Tel Aviv Area Metro Project: Social, Economic, and Planning Aspects
Pursuant to Government Resolution no. 1838, the Israeli government presented its Strategic Plan for Public Transport in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area (2016), which consists of a public transport network comprising three new metro lines, combined with three light rail lines and improved bus service (BRT). The new investment in the metro network, estimated at around NIS 150 billion, is the largest investment in an infrastructure project in the history of Israel.
The Tel Aviv metropolitan area is the biggest metropolitan area in Israel, with around four million residents (as of 2018) who represent some 44% of the Israeli population. This metropolitan area is the financial and business heart of Israel, generating over 60% of the country's total business product. More than 50% of Israeli workplaces are located in this metropolitan area, including the headquarters of many international and domestic firms. The large increase in the area's population has not been accompanied by a matching investment in public transport, and this shortcoming has led to increased car use, urban sprawl, severe congestion, and poor urban mobility. Tel Aviv is ranked 21st in the list of most congested cities according to the 2019 TomTom Traffic Index, with an average delay of over 90% during peak hours.
The vision engendered by the strategic plan aims for a fundamental, crucial shift in the Israeli transportation system, towards sustainable mobility which places the mobility needs of people at the center of transportation planning. In this vision people reside in more compact cities which accommodate various means of transport, including walking, for a significant improvement in urban quality of life.
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