Tag Archives: transportation

Bangkok by Train, Boat, Bus, and Tuk-Tuk

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A few weeks ago, I was visited by a quartet of friends, several of whom are transportation geeks… er, enthusiasts. Reprising a transportation-themed tour I led two years ago, I took my guests on a six-hour excursion around the metropolis. This time, the number of modes of transportation increased from seven to ten: Thong Lor red bus, Khlong Saen Saeb canal boat, taxi, third-class heavy rail, non-air conditioned city bus, Chao Phraya express boat, ferry, tuk-tuk, Bus Rapid Transit, and Skytrain.

I hope you enjoyed the journey!

 

Traffic Planners Battle the Left Turn

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Diverging Diamond Springfield

A story on Talk of the Nation earlier this month piqued the interest of my inner urban planner and transportation geek.  It was about the efforts of traffic engineers to design intersections that minimize potential points of conflict and maximize the flow of vehicles.  Particularly, they talked about something called a “Diverging Diamond Interchange” or DDI.

Diamond Interchange

The classic diamond interchange is very inefficient and results in nearly two dozen points of potential conflict between cars going different directions.  Every left turn, whether to enter or exit the freeway, results in the rest of the traffic having to stop.

Michigan Left

One solution known as the “Michigan Left” (because it is used mostly in Michigan, I suppose) is a relatively dangerous solution that has drivers making a u-turn about 200 meters after the intersection, then making a right-hand turn at the intersection.  The disadvantage of these uncontrolled u-turns is that one thing drivers don’t do particularly well is judge the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles. 

87th Street

Another solution is the SPUI – Single Point Urban Interchange.  This design has all traffic coming together at a single intersection controlled by a single set of lights.  I’m familiar with this as it is the new design that was built near where I used to live in suburban Kansas City.  It is an elegant design but still has some problems, not the least of which is that the space in the middle of the intersection is very large and people can get lost.  I’ve observed this on several occasions, where cars have drifted into the wrong direction, especially at night when traffic is light and visual cues (like the headlines of oncoming cars) not so available.

If you have never had the pleasure of driving through an SPUI and are curious how they work, here’s a nice short video that shows an animation of traffic going through the intersection. 

Diamond 1

The latest innovation, which so far has only been built a few places in the United States, is something called the Diverging Diamond Interchange, or DDI.  Somewhat counterintuitively, the DDI involves the lanes of traffic switching sides on each end of the interchange.  The result is that there are only two controlled intersections and drastically fewer potential points of conflicts.  All left turns follow the natural, uninterrupted flow of traffic.  (Thanks to NPR for the graphics.)

Here is how it works:

Diamond 2

As you approach the traffic signal, the lanes of traffic curve slightly to the left, passing oncoming traffic (which waits at the light) at a 25-degree angle.

Diamond 3

As you travel through the signal, you are on the left hand side of the road.

Diamond 4

If you are turning left onto the freeway, you simply make a left-hand turn without waiting for a light.  Through traffic keeps on moving, not having to stop for cars waiting to make left-hand turns.

Diamond 5

After passing through the second intersection, traffic crosses back over to the right-hand side of the road.

Diamond 6

Exiting from the freeway to go left onto the arterial road, you merge and do not have to go through an intersection.

Diamond 7

Entering the freeway with a right hand turn is also a merge and does not require you to go through an intersection.  In all, the traffic flows much more smoothly. 

Here’s a short animation that shows the traffic flow.

There are multiple safety benefits.  Traffic keeps moving, reducing standstill time and the risk of rear-end crashes.  Right-angle crashes are eliminated for drivers turning left onto the freeway, as they no longer cross oncoming traffic.  Finally, fewer intersections and independent directions to cross those intersections means fewer collisions caused by people running lights.

All told, I’m sold on the Diverging Diamond Interchange.  Looks like a great way to improve traffic flow and reduce the risks of accidents.

One other option that is interesting is something called the Pinavia interchange, which I guess has been built in Europe.  It is an elaborate interchange that requires no intersections and is aesthetically pleasing, too.  Above is a brief animation to give you an idea of how it works.

Anyhow, that’s enough urban planning/transportation geekiness for today.  But isn’t it fantastic, the things you can learn on NPR?

