BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT – PREPARATORY STUDY … 3 - Public Participation.pdf · The Beirut...

BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT – PREPARATORY STUDY EA VOLUME 3

640/DELIVERABLE 23/Volume3May 2000

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Table of Contents

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................................................................iv

1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1

2. FIRST NATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING ................................................................3

2.1 PARTICIPANTS ..............................................................................................................................32.2 MEETING DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................................32.2.1 OPENING SESSION.........................................................................................................................32.2.2 DISCUSSION SESSIONS ..................................................................................................................42.2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...........................................................................................................72.3 SUMMARY OF MEETING OUTCOMES ..............................................................................................8

3. LOCAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETINGS ................................................................10

3.1 MEETINGS PROCESS DESCRIPTION...............................................................................................103.2 SUMMARY OF MEETINGS OUTCOMES...........................................................................................13

4. SECOND NATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING..........................................................14

4.1 PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................................................144.2 MEETING PROGRAM....................................................................................................................144.2.1 OPENING SESSION.......................................................................................................................144.2.2 PLENARY SESSIONS ....................................................................................................................152.2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT SESSION.........................................................................164.3 SUMMARY OF MEETING OUTCOMES ............................................................................................17

ANNEXES .............................................................................................................................................18



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List of Annexes

Annex

2-1 Description of the BUTP Objectives and Scope of Work

2-2 List of invited stakeholders and participants at the First National Consultation Meeting

2-3 First National Consultation Meeting Program

2-4 Parking component and analysis of results

2-5 Traffic management questionnaire and analysis of results

2-6 Grade separations questionnaire and analysis of results

2-7 Environmental impact questionnaire and analysis of results

2-8 Participants recommendations

3-1 Records of local public consultation meetings

4-1 Second National Consultation Meeting schedule

4-2 Invitees and participants to the Second National Consultation Meeting

4-3 Opening session speeches during the Second National Consultation Meeting

4-4 On-street parking management questionnaire and analysis of results

4-5 Questions/comments and answers during the Second National Consultation Meeting



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to the office of the Board of the Council ofDevelopment and Reconstruction and the World Bank staff for their assistance during thepreparation of the overall Environmental Assessment and the public participation report.



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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSBCD Beirut Central District

BTX Benzene, Toluene and Xylene

BUTP Beirut Urban Transport Project

CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction

CEGP Conseil Exécutif des Grands Projets

CEGPVB Conseil Exécutif des Grands Projets de la Ville de Beyrouth

CNG Compressed Natural Gas

CO Carbon Monoxide

DOA Department of Antiquities

EA Environmental Assessment

EB East Bound

ERM Environmental Resource Management

GBA Greater Beirut Area

GBATP Greater Beirut Area Transportation Plan

IAP Immediate Action Plan

HOV High Occupancy Vehicles

LOS Level-of-Service

MOC Ministry of Culture

MOE Ministry of Environment

MOMRA Ministry of Municipalities & Rural Affairs

MPW Ministry of Public Works

MoI Ministry of Information

MOI Ministry of Interior

NB North Bound

NOx Nitrogen Oxides

OCFTC Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun

O3 Ozone

ROW Right of Way

SB South Bound

SO2 Sulphur Dioxide

TMO Traffic Management Organization

TSP Total Suspended Particulates

VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

VOR Vehicle Registration Office

WB West Bound



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1. INTRODUCTION

The metropolitan area of Beirut, usually referred to as Greater Beirut Area (GBA) is the coreof the service-based economy of Lebanon with one third of the population and contributes inexcess of two thirds of the total value added in the economy. The city and its metropolitanarea, however, suffer severe traffic congestion, a result of an extremely deficienttransportation system. This implies high economic losses and deteriorating air quality. Assustained growth of the service-oriented economy is underpinned by efficient infrastructure,Beirut needs to improve the operational and economic efficiency of its urban transportsystem.

In its heyday, Beirut had an extensive urban transport system including a well developed bussystem and even a trolley-bus system. Due to the prolonged period of conflict thisinfrastructure deteriorated. Also, over the last two decades major changes have occurred inLebanon’s demography due to urbanization and displacement of residents from the South andrelocation of businesses from Beirut to various locations along the coast. These have resultedin important changes in traffic patterns throughout the Greater Beirut Area (GBA), which, inturn, generates severe congestion both in and around Beirut and particularly at theconnections with the coastal highway to the north and south. The problem of congestion isexacerbated by a heavy reliance on the use of private cars, which amounts to approximately300,000 cars for a population of some 1.2 million in the GBA (about 250 cars per 1000inhabitants). Over 70 percent of total motorized person trips, more than half of which arehome-to-work, are made by private car. Shared taxis account for nearly 20 percent of all trips,while just 10 percent of the population is served by privately and publicly operated busservices. In addition, latent travel demand is high and would materialize with improvingsupply of transport capacity.

For Beirut to develop as a competitive regional center for finance, trade, services and tourism,it should have an efficient transport system. To this end, the Government prepared acomprehensive Greater Beirut Area Transportation Plan (GBATP) which addresses the mostserious urban transport issues, analyzes needed investments through the year 2015, andrecommends a large phased investment program. The prioritization and phasing of thisprogram, which will be the largest single investment need in Lebanon over the next ten years,will require a significant planning, consensus building, and resource mobilization effort.

