The New Metrobus...

[2GuysInPM]

Capital Losses
By DANIEL POLITI

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s capital may be about to lose what is arguably its most iconic sight: A new project by the city government led by Mayor Mauricio Macri is turning the 9 de Julio Avenue into a shadow of itself in the name of an ill-conceived public transportation project.

http://latitude.blog...-is-threatened/

 

[sesamosinsal]

Interesting article. I sympathize with both sides of the debate.

With a subway line already traveling along the route of the proposed Metrobus, the millions of dollars earmarked for the new bus lanes would be better spent on transferring more passengers underground. It would also make more sense to build bus lanes along side streets, which wouldn’t require altering the central avenue’s physiognomy.

The idea of the Metrobus came about partially because the national government has impeded the development of the subway system--for political reasons, of course. From maintaining the ticket price so low for so long, to not allowing the City to import new trains from abroad, Macri has had a hard time fulfilling promises of improving/modernizing the subway system.

Even now that the subway system is in control of the city, the national government would probably make it impossible for him to buy additional trains from abroad. If I'm not mistaken, the new trains being placed on Line A were only released from customs because Macri finally accepted control of the subway system.

Sometimes I wonder: If Filmus had won the mayoral election in 2011, would the subway now be under city control, and would the ticket price have risen from 1.10 to 2.50?

 

[glasgowjohn]

I am a Metrobus fan - travelling time from Liniers to Palermo has been cut in half on the Juan B Justo route

 

[Borracho Britanico]

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s capital may be about to lose what is arguably its most iconic sight: A new project by the city government led by Mayor Mauricio Macri is turning the 9 de Julio Avenue into a shadow of itself in the name of an ill-conceived public transportation project.

For me 9 de Julio is a badly designed disgrace. It cuts off the centre of the city and is a pain to cross. I don't understand how this project will turn it into a 'shadow of its former self'.

Putting trees in-between multiple lanes of traffic doesn't really make a difference, it would be better to put these on the side of the buildings increasing the size of the pavement.

A tram would have been better here.
Not sure what agenda this article has.

 

[Yogur griego]

@Borracho:

Make sure you take a look at one of the links in the article, there's a page on Facebook with a visualisation of how the avenue would look like with that new system.

I love the feeling of grace and openness Av 9 de Julio gives me, I think it is an amazing landmark that never gets old for me, and this plan is kind of turning it into two regular smaller avenues with an ugly bus platform in the center. It looks horrible. I am usually not passionate about politics at all,

but it took about one minute before I could stop throwing insults at Macri, CFK, most of the previous politicians I have heard of, and all other idiots that have made their profession out of slowly destroying this city with their eternal mismanagement. What's next... finally demolishing the French embassy? Replacing Teatro Colon by a Stalingrad-size statue of John Sunday? Erecting a very horizontal strip of villas miserias in the middle of Av de Mayo???

I like bradlyhale's post. But among of the millions of possibilities in urban planning in Buenos Aires doing exactly this, right on top of a subte line, is incredibly stupid while there are already millions of busses driving around 9 de Julio. It just looks appalling.

However, Joe, let me confirm that even without my beloved Avenida 9 de Julio I am as fond of Argentine pizza as ever.

 

[PhilipDT]

Cerrito and cp are an absolute disaster because of all the ridiculous collectivos that traverse them at 1 mph!

 

[Conorworld]

This is all good and everything to increase speed of public buses on 9 de Julio but they're still gonna get bogged down in traffic everywhere else. The article is right to point out that the best way is to build more metros.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

But Macri sells cars, that´s explains that he stooped the subways constructions. Where are the 10k per year?

 

[PhilipDT]

Did anybody else get the email from Macri today? I didn't even realize I was on the mailing list, must have signed up when I downloaded the city app.

Anyway for those who missed it.

NO HABRÁ MÁS CALLES

El año que viene, o dentro de 5 años, de 10 o de 30 años, no habrá en Buenos Aires ni una calle más de las que hay ahora. Sin embargo, cada vez más vehículos y más personas tendrán que desplazarse por la ciudad. No estoy diciendo nada que no sepas. Lo ves, lo sufrís.
Esto nos obliga a hacer cambios reales pensando en la ciudad real. Ampliar las calles y avenidas que podemos, cambiar sentidos de circulación, restringir zonas para el uso de vehículos particulares, alentar el uso de medios de transporte público y, por supuesto, impulsar el uso de bicicletas construyendo ciclovías y ofreciendo bicicletas públicas gratuitas.

Hace más de un año, demostramos que crear vías exclusivas para colectivos produce efectos positivos en el tránsito y, por lo tanto, mejora la vida de los pasajeros que deben cruzar la ciudad en transporte público. Eso es el Metrobús de Juan B.Justo. Podés ir a verlo y probarlo. Subite a un colectivo en Liniers y bajate en Pacífico. Ese recorrido lo vas a hacer en menos tiempo que en auto.

Ahora encaramos una solución para la Av. 9 de Julio: un Metrobús como el de Juan B. Justo pero que cruzará de punta a punta la “avenida más ancha del mundo”. El cambio requiere que transplantemos los árboles que ocupaban el centro de la avenida. No los talamos, no los matamos, sólo los reubicamos en lugares adecuados con la supervisión de especialistas en botánica para que sigan tan vivos como ahora. Y además, vamos a plantar otros 550, en total habrá 1854 árboles en toda la avenida, en una ubicación pensada para esta nueva ciudad del Siglo XXI que crece en vehículos y en gente, pero no en calles.

Somos la gestión de la ciudad de Buenos Aires que más cosas hizo por producir un cambio verde, que alienta todas las formas de sustentabilidad, que procura crear una nueva inteligencia en las calles y los medios de transporte, para facilitar los desplazamientos y reducir el número de autos, de contaminación e incluso de accidentes.

Nosotros no matamos árboles, los plantamos, como lo demuestran las 60 nuevas hectáreas de espacio verde que creamos. Nosotros hacemos una ciudad mirando al futuro.

 

[Napoleon]

I am a Metrobus fan - travelling time from Liniers to Palermo has been cut in half on the Juan B Justo route

Hear! Hear! I'm a huge Metrobus fan!

...A tram would have been better here. Not sure what agenda this article has.

TRAM?... Am I missing something? Aren't there going to be DOZENS of different bus lines that are going to snake through the city, then fly along the metrobus lanes, and then continue on their way? How many Tram lanes would be needed to be built all over the city to then replace what the Metrobus lane is going to do?

And you really don't know what agenda this article has? Are you serious?

...But among of the millions of possibilities in urban planning in Buenos Aires doing exactly this, right on top of a subte line, is incredibly stupid while there are already millions of buses driving around 9 de Julio...

Aren't many different bus lines going to be using these lanes? Or am I missing something? Because to say that the 59 or the 10 for instance will be coming from Belgrano and shouldn't transverse the city over a subway line is just downright retarded. (Again, unless I'm missing something.) Are people supposed to (1) Get off the bus at Av. 9 de Julio, (2) Cram onto an already overcrowded C Line for 1 to 7 stops, and then (3) Get off the C Line and then get back onto the bus line that they were already on?

I am either missing something or a retarded bomb has been detonated over the city sometime in the last 5 months.