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As well as Enrique Pealosa, the Building a New City: Sustainable Transport in Bangkok Conference at UNCC on 30-Jan-04 will feature: H. E. Samak Sundaravej, Governor

of Bangkok. Dario Hidalgo, former (2000-2003)

Deputy General Manager of BogotsTransMilenio SA, the worlds leading Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, who is assisting with bus sector reforms and planning for Bangkoks first BRT system.

Michael King, a pedestrian planning expert with experience in several Asian cities, who will present design proposals developed with the BMA Traffic and Transport Division for improving conditions for pedestrians in Khao San Road and in Mo Chit.

Peter Danielsson, Environment Manager, Volvo Bus, who will compare BRT with conventional bus systems from economic and environmental perspectives.

The Ministry of Transports Office of Traffic and Transport Policy and Planning on Bangkoks plan for a 198km BRT system.

The Conference will also feature workshop sessions on non-motorised transport and BRT designs. The latest program can be seen at www.sutp.org.

Sustainable Urban Transport Project Asia implementing partners:

For further information: Karl Fjellstrom, GTZ, SUTP-Asia Project Coordinator, fjellstrom@un.org

Worlds Leading Urban Reformer Shares New Way to Build Cities Former Mayor Enrique Pealosa Brings "Bogot Model" to the UNCC, Bangkok

Within three years, former Bogot, Colombia Mayor Enrique Pealosa transformed his city of 7 million people from a seemingly hopelessly congested, dangerous and repulsive mess into one of the world's leading models for sustainable urban development. Now, in a major conference at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok on 30 January 2004, Dr. Pealosa will share this inspirational story and describe how Asias leaders can follow "The Bogot Model" for a livable city.

Traffic congestion, air pollution, inadequate public transportation, poor access to jobs and services, and declining city centre livability are increasingly problematic in Bangkok and Hanoi as well as other large cities in Asia, and local leaders have expressed interest in replicating Bogot's success.

The people of Bogot spent years hating their city, said Dr. Pealosa, who is currently a Visiting Scholar at New York University and is writing a book on a new model of development for Third World cities. Now, the people of Bogot feel proud and have hope that their lives will continue to improve. This is the story we are bringing to cities across the world. Under Dr. Pealosas leadership from 1998 to 2000, innovative transport strategies such as a successful Bus Rapid Transit system, bicycle paths and restrictions on car use were used to help give all citizens access to mobility and begin to relieve the traffic congestion and air pollution that was choking Bogot. His administration also built parks, planted trees and promoted the use of public space.

In Bogot, we chose to build a city for people, not for automobiles, said Dr. Pealosa. Cities built for cars' mobility suffer from congestion and unsafe street conditions and leave many residents with poor access to jobs. Instead of these problems, we gave our citizens enjoyable public spaces and unprecedented mobility. Bogot now boasts: A world-class Bus Rapid Transit system Latin Americas largest bicycle lane network, 250 km The worlds longest pedestrian-only street, spanning 17km; hundreds of kilometres of

sidewalks, many through the citys poorest areas; and more than 1,000 new or reconstructed parks The planets biggest Car-Free Day, on a regular working day twice each year, during which no

private motor vehicles are allowed to enter the entire city of 35,000 hectares.

The visit of Dr. Pealosa to Bangkok was organised by the Sustainable Urban Transport Project Asia (www.sutp.org), a partnership between GTZ, UNESCAP, CITYNET, and the BMA. The visits to Bangkok and Hanoi will help officials build momentum for existing Bus Rapid Transit system plans, and encourage the provision of better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. A 198km Bus Rapid

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Bogots TransMilenio BRT system has overturned traditional ideas about mass transit systems. Built at a fraction of the cost of a metro/subway, TransMilenio carries 35,000 passengers per hour per direction in the peak and more than 800,000 passengers daily, with a trunk network of 48km. At terminals (above), free transfers to feeder buses are provided.

Every Sunday, more than 100km of main roads in Bogot are closed to cars, and opened for cyclists & pedestrians. From 1998 to 2002, cycling increased from 0.5% to 4% of trips in the city.

Transit network for Bangkok was on 24 November 2003 approved by the Committee for Management of Land Traffic, a committee chaired by the Prime Minister. Hanoi is now also preparing plans for the citys first BRT network.

Since the end of his mayoral term in December 2000, Dr. Pealosa has travelled to Mexico City; Panama City; Lima, Peru; Guangzhou and Hong Kong in China; Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya in Indonesia; New Delhi in India; and Capetown, Dakar, Pretoria and Accra in Africa. Many of these cities are now pursuing Bogot-type Bus Rapid Transit systems, and facilities to improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.

During his tenure (1998-2001) as the political and administrative head of a city of 6.5 million inhabitants Enrique Pealosa: Led a massive effort to improve marginal

neighbourhoods infrastructure promoting high citizen involvement.

Created a successful Urban Land Reform institution.

Created a highly successful bus-based mass transit system, called TransMilenio.

Spearheaded major improvements to the city centre including the recuperation of plazas, creation of a large park in an area previously totally taken over by crime and drugs; turned one of the main downtown avenues into a dynamic pedestrian pubic space; and planted more than 100,000 trees.

Built more than 100 nurseries for children aged under 5 and assured resources for their operation. Increased child enrolment in public schools by more than 200,000, a 34% increase in four years;

did major improvements to more than 150 school buildings and built 50 new schools. With an innovative scheme, turned 29 poor neighbourhood new schools administration into some of the best private schools in the country. He also put in place a network of 14,000 computers in all public schools connected to the Internet and a network of 3 large new libraries and several smaller ones.