The Beirut Urban Transport Project (BUTP) is an element of the GBATP. Other projects areanticipated to be implemented to address the issues related to public transportation asdescribed below in the GBATP background and summary section. The BUTP has beenproposed to provide the fundamental urban transport apparatus needed to address part of theextremely diverse and complex transport issues the city faces. The project consists ofestablishing a traffic management organization; constructing of grade separations at highlycongested intersections; and parking provision and controls.



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Financial support for the project is being sought through a loan from the World Bank. Loanprovisions dictate the completion of an environmental assessment for the proposed project.World Bank guidelines for environmental assessment include a public participation processwhich, is the subject of this report (Volume 3) that is an integral part of the overallEnvironmental Assessment report (Volume 1).

Public participation has been planned in three stages as described below.

1. First national consultation meeting which was conducted early on during the initial phasesof the project design.

2. Local meetings on the grade separation improvement component of the project which wereconducted during the months of December 1998, January and February, 1999.

3. Second national consultation meeting which was conducted in early June, 1999.

This report describes the objectives, process and recommendations of these consultationsmeetings. Note that the entire environmental assessment will be made available for publicreview at several locations including the libraries of the CDR, MoE, AUB, and the ArabUniversity. It will also be available for examination at the Consultants office in the eventtechnical questions are raised.



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2. FIRST NATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING

Public participation was sought early on in the environmental assessment process and theproject design. A consultation meeting was held with national and local government officials.The purpose of the meeting was to disseminate the scope of the project and solicit earlyfeedback from concerned stakeholders regarding the project. Pertinent documentation of themeeting was preserved and presented in detail in the attached Annexes. This first nationalconsultation meeting was held on June 26, 1998 at the Marriott Hotel in Beirut. The meetingwas coordinated by representatives from CDR and TEAM International.

2.1 Participants

Concerned stakeholders from various ministries, governmental authorities, SOLIDERE,universities, research centers, international organizations, non-governmental organizationsand have been invited to attend and participate in the first national consultation meeting.Invitation letters were prepared in both English and Arabic and were accompanied with abrief description of the project objectives and scope of work (Annex 2-1) as well as themeeting program (Annex 2-3). The majority of invited stakeholders responded to theinvitation and delegated one or more representatives to attend the meeting. The total numberof participant stakeholders was thirty six. In addition, the meeting was attended by oneparticipant representing the World Bank, six participants representing CDR, and fourteenparticipants representing TEAM International. Annex 2-2 includes a list of stakeholders thatwere invited and the participants to the first national consultation meeting.

2.2 Meeting Description

The meeting consisted of an opening session, a presentation of the project major components(parking, traffic management and control, and grade separation), a discussion period for eachcomponent, and the environmental aspects associated with each component. The meeting wasmoderated by Dr. Tammam Nakkash, Managing Director of TEAM International.

The Moderator introduced the purpose of the meeting and stressed on the necessity to initiatea dialogue with concerned stakeholders. The participants were informed that nationalconsultations for the BUTP are part of the scope of work in order to ensure that the projectserves community needs, supports sustainable development, and preserves the environment.

2.2.1 Opening Session

The meeting was officially opened by Dr. Nohad Baroody, representing the President ofCDR. Dr. Baroody indicated that during the past few years, CDR implemented severaltransportation projects in various regions of Lebanon and specifically in the Greater BeirutArea (GBA). He indicated that the development of the economy in a sustainable and rapidmanner would depend essentially on two factors: establishment of an advanced transportsystem of streets and highways, and strengthening the effectiveness of the public transport inurban areas. Based on these two factors, CDR carried out a transport plan for Greater Beirutfocussing on the development and organization of public transport in a flexible and effectivemanner, since the studies showed that traffic congestion is the major constraint for the use of



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public transport. It will be therefore important to address traffic congestion through thisproject which consists of the following components: improve modern traffic signal systems,resolving the problem of chaotic parking on the streets of Greater Beirut as well asestablishments of overpasses and underpasses at the major entrances of the Capital. Thisproject would also assist in increasing awareness among the public and would set up a neworganization for traffic management taking into considerations environmental requirements.

2.2.2 Discussion Sessions

Prior to the overall project presentation, a brief background information was introduced byregarding the transport master plan, which was prepared by TEAM international in 1994 (theimmediate action plan and a long term plan till the year 2015). The master plan concludedthat the execution and operation of all highway projects which are under implementation andstudy will not meet the traffic demand for the year 2015 without the presence of an effectivepublic transport system. Hence, it was found necessary to assess traffic congestion in order tofacilitate the flow of the public transport. While the system itself will not be covered underthe scope of the BUTP, one purpose of the BUTP is to facilitate its operation.

An overview of the three main project components was then conducted and questionnairesregarding each component were distributed to the participants. The aim of the questionnaire isto provide the participants with guidance to the potential problems and issues that may beencountered and to seek their opinion on handling them.

