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RapidTransit:ACaseStudyofTianjinBRTandtheProblem

SolvingTowardsHamiltonLRT

ZhiyuanYang

EngineeringandPublicPolicy

McMasterUniversity

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Abstract

Asthemainmodeofurbanpublictransit,rapidtransit,representedbyBRTandLRT,hasproven

itsgreatadvantages insustainabledevelopment.However,problemsaboutmoneyandroute

planningduringtheconstructionandoperationofHamiltonLRThavetroubledthecityalot.So,

theproblemsolving,basedontheconstructionandoperationofTianjinBRT,willbesetinthis

thesistohelpsolvetheseproblems.

Keywords:urbanpublictransit;rapidtransit;BRT;LRT;PPP;consultation

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TableofContents

Abstract..........................................................................................................................................2

1Introduction................................................................................................................................4

2TheoreticalBasis..........................................................................................................................42.1PublicGoods......................................................................................................................................42.2PublicService.....................................................................................................................................6

3OverviewofRapidTransit...........................................................................................................93.1BRT.....................................................................................................................................................9

3.1.1Definition....................................................................................................................................93.1.2Functions..................................................................................................................................103.1.3TypicalExamples.......................................................................................................................11

3.1.3.1BeijingBRT........................................................................................................................................113.1.3.2GuangzhouBRT.................................................................................................................................123.1.3.3CuritibaBRT......................................................................................................................................133.1.3.4BogotaBRT........................................................................................................................................15

3.2LRT....................................................................................................................................................163.3Revelations.......................................................................................................................................17

4TianjinBRT.................................................................................................................................174.1GangchengAvenueBRT...................................................................................................................174.2Necessities.......................................................................................................................................204.3Feasibilities.......................................................................................................................................224.4Functions..........................................................................................................................................24

5HamiltonLRT.............................................................................................................................245.1WhyHamilton..................................................................................................................................245.2Objectives........................................................................................................................................275.3Problems..........................................................................................................................................27

6ProblemSolving.........................................................................................................................286.1PPP(Public–Private–Partnerships)...............................................................................................286.2PublicConsultation..........................................................................................................................29

7Conclusion.................................................................................................................................29

References....................................................................................................................................30

Acknowledgment.........................................................................................................................32

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1Introduction

Climatechangehasbeenasignificantthreattothesustainabledevelopmentofhumansociety,

andurbanpublictransitshouldbecomeanimportantcontributortoreducegreenhouseemission.

As an important part of urban infrastructures, the development of urban public transit can

effectivelyalleviate traffic congestion.Also,urbanpublic transit canpromote the sustainable

developmentofacity.Withthedevelopmentoftechnology,rapidtransit,mainlyrepresentedby

BRT(BusRapidTransit)andLRT(LightRailTransit),hasgraduallybecomethemainmodeofurban

publictransit.

TherapidtransitmodeinTianjinisBRT,whileinHamiltontherapidtransitmodeisLRT.Forthe

latter, problems about money and route planning have become major obstacles to its

development.

Inordertosolvetheseproblemseffectively,thisthesisanalyzestheconstructionandoperation

ofTianjinBRT,andputsforwardcorrespondingsolutionstowardsHamiltonLRT,includingPPP

andpublicconsultation.

2TheoreticalBasis

2.1PublicGoods

Public goods are the embodiment of public interests, involving a range of public affairs. Erik

RobertLindahl,afinancialscientist,putforwardtheconceptofpublicgoodsinDieGerechtigkeit

der Besteuerung (Lindahl, 1919), creating a precedent for public goods theory. Paul Anthony

SamuelsondefinedtheconceptofpublicgoodsinThePureTheoryofPublicExpenditurein1954,

whichwasamilestone,layingasolidfoundationfortheformationanddevelopmentofpublic

goodstheory(Samuelson,1954).Inhisarticle,Samuelsonnotonlyputupwiththemeaningof

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publicgoods,healsomadeadistinctionbetweenpublicgoodsandprivategoodsinessence,and

providedatheoreticalmodeloftheprovisionofpublicgoods.

Forthemainbodyofprovision,thequestioniswhetherpublicgoodsareprovidedbyasingle

subject, such as the government, private companies or other social organizations, or by the

combination of the government, private companies and social organizations. Singularized

provisionpatternofpublicgoodsisrare,andtherearemultiplemodesofprovisioncoexistence

in a particular social context. The government can directly provide public goods, or take an

indirectway,suchasauthorizingprivatecompaniesandofferingfinancialsubsidiestoprivate

companies.Theneedsofthepublictendtodiversify,andprovisionmodestendtochangeaswell.

Inthiscase,thegovernmentshouldgivefullplaytoitsguidingrolesothatthegovernmentitself,

private companies and social organizations can actively participate in the provision of public

goods,theharmoniousdevelopmentcanbeachieved,andtheneedsofthepubliccanbemet.

Theprocessofprovidingpublicgoods isnotstatic, intheearlystageofprovision,planning is

needed,andhumanresourcesshouldbecoordinatedaswell,alsobudgetisessentialtothisstage.

When providing public goods, the relationship between the public, money and other things

shouldbeproperlyorganizedsoastomaketheprovisionsystemopen,fairandimpartial.Inthe

latterstageofprovision,monitoringandmaintenancearenecessarysoastoachievethedesired

resultsandmaximizetherealizationoftheneedsofthepublic.

Accordingtothescopeofpublicgoods,theycanbedividedintonationalpublicgoods,regional

publicgoodsandurbanpublicgoods(Sun,StudyontheMarketizationofUrbanPublicGoods,

2001).However,publicgoodsarenotfixed–theymaychangeinacertainperiodoftimeorunder

certainconditions.

Rapidtransit isanimportantpartofurbanpublictransit,andtheconstructionperiodisquite

long,sogenerallyitwillbeunderthemanagementofthegovernment.

