Istanbul Metrobüs: first intercontinental bus rapid transit

Whilst debate comparing the technologies of bus-based transit ways with rail systems continues, the comparative cost advantages and capability of responding to rapidly changing mobility needs offered by Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems are well acknowledged. Istanbul has recently developed its 42 km BRT network with further extensions currently being constructed. The Istanbul BRT system (Metrobüs) consists of three main sections. The first section (2007) was initially built on the European side of the city through a high demand arterial and its extension as the section was completed in 2008. It received criticism for having been preferred over rail alternatives. The third section (2009) runs over one of the two Istanbul Strait (Bosporus Strait) Bridges connecting Asia and Europe, by which Metrobüs has uniquely acquired the distinction of crossing a major water barrier and connecting two continents. Istanbul Strait is a major transportation bottleneck and source of congestion and Metrobüs is the only transit system for crossings. Shortly after the opening of the bridge section, the whole system has recorded a directional capacity of 24,000 passengers/h and patronage of 620,000 daily ridership. The number of passengers attracted from car users and intermediate forms of public transportation is also notable. This paper first contributes to the BRT literature by introducing this special and recent BRT system with all its planning and operational aspects. Furthermore, for policy guidance, Metrobüs is evaluated as to whether it has made effective inputs for sustainable development and mobility aims in Istanbul

Historical analysis of economic, social and environmental impacts of the Europe-Asia crossings in Istanbul

Achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability of urban transport is one of the great contemporary societal challenges. By tracing urban land-use and transport policies and technological change in transport over a 60-year period in a case study of Istanbul, the authors demonstrate the displacement of more sustainable modes of transport (ferry, walking, and public transport) for a more automobile-dependent metropolis with road bridges across the Istanbul Strait (Bosphorus Strait). This article describes the main features, history, and status of the Europe-Asia crossings in Istanbul, thus framing a discussion of sustainability issues. Its originality is a discussion of sustainability through the economic, social, and environmental impacts of Europe-Asia crossings based on both a historical perspective and future prospects in order to assess whether current policies are leading toward more sustainable outcomes. The article concludes by emphasizing the impacts of policy decisions on transport infrastructures and highlighting some suggestions for policymakers.Publisher's Versio

Dynamics of clustered employment growth and its impacts on commuting patterns in rapidly developing cities

Trends in suburban clustered employment growth (poly-centric development) occur large cities. Decentralized employment growth is complicated and subject to many factors. In fast growing cities of the developing world analysis is rarely undertaken when formulating master plans or spatial plans. An analytical framework of research aims, suitable techniques, and outcomes for policy analysis are described. Its practical utility to identify clusters and their dynamics is explored with available data for 1985 and 1997 for Istanbul. Impacts on commuting patterns (trip lengths, employment destination zonal preference functions and mode shares) are analyzed for each type of sub-center identified in Istanbul, and some findings contrasted with North American cities where such research into the dynamics of employment clusters has been undertaken.

LRT and street tram policies and implementation in turkish cities

Urban transport sustainability policies aim to encourage a greater use of public transport and an improvement in service provision. However, governments are usually strapped for capital investment funds, and there are planning and financing problems that either delay LRT and street tramway improvements and/or hinder their utilisation. During the past decade, rail developments have dominated Turkish urban and national transport policies: many new lines have been opened and others are under construction. Turkey now has eight cities with LRT or tramway lines (in addition to the three major cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir). Based on analyses of unpublished data from transport master plans, and from interviews conducted with planning experts who worked on such master plans, and from political leaders, this paper assesses how effectively these smaller cities have planned and financed their LRT and trams, and how efficiently they are operated. How well Turkey performs with its urban LRT and tramway developments within the context of an international “railway renaissance” is also critically assessed. In Turkey, the PPP modality of financing (mostly in the form of BOT) is favoured for highway investment whereas many of the railway projects still require international loans. A greater role for the private sector in Turkey is recommended to reinforce this embryonic railway renaissance and to ensure greater operational and financial sustainability

Impedance measures in evaluating accessibility change

Earlier location-based accessibility analysis by car mode utilizes network travel distance (NTD) or static travel time (STT) as travel impedances. A recent trend in the literature that considers impedance as dynamic travel time (DTT) emerged, allowing examining continuous accessibility patterns. This research aims to evaluate the measured spatial-temporal change in accessibility for the different travel impedances. The research develops a GIS-remote sensing framework to evaluate the resemblance in spatial and temporal accessibility change at high resolution. It also investigates the dominant impact of significant accessibility components on influencing their results. According to results, impedances of NTD and STT represent almost identical outcomes, with correlation coefficients almost equal to 1.00, while failing to capture the dominant change of accessibility components. However, DTT illustrates varying patterns highly influenced by change in mobility. It shows the interplay between dominant accessibility components at the required resolution, which could facilitate better knowledge-based decisions for policymakers