Victoria Transport Policy Institute

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Victoria Transport Policy Institute 1250 Rudlin
Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
www.vtpi.org info_at_vtpi.org Phone Fax
250-360-1560 Efficiency - Equity - Clarity
Reinventing Transportation Exploring the
Paradigm Shift Needed to Reconcile
Transportation and Sustainability Objectives
By Todd Litman Victoria Transport Policy
Institute 27 June, 2003 Abstract
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Write down one word that comes into your thought
when you read the following word
Transport
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Words contributed by the participants
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Improving transport What do you understand by
that?
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Why do people need transportation? Because it
gives them the ability to move from one place to
another. Is mobility a necessity in life? Yes,
it is. Mobility give people access to So,
transportation is all about accessibility and
mobility?
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How to improve the mobility and accessibility of
people? How to improve transport?
Do they both mean the same? If not what is the
difference?
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Mobility Efficient movement of people and
goods where congestion or inadequate roads need
not be a problem
Accessibility ability to reach
opportunities where congestion or inadequate
roads should not be a problem
Traffic vehicle movement and speed where
congestion or inadequate roads is a problem
Source http//www.gdrc.org/uem/sustran/access-mob
ility.html
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In road-focused approach access to services,
goods and contacts requires a lots of
mobility, as it is in the case of remote rural
areas. Is it?
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What are the problems associated with automobile
dependent cities?
Ecological problems
Economic problems
Social problems
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Gigatonnes CO2-equivalent GHGs emissions per year
LDV means Light Duty Vehicles
Global transport greenhouse gas emissions by
transport type (WBCSD, 2004)
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Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Curitiba (in Brazil)
which pioneered BRT technology in the 1970s

• - BRT system is different from conventional bus
  service
• - BRT run in dedicated lanes
• - BRT have signal priority so they spend less
  time stopped at red lights
• BRT board passengers through all doors after
  paying fares at station platforms
• Space for the busway is often re-allocated from
  existing traffic or parking lanes

BRT buses move quickly through the city
transporting 2 million people daily, which is 70
of the cities population. GDP per capita of
Curitiba increased from 10 to 65 above the
national average during 1980 to 1996.
Investing in Sustainable Transport could lead to
higher economic growth
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BRT helps to reduce transport-related
pollution, improves urban transport, improves
accessibility, Improves traffic safety,
improves public security, and boosts the
quality of public spaces in the City.
Mexicos BRT system
The existing 20 km BRT line (is being extended to
220 km in five years) already carries more than
260,000 passengers each day and has shortened
commute times by up to an hour
Source http//www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/me
xico_city_may.php
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Bogotá, Colombia built 70 miles of bicycle routes
and closed several streets to cars (converting
them into pedestrian malls).

• The initial 350 million, 38 km TransMilenio
  system was introduced in less than 2 years.
• The buses are able to carry 780,000 people a day
  at an average speed of 26 km per hr.
• - Unlike expensive subways or elevated trains,
  the TransMilenio actually runs at a profit.

http//archive.wri.org/newsroom/wrifeatures_text.c
fm?ContentID880
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The Transjakarta Busway in Indonesia, Asias
biggest BRT, began operations in February 2004
amid stiff opposition - but its success silenced
critics.
The system carries 100,000 passengers a day,
three times the number when it started. It is so
popular that six corridors will be added in the
next 3 years.
Source http//www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/pr
opertyvalue-26756.html
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TransSantiago BRT system in Santiago, Chile
failed catastrophically. 
Why?
http//embarq.wri.org/documentupload/Willumsen_Tra
nsantiago_short.pdf
http//embarq.wri.org/documentupload/Correa_Transa
ntiago_short.pdf
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World Carfree Day
September 22
Source http//www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/
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How to access services, goods and contacts with
less mobility?
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Shanghai Overpass a transport solution
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London is the largest city to adopt congestion
pricing
Congestion pricing is a superior gridlock and
pollution solution because it has a financial
incentive that discourages driving, encourages
mass transit and funds it.  - Michael Replogle
cutting traffic and air pollution, fighting
climate change to create high-quality public
spaces
Source http//www.sutp.org/content/view/1041/1/la
ng,uk/
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Congestion pricing works by shifting purely
discretionary rush hour highway travel to other
transportation modes or to off-peak periods,
taking advantage of the fact that the majority of
rush hour drivers on a typical urban highway are
not commuters.
Airline tickets and phone rates use congestion
pricing
Source http//www.sutp.org/content/view/1041/1/la
ng,uk/
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Paris created an individualized mass transit
system called Vélib (Freedom Bikes).  People
pay a low fee to use the bikes from one of the
1,200 bike parking stations located in the city
and they can return the bikes to any station they
wish.  By the end of 2007, Vélib had more than
1,200 stations and 15,000 bikes in the system. 
As of November 2007, more than 11 million trips
have been made on these bikes. 
cutting traffic and air pollution, fighting
climate change to create high-quality public
spaces
Source http//www.sutp.org/content/view/1041/1/la
ng,uk/
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120 million
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• Paris is revitalizing community life in public
  spaces
• Paris is prioritizing pedestrians by renovating
  public squares and plazas, widening sidewalks,
  and adding new landscaping and raised crosswalks 
  