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2.2PublicService

Publicservicereferstomeasuresandactivitiesofferedbythegovernment,privatecompanies

andsocialorganizationsintheprovisionofpublicgoods.Intheprocessofprovidingpublicservice,

thegovernmentplaysaleadingrole.Essentially,publicserviceistomeettheneedsofthepublic,

and to undertake social resources for public welfare. Public service is, on the one hand,

passenger-oriented,whichmeansthepublicshouldactivelytaketheinitiativetoparticipatein

the practice of public service. On the other hand, public service is to correctly handle the

relationship between the public and the government: the government should provide public

servicesoastoformabenigninteractionwiththepublic.Publicserviceisnotaccidental–fora

long time,public servicehasundergoneaprocessof continuousdevelopmentandevolution,

from the beginning of the spontaneous action by civil organizations, to the practice of non-

governmental,ethnicandreligiousorganizations,andgraduallyevolvesintothefunctionsand

responsibilities under the auspices of the government. The main body of public service is

diversified,and thespaceandscopeofpublic servicearediversifiedaswell.The reasonwhy

publicservicecanbepracticedanddevelopedistheexistenceofpublicgoods.Meanwhile,public

serviceisbasedonmoralityandcharity,theultimategoalofwhichistoachievetheneedsofthe

public.Theimportanceofprovidingpublicserviceincludesestablishingastructureandimproving

relevantmechanisms,andultimately,itispossibletoachieveequalizationofpublicservicewithin

thewholesociety.

Asfortheprovisionofpublicservice.Firstly,themainbodyofprovidingpublicserviceisnota

profit sector. In order for the nonprofit sectors to give full play to their advantages, the

governmentshouldgivethenonprofitsectorsacertaindegreeofautonomy.Thegovernment

shouldusepolicies,taxandothertoolstoconstantlyrationalizetherelationshipbetweenthe

governmentandthenonprofitsectors,andthegovernmentitselfshouldprovidecriticalpublic

service.Meanwhile,thegovernmentshouldstrengthenthemonitoringtothenonprofitsectors

intheprovisionofpublicservicesoastorealizetheinterestsofthepublic;Secondly,institutions

suchashospitals,publicschools,researchinstitutesandotherpublicinstitutionsshouldbegiven

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fullplaytotheroleofprovidingpublicservice,sincetheirfunctionsaretoprovidepublicservice.

The government should strengthen the management to such institutions through the

performance appraisal. For institutions that are not financially funded by the government,

appropriatefinancialsubsidiesshouldbegiven.Thequalityofpublicservice,theuseoffundsand

theprogressofprovidingpublicservicetoallpublicinstitutionsshouldbeopentothepublicon

aregularbasissoastoensurethetransparency;Finally,thegovernmentandprivatecompanies

shouldcooperatemoderately.Somespecialpublicservice,suchasmedicalcare,aremonopolistic,

so,ifallofthemarehandedovertoprivatecompanies,thenissuessuchascorruptionwilllead

tothedamagetotheinterestsofthepublic.Therefore,thegovernmentshouldcooperatewith

privatecompaniestoprovidepublicservicethroughtheformofdiversifiedcooperationsuchas

outsourcingcontractsandfranchising.Appropriatecompetitionisbeneficial,whichwillenable

both the government and private companies to innovate and improve the quality of public

servicesoastoachievethegoalofmeetingtheinterestsofthepublic.

In the construction and operation of rapid transit, public service can be provided by the

government, private companies, or social organizations. Therefore, the government is not a

single provider of public service. Public service requires the participation of other sectors,

becausetheyhaveacertainadvantageinprovidingpublicservice:theycanprovidenewvitality

fortheprovisionofpublicservice.

Intheearlystageoftheconstructionandoperationofrapidtransit:thedevelopmentofpublic

service. The establishment of a scientific and effective mechanism for public service is a

prerequisite to ensure the efficiency. The government or organizations that provide public

serviceshouldanalyzespecificissuesaccordingtotheinterestsofthepublic,combiningwiththe

political, economic and cultural development, and assess the environment so as to build a

reasonablepublicservicesystem,establishareasonablepublicserviceoperationalmechanism

anddevelopadetailedplanningprogram.Thereshouldbestep-by-stepimplementationssoas

toimprovetheefficiencyandensurethegradualimplementation.Anditisimportanttohavea

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standbyplan in thedevelopmentof public service so as to adequately prepare for thepost-

operationalmechanism.

Inthemediumstageoftheconstructionandoperationofrapidtransit:theimplementationof

publicservice.Intheimplementationprocess,theprovisionofpublicserviceshouldbebasedon

the principles of fairness and efficiency. Public infrastructures should be improved, and

technologiesshouldbeusedtostrengthentechnologicalinnovations.Meanwhile,itisnecessary

toeffectivelyregulatetheprogressoftheimplementationofpublicservice,thepurposeofwhich

istoassesswhetherongoingpublicservicehasachieveditsgoalornot.Ifthereisadeviation

frompublicserviceobjectives,promptlycorrectionshouldbemadesoastoensurethesmooth

progress of public service. In addition, in the implementation process, the expenditure of

financialfundsisalsoanimportantcontrolcontent,whichshouldbestrictlyimplementedand

allocated inaccordancewith thebudget.Any individualororganization isnotallowedtouse

financial funds privately, or use the money in the transfer between different projects, the

purposeofwhichistoensuretherealizationofpublicserviceandtoprotecttheinterestsofthe

public,otherwisethedevelopmentofpublicservicewillbeadverselyaffected.

