Dubai Metro

I've noted that the Metro work in Dubai is moving along at a rather fast pace. It is a very refreshing feeling to see such professional high quality public work project being conducted in the GCC. There is such a contrast in the way things are done by contractors. Almost all of the safety precautions have been taken to ensure that the public at large will not suffer injuries due to ongoing works.

The neat thing about thing about the Metro is that it is not cutting Dubai into pieces like other metros in the USA. To save on cost light rails have not opted for the elevated or underground tracks in many major US cities.

Portland Oregon is one example. The light rail there has litterally cut the city into several part. So many neighborhoods are now cut into two becaues the light rail passes through at ground level and had to be fenced off for safety.



Whether or not the Metro actually provides a traffic solution is questionable. In the late 50's the mass transit systems in the US were on their way out. Cheap vehicles and the increasing number of roads made it impractical to rely solely on the trains and busses. You were poor if you had to take the bus or train. Eventually in many cities the trams and trains were discontinued. Only busses remained as they were the most car-like in that they were flexible and could be rerouted to meet changing demands.

Now that there is financial pressure on drivers in the form of parking, fuel charges etc. there is an incentive to use mass transportation (MT) to get to work. Even considering the time it takes and there is a savings when comparing parking fees and fuel costs. Maybe even time is saved considering that traffic jams dont effect a train system.

In spite of all of the cultural differences that a metro in Dubai will face with respect to the change from complete freedom to train schedules.

The presence of stiffling traffic jams will make Dubai metro a success. As long as this condition remains then the metro will be used, however, as soon as the traffic problem is solved by more and better roads the metro system will suffer. Why take a train if there are no economic benefits. Car's are cheap, fuel is not expensive and if the traffic moves then there is also no time savings. What do you do when you get to the end of the line....walk? Take a taxi or a bus?

Dubai Metro needs traffic jams, high road fees but moreover, it needs better coverage of dubai and not just down a few arteries.

The park and ride model is quite successful. If there were large parking garages where people could leave their car and take a metro to pick up their car where they could continue their journey then that would be a great incentive to take the metro. As it is there is not so much consideration for parking in Dubai. How do you get to the train, and how do you get to your final destination from the closest station. The RTA (Roads Transport Authority) needs to resolve these issues. More busses, mabe smaller with very short shuttle routes. They should have dedicated lanes. Fewer taxis and more mini busses, or taxis that have known desinations like a bus with the option to have up to three independant people as passengers.

RTA could have a premium lane that can be used for a daily fee of lets say DHS50 all day long. Using the same Radio Identification Tag to monitor the use of these lanes or better yet a roof mounted bar code where cars can be scanned more accurately.

Floating Bridge

For those of you who may not know, floating bridges made from concrete are actually used quite some time ago. source "->The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point, is the longest floating bridge in the world at 7,578 feet (2,310 meters).^[1] It carries Washington State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina and is often called the "520 bridge" by locals.^[1] Microsoft programmers often call it the "Evergreen Floating Point Bridge", a pun based on a term for numbers with decimal points often used in computers.-<" The particular buidge in question uses a light weight aggregate to make the concrete lighter than water. Ordinary concrete is heavier than water and would require pontoon a like structure to float in the water, while light weight concrete would also be pontoon like but would also float on top of the water without being structurally designed as such.

With such recent disaster as the bridge in Minnisota crossing the Mississippi carrying traffic from Interstate 35W which collapsed (see video).

The only problem with floating bridges is that they represent a major problem for floating traffic. The whole point of rivers and lakes for people is their ability to be used as major arteries for the transport of goods or for pleasure traffic. Most floating bridges have a section that will allow this traffic to pass. The Dubai floating bridge does not. It relies instead on timing whereby a section of the bridge will be moved out and floating traffic allowed to pass. This is why the bridge is opened from 6am to 10pm.

The main reason for this stop gap measure was to provide additional traffic bearing capacity accross the Dubai creek, which itself is partially an artificial waterway. Typically many areas in the gulf region where somewhat false bays and inlets. They were partially navigable during high tide and where very shallow or empty during low tide. These areas were called "subtra" where they were either permanently wet or at peak tides had water cover. The Dubai Creek was internally such a formation. In1963 it was dredged and we have today what appears to be a river of sorts.


So now with a floating bridge, what is next? I believe that the floating bridge will be removed in years to come or it will have a section replaced. Floating bridges are more appropriate for very wide waterways where a significant portion of the bridge can be floating while one section can be higher and allow for water based traffic.

The floating bridge in Dubai is hearalding a new era in the Middle East where non-traditional building concepts are gaining acceptance.