Topic: road safety

ADVISORY: CONNECTKaro sustainable transport and urbanization event set to kick-off in Mumbai

Lauren Zelin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:27:27 -0400

On April 15-16, Indian and international experts will discuss the current scenario of sustainable transport and urban planning in India, and the opportunities for the future of sustainable cities

EMBARQ India, the World Resources Institute’s centre for sustainable transport and urban planning in India, will be hosting CONNECTKaro, a conference that brings together international leaders in sustainable transport and urban development April 15-16 in Mumbai. This is the inaugural meeting of CONNECTKaro, the regional event part of a global series of events focused on sustainable transport that the EMBARQ network organizes. Over 150 experts including government officials, policy makers, and practitioners in the field of urban transport and urban planning will convene in Mumbai, India, to participate in this global gathering.

The theme for the conference is “Karo” – to make it happen – to translate ideas into action. Scaling sustainable transport and ensuring it is integrated with land development is key for Indian cities as they grow in population, economically and spatially, over the next decade. The ideas of sustainable transport and integrated land development have been demonstrated in a few cities around the world. CONNECTKaro sessions will focus how these can be adapted and replicated in India.

EMBARQ India’s bi-annual Bus Karo Plus “Talking Transit” workshop series will be part of the conference, held in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Electrical Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST).

The opening plenary session, on April 15, will set the vision for the conference and will include remarks from Dr. Sudhir Krishna, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development; Mr. UPS Madan, Commissioner, MMRDA; Mr. OP Gupta, General Manager, BEST Undertaking; Mr. Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman and MD, Godrej and Boyce Ltd; Ms. Henriette Vamberg, Director, Cities, Gehl Architects, and Mr. Madhav Pai, Director, EMBARQ India.

On April 16, the closing plenary will focus on “Market Opportunities for Sustainable Transport” and will include: Mr. Manish Bapna, Executive VP and Managing Director, WRI; and Mr. Madhav Pai, Director, EMBARQ India; along with Mr. Anil Baijal, Non Executive Chairman, IDFC Foundation / Former Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India; Mr. Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman WRI India; and Dr. Armin Bruck, CEO Siemens India.

Other sessions of the conference include road safety in Indian cities, enhancing safe access to transit nodes, transit-oriented development, master planning, the role of auto-rickshaws in sustainable transport, and others, bringing together industry experts to discuss the current scenario and the way forward in effecting positive interventions in sustainable transport and urban planning.

You can find a detailed programme of events here.

WHAT:
CONNECTKaro, a sustainable transport and urban development conference

WHEN:
April 15 – 16, 2013

WHERE:
Trident Hotel
Nairman Point
Mumbai, India

To watch the sessions in a live webcast, register here

For more information or to set up media interviews, please contact dkottadiel@embarqindia.org

RELEASE: C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and World Resources Institute Partner to Promote City Transit Solutions

James Anderson — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:44:03 -0500

The World Resources Institute, led by its sustainable transport center, EMBARQ, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) established a partnership today that will further their mutual goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from urban transportation. The partnership focuses on scaling up solutions and enhancing C40 cities transport efforts related to sustainable urban planning, bus rapid transit systems, and non-motorized transit initiatives.

Together, these organizations will tackle a transport sector that accounts for roughly 13 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

“This new partnership with EMBARQ and its global network of transportation expertise will accelerate the work cities are doing to implement more efficient and effective transit systems,” said C40 Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “By combining the forces of two organizations that know how to get things done we will help provide greater transit options that will help us build a more sustainable planet.”

For over ten years, EMBARQ has catalyzed and implemented sustainable transport solutions to improve the quality of life in cities in terms of pollution, public health, and safety. Similarly, C40 works to implement innovative, replicable transit solutions that reduce GHG emissions at the city level.

“Mayor Bloomberg and the leaders of other C40 cities are committed to shifting to a low-carbon future – and this partnership will help them to get there,” said Andrew Steer, President, World Resources Institute. “The world’s middle class is booming and people are more mobile than ever before. We need smart, people-focused transportation solutions that will help create better cities and a more sustainable world.”

