SUMMARY SECTOR ANALYSIS Urban Transport
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Sustainable Urban Transport Investment Program (RRP GEO 42414-01) SUMMARY SECTOR ANALYSIS Urban Transport A. Urban Development in Georgia 1. Georgia has a population of 4.62 million and is one of the most urbanized countries in South Caucasus. Urban areas account for 53% of the population and they will continue to attract most of the investment, aggravating social and environment issues and stressing existing infrastructure. These trends require specific actions to create more sustainable economic development and better living conditions in urban areas. Tbilisi, the capital and largest city, has 1.4 million inhabitants representing 30% of the national total. Kutaisi, the second largest city, has only 235,000 people, highlighting the need to balance development and strengthen the secondary cities. 2. Strategically located at the crossroads between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, Georgia is traversed by a principal east–west highway, which connects the Black Sea coast and the Turkish border with countries to the east. The existing road infrastructure has been tightly intertwined with urban development in recent decades. Most of the main cities are located along the east–west axis, with another important urban region along the Black Sea coast. Most secondary urban areas are on each side of the east–west highway and tourism is increasingly becoming an important source of revenue for these areas. Infrastructure development has been prioritized by the government as part of its poverty reduction agenda. The sector assessment has divided urban areas into three groups: (i) Tbilisi and the adjacent cities of Rustavi and Mtskheta; (ii) the main secondary cities of Batumi, Gori, Kutaisi, Poti, and Zugdidi; and (iii) cities with high tourism potential such as Anaklia, Borzhomi, Gudauri, and Mestia. B. Urban Transport Issues in Tbilisi and Rustavi 3. The development of Tbilisi is a priority for the government. Traffic congestion, air pollution, deterioration of the road network, an underdeveloped public transport system, and lack of pedestrian zones are all important issues. Private car ownership is increasing and it is difficult to ensure the quality and attractiveness of public transport services. As a result, the quality of life for Tbilisi inhabitants is deteriorating. 4. Urban organization and economic development. Founded in the fifth century, Tbilisi has extended in a radial way. A longitudinal extension connects its two neighboring cities: Rustavi (population 122,000) and Mtskheta (population 20,000). The urban morphology of Tbilisi is determined by the numerous hills that surround both banks of the Mtkvari River. The railway line, the largest avenues and the first metro line are north–south oriented and parallel to the river, but taken together they create a series of urban borders that are difficult to cross. Government institutions, universities, and leisure facilities are concentrated in the city center, aggravating problems of congestion. In addition to the old town which maintains its strong tourism potential, new urban centers such as Didube, Digomi, Vake, and Saburtalo continue to evolve into increasingly vibrant business, residential, and recreation centers. The most recent development initiatives include the uptown Tbilisi project; the new university campus in Digomi; retail and residential developments near the central station at Avlabari and Ortachala; and the relocation of the rail line from the city center. These urban developments are deeply complex as they need to cross the Mtkvari or Vera rivers or the surrounding hills and cliffs to connect to the city center. 2 5. Urban mobility patterns. About half of Georgia's cars are registered in Tbilisi (about 275,000 vehicles in 2008). The average car ownership in Tbilisi is about 200 vehicles for 1,000 inhabitants. Recent strong growth car use is expected to continue. Road projects undertaken by the local authorities will partially resolve the bottlenecks and decongest the traffic. A good public transport network that offers an efficient and clean alternative to private cars is badly needed. Traffic congestion, secondhand cars, the age of the car fleet, and low-quality gasoline generate at least 80% of the air pollution in Tbilisi.1 The concentration of carbonic acid in the air already exceeds the norm by 1.5–2.5 times and increases health problems. Polluted air remains in the city as it is trapped by the surrounding hills. 