Left to right: Stephen Ross, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jonathan Lash, Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough. Photo by Hechler Photographers.

This post was originally published on WRI Insights.

Cities were a major theme of WRI’s 30th anniversary dinner last night. And, why not? The event took place in arguably the greatest city in the world, New York. Guests included Mayor Michael Bloomberg; real estate developer, Stephen Ross; former Deputy Mayor and current President of Bloomberg, Dan Doctoroff; and many more.

It was an elegant, high-energy dinner, as 350 leaders in business, government, and philanthropies gathered in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, overlooking Columbus Circle.

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joekicked things off with their typical banter, exchanging barbs about their bi-partisan relationship and the New York Rangers playoff game (sadly, they lost 5-3).

Mayor Bloomberg: “A Desperate Race for Time”

Mayor Bloomberg was the evening’s featured speaker. While I’ve seen the Mayor speak in the past, I was truly blown away by his remarks. It’s amazing that after 11 years of serving as Mayor and giving countless speeches, he can still bring such passion to his job.

Michael Beschloss, a preeminent author and historian, introduced Mayor Bloomberg, calling him a “transforming leader.” He described the Mayor’s remarkable accomplishments across a range of sectors, including his “moving forcefully” to advance environmental and sustainability in New York and beyond.

Mayor Bloomberg connected his objectives with those of WRI’s, remarking on our common goals of “creating a world that is healthier, less congested, more energy efficient, and a better place to live, not just in the future, but also right here and now.”

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the event’s featured speaker. Photo by Hechler Photographers.

He explained that cities are central in creating a more sustainable world, especially because the majority of the world’s population now resides in urban areas. As he noted, “The world is moving into cities, and we are in a desperate race for time.”

The Mayor is putting action behind these words. In addition to his work in New York, Mayor Bloomberg leads the C40, a global network of city officials working to address climate change. WRI recently teamed up with C40 and the group ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability to develop new, city-level greenhouse gas accounting standards that will help localities measure and reduce their emissions.

Additionally, Bloomberg Philanthropies has been one of WRI’s biggest supporters when it comes to urban issues and transport. They provide significant funding to EMBARQ, WRI’s center for sustainable transport, which is improving the quality of life for millions of people in cities by reducing pollution, enhancing public transportation, and addressing health and road safety issues.

Stephen Ross: Forging a New Path on Cities.

WRI also honored Stephen Ross, CEO of Related Companies, for his remarkable contributions to urban development and sustainability. As Dan Doctoroff said in introducing Ross, “He is changing the way that the world plans, builds, and sustains its cities.”

This can be seen in Related Companies forward-thinking approach, including its being one the first developers to build residential LEED-certified buildings, incorporating efficiency and recycling throughout its projects, and, most recently, in transforming Hudson Yards.

WRI Leadership: Past, Present, and Future

Of course, the event wasn’t all about cities. WRI also honored its former president Jonathan Lash, who is now training the next generation of leaders as president of Hampshire College. Jim Harmon, chairman of WRI’s board, noted Lash’s humility and inclusiveness as keys to his unique leadership style. Harmon reflected on Lash’s legacy of deepening WRI’s engagement with business, expanding our global presence, and helping re-define environmentalism.Lash expressed his appreciation, and he seems to be truly enjoying his new role among students (and cows) in rural Massachusetts.

To close the event, WRI introduced our incoming president, Andrew Steer. Steer engaged the audience with his energy and outlined the challenges ahead. He reminded us that the world has seen considerable achievements over the past 20 years, especially in terms of bringing people out of poverty. Yet, as the global population expands—with more people gaining access to electricity and consumption levels rising—pressure on resources will mount.

“We have a real prospect in the next 20 years of addressing these problems,” Steer said, but we need leadership and ideas to make this happen. Hopefully, we can all rise to this challenge.

Overall, it was an engaging and lively event. A group of WRI staff hung around afterwards, chatting and relaxing well into the night. And, why not? What else would you do in one of the greatest cities in the world?

View additional photos and video from WRI’s 30th anniversary dinner. And be sure to check out our interactive timeline.

Regular trainings help bus drivers meet fuel economy targets. Photo by Prashanth Bachu.

With input from Prashanth Bachu.

Bus-based public transport that is dependent solely on revenue earned from ticket sales is typically not a profit-making business. Most bus agencies strive to meet operational costs in other ways, and fuel economy has been recognized as a significant strategy that contributes towards operational efficiency. However, systematic and targeted steps towards improving fuel economy has not received too much attention, in part owing to the fact that bus maintenance agencies understandably place their primary focus on providing adequate service and safety to passengers.

Vishakapatnam’s bus transit agency, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), has been achieving an efficient 5.22 kilometers per liter (kmpl) on its city routes over the last decade, thanks to improved operational efficiency. This is contrary to the popular belief that fuel economy is solely dependent on vehicle maintenance or purchasing new buses with improved technology. Operational efficiency saves the corporation close to 9 percent of the total cost of operations. This reduction in fuel use not only saves money, but it also has positive implications on the environment.

A World Bank guidance note on bus operational and maintenance procedures praises the merits of enhancing the energy efficiency of city bus transport. This note is a practical guide to implement a program to enhance fuel efficiency, directed at city transit managers and their technical staff, mainly in developing countries. The APSRTC has developed a system of its own and achieved phenomenal results. An intentional strategy that involves a variety of best practices has made this possible. According to APSRTC’s Regional Manager Y. Jagadeesh Babu, “Achieving fuel efficiency targets is 70 percent managerial, and only 30 percent depends on the condition of the vehicle.” Although the corporation does face challenges of its own, it is committed to improving its services with a specific focus on fuel efficiency.

DRIVER TRAINING

While Vishakapatnam has good roads, there is also a conscious effort made by each driver to achieve fuel economy targets. Trainings and periodic audits play an important role in helping drivers meet their targets. In part, these trainings were developed by drivers who had achieved exemplary fuel economy. Drivers having the best safety record and highest fuel economy are appointed as “Safety Driving Instructors.” Their experiences have been translated into developing best practices for other drivers to follow.

The three-month training incorporates classroom and on-road training. Safety and fuel economy are emphasized throughout the training. Some of the buses used for training have in-built equipment that shows the trainees their fuel economy rating immediately after every driving session. Apart from the intense training, drivers not achieving targets during regular service have to periodically attend refresher-training modules. As Y. Jagadeesh Babu says, “Typically, drivers with good safety records also have the best fuel economy records.”

At APSRTC, each driver is required to maintain a “KMPL Book,” which is a daily record of kmpl achieved. The drivers are assigned, as far as possible, to the same bus and the same route. This helps the drivers to “connect” with the vehicle, aids in better maintenance, and reduces surprise breakdowns. Driving along the same route helps the driver familiarize himself with the route, knowing where to slowdown for sharp turns, speed humps, as well as traffic conditions. Knowing ahead of time exactly when to accelerate or when not to reduces fuel wastage caused by the unnecessary use of brakes.

C. Ramakrishna, Depot Manager, Simhachalam, who is a keen advocate for achieving the best fuel economy rates, says, “Our drivers are trained to drive close to the average speeds prescribed. They do not over-speed or use the brakes frequently. In essence, they control the bus with just the accelerator.” Additionally, the drivers switch off their engines at traffic signals, which increases fuel efficiency by 8 percent to 12 percent.

STAFF BUY-IN

The Depot Managers spend a significant amount of time ensuring the agency meets its monthly targets. Every Depot Manager compiles a list of 20 drivers who have achieved the least fuel economy, and another list of 20 drivers who have seen a drop in their fuel economy compared to the previous month. The manager then meets with each of them individually to get feedback on their performance. They often compute the net financial impact of the lower average to explain to the drivers how achieving even a slightly higher rate can save thousands of rupees for the corporation. Representatives of the drivers’ unions are included in this process and are welcomed to be present during some of these counseling sessions with the Depot Manager. This has resulted in complete buy-in from the staff. The corporation also has a mechanism of rewarding drivers who achieve the fuel economy targets. The process of interaction between the driver and the Depot Managers is positive and aims at instilling self confidence, motivating the drivers to achieve the common goal. “There is no negativity in the entire process,” insists C. Ramakrishna. “Negativity only results in hurt and lower morale of the drivers.”

