Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest Vol. 6 Issue 3

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Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest Vol. 6 Issue 3 -
23 March 2009

SUMA News Digest is a free weekly e-mail publication that features
news, information, and events related to sustainable urban
transportation in Asia.

*** VISIT THE SUMA PAGES: http://www.cleanairnet.org/suma ***

SUMA PARTNERS ON THE MOVE!

Fourth Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum of
the Asian EST Initiative- co-organized by UNCRD

UNCRD with Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs (MLTM)-
Republic of Korea organized the fourth EST forum in in Seoul, Republic
of Korea. The participants adopted a statement for the promotion of
environmentally sustainable transport in Asia – referred as Seoul
Statement

Read more: http://www.uncrd.or.jp/env/4th-regional-est-forum/index_seoul_statement.htm

The presentations can be accessed at
http://www.uncrd.or.jp/env/4th-regional-est-forum/index_presentation.htm

Cycle-inclusive planning in Indian cities - Interface for Cycling
Expertise

For the first time in India, a manual on designing infrastructure
suitable for bicycles in India is being readied, which would help
planners and policymakers achieve bicycle-friendly cities and
policies.
Read more @ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Now-a-manual-on-designing-infrastructure-for-cycles/articleshow/4239780.cms

CAI Asia participated in the Low Carbon Cities Symposium at on 16-18
February 2009 in Nagoya.

The presentations can be accessed at http://www.gcp-urcm.org/A20090216/HomePage
and http://www.gcp-urcm.org/A20090217/HomePage

NEWSREPORTS

HEADLINES

Thailand: Bangkok Footpaths

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73271.html

Singapore: Too many taxi drivers

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73272.html

Vietnam: 16.4 million Euro for bus project in central highland city

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73275.html

India: State may tax cars to buy buses

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73269.html

China: Public transportation meeting opens in Taipei

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73276.html

China – Hong Kong: Tax break set for electric vehicles

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73248.html

Global: International Agencies Launch 50% Global Fuel Economy Plan at
Geneva Motor

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/02/28/452132.html

Asia: ADB funds study to develop clean, inclusive transport system for
Asian cities

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73251.html

* * * *
INTERESTING FINDS/SEMINARS

Climate change mitigation and co-benefits of feasible transport demand
policies in Beijing

Urban car transportation is a cause of climate change but is also
associated with additional burdens such as traffic congestion and air
pollution. Studies of external costs and potential impacts of travel
demand management help to define policy instruments that mitigate the
damaging impact of transportation. In this interesting research, the
authors have analyzed different externalities of car transportation in
Beijing and showed that the social costs induced by motorized
transportation are equivalent to about 7.5–15.0% of Beijing’s GDP.
Read more at http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73247.html

Efficiency in Sustainable Mobility Thematic Research Summary

This paper deals with the minimisation of the resource costs of a
given transport system and the maximisation of its performance. Costs
considered include those borne by the transport users and those by the
transport operators. The relief of congestion and reliability is a
significant element in the consideration of efficiency.
Read more : http://www.transport-research.info/Upload/Documents/200902/20090224_132039_90921_TRS_Efficiency.pdf

Rulemaking to Consider the Proposed Regulation to Implement the Low
Carbon Fuel Standard

In this rulemaking, the Air Resources Board (ARB/ Board) staff is
proposing to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by lowering
the carbon content of transportation fuels used in California. The
regulation is referred to as the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard
(LCFS). The LCFS will reduce GHG emissions from the transportation
sector in California by about 16 million metric tons (MMT) in 2020.
These reductions account for almost 10 percent of the total GHG
emission reductions needed to achieve the State’s mandate of reducing
GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Read more @
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73268.html

Economic valuation of transport related health effects Review of
methods and development of practical approaches, with a special focus
on children

The main objective of this project was to develop practical approaches
to the economic valuation of transport-related health effects,
including a focus on children. The development of the approaches was
based on two reviews of relevant literature: one of recent
epidemiological literature to identify the health endpoints related to
road transport for which sufficient evidence exists for including them
in economic valuation and another of literature on economic approaches
to valuation of health costs due to road transport to derive guidance
on the best way forward. A practical approach for road noise,
transport-related air pollution and road crashes is presented; key
issues regarding insufficient physical activity related to hindering
effects of transport on commuter cycling and walking are discussed.
The report also presents example calculations for the selected health
endpoints which are based on the developed practical approaches for
noise, air pollution and road crashes.
Read more @ http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-73277.html

2009 FTA Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making

This report describes the physical, operational, cost, performance and
potential benefits of BRT's constituent elements both individually and
combined as integrated systems. Its intended audience includes urban
transportation professionals and officials involved in developing and
evaluating high performance transit systems, of which BRT is one
alternative. This report is the updated version of 2004 report.
Read more @ http://www.nbrti.org/CBRT.html

CALL FOR RESEARCH PAPERS

We in CAI-Asia are looking for good analytical/research papers on
Sustainable Transport and Air Pollution. If you would like your paper
to be linked/ published in the CAI website, please let us know…

* * * *
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Transport Asia 2009 Exhibition, Karachi, Pakistan, 28-30 March 2009
http://www.transportasia.com.pk/

The 4th International Conference on Future Urban Transport, Goteburg,
Sweden, 19-21April 2009 http://www.fut.se/

Urban Transportation 2009, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 26-29 April 2009
http://www.iqpc.com/ShowEvent.aspx?id=166586

Sustainable Development 2009, Cyprus, 13 - 15 May 2009
http://www.wessex.ac.uk/09-conferences/sustainable-development-2009.html

Transport for a Global Economy -Challenges & Opportunities in the
Downturn -Leipzig Congress Centre
26-29 May 2009

http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/2009/Forum2009.html

eceee 2009 Summer Study, Côte d'Azur, France, 1-6 June 2009
http://www.eceee.org/summer_study/

Urban Transport 2009, Bologna, Italy, 22-24 June 2009
http://www2.wessex.ac.uk/09-conferences/urban-transport-2009.html

* * * CONTRIBUTE * * *

To contribute articles, news items, or event announcements for the
next issue, send an email with the complete details and URL source to
suma-ne...@googlegroups.com with subject "FOR SUMA NEWS". Past
issues from March and April 2008 are found at http://groups.google.com/group/suma-news

* * * ABOUT SUMA * * *

The Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) program is supported by
the Asian Development Bank through a grant from Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency. SUMA is implemented by the Clean Air
Initiative for Asian Cities Center (www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia), in
partnership with EMBARQ - the World Resources Institute Center for
Sustainable Transport (http://embarq.wri.org), GTZ Sustainable Urban
Transport Project ( www.sutp.org), Interface for Cycling Expertise
(www.cycling.nl), Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
(www.itdp.org), and United Nations Center for Regional Development
(www.uncrd.or.jp/est)