A. Parking Component

Following a brief presentation on parking needs and policies in Lebanon, several issues wereraised and discussed with respect to the parking component. These included law enforcementwith respect to building parking lots, parking usage, and respecting parking regulations alongthe streets. The provision of additional parking space to cope with the continuous increase inthe number of cars, the creation of an organization for monitoring the parking strategy to bedeveloped as well as the increase in the number and capacities of the policemen were alsonoted. The major comments/suggestions made by the participants include:

q The need to investigate whether drivers are willing to use public transport rather thantheir private cars to go to work. Since the actual situation reveals that a low percentage ofthe population are using the public bus.

q The habit in Lebanon is not to pay for parking. Parking fees are not perceived as acomponent of the cost of owning and operating a vehicle. While the cost of car ownershipshould reflect the total social cost of the car, including its parking requirements andpolluting effects.

q Parking needs land and this is not easily available. A quick action is required as most ofthe open spaces in the Capital are being used for the construction of residential orcommercial facilities.

q The feasibility of the BUTP should be based on energy consumption and time saving. Thebest solution could be to provide large parking spaces at the entrances of Beirut and toensure efficient public transport from the entrances to the center.



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q Laws are available and there is no need to introduce new ones. The major deficiency is inthe enforcement of the existing laws. Municipalities should provide parking lots withinavailable public open space. In the absence of public open areas the municipalities shouldconsider buying land to provide parking lots.

q As most local roads are relatively narrow, then it is not advisable to provide parking at thecurb. Parking lots should be considered.

q The present project should be for Beirut City rather than Greater Beirut Area as each areain Greater Beirut has its own characteristics. A national transport strategy for all Lebanonshould have been developed first.

q Within the annual car registration fees, a parking fee for a specific number of hoursshould be paid by each car owner who will be given a sort of a credit card. This cardwould be used in all park meters until the total number of parking hours expires.

q Parking meters have been provided in Furn El-Chebbak area. A survey study within thearea might be necessary as it would provide valuable information to the project.

q Lebanese citizens resist using parking lots and paying for parking. Experience in thecountry has shown that citizens will not use the parking lots unless they are forbidden topark along the streets.

q At the beginning of the post war reconstruction of Lebanon, some private firms haveexpressed interest in building and operating parking lots. However, the government didnot show any interest.

q It is not certain that BOT projects for parking will be attractive to developers. Until nowfor instance, SOLIDER did not completely solve the parking problem.

q Several traffic measures have been taken by the Municipality of Beirut to alleviate thetraffic problems in the city. The provision of parking remains the major problem andshould be solved. The provision of parking garages under existing gardens or bridges isan attractive option and should be considered.

q There should be an organization in charge of traffic management. This organizationshould be composed of all concerned authorities.

q Some amendments should be introduced to the building code. The provision of parkingspace should be based on the intended usage of the building rather than beingproportional to the total floor area irrespective of its nature and usage.

q The ownership and usage of cars should not be a burden in the absolute. However, theusage of car at certain hours and in certain locations should be a burden.

The results of the Parking Questionnaire that was filled by all participants are presented inAnnex 2-4. An analysis of the results indicated general agreement with respect to thefollowing issues:

q Parking is the major cause for traffic congestion.

q Parking charges should be imposed.

q Parking enforcement will improve vehicular circulation

q High parking fines should be considered.

q Underground parking garages should be considered.



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q Major concerns regarding providing parking facilities include their high cost and theincreased attraction of traffic to the city center.

q Public parking improves vehicular circulation and should be considered in the city.

q Under budget constraints, traffic signals and grade separations should be given priorityover parking.

B. Traffic Management and Control Component

Following an overview of policies, planning, and possible structures regarding a generalTraffic Management Organization (TMO) and the mandate of ministries that are concernedwith traffic in Lebanon, several issues were raised and discussed with respect to the TrafficManagement and Control component. While a consensus regarding the need for such anorganization is evident amongst participants, different views with respect to the composition,mandate and administration of the organization were expressed. Comments/suggestions madeby the participants include:

q In addition to the listed ministries, the Ministry of Information should be included amongthe coordinating parties. However, previous experience in the country has shown thatcouncils and/or committees that are made up of more than one ministry are not effective.Hence, the organization should not include any ministry.

q The (existing) Traffic Emergency Committee1, which includes several ministries andbodies from the public sector, should constitute the TMO. However, the mandate and therole of the Traffic Emergency Committee should be improved. Moreover, to ensure thatthe recommendations of the committee are put into execution, it is recommended toreplace the present committee members by higher level officials.

q The organization shall be formed by a ministerial decree and shall not take the role of anyother ministry or organization. The primary traffic role will have to stay under theMinistry of Interior.

q The organization shall be in charge of the implementation of issues that are not handledby any other ministry or organization. Its primary role shall be planning and coordination.

q Similar to any ministry, the TMO should be under the Council of Ministries.

q Similar to France and other Gulf countries, the TMO should be under the InternalSecurity Forces.

q The organization is for transport, hence it should be under the Ministry of Transport.

q The organization should be made up of specialized professionals and should be heldresponsible for the execution of its mandate.

q The organization should be in charge of finding adequate engineering and operationalsolutions. This could be a burden on the Interior Security Forces that are in charge of theenforcement of all laws

1. The Traffic Emergency Committee is chaired by a high ranking officer of the Internal Security Forces and includes

representatives of: CDR, CEGP, CEGPVB, MPW, MOMRA, MOI, Municipalities, Vehicle RegistrationDepartment, Traffic Police and Civil Defense.



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q The creation of a TMO should be in line with the new trend which aims at shifting someplanning, operational and execution mandates from the police state to the civil state. Thepurpose of the TMO is to handle technical matters and not security or emergency issues.