 

Seven Modes of Transport Around Bangkok

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Last week I took two of my visiting guests (the third is Thai and was visiting his family instead) around Bangkok to see the sights.  Instead of doing the usual things, we spent a good portion of the day exploring the city using different, and often less-touristy, modes of transportation. 

The idea occurred to me a few weeks ago.  One of the guests is an aviation enthusiast, so I extrapolated that he might also be interested in other forms of transportation.  When I’ve previously used other ways to get around the city, I find myself seeing Bangkok through an entirely different light.

The modes of transport used could be varied and there were at least three – bus, taxi, and motorcycle taxi – that we did not try.  In the future, I will have to refine this itinerary, but here are the notes from this time.

Seven Modes

Mode 1: MRT Subway from Sukhumvit Station to Hualamphong Station

Walking from their hotel to the nearby Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection, my guests and I descended into Bangkok’s five-year old subway for a ten-minute ride to the Hualamphong train station.  The subway is clean and modern and the insides of the trains as well as the platform areas are surprisingly free of advertising.  A short walk through an underground passage took us to the front entrance of the Hualamphong Railway Station.  Trip price, approximately 20 baht each.

 

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Mode 2: State Railways of Thailand from Hualamphong Station to Lat Krabang Station

Our timing was perfect as there was just enough time to buy our 8-baht tickets and get to the platform before the four-car diesel locomotive pulled out of this 1930’s-era station and began the thirty-minute ride to the eastern suburbs of the city.  We could have disembarked at an earlier station and shaved some time off our route, but these open-window, unairconditioned carriages (which are older than me) and their passengers provide interesting people watching.  My entry about the steam engines the State Railways pulls out for special occasions.

 

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Mode 3: Airport City Line from Lat Krabang Station to Makkasan Station

Also operated by the State Railways, this elevated electric train runs along the same right-of-way as the diesel train, so we retraced our steps.  The City Line and the Airport Express share the same track and we disembarked at the brand-new “in-city terminal” where one day passengers will be able to check in for flights, deposit their baggage, and take the 15-minute express train to Suvarnabhumi Airport.  15 baht each but will increase after January 1 to a distance-based pricing scheme.  Link to my review of the Airport Express.

 

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A dog taking a nap outside the Petchaburi MRT Station, near the Asoke Pier.

Mode 4: San Saeb Canal Boat from Asoke Pier to Golden Mount

A short walk from Makkasan Station is the San Saeb Canal, a major east-west aquatic artery in this “Venice of the East” and the only one that has regular boat service.  The water is murky and the boat engines are very loud, but it is an adventure and provides a view of yet another, much poorer, facet of life in the Big Mango.  The end of the line is at the foot of the Golden Mount, the only hill in the city.  11 baht each.

Some pictures from the canal boat:

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Craig and Matt and a few dozen other passengers enjoy their ride on the murky waters of the San Saeb Canal.

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The boats whiz under various bridges, some so low that the canopied top of the boat must be lowered.

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Which explains why the conductors/deck hands wear helmets and are very alert of their surroundings.

Tuk-Tuk
Not my guests.

Mode 5: Tuk-tuk from Golden Mount to Tammasat University

We negotiated with a tuk-tuk driver to take us to a riverside restaurant located just outside the gates of Tammasat University.  Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled auto-rickshaws that serve as transportation in many parts of town, so named because of the sound of their engines.  These are actually pretty dangerous and for the price you pay, a taxi offers greater comfort (air conditioning!) and safety (seatbelts!).  We could have taken the tuk-tuk all the way to the Grand Palace but I was hungry so lunch first.  60 baht total, so 20 baht each.

 

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Previous guests (not Craig and Matt) after disembarking from the Chao Phraya River Taxi.

Mode 6: Chao Praya River Taxi from Tha Tian Pier to Sathorn Pier

After lunch we were too late to see the Grand Palace (it closes at 3:30 – don’t believe anyone who tells you it is closed before that time) so we walked to Wat Po, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.  I’ll write about that in another entry but once we were finished, a bit after rush hour, we caught a river taxi service from the Thai Tian Pier right near the temple back to Sathorn Pier underneath the Taksin Bridge.  Also 11 baht each.

