[quashlo]

Kawasaki City subway proposal becomes election issue again
http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/kanagawa/20091022/CK2009102202000074.html

“It would be really convenient,” says housewife Tomotsuka Miki (34yo), who was walking with her one-year-old son along a bus road in Sugao, Miyamae Ward, Kawasaki City.

On the other side of the city, things are different. “I don’t expect I’d be using it very much,” says Kiyama Yutaka (38yo), who lives in Imai Minamichō, Nakahara Ward and uses Musashi Kosugi Station on his commute to and from his job at a school. “I don’t believe it’s necessary at all. There’s other things they should be doing,” remarks a housewife (67yo) from Kyōmachi in Kawasaki Ward.

All are reactions to Kawasaki City’s Municipal Subway Project. The project is the focus of heated debates during mayoral elections, with support varying wildly from one neighborhood to the next.

A proposal to construct a subway traversing Kawasaki City first surfaced in 1960. As a result of financial difficulties, the project has since gone through numerous ups and downs, with the current incarnation of the proposal being advanced by city officials calling for an initial phase between Shin-Yurigaoka and Musashi Kosugi. The latest rendition is estimated to cost ¥433.6 billion, ¥1 billion less than the estimates for the original plan, but the new alignment has yet to receive project approval from the national government.

“It will be difficult to get project approval under a Democratic administration which has been calling for a reevaluation of public works projects,” admit project supporters in the City Council. Even if the national government gave expedited approval to the project, the line would open in 2020 at the earliest.

While the project receives substantial attention every four years as a result of mayoral elections, in reality, the proposal is still at a stalemate.

Perhaps as a result, interest in the project is generally low among city residents. In Miyamae Ward, which has limited rail access, a federation of all neighborhood associations in the ward submitted a petition to the City Council in 1996, with rail pushed as the preferred solution. But housewife Ishikawa Mana (34yo) from Tsuchihashi smiles sarcastically, saying, “When I was talking with my friends about when the subway would open, none of us knew how long it would take.”

As a massive project, Kiyama is doubtful. “I’m not convinced they can operate without a deficit. Are they really considering cost vs. benefit?” Residents from Kawasaki Ward, which is completely detached from the initial phase of the subway proposal, say they had completely forgotten about the project.

The city’s Rapid Rail Transit Construction Department says the subway offers multiple benefits, including improving transportation access to currently poorly-served areas, reduced overcrowding on the existing lines such as the Nambu Line and Den’en Toshi Line, and an “increased sense of connection between city residents.” In response to the prolonged planning process for the line, department officials stress, “Yokohama’s Minato Mirai Line, which opened in 2004, also had its original proposal scrapped. Public works projects simply take time.”

The subway proposal is a question that each political camp has taken a position on, but how will city residents respond?

 

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Hakata Exit of Hakata Station to receive facelift
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/trend/091019/trd0910191444006-n1.htm

In preparation for the Spring 2011 extension of the Kyūshū Shinkansen into Hakata Station, Fukuoka City officials have announced that they intend to redesign three areas at the Hakata Exit station plaza based on the concepts of “transport hub,” “tree shade plaza,” and “activity and exchange.” Officials explained their intention to a panel of experts on the Hakata Station Plaza Redesign Working Group, with working group members generally agreeing to the plans. Based on the comments received from the working group, the city will decide on a final design plan. After detailed engineering and design, construction would start by the end of the year.

According to the city’s plan, a “transport hub” area would be established on the south side of the Transportation Center Building and consist of a taxi and general auto loading zone with a three- to five-meter wide canopy. Officials will also consider the possibility of installing environmentally-friendly features including solar panels and mist sprayers.

The “tree shade plaza” just to the south will serve as the gateway to Kyūshū and feature tall planted trees every eight to ten meters, helping to create an image of Fukuoka as a city in harmony with nature. Further south, the “activity and exchange” area will have space to hold events such as concerts and be designed to allow onlookers to enjoy performances from the second-level pedestrian deck.

In addition, the city is discussing with the Fukuoka Prefectural Police and JR Kyūshū on establishing a police box at the site in response to the expected increase in passenger traffic.

In response to the city’s plan, members of the working group suggested that the trees to be planted should be selected with an eye towards the changing seasons.

Hakata is Fukuoka City’s central terminal and is served by trains operated by JR Kyūshū, JR West, and the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau. The JR section of the station serves 115,000 daily entries, while the subway section of the station serves 55,000 daily entries. Currently, the station is the terminus of the San’yō Shinkansen (with frequent through-service onto the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to Tōkyō).

Construction is proceeding on the new station building.

Source: Wikipedia

Some pictures of Hakata Exit, which will be redone:

Source: Wikipedia


Source: David McKelvey on Flickr


Source: David McKelvey on Flickr

Transportation Center Building adjacent to the station.

Source: Wikipedia

Some views of the construction on the station building and platforms from various vantage points in and around the station (Aug. 2009):

Source: manjyuu12 on YouTube

 

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No cheap way out for Nanakuma Line extension
http://mytown.asahi.com/fukuoka/news.php?k_id=41000740910190001

A massive pricetag, a distant 550 m[/b]
Partially because of lack of a direct connection to the Airport Line and Hakozaki Line, ridership on the Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line (Hashimoto – Tenjin Minami) is falling short of expectations. To resolve the issue, an extension from Tenjin Minami Station via Canal City Hakata to Hakata Station has arisen as a preferred alternative. Meanwhile, many city residents have asked why officials can’t simply connect Tenjin Station and Tenjin Minami Staiton by rail. That proposal may seem the cheaper alternative because of the short distance, but reality isn’t quite so simple.

Tenjin Minami Station and Tenjin Station are connected by the Tenjin Underground Shopping Arcade and are a mere 550 m apart. Every day, 12,000 passengers make the transfer on foot, but according to the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau, there are numerous obstacles to joining that distance by rail.

One problem is the location of the two stations in relation to each other. The Nanakuma Line’s alignment follows underneath Watanabe-dōri towards Tenjin, only to veer sharply right at Kokutai Dōro to enter Tenjin Minami Station. In order to directly connect the Nanakuma Line to Tenjin Station, extending the line from Watanabe-dōri Station to Tenjin Station would be the most appropriate solution, but the Nanakuma Line’s gauge is different from the Airport and Hakozaki Lines, so a typical through-service solution isn’t possible.

Obstacles in construction, too
The first obstacle comes when the section of the line between Watanabe-dōri and Tenjin Minami must be temporarily closed for construction. With the Nanakuma Line unable to serve the Tenjin area, the 35,000 people who use Tenjin Minami Station daily could shift off the subway, resulting in a substantial loss in revenues.

