This study investigated urban transportation problems and future tasks in the cities of the APEC region with selected typical case studies. Because of the limited amount of data and information for many of the cities in the APEC member economies, however, the analysis and evaluation have necessary limitations.
The research covered the major areas in urban transportation, including infrastructure development, growth in car ownership, traffic congestion problems, public transportation, traffic accidents, air pollution, the development of new transport technology, and transport administration systems, beginning with an introductory overview of urban development and transportation in the APEC region. The study also discussed the potential for international cooperation on urban transportation issues.
Summary
Economic growth and urbanization have created a host of urban transportation problems in the cities of the APEC region, yet the severity of the problems varies considerably from city to city. Moreover, there is a big gap between the developed and developing countries, not only in terms of their awareness of the problems but also in the effectiveness of their policies for dealing with them.
Though the development of transport infrastructure is a major concern in many developing countries, many large-scale projects have not progressed smoothly, mainly due to financing problems. As solutions to the problems have been sought, the existing public transport systems have deteriorated further, resulting in distortions in urban transportation systems such as excessive growth of car ownership, and growth in the number of low-quality paratransit modes such as motorcycles, which have resulted in high rates of traffic accidents and air pollution.
Since the early 1990s, we have witnessed a fundamental paradigm shift in urban transportation planning from the conventional demand-led approach to an integrated package approach. Under the new paradigm, transportation policies are based more on the “predict and prevent” approach than on the “predict and provide” approach of the past.
It is widely agreed that urban transport problems cannot be solved through traditional methods that fail to link land-use and transport policy and that result in expanded transport space and growth in car ownership. Establishing a transit-oriented city with a reliable and efficient public transport system can be the key to solving urban transport problems. To enhance traffic safety, each country must set its goals and strategies to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities. Such goals and strategies should strive to, for instance, enhance education and public awareness regarding traffic safety, supplement related laws, expand safety facilities, or improve traffic controls. Travel demand management (TDM), the art of influencing traveler’s behavior for the purpose of reducing and redistributing travel demand in space and time, and traffic operation control are relatively new approaches to mitigating traffic congestion for more efficient highway use. Such approaches may be more relevant for the cities in developing countries, since they cost far less than infrastructure development. Air pollution is the most common form of environmental damage caused by transportation. Because air pollution problems are not just local, but part of a larger global problem, all countries, both developing and developed, should exert greater effort to reduce air pollution. The level of transportation technology development varies greatly between countries. Though most developing countries cannot afford to develop advanced technologies, it is they that need new transport technology the most.
Conclusion
Since the backgrounds and severity of the urban transportation problems in the APEC region are varied and diverse, there is no package of general policy prescriptions that can be applied to all cities.
In developed countries such as Canada or the United States, the current aim of existing transportation policy appears to be to reduce excessive dependence on autos and to enhance the role of public transit. Such policies will contribute greatly to improving air quality, but their successful implementation presupposes a powerful public transport system that offers an acceptable level of service to not only those who lack access to private transport, but also to those who have the option of driving their own cars. There is also a need for TDM measures. Reasonable, comprehensive and consistent TDM measures can be an effective means of achieving a sustainable transportation system.
In developing countries, the most critical problem in urban transportation is that the public transport system cannot meet travel demand. This results in a distorted urban transport system characterized by the excessive use of low-quality paratransit modes as well as a high rate of automobile ownership. Such cities can take two routes for future urban transportation. One option would be to establish a reliable public transport system, particularly urban railways. The other route would be to allow current problems to get worse by not making the proper level of investment in transport facilities. The latter will lead to poorer public transport systems and greater dependence on the low-quality paratransit modes by the majority of travelers, and on automobiles by a small minority of high-income travelers. In such a situation, congestion levels, accident rates and air quality would deteriorate even more.