APSRTC’s Vishakapatnam division currently runs a system of 1,080 buses, of which 650 are run exclusively for city operations, managed by 3,400 staff, including 1,400 drivers. V. Srinivas, Depot Manager, Gajuwaka, talked about some of the challenges he faced: “While the average fuel economy for regular city buses is 5.35 kmpl, we have been able to achieve only 4.96 kmpl with the 153 new JnNURM-funded buses.” This has resulted in reducing the overall average to 5.22 kmpl.

While a higher fuel economy is a benefit in itself, APSRTC’s operational best practices have also resulted in better bus maintenance, longevity of buses, and a reduction in repair costs. Increased safety and reduced traffic crash rates are other side benefits. Lessons can be learned from APSRTC in Vishakapatnam, which would help city bus transit agencies improve their transport services, passenger safety, financial viability and environmental impact.

Fazilka Ecocabs merges technology with tradition to improve transport in Indian cities. Photo by Fazilka Ecocabs.

Cycle rickshaws, an eco-friendly mode of transport, continue to play a role in para-transit and non-motorized modes of transport in Indian cities. The world’s first dial-a-rickshaw service, Ecocabs, was initiated in Fazilka, Punjab in 2008 by Graduates Welfare Association Fazilka, an NGO dedicated to education, employment, environment and energy.  The concept was successful, and it has now been taken to 21 other cities in the state of Punjab.

According to estimates, nearly 60 lakh (6 million) people travel on cycle rickshaws in Punjab every day. The Ecocabs scheme has been instrumental in employment generation, becoming a source of livelihood for about 3 lakh (300,000) families and reducing use of fossil fuels. In 2011, Fazilka Ecocabs won the National Award for Excellence in Non-Motor Transport from the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. The project has also received international attention and was one of the 15 finalists for the SMART Mobility Enterprize.

The key to the cycle rickshaw—or ecocab—operations has been the improvement of the existing rickshaw design, along with the introduction of a hub-and-spoke model of operations. In Fazilka, nine call centers have been strategically spread around the town, and each of these serve an average of 1,500 households. The cycle rickshaws are ergonomically designed and are offered at a very affordable price. The service is usually available between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  The scheme functions very similar to the dial-a-cab service and all rickshaw pullers, also known as traction men, have been provided with cell phones.

The new rickshaws, including models called Femto and Nano, designed with ergonomic principles, are lightweight, low-floor and carry extra luggage and advertisement space. Additional revenue can be generated for the traction men with the use of the advertising space. A similar practice has been adopted for auto-rickshaws in several other cities.

There are a total of 500 members of the project in Fazilka. All traction men receive several benefits, including free health checkups, accidental insurance for 50,000 INR (US$918), and access to credit financing schemes of leading banks, among others. They are also provided with work uniforms and have to follow a code of conduct, which, if broken, can lead to the confiscation of their rickshaw license. The project helped increase the latent demand for cycle rickshaws and has contributed towards improved well-being of rickshaw pullers and their families.

The ecocab services are operationally efficient and include benefits for the rickshaw pullers, users and society at large. With the success of the scheme and national-level recognition of it, several other cities, including Delhi and Jaipur, are considering implementing a similar dial-a-rickshaw system. In addition, the idea also finds mention in the country’s 12th Five-Year Plan, under the low carbon mobility agenda.

Read all about the history of cycle rickshaws in the virtual rickshaw museum.

Related news:

• Revolutions in these roads can lead us to a lesser polluted environment
• With Ecocab, Fazilka shows the way
• Ecocabs in Fazilka
• Fazilka’s ecocab project in race for international award
• Ecocabs android app
• Fazilka Ecocabs: The Entrepreneur experience

China is encouraging more private sector involvement in the transport sector. Photo by Thomas Stellmach.