To allow regular operation to continue during construction requires a fairly deep tunnel a kilometer in length, starting from near Watanabe-dōri Station and diving below the existing tracks as well as Tenjin Underground Shopping Arcade and an underground parking facility.

In addition, Tenjin Station intersects Watanabe-dōri at roughly a right angle. As a result the new platforms must be built on a separate level much deeper than the existing Tenjin Station.

The City has estimated that the construction of this alternative would cost ¥57 billion, a higher cost-per-km than any of the other alternatives being considered. If a new station is built nearby the existing Tenjin Minami Station to become the new platforms at Tenjin Station for the Nanakuma Line, it’s possible that the national government won’t provide financial aid for the project, which could reach almost half of the total construction costs.

What about connecting the Nanakuma Line with the Airport and Hakozaki Lines at Nakasu – Kawabata Station, a 1.2 km extension?
That alignment would require tunneling under privately-owned land and narrow roadways, requiring the establishment of underground land rights as well as the use of special construction methods to prevent vibration and noise. The new platforms would be constructed below the two existing platforms for the Airport and Hakozaki Lines, contributing to a total cost of ¥60 billion.

And while construction of moving walkways in the Tenjin Underground Shopping Arcade isn’t out of the question, it would split the retail area in two and be a hindrance to escape during disasters or emergencies, making it less of a realistic option.

Kyūshū University urban planning professor emeritus Chishaki Takeshi, who has had a hand in the Nanakuma Line ever since the planning stages, says, “We’re still in the process of developing the plan, so there’s still debate over possibly creating a direct connection at Tenjin Station. If the goal is to improve access between Hakata and Tenjin, the New Route Alignment is the most attractive.” Executive Director Kojima Kenji of Citizen’s Ombudsman Fukuoka remarks, “From the beginning, there was no concrete vision of what role the Nanakuma Line had in the city’s urban plan. The proposal to connect the line with the Airport Line because its in the red is just an attempt to get the citizens to foot the bill.”

Nanakuma Line
Opened in February 2005 at a total construction cost of ¥281.1 billion. The line was estimated to have a ridership of 110,000 a day, but so far has only reached half the projections. Early this year in February, officials revised the estimated complete payoff of the line from 2023 to 2069.

In January, city officials submitted a new cheaper alignment proposal between Tenjin Minami and Hakata Station, separate from the more expensive and financially difficult Waterfront Alignment and Hakata Station Alignment. The city says the cheaper alignment is the most financially sound of the three.

 

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Sōtetsu receives MLIT go-ahead for JR through-line
http://www.sotetsu.co.jp/news_release/archives/PDF/091020_01.pdf

On October 20, 2009, Sagami Railway (Sōtetsu) (HQ: Nishi Ward, Yokohama City; President: Numano Keiichi) received approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to begin construction of the Sōtetsu-JR Through-Line.

This October 20 approval by the MLIT for construction start comes following a March 24, 2009 request under the Railway Business Act to begin construction between Nishiya Station on the Sōtetsu Main Line and the vicinity of Yokohama Hazawa Station on the JR Tōkaidō Cargo Line.

This line received acknowledgment by the MLIT on November 21, 2006 as a transport speed improvement project under the Act on Enhancement of Convenience of Urban Railways and will consist of a new connection (approx. 2.7 km) between Nishiya Station on the Sōtetsu Main Line (Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama City) and the vicinity of Yokohama Hazawa Station on the JR Tōkaidō Cargo Line (Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama City). As project lead, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) will construct and maintain ownership of the tracks, while Sōtetsu, as the operating entity, will use the tracks to operate through-service with the JR lines.

Project cost: approx. ¥68.3 billion
Project timeline: November 2006 – March 2015

The section in blue is the Sōtetsu-JR Through-Line. The section in red is the Sōtetsu-Tōkyū Through-Line, which is scheduled to open in 2019, and will be a new 10-km connection between the Sōtetsu network and the Tōkyū network. Together, these two projects will improve connection to central Tōkyō for residents along the Sōtetsu network (in orange), which currently only serves Yokohama directly. The Sōtetsu-JR Through-Line will also improve access to Shin-Yokohama Station for Shinkansen service to other parts of Japan.

Source: Sōtetsu

Time savings generated by the new lines:

Source: Sōtetsu

For Sōtetsu-JR Through-Line:

• Futamatagawa – Shinjuku: 59 min → 44 min
• Yamato – Shibuya: 58 min → 47 min
• Ebina – Shibuya: 57 min → 54 min
• Shōnandai – Shibuya: 60 min → 51 min

For Sōtetsu-Tōkyū Through-Line:

• Futamatagawa – Meguro: 54 min → 38 min
• Yamato – Shin-Yokohama: 42 min → 19 min
• Ebina – Meguro: 69 min → 54 min
• Shōnandai – Shin-Yokohama: 49 min → 23 min

 

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Crossover conflict between at Yūrakuchō and Fukutoshin Lines at Kotake – Mukaihara to be resolved
http://trainnews.seesaa.net/article/131222963.html
(Original Source: Kensetsu Tsūshin News)

Tōkyō Prefecture and Tōkyō Metro have approved a draft amendment to the urban master plan that would construct a new track connection between Kotake – Mukaihara Station and Senkawa Station on Urban Rapid Railway Line No. 8 (Tōkyō Metro Yūrakuchō Line). The amendment would allow for construction of new track connections in both the inbound and outbound directions, resolving the existing crossover situation between the Yūrakuchō Line and Fukutoshin Line. The amendment to the master plan is scheduled to be approved within the fiscal year, with construction beginning in April 2010. In 2012, the tracks in the inbound direction (towards central Tōkyō) are planned to open for service, followed by the outbound tracks in 2014. Including above-ground elements, the full project is scheduled for completion in 2016.

The project would install a new track connection between Kotake – Mukaihara Station and Senkawa Station on the Yūrakuchō Line, for trains running in both directions between the Wakō-shi end and Shin-Kiba end of the line. The installation will resolve crossover conflicts between Fukutoshin Line trains running between Nerima and Shibuya and Yūrakuchō Line trains running between Wakō-shi and Shin-Kiba.

In 2012, mutual through-servicing will begin between the Fukutoshin Line and Tōkyū Tōyoko Line / Yokohama Rapid Railway Minato Mirai Line, with the number of Fukutoshin Line services expected to increase. Currently, the number of trains has reached the limit with the existing crossover configuration, so the new track connection will allow for increased service on the Fukutoshin Line. The project will also increase operational stability, eliminating the need for trains to wait in queue due to the crossover.