In themediumstageof theconstructionandoperationof rapid transit: theestablishmentof

soundmonitoringmechanisms.Thequalityofpublicserviceshouldbemonitoredintwoaspects:

whetheritisfairornotandwhetheritisvalidornot.Themechanismofinternalandexternal

monitoringshouldbeestablishedunderrelevantpolicies,andtheaccountabilitysystemshould

beestablishedaswell.Themediasshouldplaytheroleofmonitoring,andthegovernmentshould

listentoopinions fromthepublicandcarryoutall-roundmonitoring throughquestionnaires,

hearingsandhotlines.

In the late stage of the construction and operation of rapid transit: the evaluation of public

servicepolicies.Thequantifiableindicatorsshouldbeset.Also,issuesintheprovisionofpublic

service should be analyzed and summarized so as to accumulate experience and avoid

inefficiency.

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3OverviewofRapidTransit

3.1BRT

3.1.1Definition

Urbantrafficiscloselyrelatedtopeople'slives.Therapiddevelopmentofurbanizationhasseen

theincreasingtraveldemand,andtheenvironmentalpollutionbroughtbythelargenumberof

privatecarsneedtobetreatedseriouslyaswell.Asoneofthemainmodeofrapidtransit,BRT

shouldbehighlydevelopedsoastocontinuouslypromotethesustainabledevelopmentofthe

wholesociety.

BRT(BusRapidTransit) isabus-basedpublictransitsystemdesignedtoimprovecapacityand

reliabilitycomparedwithconventionalbuses.Typically,BRThasdedicatedlanestoBRTbuses,

andBRTbuseswillbegivenpriorityatintersectionswheninteractingwithothertraffic.BRTaims

tocombinethecapacityandspeedofsubwaywiththeflexibilityandlowcostofconventional

buses.

BRTcansavemoneyandtimeofconstructionandoperation,protecttheenvironment,increase

thespeedandimprovethequalityofpublicservice,andplayapositiveroleinpromotingthe

development of urban public transit. BRT has some similar aspects with rail transit, such as

carryingcapacity,speedandexterior,buttheinvestmentofwhichismuchlessthanrailtransit.

ThecostofconstructionandoperationofBRTisone-tenthofrailtransit,andtheinvestmentof

constructing1kilometerofrailtransitcanbeusedtoconstruct10to20kilometersofBRT(Guo,

Xu,&Chen,DevelopmentofBRTatHomeandAbroad,2008).Manycitieshavehadtheirown

BRTs,suchasBeijing,Guangzhou,CuritibaandBogota.

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3.1.2Functions

Guidethedevelopmentofothermodesofurbanpublictransit.BRTcanbeusedasaguidetothe

developmentofconventionalbuses,railtransitandothermodesofurbanpublictransitthrough

expandingthescopeandensuringtheefficiencyofurbanpublictransit.

Beasupplementtorailtransit.BRTandrailtransitcanbeintegratedsoastosavemoneyaswell

asspace.ComparedwithBRT,thecostofrailtransitisrelativelyhigh,so,BRTcanbeusedasan

alternativeway to extend traffic. For example, in the junctionsof urban and rural areas, rail

transitcancarrymostpassengers,whileBRTplaysaroleofsupplement,whichcaneffectively

reducethecostoftheconstructionandoperatingofurbanpublictransit.

Playthebeddingroleforthefutureconstructionofrailtransit.Forcitieswithageneraldegree

ofeconomicdevelopment,thecostofbuildingrailtransitcanbeveryhigh,thenBRTlanescan

beusedtolaythegroundworkforfutureconstructionofelevatedorgroundtransit.Somecities

arenotlargeinsize,andtheconstructionofrailtransitisnotnecessary,soitismoreeconomical

toconstructBRTasanalternatesystem.Therefore,BRTplaysaforward-lookingroleinurban

planning,whichcanavoidwastingfundsandresourcestosomeextent.

Contributetothesustainabledevelopmentofurbanpublictransit.BRTcansavemoremoney

than rail transit, and BRT can carrymore people than conventional buses, also, BRT ismore

environmentally friendly thanprivatecars.Therefore,BRTshouldbe fullydevelopedsoas to

improveurbanpublictransitnetwork,achieveadynamicbalanceamongavarietyofurbanpublic

transit,andcontinuouslypromotethesustainabledevelopmentofurbanpublictransit.

Reducethefinancialburdenofthegovernment.DevelopingBRTcanreducetheinvestmentin

urbanpublictransitandplayapositiveroleinthelong-termdevelopmentofacity.Firstly,the

cost of the construction and operating of BRT is relatively low; Secondly, the use of eco-

technologiesinBRTcannotonlyprotectenvironment,butalsosavethecostoffuel;Thirdly,the

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lowcostofinvestmentinBRTcanleadtochaineffects:thepubliccansavetravelexpenses,and

morepeoplewillbeattracted touseurbanpublic transit rather thanprivatecars,whichcan

indirectlyreducethecostoftrafficcongestion.

Promoteculturaldevelopmentandenhancetheattractivenessofacity.BRTcanplayapositive

roleinthespatiallayoutandlandplanningofacity,theconstructionandoperationofwhichcan

not only solve various traffic issues in the development of a city, but also promote the

constructionofurbanpublictransitnetwork.BRThasthecharacteristicsoflargecapacity,fast

speedandhighutilization rateof land resources, the lanes,busesand stationsofwhichalso

reflectthecharacteristicsofacity,thusenhancingtheattractivenessofacityandpromotingthe

diversificationofurbanculture.

3.1.3TypicalExamples

3.1.3.1BeijingBRT

ThecapitalcityofChina,Beijing,isthefirstcityinChinatohaveBRT.Atpresent,developingBRT

hasbecomethemaintrendinthedevelopmentofurbanpublictransitinBeijing.Thereasonsare

listed as follows: Firstly, although rail transit in Beijing is developed, but conventional urban

publictransitdoeshavesomeissues,suchastheinconvenienttransfer;Secondly,thepeakhours

alwayscausetrafficcongestionandotherissues;Thirdly,Beijingisinurgentneedofdeveloping

large-capacityurbanpublic transit,andBRTcanhelpa lot inmeetingthepassengerdemand,

making full use of land resources and forming a seamless network among subway and

conventionalbuses.

