Abstract: In many urban societies, public transport is the corner stone of the transportation system.

The capillaries of the built-up body. Without this system the body would be inefficient and may suffocate and ultimately fail. Modern societies have tailored public transport systems and components to fit their specific needs, and to insure equality in mobility. This paper addresses the main objectives of public transport buildings on different levels: social, economic and spatial. First of all, this paper explores the terms related to the subject such as "public", transport", and "public transport", and how these terms are perceived by local communities in Lebanon. The paper will focus on the economic aspects, the disciplines involved in the matter. The paper explores different types of buildings, their functions, programs in relation to their context. And finally the paper will include a case study on the implementation of various types within different settings, using the method of comparison to demonstrate each's similarities with locations in Beirut and evaluate possible strategies for the aftermath.

Dedications:

Acknowledgements:

Table of contents:

- Abstract

...................................................................................................................... 1

- Dedications ...................................................................................................................... 2 - Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 3 - Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 4

1. 1.1 1.2 1.3

Introduction .......................................................................................................... 7 Public Transport ..............................................................................................

Background and Motivation .................................................................................. Definitions: .......................................................................................................... .............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................

1.3.1 (...) 1.3.2 (...)

2. 2.1

Types of Public Transportation Buildings

........................................................... ...................................

International and Inter-city Terminals (Central Station)

2.1.1 Ostbahnhof Station - Berlin, Germany 2.1.2 Union Station - Raleigh, Germany 2.2 Regional Unimodal Terminals

...........................................................

....................................................................... ....................................................................... .......................................................................

2.2.1 Train Terminals: 2.2.1.1 Heavy Rail 2.2.1.2 Monorail 2.2.1.3 High Speed Rail
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2.2.2 Bus, coach and mini-bus Terminals 2.2.3 Ferry Terminals 2.3 ?

2.3.1 Short Distance High Speed Trains 2.3.2 Private Rapid Transit Stations 2.3.3 Funicular Stations 2.4.4 Cable cars stations 2.4 Platforms and Stops

2.4.1 Rapid Transit System Platforms 2.4.2 Commuter and Regional Rail Platforms 2.4.3 Street stops 2.5 Other buildings

2.5.1 Bus Garage 2.5.2 Train Maintenance Stations

3. 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

Economic and social effects of Public Transportation Buildings Traffic Management Social Mobility Cost Efficiency The Disciplines Involved in the Practice

4. 4.1
5

Effects of Public Transportation Buildings on the Developed Environments Urban Core

4.2 4.3 4.4

High-Density Residential Environments Sub-Urban Environments Rural Environments

5.

Summary and Conclusions

References

1.1

Introduction: Public Transport

Merriam - Webster Dictionary defines "public" as something that is exposed to general view, implying openness. Something relating or affecting the people as a whole, or referring to the people as a whole, implying universality and generalization. It could be something related to the government, or in the service of the community or the nation, something shared by all members of the community, in the context of social and humanitarian.1 And we won't need a dictionary to tell us that "transport" is the act or the process of transferring, conveying or travelling from one place to another. (...) historical evolution After this developpement of public transport, there had to be a building to house this function, and there was a public transport building. (...) 1.2 (...) 1.3 Definitions: Background and Motivation:

Rapid Transit System Metropolitan Underground U-Bahn S-Bahn Monorail (...) definitions / technical words

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary - Definition of Public - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public Retrieved on 16/12/2012

2.

Types of Public Transportation Buildings:

Public transport building vary in scale, but big or small, they're all designed to serve at the same time, large vehicles such as busses or trains and pedestrian commuters. (...) 2.1 International and Inter-city Terminals (Central Stations):

Let's start with the word terminal: meaning an end point, a final destination or a terminus. The free online dictionary by Farlex defines it - in the context of transportation - as a point or station usually at the end of the line of a railway, serving as an important access point for passengers or freight1. The traditional central station may have been exclusive to one mode of transport, bus per say or train. But nowadays, main terminals are being optimized to house multimodal public transport, also known as combined transport which is the transportation of passengers in a single journey, but performed with at least two different means of transport2. (...) Examples: 2.1.1 Ostbahnhof Station - Berlin, Germany3 2.1.2 Union Station - Raleigh, Germany4

The Free Online Dictionary by Farlex - Definition of Terminal http://www.thefreedictionary.com/terminal - Retrieved on 16/12/2012
2
3

United Nations Convention on International Multimodal Transport of Goods, Geneva, 24 May 1980 City of Raleigh 2010, Union Station: Raleighs Multi-Modal Transit Center, September 2010

2.2

Regional Unimodal Terminals:

Are used by one mode of transport. It could where a train, a metro, a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route, or the main meeting point for several road vehicles operating in a specific region. 2.2.1 Train Terminals: (...) Examples: - (...)