Our monthly China Transportation Briefing shares interesting news and noteworthy research related to China’s transportation and urban development. The goal is to help people who are interested in solving China’s urbanization and transportation problems understand relevant Chinese policies and trends. Each issue revolves around a particular theme, with content summarized from recent newsletters and magazines. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Research Assistant Heshuang Zeng at hzeng [at] wri [dot] org.

China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) recently made an announcement that it will encourage more private investment in the transportation sector. Given the funding gap in transportation projects in China, this regulation appears to be a wise move, but more aggressive actions are required.

Ambitious Plans but Weak Capacity

According to the 12th 5-Year Transportation Plan, in the next five years, China will build 34,000 kilometers of new expressways and 500,000 kilometers of new roads, improve subways and city railway systems, and build about 100 new transportation hubs. Realizing this plan requires huge investments. It is estimated that there will be more than 30 cities with metro projects underway in the next 15 years, and the necessary investment required would surpass 600 billion yuan (US$95 billion).

Under the current administrative structure, local governments are responsible for funding most of these transport projects. For example, metro projects are funded solely by direct public funds with only a few excecptional cases like Beijing’s Metro Line 4 (30 percent of the investment comes from the private sector.) However,  the unbalanced fiscal arrangement in China places great pressure on being able to provide continuous transport development in the future.  In 2010, local governments accounted for more than four-fifths of public spending but collected just 45 percent of the country’s tax revenues, leaving a gap amounting to 600 billion yuan (US$95 billion.)

Going Private – A Wise Move

The MOT’s recent announcement encourages the participation of private investments in highways, ports and waterway construction, maintenance, operation and management, as well as projects like integrated transport hubs, logistics parks and transportation stations. Private capital is also encouraged to fund the research and promotion of new transport technologies, processes, materials and the development of transportation logistics public information platforms, public transportation information service systems, highway eletronic toll collection system, and urban traffic intelligent systems. Various forms of financial participation, including wholly-owned holding companies, equity participation and shareholding are recommended. The annoucement also requires local transit authorities to provide service, guidelines and regulations to facilitate private capital investments.

The introduction of private capital will surely reduce the financial burden on the government. At the same time, the entrepreneurial spirit might also accelerate transportation technology innovation and application, especially in new fields, and increase the total efficiency of the system. If well-guided, the private sector might even create new transport funding models through integrated development between transport and surrounding land, like land-value capturing seen in private railway projects in Japan.

Game-Changer?

The private sector has been involved in funding toll roads in China through the transfer of operation rights. Although there has been doubts on toll road transparency, this type of public-private partnership does provide an important funding stream for toll expressway projects in China. The announcement will give the private sector more space in funding public transport in China. However, under the “harmonious society” political ideal, the construction and operation of public transport will continue to be heavily subsidized by the government. The 12th 5-year Transportation Plan states clearly that the government should support public transport. This philosophy was also reflected in the joint statement by the Ministry of Construction (MOC), National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Ministry of Finance (MOF), which said that the government should establish a sound mechanism for public subsidies, considering urban mass transit as an economic and social benefit.

Fundamental Rethinking

Increasing financial liability over time has posed a great challenge on already in-debt local Chinese governments. How can local Chinese cities get out of debt to fund transport projects sustainably? The World Bank just released a report on sustainable low-carbon cities in China. It calls for a fundamental rethinking on urban finance.

In the past 15 years, Chinese municipal governments have been filling the public financing gap mainly through two sources: urban land concession and borrowing. Neither source is sustainable. The heavy reliance on land acquisition revenues makes local governments launch overly ambitious city master plans, and they are now building cities that can house not only current but also several future generations. (Research shows that the previous round of master plans of 99 major cities projected a total urban population of 2 billion by 2010 while the total population of China now is 1.3 billion.) At the same time, the increasing amount of local debt raised concerns about regulating the local fiscal system. In 2009, local debt reached 7 trillion yuan (US$1.1 trillion.)

