ADB will provide a project preparatory technical assistance grant of US$2.8 million to fund studies for sustainable urban transport systems. The outcome will be transport solutions that could be replicated in cities around the region.

Urbanization and the increasing use of private motor vehicles in Asia have led to serious traffic congestion, a rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions, high levels of local pollution, and some of the highest accident rates in the world. The factors have also reduced economic opportunities and income for the poor, who typically live on the fringe of cities and struggle to afford high transportation costs.

“The challenge for Asian cities is to deliver an integrated urban transport system that will increase investments in public transport, nonmotorized transport and pedestrian facilities and to arrest the rush towards private motorized transport,” says James Leather, Senior Transport Specialist in ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department.

The assistance will be used to identify policies and potential projects in the selected cities that will cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve public transport, increase personal mobility and pedestrian facilities, and restrain private vehicle use.

“The lessons learned from this will be scaled up and scaled out to other cities across the region,” Mr. Leather says.

The preparatory assistance is part of ADB’s Sustainable Transport Initiative, which began in 2006. The initiative focuses on including energy efficiency and inclusive infrastructure features in its transport projects, with the aim of slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

The grant, which will be sourced from ADB’s Climate Change Fund, will cover the total cost of the preparatory work. It is expected to last 23 months, concluding in December 2010. ADB will be the executing agency for the project and oversee the administration of all activities.