The amendment to the master plan involves an approximately 410-m section of the route between Mukaihara 2-chōme in Itabashi Ward and Kanamechō 3-chōme in Toshima Ward. The new track connections will be constructed on the outside of the existing track structure. Since the new connections would fit within the width of Radial Route No. 36, which runs above the tracks at ground level, no new land acquisition is necessary.

Approx. 150 m on the Kotake – Mukaihara end and 100 m on the Senkawa end of the track connection will be constructed using cut-and-cover, with the approx. 160 m section in the middle excavated using shield tunneling.

For the cut-and-cover and tunnel shield sections on the Kotake – Mukaihara end, approximately 20 to 21 m and 19 m deep respectively, the new track connections will be constructed on the left and right sides of the existing tunnel structures. The cut-and-cover section on the Senkawa end, approximately 15 to 17 m deep, will be constructed by expanding space currently used to store maintenance vehicles.

The project cost will be borne by Tōkyō Metro, but due to the large public nature of the project, funding from both the national and metropolitan government is currently being considered.

The metropolitan government will publish the draft amendment to the master plan for circulation and evaluation. Officials will discuss the amendment with the Urban Master Plan Committee and expect to receive approval by the end of the fiscal year.

After approval of the master plan amendment, Tōkyō Metro will decide on the project executor and hopes to begin construction in 2010. Since construction of the project would require reducing roadway widths to the minimum limit, the construction will be staged to work on only one side at a time.

The new inbound track connection will open for service in 2012, when the Fukutoshin Line will begin through-service operation with the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line and Yokohama Rapid Railway Minato Mirai Line. The outbound track connection will be completed two years later in 2014. Project construction is scheduled to span a total of seven years.

This project should resolve some of the issues resulting from having the Tōkyō Metro Yūrakuchō Line and Tōkyō Metro Fukutoshin Line share some stations and tracks. When the Fukutoshin Line first opened in June 2008, the junction at Kotake – Mukaihara, a four-track station with two island platforms, was particularly problematic, as both the Yūrakuchō Line and Fukutoshin Line run through-service on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line / Seibu Yūrakuchō Line. Seibu Ikebukuro Line / Seibu Yūrakuchō Line trains from Nerima and beyond, through-servicing onto the Fukutoshin Line, conflicted with Tōkyō Metro Yūrakuchō Line trains coming from Wakō-shi and beyond.

Track layout at Kotake – Mukaihara:

Source: Wikipedia

The top box is the platform for central Tōkyō: Shibuya (Fukutoshin Line) and Shin-Kiba (Yūrakuchō Line). The bottom box is the outbound platform, for Nerima on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Wakō-shi. The red arrows are coming to / from the Seibu Yūrakuchō Line / Seibu Ikebukuro Line. The gray arrows on the left side of the figure are coming to / from Wakō-shi. On the right side of the figure, the dark brown arrows on the outside are the Fukutoshin Line tracks, while the inside tan-colored arrows are the Yūrakuchō Line tracks.

Some related videos:

A tour of the platforms at Shibuya Station on the Fukutoshin Line. Construction is proceeding on undergrounding the Tōyoko Line to connect with the Fukutoshin Line at this station.

Source: KITAKIKENTA on YouTube

Currently, the Tōyoko Line (here, shown as a through-servicing Yokohama Rapid Railway train) passes above the Yamanote Line loop. In the future, the line will dive underground after Daikanyama Station, passing beneath the Yamanote Line before curving north to reach Shibuya.

Source: itgwhitl on YouTube

 

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Redevelopment project at JR Gifu Station to break ground soon
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/gifu/news/20091029-OYT8T01197.htm

Details of the Toiyamachi Westside South Block Type-1 Urban Redevelopment Project, which would construct a skyscraper outside JR Gifu Station, were announced on October 29 at a hotel inside Gifu City. A pedestrian deck with a direct connection to JR Gifu Station would also be constructed, with the project creating a “twin tower” effect with the Gifu City Tower 43 completed in 2007. The project will begin construction in January of next year, with completion scheduled for summer to fall of 2012.

The project consists of a 37-story East Tower and an 11-story West Tower connected by a six-story parking garage, all covering a parcel approximately 6,900 sq m in size. The new buildings will wrap around the existing Mitsui Building and Daidō Building in a U-shape. The total cost of the project is approximately ¥16.5 billion.

While the urban redevelopment union for the block features 94 members, land owners number 176 in total. “Thanks to hard work and understanding on the part of the land owners, we’ve finally reached an agreement,” said Director Yamauchi Michio ecstatically. This is the largest urban redevelopment project in the Chūbu area to achieve a unanimous agreement, and is also likely the largest in the nation to do so.

The first and second floors of the East Tower will be retail space, with approximately 1,300 sq m on the second floor to be leased to retail tenants. The third and fourth floors will be devoted to office space, while the approximately 270 condominium units from the fifth through 37th floors will be handled by Lions Mansion seller Daikyō and Ichijō. The West Tower, connected to the east tower by a 400-space parking garage, will feature retail space on the first floor, office space on the second through fifth floors, and 154-room hotel Dormy Inn on the sixth through 11th floors.

The West Tower will make use of a preferred project agent system created in 1996. The preferred project agent, Toda Corporation, will bear responsibility for constructing the building, as well as selling and disposing of completed floors. The redevelopment project is the first in Gifu Prefecture to make use of this system. “The completion of the new tower will help establish a new standard for urban living and activity. Revitalization of the area surrounding JR Gifu Station will contribute to the economic development of the city, prefecture, and entire Chūbu area,” says Gifu City mayor Hosoe Shigemitsu, who welcomed the project.

Rendering:

Source: Toiyamachi Westside South Block Urban Redevelopment Union

Gifu City Tower 43

Source: Wikipedia

I posted an earlier article about the opening of the new North Exit station plaza for JR Gifu Station:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=43805240&postcount=389

The new project will be located northwest of the station, just north of Gifu City Tower 43. These projects together will help transform the area around the station, which is one of the two main stations for Gifu City (the other is nearby Meitetsu Gifu Station), part of Nagoya’s metropolitan area.

 

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JR East unveils battery-powered train
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/environment/091006/env0910062216001-n1.htm

On October 6, JR East announced that it has developed an experimental train that runs on batteries. JR East aims to introduce the trains as replacements for diesel-powered trains, helping to reduce emissions. The experimental train is an environmentally-friendly design, with energy efficiency 1.5 times that of diesel-powered counterparts, and carbon dioxide emissions less than half.

Trial runs will begun on October 6 in Saitama City, expanding to the Utsunomiya Line in Tochigi Prefecture in January of next year. JR East hopes to introduce the trains to mostly local lines. This is the first time battery-powered trains have been introduced on rapid rail transit.