1. Urban Transport Infrastructures 6. Road network and safety. The main road corridors follow the Mtkvari River. The north– south arterials are connected by transversal corridors through nine bridges crossing Mtkvari River. Numerous streets and avenues need to be rehabilitated because of the low-quality or damaged surface, which undermines passenger safety, particularly on fast sections. Congestion is mainly at peak hours, particularly at major intersections in the city center.2 Significant efforts have been made in recent years to improve the quality of traffic management through marking or traffic lights but more needs to be done. Signals are not obeyed, there are frequent cases of unlawful and inappropriate behavior, and driving laws are poorly enforced. Road safety is a critical issue. For the whole of Georgia, there were 737 deaths and 7,349 injuries in 2007 (53% in Tbilisi), a 62% increase since 2002.3 According to the World Bank, 37% of deaths by car accidents in Georgia are caused by drunk driving. Drivers’ behavior, lack of pedestrian safety equipment, damaged roads, and dangerous intersections are responsible for the rest. The number of approved parking spaces is about 11,600 but there are numerous and uncontrolled non-approved parking spots. Parking rules for Tbilisi were approved by the Tbilisi city council in 2007 to establish the location of parking areas. The municipality establishes parking fees with different fares for residential or temporary parking (GEL25 for a year and GEL2 for 1 week). 7. Public urban transport. Public transport's still accounts for 55% of passengers 4 because the extensive public transportation network, including a reliable metro service, is able to compete with growing car use. Despite the aging equipment and infrastructure and the removal of the former tramway and trolleybus lines, investments from the municipality have maintained the reliable and popular bus and metro network. Daily boardings on the public transport network are (i) about 260,000 for the metro; (ii) about 215,000 for the bus network;5 and (iii) and about 430,000 for the minibus network (footnote 4). Rustavi, located in the Tbilisi conurbation, has its own public transport network, which includes buses and minibuses and serves 7,000–10,000 commuters travelling daily between the two cities. 8. Public transport sustainability. The current average operating cost is about GEL0.40 per passenger, the average revenue is GEL0.20, and the average operating subsidy is GEL0.10. Closing this gap is one of the main challenges for the Tbilisi public transport system. This situation is exacerbated by (i) the high passenger fraud rate and fare evasion (about 30%), and (ii) fares that do not take into account the length of trips. The problem is also affected by the urban morphology of Tbilisi: a north–south urban trip can be as long as 20 kilometers (km). 1 Source Non Governmental Organization , Better Outdoor Air Quality through Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles, 2008 2 In the center, most of the major corridors have reached their nominal capacity with 17,000 vehicles per hour, but some bottlenecks reduce the capacity to 11,000 vehicles per hour. 3 Source: Patrol police, Tbilisi. 4 Source: Systra Consulting Co. estimates, 2010. 5 Sources: Tbilisi Metro and Bus Company, 2009. 3 9. The metro system, opened in 1966, consists of two lines totaling 27 km of double tracks and 22 stations. Line 1 (red line) is 20.5 km long, with 16 stations. The current metro fleet consists of 170 vehicles of six different types. Headway is 4 minutes at peak hours and 5–6 minutes during off-peak hours. Line 2 (green line, or Saburtalo line) is 6 km long, with six stations. It is connected to line 1 at Vagzlis Moedani (central station). In 2009, the total traffic was about 76.6 million riders. The metro provides a relatively good service. Four metro stations have been recently refurbished and extensive maintenance operations are in progress for the rolling stock. The completion of the 1.5 km extension of line 2 to the university, at the end of Saburtalo district; is expected to add 4.4 million passengers per year or nearly 18,000 new passengers per day. In 2009, the total operating expenditures for the metro network were about GEL34.1 million, about GEL4 per operating kilometer, or GEL0.44 per rider. 10. Bus and minibus operations are subject to permits and pay a monthly license fee. The bus network is 3,852 km long. It includes 126 lines and 1,665 bus stops. In 2009, the total traffic carried by the bus network was about 58.8 million riders, with four lines carrying over 5,000 daily boardings. The bus fleet consists of 900 vehicles and has been renewed for 5 years, with the purchase of 700 new buses reducing the fleet average age to 7 years. However, the service quality of the bus network is limited because of irregular schedules and lack of information for passengers on routes, schedules, and the location of bus stops. The total operating costs for the bus network were about GEL23.0 million in 2009, or GEL0.30 per operating kilometer and GEL0.39 per passenger. 11. Minibuses compete with buses on the main corridors and offer quick and stop-on- demand transport between almost all parts of Tbilisi. There are 188 lines operated by 43 companies with a total of 2,145 minibuses. Minibus companies are fully private but need a license issued by Tbilisi municipality which approves the routes within its administrative borders and defines intervals at peak and off peak hours.