Comments on: Abu Dhabi Releases Ambitious Transport Plan http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/02/23/abu-dhabi-releases-ambitious-transport-plan/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:19:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jarrett http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/02/23/abu-dhabi-releases-ambitious-transport-plan/#comment-514 Jarrett Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:27:25 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=1392#comment-514 Dubai will need to learn from the transformation of the Las Vegas Strip, where one of the most car-oriented landscapes anywhere (praised at the time by Robert Venture in <i>Learning from Las Vegas</i> has now been remodeled to create pedestrian-intensive spaces that make much of the strip walkable. The strip has an elevated monorail too, but its effect is minor compared to the transformation of urban design. For more see: http://urbanist.typepad.com/creature_of_the_shade/2007/06/learning_from_l.html Dubai will need to learn from the transformation of the Las Vegas Strip, where one of the most car-oriented landscapes anywhere (praised at the time by Robert Venture in Learning from Las Vegas has now been remodeled to create pedestrian-intensive spaces that make much of the strip walkable. The strip has an elevated monorail too, but its effect is minor compared to the transformation of urban design.

For more see:

http://urbanist.typepad.com/creature_of_the_shade/2007/06/learning_from_l.html

]]> By: Kyle http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/02/23/abu-dhabi-releases-ambitious-transport-plan/#comment-513 Kyle Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:30:46 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=1392#comment-513 This is a serious plan. Although the economies of Dubai and to a much lesser extent Abu Dhabi are having problems, the government is still flush with cash and can afford to do these projects. If they have a plan and believe their economies will be back on the right foot again in a few years, then they will realize that now is the time to build these projects. The traffic is horrible in the UAE and they know that this transportation is needed regardless of the current economic picture. Plus, the Abu Dhabi economy still receives the majority of its revenue from oil and the current price isn't adversely having an effect; it's just no longer a boom. If they really do start to struggle, they could implement any form of tax. Currently, there isn't a single tax in the UAE, so how hard is it to implement a very small sales or income tax? It may be a hard sell to raise taxes in some countries, but when the tax is "0" how hard of a sell is that, plus the leaders aren't elected, so they can do as they please. The one aspect I would like to hear more about is the train to Qatar. For this to happen, they would have to go through Saudi Arabia and that isn't going to happen. Does anyone have anymore details? This is a serious plan. Although the economies of Dubai and to a much lesser extent Abu Dhabi are having problems, the government is still flush with cash and can afford to do these projects. If they have a plan and believe their economies will be back on the right foot again in a few years, then they will realize that now is the time to build these projects.

The traffic is horrible in the UAE and they know that this transportation is needed regardless of the current economic picture. Plus, the Abu Dhabi economy still receives the majority of its revenue from oil and the current price isn’t adversely having an effect; it’s just no longer a boom.

If they really do start to struggle, they could implement any form of tax. Currently, there isn’t a single tax in the UAE, so how hard is it to implement a very small sales or income tax? It may be a hard sell to raise taxes in some countries, but when the tax is “0″ how hard of a sell is that, plus the leaders aren’t elected, so they can do as they please.

The one aspect I would like to hear more about is the train to Qatar. For this to happen, they would have to go through Saudi Arabia and that isn’t going to happen. Does anyone have anymore details?

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