• Paris has built more than 314 km of bike lanes,
  and bicycling has increased 48 during the past 5
  years
•  
• 3 corridors of the new BRT system also opened in
  2007 
• private vehicle traffic is decreased by 20
• CO2 emissions is reduced by 9  

Source http//www.sutp.org/content/view/1041/1/la
ng,uk/
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What about the terrain? Could you bicycle in
Kandy with its high slopes?
To experience an invention for cyclists on a
slope in a country that gets very cold,
visit http//www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/the_
bicycle_lif.php
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Isnt it risky to ride a bicycle on city roads?
To experience cyclists lives on a busy Dutch
intersection without any traffic controls,
visit http//www.youtube.com/watch?vzpHlj5j7nyY
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Both the stop sign and stop light were invented
in Detroit ca. 1915 and 1920, respectively!
Urban streets had been happily and safely
shared by pedestrians, cyclists, horses, and
whatnot. Traffic regulations only became
necessary once cars began choking the streets,
since cars size and speed make them nearly
incapable of civilly sharing the road.
Source http//www.projetmontreal.org/programme/el
ements.php?langen
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When everyone drives a car, there will be no
space on the road to drive it.
Source www.sustainable-transport.net/
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Sustainable Transport, Not Highways Help Economic
Growth In the past fears have been raised that
investments and incentives to shift to more
sustainable forms of transport would harm
economic growth. Recent studies show this is
not the case. A report to the World Bank
prepared by researchers at Murdoch University is
turning this way of thinking on its head.
Source The Natural Edge Project, Australia
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Professor Peter Newman, states Weve found
that cities which emphasise walking, cycling and
public transport are healthier financially and
spend less of their wealth on transport costs.
The land required to build the infrastructure
and its subsequent requirements for parking a
single lane of railway can carry up to 50,000
persons per hour, a bus way can carry 7,000
persons per hour and a highway lane just 2,500
persons per hour.
Kenworthy, J., Laube, F., Newman, P. and Barter,
P. (1997) Indicators of transport efficiency in
37 cities, Report to World Bank, ISTP, Murdoch
University, Western Australia.
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Professor Peter Newman, states The direct
cost to households of owning a car is
considerable, especially if it is a second or
third car. A study in Australia showed that a
household could save AUD750,000 over a lifetime
if a second car could be avoided.
Kenworthy, J., Laube, F., Newman, P. and Barter,
P. (1997) Indicators of transport efficiency in
37 cities, Report to World Bank, ISTP, Murdoch
University, Western Australia.
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Professor Peter Newman, states The
opportunity cost of such capital and land can be
considerable if seen on a whole-city basis. The
difference between the most competitive cities,
in terms of their transportation costs as a
proportion of city wealth, and the least
competitive (5-8 compared to 12-18) can be
equivalent to an extra day a week of work in car
dependent cities.
Newman, P. (1998) Transport, Interview
transcript from Radio National Earthbeat,
12.09.98. Available at http//www.abc.net.au/rn/
science/earth/stories/s13083.htm Accessed 3
September 2007.
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• Sustainable Transport Checklist
• (1997 Engineers Australia Checklist for
  Sustainable Transport)
• Ensure Access and Equity
• - Meet basic transport related needs of all
  people, including the poor, disabled, rural
  residents, women, young people and business.
• - Increase options for access.

Greene, D. (1997) Engineering Frameworks for
Sustainability Sustainable Transport Checklist,
Engineers Australia.
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• Sustainable Transport Checklist
• (1997 Engineers Australia Checklist for
  Sustainable Transport)
• 2) Make Cities more Efficient and Liveable
• Give priority to residential development that
  encourages neighbourhoods with services and
  employment opportunities accessible by
  pedestrians and cyclists.
• Develop transit-oriented urban villages.
• Implement traffic calming measures to reduce
  speed, improve safety and improve amenity.

See Traffic Calming at ttp//www.trafficcalming.o
rg/index.html. Available 18 October 2007.
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Sustainable Transport Checklist (1997 Engineers
Australia Checklist for Sustainable
Transport) 3) Integrate Transport Planning,
Development and Operation - Integrate transport
and land use planning. - Develop government
structures which can consider all transport
needs. - Design funding arrangements that can
distribute funds in accordance with agreed
strategic directions. - Ensure that transport
planning and decision-making reflects commitments
to sustainability.
Source The Natural Edge Project, Australia
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Sustainable Transport Checklist (1997 Engineers
Australia Checklist for Sustainable
Transport) 4) Design and Operate Environmentally
Sensitive Transport Systems - Ensure protection
of ecosystems in design, construction and
operation. - Reduce noise. - Ensure protection
of historic and cultural sites. - Minimise air
and water emissions from transport. Protect
biodiversity.
Source The Natural Edge Project, Australia
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Sustainable Transport Checklist (1997 Engineers
Australia Checklist for Sustainable
Transport) 4) - Ensure protection of ecosystems
in design, construction and operation. - Reduce
noise. - Ensure protection of historic and
cultural sites. - Minimise air and water
emissions from transport. Protect biodiversity.
Source The Natural Edge Project, Australia
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Source The Natural Edge Project, Australia
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