InDecember2004,thefirstBRTLaneinBeijingwasofficiallyoperated.In2005,thetotallength

ofthislanewas16kilometers,with17stations.In2008,thelengthofBeijingBRTreached200

kilometerswiththreemainlanes(Wang&Xiao,2011).

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Figure1MapofBeijingBRT

*Fromhttp://environmentalresearchweb.org/blog/2009/09/update-from-beijing-1.html

• Managementagency:BeijingPublicTransitCo.,Ltd

• Bustypes:IvecocompressednaturalgasBRTbusandNeoplandieselBRTbus

• SinglearticulatedBRTbuseswithLEDscreens,electric liftboards,airconditioningand

priorityseats(Zhai,2011)

• Islandplatforms,withspecializedstafftomaintainorder

• Convenient transfer hubs between BRT, subway, and loop buses (Guo, Xu, & Chen,

DevelopmentofBRTatHomeandAbroad,2008)

• Adjustmentofdepartureintervalbasedontraffic:duringpeakhours,everyminute;other

time,twotothreeminutes

• Discountonfareswhenusingcitycardandstudentcard

3.1.3.2GuangzhouBRT

Guangzhou Zhongshan Road BRT was officially operated in February 2010 after 14 months’

construction.Asthelargestsingle-laneBRTinAsian(Xiong,2011),GuangzhouBRThasimproved

thecommercialandresidentialaccessibility,thetrafficcondition,andthevitalityoflandalong

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BRTlanes,andtheconstructionofinfrastructuresalongBRTlaneshasgreatlyimprovedtheurban

environment(Tan,2010).

Figure2MapofGuangzhouBRT

*Fromhttps://visual.ly/community/infographic/transportation/guangzhou-bus-rapid-transit-corridor

• Multi-functionlaneswithcoloredconcrete,suitableforbothBRTandconventionalbuses

• HighcapacityBRTbusesusingliquefiedpetroleumgasandlowexhausttechnologies

• BikelanesandbikeparkinglotsineveryBRTstationfortransfer

• PlatformsarebuiltonthecenterofBRTlanes,withmanualticketboothsandautomatic

cardmachines

• “Buybeforeboard”,sothattheoperationalcapacityandefficiencyofBRTcanbegreatly

improved(ZhaoJ.,2012).

• Discountwithmonthlyticket(Lee&Jiang,2011)

3.1.3.3CuritibaBRT

Curitiba is the most prosperous city in Brazil. Curitiba BRT was planned in 1972, andmany

countrieshavebeenInspiredbytheuniqueness,advanceddesignandcomfortablepublicservice

ofCuritibaBRT.

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Figure3MapofCuritibaBRT

*Fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rede_Integrada_de_Transporte

• Constructionprinciples:Makefulluseoflandresources;UselargecapacityandfastBRT

busestoensuretheoperationalefficiencyandsatisfythehigh-densitypassengerdemand

inDowntownCuritiba;Improvetheconstructionofinfrastructures;Savemoney.

• Managementagency:Curitibamunicipalgovernmentandotherprivatecompanies.The

loans of private companies are guaranteed by the government. A total of 10 private

companiesareresponsibleforBRTmaintenance.BRTfaresaredecidedandmonitoredby

CuritibaBusAuthority.

• Onelooplanewithfiveradiallanes.Eachmainlaneisdividedintothreeparallellanes,

andthecentrallaneisforBRTbusesonly.Thegovernmentencouragesthefulluseofland

resourcesbetweenBRTlanesandotherlanes.

• ReddoublearticulatedBRTbususingdiesel

• Cylindrical BRT stations, the unique design of which can improve the operational

efficiency,protectpassengers,andbecomeabeautifulsceneryofCuritiba.

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• Thedepartureintervalisoneminute.

• Environmentalprotection.Morethan70%ofthepublichavechosentotravelbyurban

publictransit,especiallyBRT,insteadofdrivingprivatecars.

3.1.3.4BogotaBRT

BogotaisthecapitalcityofColumbia,anditisalsothelargestcityinthatcountry.Bogotahas

investednearly$1billiontoimprovetheconstructionofpublicinfrastructures,includingBRT,

whichwasofficiallyoperatedin2000.

Figure4MapofBogotaBRT

*Fromhttp://www.citymetric.com/transport/what-bus-rapid-transit-and-why-doesn-t-every-city-want-one-2362

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• Use red articulated buses with the combination of double-doors and single-door.

Accordingtospeed,BRTbusesaredividedintoexpress,regularandregionalbuses.

• BRTstationsarelocatedonthecenterofBRTlanessoastofacilitatetheaccelerationand

decelerationofBRTbuses.Completeinfrastructures,includingsidewalks,crossingsand

soon.

• GPSandother intelligentdevicesreporting informationtothedispatchcenterevery6

seconds.

• As part of themunicipal infrastructures supported by the government, Bogota BRT is

underthemonitoringofthegovernment,andprivatecompaniescanhavethefranchise

throughcompetitivebidding. Theway toobtainmoney is raising funds,with financial

subsidiesgivenbythegovernment.

• Thirdpartyorganizationsinvolved.ThebiggestfeatureofBogotaBRTistheestablishment

of amanagement company calledTransMilenio,whichmonitors the constructionand

operationofBogotaBRT,andalsomaintainsBRTbuses,BRTlanesandotherissues.

3.2LRT

LRT(LightRailTransit)isakindofrapidtransitbasedonelectricallypoweredlightrailvehicles

thatoperatedonatrackinasegregated,rightofway.Theyaredesignedtodeliverrapid,reliable

andsafepublicservice.