2.2.1.1 Heavy Rail (...) Examples: - (...)

2.2.1.2 Monorail (...) Examples: - (...)

2.2.1.3 High Speed Rail (...) Examples: - (...)

2.2.2 Bus, coach and mini-bus Terminals: (...) Examples: - Konya, Turkey - (...) 2.2.3 Ferry Terminals: (...) Examples: - (...)

2.3

2.3.1 Short Distance High Speed Trains: (...) Examples: - Shanghai Maglev, China - (...) 2.3.2 Private Rapid Transit Stations: (...) Examples: - Masdar City, UAE - (...) 2.3.3 Funicular Stations: (...) Examples: - (...)

2.4.4 Cable cars stations: (...) Examples: - Caracaras, Venezuela - (...)

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2.4

Platforms and Stops

A unimodal station or stop, used by one or more routes of the same mode of transport. (...) 2.4.1 Rapid Transit System Platforms: (...) Examples: - (...)

2.4.2 Commuter and Regional Rail Platforms: (...) Examples: - (...)

2.4.3 Street stops: (...) Examples: - (...)

11

2.5 (...)

Other buildings:

2.5.1 Bus Garage: A bus garage or bus depot is a building where buses are stored and maintained. In many conurbations, bus garages are on the site of former car barns or tram sheds, where Streetcars or Trams were stored, and the operation transferred to buses. In other areas, garages were built to replace horse-bus yards or on virgin sites when populations were not as high as now. Most bus garages will contain the following elements: Internal parking External parking Fueling point Fuel storage tanks Engineering section Inspection pits Bus wash Brake test lane Staff canteen/break room Subway or metro car-houses will contain the following element Internal storage track External storage track Tail track Marshalling yard Control room

12

2.5.2 Train Maintenance Stations:

13

3.

Economic and social effects of Public Transportation Buildings

(...)

3.1

Traffic Management

(...)

3.2

Social Mobility

(...)

3.3

Cost Efficiency

(...)

3.4

The Disciplines Involved in the Practice

(...)

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4.

Effects of Public Transportation Buildings on the Developed Environments

(...)

4.1

Urban Core

(...)

4.2

High-Density Residential Environments

(...)

4.3

Sub-Urban Environments

(...)

4.4

Rural Environments

(...)

15

5.

Summary and Conclusions

16

References: Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council 2012, Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual, Version 1.1 American Public Health Association, At The Intersection Of Public Health And Transportation City of Raleigh 2010, Union Station: Raleighs Multi-Modal Transit Center, September 2010 Federal Highway Administration 1999, Land Use And Economic Development In Statewide Transportation Planning, May 1999 Edwards B. 1997, The Modern Station, E & F Spon, ISBN 419-19680-3 Fawaz M. 1983, The Urban Transportation Problem in Beirut, Freidrich Ragette, January 1983 Frem S. 2009, Nahr Beirut: Projections on an infrastructural landscape, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 2009 Fresno Council of Governments 2007, Public Transportation Infrastructure Study, Appendix C: Assessment of New Technologies: Personal Rapid Transit Green C. & Hall P. 2009, Better Rail Stations, Transport Research Laboratory, ISBN 01158196 Maher R., Skinner P. 2011, An architect's view of the station user experience, University of Queensland, September 2011 Merriam Webster Online Dictionary - Definition of Public - http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/public - Retrieved on 16/12/2012 Nabti J. 2004, Leveraging Infrastructure: Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Route Planning in Beirut, Lebanon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 2004 Ridley R. 1974, Metro Impact Study The Free Online Dictionary by Farlex - Definition of Terminal http://www.thefreedictionary.com/terminal - Retrieved on 16/12/2012 U.S. Department of Transportation 1998, Advanced Public Transportation Systems: The State of the Art, Update '98, January 1998 United Nations Convention on International Multimodal Transport of Goods, Geneva, 24 May 1980 Volcano Heights Sector Development Plan 2007, p. 58 - p. 64
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Washington, D.C. Transit Cooperative Research Program 2012, Report 153: Guidelines for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations, 2012 Yagi S. 1994, Alternatives Strategies for Public Transport Improvement in Developing Countries, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, May 1994

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