordable and sustainable transport was listed as one the prioriries in the Medellin Declaration [http://unhabitat.org/7th-world-urban-forum-medellin-declaration/], which was unanimously adopted by the 24,000 participants of WUF 7. CLIMATE CHANGE Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Climate Summit UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will host on 23 September a Climate Summit [http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit2014/]to catalyze action on climate change prior to the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in 2015. The emphasis will be bold pledges that can scale-up and deliver concrete action that will close the emissions gap and put the global community on track for an ambitious legal agreement through the UNFCCC process. SLoCaT is working with the office to facilitate the contribution of the transport community to the Climate Summit. It is currently expected that transport will be well represented in the Summit through possible commitments on electric mobility, BRT, public transport, railways, fuel economy and green freight. SLoCaT will be represented in the Ascent meeting [http://climate-l.iisd.org/events/abu-dhabi-ascent/] in Abu Dhabi that brings together ministers, as well as leaders from business, finance and civil society, to develop proposals for action and determine how their countries, businesses and organizations can increase their participation in initiatives that broaden and deepen partnerships, in order to deliver concrete action at the September Summit. SLoCaT and UN-DESA together with the International Railway Association expect to be hosting a High Level Event on Transport and Climate Change [http://slocat.net/event/1185] in New York on 22 September to showcase the transport commitments to the Climate Summit as well as the specific contribution of railways to sustainable transport. SLoCaT contribution to ADP Technical Expert Meetings: Energy efficiency In Warsaw, the ADP requested the UNFCCC secretariat to organize, under the guidance of the ADP Co-Chairs, technical expert meetings at each of the sessions of the ADP in 2014 to share policies, practices and technologies and address the necessary finance, technology and capacity building, with a special focus on actions with high mitigation potential. SLoCaT was invited to contribute towards the March technical expert meeting [http://unfccc.int/bodies/awg/items/8113.php] that focused on opportunities for action on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Cornie Huizenga in his contribution [http://unfccc.int/files/bodies/awg/application/pdf/6_partnership_for_sustainable.pdf] highlighted 4 key messages on behalf of the SLoCaT Partnership and the Bridging the Gap initiative: 1. With 25% of Energy Related GHG emissions, Transport must become low carbon to realize 2 Degree Scenario 2. Transport and economic growth can, and must be decoupled 3. Technology and system-wide improvements (e.g. fuel economy) needs to be combined with modal shift and behavioral change 4. This is an opportunity not a constraint ? saves money; builds resilience and delivers more than climate benefits but needs to start now. NAMAs can help kick-start change Transport Day 2014 Following the success of Transport Day 2013 [http://www.slocat.net/transportday2013], the SLoCaT Partnership and the Bridging the Gap initiative will be organizing in the context of COP 20, Transport Day 2014 on 7 December in Lima, Peru. CAF Development Bank of Latin America, the Inter American Development Bank as well as FIA Foundation have indicated their support for this year's Transport Day. If you are interested in contributing towards Transport Day 2014 please contact hallen@trl.co.uk and cornie.huizenga@slocatpartnership.org. RECENT PUBLICATIONS IPCC's recently published 5th Assessment Report [http://mitigation2014.org/report/] confirms the importance and potential of mitigation action by the transport sector to reduce dangerous climate change. The Transport Section Mitigation Pathways of the Summary for Policy Maker can be found here. [http://slocat.net/sites/default/files/u10/transport_key_messages_ipcc_wgiii_ar5.pdf] It is encouraging to see that there is increased alignment of the IPCC policy recommendations and the Avoid-Shift-Improve approach, promoted by SLoCaT to reduce GHG emissions from transport. The detailed chapter (8) on transport, [http://report.mitigation2014.org/drafts/final-draft-postplenary/ipcc_wg3_ar5_final-draft_postplenary_chapter8.pdf] to which several SLoCaT members actively contributed contains a number of additional key messages: Reducing global transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be challenging since the continuing growth in passenger and freight activity could outweigh all mitigation measures unless transport emissions can be strongly decoupled from GDP growth High mitigation potential of transport by avoided journeys and modal shifts due to behavioral change, uptake of improved vehicle and engine performance technologies, low?carbon fuels, investments in related infrastructure, and changes in