C40 and the World Resources Institute cemented a long-standing relationship through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that will encourage the two entities to collaborate on the following:

Supporting climate mitigation and adaptation measures through sustainable and equitable transportation policies in C40 cities;
Leveraging C40 networks, or working groups of peer C40 cities (e.g. Sustainable Urban Development Network and Bus Rapid Transit Network), to develop and share integrated transit and urban development planning in and among C40 cities; and
Collaborating to support and promote low-carbon urban development in C40 cities, with particular attention paid to bus rapid transit and non-motorized transport.

EMBARQ is already actively working in the following C40 Cities: Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (Brazil); Mexico City (Mexico); Lima (Peru); Istanbul (Turkey); Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore (India).

“By combining our vast networks and deep technical capacity, C40 and EMBARQ are positioned to make a significant contribution to reducing city-level emissions and creating better transport systems,” said Holger Dalkmann, director, EMBARQ. “Mayor Bloomberg is a proven leader by transforming New York City and raising the ambition of mayors around the world. Now, we need to more cities to follow C40’s lead by scaling up transportation and low-carbon solutions that create a healthier and safer world.”

The two organizations have collaborated in the past. C40 is currently working with EMBARQ’s parent organization, WRI, to establish a single standard for measuring city emissions – the Global Protocol for Community-scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Additionally, Mayor Bloomberg’s philanthropic foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, also collaborates with and provides support for EMBARQ’s international activities to improve road safety.

Media Contacts:

World Resources Institute: Michael Oko, moko@wri.org; (202) 246-9269
C40: Mike Marinello, mmarinello@c40.com

–

About C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40)
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a network of large and engaged cities from around the world committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate related actions locally that will help address climate change globally. C40 was established in 2005 and expanded via a partnership in 2006 with President William J. Clinton’s Climate Initiative (CCI). The current chair of the C40 is New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. To learn more about the work of C40 and our Cities, please visit www.c40.org, follow us on Twitter @c40cities and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/C40Cities.

About EMBARQ—WRI’s Center for Sustainable Transport (EMBARQ)
EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute’s center for sustainable transport, catalyzes and helps implement sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities. Since 2002, the EMBARQ network has expanded to Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Turkey and the Andean Region, collaborating with local and national authorities, business and civil society to reduce pollution, improve public health, and create safe, accessible and attractive urban public spaces. http://www.embarq.org

ADVISORY: Mayor Bloomberg and World Bank President Kim Headline Transforming Transportation 2013

James Anderson — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:24:38 -0500

The Honorable Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, are scheduled to headline a keynote session at the annual Transforming Transportation conference in Washington, D.C. The session on “Shaping the Future of Urban Transport” aims to galvanize awareness of challenges facing cities and urban transport, share examples and solutions from the World Bank, New York City/Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the World Resources Institute.

The conference is being hosted jointly by EMBARQ—the World Resource Institute’s center for sustainable transport and the World Bank. This is the 10th annual Transforming Transportation, which aims to scale-up and advance the adoption of sustainable solutions in transport and urbanization around the world.

The session will also include remarks by Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute, and Ms. Rachel Kyte, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank. The session will be moderated by Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s Economics Editor based in Washington D.C.

The session will focus on the urban challenges in the U.S. and around the globe. Cities everywhere are under increased pressure from rapid population growth, exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Sandy. Increased motorization is also resulting in negative externalities such as congestion, emissions, and road fatalities. The conference will explore how scaling up sustainable transport will bring the smart solutions to the diverse set of challenges that cities are facing.

WHAT:
Plenary Session with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York; Dr. Jim Kim, President, World Bank; Andrew Steer, President, World Resources Institute; Ms. Rachel Kyte, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank.

WHEN:
Friday, January 18, 2013

TIME:
9:00 to 10:00 a.m. ET
Note: Registered media should arrive by 08:30 a.m. in order to sign in.

