Appendix A | 157
TABLE A.13 Lessons BEST PRACTICES
learned for urban mobility in Port-au-Prince, Haiti AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
• The government needs to regulate the use of public spaces—such as sidewalks, roads, and parking—to improve mobility. [operation risk] [planning risk] • The government needs to address waste management to optimize public space. The accumulation of solid waste in the streets and sidewalks of Haiti affects the flow of pedestrians and worsens the conflicting use of space between pedestrians and vehicles. [operation risk] [planning risk] • The government could develop terminals and transportation facilities at key points of access to public transport. Doing so would enhance pedestrian safety and optimize public space. [operation risk] [planning risk] • The government would do well to address drainage and watershed issues to improve mobility. [operation risk] [planning risk] [natural and environmental risk] • Regulation should assign maintenance responsibilities for the pedestrian environment in governance arrangements for urban transportation. [operation risk] [planning risk] • The government could address the issue of street vendors on sidewalks to improve walking mobility and safety. [operation risk] [planning risk] [political and social risk] Source: World Bank.
roads are unpaved and suffer from severe encroachment—cars park in driving lanes, people walk in streets, and sidewalks are filled with street vendors. As a result, on most roads, only half of all lanes are available for driving at any time. Tap taps—private pickup trucks adapted to seat passengers in the back—are the most common mode of motorized transportation. Around 13,000 tap taps are operating, providing 57 percent of all motorized trips in the city. Tap taps travel at an average speed of 10.5 kilometers per hour. Private minibuses provide 25 percent of motorized trips. Adding to the congestion and disorganization, public transportation services in Haiti are fragmented, informal, and inefficient and in urgent need of improvement. Planning and regulatory responsibilities in the transportation sector are not clearly assigned, and the government currently lacks the resources and ability to restructure the public transportation system. It is unable to invest in infrastructure and engage with incumbent service providers. To improve urban mobility in Port-au-Prince, the government should undertake both short- and long-term measures. In the short run, the government should implement measures to reduce congestion and optimize public space. These measures would allow operators to increase efficiency and revenues. The government also could improve sidewalks, regulate street vendors, regulate parking, improve intersection signaling, and rehabilitate street and highway pavements. In the long run, the government should focus on restructuring the public transportation system to replace the existing fleet, transition to larger vehicles, and formalize and professionalize bus services. For this, the government must implement mechanisms to pool ownership, credit, and risks among incumbent service providers. Table A.13 presents the lessons learned for urban mobility in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
TRANSOESTE (RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL) The TransOeste (Trans-West) BRT line was the first of three corridors implemented in Rio de Janeiro between 2012 and 2016 (Weaver 2019). The BRT was chosen as the best transportation solution to increase mobility and reduce congestion for the 2016 Olympic Games. It is considered one of the games’ most successful legacies.