The ultimate goal of both developed and developing countries is to produce a more humane transport environment by reducing traffic congestion as well as accident and air pollution levels. It is clear that rail systems not only benefit urban development enormously, but contribute significantly in reducing congestion and other environmental hazards. However, it is very expensive for cities to install new subway or elevated railway systems. Thus, fixed right-of-way (ROW) should be preserved in urban areas, even if the railway cannot be financed at the present time. The ROW may in the end be used for heavy rail, LRT, or even advanced bus systems, thus greatly reducing the cost of providing infrastructure later on. Preserving ROW for urban railways is the best way for cities to solve transportation problems in the future.
It is critical that each member economy and their cities share their experiences, explore themselves, learn lessons from others, and seek desirable solutions based on reliable information from an urban transportation database. Through increased interaction, member economies will be able to find better solutions and avoid wasting time with trial-and error methods. Several recommendations follow:
First, as a practical and useful activity, it would be desirable to promote the establishment and dissemination of the urban transportation database through the consent and cooperation of all member economies. In order to identify what the problems are, what policies and measures are possible, and what should be done, a database should be made available to all member economies. The data for urban transportation on the cities of the APEC region should then be collected from each of the member economies, processed in an advanced electronic format, then disseminated through the Internet. One of the member economies should coordinate the cooperation process.
Second, the Urban Transport Forum (UTF), which was initially proposed by the then-Korean Minister of Construction and Transportation at the APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting at Washington D.C., in 1995, should be resumed in such a way as to reflect the interests of member economies. Continuous sharing of different experiences and information from many different member economies and cities at the UTF will be a useful way of enhancing each member economy’s capacity to develop and implement sound policies.
At this stage, activities that are feasible and practical should be carried out first, under the existing framework of the APEC. Each of us should explore our own systems with open-mindedness, and work to gain insight from others. We need to learn more, to not only educate ourselves, but also to be better able to advise policy makers and users of transport. In particular, we should emphasize the cooperative system between countries, especially between developing countries and developed countries. The advanced countries will need to pay more attention to the urban transportation problems of developing countries, particularly in the areas of financing, technology development, and professional manpower development. Also, especially for global issues such as air pollution or global warming, member economies will need to seek global solutions through close cooperative efforts.
REFERENCES
(In alphabetical order)
ADB, Capital Data Project Financeware, 1998
ASCE, Creative Access for Major Activity Centers, Automated People Movers VI, 1998
Adler, Jonathan M and Penny M. Carey, “Air Toxics Emissions and Health Risks from Mobile Source”, Paper Presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting, Air & Water Management Association, 1989
Alan Armstrong-Wright, Public Transport in Third World Cities, London, 1993
Ashok K. Dutt et al., The Asian City: Processes of Development, Characteristics and Planning, UN Publications, 1994
Auckland Regional Council, Auckland Land Transport Strategy, New Zealand, 1999
Bradshaw, Ruth and Jones, Peter, “TDM Trends in Europe”, Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS), Volume 22, No. 1, 1998
Bruce Duncan, A New Vision for Urban Transportation: A Canadian Overview, A report prepared for The 1st APEC Urban Transport Forum, 1996