 

Skytrain Departure

Mode 7: BTS Skytrain from Taksin Station to Asoke Station

We concluded our journey by walking to the nearby BTS Skytrain station.  The 10-year old BTS Skytrain is convenient and overcrowded.  Thankfully, new four-car trains are entering the system soon and additional cars have been ordered for the three-car trains.  From what I’ve read, BTS is also the hold-up in the efforts to create a common ticketing platform (a la Hong Kong’s Octopus card) between the three electric rail systems.  Nonetheless, for about 30 baht we made our way back to the Asoke-Sukhumvit junction.

Bicycle Taxi = BIXI

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Urban planning, public transportation, and bicycling – three of my interests that are rolled into one in a Montreal-based bicycle sharing program called BIXI, short for BIcycle taXI.  BIXI was introduced in June 2009, quickly growing to 5,000 bicycles.  The one-millionth ride was taken in the first five months.  Perhaps this is a model that we will see gain traction in other cities?

Bixi_Rene-Levesque_Beaudry

Already, BIXI has expanded into Melbourne, Australia and Minneapolis, Minnesota – and London, England and Boston, Massachusetts are supposed to be online this summer.  A system in parts of Washington, DC is scheduled to be on the way, too.  Other cities around the world are installing similar systems.

There is a bicycle rental program here in Bangkok, but it is only in the touristy section of the old city, designed for sightseeing, not transportation.  I do ride my bicycle here, but since there are few places to park, I ride it mostly for exercise and not errands.

Bicycling is an ideal way to get around for many of the errands we run or even for some of the distances we commute.  Much of the year, the weather is fine, and bicycling is faster than walking.  But one of the biggest obstacles is that we don’t want to lug our bicycle all over the place, especially if we need to travel by bus, train, or car for portions of the journey.

Bicycle sharing programs eliminate the hassle.  By providing a bicycle when and where you need it, you can easily integrate a bicycle into your overall transportation options.  The system allows you to take a bicycle from wherever you are and leave it wherever you are going, without having to worry about bringing it back to your point of origin.  A subscription program lets you rent a bike on the fly, free for the first thirty minutes, or you can pay as you go.

Bicycle 3

The bicycles are durable and designed to keep you from getting messy – chain guards and fenders keep the oil and puddles off you.  A handy basket lets you carry your belongings with you and even pick up a bag of groceries or other small items.

Bicycle 2

Best of all, in my opinion, is their convenience.  This map of most of Montreal shows how densely located the BIXI bike stations are.  They are everywhere – usually within a block of where you are!  Especially when tied into transit systems like bus and train lines and large car parks, the bike sharing system makes it easy to switch to a secondary mode of travel, one that is better for you and for our environment.

If you would like more information about BIXI, you can click here.  For more information about bicycle sharing systems in general, here is the Wikipedia article.  Sorry if this sounds like a marketing brochure – I just think BIXI sounds like a cool idea that should be the standard rather than the exception in more cities.

 

Airport Express to Open August 12

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You can take this with a grain of salt, but the local papers are reporting that the Airport Express rail line – which will link downtown Bangkok with the new (well, three years ago) Suvarnabhumi Airport – is scheduled to open on the Queen’s birthday, August 12.

There may be some truth to this as a test run was completed from the Makkasan station (main in-town terminal) and the airport, conducted at normal speed.  The test was successful and the train made it the length of the route in just fifteen minutes, as planned.

Curious, I headed over to the Phayathai Skytrain station, which is where the Red Line, as the airport line is known, will connect with the Skytrain.  That section of the track was not tested last week, but it does look like a lot of progress is being made, below.

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The real question, of course, is why the project is so delayed in the first place.  After all, the plans for the airport were on the shelf for decades, the actual construction took over five years, so it wasn’t as if the airport suddenly opened up and surprised everybody.  Oh, look!  An airport!  We weren’t expecting that.

While at the Phayathai Station, I spotted what I think may be the root cause of the delay, below.

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Yes, the construction workers look a little pampered, in my opinion.  Three people catering to their every need, a comfy recliner to sit in.  Just how much construction actually gets done each day?

In all seriousness, though, if this line is anything like has been promised – the ability to check in for your flight (and to check your bags, too) at the in-city terminal – then we’ll have a major advance for our visitors as well as traveling locals.