Traffic Congestion: Balancing the needs of pedestrians, cars, and transit while protecting the environment
Why is there traffic congestion?
Population growth – in a wealthy or developing nation, more people mean more vehicles
Unchecked development and congested streets
Accidents and incidents
As traffic congestion increases, some cities, overwhelmed by it focus on mobility (increasing and/ or widening roads) instead of moving their focus on to people and places. Cities which plan for cars and traffic get exactly that, more cars and more traffic. A focus on mobility negatively affects our health and quality of life, because we drive to go everywhere or choose to go nowhere at all.
Pedestrians and bicycles – Amsterdam
Photo courtesy: Vernelle A.A. Noel
Some effects of a vehicle based development include:
Lack of physical activity such as walking and riding resulting in poor health - obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure
Road fatalities and
Congestion
Some effects of traffic congestion:
Long hours in traffic
Waking up earlier than desired to get to school or work
Leaving earlier or later to avoid the congestion on the roads
Increasingly cities are planning transportation networks which are shifting from supporting vehicles to supporting pedestrians, communities; and public transit systems which allow the fast movement of large numbers of people. They are improving public transit; and encouraging walking and biking as important modes of urban transportation. Bogotá, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and London are some examples of cities intent on improving public space by aggressively pursuing new ways to balance the needs of pedestrians, cars, and transit.
This week we will look at Curitiba (Brazil) and Bogota (Columbia). They are now world leaders in urban planning thanks to its green spaces, bicycle paths, pedestrian streets and their much talked-about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System.
The Bus Rapid Transit System operates like an above-ground subway system and consists of:
A hierarchical system of buses
Dedicated lanes for buses
Articulated and bi-articulated buses with a capacity of 170-270 passengers
Elevated bus stations that permit pre-board ticketing and fast boarding
Smaller buses feeding riders into main stations
18 hours of operation every day in Bogota
In Curitiba there are approximately 1,902 buses transporting 1.9 million passengers per day, in Bogota 850 buses transporting 1.4 million passengers per day. Curitibanos spend only 10 percent of their income on travel, which is well below the national average. Curitiba and Bogota’s approach to their transportation system was as a tool to attain certain set goals for the development of the city, instead of a solution to an advancing problem.
What is the degree of stress or pleasure associated with your getting to work or home in your city/ country?
How much time do you spend getting from home to work and vice versa?
How much money do you spend on transport related costs?
Are there alternate modes of transportation for you to get from point A to point B?
Is your city pedestrian and/ or biker friendly?
Is it safe?
Are there facilities which assist you in using alternative modes of transport (e.g. bicycle parking)?
Look at the following films which further explain the BRT, urban planning and land use principles employed in Curitiba and Bogota respectively:
