Kyoto Takes Back The Roads

[Mulboyne]

[floatl][/floatl]Yomiuri: Walkways to expand on Kyoto main street
The Kyoto municipal government has decided to widen a busy section of sidewalks on Shijo-dori avenue to 1.5 times their current width by reducing the avenue's traffic lanes from four to two. The government abandoned its initial plan to double the width of the sidewalks to avoid creating problems for the parade of floats during the annual Gion Matsuri festival in July. The government plans to begin the project in fiscal 2011 after discussing it with local businesses and others. The section covers about 1.1 kilometers between Kawabata-dori street and Karasuma-dori avenue. Shijo-dori is 22 meters wide, including the sidewalks...Currently, about 12,900 vehicles travel the avenue from 7 a.m to 7 p.m., and many taxis wait there for passengers, creating constant traffic congestion..."We want to reduce the number of vehicles in the city's central area through a pedestrian-friendly urban development plan, establishing the image that roads here are difficult for traffic," a municipal government spokesman said...more...

[james]

was that greji i just overheard saying "natsukashii"?

[Gilligan]

Yomiuri: Walkways to expand on Kyoto main street
The Kyoto municipal government has decided to widen a busy section of sidewalks on Shijo-dori avenue to 1.5 times their current width by reducing the avenue's traffic lanes from four to two. The government abandoned its initial plan to double the width of the sidewalks to avoid creating problems for the parade of floats during the annual Gion Matsuri festival in July. The government plans to begin the project in fiscal 2011 after discussing it with local businesses and others. The section covers about 1.1 kilometers between Kawabata-dori street and Karasuma-dori avenue. Shijo-dori is 22 meters wide, including the sidewalks...Currently, about 12,900 vehicles travel the avenue from 7 a.m to 7 p.m., and many taxis wait there for passengers, creating constant traffic congestion..."We want to reduce the number of vehicles in the city's central area through a pedestrian-friendly urban development plan, establishing the image that roads here are difficult for traffic," a municipal government spokesman said...more...

Having lived in Kyoto, I think that's a totally ridiculous plan. And sounds about par for the course for the people who make the decisions there. With the highly limited public transportation system in the city and the fact that it's one of the most popular tourist spots in the country, all that will end up happening is that the horrendous traffic situation will be made worse.

Potential, although probably unlikely, long-term impact is that it has a negative impact on tourism.

[IkemenTommy]

Having lived in Kyoto, I think that's a totally ridiculous plan. And sounds about par for the course for the people who make the decisions there. With the highly limited public transportation system in the city and the fact that it's one of the most popular tourist spots in the country, all that will end up happening is that the horrendous traffic situation will be made worse.

Potential, although probably unlikely, long-term impact is that it has a negative impact on tourism.

It sounds like a step backwards in technology back into the stone ages. Let them ride around on rikishas and horse buggies in the narrow lanes. What can you expect from the place where the Kyoto Protocol was named after all?

[Coligny]

It sounds like a step backwards in technology back into the stone ages. Let them ride around on rikishas and horse buggies in the narrow lanes. What can you expect from the place where the Kyoto Protocol was named after all?

Sound like the same approach as in Paris... "let's take a dump on cars, drivers and delivery truck, do not improve the public transportation adequately, oh, and taxe even more residential parkings"
Paris public transportation (Metro/Train/bus) are good and cheap... but nowhere near enough to replace the car for people living in the suburbs and working uptdown.

For now it's good and all to do a witchhunt on card because they pollute and globalwarmz the whole planet to kill mankind and establish cats as the next dominant species. But when we switch to electric cars, who will have to pay to rebuilt all the roads and avenues they are slaughtering ?

[Greji]

[quote="james"]was that greji i just overheard saying "natsukashii"? ]

Yup, I took that from the entrance to 2jyou....

[Typhoon]

Having lived in Kyoto, I think that's a totally ridiculous plan. And sounds about par for the course for the people who make the decisions there. With the highly limited public transportation system in the city and the fact that it's one of the most popular tourist spots in the country, all that will end up happening is that the horrendous traffic situation will be made worse.

Potential, although probably unlikely, long-term impact is that it has a negative impact on tourism.

I find the pedestrian traffic jams along Shijo dori to be far worse.

[Ketou]

I find the pedestrian traffic jams along Shijo dori to be far worse.

Agreed. The biggest problem with vehicle congestion along shijyo between karasuma and kawaramachi are the buses and taxis. IF they add taxi ranks and bus pick up zones into the extended sidewalk it might work alright.

Driving along shijyo in that area is a waste of time..oike much more convenient.

[Typhoon]

Agreed. The biggest problem with vehicle congestion along shijyo between karasuma and kawaramachi are the buses and taxis. IF they add taxi ranks and bus pick up zones into the extended sidewalk it might work alright.

Driving along shijyo in that area is a waste of time..oike much more convenient.

I either walk or bicycle to get around so with self-interest I'm all for wider sidewalks along Shijo - take the subway or a cab if it's pouring rain.
The taxi ranks and bus zones sound like a good idea though.

[Mike Oxlong]

The police there just let a suspected FG slip through their fingers...

A 105-centimeter-long giant salamander was found walking along a riverside road in Kyoto by a motorist Tuesday and was temporarily taken into protective custody by police. According to police, a man driving his car along the Kamogawa River that flows through the city spotted the salamander at around 5:50 a.m. and dialed the 110 emergency phone number to summon police, who rushed to the scene. The huge aquatic salamander was then brought to a police station in Kita Ward and held there for several hours in a water tub before being released into a branch of the same river. Kyoto University professor Masafumi Matsui told Kyodo News he was concerned to learn that the giant salamander in question, which resembles a hybrid, was released without proper examination and into a different waterway from the main course of the river along which it was found. The Kamogawa River, the amphibian expert explained, has a serious problem with hybridization between Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders, and there is concern the problem could spread to other habitats in Japan...

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/giant-salamander-found-walking-along-road-in-kyoto

[Mock Cockpit]

The police there just let a suspected FG slip through their fingers...


http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/giant-salamander-found-walking-along-road-in-kyoto

Kyoto governor M. Anko is said to be furious the salamander was released back into the wild before it could be granted an honorary juminhyo.