According to JR East, the experimental train has a maximum operating speed of 100 kph, and if fully-charged—a process that takes one hour—the train can run on flat ground for approximately 50 km. The train is equipped with a pantograph, allowing the train to run as a regular electric train on powered sections of the line. Along unpowered sections, the train can run on its batteries, charging up at stations.

“Expanding charging equipment at stations and reducing the battery size are the major issues to be addressed,” says the project manager for JR.

Testing at Ōmiya General Car Center:

Source: emizo5004 on YouTube

Testing at the JR Railway Museum in Saitama:

Source: emizo5004 on YouTube

 

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Kintetsu installs penguin as honorary stationmaster
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1027/NGY200910270008.html

A Humboldt penguin set to become honorary stationmaster of Kashikojima Station in Shima City (Mie Prefecture) made a special appearance at Kintetsu Nagoya Station (Nakamura Ward, Nagoya City) on October 27. The 50-cm long penguin from Shima Marineland drew the attention of women passing by, who formed a crowd as they tried to take pictures with their mobile phones.

The penguin is calm and can be petted. “He looks rough to the touch, but he’s actually very soft… We were surprised,” say vocational school students Haneda Ayaka (18yo) and Nakamura Shiho (18yo), who were on their way home.

The penguin will be installed as temporary stationmaster on November 21, with a special “Penguin Train” running between Toba and Kashikojima. On November 22-23 and from November 29 to December 27, he will be let out on Sundays from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at the station’s faregates to allow passengers to take pictures.

Designating animals as honorary stationmasters is becoming a common strategy, particularly for small private railways which have low ridership and generally perpetually operate at a deficit.

Tama (Wakayama Electric Railway):

Source: yushimogaki on YouTube

 

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JR East, Central, West report substantial losses
http://www.business-i.jp/news/ind-page/news/200910290056a.nwc

JR East, JR Central, and JR West released their September 2009 mid-year financial statements on October 28. On top of a decrease in business passengers as a result of the recession, the companies were hit particularly hard by the swine flu scare and the reduced ¥1,000 toll for expressways. In addition to a decrease in railway transport revenues—the pillar of the companies’ business—advertising revenue has also dropped, leading to substantial losses in revenues and profit for the three JR companies.

“We’ve worked to establish an extremely convenient transport service for our passengers by revising our Shinkansen schedules to allow for more Nozomi trains, but the struggling economy has hit us hard,” says JR Central CEO Matsumoto Masayuki at the October 28 press conference. JR Central and the other companies are recording their largest profit losses in history. The three companies say the drop in expressway tolls has resulted in a loss of ¥10 billion of total revenue for them.

The government is preparing for next year’s elimination of tolls on expressways, but JR East executive director Ōwada Tōru warned, “If you add up all the weekends, holidays, and weekdays, this is going to have a huge impact. We will lose our competitiveness against buses on the same route.”

 

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Utsunomiya City will temporarily lease East Exit land
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/tochigi/news/20091030-OYT8T00146.htm

On October 29, Utsunomiya City announced that it will temporarily lease to private entities three empty parcels (approx. 1.5 ha total) from the JR Utsunomiya East Exit Improvements Project, which is effectively on hold after the consortium of developers backed out. The lease would last until the start of construction of the project. “We want to team up with the private sector to make effective use of the land and establish a vital gateway to the capital of Tochigi Prefecture,” said Mayor Satō Eiichi.

In May, development consortium Group 778, led by major general contractor Shimizu Corporation (HQ: Tōkyō), backed out of the East Exit Improvements Project, citing the poor economic climate. In August, the city established the East Exit Improvements Project Working Group to get the project restarted, and has been reevaluating the implementation method. Currently, the city says it will finalize its plans for the project by February of next year, and aim for construction start at the end of 2012 after selection of a contractor.

Until then, the city plans to make effective use of the land by leasing it to private entities. Starting October 30, the city will advertise the land on its homepage, with leases starting in December and lasting for a minimum of one year or longer until March 2013. The parcels are 6,850 sq m, 6,390 sq m, and 2,070 sq m. The city will require lessees to make full use of the parcel, and will not permit paid parking, which could put pressure on existing parking facilities in the surrounding area. The annual lease for the largest parcel starts at ¥5.42 million. Interested lessees must be able to provide their plan for the parcels as well as a down payment.

I posted an earlier article about this project in June:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=38143386&postcount=118

 

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Hiroshima begins experimental circulator bus
http://osaka.yomiuri.co.jp/re-eco/news/20091028-OYO8T00316.htm

Hiroshima City has launched a social experiment that will run a ¥100 circulator bus in the city’s central area. The bus will run on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays until December 23. Fares are ¥100 for adults, ¥50 for children (students), and free for children younger than school age. The project is intended to induce a shift from private automobiles, helping to reduce congestion and counteract global warming as a result of emissions.

The circulator bus will follow a route from JR Hiroshima Station via the Danbara area, with several stops, including at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Kamiyachō, Shimin Byōin-mae (General Hospital), and Gōdō Chōsha-mae (General Government Offices). Buses will operate in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, with a full loop taking 35 minutes. Buses will operate from 10 am to 8 pm on 20-minute headways and accept IC farecards PASPY and ICOCA. The project will also provide bus location information to passengers, sending bus arrival times via mobile phone.

Users can also purchase a daily pass (¥300 for adults, ¥150 for children), which is valid for discounted admission to attractions along the route, including the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (Kami-Noborichō, Naka Ward) and the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (Hijiyama Park, Minami Ward).

The city will evaluate the financial feasibility of the line and effectiveness of the service in attracting passengers by analyzing ridership data for city residents and tourists and conducting surveys. The evaluation will be used in developing a future improvement plan for the city’s public transportation network.

 

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Ōsaka launches electric bus service
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/osaka/news/20091027-OYT8T00093.htm

In an effort to help prevent global warming, the “Ōsaka Nakanoshima Area Global Warming Prevention Local Committee”—composed of fourteen organizations in the public, private, and academic sectors—has launched a social experiment in public transport using electric buses and taxis in the Nakanoshima office district in Ōsaka. The service will run weekdays until November 13 and evaluate the possibility of converting urban transport to electric vehicles and estimate the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions with buses.

Shuttle bus stops have been established at 26 locations primarily focused in the Nakanoshima area, with the service running for one hour during the commute period from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. From 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, the service will be available on-demand. While the service is free, users will need to make reservations for the service online.

From October 19-21, the shuttle bus service will use a special electric bus developed by several organizations including Waseda University, afterwards switching to a typical microbus. The taxi service will use electric cars manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. A hybrid boat running with special motors and engine will also be operated as a trial service.