Button, Kenneth, Transport, Environment and Economic Policy, Edward Elgar Co. 1993
California Air Resource Board, Air Pollution-Transportation Linkage, 1990
California Air Resource Board, California Clean Air Act Guidance for the Development of Indirect Source Control Programs, July 1990
California Air Resource Board, California Clean Air Act Transportation Requirements Guidance, 1990
California Air Resource Board, Guidance on Estimating Emission Reductions Needed to Attain State standards And for Determining Area Classifications in Response to California Clean Air Act, October, 1990
California Air Resource Board, HOV System Plans as Air Pollution Control Measures, December, 1990
California Energy Commission, Methanol as a Motor Fuel: Review of the Issues Related to Air Quality, Demand, Supply, Cost, Consumer Acceptance and Health and Safety, April, 1989
Chamlong Poboon and Jeffrey Kenworthy, Bangkok’s Traffic Disaster: An International Comparative Assessment of Transport and Land Use in Bangkok with Its Implications for Air Quality, Pathways to Sustainability, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, June 1997
DRI, World Economic Outlook, 1999
Dong Li, China’s Urban Transportation, A report prepared for the 1st UTF, Nov. 1996
Dong-Joo Moon, Sei-Chang Oh, “Governmental Initiatives for Private-Sector Participation in ITS Program of Korea,” Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress on ITS, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A., 1996
ECMT(The European Conference of Ministers of Transport), Urban Travel and Sustainable Development, OECD, 1995
Eisinger, Douglas S. et al., Transportation Control Measures: State Implementation Plan Guidance, U.S. EPA, 1990
F.V.Webster, P.H.Bly, Johnston, N.Pauley and M.Dasgupta, Changing Patterns of Urban Travel, 1985
Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, Flexible Funding Opportunities for Transportation Investments, 1996
Fung-Ping, Transport in Hong Kong, The first APEC Urban Transport Forum, Seoul, Korea, 1996
Government of Japan, Comprehensive Plan for ITS in Japan, 1996
Grant, Lester D. and Bruce C. Jordan, “Basis For Primary Air Quality Criteria and Standard”, Paper Presented at the 78th Annual Meeting, Air Pollution Control Association, May, 1985
Hall, G and Golob, J, “Los Angeles Smart Traveler field operational test evaluation”, PATH draft research report, No. D95-35, Berkeley, UC, 1995
Harata, Noboru, “Toward Effective TDM Through Partnership in Japan”, Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS), Volume 22, No. 1, 1998
Hensher, D.A., N.C.Smith, F.W.Milthore, P.O.Barnard, Dimensions of Automobile Demand, University of Sydney. 1992
Hideaki Mukaiyama et al., Urban Transport Problems in Japan, A report prepared for The 1st APEC Urban Transport Forum, Nov. 1996
IMF, International Financial Statistics, 1999
IRF, World Road Statistics 1998
ITS America, A Comparison of ITS Progress around the World Through 1996, 1997
ITS Handbook, Ministry of Construction, Japan, 1996-1998
Institute of Transportation, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Transportation Policy White Book, Republic of China, May 1996
J. Kenworthy, Automobile Dependence in Bangkok: An International Comparison with Implications for Planning Policies, World Transport Policy and Practice, Vol 1, No 3, 1995
Japan Environment Agency, Motor Vehicle Pollution Control in Japan, Jan. 1987
Japan Environment Agency, The Future Policy for Motor Vehicle Exhaust Emission Reduction, December 1989
Jeffrey Kenworthy et. al., Resisting Automobile Dependence in Booming Economies: A Case Study of Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong within a Global Sample of Cities, Asian Studies Association of Australia Biennial Conference, July 1994
Jeffrey Kenworthy et. al., “Is Increasing Automobile Dependence Inevitable in Booming Economics?: Asian Cities in an International Context”, IATSS Research Vol 19, No.2, 1995
Jeffrey Kenworthy, Automobile dependence in Bangkok: an international comparison with implications for planning policies and air pollution, Health at the Crossroads: Transport Policy and Urban Health, Edited by Tony Fletcher and Anthony J. McMichael, 1997