PLACE:
Preston Auditorium
World Bank Headquarters
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC

The event will be live streamed. Check “Watch Live” at TransformingTransportation.org

NOTE: Media must register for this event to Alexis O’Brien at aobrien@worldbank.org or tel. (202) 473-2409

For more information, please contact:
Michael Oko, moko@wri.org; (202) 729-7684 (WRI)

WRI’s website: www.wri.org
EMBARQ website: www.EMBARQ.org
Conference website: http://TransformingTransportation.org
Twitter hashtag: #TTDC

RELEASE: EMBARQ Turkey Officially Established in Istanbul

James Anderson — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:10:30 -0400

Regional Hub Joins Global Transport Network to Advance Sustainability and Road Safety

EMBARQ Turkey (Türkiye) was officially established in Istanbul, becoming the sixth hub in EMBARQ’s global network of sustainable transport research and implementation centers.

“EMBARQ Turkey represents an important foothold in a region to help improve sustainable mobility ,” says EMBARQ Director Holger Dalkmann. “By bringing together new partners from government, business and non-profit sectors, we can identify and scale-up transportation solutions that improve health and road safety, boost quality of life, and promote sustainability.”

Since 2005, EMBARQ—WRI’s center for sustainable transport—has been conducting research and implementing projects in Turkey, such as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Istanbul, cycling projects in Antalya, and more. The center’s new legal presence offers an opportunity to engage even more deeply.

At the opening general assembly, Arzu Tekir, EMBARQ Turkey’s new executive director, presented updates on activities and financial reports, while the 16-member assembly voted on an advisory board of experts and leaders in the field.

The newly elected board members are Ayşe Canan Ediboğlu, Ali Rıza Danış, Tayfun Bayazıt, M. Pınar Mengüç and Sibel Bulay.

EMBARQ Turkey’s staff consists of Arzu Tekir, Executive Director; Ali Doğan Şalva, Transport Engineer/Planner; Elif Can Yüce, Urban Planner; and Pınar Köse, Administrative Assistant. The team will be expanding in the coming months to include a senior transport engineer.

“We are very excited to build on our foundation and enter a new phase for our organization,” said Tekir. “Working through our global network, we are eager to develop innovative and lasting solutions that will improve the lives for millions of people in Turkey and beyond.”

Bloomberg Philanthropies has provided the initial funds for EMBARQ Turkey, which will focus on health and road safety programs.

Online: www.embarqturkiye.org
Twitter: @embarqturkiye
Facebook: https://www.fb.com/embarqturkiye

# # #

The World Resources Institute is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future. www.wri.org

EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute’s center for sustainable transport, catalyzes and helps implement sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities. www.embarq.org

RELEASE: WRI and UN-Habitat Partner to Support Sustainable Urban Mobility

Lauren Zelin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:38:49 -0400

New collaboration aims to make cities better places to live and work.

The United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN–Habitat) and EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute’s center for sustainable transport, are partnering to create more sustainable cities by working to provide universal access to safe, clean and affordable transport. The new initiative will focus on the needs of poor and vulnerable groups, and finding more ways to incorporate transport into broader land use planning and implementation.

The two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase collaboration on sustainable urban mobility. The MOU was signed by Holger Dalkmann, EMBARQ Director, and Dr. Joan Clos, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director, during the World Urban Forum.

“EMBARQ has an ambitious goal to ensure that 200 cities, mostly in emerging economies, will adopt sustainable mobility into urban development by 2016,” Dalkmann said. “This partnership will help us reach millions of people worldwide and provide them with opportunities to live and work in a safe, clean and attractive urban environment, with easy access to high-quality transport systems that benefit both the environment and the economy.”

Under the terms of the MOU, both partners agree to build a network of experts that will collaborate on sustainable urban mobility solutions, including financing and funding opportunities, capacity building, knowledge management, research and joint participation at international events.

The first joint publication under this partnership, “Quick Guide: Establishing a Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Urban Mobility,” was released today at the World Urban Forum. This is one of a series of four step-by-step guides aimed at city officials seeking to improve urban mobility.

