Govt Speeds Up Chiang Mai's Mass Transit Project

[george]

Govt speeds up Chiang Mai's mass transit project

CHIANG MAI: -- The government is speeding up Chiang Mai's mass transit project after the cabinet recently approved in principal the construction of the rail transport system in the second largest city of Thailand.

The Office of Traffic and Transport Policy and Planning will soon sign a contract with Chiang Mai University, which will carry out a feasibility study on the Chiang Mai mass transit system.

"The contract will be signed on 23 December," the office's director, Kamroplak Surasawadee, told TNA.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has approved 140 million baht for the study at a roving cabinet meeting, held in Thailand's northern city of Lamphun, two months ago.

The electric rail system, other rail transit systems, private local taxi services and the municipality's air-conditioned buses will be included in the study.

These transport channels will be organised and connected to form Chiang Mai' s mass transit network.

Scheduled to start next year, the study will be completed within 10 months, following which the bidding process to select key contractors will be started.

"The construction period should not be longer than two years," he said.

Recently, the northern tourist resort of Chiang Mai has experienced deterioration of traffic and air quality caused by increasing number of automobiles on the city's narrow streets.

--TNA 2004-11-18

[sabaijai]

... fifth largest city ...

[p1p]

... fifth largest city ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. But known as Thailand's second city.

[Rinrada]

By population Samut Prat.is no 2 and when I am over its no.1.

Also no curfew as yet

On the other theres no worthwhile tourist /non Thai type of entertainment... apart from the Boom-Boom,Dang-Dang,texas bar and those big las Vegas places on Sri-Nak and next door to me in The-par-ack.....Cultural desert

[chanchao]

> The government is speeding up Chiang Mai's mass transit project

> after the cabinet recently approved in principal the construction of the rail

> transport system

..Good grief..

[PeaceBlondie]

What time frame are we talking about here? A year or two for the feasibility project, a year or two for the politicians to find the money, and finally a year to four to build a rail system?

[p1p]

Have to get the tea-money, sorry, job started before the next period of vote buying.

[ovenman]

Scheduled to start next year, the study will be completed within 10 months, following which the bidding process to select key contractors will be started.

"The construction period should not be longer than two years," he said.

Two years... yeah, right. They've been dicking around with all of the highway underpass construction for what, about the last six months now, with not an awful lot to show for it. What sort of rail system do you suppose is gonna get constructed in two year's time?

[jackr]

Scheduled to start next year, the study will be completed within 10 months, following which the bidding process to select key contractors will be started.

"The construction period should not be longer than two years," he said.

Two years... yeah, right. They've been dicking around with all of the highway underpass construction for what, about the last six months now, with not an awful lot to show for it. What sort of rail system do you suppose is gonna get constructed in two year's time?

...the sort that will extend from the railway station and run right down the middle of Thapae Road to the Gate with yet more disturbance to the once superb raceway for two-stroke bikes.

[jackr]

Must admit, the thought of travelling the city subterranean style sounds quite attractive...believe it when I see it.

[Rinrada]

And while they are at it why not a canal system.

Just think we could all invest in one of those nice little narrow boats that you find on the grand union and spend all your future years chugging up and down on Thai Waterways between say Chuiang Mai and Lampang and Lampang and Chiang Mai and C.M to Lamp and maybe even one day all the way to ...err... Chiang Rai.

There would be no problem with speeding,no crash helmets needed,no river cops and no restrictions on buying land (since you will be living on water)

Sounds good,poss unrealistic but wot would the tourists say

[Ajarn]

Scheduled to start next year, the study will be completed within 10 months, following which the bidding process to select key contractors will be started.

"The construction period should not be longer than two years," he said.

Two years... yeah, right. They've been dicking around with all of the highway underpass construction for what, about the last six months now, with not an awful lot to show for it. What sort of rail system do you suppose is gonna get constructed in two year's time?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

when they first started on these underpasses, I wondered at the sense involved in doing such construction at the beginning of the monsoon season. But they were working,- days, nights, weekends... I was duly impressed. I then ignored it for many months because of the need to only pay attention to the evolving traffic patterns, and the confused drivers which comes with it... Interestingly, it's a pretty smooth process now on even the worst parts of the super and ring roads- I like the civilty (when compared to Calif. drivers)- the lack of horns, the relative patience-but-push-it-to-the-limits driving. Still, it seems, very few can make a decent u-turn....

When I started looking again recently, I also noticed how little seemed to have been done, especially on the middle ring road- where I'd been recently impressed by all the hard workers I'd seen. Since things have dried out, I see that work has picked up....

I do avoid the Super section as much as possible, especially when my car is still clean

I hope the rail thing will happen after I'm gone.... History says that's likely

[ovenman]

I hope the rail thing will happen after I'm gone.... History says that's likely 

As in long dead and gone? That's probably about right.

[thebear]

Scheduled to start next year, the study will be completed within 10 months, following which the bidding process to select key contractors will be started.

"The construction period should not be longer than two years," he said.

Two years... yeah, right. They've been dicking around with all of the highway underpass construction for what, about the last six months now, with not an awful lot to show for it. What sort of rail system do you suppose is gonna get constructed in two year's time?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't hold your breath waiting for a subway in CM. The last Govt had a feasibility study carried out by International Consultants a few years ago who projected a ridership of 1.5M per day - pretty good really considering the population of CM!!!

