China - Wuhan Urban Transport Project

Updated Project Information Document (PID) Report No: AB742 Project Name CHINA - Wuhan Urban Transport Project Region East Asia and Pacific Region Sector General transportation sector (100%) Theme Access to urban services for the poor (P); Other urban development (P); Municipal governance and institution building (S) Project P069852 Borrower(s) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Implementing Agency(ies) MUNICIPALITY OF WUHAN Project Office Address: No. 130 Yanjiang Ave. Hankou Wuhan China Contact Person: Hui Shu Zhi, Vice Director Tel: 86-27-85886173 Fax: 86-27-82811498 Email: Whjtxmb@Public.Wh.Hb.Cn Environment Category A (Full Assessment) Date PID Prepared March 4, 2004 Auth Appr/Negs Date November 20, 2003 Bank Approval Date March 9, 2004 1. Country and Sector Background Main Sector Issues. Rapid growth in urbanization and motorization. Both trends are actively encouraged by the central government and expected to grow further in the foreseeable future. The urban population in China is projected to increase from 30.2 percent (319 million) in 1995 to 49.1 percent of the total population (711.7 million) in 2020. Car ownership, which has increased rapidly in the last decade, is projected to increase tenfold from a current average of 10 to 100 per 1000 residents in 2020. Both trends are also true of Wuhan: the city's Master Plan projects an increase in the city's population from 3.9 million in 1998 to 4.5 million in 2020. Similarly, auto-ownership rates in the urban districts of Wuhan increased from 56 motor vehicles per 1,000 residents in 1998 to 99 per 1,000 in 2001 and are projected to increase to 116 in 2010 and 167 in 2020. Per-capita travel is expected to increase accordingly: from 1.98 trips/day in 1998 to 2.41 in 2010 and 2.65 in 2020. Economic opportunities in growing Chinese cities like Wuhan are extensive, and if `hukou' related restrictions to urban migration are relaxed it is likely that growth in the city could be even greater. Accelerated investment in road capacity without adequate planning. Rapid increase in population and number of vehicles is overwhelming the urban transport infrastructure in Wuhan, which typifies the general experience of most Chinese cities. Its transport infrastructure is overburdened, and the last decade saw a decline in mobility for most classes of urban trips. City authorities in Wuhan are addressing these issues primarily with an ambitious road construction program. Significant local financing is available from domestic banks for investments in road expansion.  2 PID However, this `solution' creates as many problems as it solves. First and foremost, mobility on non-motorized modes is further degraded. Secondly, the planning process is not systematic and comprehensive, and does not assure that a well thought out, properly prioritized road-building program emerges from what starts (as is the case elsewhere in the world) as a list of perceived priorities. Perhaps the most important challenge in Wuhan (and in other similar Chinese cities) is to ensure that the significant investments that will be made in urban infrastructure in the coming two decades, will efficiently enhance the mobility and safety of all residents in a sustainable manner. While the description that follows is particular to Wuhan, it is equally true of many other Chinese cities. About Wuhan Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is one of the foremost centers of economic growth outside the coastal regions of China. The Yangtze and Han rivers divide the city of Wuhan into the three towns of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. In 1998, the GDP of this industrial, commercial and trade center was RMB 101.5 billion. The average GDP growth from 1990 to 1998 was 15.3 percent higher than the national average. The city's economy is expected to grow at 7 percent to 9 percent annually in the near future. Trends in mobility Declining pedestrian and cyclist mobility. Though still significant (37 percent pedestrian and 29 percent bicycle trips together accounted for two-thirds of all trips in Wuhan in a 1998 survey), the mobility of pedestrians and cyclists is declining, as motor vehicles progressively dominate the roads. NMT, traditionally the mainstay of urban transport in Chinese cities and still the mainstay of the poorer sections of the society, currently suffers from inadequate attention from city transport planners. This is particularly true from a safety perspective: pedestrian crossings are limited, traffic management for cyclists is based mainly on control and prohibition, there are no NMT networks, and cyclists are often forced to operate in dangerous mixed traffic. The construction of new roads, built essentially to accommodate automobiles, is aggravating these problems. Traffic congestion resulting from inadequate capacity and poor management. The road network remains inadequate and overburdened by the increase in the number of motor vehicles. Though increasing in numbers, motor vehicles accounted for only 12 percent of all trips in 1998. The functional road hierarchy is incomplete and ill-defined resulting in most traffic being loaded onto a few major arterials, key links in the network are missing, and traffic management (signals, channelization) is limited and often inadequate (long cycle times, no red aspects at 20 percent of the signaled junctions). Encroachment from businesses and parking further exacerbates this shortage. In Wuhan, three specific forms of traffic significantly increase congestion: traffic associated with the Hankou town centre, cross-river traffic in the city core that principally uses two Yangtse river crossings, and some of the through and internal traffic that comes through the city center. Inadequately maintained roads. Maintenance budgets typically provide only 40 percent of what is, in fact, required. Much of this provision goes towards staff salaries, leaving little for road maintenance. There is no systematic maintenance or asset management system in place. Organizationally, government and operator  3 PID functions are combined in public maintenance units and a number of different government organizations are responsible for road maintenance and reconstruction. Public transport requires much-needed attention. Though public transport is important and growing (buses accounted for a 22 percent share of trips in 1998 and this is forecast to grow significantly, both in share and volumes), the sector is beset by the following problems/concerns/issues: