Report says LRT could save over 30 minutes on daily commute

The Transportation Infrastructure Office (GIT) has released a report on the social- economic benefits of phase one and two of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) project.
It found that the LRT phase one and phase two will be able to generate an economic benefit ranging from MOP15.8 billion to MOP16.4 billion between 2014 and 2025.
The report also provided several recommendations to the Macau government regarding the construction of LRT tracks and the development model of the LRT project.
The Institute of Sustainable Development of the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) conducted the report.
It contains eight chapters that cover the benefits of the LRT on the reduction of commute times, improvement of environmental conditions, reduction of energy consumption, public investment and an increase in job opportunities and efficient land use.
In the chapter on commute time, the report claimed that, according to GIT figures, if people opt for public bus services the commute time will be around 53 minutes, including an average of 13 minutes spent waiting for the bus, once the LRT is available.
The LRT, on the other hand, only has an average waiting time of around 2.25 minutes and an average travelling time of 16.35 minutes, reaching an average commute time of 18.6 minutes. This means that passengers will be able to save, on average, 34.4 minutes if they choose the LRT over buses.
Putting the figure on an annual basis, the LRT could save the local working population a total of 4,861,211 hours each year.
In terms of reducing pollution, the report pointed out that LRT can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 11 tons every day, a reduction of 19.7 percent.
It also claimed that the reduction of pollution would lower the medical expenses on pollution-related diseases, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
One of the most emphasized benefits of the LRT was its lowering of energy consumption.
The MUST report has found that the energy consumption benefit the LRT will bring to Macau in 2025 can reach MOP152.6 million. It also reduces Macau’s spending on fuel consumption in 2025 by MOP295.5 million.
Moreover, the report said that the LRT could lower public investment by reducing the demand for other public transportation such as bus and taxis, as well as easing the pressure on expanding roads.
As for employment, the MUST report suggested that the first phase of the LRT project has created 4,646 construction positions, with 5,755 to 5,856 more to open by the second phase.
The management and maintenance of the LRT will also require additional staff for customer service, management, facility maintenance, which will create a total of 1,459 vacancies in the future.The shops at the LRT stations will also employ approximately 150 people.
In the report’s conclusion, the research team recommended the installation of soundproofing shields on the sections of LRT tracks that are close to residential buildings. It also said that the construction of LRT tracks should include both viaduct and underground, in order to reduce the impact on the buildings near the track and the view of the city.
The government should also incorporate the renewal of the old suburbs into the planning of future LRT construction, as well as adopting the joint development model to develop the land underneath, nearby, or upon the LRT track. JPL

second bridge-laying machine to go into action

GIT revealed that the second bridge-laying machine for the LRT Taipa construction would be put into operation after a month of assembly and examination. The components of the machine arrived in Macau last month and will be examined by a third party after construction is completed. It will be used to assemble the LRT viaduct track between the Rotunda da UCT/MUST and Avenida do Aeroporto. GIT said that by using the bridge-laying machine, the track-assembling process would be conducted in a simpler and more efficient manner.