“Sustainable transport systems are extremely important for the productivity and livability of our cities,” said Dr. Clos. “The new cities of the 21st Century should be designed to drive growth and prosperity and our partnership with EMBARQ offers emerging economies an opportunity to put efficient, safe and clean transport at the heart of urban planning.”

As least 15 voluntary commitments were made at the recent United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) around sustainable transport. These included a Voluntary Commitment facilitated by UN-Habitat on “Building Institutional and Political Capacity for Sustainable Urban Mobility.” The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also announced transport as a building block in his “Action Agenda” for the development of a post-2015 Framework for Sustainable Development.

# # #

The World Resources Institute is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future. www.wri.org

EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute’s center for sustainable transport, catalyzes and helps implement sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities. www.embarq.org

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for housing and urban development. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. www.unhabitat.org

STATEMENT: Development Banks Announce "Game Changer" for Sustainable Transport at Rio+20

Lauren Zelin — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:38:38 -0400

The world’s largest multi-lateral development banks — led by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and others — committed to provide more than $175 billion over 10 years to support sustainable transport in developing countries.

The announcement was made at the UN Sustainable Development Conference in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20) by the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, CAF- Development Bank of Latin America, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and the World Bank.

Following is a statement from Holger Dalkmann, director of EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute’s center for sustainable transport:

“This is a game changer for sustainable transport. It will ensure that hundreds of millions of people will have cleaner air, less congested roads, and safer transportation.

“Ten years ago transportation wasn’t even in the discussion; now it’s a major outcome from the world’s preeminent conference on sustainable development.

“Banks are putting their money where it matters — on streets built for people, not just cars. The world’s population is expected to surpass 9 billion by 2050, with more than half living in Asia, mostly in urban areas. At the same time, the rate of vehicle ownership is predicted to skyrocket from around 800 million cars a decade ago to around 2 billion in 2030. These two mega-trends are coming together to create an environment where people must compete for financial, institutional, and physical resources. In response, we need better urban designs; more sustainable transportation modes, like walking, biking and mass transit; and improvements in existing vehicle and fuel technology.

“This investment is not just about improving the way people move from point A to point B; it’s also about providing access and mobility for the poor and improving road safety, not to mention reducing transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Transport is no small piece of the climate change pie: the sector represents approximately one-quarter of global CO2 emissions.

“Today’s announcement will no doubt encourage other decision-makers, especially national governments, to consider financing transport projects based on social and environmental benefits. It will push sustainability into the core of urban development.

“At the same time, we need to make sure that the money gets invested into the right kind of projects, and that there are sound mechanisms to measure its impact. This will require full transparency and independent monitoring.

“Countries often invest in transportation and infrastructure, but much of that goes into highways. We need to be smarter about where money flows, whether that means creating vibrant public spaces, providing safer infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, or building high-tech, low-cost transit systems. Doing this would be a paradigm shift in the way we finance the growth of sustainable cities, similar to what the Asian Development Bank has done with its Sustainable Transport Initiative, a lending and technical assistance program for transport projects in Asia and the Pacific that emphasizes inclusive economic and environmentally sustainable growth.

“EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute’s center for sustainable transport, is a founding member of the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport, which helped to catalyze this new financial commitment by the banks.

“Years from now, we may look back at Rio+20 as the moment when transport was pushed to the top of the sustainability agenda.”

-ENDS-

For more information on EMBARQ, visit: www.embarq.org.

Note: To schedule an interview, contact: Michael Oko, moko@wri.org.

MEDIA ALERT: Launch of New Report on Auto-Rickshaws in India

Lauren Zelin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:05:08 -0500

Sustainable Urban Transport in India: Role of the Auto-Rickshaw Sector

Background

Across India, auto-rickshaws are becoming an increasingly important part of urban transport in cities. Currently, the number of auto-rickshaws in India ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 in medium-sized cities (population between 1 and 4 million) to more than 50,000 in large cities (population greater than 4 million). Now, the World Resources Institute and EMBARQ are releasing the most comprehensive report ever on auto-rickshaws.