Joint Program Office for ITS, National ITS Program Plan, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1995
Keane, T., FHWA Pricing Team, Congestion notes, No. 4, Spring, 1998
Kevin Heanue, Urban Transportation in the United States, A report prepared for the 1st UTF, Nov. 1996
Kian-Keong Chin, Public Transport and Traffic Management in Singapore, The 2nd APEC Urban Transport Forum, Taipei, APEC Transportation Working Group, Oct. 1997
Kim, J.S. and Lee, S.W., Transportation and the Environment (Korean version), 1996
Korea Transport Institute, International Symposium & Exhibition on Automated Guided Transit, 1992
Krupnick, Alan J., Measuring the Effects of Urban Transportation Policies on the Environment The World Bank, 1992
Kyung-Soo Chon, Sibok Lee, Sang-Keon Lee, The National ITS Research and Development Program of
Korea, Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on ITS, Berlin, Germany, 1997
LEAP, Congestion Pricing, PATH, California DOT, 1999
LEAP, En-route transit information, PATH, California DOT, 1999
LEAP, Intelligent Transportation System, Pre-trip Information, 1999
LEAP, Traffic management center, PATH, California DOT, 1999
Lin Junhao, The Development and Urban Transportation, the 4th International Transport Symposium, Korean Society of Transportation and Shanghai Railway, September 1998
M. Walsh, Urban Transport and the Environment in the Asia-Pacific Region, 1991
Manuel P. Clasara, Urban Transport Situation in Metropolitan Manila, A report prepared for the 1st UTF, Nov. 1996
Merson, Melissa, “Environmental Regulation of the Automobile,” Environment Reporter,Vol.13. No.33, December, 1982
Ministry of Construction and Transportation, National ITS Basic Plan, Korea, 1997
Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Transport in Korea 1997, Korea
Ministry of Information and the Arts, Singapore Facts and Pictures, 1996
Moo-Yung Jo, Jeong-hee An, Public Transportation Policy in Korea, The 2nd APEC Urban Transport Forum, Taipei, APEC Transportation Working Group, Oct. 1997
Morisugi, H., N. Miyake and T.Yosida, “A Study of Measurement of Social Cost of Noise,” Proceeding of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, No. 302, 1980
NEWSFLASH, Auckland Regional Council, New Zealand, 1999
Nagai, Mamoru, “Progress of TDM and the Role of the Social Experiment in the Transportation Policy of a Local Major City”, Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS), Volume 22, No. 1, 1998
Newman and Kenworthy, Cities and Automobile Dependence: An International Sourcebook, Gover Technical, 1989, 1991
Newman, Kenworthy and Laube, The Global City and Sustainability – Perspectives from Australian Cities and a Survey of 37 Global Cities, for fifth International Workshop on Technological Change and Urban Form, Jakarta, Indonesia, 18-20 June 1997
Newman, Peter, Reducing Automobile Dependence, UNCHS (Habitat), An Urbanizing World; The
Global Report on Human Settlements, Oxford University Press, Oxford and London, 1996
OECD, Cars and Climate Change, 1993
OECD, Environmental Impact Assessment of Road, 1994
OECD, Environmental Policies for Cities in the 1990s, 1990
OECD, Motor Vehicle Pollution, 1995
OECD, Transport and the Environment, 1988
Ockwell, Anthony P., Public Transport in Australia, The first APEC Urban Transport Forum, Seoul, Korea, 1996
Ohta, Katsutoshi, “TDM Measures Toward Sustainable Mobility”, Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS), Volume 22, No. 1, 1998
Omar Haji Sirat, Brunei’s Urban Transportation, A report prepared for the 1st UTF Nov 1996
Orski, Kenneth, “TDM Trends in the United States”, Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS), Volume 22, No.1, 1998
P. Rudiger, Valuing Environment Methodological and Measurement Issues, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1994
Pacific Consultants International, Suuri-Keikaku Co., The Study on Urban Environmental Improvement Program in Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Vol.2:Master Plan, 1996
Paul Barter et. al., The Challenge of Southeast Asia’s Rapid Motorization: Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Surabaya and Manila in an International Perspective, Asian Studies Association of Australia Biennial Conference, July 1994