The results of the Traffic Management and Control questionnaire that was filled byparticipants are presented in Annex 2-5. An analysis of the results indicated a generalagreement with respect to the following issues:

q Traffic signals should be installed on all warranted intersections.

q At signalized intersections priority should be given to cars.

q The tolerable period of waiting before clearing a signalized intersection is between 30 and180 sec.

q Even if intersections are signalized, policemen should be present to ensure compliance.

q Video camera could be used in traffic surveillance for incident detection and verification.

q A TMO for Greater Beirut Area is needed.

q The primary duty of the traffic control center should be to improve signal timing.

C. Grade Separation Component

The session on grade separations has been restricted to a quick overview of the objectives andscope of the grade separation component. The results of the questionnaire (Annex 2-6)revealed that the majority of the participants prefer the construction of underpasses as theybelieve that the construction of overpasses cause visual intrusion. Once again, under budgetconstraints, there was a consensus that, traffic signals and grade separations should be givenpriority over parking.

2.2.3 Environmental Impacts

Following a brief overview of the scope of the environmental assessment being conducted inrelation to the proposed BUTP and air quality management in the GBA, several issues wereraised and discussed regarding potential environmental impacts associated with the project.These covered a wide range including the introduction of public awareness programs, thephase-out of leaded fuel, and the taxation system and policy change regarding transport andtraffic planning in Lebanon. Major comments/suggestions made by the participants include:

q Cars should have the proper specifications that can ensure the protection of environment

q Catalytic converter and air bags are not luxury accessories. Consequently the governmentshould not impose additional taxes on them.

q Unleaded fuel should be cheaper than other types of fuel.

q High fuel standards can render the price of fuel very high. Therefore, as a first stepstringent regulations should be imposed on cars’ specifications.

q Catalytic converters will not function properly with leaded fuel. Hence it would benecessary to phase out leaded fuel.

q The project should consider strategic environmental assessment rather than a separateassessment for each component.



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q A public awareness program is necessary to ensure that the project is well known by thepublic. Although the solutions are technical, the public should be made aware of all theproject components.

q Little is known and made with respect to unleaded fuel. The project should put a lot ofweight on this issue and on public awareness regarding this issue.

q Both education and enforcement should be considered as part of the project. Educationand public awareness will have to be part of the mandate of the TMO.

q Landscaped areas should be considered as part of the design for grade separations andparking lots.

q The involvement of local municipalities in the project should be encouraged.

q Public awareness is necessary, however, poor law enforcement will have a great negativeimpact on awareness.

The results of the environmental impact questionnaire are enclosed in Annex 2-1. Analysis ofthe results revealed a general agreement on the following environmental issues:

q Vehicular traffic and traffic congestion are causing pollution problems in Beirut.

q Strict vehicular inspection should be considered as a means of reducing vehicular airpollution.

q Complete phasing out of unleaded fuel is an important priority issue and should beimplemented in less than five years.

q Air quality and noise levels should be monitored on a daily basis in Beirut.

q An environmental unit should be created for monitoring pollution levels, however thegovernment does not have the capacities to run such a unit.

q The Ministry of Environment should be responsible for environmental monitoring.

q Traffic management, parking and grade separations will have an impact on noise and airemissions

q The construction of parking and grade separations will have an impact on noise and airemissions.

q Stringent regulations could be among the most effective means of reducing air pollutionand noise levels.

2.3 Summary of Meeting Outcomes

During this first national consultation meeting, the project components were presented anddiscussed. These included: parking, traffic control management, grade separations andenvironmental impact. Moreover, for each component, the participants filled up aquestionnaire. Throughout the meeting, the participants have shown great interest andenthusiasm. Although different views have been articulated on several issues such as thecomposition, mandate and administration of the traffic management organization (TMO),there was a consensus with respect to several matters including:

q The importance of law enforcement with respect to (1) building parking lots, (2) usingparking and (3) respecting parking regulations along the streets.



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q The need to provide additional parking space.

q The creation of a traffic management organization (TMO).

q The increase in the number and capacities of the traffic policemen

q The construction of underpasses is favored because overpasses cause visual intrusion.

q The need to improve public awareness.

q The necessity of phasing out leaded fuel.

q Under budget constraint traffic signals and grade separations should be given priorityover parking.

In addition to the above raised issues, two participants provided the consultant with a series ofrecommendations (Annex 2-8). During the design of the project, every effort is made to takeinto consideration suggestions and recommendations made by the participants in the course ofthe consultation meeting.



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3. LOCAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETINGS

3.1 Meetings Process Description

The local public consultation meetings were prepared for and conducted in the followingmanner. A first contact was made with the Governor of Mount Lebanon who invited all theMunicipal Councils in Mount Lebanon affected by the BUTP to a meeting at his office onDecember 11, 1998. This meeting was attended by representations of CDR, the Consultant,and the Municipal Council of Antelias, Jal El Dib, Borj Hamoud, Jdaideh-Baouchrieh and SinEl-Fil. Meetings were held also with the Governor of Beirut, and the newly elected LordMayor of Beirut. As a result of which a presentation was made to the entire Beirut MunicipalCouncil on December 28, 1998, in preparation for the local public consultations.

Following those two meetings individual meetings were held with each Municipal Council inthe GBA, where BUTP has a significant component affecting the corresponding municipality.At some municipalities more than one meeting was necessary. With each municipality it wasdecided when and where to hold the public consultation meeting for their citizens. Posterswere prepared to advertise for the meeting. The posters were displayed at the bulletin boardof each municipality and at that meeting venue. Announcements in churches and mosquesand newspaper ads were also used.