the built environment Both short? and long?term transport mitigation strategies are essential if deep GHG reduction ambitions are to be achieved Barriers to de-carbonizing transport for all modes differ across regions, but can be overcome partly by reducing the marginal mitigation costs There are regional differences in transport mitigation pathways with major opportunities to shape transport systems and infrastructure around low?carbon options, particularly in developing and emerging countries De-carbonizing of transport sector requires a range of strong and mutually?supportive policies International Transport Forum Transport Outlook 2013: Funding Transport [http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/itf-transport-outlook-2013_9789282103937-en] The ITF Transport Outlook 2013 [http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/itf-transport-outlook-2013_9789282103937-en] presents and discusses global scenarios concerning the development of transport volumes through 2050. The analysis highlights the impact of alternative economic growth scenarios on passenger and freight flows and the consequences of rapid urbanisation outside the OECD. World Bank Transport for health: the global burden of disease from motorized road transport [http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/03/28/000333037_20140328141207/Rendered/PDF/863040IHME0T4H0ORLD0BANK0compressed.pdf] World Bank's Transport for Health [http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/03/28/000333037_20140328141207/Rendered/PDF/863040IHME0T4H0ORLD0BANK0compressed.pdf] report summarizes the findings of a long and meticulous journey of data gathering and analysis to quantify the health losses from road deaths and injuries worldwide, as part of the path-finding Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Reducing black carbon emissions from diesel vehicles: Impacts, control strategies, and cost-benefit analysis [http://theicct.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d37167dbef1c508895ccc2723&id=5010208d26&e=5d2de9a864] b The most recent World Bank report Reducing black carbon emissions from diesel vehicles [http://theicct.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d37167dbef1c508895ccc2723&id=5010208d26&e=5d2de9a864] presents a summary of emissions control approaches from developed countries, which face a number of on-the-ground implementation challenges. NEWS FROM SLoCaT MEMBERS Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) [http://slocat.net/news/1183] Ukrainian cities on their way to sustainable mobility - Cooperation is everything In 2013, the city of Donezk adopted a comprehensive programme for the development of cycling infrastructure. The first kilometers were already paved and are actively used by cyclists. Moreover, Donezk envisages the improvement and acceleration of bus services by implementing a priority bus network. German experts are providing local planners with technical assistance on cycling development and supervise the first constructions. GIZ supports Charkiv, Donezk, Lviv, Kiev and further municipalities in the field of sustainable mobility on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Energy-efficient driving courses for small entrepreneurs in the Mexican freight sector As part of the program "Transporte Limpio" (similar to the US-Smartway Program), the Mexican Ministry of Environment (SEMARNAT) is offering five courses for small entrepreneurs in the freight sector. The courses are in the framework of the German-Mexican NAMA Program, managed by GIZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). They aim at energy-efficient driving, including both theoretical and practical units on the road. First results show that there exists a large potential - up to 28% - for fuel savings. To reach those entrepreneurs who cannot participate in the courses, GIZ supports the production of a video which shows the most important features for driving more environmentally friendly. For more information, please contact georg.schmid@giz.de EMBARQ [http://www.slocat.net/news/1177] CONNECT Karo 2014 Conference Looks at the Future for India's Urban Transport [http://www.slocat.net/news/1177] Government, transportation and planning leaders focused on finding practical ways to improve quality of life in India's cities by improving mobility and accessibility in the second edition of CONNECTKaro, [http://www.embarqindia.org/connectkaroday1]EMBARQ India's annual conference on sustainable transportation. The conference was held in Bangalore, March 10 and 11, 2014 and opened by Madhav Pai, Director of EMBARQ India, saying that the challenge in India, with its burgeoning urban population "is to connect people to cities." Over 250 people attended, and over 1,000 joined sessions on-line. More at EMBARQIndia.org [http://www.embarqindia.org]. New Low Emission Development Toolkit for City and Transport Planners [http://www.slocat.net/news/1177] City leaders and planners weigh difficult decisions when choosing transport solutions, for example deciding between developing BRT or light rail, and finding the