The Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC 21) provides training programs for administrative staff and specialists from ANMC 21 member cities in order to promote the sharing of knowledge and most effective practices in their specialized fields.
In this issue, we would like to introduce the Training Program to Support with the Formulation of a Comprehensive Plan for Public Transport, which held from July 12th to 15th, 2011. |
Observing reconstruction around Tokyo city stations:
Training Program to Support with the Formulation of a Comprehensive Plan for Public Transport
Organized annually by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this training program is designed for working-level public officials who manage public transportation planning in major cities of Asia to educate themselves on public transportation comprehensive planning and business strategies through lectures and study tours. Each representative from participating cities made a presentation about the current situations and issues of the public transportation system of their own city. This gives the participants an opportunity to exchange information about public transportation development between other participating cities as well as with the TMG to improve their future development plans. This year, the training was held with a total of six participants— three from Jakarta and three from Taipei. Both cities joined the training for the second consecutive year.
Each of the participating cities is currently facing various situations with regard to public transportation. In Jakarta, a rapid economic growth and expansion has been causing heavy traffic congestion, which needs to be addressed urgently. As solutions, an urban high-speed train system including the first subway system in Jakarta is planned to be introduced to the city in the near future in addition to the improvement of busways and the development of toll roads. Meanwhile, Taipei City has an established bus transition system and subway networks, which have been serving as of the linchpin to the city's public transportation. The city plans to further expand these services as well as to facilitate a transfer system between the services. Additionally, an introduction of a barrier-free system and hybrid vehicles to the bus service, a promotion of availability of rental bicycles, and such are among current measures the city is taking to further advance the convenience of the city's public transportation and surrounding environment.
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This year's training programs included lectures on measures and policies implemented by the TMG (Day 1), a study tour to various railroad businesses and to redevelopment areas (Day 2), a visit to a bus rotary construction site and a presentation/discussion session by the participating cities (Day 3), and an information exchange session between the participating cities and TMG on a theme of urban development (Day 4).
Among those programs, this article focuses on the study tour to the railroad businesses and facilities, which was conducted on Day 2.
The group first visited the office of the Rinkai Line (Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit, Inc.), which was established in 1991 and is one of relatively new railroad companies in Tokyo. The company is a joint public-private venture and 90% of its capital is funded by the TMG. The participants from Jakarta, as their city is planning to introduce a subway system in the near future, were particularly interested in the management of the company and asked many questions about the trend of the number of passengers, the revenue from related businesses, and so on. |
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The next place the group visited was a site of an ongoing land readjustment project in Shiodome. This site is a former cargo station and has been going through a redevelopment process to transform into a complex of commercial and cultural facilities. Adjacent to the Shinbashi-Ginza area, Shiodome is located in one of the best commercial districts in Tokyo and is surrounded by various public transportation services including major roads, subways, New Transit Yurikamome, and such. The project is characterized by an "underground integrated construction," which was adopted to establish a smooth function of the respective transport services. Its three-layer underground structure includes subway tracks on the lower level, roadways on the middle level, and walkways on the upper level. The structure is additionally topped with tracks of New Transit Yurikamome above the ground (see the attached image for reference). The group observed the site at a point from which the Yurikamome tracks and the walkways on the upper level were both viewable. |
At the last destination of the tour, the group visited the construction site of the Tokyo Sky Tree and learned about the tree and the related development plans for a complex of commercial/cultural facilities, subways and other public transportation networks that are scheduled to be constructed in the vicinity of this new metropolitan landmark. The "tree" will be 634 meters high and has adopted a world's new and original vibration control system so as to endure earthquakes and strong winds. This system aims to reproduce a structure of a five-story pagoda, one of the representative construction technologies that originated in Japan (a hollow construction having a structurally-independent column inside). The tower was not affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which shook the area with an intensity of a lower 5 on the Japanese scale.
On the tour, the group of participants traveled about 40 kilometers from Shinjuku to the Tokyo Sky Tree construction site in Sumida City by using all of the major transport means available in Tokyo including trains, buses, New Transit Yurikamome and subways. It was a long trip on a hot and humid summer day in Tokyo. The participants who are familiar with such climate in their home seemed quite tired after the whole day tour.
The four-day training was short but was able to provide successful programs that benefited the participants. The training also became a great opportunity of networking for the participants, who were able to establish friendships with the TMG officials as well as between themselves. We are looking forward to meeting more participants from the member cities for the training next year.
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