The report, “Sustainable Urban Transport in India: Role of the Auto-rickshaw Sector,” by Akshay Mani, Madhav Pai and Rishi Aggarwal, examines the role auto-rickshaws play in promoting public transport usage and reducing private motor vehicle trips in cities. The report also provides a policy vision for the auto-rickshaw sector that improves sustainable urban transport in India.

The publication highlights the need for regulatory reforms to promote dispatch services and vehicle-related reforms to address emissions and road safety. Adopting these reforms is key to ensuring that auto-rickshaws contribute to a more efficient, clean and safe transport system.

Statement by Akshay Mani, Project Manager – Urban Transport, EMBARQ India

“Given the current urban transport trends and challenges, such as rising emissions and road fatalities, there is a critical need to promote more sustainable transport options in India. Implementing the recommended reforms – such as the promotion of fleet-based dispatch services and vehicle improvements – will be key to ensure that auto-rickshaws can serve as an effective alternative to private motor vehicles. These reforms are essential to mitigate the environmental and road safety challenges that currently exist in this sector.”

Key Facts

Market size of auto-rickshaws varies from around 15,000 to 30,000 vehicles in Tier II cities (population between 1 and 4 million) to more than 50,000 in Tier I cities (population greater than 4 million). Mumbai has the largest market with around 150,000 auto-rickshaws.
Auto-rickshaws serve between 10-20 percent of daily motorized road transport trips for people in Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune and Rajkot.
Production of auto-rickshaws in India has doubled between 2003 and 2010.
High concentration of particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) in Indian cities is a key public health issue. Auto-rickshaws running on two-stroke engines are a major contributor to PM10 emissions.
Contrary to popular belief, auto-rickshaws are the second safest motorized mode of travel (after buses) for pedestrians, in terms of contribution to fatalities, in both Mumbai and Bangalore.
However, safety of auto-rickshaw occupants is a key issue of concern, due to mixed-flow traffic conditions in Indian cities as well as current vehicle design aspects, which needs to be addressed urgently.
Meanwhile, the population of Indian cities will grow from an estimated 340 million in 2008 to 590 million by 2030.

Resources

The publication is available online at: http://www.embarq.org/en/sustainable-urban-transport-india-role-auto-rickshaw-sector

Read blog posts by Akshay Mani at: http://thecityfix.com/blog/author/akshay142

Watch and link to videos at: www.embarq.org/multimedia

Mumbai Rickshaws: http://www.embarq.org/en/video/cities-focus-mumbai-rickshaws
Vikram: http://www.embarq.org/en/video/snapshot-vikram
Vatsala: http://www.embarq.org/en/video/snapshot-vatsala

The report will be launched Friday, February 10, at Rickshaw Rising – An Auto-rickshaw Entrepreneurship Summit, in Mumbai, India: http://www.embarq.org/en/events/12/02/rickshaw-rising

For more information about the launch or to set up interviews, contact:
Erica Schlaikjer, EMBARQ, Media Relations Coordinator, (202) 729-7722, eschlaikjer@wri.org; or
Lauren Zelin, WRI, Senior Press Officer, (202) 729-7736; lzelin@wri.org

ADVISORY: Transforming Transportation Event: Scaling Up Sustainable Transport Solutions Worldwide

Lauren Zelin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:36:04 -0500

The 9th annual Transforming Transportation conference will focus on big ideas to scale up sustainable transport in cities worldwide. Over two days, more than 300 global experts will reflect on past successes and ongoing challenges in sustainable transport and urban development, while exploring ways to scale up through innovation. Special attention will be given to financing from private sources, national government programs and international development agencies.

This year’s conference is organized by EMBARQ – the World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport, the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Institute for Transportation Development and Policy, Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities, and the Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport.