best way to measure greenhouse gas emissions. The new Transport Toolkit [http://ledsgp.org/transport]provides a new and very necessary resource to support these leaders as they shape our future cities. The toolkit ? developed by the Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP) Transport Working Group, [http://ledsgp.org/home] led by EMBARQ [http://www.embarq.org]in partnership with NREL [http://www.nrel.gov] and UNEP [http://www.unep.org]? provides a plethora of resources to plan for, implement, and monitor sustainable transport projects across the globe. More here [http://embarq.org/our-work/project-city/transport-working-group-low-emission-development-strategies-leds-global] and here [http://bit.ly/1dIw2s3]. European Cyclists' Federation [http://slocat.net/news/1181] ECF is building a global network of cyclists through World Cycling Alliance World Cycling Alliance (WCA) is an initiative from European Cyclists' Federation to build a global network of non-governmental organizations with a substantial interest in promoting cycling as the cleanest sustainable transport development. ECF will present the initiative for the WCA in Medellin, Colombia, at the World Urban Forum 7 (WUF7) of UN-Habitat, on Thursday, 10th of April 2014 at the Yellow Pavillion, Room 11. For more information about WCA, visit [http://www.ecf.com/world-cycling-alliance]or or get in touch with Marcio Deslandes at m.deslandes@ecf.com Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) [http://www.slocat.net/1178] iCET to release 2013 China Environmentally Friendly Vehicle annual study results in June China's vehicle sales are the world's highest for four consecutive years, accounting for about 60% of the national oil demand. Since 2007, iCET has been developing and updating a China-tailored passenger vehicle fuel-consumption and life-cycle emissions inventory tool promoted through annual reports and a free user-friendly website (www.greencarchina.org). These have been aimed at informing sustainable decision-making at all three pillars of China's on-road private vehicle market: policy-makers, auto-makers and consumers. iCET's 2013 green vehicle rating report (coming on Chinese Energy Conservation Week in June) will integrate "real-world" data provided by China's Vehicle Emissions Control Center for taking China's vehicle data disclosure one step forward. Nordic Development Fund [http://www.slocat.net/news/1176] NDF supports climate change adaptation in the transport sector NDF has recently approved two new transport adaptation projects that will develop adaptive capacity and integration of climate change aspects into planning and design of road transport infrastructure. In Mozambique, NDF, together with the African Development Bank (AfDB), will support the National Road Administration, and other key stakeholders, with capacity-building and additional tools to manage climate impact threats to road development. The NDF support forms part of the Nacala Road Corridor III Project and aims to make resilient road development plans, improve construction methods, and ensure an active and sustainable road infrastructure asset management. Read more... [http://www.slocat.net/news/1176] NDF is co-financing with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) a technical cooperation project to establish a Transport NAMA Support Facility in Asia NDF is co-financing with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) a technical cooperation project to establish a Transport NAMA Support Facility with the aim of strengthening transport NAMA development in Asia. The EUR 500,000 support will build capacity in ADB and its developing member countries, and deliver tools that eventually will lead to development of at least two transport NAMAs in these countries. Read more... [http://www.slocat.net/news/1175] Getting Transport Updates through Twitter Communication is a key part of SLoCaT's efforts to promote sustainable, low carbon transport and we are very happy to see a growing number of SLoCaT members that are actively making use of Twitter to share news on their activities or to share their views on sustainable transport. Currently, the transport specific Twitter accounts of SLoCaT members reach out to more than 45,000 followers. Some of the more active Twitter accounts of SLoCaT members include: Asian Development Bank Transport @adbtransport [https://twitter.com/adbtransport], European Cyclists' Federation @EUCyclistsFed [https://twitter.com/EuCyclistsFed], EMBARQ @EMBARQNetwork [https://twitter.com/EMBARQNetwork], FIA Foundation @FIAFdn [https://twitter.com/FIAFdn] and @GlobalFuelEcon [https://twitter.com/GlobalFuelEcon], Inter-American Development Bank Transport @BIDtransporte [https://twitter.com/BIDtransporte], International Road Assessment Program @iRAPSavingLives [https://twitter.com/iRAPSavingLives], International Road Federation @IRFgTKP [https://twitter.com/irfgtkp], Institute for Transportation Development and Policy @ITDP_HQ [https://twitter.com/ITDP_HQ], International Transport Forum @ITF_Forum [https://twitter.com/ITF_Forum], International Assoication