By Staff Reporter, Dai Qian

Expert Interpretation: Conceptual Planning on the Traffic System of Expo 2010 Shanghai
It is estimated there will be 70-80 million visitors to Shanghai during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Whether or not Shanghai's urban transport can meet the demands of the World Expo will be a key factor in the Expo's success.

To south? To north? To east? To west? A taxi driver told this report that nowadays, it is very hard to decide which way to go. Why? Because traffic jam is everywhere.

At the two Conferences (the National People's Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference) held in Shanghai this year, traffic became the subject of heated debate among deputies and delegates. The mayor said that, according to the people's deputies, this problem needed prompt solution. Then, how about the future? Five years later, approximately 70 million people will flock to the Shanghai World Expo! Due to this, at the two Conferences, a great many ideas and suggestions on transport were pooled and submitted to relevant departments with a common wish, that is, make the arteries of the city smoother.

Just two months before the two Conferences were held, Tongji University published the Basic Blueprint for the World Expo Traffic System Planning upon the authorization of the Shanghai Planning Bureau, which inspires people's infinite imagination.

On a winter afternoon, I walked into Tongji University. The quiet campus and the noisy road outside formed a striking contrast. The vice-president of Tongji University, Mr. Yang Dongyuan, presented the blueprint to me.

According to the introduction made by Professor Yang, the Shanghai World Expo traffic system planning was confronted with two challenges: on the one hand, although large-scale construction of transportation infrastructure has been carried out in Shanghai, in 2010, it is still not possible to make radical changes to traffic congestion due to the rapid social and economic development and the convergence of population and economy to dynamic and energetic places. Therefore, one of the great challenges we are faced with is how to make transportation arrangements during the World Expo under such circumstances, the other is what we should show to the world through our transportation solutions during the Expo. Along with urban development, traffic congestion has become a common problem. The theme of Expo 2010 Shanghai is "Better City, Better Life", which requires that the traffic system should not only ensure the smooth running of the Expo, but also indicate a bright future for urban transportation, and demonstrate the Shanghai people's confidence and resolution to meet the challenges of resources, environment and urban transportation.
"During the Expo, we cannot possibly bring about a fundamental turn for the better, but we could show our resolution and wish to the world and give a profound interpretation of the theme of 'Better City, Better Life'." Professor Yang said confidently.
In light of Shanghai's development environment and opportunities, we can set up the following development objectives for its urban traffic system:
——ensure effective transportation and communication inside and outside the city;
——make use of the natural and environmental resources in a highly efficient manner;
——heighten the levels of environment, ecology and security；
——enhance the city's vitality in the broad economic system；
——ensure the feasibility of the construction objectives in terms of finance, economy and technology.
Professor Yang stated that the significance of formulating the Shanghai World Expo traffic system planning is far beyond the original intention.
Multimode combined-type transportation service system
Professor Yang pointed out that the land and environmental resources of a city are quite limited, therefore, the problem of congestion cannot be solved merely by increasing transportation facilities, instead, we should advocate a new modern concept of transportation consumption: moderate control. Under this presupposition, the core conception of the Expo traffic system is to set up a multimode combined-type transportation service system, which will provide comprehensive transportation services instead of merely transport supply capacity. With an organic combination of basic infrastructure, information system and management measures, such a system has the following features:
Transfer from private cars to public transport
The core concept of the Expo traffic system planning is "transfer", which can be realized by a number of ways.
——Set up interchange hubs and public transport systems with large transport capability. On the one hand, passenger flow coming from outside may be guided to transfer to various means of rail or Bus Rapid Transport bound for the Expo site, on the other hand, the disorganized trips by individuals in the city will be integrated in a systematic way. In brief, passenger flow must transfer from private means of transportation to public one before entering the Expo Garden.
——Establish entrances to the Expo area at places far from the city center in combination with the P+R hubs. For example, an entrance may be established at the intersection of the Shanghai Yangtze Bridge and the Chongming Island in combination with the transportation hubs on the middle ring roads and the outer ring roads; water entrances may be established at Wusong, Fuxing Island and Beiwaitan by making use of the shoreline of the Huangpu River. In a word, an orderly, highly efficient and convenient traffic system may be set up by construction of interchange hubs.
An estimated 70 million people will visit the World Expo, with 30% coming from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) area and many getting there in their own cars, bringing pressure to Shanghai's transport system. In order to alleviate the bottleneck, four traffic zones have been designed: 1) green zone (central Expo Garden); 2) buffer zone (protective shell of the Expo Garden); 3) comfort zone (inside the outer ring roads); and 4) home zone (facing the YRD). On the periphery of urban areas, vehicles coming from outside will be guided to transfer to various means of public transport bound for the Expo Garden.