Withhighercapacitythanotherurbanpublictransit,LRTwillcarrypassengersinreservedtransit

lanesseparatedfromregulartraffic.Vehicleswillbelowfloorwithmultipleentrancesthatare

accessibletocustomerswithalllevelsofmobility.

As twodifferentkindsof rapid transit, LRTandBRTarevery similar inmanyaspects suchas

stations and operational mode. However, the major difference is that BRT is more like

conventionalbuses,usingsingleordouble-deckerandbi-articulatedbusesandbuslanessoasto

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ensure the high efficiency and low construction fee,while LRT ismore like conventional rail

transit–severalcabinswithfixedtracks.

3.3Revelations

Rapid transithascharacteristicsofconvenience,punctuality,accessibility, comfortandsoon,

whichareconducivetotheconstructionofurbanpublictransitnetworkandcanpromotethe

intensiveuseoflandresourcesaswellastherapiddevelopmentofeconomy.

As for revelations.Firstly,payattention to thequalityofpublic service.Theconstructionand

operationoffacilitiesshouldbefocusedon,andthequalityofpublicserviceshouldbeimproved

as well, which are key factors to ensure the success of rapid transit. So, in the process of

constructionandoperation,improvingthequalityofpublicserviceshouldbesetasamaingoal;

Secondly, the rational use of funds. The biggest feature of rapid transit, compared with

conventionalurbanpublictransit,isthattheconstructioncostisrelativelylower.Iftheoperation

processismanagedbyprivatecompanies,thefinancialburdenofthegovernmentwillbegreatly

reduced.So,developingrapidtransitasthemainmodeofurbanpublictransitisaneffectiveway

tosavemoney;Thirdly,theflexiblecombinationofdifferentfacilitiesofrapidtransit.Manycities

haveadoptedacombinationofloopandradiallanes,whichisbasedonthecity'sbasicurban

planningandlaneconditions.Rapidtransitshouldcombinewithotherurbanpublictransitsoas

topromotetheformationofurbanpublictransitnetwork.

4TianjinBRT

4.1GangchengAvenueBRT

OverallDevelopmentPlanofTianjin (2005-2020)aimsto"giveprioritytothedevelopmentof

urban public transit, rationally guide the development of private cars, optimize urban public

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transit network, create a friendly environment for bicycles and pedestrians, improve the

efficiencyoftraffic,andmakeamodernintegratedurbantransitsystemconsistingofrailtransit

andbuses".Meanwhile,inthe12thFiveYearPlan,thegovernmentalsogivesmuchpriorityto

thedevelopmentofurbanpublictransit.

GangchengAvenueBRTisthefirstBRTlaneinTianjin,thesuccessfulconstructionandoperation

ofwhichhavepromotedTianjinintothe"rapidtransitera".

Atpresent,withthedevelopmentofregionalintegration,Tianjinisunderconstantdevelopment.

Thecityscale isexpanding,peopleareenjoyingbetter livingstandards,andtrafficdemand is

increasingsignificantly.TianjinisideallylocatedintheheartofBohaiBay,withthelargestport

innorthernChinaandalargeamountoflandresources.AdvantagesofthelocationofTianjinare

obvious–itisanimportantbridgetocommunicateeastandwest,anditalsoplaysakeyrolein

promotingtheeconomicandtradedevelopmentofNortheastAsian.So,it isnecessarytoput

urban public transit as a priority to develop, use scientific planning to improve urban public

transitnetwork,strengthentheconstructionofurbanpublictransitinfrastructures,andusehigh-

qualitypublicservicetosolvetheincreasinglyserioustrafficcongestion.

GangchengAvenueislocatedinTianjinBinhaiNewArea,thetotallengthofwhichisabout19

kilometers.AsthemainlaneinthecentralandwesternregionsofBinhaiNewArea,Gangcheng

Avenueplays a key role in strengthening the constructionof urbanpublic transit network in

Binhai New area, which also promotes the investment environment and strengthens the

relationshipbetweenDowntownTianjinandBinhaiNewArea.AroundGangchengAvenuethere

aremanyindustrialparkssuchasBinhaiHigh-techZoneandAirportLogisticsProcessingZone,

andsomeresidentialareasaswell.However,theemployeeswhoworkinthesezonesmainlylive

inDowntownTianjinandotherareassuchasTangguandZhongxinEcologicalCity,so,inorderto

meetthetravelneedsofemployeesandresidents,andpromotethesustainabledevelopmentof

theseindustries,arapidtransitlanewithfastspeedandlargecapacitysoastoconnectallthese

industriesandresidentialareastothetransferhubisamust.

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Gangcheng Avenue BRT is planned and constructed by the Tianjin municipal government,

monitored by Tianjin Public Transit and Port Administration, and operated by Tianjin Public

TransitGroup.TianjinBRTnotonlyservesthepublic,butalsobecomesanimportantsymbolof

themodernizationofTianjin.UsingGangchengAvenueBRTasatest lanecanprovideagood

opportunity for Tianjin to improve traffic conditions and give priority to the development of

urbanpublictransit.

Figure5MapofTianjinBRT

*Fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianjin_Metro

• Intelligentmanagementsystem:Monitoredbythedispatchcenter;Optoelectronicand

wirelesscommunicationtechnologies;GPS;LEDscreensonBRTbusesandinBRTstations

(Cao&Bai, Brief Introduction ofGangchengAvenueBRT in BinhaiNewArea, Tianjin,

2011).

• Diesel-electrichybridbuses

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• The departure interval is 5minutes, which will be shortened according to passenger

demand.

• Dedicatedchannelswillbesetfordisabledpeople.