of Public Transport @uitppressoffice [https://twitter.com/UITPpressoffice], The Sustainable Urban Transport Project (GIZ) @_SUTP [https://twitter.com/_SUTP]and World Bank Transport @WB_Transport [https://twitter.com/WB_Transport] If your organization has an active Twitter account that we have missed, please let us know and we will share it in the next newsletter. Also, please remember to follow the SLoCaT Secretariat news from @SLOCATCornie [https://twitter.com/SLOCATCornie] and @SLOCATLAC. [https://twitter.com/slocatlac] Unsubscribe instantly http://account.createsend.ie/t/r-u-pukkhdt-tkhdhuutir-f/ www.slocat.net [http://www.slocat.net/] Powered by CreateSend.ie [http://www.createsend.ie] From yanivbin at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 22:37:59 2014 From: yanivbin at gmail.com (Vinay Baindur) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 19:07:59 +0530 Subject: [sustran] Shiv Visvanathan - In Praise of Walking Message-ID: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/in-praise-of-walking/article5938019.ece?homepage=true Walking is the act of the body exploring itself as it traces the world My father loved to walk. It was his great ritual, his idea of prayer and work. Every morning at four, the house would echo with the thump of his shoes, the tumbler of coffee, as he hurried out. My dachshund, a wise ten-year-old would wait impatiently, grumbling melodramatically about any delay. Whoever talked of walking a dog never understood man or beast. Walking was an act of companionship, a way of saying hello to the world, sniffing, grumbling, greeting every morsel, smell, object, sight and human being. To add to the excitement, my neighbour?s dog, an oversized young Doberman called Marcus would join them. It was a strange troop ? a dachshund striding in front, Doberman casually behind, each attentive to every signal from my father. As the years went by, the Dachshund got older and more tired but he refused to miss his walk. My father would carry Fritz around the lake and release him just as he reached home so he could stride the last lap with dignity, the Lord of all he surveyed. My childhood memories are full of walks. It left me convinced that, without a walk, friendship was impossible and old age insufferable. As one walked, one remembered, one talked of worlds far away. Walking becomes a way of mapping the world. Philosophy, I felt, began with walking. Think of Thoreau, Emerson, Certeau, Heidegger, Patrick Geddes. Because they literally walked the talk, their philosophies were richer and more concrete. *The many messages of walking* There is something about walking as a ritual, elegant in its routineness that we must grasp. Walking is a great equaliser, democracies? greatest act, more primordial than the vote. Walking is the act of the body exploring itself as it traces the world. It could be in an alley in a street, a meandering amble by a river, an act of communing in the forest or merely marking turf in a neighbourhood. Walking is exploration, discovery, conversation, companionship, meditation, reflection, prayer , even a constitutional, unlimbering the stiffness of a tired body. I cannot think of any one act that combines so many messages in the routineness of its being. It was play and pain as you challenged the body to do that last mile as sweat raced its rivulets down your body. No conqueror was more triumphant than an individual who walked that extra mile as he collapsed for his tea and Parle-G at a welcoming *dhabba*. When you walk, you talk to your deepest self, even as you listen to the silence of the body and its rhythms. Walking is therapeutic, curative, even an act of exorcism. Walking beats psychoanalysis as it lets you live with yourself. It is, as a wise man told me, a way of living with the world. One wishes there was a history of walking. Yet a walk is one of the celebratory movements of life. When a baby first walks, after all the tentative painful experiments, the joy of parents is indescribable. It is a toast to life. Even the child has that unbelievable look of heroism, of achievement. No medal or prize can beat the poetry of the moment. Parents and grandparents break into echolalic storytelling, merely watching the moment. The first step is history in the making. Walking invites the sensorium, the collective repertoire of the senses. You see, you touch, you pause, you remember: a flower here, a face there. Walking is always an act of memory. In retracing your world, you remember it, sense the presence of the familiar, savour silences and absences. It is the beginning of civics and citizenship. I always felt curiosity begins with walking and so does science. In walking you not only converse with the world but question it, seeking a deeper understanding. Walking and time go fascinatingly together. In a way, the space of walking creates a sociology, while the time of walking creates a philosophy. Walking is the body in rhythm; each step a statement of presence. People often talk of walks in nature but today walking defines the nature of the city and its politics. Gandhi argued that