Transport Sector Planning in Greater Beirut, Lebanon

Transcription

1 Transport Sector Planning in Greater Beirut, Lebanon Hani Mahmassani University of Maryland Transforming Transportation Institutions The World Bank and WRI/EMBARQ Washington, DC. January 25-26, 2007

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6 Downtown Beirut, After the Civil War, mid 1980 s

7 Rebuilding Downtown: Solidere

8 Before After

9 Downtown Beirut, Rebuilt, and more vibrant than ever

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11 1908: Effective and Sustainable Public Transportation

12 Main forms of transit: Government buses Private sector buses Jitneys ( service )

13 PROJECTED TRAVEL DEMAND Greater Beirut Area Population (million) Number of Trips (million)

14 Integrated Urban Transport Project Traffic Management Component ($25M): Signal Systems Video Surveillance Traffic Management Center Grade Separation Component ($65M): Bus System Rehabilitation Component Parking Component ($5M)

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16 PROPOSED LONG TERM PLAN FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT THREE RAIL LINES BRT (3 lines)

17 LONG-TERM ROAD NETWORK ADDITIONS

18 TRANSPORT PLANNING and DECSION- MAKING for GREATER BEIRUT Funding controlled at Central Government level (Ministry of Public Works, for highway projects) Ministry of Transport responsibility for policy development, especially re: transit and non-highway modes. Since 2002, a transport reform plan has merged the two ministries into a Ministry of Public Works and Transport, with four directorates: Directorate General for Land and Maritime Transport (DGLMT); responsible for setting, implementing and supervising all policies and regulations related to land and maritime transport. Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA); responsible for air transport. Directorate General for Road and Buildings; responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of international, primary and secondary roads, in addition to all government buildings. Directorate General for Urban Planning, responsible for all regulations related to zoning, land use, building code, etc.

19 TRANSPORT PLANNING and DECSION- MAKING for GREATER BEIRUT Municipality of Beirut: weak, no serious funding source; other municipalities: ditto NO MPO-like organization; no formal processes for coordinated planning and decision-making at the metropolitan level (Greater Beirut) Police in charge of most traffic operations internal security forces often also intervene in traffic matters.

20 TRANSPORT PLANNING and DECSION- MAKING for GREATER BEIRUT Before the civil war, Council for Projects of Greater Beirut was set up as a quasi-planning board for the area; reports directly to Central Government (not ministries); no municipal involvement. After the civil war, it was transformed into the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), and became the main agency in charge of major reconstruction projects, especially involving external sponsoring agencies or lenders.

21 ROLE OF CDR (COUNCIL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION) Secure external financing Implement important share of projects Planning, programming and technical support joint studies with ministries feasibility studies of selected projects (incl. economic benefit, environmental impact, sector studies)

22 SOURCES OF FUNDING External funding Law 246 (1993) Ministry of Public Works Plan 2001 Other local sources Percent local vs. external financing of projects EXTERNAL LOCAL

23 PUBLIC TRANSPORT DECISION-MAKING Public transport sector has historically lacked coordination Under aegis of Ministry of Transport, very limited resources As part of sector s restructuring in 2002: new independent body Office des Chemins de Fer et Transports en Commun (OCFTC) joint owner and operator of (skeletal) rail system (possibly to be improved) and government s bus public transit system; track record remains to be seen

24 ALL THE RIGHT WORDS DRAFT MPWT POLICY STATEMENT IN 2002 (yet to be ratified by Cabinet) The overall direction of the draft Transport Policy is to foster transport systems which satisfy the following objectives: Economic and financial sustainability Environmental and ecological sustainability: Social sustainability

25 ALL THE RIGHT WORDS (ctd.) For LAND TRANSPORT Providing affordable passenger mobility i.e. land transport networks that enable a wide geographic coverage of Lebanon at reasonable prices. Diversifying transport modal choices available to users through improving the public transport quality, reactivating rail transport, ensuring multi-modality / intermodality. Providing an efficient and cost-effective internal goods movement and distribution system in urban and rural areas e.g. designated truck routes, specific hours of operation, truck standards, etc. Removing obstacles that undercut the competitiveness of the Lebanese freight transport providers through facilitating border crossings procedures, improving logistics and inter-modal facilities at airports and seaports, etc.

26 ALL THE RIGHT WORDS (ctd.) For LAND TRANSPORT (ctd..) Reducing the financial burden of the transport system on the budget of Lebanon through introducing the concept of a transport fund and increasing public-private partnership. Developing and maintaining high standards of visual beauty throughout the transport infrastructure through increased planting, pleasant landscaping.. Ensuring a high level of safety Ensuring that environmental and social impacts are well considered in all phases of transport projects Preserving transport infrastructure and protecting transport assets through adequate maintenance and recurrent rehabilitation of roads. Building a world class intellectual and entrepreneurial capability in the transport and logistics field.

27 KEY OBSTACLES and CHALLENGES Greater Beirut is a geographic entity without any organizational or administrative structure No formal coordination mechanisms administratively among the municipalities affected No mechanism for updating master plan, or for continuing comprehensive planning role No mechanism for tying short term projects to long terms plans Need for stronger traffic engineering at the local level

28 In closing Beirut's recent history - war and reconstruction - lead us to look at the city through the lenses of exceptionality. But today's planning agenda (as identified in the National Master Plan by Dar al- Handasah and the IAURIF) has much in common with several developing cities in the world: uncontrolled urbanization, environmental damage and the concentration of urban transportation along the main coastal corridor. Eric

29 Nevertheless, Great Sunsets