View the full agenda online: http://www.transformingtransportation.org

KEY MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday, January 26, 9:30–10:30 a.m.
Keynote address by Jaime Lerner, former Mayor of Curitiba and former Governor of Parana State, Brazil, on the “Future of the City: Challenges of Scaling Up Good Practices in Urban Transport.”

Thursday, January 26, 10:30-11:00 a.m.
Media availability immediately following the keynote address with Jaime Lerner; Holger Dalkmann, Director, EMBARQ; and Jose Luis Irigoyen, Sector Director of Transport, Water and ICT, World Bank.

Friday, January 27, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Keynote address by Chris West, Director, Shell Foundation, on “Innovations in Scaling: What Lessons are Available for the Transport Sector?”

Followed by a panel discussion with Ashwin Mahesh, CEO, Mapunity; Kelly Larson, Program Manager, Bloomberg Philanthropies; and Alex Perera, Co-director, Business Engagement in Climate and Technology, World Resources Institute; moderated by Sommer Mathis, Editor, The Atlantic CITIES.

WHERE
The World Bank
Preston Auditorium
1818 H Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20433

Registration required: https://community.wri.org/NetCommunity/tt2012

# # #

For more information or to set up interviews contact:
Lauren Zelin, WRI, Senior Media Officer, (202) 729-7736, lzelin@wri.org
Erica Schlaikjer, EMBARQ, Media Relations Coordinator, (202) 729-7722, eschlaikjer@wri.org

The Time for Sustainable Transport in Brazilian Cities Is Now

Toni Lindau — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:12:37 -0400

This piece is cross-posted from TheCityFix and originally appeared on TheCityFix Brasil. Read this post in Portuguese here.

Leaders from the world’s biggest cities convened in Sao Paulo earlier this month to find solutions to climate change during the fourth C40 São Paulo Summit.

This is a critical time for mega-cities all over the world, not just for those in Brazil. All cities face the same burden of rapid motorization and population growth, which leads to many other problems, such as global warming, air pollution, congestion, and inaccessibility to jobs. For the first time in history, cities are home to more than half of the world’s population, and account for more than 70 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These two trends create an unprecedented opportunity for policies that favor sustainable transport and urban development.

In Brazil, specifically, there are several major factors shaping this opportunity. For one, Brazil’s high rates of economic growth and consumption require greater investments in energy, sanitation, housing, and, of course, transportation.

Brazil will soon be the center of the two most-watched events of the decade: the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. In 2009, the Federal Government launched the Plan for Accelerating the Growth (PAC), providing $6.6 billion for urban mobility in host cities for the World Cup and Olympics, followed by a second round of $12 billion. Urban and transport planners are working hard to upgrade urban infrastructure to manage the millions of visitors expected in Brazil. Thankfully, Brazil is already much less car-dependent than other countries, with urban mass transit making up to 60 percent of all motorized trips in urban areas, with the great majority on buses.

Over the next few years, many trips on public transport will be made using state-of-the-art bus rapid transit (BRT), which was pioneered by Curitiba in the 1970s and now serves as an example of high quality, low-carbon transport for cities around the world. Some of the BRT corridors planned, like those in Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, will handle peak flows above 30,000 passengers per hour. BRT goes beyond improving mobility; it also reduces air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and traffic crashes—at 10 percent of the cost of rail.

Because of these benefits, the 12 host cities of the World Cup plan to build 500 kilometers of new BRT corridors, nearly doubling the current number of kilometers of BRT in the entire continent. In addition to investing in BRT, Brazilian cities are investing in new roads, bicycle paths, flyovers, metro, suburban and light rail systems, to create truly integrated transportation options. Some of these developments will serve people living in neighborhoods that currently have limited access to public transit, improving the current situation that is both inequitable and unsustainable.

EMBARQ Brasil, a nonprofit created in 2005 (and the producer of TheCityFix Brasil), is helping to develop integrated low-carbon transport systems in several Brazilian cities, including Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro. Our field experience reveals that cities should not act alone; they must rely on regional cooperation to be successful. That’s why EMBARQ helped establish the Latin American Association for Integrated Transport Systems and Bus Rapid Transit (SIBRT), a membership organization designed to share best practices from the most important transportation agencies from Latin America.