a locality should be defined by a day?s walk. Walking is the drama of enacting a public space and cities have become hostile to walking. Pedestrians are seen as a threat. Walking is biology but a vehicle is seen as intrinsic to the history of city. I feel great cities and neighbourhoods survive because of walkers. Their rituals defined the city, created zones of familiarity, symbolic markers which gave meaning to a city. A bicycle is still human, but with the car you begin the dehumanisation of the city. I believe city planning has to begin with the walk. When you walk a city, you live a city, you embody it. When you survey a city, you abstract it as a grid. It is geometry or space without life. A survey is space without a sense of place. Walking curbs your sense of power and domination, provides you with a sense of modesty and locality. I remember Patrick Geddes, the great urban sociologist, believed that urban planning should begin with a walk. When you walk a city, you treat it as a friendly organism. Demolitions, grids begin when the walker is no longer the prime citizen of a city. The footpath as a way of life, as home to the hawker, the peddler, disappears when walking dies as the megalopolis is born. Walking loses its poetics and literally becomes pedestrian at that moment. Without walking, one cannot understand or care for the informal economy where 70 per cent of our citizens live. In fact, walking defines the informal rhythms of a city because when you stop walking, cities die. The bazaar, the roadside caf? disappear because these are but punctuation marks in the everyday travelogue we call walking. Imagine Marina beach without its walkers, or Connaught place without its fl?neurs walking lazily around the circle, peanuts in hand. Walking creates the affordable city. *Chaat wala*, *chai wala*, *bhel puri* man, peanut seller, *paan wala*, hawker, scavenger, peddler? they can only belong to a city which understands walking. Food, sound, entertainment, and the familiarity of strangers all make walking the everyday adventure of the city. I remember many older people talk of walking as a form of ethics, of character building. When they talk of their friends they often add that they walked everyday. It was as if walking was almost spiritual, a substitute for the act of prayer. *A form of protest* I think Gandhi had the sense to understand and build on it. His theory of Satyagraha, the Dandi March are enactments of the drama of walking, of standing for or against something. The body becomes the icon of the most elementary and profound of protests. Gandhi used walking to bring down an empire. In fact, Gandhi understood walking is still within nature. A march is a linear act of history. In fact, his theory of Swadeshi is a philosophy of locality and walking. You own up to what you walk around and you care for what you walk around. Walking creates the spirit of Swadeshi as caring. I wish people spent more time writing about the Gandhian walker than the weaver. Walking gives weaving a different depth and complementarity. Walking and walkers haunt me as I walk old lanes and beaches. As I trail across neighbourhoods, I miss all the old walkers. Each returns to my mind as a songline connecting two points; each is a way of life. I sense cities have changed, forcing walkers to artificial parks or a few localities. Yet, the community of walkers survive by telling the world: ?I walk, therefore I am.? Walking is the poetry of self and community, of loneliness and friendship which no society can do without. It is the gentlest toast to life and living. *(Shiv Visvanathan is a professor at Jindal School of Government and Public Policy.)* -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: th_23_1_jpg_1857425g.jpg Type: image/jpg Size: 16926 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20140423/653e7d69/th_23_1_jpg_1857425g.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: th_23_2_jpg_1857426g.jpg Type: image/jpg Size: 24762 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20140423/653e7d69/th_23_2_jpg_1857426g.jpg From anna.comerford at greenleaf-publishing.com Thu Apr 24 17:50:19 2014 From: anna.comerford at greenleaf-publishing.com (Anna Comerford) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 09:50:19 +0100 Subject: [sustran] Announcing the imminent launch of The Journal of Sustainable Mobility Message-ID: <2a1f01cf5f9a$38c2b340$aa4819c0$@greenleaf-publishing.com> ***Apologies for duplicate postings*** Dear sustran, We are pleased to announce the imminent launch of The Journal of Sustainable Mobility from Greenleaf Publishing. General Editor: Michael Zhang, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK Published in association with Nottingham Trent University, UK, Cranfield University, UK, and the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), China ISSN 2053-2350 (online) Published twice annually The Journal of Sustainable Mobility (JSM) is a new, peer-reviewed journal that provides an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of innovative and empirically sound research on sustainable