Chapter 11 - sustainable management of transport systems

What are the three main ways transport systems impact the environment in cities?

Changes to physical environment

Clearing natural vegetation to improve accessibility between locations

Increased carbon footprint

Changes to physical environment

Changing the physical environment impacts all who are dependent on it.

To improve the accessibility between locations, natural vegetation may be cleared to build roads. Road developments can divide forests into smaller fragments, reducing the size of animal habitats and restricting animal movement. When animals try to cross busy roads to get to the other side of the forest, they become victims of roadkill after colliding with vehicles.

To enable movement over different topographies and terrains, landforms such as slopes, mountains and other channels have to be modified. For example, in order to make downtown Singapore more accessible, part of the Singapore River was temporarily diverted for the construction of the MRT tunnels connecting downtown line stations, fort canning and Chinatown.

Clearing natural vegetation to improve accessibility between locations

Clearing natural vegetation to improve accessibility between locations

Road development divide forests into smaller fragments, reducing size of the animal habitats + restrict animal movements

When animals cross busy roads → victims of roadkill Example: Eco-Link@BKE

To construct the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), Bukit Timah Nature Reserve had to be divided from the Central Catchment Nature Reserve

Isolation of flora and fauna at Bukit Timah forest affected the biodiversity and threatened the survival of certain endangered species

Explain increased carbon footprint

Carbon footprint is the measure of greenhouse gases emitted to support human activities

All transport activities consume some form of energy, be it electricity, biofuel or petroleum. When petrol is burnt to provide energy, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are produced. This contributes to carbon footprint.

Excessive concentrations of greenhouse gases leads to enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming.

For example, Transport activities account for 25% to 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. As cities continue to grow, transport systems are set to expand. Also, as people become increasingly reliant on transport systems for their daily commute and travels, there is a need to consider different transport modes. All these increase carbon footprint.

How do Transport Systems impact people in cities?

Improved mobility for the elderly and PWDs

Traffic congestion

Health risks

Safety risks

Improved mobility for the elderly and persons with disabilities

• Improved mobility for the elderly and persons with disabilities

• Mobility is the ability of people and freight to move from place to place. -- Physical capabilities and health-related conditions can limit the mobility of people, especially the elderly and people with disabilities (PWDs).

• The provision of age-friendly and barrier free transport systems enable the elderly and PWDs to move around and access opportunities independently, thereby improving their mobility.

• For example, Silver Zones are areas within residential neighbourhoods in Singapore with enhanced and customised safety features for the elderly, which include gateway marked with bright fluorescent signs and yellow painted strips to indicate the start of a Silver Zone amongst other features

Traffic congestion

• Traffic congestion occurs when road usage approaches or exceeds road capacity

. • Traffic congestions tend to occur during peak hours.---- High traffic volume, coupled with slow speed, means longer travelling times for all road users. '

• Traffic congestion can also affect the physical and emotional well-being of those caught in traffic.

• Long travelling times may tire out both drivers and passengers, and drivers may also feel frustrated and display aggressive behaviour or lose concentration, increasing risks of traffic accidents.

• Also, when vehicles remain stationary or constantly start and stop due to traffic congestion, more fuel is burnt and wasted, leading to more carbon dioxide emissions, increased carbon footprint and worsened air quality.

• For example, in Singapore, the extra time spent in traffic congestions per year is 5 days and 15 hours in 2019.

Health risks

When fuel is burnt to power transport modes, harmful air pollutants and particles like smog are released into the atmosphere.

• Smog and outdoor air pollution increase health risk, causing respiratory problems such as breathing difficulties, asthma, eye irritation, lung infection and a higher risk of lung cancer.

• For example, studies have found that vehicle emissions have caused nearly 5,000 premature deaths in the UK and over 53,000 premature deaths in the US annually.

• Also, as people become more reliant on transport modes, noise pollution from traffic can become a serious problem, as excessive noise can disturb sleep, reduce work performance, provoke annoyance, cause mental stress, result in hearing impairment and even trigger heart-related illnesses.

• For example, according to a 2020 European Environment Agency report, one in four Europeans are exposed to road traffic noise levels that exceed 55dB, above the limit of 53dB

Safety risks

Safety risks Transport accidents have implications on healthcare, insurance, damage to property and life.-- As traffic volume increases, some transport modes may also be deemed to be less safe.

• For example, public transport can become overcrowded, especially during peak periods. Large crowds increase the risk of crimes such as theft and outrage of modesty.

• Terminals may also become targets of terrorist attacks due to their visibility and significance.

• The growth in passenger traffic means more resources need to be deployed to safeguard the well-being of passengers at these terminals.

How can transport systems be sustainably managed?

Laws and policies on transport:

Integrated land use and transport planning to reduce the need for travel

Provision of a range of mobility options for different groups of people

Research and development in technology

Laws and policies on transport:

Cities have adopted transport laws and policies to ensure sustainable transport management in various aspects. Implementing laws and policies has a great impact as there are regulations and boundaries for stakeholders to abide by. Many cities have embarked on car-lite policies to reduce car usage, constraining vehicle ownership by charging drivers a premium at specific times and road usage by implementing road pricing or congestion pricing. To encourage the use of public transport, cities are increasing the supply of public transport as well as making it more efficient and affordable.

In Stockholm, congestion pricing became official in 2017. As a result, traffic in and out of the city centre has reduced by 20%. Also, revenue from the congestion pricing can be used to support the development of public transportation.

Advantage?

• Additional profits earned by transport authorities can be used to improve the public transport system

• Creates faster travelling times along road-priced roads, as vehicles are discouraged to use hence reducing congestion which results in smoother travel around the CBD

Disadvantage?

Overall traffic congestion problem is not solved, because traffic is diverted to roads without road pricing causes traffic congestion in these areas

• Can be expensive for less developed countries due to the lack of financial means to put in proper systems to enforce regulations and collect fees

Integrated land use and transport planning to reduce the need for travel

Land use planning refers to where and how land should be used. For example, when business parks and commercial centres offering employment opportunities are planned near residential areas, the need for long distance commutes is reduced.

• Transport planning refers to the process of forecasting the operation, provision and management of infrastructure and services for various transport modes to meet current and future usage needs.

• For example, to encourage active mobility, Singapore has wide, shaded paths with attractive building facades and shopfronts within the pedestrian shed helps to provide comfortable walking experiences.

Advantages

• Good planning ensures that transport facilities and services are able to move people and goods in a safe, affordable, convenient and environmentally friendly manner.

Disadvantages

Integrating land use and transport plans requires close coordination and communication between different stakeholders to balance social, economic and transport needs.

Provision of a range of mobility options for different groups of people

The provision of a range of mobility options for different groups of people to improve on the social well-being of people.

Different groups of people have different mobility needs. When their mobility needs are not met, the individuals can become isolated. To ensure a more inclusive community, the transport system built needs to be a barrier free transport system.

For example, in Singapore, there are Silver Zones to improve mobility of the elderly.

In these zones, they include: Gateways marked with bright fluorescent signs and yellow painted road strips indicate the start of a Silver Zone.

There is a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h. This ensures that cars are not speeding to reduce traffic accidents with the elderly who may walk slower across roads.

Reduction of lanes at some road sections shortens the crossing distance for the elderly and reduces the time taken to cross roads. This helps to reduce the demands on the elderly to have to cross wider roads.

Two-stage crossing allows elderly pedestrians to rest in the middle of a crossing

Advantages

• To ensure a more inclusive community, the transport system built needs to be a barrier free transport system.

• The transport system needs to primarily help individuals overcome physical disabilities and health issues (e.g. elderly). Most importantly provide various mode of transport to cater to different needs. Therefore, the provision of barrier-free transport facilities is important in developing inclusive transport systems that cater to diverse mobility needs.

Disadvantages

However, installing barrier-free transport facilities with special features for the aged and disabled is expensive. It is important to ensure that the special features are deployed effectively to areas that are most needed to prevent wastage of resources.

Research and development in technology

However, laws and policies may not be sufficient to manage transport sustainably, Cities hope to create a more sustainable transport system through Research and Development. One direction for transport R&D is designing and developing environmentally friendly transport infrastructure. i.e. the use of green building materials and techniques when constructing transport infrastructures. Mobile applications can also be used to help provide information useful to commuters, such as arrival times on bus app, delays on flight apps, crowd conditions on traffic apps, availability of wheelchair access etc. This allows informed commuters to better plan their journey and reduce travel time.

Singapore’s fleet of electric buses rolled out in 2020, and the authorities aim to expand the number of electric buses in service. Similar concept in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Advantage

EVs have a smaller carbon footprint as compared to conventional vehicles and they help to reduce noise pollution because they produce less noise on the roads

As a result, EVs help to make public transport more sustainable as it reduces the environmental impact of carbon emissions and reduces health risks of noise pollution.

Disadvantage

However, EVs are more expensive than conventional vehicles and a fully electric bus may cost twice as much as a conventional diesel bus.

• Land has to be reserved for the EV charging points. This is challenging for a land constraint Singapore.

explain how Silver Zones in Singapore help cater to the transport needs of the elderly.

Gateways marked with bright fluorescent signs and yellow painted road strips indicate the start of a Silver Zone.

There is a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h. This ensures that cars are not speeding to reduce traffic accidents with the elderly who may walk slower across roads.

Reduction of lanes at some road sections shortens the crossing distance for the elderly and reduces the time taken to cross roads. This helps to reduce the demands on the elderly to have to cross wider roads.

Two-stage crossing allows elderly pedestrians to rest in the middle of a crossing