A debut ceremony for the electric bus was held at “river station” Hachikenya in Ōsaka’s Chūō Ward. “Development on Nakanoshima Island is still proceeding, but we hope to increase awareness of the need to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. If the experiment succeeds, we will work towards making these types of services permanent by lobbying the government officials,” says Committee secretariat Ueda Tōru.

I posted an earlier article about the new Hachikenya Water Terminal in July:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=40363086&postcount=227

 

[quashlo]

COCOE opens at JR Amagasaki Station
http://www.asahi.com/kansai/sumai/news/OSK200910200025.html

The Amagasaki Ryokuyū New Urban Center, a redevelopment area located on the north side of JR Amagasaki Station, opened to the public on the morning of October 20. The 22.8 ha site of Kirin Beer’s former Amagasaki Plant was redeveloped by Kirin Holdings, Mitsubishi Corporation Urban Development, and other firms. The area includes mixed-use commercial facility COCOE, connected to the station’s North Exit via pedestrian deck, as well as the Amagasaki Campus of the Kansai University of International Studies, a hospital, luxury apartments, and other uses.

“They’ve managed to assemble a variety of uses and functions in a compact facility, including a park that serves as fire protection. I hope the development of this area spreads to all of Amagasaki,” said Amagasaki City mayor Shirai Aya at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We’ve taken a former beer plant and transformed it into a nexus of urban uses and functions—commercial, medical, welfare,” says Kirin Holdings vice-president Satō Kazuhiro.

Amagasaki City is immediately west of Ōsaka City and east of Kōbe. JR, Hanshin, and Hankyū all compete for passenger traffic on this section. Ironically, Hanshin Department Store is one of the tenants of this new development at JR Amagasaki Station. Besides being directly connected to the train station, COCOE features some other eco-friendly elements including solar panels and roof landscaping to reduce the heat island effect.

COCOE. You can see the pedestrian deck connecting the development to the station, as well as the taxi zone at the North Exit of the station.

Source: Wikipedia

Some pictures of the development in June, before opening:
Source: GORIMON on Flickr











JR Amagasaki Station is a major junction in the JR West network served by the JR Kōbe Line / Kyōto Line, JR Fukuchiyama Line (Takarazuka Line), and JR Tōzai Line. The station has four island platforms (eight tracks) and recorded 35,610 daily entries (2007).

 

[quashlo]

Closure of JR-Hankyū passage a death spell for businesses
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/lifestyle/091022/sty0910221556004-n1.htm

The closing of the passageway connecting JR Ōsaka Station and Hankyū Umeda Station as part of the replacement of the Umeda flagship Hankyū Department Store has hit the Hankyū Higashi-dōri Shopping Arcade hard. The arcade is one of the pillars of Ōsaka’s Kita area, but the closing of the passageway has changed the flow of foot traffic, with customers from the JR station dropping substantially, resulting in a drop in sales for restaurants and other businesses. The passageway is scheduled to be closed for two and a half years, leaving shop owners worried that they might not be able to last until the passageway reopens and considering taking their case to representatives for Hankyū Railway.

Sales already 20 percent down
“I never imagined it would fall this much,” mutters Funabashi Shūji (60yo), owner of okonomiyaki shop Mifune inside the arcade.

After the closing of the passageway on September 24, weekday customers who normally visited his restaurant on their way back home have decreased. His sales are 20 percent lower than the same period last year. “Last year was bad because of the economic situation, but I though I had already hit the worst of it until now,” says Funabashi, sighing. “The impact is far worse than we imagined. I’m afraid to look at our sales performance,” confides the manager (45yo) of a Japanese cuisine chain restaurant.

Customers at a nearby karaoke shop have dropped close to 20 percent. Employees and managers at the shop have met to discuss possible ways to increase revenues, but the shop owner (28yo) is at his wits: “To be honest, I don’t know what we should do.”

Coexistence
The closed passageway is on one side of the Hankyū Department Store and was the pedestrian “artery” connecting JR Ōsaka Station on the west end and the Higashi-dōri Shopping Arcade on the east end. After the passageway was closed, customers bound for the arcade from the JR end now have to detour to the south along the side of the Hankyū Department Store. While the distance isn’t substantially changed from when the passageway was still open, many of Hankyū’s passengers are choosing the north detour route, leading to a drop in foot traffic towards the shopping arcade.

“Our shopping arcade has made it through many, many years thanks to the name ‘Hankyū.’ We’re only asking Hankyū Railway to also consider the rest of us in this neighborhood,” says Noguchi Isao (75yo), chairman of the commercial association for the shopping arcade.

According to Noguchi, the closing of the passageway has affected other shopping arcades outside of the Higashi-dōri Shopping Arcade. The issue is the hot topic of a meeting scheduled for October 26 of representatives of the various commercial associations in Kita Ward, where attendees are considering asking Hankyū to take action, including placing signs directing passersby and other measures.

The passageway is scheduled to reopen in spring 2012. There were a substantial number of shop owners who admitted they weren’t sure whether or not their shops would still be in business when the passageway is reopened. “It may be our own fault as well that the businesses in the arcade are so affected by the closure of the passage. We need to make an effort to make customers visit, even if it means a long detour. I hope the closure of the passage becomes an opportunity to think about how to improve our community,” says okonomiyaki shop owner Funabashi.

Representatives from Hankyū’s Railway say, “We explained the project to underground shopping arcades and nearby commercial associations from June to August. We haven’t yet been directly contacted about the possible impacts of the passageway’s closure, so we cannot comment.”

Hankyū Higashi-dōri Shopping Arcade
Shops began assembling outside Hankyū Umeda Station before the war, developing into a shopping and entertainment district after the war. The Hankyū Higashi-dōri Commercial Association was established in 1965, and the arcade become familiar to customers simply as “Higashi-dōri.” Recently, individually-owned shops have decreased, and businesses have been expanding their space. The arcade features primarily restaurants, as well as karaoke and pachinko shops.

Some views of the recent and ongoing developments at Ōsaka – Umeda Station:

Source: tsuuu89 on YouTube

And what was lost:
A 2005 news report (Japanese only), one day before the demolition of the original concourse at Hankyū Umeda Station, the first combined train terminal and department store in Japan. Although the concourse itself has been demolished, the mosaics have been preserved and will be placed on display in the new building.

Source: hirosea96 on YouTube

 

[quashlo]

MLIT minister calls for development of Haneda Airport as international hub
http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/1014/TKY200910140447.html

On October 14 at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), MLIT Minister Maehara Seiji, who has expressed his plan to transform Haneda Airport into an international hub airport, met with Governor Morita Kensaku of Chiba, home to Narita Airport. Governor Morita has criticized Maehara’s plan as an “abandonment of Narita,” but both officials agreed to “consider both Narita and Haneda Airports together and devise a rational division of roles” at the meeting.