• Staffresponsibilitysystem

4.2Necessities

Urbandevelopmentstrategies.Duetotherapideconomicandsocialdevelopment,publicservice

inTianjinhasdiversifiedandmodernized.Thedevelopmentofmotorizationandtheprocessof

regionalintegrationinTianjinareaccelerating,makinganurgentrequestfortheimprovement

ofurbanpublic transitnetworkand theexpansionofcity scale.Atpresent, thedevelopment

spaceofDowntownTianjin is far frommeeting thedevelopmentof urbanpublic transit and

economy. Therefore, the government has come up with detailed plans emphasizing the

strengtheningoftheconstructionofurbanpublictransitinfrastructuressoastoeasethetraffic

pressure.

Busprioritypolicy.AccordingtoOverallDevelopmentPlanofTianjin(2005-2020),thebuspriority

policyshouldbeimplementedsoastoestablishandimproveurbanpublictransitnetworkand

furtheroptimizebuslanelayout.

Improvetrafficconditions.ThecurrentissuesfacingtrafficdevelopmentinTianjinarelistedas

follows:Firstly,urbanpublictransitfaresarerelativelyhigh,whichisalsooneofthemainfactors

determiningwhetherthepublicchoosesurbanpublictransitornot.Atpresent,theconventional

busfareisfixed,andthelong-distancebusfareandthesubwayfarearebasedonthenumberof

stations.Alargenumberofthepublicdoesnotchoosetotakeurbanpublictransittotraveldue

tohighfares,whichrequirestheconstructionoflowcost,highefficiencyandhighcapacityurban

publictransit,suchasBRT.Andthegovernmentshouldencouragesocialfundstoparticipatein

the construction and operation of BRT so as to save cost and promote the continuous

development of urban public transit; Secondly, the traffic pressure of Tianjin is growing. At

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present,Tianjinisinthefastdevelopmentofmotorization.Ifnotgiveprioritytothedevelopment

ofurbanpublictransitandcontrolthenumberofprivatecars,notonlywill landresourcesbe

wasted,butcongestionwillbecomeincreasinglyseriousaswell.Meanwhile,exhaustemission

hascausedseriouspollutiontotheatmosphere.

Figure6ChangesoftheTotalNumberofCivilianCarsandPrivateCarsinTianjin

*Fromhttp://d.qianzhan.com;ThebluelinerepresentsthetotalnumberofciviliancarsinTianjin;Thegreenline

representsthetotalnumberofprivatecarsinTianjin.Theunitistenthousand.

Thirdly,urbanpublictransitinfrastructuresareimperfect.Atpresent,conventionalurbanpublic

transit in Tianjin is under construction and improvement, but the transit network between

conventionalurbanpublic transitandBRThasnotbe formedyet.There isanurgentneedto

increase the investment to the construction of urban public transit infrastructures, such as

standardsidewalks,bikelanes,additionaltransithubsandparkinglotssoastomeetthetravel

needsofthepublicandprovidethepublicwithbetterpublicservice.

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4.3Feasibilities

Economic development. The rapid economic development of Tianjin began in YuanDynasty,

whichwasabout700yearsago.Atthattime,theeconomicdevelopmentinTianjinmainlyrelied

onsalt industry,andtheprosperityofsalt industrypromotedthedevelopmentofTianjinand

surroundingareas,layingagoodfoundationforthefurthereconomicdevelopmentofTianjin.At

present, Tianjin has become one of the most economically developed cities in China, the

economy of which has maintained a good momentum of development. The aerospace,

petrochemical,equipmentmanufacturingandotherpillarindustriesinBinhaiNewArealeadthe

industrialdevelopmentandpromotetheupgradingofindustrialstructureinTianjin.

Populationandtraffic.Undernormalcircumstances,ifonepersontravelsthreetimesaday,and

thepopulationofacityis500,000,thenthedailytravelvolumeofthiscityisabout1,500,000

(Deng,Chen,&Ding,2010).ThepopulationofTianjinismorethan1,500,000,whichmeansthe

dailytravelvolumeismorethan4,500,000.BRTisanecessity inTianjintomeettheneedsof

large-scale traffic. It has been expected that from 2000 to 2020, the daily travel volume of

DowntownTianjinwill increasebymorethan30%,from9,456,800to12,648,800(Ma,Cao,&

Fan, 2007). With the diversified development of urban traffic, urban public transit has also

becomemorediversified.Undernormalcircumstances,thechoiceofthepublicislargelybased

ontheirtraveldistanceandtraveldestinations. Ifthedistanceisfar,orthetimeisurgent,or

thereareconvenientparkinglotsneardestinations,theymaychoosetodrive;Ifthereisperfect

urbanpublictransitandperfectpublicservice,thepublicwillchoosethenearbyurbanpublic

transittotravel.So,theuseofBRTwillnotonlysavetravelcostforthepublic,theconvenient

andcomfortablepublicserviceofwhichcanalsomeettheirtravelneeds.

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Figure7ChangesofthePopulationandItsDensityinTianjin

*Fromhttp://d.qianzhan.com;ThebluelineandtheleftfiguresrepresentthepopulationdensityofTianjin,andthe

unitispersquarekilometers;TheyellowlineandtherightfiguresrepresentthepopulationofTianjin,andtheunit

istenthousand.

Utilizationoflandresourcesandtrafficconditions.Tianjinisrichinlandresources,butthereare

only32,937hectaresfortraffic,accountingforonly2.76%ofthetotallandresources.Therefore,

landresourcesavailableforurbanpublictransitarelimited,andhowtousethelimitedresources

tocreateunlimitedvalueisabigquestiontobeconsidered.Withtheeconomicdevelopment

andthecontinuousimprovementoflivingstandardsofthepublic,Tianjinhasmoreandmore

urbanpublictransit,andmoreandmorepeopleinTianjiniswillingtochooseurbanpublictransit

totravel.

