Modal Shift Potential of Different Mode Users Due to Introduction of the First MRT in Dhaka: A Prelaunch Study

Introduction The introduction of mass rapid transit (MRT) system could play an important role in establishing a sustainable transport system in Kuala Lumpur city. Multi-goal integration in the transport development plan of the city is necessary to leverage on the expensive infrastructure investment. This study models the potential carbon savings and public health co-benefits from air pollution, traffic injury and physical activity brought by the two upcoming MRT lines in Kuala Lumpur. Methods A transport survey was carried out to estimate the current travel patterns, and age and gender distribution of likely users of the scheme around the first MRT line in Kuala Lumpur. Changes in health from the MRT use was compared against a counterfactual scenario of no scheme using comparative risk assessment. Air pollution was modelled based on reduction in PM2.5. Injuries were modelled based on changes to distance and constant risks for all modes. Physical activity was modelled based on walking to access the MRT stops. Results A net total of 196,595 tCO2 equivalent could be removed from traffic emissions by the two MRT lines. At the same time, 0.19 µg/m3 of PM2.5 could be reduced in the atmosphere, bringing down 5 deaths and 112 DALYs among the population in the vicinity. Due to the less kilometres travelled on roads, 27 attributed traffic injury deaths with 1,984 DALYs could be avoided among the MRT users. Walking in the first and last miles of using MRT could further reduce 82 deaths with 2,525 DALYs from increased overall physical activity. Altogether, a total of 114 deaths with 4,621 DALYs could be avoided from the implementation of the two MRT lines. Conclusion The MRT infrastructure could entail a large carbon emission savings from the transport sector to be part of the climate change mitigation. Overall, the biggest health co-benefits brought by the two MRT lines is the reduction in burden of disease from the increased overall physical activity in the urban population.

大眾捷運系統是現代都市發展中相當重要的建設，城市許多相關的發展都受到捷運系統的影響，正如房地產市場也是如此，住宅若鄰近捷運系統會提高其價值，因此，本研究便探討大眾捷運對於周邊房地產價格的影響。 本研究分別利用台北捷運板南線龍山寺站至市政府站間各捷運站的乘客進出人數與其各車站周邊土地的公告現值和本路線經過的各行政區房價指數經文獻分析、數據比較、量化方法各種方法，探討捷運系統對周邊房地產價格的影響，再印證到上海地鐵的發展脈絡，探討捷運場站周邊房地產市場的發展歷程。經過分析後歸納出幾點結論，一區內捷運場站對周邊房地產價格的效益會互相抵銷；而捷運場站周邊商業或住宅物件的價格反應歷程也有所不同，經實證分析的研究後發現，當大眾捷運系統出現後，周邊的商業用地產物件在價格上的正向反應程度比住宅型物件大，由於捷運系統也會為周邊居住環境帶來一些負面的影響，但對於商業使用的地產物件而言，大眾捷運系統的出現帶來的大量的人潮，便增加了此類型物件的獲利能力，使其價值提升，而由於這種現象也會使車站周邊的土地利用轉為商業使用，住宅物件則往車站外圍移動；而捷運車站的設立也會產生郊區化的情況，在捷運站周圍出現新的生活圈，捷運出現在郊區後會吸引商家進入，因此，提升了周圍的生活機能，民眾負擔不起市中心的房價會轉而往郊區移動；此外，台北市和上海市在政經體制和發展歷程不同的背景之下，這兩都市的房地產發展歷程也有所差異，因此 可以說捷運系統的安排也支配著房價的起伏。

The mass rapid transit (MRT) is the largest transport infrastructure project under the national key economic area (NKEA) in Malaysia. As urban rail is anticipated to be the future spine of public transport network in the Greater Kuala Lumpur city, it is important to mainstream climate change mitigation and public health benefits in the local transport development. This study quantifies the health co-benefits in terms of mortality among the urbanites when the first line of the 150 km MRT system in Kuala Lumpur commences by 2017. Using comparative health risk assessment, we estimated the potential health co-benefits from the establishment of the MRT system. We estimated the reduced CO2 emissions and air pollution (PM2.5) exposure reduction among the general population from the reduced use of motorized vehicles. Mortality avoided from traffic incidents involving motorcycles and passenger cars, and from increased physical activity from walking while using the MRT system was also estimated. A total of 363,130 tonnes of CO2 emissions could be reduced annually from the modal shift from cars and motorcycles to the MRT system. Atmospheric PM2.5 concentration could be reduced 0.61 μg/m3 annually (2%). This could avoid a total of 12 deaths, mostly from cardio-respiratory diseases among the city residents. For traffic injuries, 37 deaths could be avoided annually from motorcycle and passenger cars accidents especially among the younger age categories (aged 15-30). One additional death was attributed to pedestrian walking. The additional daily physical activity to access the MRT system could avoid 21 deaths among its riders. Most of the mortality avoided comes from cardiovascular diseases. Overall, a total of 70 deaths could be avoided annually among both the general population and the MRT users in the city. The implementation of the MRT system in Greater Kuala Lumpur could bring substantial health co-benefits to both the general population and the MRT users mainly from the avoidance of mortality from traffic injuries.