Keep a balance
Make comprehensive utilization of policies and measures on ticket price management, traffic control and transparent information dissemination to avoid too many people using traffic facilities during a certain period of time. It is planned to establish 3 main entrances and 5 supplementary ones to realize the scientific, rational and even distribution of passenger flows in time and space by relying on the highly efficient operation of modern information systems. Moreover, one-day, two-day and three-day tour lines will be designed for the visitors, so as to create a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere for sightseeing.

Traffic flow separation and traffic buffer
Establish a multi-level traffic buffer system:
——Make use of regional traffic systems to separate the passenger flows coming from outside on the periphery of urban areas. Establish a permanent P+R hub at the intersection of the Yangtze River Delta region and the Shanghai City in combination with the New City in the outskirt, so as to connect this area with the public traffic network of Shanghai. For example, tourists from the Yangtze River Delta region can park their private cars at Anting, Jiading or Songjiang and stay in local hotels before they transfer to public transportation bound for the Expo Garden. Meanwhile, greater efforts should be made to give publicity to such scenic spots and projects as the New Auto City, Oriental Oasis, etc.. For example, combination tickets can be introduced to cover the tours of these scenic spots, accommodation at local hotels and visits to the Expo Garden, so as to offer convenience and material benefits to the visitors.
——Establish Expo traffic buffer zone to guide the passenger flows entering the Shanghai Expo Garden into the Expo site in an orderly manner, and make comprehensive use of various means of transportation to strengthen the connection between the transport hubs with the urban areas. For example, special passageways may be built on the periphery of the Expo Garden so that the visitors can enter the Park after safety inspection instead of entering through the front door. Such passageways will have both "land gates" and "water gates" (designed for "water buses").

Integrated arrangement
The traffic volume during the World Expo will be enormous and the city's transport infrastructure will be unable to meet each individual's traffic demand, therefore, integrated arrangements will be necessary.
The means of transport outside the Expo area mainly include long-distance rail transport (including maglev), public transport on the ground, water bus, dedicated coaches bound for the Expo Garden, taxi, motor car, and short-distance bicycle-riding and walking. Special attention should be given to bringing the advantages and potential of public transport into full play, putting the total number of ingoing vehicles under effective control, and building a transport organization network with the entry-exit boundaries of the enclosed areas as main nodal points and hubs.
The intensive passenger traffic within the Expo area is in need of an integrated transport service system with public transport as the dominant part supplemented by other peculiar means of transport, which is adaptable to the functional layout of the Expo area, and with the networked public transport as the framework, so as to form a highly efficient, orderly transport system with distinct characteristics.

New types of transportation
It has two meanings here: one is that the traffic planning gives prominence to water transport in Shanghai, the other is that clean and environment-friendly energy resources will be used for the transportation facilities.
Establishing transport links between the two banks of the Huangpu River is an effective way to strengthen the integrity of the Expo area and offer convenience to visitors. The existing urban bridges and the rail transport facilities planned to be constructed are mainly for use by intra-city transport, while there are basically no cross-river facilities within the Expo area. Therefore, it is necessary to bring water transport into full play and make use of the existing facilities in a creative manner, and at the same time build new cross-river facilities, which should avoid influencing the ships and boats sailing on the river and add beauty to the Huangpu River.