Theoveralltrafficdevelopmentplan.TheplanningofTianjinurbanpublictransitwillputrapid

transitasthemainmodetobuildadiversifiedurbanpublictransitnetwork.Fromthesecondhalf

of2013,traffic lanesinTianjinstartedtobemodified,andinthenextthreeyearsuntil2016,

therewereabiggerurbanpublictransitnetworkinDowntownTianjin,withthelengthof194

24

kilometers, which can be used by more than 85% of the conventional urban public transit.

Throughtheimprovementoflanessuchastheflatness,allkindsofbuseswill increasespeed,

thus saving a lot of time for the public, providing passengerswith better public service, and

graduallytransferringthewaythepublictravelfromdrivingprivatecarstousingurbanpublic

transit.Inthenextfiveyearsfrom2018to2023,therewillbetwoBRTlanesonthebasisofthe

constructionandoperationofthe228-kilometerurbanpublictransitnetwork(Hou,2013).

4.4Functions

GangchengAvenueBRTisconsistentwiththelayoutofTianjintosomeextent,anditcanrealize

thetrafficaccessibilitybetweenBinhaiNewAreaandwesternregions.GangchengAvenueBRT

isadvancedintheaspectsoflanewidth,isolationfacilitiesandloadcapacity,anditcanmakefull

useoflandresourcesandsavemoney.

Gangcheng Avenue BRT can optimize the investment environment in Binhai New Area and

supportthedevelopmentoffunctionalzonessuchasaerospaceandoilindustries,anditcanalso

providepublicserviceforemployeesandresidents(Gao,2012).

GangchengAvenueBRTplaysademonstrationroleintheconstructionoftrans-regionaltransit

network. It is the first rapid transit in Tianjin, the construction, operation, and relevant

managementmechanismsofwhichareveryimportant,anditalsoplaysanimportantroleinthe

futuredevelopmentofurbanpublictransitinTianjin.

5HamiltonLRT

5.1WhyHamilton

25

Figure8MapofHamiltonLRT

*Fromhttp://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/transitexpansionprojects/hamilton_lrt.aspx

LRTwaschosenbytheprovinceforHamiltonbecause,ofthetworapidtransitoptionsstudied,

itgeneratedthemosttransitandeconomicbenefits.MetrolinxBenefitsCase(Metrolinx,2010)

concluded thatwhile LRTwas amore expensive option compared to BRT, it promised $850

millionintransituserbenefitsandanother$144millionininvestmentanddevelopment.BRT,by

comparison,promisedroughlyhalfthosebenefits.AreportfromtheCanadianUrbanInstitute

saysthatLRTwillbringeconomicuplifttoHamilton, includingmoretaxassessmentalongthe

route, generating more tax dollars for Hamilton because of a "LRT premium" on nearby

properties.

LocatedatthewesterncornerofLakeOntario,Hamiltonispositioneduniquelyasthewestern

centeroftheGreaterGoldenHorseshoe,andfunctionsasawesterngatewaytoGTA.Hamilton

iswellpositionedtoexploititsgeographicalproximitytoToronto,thelargestbusinesscenterin

Canada, particularly considering the proposed electrification of the GO Lakeshore Line and

improvedtravelexperiencefortheestimated92,000commutersthattravelbetweenToronto

26

andHamilton.TheB-linerapidtransitinconjunctionwiththeGOLakeshoreimprovementswill

provide Hamilton with strong transit-oriented commuting options as well as provide the

opportunity to revitalize the city as an attractive, dynamic, and environmentally sound

communityforpeopleandbusinessestovisit,workandlive.

Aninvestmentinrapidtransitisalsoanimportantpieceofthecity’splantorejuvenatetheurban

core and support its economic and cultural transition. Hamilton’s traditional and pedestrian

friendly street grid, combinedwith its stock of heritage and older buildings, waterfront and

escarpmenttopography,makeforanurbanfabricthat iswell-suitedtoatransit-orientedand

sustainablelifestyle.Giventhesenaturalandhistoriccharacteristics,Hamiltoniswellpositioned

toattractandaccommodatethesignificantgrowthexpectedintheGreaterTorontoAreaover

thenext25years.Ahigher-ordertransitcorridorwillconnectkeyactivitycanters,destinations,

andlinkkeyareasoffutureeconomicdevelopment.However,suchaninvestmentmustbemade

withinthecontextofanoverallstrategywhereatransitinvestmentaloneisnotsufficienttofully

capitalizeonthisadvantage.Togetherwithappropriatecityplanningandeconomicdevelopment

initiatives,rapidtransitcanplayanimportantroleinthetransitiontoaknowledge-basedand

sustainablecommunityandeconomy.

Hamiltonhasmadeanefforttoensureallplansandstrategiesarepro-activeinenhancingthe

city as a successful urban center. Hamilton is in the process of updating its economic

developmentstrategy.Thestrategywilltargetmultipleareasofcity-building,includingbusiness

development,communityrevitalization,andattractinga21stcenturylaborforce.Arapidtransit

linecouldcontributetoallofthesegoals.Asidefromtheobviouscommunityandqualityoflife

impacts, an investment in rapid transit also fits particularly well with the approach to

infrastructures for innovation, which will link the existing and future nodes of research and

technologycommercializationinHamilton.Byfacilitatingsuchlinkagesalongthecity’sprimary

east-westcorridor,aninvestmentinrapidtransitislikelytoenhancetheattractivenessofthe

citytopotentialdeveloperswhowillbenefitfromthemarketabilityandincreaseddemandfor

27

prospectivedevelopmentsitesalongthecorridor.Overall,arapidtransitlanehasthepotential

togeneratemanysynergieswithothercomplementaryinitiativesinHamilton.