During each meeting a short introduction was made by the representative of the CDR. Thenthe Consultant took presented the following:

q Purpose and objective of a consultation meeting since public hearings are a novelty inLebanon.

q An overview of the BUTP and its components.

q A detailed presentation of the proposals affecting the municipality of concern. Eachpresentation was accompanied by an overhead show of each proposed structure. Blueprints were also posted for review by the audience.

q The “do nothing” alternative and its consequences, as far as traffic congestion andenvironmental impacts, was presented.

q A summary of the expected environmental impacts and their proposed mitigationmeasures and environmental monitoring were discussed.

q The appraisal of the social impact was also introduced, to prepare citizens for the surveysincluded in the social impact studies.

After the Consultants presentations and during it, questions from the audience wereentertained. In more than one case, another meeting was held with the municipal councilfollowing the public hearing, in order to discuss some of the comments that were brought upduring the public hearing. Each meeting was fully documented. Photographs were taken andthe discussions were taped for future reference and archiving. Table 3-1 presents a summaryof all meetings conducted and Annex 3-1 includes a record of these meetings with list ofattendees.


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Table 3-1. Local Public Consultation Meetings

Date Time Municipality Location Attendees Type of Attendees Purpose of Meeting

11-Dec-98 11:00 AM Mouhafaza ofMount Lebanon

Serail ofBaabda

11 Governor/ Municipal Councils Members/ CDR/Consultant

Preparation for Consultation Meetings

14-Dec-98 4:00 PM Municipalities ofBorj Hammoudand Jdaideh

Municipalityof BorjHammoud

17 Municipal Council Members/ TechnicalAdvisors/ CDR/ Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separation at Dora

15-Dec-98 4:00 PM Municipality ofAntelias

CDR 11 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at Antelias& Jal El Dib

17-Dec-98 6:30 PM Municipality ofBorj Hammoud

DirmelkonianTheatre

28 Municipal Council Members/ Engineers/Businessmen/ Pharmacist/ Real EstateConsultant/ CDR/ Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separation at Dora

18-Dec-98 1:00 PM Municipality ofSin El Fil

Municipalityof Sin El Fil

10 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at Hayek &Mkalles

21-Dec-98 6:30 PM Municipality ofAntelias and JalEl Dib

Mar EliasChurch -Antelias

32 Municipal Council Members/ Developers/Contractor/ Engineers/ Attorneys/ Priest/ CDR/Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at Antelias& Jal El Dib

22-Dec-98 6:45 PM Municipality ofSin El Fil

El SaydehChurch - SinEl Fil

67 Municipal Council Members/ Property Owners/Business Owners/ Merchants/ Housewives/Students/ Attorneys/ College Professors/ CDR/Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at Hayek &Mkalles

28-Dec-98 7:00 PM Municipality ofBeirut

BeirutMunicipalityCouncil

30 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at Museum,Bechara Khoury/ Independence, Adlieh,Tayounneh, Beit El Atfal & Sami El Solh

07-Jan-99 7:00 PM Municipality ofBeirut

Khaled Ibn ElWalidSchool, BeitEl Atfal,Horch, Beirut


BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at BecharaKhoury/ Independence Tayounneh & Beit ElAtfal


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08-Jan-99 7:00 PM Municipality ofBeirut

FrenchCulturalCenter,DamascusRd, Beirut

53 Municipal Council Members/ Property Owners/Business Owners/ Merchants/ Housewives/Students/ Attorneys/ College Professors/Doctors/ Jeweler/ UN Consultant/ CDR/Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at Museum,Adlieh & Sami El Solh

14-Jan-99 7:00 PM Municipality ofChiyah

Municipalityof Chiyah

12 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at GalerieSemaan, Mar Mekhael & Mucharrafieh

16-Jan-99 10:00 AM Municipality ofGhobeiry

Municipalityof Ghobeiry

12 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at AirportRoad & Mucharrafieh

25-Jan-99 6:20 PM Municipality ofChiyah

Municipalityof Chiyah

24 Municipal Council Members/ Property Owners/Attorneys/ Engineers/ CDR/ Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at GalerieSemaan, Mar Mekhael & Mucharrafieh

08-Feb-99 6:15 PM Municipality ofGhobeiry

DallasCenter,Ghobeiry


BUTP - Proposed Grade Separations at AirportRoad & Mucharrafieh

02-Feb-99 12:30 PM Municipality ofChoueifat

Municipalityof Choueifat

7 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separation at Old SaidaRoad - Bchamoun/ Aramoun Bifurcation

29-Jan-99 12:30 PM Municipality ofChoueifat


7 Municipal Council Members/ CDR/ Consultant BUTP - Proposed Grade Separation at Old SaidaRoad - Bchamoun/ Aramoun Bifurcation

24-Feb-99 12:30 PM Municipality ofChoueifat


25 Municipal Council Members/ DevelopmentCommittee Members/ Business Owners/ CDR/Consultant

BUTP - Proposed Grade Separation at Old SaidaRoad - Bchamoun/ Aramoun Bifurcation



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3.2 Summary of Meetings Outcomes

The following represents an overall summary of general observations made through theprocess of public meetings:

q Public hearings and public consultations are new to Lebanon. In general, public was veryenthusiastic about being informed and consulted.