Urban rail transit systems such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) can produce a mix of beneficial and adverse effects on nearby communities, particularly for properties in close proximity to the infrastructure. This study focuses on the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) MRT Line in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and evaluates its influence on residential property values, taking into account both the favourable and unfavourable externalities associated with the transit system. To analyse these effects, a hedonic pricing model was applied to a dataset of residential transactions spanning from 2013 to 2019, encompassing properties situated within a 2-kilometer buffer of the SBK MRT corridor. The analysis accounts for comparable market conditions, income distribution, and housing types. The findings show that while properties near MRT stations generally experienced price increases, especially in middle- and lower-income areas, homes located extremely close to the MRT track in affluent neighbourhoods saw a decline in value. These results suggest that MRT systems can enhance residential property prices, but the benefits vary by location and socio-economic context. These findings underscore that while MRT systems can positively affect nearby residential property prices, these benefits are not uniform. The gains tend to be widespread, benefiting various neighbourhoods and housing types, whereas the downsides are more geographically limited. From a policy and urban planning perspective, the results highlight the value of integrating land value capture mechanisms and promoting transit-oriented development (TOD) strategies to harness these positive externalities more effectively.

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The energy cost accounts for a very high proportion of the operating cost of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems and energy price continues to rise. Therefore, the energy cost of MRT systems will continue to increase. If some energy saving strategies are implemented, operating cost and energy consumption of MRT systems can be greatly reduced. This study analyzes the optimal schedule, regenerative taper voltage adjustment and no-load voltage adjustment of traction substations to determine energy saving strategies. A case study of a Taipei MRT line, under different operating conditions is analyzed. This research adopts commercial railway system software to simulate the operation of the Taipei MRT line. Regenerative braking energy and some other conditions for energy saving strategies are simulated. Energy saving effects are estimated to show the achievement of operational cost savings.

Although Taipei City has encountered a fall in ambient air pollutant levels since 1996, the year its mass rapid transit (MRT) system commenced operation, no apparent study investigated changes in risks of death attributed to respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular diseases in Taipei during this 23-year period. In order to examine the relationship between MRT and occurrence of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses attributed to air contaminants, exposure over the 23 year duration was subdivided into the following periods: reference period 1 (1992–1995); period 2 (1996–2004), a time when there was a total track length of 67 km; period 3 (2005–2015), when the total track length was lengthened to 131.1 km; and period 4 (2016–2020), when it was further extended to 146.2 km. Taichung City, no MRT system, was used as an external reference population. The effect of Taipei’s MRT system on rates of cause-specific death rates was analyzed using robust generalized Poisson regression models. After adjusting for age-standardized rates (ASRs), a decrease in relative risks (RRs) was found for non-trauma death and respiratory disease from periods 2 to 4. Even though the RRs were greater than 1.0 for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for periods 2 to 4, a downward trend was still noted in these RRs in Taipei. These findings suggest a relationship exists between air pollutant exposure and mortality. In addition, data demonstrated that implementation of the MRT in Taipei exerted beneficial health effects as evidenced by lower mortality rates.

Indoor air pollutants and microbes in mass rapid transit (MRT) trains of north-western area of Bangkok, Thailand: Impact on indoor air quality and human health

Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) has become pivotal in sustainable urban transportation, especially in densely populated cities like Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Dhaka is implementing its first MRT system, which includes 17 stations, with three located in Mirpur. Mirpur, a significant area due to its diverse economic activity and population, is an important case study for understanding the effects of the MRT system. The study area spans 58.66 square kilometers and has a population of 632,664, representing a zone with unplanned mixed uses and a spontaneously developed favorable job-housing ratio conducive to transit-oriented development (TOD). Challenges such as last-mile connectivity and capacity limitations could impede the MRT's socio-economic potential. Moreover, the current land use and urban planning framework are not adequately prepared to support future TOD. This research highlights the necessity of proactive legislative changes and infrastructural improvements to optimize the success of Mirpur's MRT stations. Despite being in service for only a year and facing a lack of real-life data, this study focuses on Mirpur MRT stations to explore the socio-economic impacts of MRT systems, aiming to enhance knowledge in urban transportation and development.