The 140M study by CMU is a smoke screen by Toxin to show his folks that he is doing something for CM and to build it in 2 years - dream on Metros are a minimum 4-5 year programme at best although I suppose that now we have built one in BKK we have a pool oof highly skilled Thai Metro engineers who can undertake the task!

Ever wondered why we have so many new underpasses instead of round-abouts? Round-abouts are cheaper less divvies to go around...

[Ajarn]

Ever wondered why we have so many new underpasses instead of round-abouts? Round-abouts are cheaper less divvies to go around...

Huh? Roundabouts on the Super or Ring Roads instead of the under/overpasses? Can't image that being any kind of workable solution in those places...

[chingy_]

Mr.T came from Chiang Mai's

[Rinrada]

Atta-boy......let me know when its finished please

[ovenman]

Atta-boy......let me know when its finished please

I'm afraid you'll grow rather old waiting.

[Mali_in_CM]

ovenman,

"dicking around" sounds about right.

As for the underpasses, unless they put in some serious diesel driven de-watering pumps, rainy season should be a circus.

[Ajarn]

ovenman,

"dicking around" sounds about right.

As for the underpasses, unless they put in some serious diesel driven de-watering pumps, rainy season should be a circus.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll just bet they'll install drains like they have at the other two functioning underpasses. Works pretty well, it seems..

[Mali_in_CM]

I don't know where the others are but it looks like this one is below the level of the klong and the irrigation canal. So it'll drain to...

[chanchao]

Nope, they don't fill up with any water even when it's pissing down.. You know the type of shower, where you can't see for more than 50 meters.. Or when you better not be doing 80 km/h or you will come to a stop pretty fast when you hit deep water... Yet then you get to one of the current 2 underpasses and they're completely dry! As in 'dry dry', dryer than a Pamper's baby's bottom.

Rumour has it that Mozes himself was in charge of construction, it's really that incredible.

(Currently two in operation, both on the Middle Ring road, one under the old Lamphun road near Nong Hoy, the other one under the Hang Dong road near the airport.)

(And a small hidden one on the Middle Ring road at Payap.. and then of course there's the Big C underpass.. And Airport Plaza's car park starts well below ground level as well..)

Edited January 23, 2005 by chanchao

[ovenman]

Noticeable progress does now appear to have been made on the numerous underpass projects. I'll be happy when all of the intersections are re-opened for semi-normal traffic, the dangerous U-turns are removed and the construction crews can then spend time digging out the actual underpass to their heart's content.

[PeaceBlondie]

If it's like the USA, new underpasses have the least flooding because the drainage ditches are not clogged yet, the pumps still operate well, and the engineers allow for many years of growth.

I still zip around all three construction zones and back home five times per week, and find it slightly faster than with the signal lights. But I drive that 150 like a teenager. The work crews are always working, day and night, but you can't usually notice the progress. Then they'll suddenly rearrange the detours, and you'd best watch for the changes.

[Ajarn]

I noticed last week that they've started with completing the Outer Ring Road intersections at Mae Jo road and at DoiSaket road.

Anyone know if they're planning flyovers for these intersections? Or maybe they'll install controlled intersections?

[ovenman]

Anyone know if they're planning flyovers for these intersections? Or maybe they'll install controlled intersections?

I had heard initially (from no great authority) that they were going to build flyovers, but the ongoing construction resembles that of an ordinary controlled intersection. In fact, the construction looks identical to the process when the controlled intersection was built at the junction of the Outer Ring Rd (Highway 121) and the old San Sai Rd (old Highway 1001).

My thought was that perhaps the long-term plan is for flyovers but in the short term, they want to build something simple and cheap to avoid some of the daily accidents that occur at the U-turns on either side of the ring road junction.

[chanchao]

Maybe it's just me, but I notice a reduction in congestion with the U-turns as opposed to the old traffic lights........ The U-turns act as a roundabout/traffic square, which improves traffic flow. Yet traffic lights in the usual very long cycle tend to slow down traffic a lot.

So..... perhaps having some well designed roundabouts would be better even than tunnels, as tunnels still require traffic lights for any direction that's not straight on through the tunnel...

[Ajarn]

Maybe it's just me, but I notice a reduction in congestion with the U-turns as opposed to the old traffic lights........  The U-turns act as a roundabout/traffic square, which improves traffic flow.  Yet traffic lights in the usual very long cycle tend to slow down traffic a lot. 

So..... perhaps having some well designed roundabouts would be better even than tunnels, as tunnels still require traffic lights for any direction that's not straight on through the tunnel...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that's a great idea, Chanchao. Might not be safest on the Super, perhaps, due to very high volumes of traffic, but it seems like a perfect solution to traffic flow at most of the intersections on the Ring Roads... I always wondered why they didn't put a roundabout at the NE corner of the moat, -a perfect spot, I thought.

The problems with the current setups on the ring roads are mostly with dangerous lane changes near the u-turns, and the inability of most to do a u-turn using fewer than 4 lanes, which slows the flow considerably...