q Since the opportunities for public expression on urban projects are limited, the publicparticipation meetings were used as a platform to express demands and opinions ontraffic, transport, and urban planning that are wider than the BUTP scope.

q In general, the public was not sensitive to direct environmental impacts of congestion(emission, noise). Extensive public awareness campaigns are needed in this domain toexplain the negative environmental impact of the car in general, and congestion inparticular.

q People residing near some of the proposed grade separations conceived the benefits to gosolely to ‘through’ traffic and only inconveniences affect them.

q In general, ‘underpasses’ were preferred to ‘overpasses’.

q In some cases, an over-designed solution was proposed by the participants. It wasnecessary to explain the concepts of ‘cost effectiveness’ and ‘stage construction’.

q It was difficult to explain the concept of traffic modelling in forecasting future traffic. Itwas not easy to convince the public that it is possible to account in the forecasts forprojects currently under construction but not yet completed.

q In some cases the residents asked to delay the construction hoping that otherimprovements proposed at other locations will solve the problem at the location underconsideration near them, i.e. let us wait and see.

q Only in few cases, pedestrian circulation was brought up by the participants.

q In one or two cases the participants asked for more expropriation in order to make itpossible to provide curb-side parking on ramps.

q In all the cases, participants expressed their appreciation at the end of the meeting, butsome doubted whether their opinions will ever be taken into consideration.



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4. SECOND NATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING

A second national consultation meeting was held on June 1st 1999 at the Marriott Hotel,Beirut. The meeting was organized by TEAM International and the CDR with the objective toinform the participants of the status of the BUTP Preparatory Study, present the projectEnvironmental Impact Assessment component; and seek the opinion of concernedstakeholders regarding the changes in the orientation of the parking component.

4.1 Participants

Concerned stakeholders from various ministries, governmental authorities, municipalities,universities, research centers, international organizations, non-governmental organizationsand private developers have been invited to attend and participate in the second nationalconsultation meeting. Invitation letters were prepared in both English and Arabic and wereaccompanied with a brief description of the project objectives and scope of work, as well asthe meeting program. Many of the participants have participated in the first consultationmeeting that was held in June 26th 1998.

Most invited stakeholders responded to the invitation and delegated one or morerepresentatives to attend the meeting. Thirty-six persons attended the consultation meeting, inaddition to five representing CDR, and 14 individuals representing the Consultant. Annex 4-1lists the invitees and participants and Annex 4-2 includes the schedule of the meeting.Information on the BUTP objectives and scope was distributed to the invitee prior toattending the meeting.

4.2 Meeting Program

The meeting included the following sessions:

1. An opening session2. A presentation of the background of BUTP and the progress of the Preparation Study3. A presentation of the EIA, which also included relevant discussions on the Institutional

Aspects and the Economic Analysis.

A session was dedicated to presentation of the changes in the orientation.

4.2.1 Opening Session

Dr. Tammam Nakkash, the meeting Moderator and Managing Director of TEAMInternational, introduced the purpose of the meeting, which includes:

1. Presentation of the project objectives and components;2. Familiarization of all concerned stakeholders with the results of the Environmental Impact

Assessment;3. Familiarization of all concerned stakeholders with the changes that developed during the

study period.



15

The Moderator stressed on the necessity to initiate a dialogue with concerned stakeholdersand informed the participants that national consultations for BUTP are part of the consultant'sscope of work in order to ensure that the project serves the need of the people, supportssustainable development and respects the environment. Furthermore, he notified the attendeeshow the First Consultation Meeting recommendations, held on the June 26, 1998, hasoriented the efforts while completing the major part of the Preparatory Study. Notwithstanding, the purpose of the Second Consultation Meeting is to expose the results andexchange views about options and alternatives.

Dr. Nakkash singled out a "unique practice" which he considered as the first to happen inLebanon in its extent and nature, namely the public participation in the decision-makingprocess. This was achieved through daily interaction between the consultant (TEAMInternational) and CDR (the Project Owner) on one side and many government officials andbodies. Likewise, the citizens at large influenced by this project were approached with a closecooperation with the newly elected municipal councils and NGO's through Public HearingMeetings.

Following the brief introduction of the Moderator, Mr. George Samaha - CDR GeneralSecretary - addressed and welcomed the participants on behalf of the President of CDR. Mr.Samaha indicated the importance of equipping the transportation network with means toensure safety to the environment and citizens. He confirmed the urgent need for action toorganize the parking problems on the curb and the management of traffic at majorintersections at a shrewd cost. He pointed out the importance of adopting objective publictransport policies as well as improving its service quality, timing and geographical coverage,in order to encourage people to use it for their daily travel.

Following Mr. Samaha’s Speech, Mr. Adel Hamieh - opened the meeting and welcomed theattendee on behalf of H.E. Najib Mikati, Minister of Transport and Public Works. Mr.Hamieh expressed his great admiration for the BUTP. He then stated that the Ministry ofTransport considers BUTP as a pilot project that should be implemented first in GreaterBeirut and eventually all over the Lebanese territories. Mr. Hamieh vocalized his awarenessof the huge traffic problems due to the lack of organization, hence its negative impacts on theenvironment, the economy and the social sectors at large. Nonetheless, he described BUTP asthe first pillar required to improve the transport service and road situation. He then declaredthe engagement of the Ministry of Transport to prepare a workshop on National Policy forLand Transport during the month of July and the commitment of the Ministry of Public Workto launch the National Road Project. The translation of the opening session addresses arepresented in Annex 4-3.