Since 2008, the MLIT has expressed its intention to develop a 24-hour “Capital Region Airport” by operating both airports in unison. Late night and early morning flights, which are restricted at Narita, could be diverted instead to Haneda, for example. Perhaps to quell the uproar, Minister Maehara has said that there will be no change to this fundamental policy. But at the same time, Maehara is still pushing for increasing international flights at Haneda and developing it into a hub airport. When the time comes to divide air routes between the two airports, it’s likely the two officials will clash heads once more.

The origin of the issue came from an October 12 statement by Maehara. In response to a group of reporters, Maehara said he wants to “eliminate the policy that international flights must use Narita and domestic flights must use Haneda.” Officials from Chiba Prefecture took it as a sign that Maehara plans to replace Narita with Haneda as the international airport, causing an uproar.

At the October 14 meeting at the MLIT, however, both Maehara and Morita agreed to operate the two airports in unison and divide the two airports’ roles logically, as well as to maintain a stream of mutual communication to prevent misunderstanding. After the meeting, Maehara explained his October 12 comment about eliminating the current flight structures at the two airports: “My only intention was to highlight that we must look at Haneda and Narita together when deciding how to divide domestic and international flights. This is necessary to deal with the increase in flight demand in the Capital Region.” He further elaborated that even with an increase in international flights at Haneda, Narita would still remain the main hub for international flights.

On the other hand, Maehara also restated his intention to “increase international flight slots at Haneda Airport and develop a 24-hour international airport hub.” A fourth runway will be completed at Haneda in October 2010, leading to a step-up in annual flight slots to 110,000. Maehara said, “We’ve already agreed internally on 30,000 international flights, and after we take out the 20,000 domestic flights, I think most of the remaining capacity needs to be devoted to international flights.” However, Maehara has yet to reveal the details for just how many flights would be diverted to Haneda and on what routes.

After the meeting, Governor Morita said he was “relieved,” and expressed understanding for the plan to manage the two airports in unison, increasing international flights at Haneda. In regards to the possible division of roles, Morita cited several ideas, such as keeping longer distance flights at Narita, but moving Southeast Asian flights to Haneda, and moving redeye flights to Haneda. However, it’s likely that there will be debate over whether or not European and American flights will be allowed to fly into and out of Haneda during the midday period. “We’ll be discussing that in the future,” quipped Morita.

Will be interesting to see what this means for airport rail access.
Getting to and from Narita has always been a pain due to its distance from central Tōkyō, which also pushes up the fare. This will be somewhat improved with the New Skyliner service (basically an extension of the Hokusō Line), which will reduce travel time from Narita to Ueno to 36 min. The frequency is a bit of a problem, as Narita Express trains are every thirty minutes and Skyliner trains are every 40 minutes, although this is also supplemented by non-premium services on the Sōbu Line rapid and Keisei Main Line.

In contrast, Haneda is much more convenient and easier to reach due to a combination of good location close to central Tōkyō and two high-frequency services (Keikyū Airport Line and Tōkyō Monorail). There are no premium services, so you also don’t need to pay an arm and a leg to get to and from the airport.

There’s also several other proposals on the table related to airport access, including the following. Obviously, not all of these will get built, but I think we can expect at least one of these to make its way past the drawing board. A larger international role for Haneda could put some steam behind these proposals.

• Asakusa Line bypass. A new underground line meant to improve access between the airports and Tōkyō Station. A new set of underground platforms at Tōkyō Station would be constructed for the new line. Another option was building passing tracks on the Asakusa Line to allow for limited-stop service through central Tōkyō, but the MLIT selected a completely new underground bypass line as the preferred alternative.
• Asakusa Line wye into Tōkyō Station. This would create a wye branch off the Asakusa Line to stop directly at Tōkyō Station (currently, the line comes close, but does not have a stop at the station). Although the two proposals aren’t directly related, if the bypass line is built, this one probably won’t be happening.
• Eightliner. A new peripheral ring line from Haneda Airport north in an arc to Akabane, where it would connect with the Metro Seven proposal, the other half of the arc stretching from Akabane to Kasai Rinkai Kōen. This is interesting, as it has the potential to substantially cut travel times not just to and from the airport, but for plenty of other passengers who end up having to use the radial lines in the rail network because there is insufficient ring access through the suburbs.
• Kamakama Line. New underground line linking the Tōkyū Tamagawa Line to the Keikyū Airport Line. There are also proposals to run through-service Tōkyū Tōyoko Line trains on this new line, allowing Tōkyō Metro Fukutoshin Line (as well as Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Tōbu Tōjō Line) trains direct access to Haneda Airport. Tōkyū and Keikyū gauges are different, so this one will require some creative solutions for the through-service to happen.
• Haneda Access New Line. New line into Haneda Airport from the north. Rinkai Line trains from Tōkyō Teleport in the Odaiba area (and possibly further beyond from the Sōbu Line or Keiyō Line) would run through-service into Haneda Airport, with possible option of Saikyō Line / Rinkai Line trains from Ōsaki also running through-service.
• Tōkaidō Cargo Branch Line. Partial conversion of the Tōkaidō Cargo Branch Line to passenger service, from Shinagawa to Yokohama via Kawasaki and the waterfront areas. A new station would be conducted in the vicinity of Haneda Airport, although there wouldn’t be a station directly at the airport. This would be the junction for the Haneda Access New Line, so Rinkai Line trains would use a portion of the Tōkaidō Cargo Branch Line to access Haneda Airport, with the possibility for some trains to continue onto Kawasaki or Yokohama.

 

[quashlo]

Tōkyō: Part 14

We are inside our limited express Romancecar bound for Shinjuku, a trip that will take us 1h13m. On the outskirts of the Tōkyō region, we pass by small plots of farmland dotted with houses, but in no time, these will give way to dense suburban development.



Crossing the Sakawa River…



We pass below the Tōmei Expressway, linking Tōkyō and Nagoya.



The farms begin to give way to dense villages and towns.





We approach Hon-Atsugi Station in Atsugi City, as the scenery outside the window rapidly shifts to dense suburban Tōkyō. Despite being 45 km from Shinjuku, Hon-Atsugi sees 147,000 daily entries and exits, the largest on the Odawara Line for a station that doesn’t provide connections to any other lines. During the morning rush hour, the station sees 17tph, including a couple of trains that run through-service onto the Tōkyō Metro Chiyoda Line all the way to Ayase.



Loads of parking.



