Dear friends,
As part of a holistic approach tackling the transformation of Amman from a city that is dominated by cars to a more livable, pedestrian friendly, and safe urban environment, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has embarked upon many initiatives and programs that enforce that direction.
Rehabilitation of sidewalks and clearing obstacles from these sidewalks including certain obstructing types of trees is a priority. This is a continuous program that has been on going for a while and will still take many years to complete. Overhead pedestrian bridges and underpasses are essential for accessibility and public safety; GAM built and installed a record number of 50 in the past couple of years.
Perhaps the most we should be concerned for are our children; they are the most vulnerable when it comes to safety on the road. Joining forces with private entities, GAM is working on a program to rehabilitate the surrounding vicinity of schools to reduce the speed of cars and provide safe street crossing. A total of 40 school areas were completed in the past 2 years.
Utilization of technology is the trend in the near future. Speed and traffic intersection control cameras are an integral part of intelligent transportation system on the streets of Amman. Recently GAM has installed monitoring cameras on 32 major intersections that are linked to the Control Center in Tela Al-Ali. Another 17 tracking cameras are installed in cars in cooperation with the traffic police.
But the heavy action is yet to come, and it’s all about public transit. This has been on the drawing board for a while. A lot of effort and resources went into planning and designing the new public transit system. From defining the network which includes light rail component, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT), and regular bus service, through creating the Transport and Mobility Master Plan, to detailed design, it is time for action on the ground.
Early 2010 would see the start of the implementation of many projects. The BRT project which includes a 40 km route at a cost of JD150 million will commence. Special buses will travel along exclusive lanes in the middle of the main corridors such as Queen Rania Street. Crossings for riders and other pedestrians will be provided at street level and would be protected by traffic signals (something which has not been done so far on main corridors). Sidewalks on these main corridors would be constructed or widened taking some parking space away to insure a more efficient and effective pedestrian movement.
Parallel to that, the new Street Furniture program which includes the installation of 700 bus shelters, benches, litter bins, and advertizing structures will also start. Many new easy access buses will come to service on the street to enforce and upgrade the quality of the existing regular bus service.
Though much emphasis is put on the provision of the required physical infrastructure, which by all means is constrained by the insufficient financial resources, but, we at GAM, also believe that it has a lot to do with behavior of the Ammani citizen in public spaces in general and in the streetscape in specific. Whether driving a car or walking across a street, the mindset, culture, values, and habits that control our actions are determinant factors that should be altered in a positive manner to nurture a friendlier, safer, and a more welcoming environment that Ammani people deserve.
Thank you,
Omar Maani