transportation. It takes a holistic approach, publishing research on the sustainable developments of all transport modes, contributing to a better understanding of the future of sustainable mobility as a whole. The publication focuses on aspects of green mobility in the context of nature, enterprise and technology and seeks to explore the links between transportation, technological management and innovation, energy use, sustainable development and responsible business. Topics covered include: * low-carbon vehicles technologies, * renewable/clean/green technologies; * biofuels and other sources of renewable energy; * transportation management systems; * vehicle emission controls; * sustainable transport policies and governance JSM is essential reading for academics, practitioners, policy-makers and others interested in the latest research and thinking on sustainable transport and mobility. The inaugural issue will be launched at the Second International Symposium on Sustainable Mobility, on Sustainable Mobility in China and its Implications for Emerging Economies, 28-29 May 2014, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. For more information, including subscription details, early subscriber discounts and the full Editorial Advisory Board, visit www.greenleaf-publishing.com/jsm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Call for Papers We will also publish a Special Issue of The Journal of Sustainable Mobility based on the theme of the conference: Sustainable Mobility in China and its Implications for Emerging Economies. To read the full Call for Papers and for submission details please visit our website: http://bit.ly/1eZaN8E For more information and general enquiries please contact Anna Comerford anna@greenleaf-publishing.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From yanivbin at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 13:35:44 2014 From: yanivbin at gmail.com (Vinay Baindur) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:05:44 +0530 Subject: [sustran] =?utf-8?Q?The_road_to_safety_OPINION_=C2=BB_EDITORIAL?= Message-ID: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/the-road-to-safety/article5960266.ece?homepage=true OPINION ? EDITORIALApril 30, 2014 Updated: April 30, 2014 00:21 IST The road to safety TOPICS disaster and accident road safety transport accident road accident India?s roads have acquired a reputation, quite deservedly, of being the most dangerous in the world. Rapid motorisation and fast-paced economic activity over several years have been accompanied by an annual toll of nearly 140,000 accident fatalities; injuries are estimated to be 15 to 20 times the number of deaths. In absolute numbers, more people die in road accidents in India than in any other country. Apart from the human dimension of the tragedy, avoidable death and disability seriously affect economic progress ? by some estimates, 3 per cent of GDP is lost in a year due to the carnage. The recent decision of the Supreme Court to appoint a three-member committee to suggest ways to prevent road accidents and ensure accountability offers some hope that a new government at the Centre will be compelled to address the issue as an emergency. It is not as if suggestions for improvements for enhanced safety have not been proposed earlier. The Sundar Committee constituted by the Centre called for an apex agency to be created to assess all aspects of road safety, and to address the lacuna in scientific accident investigation. Although the recommendation was made seven years ago, it has failed to take off. Indians are travelling more miles per capita today, and are at high risk for injury or worse. Unsafe transport, including services operated by government agencies, are a major part of the problem. Several ghastly accidents involving public transport vehicles have been reported, but the State governments involved have shown little sense of accountability. They routinely challenge even claims for compensation. Their response to the need for improved infrastructure has been woefully weak. In its recent report, the National Transport Development Policy Committee headed by Rakesh Mohan suggested that national, State and local-level institutions be set up, with responsibility to address the issue of safety. There is an urgent need to form these committees, and appoint professionals to them. They must be empowered to upgrade driver-licensing practices, road systems, public lighting and signage. Accident investigation, which remains a neglected area, requires a thorough overhaul, and CCTVs can help determine the cause of mishaps. Also, the neglect of the public district hospital network in most States, and the high cost of treatment at private hospitals affect access to good trauma care for accident victims. The right to life demands that the Central and State governments provide medical facilities at a proximate institution free of cost to all. The Supreme Court panel must give road accidents the status of a public health issue that has acquired alarming proportions. Reform to improve road safety cannot be delayed any longer.