Crossing the Sagami River into Ebina City…



We pass some non-descript, mid-rise condominium blocks built in the 70s by none other than Tōkyū Corporation. We are far-removed from Tōkyū territory, but historically Odakyū and Tōkyū are anything but strangers. In the period leading up to and during World War II, Tōkyū absorbed several major private railways, including Odakyū, Keikyū, Keiō, and Sōtetsu, under the name Dai-Tōkyū (“Great Tōkyū”) in a consolidation effort meant to keep the companies afloat. After the war ended, these private railways regained their “sovereignty.”



Approaching Sagami Ōno Station in Sagamihara City. On the other side of the access road just outside the window is the inbound (towards Tōkyō) track for the Odakyū Enoshima Line. Sagami Ōno is a major station on the Odawara Line and the junction with the Enoshima Line, with 121,000 daily entries and exits (2008).



After passing Sagami Ōno, we enter Machida City, officially part of Tōkyō Prefecture, although outside of the 23 wards. As we approach Machida Station to make our only intermediate stop, we pass directly above the JR Yokohama Line. Machida is another major station on the Odakyū Line, and as the connection for the periphery Yokohama Line, sees a lot of transferring passengers. Odakyū Machida records 292,000 daily entries and exits, while JR Machida records 108,000 daily entries (2008).



Yokohama Line tracks in the direction of Hachiōji.



As we make a brief stop at Machida, a handful more commuters and businessmen board the train.



The skyscraper district of Nishi-Shinjuku looms into view as we are minutes away from the terminal.



At Odakyū’s Shinjuku terminal, on the ground-level platforms. Because of space constraints, Odakyū’s terminal has two levels, with the three-track ground level for the fastest trains (limited express, rapid express, express, semi-express) and the two-track basement level for the slower trains (section semi-express, local). Here, our Romancecar train has switched from a Hakone service to a Homeway service, designed to appeal to commuters heading home during the evening, bound for Katase Enoshima on the Enoshima Line.



After exiting the faregates, we take one last look at the terminal. Since we’ve arrived at 6:15 or so in the evening during the rush hour, the commuters are lining up on the platforms.



We pass through the fray at the West Exit of JR Shinjuku Station…



The West Exit of Shinjuku Station. While Shinjuku is officially classified as a “subcenter” to differentiate it with Tōkyō’s traditional “downtown” surrounding Tōkyō Station and the Marunouchi district in Chiyoda Ward, the energy of the district is unmatched. The rail bridge spanning the road carries 8 JR tracks in parallel, serving the Yamanote Line, Chūō-Sōbu Line (local), Chūō Line (rapid), and Saikyō Line / Shōnan-Shinjuku Line. The skyscraper district on the west side of the district, combined with the shopping and entertainment district on the east side of the district, keep Shinjuku active well into the night.



A Chūō-Sōbu Line (local) train passes above. Here, we can just make out a six-door car.





After the pedestrians have cleared, a Yamanote Line train passes by.



One last shot of a Yamanote Line train on the bridge, against a backdrop of Kabukichō.



We change gears a little bit and head for Seibu Shinjuku Station, to mingle with commuters on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line on a journey out to the suburbs in northwestern Tōkyō. After a short nap, we arrive at Tamagawa Jōsui Station on the border of Tachikawa City and Higashi-Yamato City. As a commuter station, the platforms are deserted. The third track in the center is for trains ending or beginning service at the station.



Tamagawa Jōsui Station is the transfer station for the Tama Monorail.



We do a quick jaunt on the monorail, which runs north-south through the Tama area of western Tōkyō, passing through Tachikawa and Tama Center. Here, we get off at Tachikawa…



Tachikawa Station is the central station for Tachikawa City, served by JR and the Tama Monorail. JR has several lines serving the station, including the Chūō Main Line (both normal rapid service, as well as limited express intercity trains to Kōfu and Matsumoto), the Ōme Line / Itsukaichi Line, and the Nambu Line. The massive JR station building doubles as a Lumine shopping center. Lumine is part of the JR East Group, and there are other Lumine shopping centers at JR East’s other major stations in the Tōkyō area, including Shinjuku, Yokohama, and Ōmiya. This one in Tachikawa, however, is the largest.





Part of the ground level of the North Exit is a bus zone. The pedestrian deck connects everything together.





Time to enter the station…



Tachikawa features a typical central hall design, albeit much wider given the passenger flows at the station. JR Tachikawa handles 158,000 daily entries, but this does not include transferring passengers. The central hall allows for easy access for passengers to the four island platforms (eight tracks) at the station and provides a route for non-passengers trying to get from one side of the station to the other, which can be problematic when the tracks are all at-grade.



We board a comparatively empty Chūō Line rapid train back to Tōkyō Station, where we transfer to a Marunouchi Line train to get us back to Ikebukuro.



To be continued…

 

[quashlo]

Chairperson of key financial association calls for closure of Kōbe Airport
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/economy/business/091022/biz0910222346029-n1.htm

At an October 22 press conference, Co-Chairperson of the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives and CEO of Nankai Electric Railway Yamanaka Makoto touched on the issues surrounding Kansai International Airport, Ōsaka (Itami) International Airport (KIX), and Kōbe Airport, expressing his belief that “closing Kōbe and scaling down Itami would be best for developing Kansai International Airport into one of Japan’s hub airports.” While he stressed beforehand that the statement is his own personal opinion, this marks the first time any one in the top echelons of Kansai’s financial world has called for the closure of Kōbe Airport.

“Regional egos have left us with chaos. Can we really say that continuing the current situation with three airports is best for the country?” said Yamanaka. He also touched on the situation whereby Itami was scheduled to be closed with the opening of KIX, but pointed out, “While Ōsaka Prefecture Governor Hashimoto Tōru has called for the closure of Itami, and in principle, he’s correct, given the population in the vicinity of the airport and passenger numbers, closure would be difficult.” Yamanaka emphasized, “From the beginning, Kōbe was a risky airport and it is still in poor financial shape, so I see no reason to keep it,” saying that the former land at the airport could be converted to a heliport instead for government functions.

In addition, Yamanaka called for all major domestic routes to be transferred to KIX, and Itami to be converted to a regional airport limited to short-haul flights. In response to Yamanaka’s “radical” ideas, Nakano Kenjirō, the other Co-Chairperson of the Association and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, clarified, “These are not the opinions of the Association.”

Local jurisdictions and financial groups have established a “Panel Discussion for the Three Kansai Airports,” to focus on discussions regarding the fate of the airport problem. The panel will help develop a conceptual plan for centralized management of the three airports by the end of the year, but representatives say opinions are split on the problem, with Co-Chairperson Yamanaka’s statements expected to stir up heated debate.

More airport discussions, but in the Kansai region.
Again, the fate of this situation could have an impact on proposals for airport access in the Kansai area, particularly the Naniwasuji Line, which would directly connect Shin-Ōsaka and KIX.