Pearce, David W. and R. Kerry Turner, Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, Harvest Wheatsheat, 1990
Peter Midgley, Urban Transport in Asia: An Operational Agendas for the 1990s, World Bank, Washington 1994
Peter Newman, Towards Sustainable Australian Cities, RAIA National Housing Conference, Sydney, March 1998
Peter Newman, “Reducing automobile dependence,” Environment and Urbanization, Vol.8, No.1, April 1996
R. Bradshow and P. Jones, “TDM Trends in Europe”, IATSS Research Vol. 22, No.1, 1998
R.K Bose and G.A. Mackenzie, Transport in Delhi: Energy and Environmental Consequences, UNEP Industry and Environment Vol.1, 1993
Soon-Man Hong, Urban Transportation Issues and Improvement Efforts in Korea, A report prepared for the 1st UTF, Nov. 1996
State of New South Wales, Road Safety in NSW, 1997
Stover and Koepke, Transportation and Land Development, Institute of transportation Engineers, Prentice Hall, 1988
Suwardjoko Warpani, Urban Transport Management in Indonesia, A report prepared for the 1st UTF, Nov. 1996
Swedish Transport Research Board, Environmental Consideration in the Location and Design of Roads in Sweden, 1991
Swedish Transport Research Board, Freight Transportation Environment and its Characterization, 1991
TRB, “Strategies to Attract Auto Users to Public Transportation”, TCRP Report 40, 1998
TRB, “Transit-Friendly Streets: Design and Traffic Management Strategies to Support Livable Communities”, TCRP Report 33, 1998
TRL, “The Effects of Rapid Transit on Public Transport and Urban Development”, 1992
Taipei City, A Review of Chinese Taipei Experience; A Report for the 2nd APEC Urban Transport Forum, Chinese Taipei, Sep. 1997
Taipei City, “The Application of ITS in Urban Transportation”, Paper Presented at the Second APEC Urban Transport Forum, Session III, Chinese Taipei, Sep. 1997
Tan Hocheng, Keep Taipei Moving – Taipei Public Transportation & Road Management Experience, The 2nd APEC Urban Transport Forum, Taipei, APEC Transportation Working Group, Oct. 1997
Tani, A. and N. Miyatake, A Method of Estimating Commuter Preference, Proceeding of The Japanese Society of Civil Engineers, No. 250, Nov. 1997
European Union, Telematics Applications for Transport (Annual Report 1996-1997), 1998
Tellis, R and Khisty, C., “Assessment of the actual cost of automobiles travel on urban highways,” Transportation Congress, Vol. 1, Proceedings of the 1995 Conference.
The Vancouver Conference, Towards Sustainable Transportation, 1996
Thomas R. Leinbach and Chia Lin Sien, South-East Asian Transport, 1989
Train, Kenneth, Qualitative Choice Analysis, MIT Press, 1986
Transport Branch of Hong Kong Government, “A Build, Operate and Transfer Franchise For a New, Strategic Road Link,” A Paper Prepared for the APEC Roundtable on Best Practices in Infrastructure Development, APEC Economic Committee, Seattle, USA, July 1996
Transport Canada, Transportation in Canada: 1996 Annual Report
U.S. Department of Transportation, Overview of Travel Demand Management Measures, January 1994
U.S. EPA, Mobile Source Emission Standard Summary, 1985
U.S. EPA, The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Summary Materials, 1990
U.S. EPA, User's Guide to Mobile 4, Feb. 1989
U.S. EPA, Volatile Organic Compounds from On-Road Vehicles, 1990
U.S. General Accounting Office, Reducing Vehicle Emission with Transportation Control Measures, August 1993
UN, Statistical Yearbook for Asia and Pacific, 1997
UNESCAP, Development of Urban Transport: The Case for Balanced Transport Development in Asian Cities, 1995
UNESCAP, Road Safety in Asia and the Pacific, 1996
UNESCAP, Road Transport and the Environment: Areas of Concern for the Asian and Pacific Region , 1997
UNESCAP, State of the Environment in Asia and the Pacific, 1995
UNESCAP, UNDP, Government of France, Guide Book on Energy Environment Planning in Developing Countries, 1995
US DOT, Traffic Signal System, 1999
United Nations Centre for Regional Development, “Urban Infrastructure Development,” Proceeding of the First International Expert Panel Meeting on Urban Infrastructure Development 21-22 June 1996,
United Nations, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development III, Energy Resources Development Series NO.36, New York, 1999
Share with your friends: |