To address this challenge, the World Bank report suggests that the central government strengthen its role, and it urges local governments to take comprehensive actions and introduce more stable local revenue taxes, such as property taxes and land-value incremental taxes. To implement the 12th 5-Year Transportation Plan and implement sustainable transport projects, filling the finance gap is a pressing issue that requires a series of reforms. China will have to take action sooner or later.

EMBARQ Brazil leads journalists on a tour of BRT systems, including Metrobus in Mexico City. Photo by Mariana Gil / EMBARQ Brazil.

Welcome back to TheCityFix Picks, our series highlighting the newsy and noteworthy of the past week. Each Friday, we’ll run down the headlines falling under TheCityFix’s five themes: integrated transport, urban development and accessibility, air quality and climate change, health and road safety, and communications and marketing.

Integrated Transport

A four-year, $100 million pilot project to invest in bike and pedestrian infrastructure in four U.S. communities has resulted in multiple health, economic and environmental benefits, confirmed a recent report by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Biking increased by nearly 50 percent, and there was a reduction in 7,700 tons of carbon dioxide, 1.2 million gallons of gas and $6.9 million a year in health care costs.

A new bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor has been approved by the transit board for parts of Oakland and San Leandro in California.

Urban Development and Accessibility

India’s Minister of Urban Development and Germany’s Minister for Transport, Building and Urban Development recently signed a joint declaration to promote sustainable urban development in the two countries.

Air Quality and Climate Change

With less than 100 days to go before the Summer Olympics begin in London, the city’s transport agency, Transport for London, is using a system for monitoring air quality called CityScan. The city is also using chemical suppressants to “glue” polluting particles to the road, which then get washed away by the rain.

To kick off this year’s Spare the Air program in San Francisco, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is encouraging locals to reduce their driving.

Health and Road Safety

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg received the inaugural Prince Michael Decade of Action Award in recognition of his leadership and philanthropy in global road traffic injury prevention. Bloomberg Philanthropies provides generous support to EMBARQ, the producer of this blog, to implement programs that prevent death and disability from road traffic crashes.

Two-thirds of commuters think U.K. roads are “not safe enough for cycling,” according to a survey by road safety charity Brake and solicitors Bolt Burdon Kemp. The study also found that just 10 percent surveyed use their bikes as their main form of transport, and 35 percent would switch to cycling for commuting if roads were less dangerous.

South Africa minister of transport Sibusiso Ndebele called on the international community to ensure that road safety is part of the global development agenda, during his address at the Decade of Action Policy & Donor Forum on Wednesday in New York City.

Communications and Marketing

EMBARQ Brazil is organizing two missions with journalists from Rio de Janeiro to visit some of the best bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the Americas. Read a diary-style recap of the “BRT Experience: Press Mission” activities on TheCityFixBrasil.com (in Portuguese), with some posts translated into English and cross-posted on TheCityFix.com.

1 Metrobus replaces 126 automobiles. Photo by Mariana Gil / EMBARQ Brazil.

A version of this post was originally published on TheCityFix Brasil by Maria Fernanda Cavalcanti on May 1, 2012.

Beginning on April 29, EMBARQ Brazil is organizing two missions with journalists from Rio de Janeiro to visit some of the best bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the Americas. The project is funded by Fetranspor, the federation of passenger transport companies in the state of Rio de Janeiro. This post is part of the “BRT Experience” series.

During a technical visit to one of the Metrobus maintenance centers yesterday, we saw that some buses in the fleet display messages to promote public transport, such as “1 Metrobus replaces 126 automobiles.”

Metrobus vehicles display marketing messages in support of public transport. Photo by Mariana Gil / EMBARQ Brazil.

This is an example of simple and honest marketing that makes people stop and think about the real need to forgo private cars, which lead to unnecessary congestion, and opt for mass transit, instead. Branding and marketing campaigns like this seem to be a good way to start this debate. What do you think?

The team enjoyed the BRT experience. Check out our  group photo, below!

The study tour group visited one of the Metrobus maintenance centers. Photo by Mariana Gil / EMBARQ Brazil.