Water transport becomes the highlight of Expo transportation
According to the introduction made by Professor Yang Dongyuan, in 2010, the Shanghai citizens can not only make use of various means of land transportation but also travel by boat to tour the World Expo. A waterborne traffic line with a traffic volume of 6,000-8,000 persons per hour is now under research and design. Professor Yang said that, in view of the requirements on the architectural design and visual appearance of the rail transport stations, they should not be located too close to the Huangpu River. At present, the Hehan Middle Road Station on the No. 2 Metro Line, which is nearest to the River, is at a distance of over 700 meters from the bank. The roads along the banks are all backbone roads with limited space resources. The waterborne traffic line will benefit the citizens living along both sides of the river who are in a favorable position. "Water gates" will be built at the water bus stations, so that the tourists can enter a closed system and board a ferry boat bound for the Expo Garden after ticket check and security inspection. It is hoped that during the World Expo, the water buses on the Huangpu River can travel at a rate of over 30 kilometers per hour.
In due time, waterborne traffic lines will become a highlight of the Expo traffic system. It can link together the four major scenic spots-the Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, Lujiazui and the Expo Garden, which respectively represent the initial period, modern times, present day and future of Shanghai, so that the tourists can enjoy the scenery of Shanghai during their trips. After the World Expo, the waterborne traffic line can still perform the functions of navigation and sightseeing, and the Huangpu River will also become an indispensable water passageway for the Shanghai citizens. The program on the utilization and development of the Huangpu River is now being studied.

Rail transportation will play an important role
Some experts suggested that, in the forthcoming several years, Shanghai should take the utilization of underground space as a key element of Shanghai's sustainable development with top priority given to subway development. Expo 2010 Shanghai will receive about 400,000 visits a day on average with the highest daily number reaching 600,000, and the passenger flows will concentrate in the Binshui area between the Lupu Bridge and the Nanpu Bridge, which is approximately 5 square kilometers, therefore, public transport should be the dominant means of transportation. By 2010, 300 kilometers of subways will have been completed and will be linked up with 200 kilometers of surface rail to form a 500 km-long urban rail transportation network with a passenger capacity of 8 million per day, accounting for 50％of the passenger capacity of Shanghai's public transport. Experts also suggested making partial optimization and modification of the directions and stations of the rail transportation lines. For example, on the basis of the interchange hub at the Zhongshan South Road between the No. 4 Line and the No. 8 Line of rail transport, such supporting facilities as public transport lines on the ground, taxis, and parking lots should be integrated with rail transport, so as to heighten the efficiency of public transportation. By that time, Shanghai's subway lines will rank among the world's longest, on a par with New York, Paris, Moscow, Berlin, Hong Kong, London, Chicago, Tokyo and Osaka.
The basic transport service passage of the Expo traffic system is made up of rail transport Line M4, Line M7, Line M8 and Line L4, which has been included in Shanghai's construction program before 2010. Under normal circumstances, the fundamental transport service passage has a transport supply capacity of 78,000 person-times per hour. In this transport service passage system, Line M4 plays an important role, because it has a great traffic capacity (36,000 person-times per hour) and can efficiently provide transport supply in two directions, besides, it provides links with more than one rail transport lines. Thus, a malfunction of Line M4 will greatly increase the pressure on other transport systems, which is equivalent to the traffic capacity of an extra 900 public service vehicles.
In the fundamental transport service passage, Line M4 provides transport links between the Expo Garden and such important places as the Shanghai Railway Station, the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Area and the Shanghai Stadium, and connects Line M1, Line M2, Line R1, Line R2, Line R3 and Line R4 with the Expo Garden by just one transfer. The disadvantage of Line M4 is that it is at a relatively long walking distance from the Expo Garden in the Pudong District, therefore, rail transfer would increase the traffic pressure on Line L4 and reduce the supply capability of rail transportation.
M7 provides transport links between the Expo Garden and the Qilian Residential District, the Shanghai University, the Puxi Urban Center, the Xujiahui District, the Pudong South Residential District and the Pudong Central Park, and connects Line M1, Line M2, Line M3, Line M4, Line R1, Line R2 and Line R4 with the Expo Garden by just one transfer. According to the road net planning, three-line interchange hubs will be built for Line M7, Line R2 and Line M6 at the Jing'an Temple Station and for Line M7, Line M1 and Line R1 at the Changshu Road Station; in addition, Line M7 also has interchange stations with Line L2, Line L3, Line L4, Line M2, Line M3, Line M4, Line M5, Line M8 and Line R4.
M8 provides transport links between the Expo Garden and the Zhongyuan Residential District, the Yangpu and Hongkou Residential Compact Districts, the People's Square, places along Tibet Road and Jiyang Road, etc. in the north, and connects Line M1, Line M2, Line M3, Line M4, Line R1, Line R2, Line R3 and Line R4 with the Expo Garden by just one transfer. According to the road net planning, three-line interchange hubs will be built for Line M8, Line R1 and Line R2 at the People's Square Station, for Line M8, Line M3 and Line L2 at the Hongkou Football Court Station, and for Line M8, Line R3 and Line L4 at the Jiyang Road Station; besides, Line M8 also has interchange stations for Line L3, Line L5, Line M1, Line M2, Line M4, Line M5, Line M6, Line M7, and Line R4.
Line L4 provides transport links between the Expo Garden and the Waigaoqiao Bonded Zone, the Jinqiao Export Processing District, the Lujiazui Financial and Trade District and the Liuli Modern Residential Park, and connects Line M1, Line M2, Line R2, Line R3, and Line R4 with the Expo Garden by just one transfer. According to the road net planning, a four-line interchange hub will built for Line L4, Line R2, Line R4 and Line M4 at the Century Avenue and a three-line interchange hub will be built for Line L4, Line M8 and Line R3 at the Jiyang Road Station; besides, Line L4 also has interchange stations for Line M1, Line M2, Line M6, Line L5 and Line M7.