Led the transformation of the citys attitude from one of hopelessness to one of pride and hope.

Promoted a city model giving priority to children and public spaces, restricting private car use; built hundreds of kilometres of sidewalks; built more than 300km of bicycle paths, pedestrian streets (one of which more than 17km long and 15m wide, through some of the poorest neighbourhoods) and greenways along creeks, for which there were also formidable decontamination efforts; more than 1,200 parks were built or totally reconstructed; a car free day was promoted and received massive popular support; through a referendum, people adopted a yearly car free day and decided that from the year 2015 onwards there would be no cars during rush hours, from 6 9 am and 4.30 7.30 pm (although this ban has since successfully been challenged on constitutional grounds).

Bogot is providing a new transportation model which is changing the face of the city.

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What is Bus Rapid Transit?

It sounds too good to be true. A mega-city can plan and build a fast and efficient city-wide mass transit system at a cost 10 to 100 times less than current metro rail systems. It can be completed in two years and it can be operated at affordable fares without subsidies. While some may stand in disbelief, this is exactly what has happened in major cities in Latin America with a new technology called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

As well as in a growing number of cities in Europe, North America, Australia and South America, BRT systems are currently operating in Asian cities including Kunming, Taipei, Shijiazhuang, Jakarta and several Japanese cities. Systems are under construction in Beijing, in advanced planning in Delhi and Seoul, and in planning in Bangkok, Chengdu, Chongqing, Huai An, Xian, Taichung, Tainan, and other cities. (For information, photos and videos of BRT please contact Karl Fjellstrom.)

*The following is quoted from Bus Systems for the Future, Lew Fulton, International Energy Agency, Paris, 2002.

Bus Rapid Transit is high-quality, customer-orientated transit that delivers fast, comfortable and low-cost urban mobility. Lloyd Wright, ITDP.

Bus Rapid Transit in Bogot, Colombia

BRT systems are much more than simply bus lanes. They have some or all of the following elements: Dedicated bus corridors with strong physical separation from other traffic lanes. Modern bus stations, with pre-board ticketing and comfortable waiting areas. Multi-door buses that dock with bus stations to allow rapid boarding and alighting. Large, high capacity, comfortable buses, preferably low-emission. Differentiated services such as local and express buses. Bus prioritisation at intersections either as signal priority or physical avoidance (e.g., underpasses). Co-ordination with operators of smaller buses and paratransit vehicles to create new feeder

services to the bus stations. Integrated ticketing that allows free transfers, if possible across transit companies and modes (bus,

tram, metro). [Integration with existing metro lines (Blue Line, BTS) will be an important feature of the Bus Rapid Transit system in Bangkok.]

Real-time information displays on expected bus arrival times. Good station access for taxis, pedestrians and cyclists, and storage facilities for bikes. New regimes for bus licensing, regulation and compensation of operators. Land-use reform to encourage higher densities close to BRT stations. Park and ride lots for stations outside the urban core. Well-designed handicap access, including ability for wheelchair passengers to quickly board buses. Excellence in customer service that includes clean, comfortable and safe facilities, good information

and helpful staff. A sophisticated marketing strategy that encompasses branding, positioning and advertising and

establishes a unique and positive image for the system.

Sustainable Urban Transport Project Asia (www.sutp.org) partners:

Draft Conference Program

BUILDING A NEW CITY: SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT IN BANGKOK

30th January 2004 Room 1, United Nations Conference Centre

Ratchadamnern Nok Ave, Bangkok

08:00 08:30 Registration

08:30 08:45 Opening Statements

08:45 09:45 Sustainable Transport and City Livability in Bangkok Samak Sundaravej, Governor of Bangkok

PART I: BUS SECTOR REFORM AND BUS RAPID TRANSIT

09:45 10.00 Video screening: TransMilenio, Bogotas Bus Rapid Transit system

10:00 10.45 Building a New City: the Experience of Bogot and Ideas for Bangkok Enrique Pealosa, Visiting Scholar New York University, former Mayor of Bogot

10:45 11:00 Morning tea break

11:00 11.15 Bus Rapid Transit: Recent Developments in Asia Karl Fjellstrom, GTZ, Project Coordinator, SUTP-Asia

11.15 11:30 BRT vs. Conventional Bus Systems: Economic and Environmental Aspects Peter J. Danielsson, International Bus Systems Expert

11:30 12.15 Bus Rapid Transit in Bogota and its Potential in Bangkok Dario Hidalgo, Consultant, Formerly Deputy GM, TRANSMILENIO S.A., Bogot

12:15 13.00 Lunch break

13:00 13.45 Planning for Bangkoks 198km Bus Rapid Transit System Chalermsak Rabilwong, Director, Transport and Traffic System Devt. Division, Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, Ministry of Transport

PART II: IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS IN BANGKOK

13.45 14.15 Pedestrian Improvements in Demonstration Locations in Bangkok Nathanon Thavisin, Permanent Secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan

Administration and Chitchanok Kemavuthanon, Director General of Department of Traffic and Transportation, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

14:15 14:45 Improving Conditions for Pedestrians in Bangkok: Design Proposals for Two Demonstration Locations Michael King, Consultant

14:45 - 15:00 Afternoon tea break

PART III: WORKSHOPS / PANEL DISCUSSIONS: (i) Bus Rapid Transit; (ii) Pedestrian improvements

15:00 16:00 Workshops / Panel Discussions

16:00 16:30 Report of Workshops / Panel Discussions to Plenary

16:30 Closing of Conference

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