 

[quashlo]

Yamaguchi City needs to improve transport options from Shin-Yamaguchi Station
http://mytown.asahi.com/yamaguchi/news.php?k_id=36000000910300002

City residents favor private automobiles
It’s pitch-black and 7:30 pm at Shin-Yamaguchi Station, the gateway to Yamaguchi City and the connection between the San’yō Shinkansen and regular JR trains. Towards the non-Shinkansen side of the station on the North Exit, four to five private automobiles are lined up bumper-to-bumper near the taxi loading zone. A 61yo man who commutes all the way to Shimonoseki City exited the faregates and headed to straight to his wife, waiting in one of the cars. When asked why he needed his wife to pick him up, he responded, “The public transportation isn’t very convenient. The bus stop isn’t close to my house, either.” The traffic circle outside the station has a bus stop for buses heading to central Yamaguchi City, but waiting passengers were few and far between.

Fixed-route buses from the station to central Yamaguchi City are operated by Bōchō Bus (HQ: Shūnan City). On weekdays, Bōchō Bus operates 62 runs from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. During the weekday evening commute rush, Bōchō operates buses at 5 to 30 min frequencies, but according to one bus driver (52yo), “Even during the evening rush hour, only a maximum of five passengers or so are on at any time.” The JR Yamaguchi Line headed for central Yamaguchi City operates from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm, but only runs one to two trains an hour. When transferring from the Shinkansen, some passengers may need to wait as long as an hour.

In a survey conducted by Yamaguchi City this year, in response to questions regarding the convenience of train frequencies and transfers between the station and main bus stops, over 40 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied or slightly dissatisfied. On the other hand, the “Road Usage Satisfaction Survey” by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) indicates that satisfaction among drivers in Yamaguchi Prefecture is already one of the highest in the nation.

A 2008 household economic survey for households of two or more people, conducted by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, indicates that Yamaguchi City’s annual gasoline expenses are ¥118,760, the highest among prefectural capitals in the nation. The results indicate that with the inconvenience of public transportation, residents have turned to private automobiles for their travel needs.

=============================

Yamaguchi City is aiming to become a Regional Prefectural Central City, which provides a high degree of urban services through economic exchange with neighboring cities. The two nodes would include Yamaguchi, with its centralization of administrative and cultural functions, and Ogōri, with its developed transportation network. But the public transport access linking the two nodes leaves city residents with much to be desired. In February of this year, Yamaguchi City drafted the “Shin-Yamaguchi Station Terminal Park Improvement Master Plan,” which cites as one of its goals the strengthening of Ogōri’s function as a hub for public transportation. The city is expecting to continue with implementation of the plan, investing ¥18 billion into hard improvements, including a station plaza and new access roads to the National Route near the station. The issue of public transport access between Yamaguchi and Ogōri, however, remains unresolved. “After ridership increases thanks to the benefits of these hard improvements, we will need to look at soft improvements such as improving bus schedules,” says the city’s Terminal Park Improvement Department.

According to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, the population growth for residents of Yamaguchi Prefecture aged 20 to 25 is -5.4 percent, the fourth largest rate of decline in the nation. In 2020, the prefecture is expected to have the second highest proportion of residents aged 65 or older (34.9 percent) in the nation.

Yamaguchi University professor Ikaruga Shinji, who specializes in urban planning and is a member of the committee tasked to evaluate land use in and around the North Exit of Shin-Yamaguchi Station, emphasizes the need to recognize these statistics. “The road network within the prefecture is very well-developed, but as our elderly population grows, so will the segment of our population that cannot use a car. We need to provide public transport as a means of travel for these people,” says Ikaruga. “Historically, there were many cases where Japanese cities were unable to developed integrated land use and transportation plans. Yamaguchi City has not yet developed its land to that degree, meaning we have an opportunity to build compact communities by developing residential and commercial uses in tandem with improvements to the public transportation network. We should make this into a model case for other areas in Yamaguchi Prefecture,” says Ikaruga.

=============================

In comparison: Rail rebounds in Toyama
Among local prefectural capitals in Japan, Toyama City is especially putting investment into expanding its public transport network—an effort to discourage car use in response to an aging and declining population.

The Toyama Light Rail streetcar serves the gateway to the city at JR Toyama Station. The city received ownership of a former JR local line in the red and began operating its own service on the line starting in April 2006.

When JR operated the line, headways were every 30 to 60 minutes, but the city revised the schedule to run trains every 10 to 15 minutes and extended the last train from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The trains are low-floor vehicles designed to be easy to use for elderly passengers, and feature a new transport system that increases capacity and schedule adherence over traditional streetcars. One year after opening the line, average daily ridership is at 4,901, well above the target of 3,400. Included among them are passengers who switched from automobiles to cars.

In addition to the Toyama Light Rail, a privately-owned streetcar line known as the “Urban Train” also runs through the central city. In December, a loop will be completed on the line, with the city improving the tracks and streetcar stops. With the increased convenience, Toyama City hopes to increase ridership and pedestrian traffic in the central areas of the city by 1.3 times each. There is also a plan to connect the streetcar with the Toyama Light Rail.

Car ownership in Toyama Prefecture is second in the nation. Residents aged 65 or older comprise approximately 24 percent of the total population of Toyama City, and it’s expected that this number will only increase in the future. The city is also aware of the crisis as the segment of the population that cannot drive a car will increase. The city’s Streetcar Promotion Office says, “It’s possible that in the future, one in every three people in the city will be elderly. We want to make a city where it’s convenient to travel around even without a car.”

Shin-Yamaguchi sees 7,300 daily station entries (2007), and is served by the San’yō Shinkansen, as well as the San’yō Main Line, Yamaguchi Line, and Ube Line.

The North Exit of the station with the taxi loading zone.

Source: Wikipedia

 

[nemu]

Chairperson of key financial association calls for closure of Kōbe Airport
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/economy/business/091022/biz0910222346029-n1.htm



More airport discussions, but in the Kansai region.
Again, the fate of this situation could have an impact on proposals for airport access in the Kansai area, particularly the Naniwasuji Line, which would directly connect Shin-Ōsaka and KIX.

This guy is the CEO of Nankai Electric Railway so you can't expect his opinion to be objective. The Kobe airport is here to stay. KIX should focus on international flights and cargo

 

[Ekowc]

Crossover conflict between at Yūrakuchō and Fukutoshin Lines at Kotake – Mukaihara to be resolved

I hope this clarifies the new connection between Kotake-Mukaihara and Senkawa.
http://server.ekowc.net/03.jpg
The upper portion of picture is current situation and the lower portion is the new plan.

After the thru service with Tokyu begins Kotake-Mukaihara will be rather busy station.
I wonder if at least five different operator's trains will be seen here.