"Transparent" Expo traffic system information management
“Transparency”refers to the informatization of the transport sector, that is to realize the integration of information with traffic control on the basis of building an Expo transport information system, so that the passengers and decision-makers can have access to real-time road traffic information and a transparent transport system.
The information system of the Expo traffic system is very important in the whole planning. According to Professor Yang, the specific blueprint is still under research and discussion, which mainly includes the following aspects:
——Traffic capacity management system. Its functions include monitoring and control of passenger flows within the Expo area, monitoring, control and management of the volume of traffic flows coming to the Expo Garden and release of relevant information, and monitoring and management of traffic flows on the collector-distributor roads leading to the Expo site.
——Public transportation management system. The scope of management covers urban mass transportation system, dedicated Expo bus-line system, transfer vehicles bound for the Expo area, and taxies. The function of this system is to conduct coordinated traffic guidance and unified control according to the practical situation of passenger flows on the basis of various special-purpose management systems, and especially, to take emergency actions when large-capacity rail transport lines malfunction.
——P+R management system. The scope of management covers permanent P+R hubs, temporary transfer stations, parking guidance, parking booking and parking information search.
——Security management system. The scope of management covers traffic guidance, handling emergencies and rescue actions, dealing with traffic accidents on collector-distributor roads leading to the Expo site.
Besides, it is also planned to establish international logistics service centers at the Pudong International Airport and the Shanghai Port, and set up an Expo material assets warehouse under customs supervision and control within the Expo Garden. At the request of passengers, non-accompanied baggage can be delivered from external traffic hubs (i.e. airports and stations) to hotels across the city by logistics enterprises according to the scheduling. This baggage delivery system will establish baggage collection and distribution centers at the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, the Pudong International Airport, the Shanghai Railway Station and three-star or above-level hotels in Shanghai. All these efforts will contribute to saving the passengers' unnecessary travels and easing the traffic pressure within the city.
Professor Yang emphasized that the expo traffic system planning was intended to solve the problem of traffic jam by all possible means instead of merely relying on the construction of facilities and that the formulation of this planning is a process of continuous modification and improvement.