Public Transportation at the State Level

1
Public Transportation at the State Level

• Planning and Design of Public Transport
  Infrastructure
• By
• Moaz Yusuf Ahmad

2
Challenges faced in Selangor

• Emphasis on car travel (often single-occupancy)
  in Malaysia (status symbol)
• Limited investment in public transit/transport
• Mainly suburban and exurban communities with
  large population
• Communities usually surrounded by expressways and
  divided by wide express-roads
• Trip generators are often separated from each
  other ? discourages public transport ?
  encourages car use

3
Challenges faced in Selangor

• High traffic volume and incomplete roads (creates
  gridlock within existing road system)
• Older, high density urban areas not designed for
  large volumes of automobile traffic
• Klang
• Petaling Jaya
• Failure of existing infrastructure or costly
  maintenance (MRRII flyover, Klang bridges)
• Cannot keep pace with development

4
LRT is a high-cost, low mobility solution

• High cost of LRT construction
• Cost estimated at RM 150-200 million per km
• Full elevation requires large elevated station
  structure
• Number of lines is limited due to high costs
• Lines will often run through industrial areas,
  TNB corridors, or along rivers
• Service to housing estates will be unpopular
• Little or no reduction in the use of
  single-occupancy vehicles within communities
• Still requires additional feeder bus network plus
  parking structures at stations ? potential for
  traffic congestion
• Potential for negative impact of LRT on community

5
Quick wins - Low-cost, high mobility solutions

• Invest in Community-Based Public Transport
• Shuttle Bus Services to bring public transport to
  the people

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Quick wins - Low-cost, high mobility solutions

• Direct express bus routes and feeder bus routes
  to link communities to LRT (Lembah Subang) and
  KTM lines
• Encourages passenger demand to develop
• Greater cost recovery lower subsidy
• Build new station on Kelana Jaya LRT line at
  existing Lembah Subang Depot
• Guideway, tracks and station already in place
• Reduces pressure on Kelana Jaya station and
  existing bus routes, roads

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A low-cost, high mobility solution

• Restricted Rights-Of-Way are constructed in the
  outside and/or centre lanes of major arterial
  roads
• Allows public transit vehicles to move faster
• Improves reliability of public transit service
• Encourages use of public transit for more trips
• Overhead bridges will connect passengers safely
  to clearly visible, safer public transit stops
• Increased flexibility transit vehicles can
  operate in restricted ROW (Class A/B) or in mixed
  traffic (C)
• Saves money by reducing delays, construction costs

8
Restricted bus Right-of-Way

• Orange Line, Los Angeles, CA (USA)
• TransJakarta, Jakarta (Indonesia)
• TransMilenio, Bogata (Columbia)

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Grass-covered, restricted right-of-way

• Kenosha, WI (USA)
• Le Mans (France)
• Madrid (Spain)

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Stations located in existing centre median

• Bus Rapid Transit, Beijing (China)
• TransJakarta, Jakarta (Indonesia)
• TransMilenio, Bogata (Columbia)

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Benefits over LRT option

• Impian LRT leads us to ignore other options
• Kelana Jaya LRT currently 40 overcapacity
• Confusion over State and National Government
  plans for extension of Kelana Jaya LRT (Shah Alam
  or USJ)
• Immediate need for public transportation
  improvements ? oil, petrol price increases
• Faster planning and construction period

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Benefits over LRT option

• Lower cost of construction
• Travels along existing roads already owned by
  government
• Cost estimated at RM 20 million per km (bus) to
  40-50 million per km (Rapid Tram)
• Ramps, overhead bridges allow universal
  accessibility
• Build more lines for the same amount of money
• 4km of Rapid Tram or 10km of Rapid Bus vs. 1km of
  LRT
• More lines increases mobility for Subang Jaya
  residents
• More money can be devoted to improving feeder bus
  network and KTM Komuter service
• Positive effect on community

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Bus or Rail?

• Saarbruken LRT/Bus interchange (Netherlands)

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Bus or Rail?
Criteria Bus (12m) Tram (25m) LRT (STAR)
Construction Cost (RM) 20 million / km 40 million / km 180 million / km
Flexibility High High Very Low
Vehicle Capacity 60-80 200-240 600-650
Operator/ Passenger Ratio 180 max 1240 max 1650 max
Lifetime 15 years 25-30 years 25-40 years
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Conclusion

• Traffic congestion is causing significant
  economic and social problems for communities in
  Selangor
• Solutions must allow various options for
  residents
• Planning must include transit options,
  mixed-uses, higher densities ? Transit-Oriented
  Developments
• Restricted Right-Of-Way (Class A/B ROW) improves
  reliability of public transit modes (compare LRT
  vs. bus on-time performance, reliability)
• Based on cost-benefit analysis, Rapid Tram in
  Class A/B ROW is the best transit mode for
  communities in Selangor with the exception of
  high-density urban communities

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Sources

• Selangor 2020 Draft Structural and MPSJ Local
  Plan
• DBKL 2020 Infrastructure Plan
• National Physical Plan (Transportation)
• RapidKL, Prasarana
• Urban Rail, Railway Technology
• Skyscrapercity.com, usj.com.my, residents
• Archived photos including personal collection

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Thank you for your Time

• Moaz Yusuf Ahmad 012-248-3330
• SS17, Subang Jaya Moaz.ahmad_at_gmail.com
• moaz.a_at_taylors.edu.my