Impact of Decentralization and Rail Network Extension on Future Traffic in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region

Abstract

In many large cities in developing countries, investments in transportation infrastructure are insufficient for the growing population, resulting in chronic traffic congestion and overcrowding. The urban population of developing countries is expected to increase further toward the middle of this century, and urban planning and transportation policies that foresee future population changes and economic growth are necessary to make these cities more sustainable. Bangkok is one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the world, and transport projects such as the extension of the public transportation system are being implemented. However, due to the monocentric urban structure, both road and rail traffic is extremely congested during peak hours, which impedes some economic activities and personal interaction. In this study, we simulate the impact of urban and transportation measures in Bangkok from today to 2050. In addition to the expansion of the planned rail transit network, we evaluate the effects of a land use scenario in which sub-centers are established to develop a polycentric urban structure. The impact of alternative zoning and transportation policies and projects in Bangkok is discussed. Although this study is focused on Bangkok, the findings are assumed to be transferable to other large cities in developing countries.

Estimating urban spatial structure based on remote sensing data

“…The estimated urban centers and urban area can also be used to examine the applicability of central place theory models 52 and land use simulation models, such as SLEUS 53 . Additionally, www.nature.com/scientificreports/ it can be used for agent-based traffic simulations [54][55][56] because it can estimate the traffic volume on a grid basis, which has higher spatial resolution than TAZ.…”

Impact of Spatial Configuration on Promoting Lifelong Learning Development in Pathum Thani, Thailand

“…The results also indicate a significant conflict between the pattern of urbanization and accessibility across a variety of learning activities within Thanyaburi district. This may be due to several factors that influence activity uptake including land-use patterns, transportation and spatial configuration of urban structures [44]. Future studies need to capture additional information on demographics, transportation availability and usage, travelling distance and urban design to determine how best to develop "learning cities".…”

Urban Rail Transit in Bangkok: Chronological Development Review and Impact on Residential Property Value

“…Developing subcenters at major rail transit nodes will reduce car dependency and increase the number of railway passengers in both directions of travel between subcenters. However, it was recently found by simulation that expansion of the urban rail network and the formation of sub-centers alone will not reduce the overall road traffic volume but will significantly increase traffic demand, resulting in higher congestion on both road and rail networks [66].…”