5.2Objectives

HamiltonRapidTransitInitiativehasseveralbroadobjectivesinconjunctionwithMoveOntario

2020andMetrolinxRTP,including:increasetransitridership;putpedestriansandtransitfirstin

planning the corridor by enhancing the streetscape and creating a more pedestrian-friendly

environment; improvethecity’sbusiness,tourismanddevelopmentappeal;provideeffective

connectionstoneighboringtransitsystemsinBrantford,Burlingtonandsoon.

Inadditiontothesebroadobjectives,theproposedenhancementstotherapidtransitnetwork,

beginningwiththeimplementationofrapidtransitservicealongtheB-Linecorridor,alsoaimto

achievemorespecificgoals,including:promotenewdevelopmentandinvestmentalongitskey

corridors and at strategic nodes; support opportunities to redevelop and intensify existing

developments;supportandrevitalizeexistingandfuturedevelopmentareassuchasMcMaster

University,WestHamiltonInnovationParkandDowntownHamilton,andbusinesses;providea

choiceoftravelmodesthatsupportandinter-connecttoeachotheratbothalocal(trails,cycling,

walking)andinter-regionallevel(GO);improveaccesstokeyactivitycenterssuchasrecreation

and sporting facilities, arts center and convention center; achieve local and regional

environmentalobjectives;promoteasustainablecommunity.

5.3Problems

Money.Hamiltonhasreceived$1billionfromtheprovincialgovernmentforrapidtransit,but

this amount of money is for LRT only. However, the construction and operation of LRT will

inevitablyupdatesomehardwareofothermodesofurbanpublictransit,suchaselectronicand

transfersystems,so,howtogetextramoneyforthesenecessitiesisaratherurgentissue

28

LRTrouteplanning.TheLRTrouteisalongMainStreetinthewesternandeasternportions,but

inbetween,itgoesdownKingStreet.AsforthemountainandotherareasofHamiltonwithHSR

only, theconstructionof LRT routes cancosta lotof timeandmoney, so, there shouldbea

standardtodecidethenecessityofaddingextraLRTroutes.

6ProblemSolving

6.1PPP(Public–Private–Partnerships)

WhatisPPP?Duringtheprocessofcooperationbetweenthepublicsectorsandprivatesectors,

sourcesfromprivatesectorsparticipateintheprovisionofpublicgoodsandpublicservice,so

thatthefunctionsofthepublicsectorcanbeachieved,andprivatesectorscanalsobenefit.

BOOT(Build–Own–Operate–Transfer)isatypicalmodeofPPP:anagreementissetbetween

thegovernmentandprivatecompanies,andprivatecompanieswillbegivenacertaindegreeof

autonomytoraisemoney,operateaprojectandget income,andriskwillbesharedwiththe

government,thenthegovernmentwillowntheprojectintheend.

Tianjinmunicipalgovernmenthassigneda36-millionCADBOOTagreementwithTianjinBinhai

NewAreaConstruction&InvestmentGroupCo.,LtdandaFrenchheavyindustrycalledLOHRto

furtherdevelopTianjinBRT.

InCanada,thefederalconservativegovernmentunderStephenHarperinCanadasolidifiedits

commitmenttoP3swiththecreationofacrowncorporation,P3CanadaInc.,in2009.Atlower

levels of government P3s have been used to build major infrastructure projects like transit

systems,suchasVivaRapidTransitandOntarioHighway407,andtobuildpublicbuildingssuch

asschools.So,theconstructionofHamiltonLRTcouldfollowthispattern,whichmeansusingP3s

29

toraisemoney,operateHamiltonLRTandgetincome,andshareriskwiththegovernment,finally

thegovernmentwillownHamiltonLRT.

6.2PublicConsultation

Public consultation is a regulatory process. Its main goals are to improve the efficiency,

transparency and public involvement in large-scale projects. It usually involves notification,

consultationandparticipation.

Inordertomaketherouteplanning,TianjinTransportationGroupCo.,Ltd,TianjinRailTransit

Group Co., Ltd and Tianjin People ‘s Congress have united to accept public consultation and

supervision,adoptpublicopinionsoastomaximizethebenefitsofTianjinBRT.

AsforHamilton,apublicinformationcentercanbeestablishedsothatcommunitymembersand

a diverse group individuals can attend to learn about new developments to the project, to

considerthechallengesandopportunitiesthatmightarisefromtheimplementationofLRTand

toprovideinputintothedecision-making.

7Conclusion

Rapidtransitisanimportantpartofurbanpublictransit,anditplaysanimportantroleinthe

sustainabledevelopmentof a city. TianjinandHamiltonare indifferent stagesofdeveloping

rapidtransit:theformerwillfurtheroptimizetheexistingBRTlaneandspeeduptheconstruction

andoperationofnewBRTlanessoastograduallydevelopitsurbanpublictransitnetwork;the

latterisstillintheplanningstage,buttheexperiencefromTianjinBRTwillhelpbetterdevelop

HamiltonLRT.

30

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AcknowledgmentManypeoplehavemadeinvaluablecontributions,bothdirectlyandindirectly,tomyresearch.

I would like to express my warmest gratitude to Dr. Greig Mordue, my supervisor, for his

instructivesuggestionsandvaluablecommentsonthewritingofthisthesis.Withouthisgenerous

helpandencouragement,thepresentthesiswouldnothavebeenaccomplished.

IwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoDr.GailKrantzberg,Dr.DavidK.Potter,ProfessorVelmaI

Grover,Dr.BrianBaetz,Dr.SaiedehN.Razavi,Dr.LotfiBelkhirandDr.RobertFleisig,forteaching

menotonlythepreciousknowledge,butthededicatedattitudetowardsresearch.

IwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoallmyclassmatesandadministrativestaffsinMcMaster

University,forsupportingmeduringthepastyear.

Myheartswellswithgratitudetoallthepeoplewhohelpedme.