4.2.2 Plenary Sessions

Following the opening session, the Moderator explained the procedure, which will be adoptedduring the plenary sessions. He emphasized that Urban Transport is a complex subject andcannot be discussed in detail in few hours. He pointed out to the five main presentationcomponents that will be discussed in sequence and indicated that for the parking component aquestionnaire has been prepared and will be distributed to the participants. The aim of the



16

questionnaire is to provide the participants with guidance to the problems and issues that maybe encountered and to seek their opinion on handling them.

He added that most of the duration of the meeting is concentrated on the EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (EIA), which he described as the nucleus of the preparatory study. This isdue to its relationship to all the other studies. He affirmed that EIA is not an aftermath ofwhat the design has presented; but it has also implicated the decisions, which were taken inthe design process. Moreover all its results were taken into consideration during all thepreliminary studies. Hence, it is indeed not just a corrective plan, but also as a preventive one,used during all the planning and design stages.

Prior to the overall project presentation, a brief background information was introduced bythe Moderator regarding the transport master plan, which was prepared by TEAMInternational in 1994 (an immediate action plan and a long term plan till the year 2015). Themaster plan concluded that the execution and operation of all highway projects which areunder implementation and study will not meet the traffic demand of the year 2015 without theintroduction of an effective public transport system. Hence, it was found necessary to assesstraffic congestion in order to facilitate the flow of the public transport. As such, one purposeof the BUTP is to facilitate the operation of the public transport system. Public transport, onits own, is not covered under the scope of the BUTP. Nonetheless, he alerted the attendee notto fall into the conception that BUTP is a project that encourages the use of cars.

The Moderator then provided a quick overview of the five major presentation components ofthe BUTP (environmental impact assessment, transport sector related policies, economicanalysis, parking management survey and environmental monitoring plan) and opened thefloor for a brief discussion.

4.2.3 Environmental Impact Assessment Session

EA objectives and scope of work

At the beginning, Dr. Mutasem El Fadel gave a brief description of the EIA and explained theorganizational chart of the project team that worked on the Environmental Assessment. Hethen elaborated on the EA objectives:

q Provide a sound basis for decision-making about the design of project components thattakes environmental considerations into account

q Insure that the project is implemented with full awareness of environmental factorsq Inform the public when and how the project implementation may affect their environmentq Facilitate public participation in the decision-making process

Dr. El Fadel then moved on explaining the EIA scope of work which he outlined by:

q Definition of policies, legal and administrative framework;q Project description and objectives;q Definition of existing environmental conditions;q Identification and analysis of environmental impacts;



17

q Definition and analysis of potential alternatives;q Identification and analysis of mitigation measures;q Development of environmental management plan;q Development of an environmental monitoring plan;q Solicitation of public participation;q Preparation of a full EA report.

A presentation of the results pertaining to the scope of work was then conducted by Dr. El-Fadel (overall EIA process), Dr. Salam (policies, legal and administrative framework) andMr. El-Zarif (economic assessment). In addition, the new emphasis reorientation towards on-street parking for parking management was presented by Dr. Nakkash. In this regards, themain features of on-street parking control systems and the key elements of a parking strategywere presented. The types of concessions for managing on-street parking (i.e. private sector,municipalities) as well as potential sources of funds were also addressed. A survey was thenconducted and the corresponding results are which are self-explanatory, are included inAnnex 4-4. During the presentations, several discussions and interventions from the publictook place. A record of these is included in Annex 4-5.

4.3 Summary of Meeting Outcomes

The following represents an overall summary of general observations made through theprocess of second national consultation meeting:

q While public hearings and public consultations are new to Lebanon, in general, the publicwas very receptive about being informed and consulted.

q As in previous meetings, the public was less sensitive to direct environmental impacts ofcongestion (emission, noise). Extensive public awareness campaigns are needed in thisdomain to explain the negative environmental impact of the car in general, and congestionin particular.

q Some participants expressed the need for a strategy for phasing out leaded gasoline andthat all medians and islands should be planted and not paved.

q The meeting was used as a platform to express opinions about the new reorientationtowards on-street parking.

q Participants opined that public transportation should receive attention and ademonstration project was proposed where a dedicated bus-lane is implemented: one ofthe multi-lane divided boulevards of the city of Beirut. In addition, the need foridentification of bus and taxi-service stops and restriction of passengers pitch up and dropwas expressed.

q In one instance, an objection was voiced against the proposed improvements at the Hayekintersection, which was the subject of extensive local public hearings.

q Participants expressed their appreciation for the public consultation process at the end ofthe meeting and emphasized the need to further develop such meetings in other publicprojects.

Annex 2-1 Description of the BUTP Objectives and Scope of Work

The attached project description was provided to all invitees to the First National Consultation Meeting

prior to the meeting.

PROJECT SUMMARY - CONSULTATION MEETING

640/JUNE/CONSULTATIONJUNE98 1

BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT

A. INTRODUCTION

Beirut is the core of the service-based economy of Lebanon with one third of thepopulation and contributes in excess of two thirds of the total value added in the economy.The city and its metropolitan area, however, suffer severe traffic congestion, a result of anextremely deficient transportation system. This implies high economic losses anddeteriorating air quality. As sustained growth of the service-oriented economy isunderpinned by efficient infrastructure, Beirut needs to improve the operational andeconomic efficiency of its urban transport system.