After all, sustainable transport can also help solve another global epidemic: death on dangerous roads. Nearly 1.3 million people around the world die in road crashes every year, and this figure will likely double by 2030. Road traffic injuries are the number one cause of death among people aged 10-24 years. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are especially vulnerable. In Brazil, 23 people die on motorcycles every day, accounting for nearly one-third of all road deaths in the country. This is unacceptable—and preventable through better road design and transit options.

Towards this end, EMBARQ is proud to be a member of the Global Road Safety Program, from Bloomberg Philanthropies, established by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is also the chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

With all eyes on Brazil, we must seize this opportunity to take the lead on sustainable transport. These improvements in our urban environment will not only accommodate the millions of visitors who come here temporarily, but they will also provide for the millions more residents who will reap the long-term benefits of sustainable transport: reduced greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner air, safer streets, and greater social and economic inclusion.

EMBARQ Joins Launch of "Decade of Action for Road Safety"

Michael Oko — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:08:21 -0400

This week marks the official launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, a worldwide effort declared by the United Nations to save 5 million lives over a ten-year period.

Following is a statement by Claudia Adriazola, director of health and road safety for EMBARQ, highlighting the importance of sustainable transport and urban development in making streets safer:

“Traffic crashes are completely preventable. Creating more sustainable transport can really be two hands clapping on road safety. On one hand, you can reduce and prevent more driving—the real root of car crashes. On the other hand, you can improve safety for the most vulnerable and victimized—pedestrians and bicyclists. When this comes together, it can lead to not just safer cities, but also more humane and pleasant places that foster active lifestyles and cleaner air, saving even more lives and dire economic costs.”

Additional background on global road safety:

Nearly 1.3 million people are killed on the world’s roads each year, and 50 million more people are injured, with many of them disabled for life. 90 percent of road deaths occur in developing countries. If nothing is done to make roads safer, traffic crashes could double by 2030, overtaking AIDS, tuberculosis and lung cancer as the world’s fifth leading cause of premature death.

Part of the problem is the explosive growth in the number of vehicles — from cars to motorcycles — exacerbated by high speeds and a lack of regulation. Children and young people are the most at risk: Road traffic injuries are the number one cause of death among people aged 10-24 years. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are also especially vulnerable.

The United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and its partners, including EMBARQ, developed the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 to guide activities planned by governments, civil society and the private sector over the next ten years to address the tremendous global burden of traffic-related fatalities and injuries.

One of the key “pillars” of activities outlined in the plan are improving the safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks. This highlights the critical role that cities can play in making streets safer.

EMBARQ’s role in road safety:

EMBARQ— WRI’s center for sustainable transport— currently works to improve health and road safety in Mexico, Brazil, India, Peru and Turkey. At the project level, EMBARQ completes “road safety audits” in cities like Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro to improve the design of bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors before they are constructed. Problems that need to be addressed could include dangerous left turns, insufficient bicycle signage or poor lighting. EMBARQ recommends preventive measures to improve road safety along these corridors, like improving pedestrian crossings or including physical barriers between BRT lanes and car lanes. EMBARQ also evaluates the public health impact of mass transit and bicycling initiatives, measuring levels of traffic crashes, air pollution and physical activity in select cities, such as Arequipa, Peru.

In November 2009, EMBARQ was awarded a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of the Bloomberg Global Road Safety Program, to implement programs in 10 low-and middle-income countries that have a high burden of road traffic injuries and fatalities, representing nearly half (48%) of traffic deaths globally. EMBARQ has also formed partnerships with the Pan American Health Organization and the U.N. Road Safety Collaboration.

# # # #

The World Resources Institute (www.wri.org) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people’s lives.

EMBARQ - The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport (www.embarq.org) catalyzes environmentally and financially sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities.