Summary of IOT Publications
| Title | A Feasibility Study on the Use of Light Rail Transit System in Taiwan Area |
|---|---|
| Dept | IOT |
| Year | 1998 |
| Summary | Owing to the traffic jams in urban area, the role of mass transit is becoming more and more important. However, the construction cost of conventional heavy rail transit is extremely high, few urban administrations can offer it. Approaches to upgrade the right of way of light rail transit (LRT) to enhance its performance are adapted in improving urban transportation services. On the other hand, some cities which did not have LRT originally, also extended the concept of rail technology to bus systems and developed guided bus (O-Bahn), automated guideway transit systems (AGT), etc. These systems, together with LRT, are generally called the Medium Capacity Transit System (MCTS), as they have a capacity between 5,000~20,000 passengers per hour per direction. Capacity of a transport system is often an important index when considering its suitability. However, its investment cost will be highly related to its capacity design. Considering only the capacity performance while selecting a transit system but neglecting its related cost might cause biased decision in transit investment. Especially under the circumstances of poor governmental finance condition and low private investment, the cost-effectiveness of each transit system investment should be considered more carefully. This study analyzed the feasible conditions and urban characteristics of using light rail transit systems in foreign countries, and then focused on the feasibility study of using LRT systems in Taiwan Area. Finally, a comparison study of using light rail transit, busway, O-bahn, and mass rapid transit in the Taichung metropolitan area was conducted. The result shows that the transport performance of light rail transit is lower than mass rapid transit, but higher than busway and O-bahn. After considering its cost-effectiveness, this study suggests the LRT to be the most suitable alternative for the Taichung metropolitan area. |
| Post date | 1998-03-02 |