Public transport is integral to the development of cities. It promotes economic development, mitigates environmental degradation, and fosters a sense of social cohesion. Notwithstanding, one can understand a place’s culture, geography, history, languages, and sociopolitical structures by studying the naming practices in public transport, such as bus routes and train stations, among others. This article studies the naming conventions in Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which serves millions of commuters daily, and alludes to the importance of public transport in urban spaces. The paper analyses MRT station names, which can be regarded as toponyms, of the North South and Downtown lines according to two aspects: firstly, by conducting a linguistic analysis of the languages used in naming these MRT stations and, secondly, by applying toponymic classifications from current research in grouping the MRT stations themselves. Ultimately, the study compares the naming practices of Singapore’s oldest and second newest MRT lines using a sociolinguistic and historical toponomastics mixed methods approach, studying the MRT station names based on social categories as well as using historical sources to account for the linguistic and historical meaning of these toponyms. This work is aimed at providing scholars and a general audience with a better understanding of Singapore’s language, culture, and society through the analysis of the naming practices of the MRT station names, unique toponyms in the urban transport of the Lion City.

Dynamic traffic network representation model for improving the prediction performance of passenger flow for mass rapid transit

Public transport plays an integral role in urban centres by promoting economic development, mitigating environmental degradation and fostering social cohesion. It also enables users to experience the socio-cultural and linguistic diversity of a locality. Public transport is important to the cosmopolitan city-state of Singapore: its public transport system, which is ranked among the best in the world, is used by over 7.54 million passengers daily. Nevertheless, not much is known about how the linguistic landscapes, soundscapes and place names are tied to public transport use and encounters. This study analyses Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station names, effectively toponyms (place names) in their own right. Specifically, it focuses on the East West and North South Lines, two of Singapore’s oldest MRT lines. Besides tracing the (initially) tumultuous history of the MRT system, the paper studies the languages used in the MRT stations of both lines. It argues that place names, taken together with the sights and sounds of the MRT, are part of everyday multilingualism, or the linguistic dynamism when different linguistic groups occupy public spaces. This paper also explores some of the linguistic, socio-political and policy making considerations behind the MRT stations through a critical toponymic perspective. From the viewpoint of the special issue’s interests, the paper contributes to understanding the historicisation of Singapore’s rail system and its contesting political and economic choices when developing the MRT.

The continuing growth of population density in urban areas around the world has placed greater emphasis on the utilisation and development of underground space to meet the increasing demands of the city. Due to limited land space available in downtown areas, many cities in the world are also embarking on integration of major construction projects of metro infrastructure, commercial developments and residential estates, etc., to meet the growing demand of infrastructure In land-scarce Singapore, the development of a comprehensive and well-integrated public transport network is important to achieve a people-centric, world-class transport system. To enhance the connectivity of a rail network, interchange stations and underground linkways are constructed to connect the various lines so that transfers between mass rapid transit (MRT) lines can be seamless. Hence, it is becoming more challenging to construct a new MRT line in the vicinity of existing MRT lines without impacting the operations of existing MRT lines. The prime aim of this study is to present the ways to overcome the challenges in construction of secant bored piles (SBPs) above the existing underground MRT linkway (15 m below ground) and adjacent to the existing underground MRT East West Line station. The paper presents four different techniques applied to construct the SBP wall in the sandy soil since the conventional method of construction was not applicable to the site condition. The new techniques were successful as the SBP wall was constructed while keeping the vibrations and movement to the existing MRT structures within the allowable limits. From this venture, it can be concluded that it is possible to install SBPs in sandy soils without any significant impact on adjacent structures and construction timeline. The experience gained from this endeavour will be invaluable and can serve as lessons learnt for SBP works in the densely populated area and in the vicinity of existing sensitive structures which is increasingly becoming unavoidable.

Mass rapid transit (MRT) operators need to balance the total system costs with the level of service. The primary service of MRT systems is to provide cost-efficient mobility. Governments are responsible for establishing and regulating minimum standards to ensure that the MRT service indicators meet a specific level. Thus, approaches to optimizing MRT system service frequencies are critical concerns for MRT system operators. Previous studies on MRT operations have focused primarily on delays, energy conservation, route design, and general system operations. Conversely, few studies have focused on optimizing headway problems. This study adopts a mathematical programming method to develop a headway-oriented model for the Kaohsiung MRT (KMRT) system aiming to minimize system costs while maintaining an acceptable level of train services. The developed model systematically adjusts train headways based on time-series passengers’ spatio-temporal distribution data. A numerical case study and sensitivity analysis were conducted to test the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed models and solution algorithms. The proposed model framework provided the KMRT operator with a flexible tool to evaluate the effects of service frequency on both operating cost and passengers’ waiting cost, which facilitates the operator to prepare a cost-efficient train service plan.

Because of the disturbance of operation environment in mass rapid transit (MRT) system, the robustness against disturbance and the schedule punctuality under control constraint are important issues to be considered in designing Automatic Train Regulation (ATR) for MRT system. In this paper, the study on suitable traffic model for designing ATR system and ATR design based on adaptive critic design (ACD) of approximated dynamic programming, specifically on dual heuristic programming (DHP) are presented. Moreover, the method to deal with control constraint and applying gain scheduling to deal with the time variant environment of MRT system are addressed as well. For comparison, simulations with real operation environment data are done for ATRs designed by both adaptive critic method and LQ optimization method.