In its heyday, Beirut had an extensive urban transport system including a well developedbus system and even a trolley-bus system. Due to the prolonged period of conflict thisinfrastructure deteriorated. Also, over the last two decades major changes have occurred inLebanon’s demography due to urbanization and displacement of residents from the Southand relocation of businesses from Beirut to various locations along the coast. These haveresulted in important changes in traffic patterns throughout the Greater Beirut Area (GBA),which, in turn, generates severe congestion both in and around Beirut and particularly atthe connections with the coastal highway to the north and south. The problem ofcongestion is exacerbated by a heavy reliance on the use of private cars, which amounts toapproximately 300,000 cars for a population of some 1.2 million in the GBA (about 250cars per 1000 inhabitants). Over 70 percent of total motorized person trips, more than halfof which are home-to-work, are made by private car. Shared taxis account for nearly 20percent of all trips, while just 10 percent of the population is served by privately andpublicly operated bus services. In addition, latent travel demand is high and wouldmaterialize with improving supply of transport capacity.

For Beirut to develop as a competitive regional center for finance, trade, services andtourism, it should have an efficient transport system. To this end, the Government prepareda comprehensive Greater Beirut Area Transportation Plan (GBATP) which addresses themost serious urban transport issues, analyzes needed investments through the year 2015,and recommends a large phased investment program. The prioritization and phasing of thisprogram, which will be the largest single investment need in Lebanon over the next tenyears, will require a significant planning, consensus building, and resource mobilizationeffort. The proposed Beirut Urban Transport Project would provide the fundamental urbantransport apparatus needed to address the extremely diverse and complex transport issuesthe city faces, and support selected immediate actions of the GBATP.

There are several key issues which must be immediately addressed to improve theoperational and economic efficiency of the GBA urban transport system. These issuescould be broadly grouped into five main categories: (a) traffic management; (b) networkcapacity; (c) parking provision and controls; (d) public transport; and (e) transportemissions. It is beyond the realm of an individual project to address all the issues, thisparticular project would therefore focus on a limited number of strategic issues — namely,traffic management, network capacity deficiencies, and parking. Addressing GBA’stransport problems such as transport planning, public transport, and transport emissions,would require several projects and the proposed operation would help serve as thefoundation.



B. BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT: OBJECTIVES ANDDESCRIPTION

The primary development objective of the proposed Beirut Urban Transport Project(BUTP) is to enhance the economic productivity of the GBA by improving the operationaland economic efficiency of its urban transport system. Criteria for evaluating theachievement of this objective will be: (a) an effective Traffic Management Organizationfocusing on traffic engineering, control, and management for the entire GBA; (b) reducedcongestion (increased traffic speed on major corridors); and (c) unauthorized parkingeliminated in specific zones and increase off-street parking capacity in those areas.

Specifically, BUTP would comprise of the following components:

(i) Traffic Management Improvement Program: (i) capacity building in trafficmanagement (ii) traffic signals and layout improvements for all significantintersections in GBA (about 215); and (iii) equipping a Traffic Control Center(TCC) to be operated by the GBA Traffic Management Organization (TMO).

(ii) Parking Improvement Program: to control parking along all main arteries and inselected zones and increase off-street parking capacity in those zones by (i)developing appropriate strategy, regulations, pricing and institutionalarrangements for parking controls enforcement and parking facilities operation;and (ii) financing the construction of about five parking facilities at selectedlocations to accommodate a total of about 1,500 vehicles. The proposed fiveparking facilities will be constructed on municipal land and concessioned toprivate operators. These concessionaires would also be given the control of on-street parking meters and parking enforcement in the zone of influence of theparking facility.

(iii) Corridor Improvement Program for Beirut Entrances to improved traffic flowalong major corridors to Beirut entrances by financing the construction of gradeseparations at 16 congested intersections.

(iv) Technical Assistance to improve urban transport plans and programs for follow-up operations by financing technical assistance to prepare feasibility andengineering studies. The technical assistance component would also includestudies to address transport emissions in terms of broader transport planning,specific measures to reduce emissions from in-use and new vehicles,substitution of cleaner transport fuels, and assessments of institutional andregulatory requirements.

C. OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY

The primary objective of this study is to carry out the preparatory studies required for theBUTP. These studies will include:

(i) Review and assess current institutional framework and arrangements in urbantransport in GBA

(ii) Establishing institutional framework and conditions for setting up a unifiedTraffic Management Organization (TMO) for the Greater Beirut Area. ThisTMO will be responsible to traffic engineering, management, and controlfunctions for the entire GBA.

(iii) Development of regulations, pricing, policies, and institutional arrangements forparking control and operations in the GBA and to create enabling conditions forprivate sector investment in the sector.



(iv) Development of financial forecasts and business plan for the 5 parking facilitiesto be built and concessioned to private sector under the proposed ParkingImprovement Program,

(v) Conduct economic and financial analysis for all proposed components,

(vi) Conduct environmental assessment for all proposed components; and

(vii) Preliminary engineering and technical specifications for the infrastructurecomponents to be implemented in the first year of the project.

D. SCOPE OF WORK

In order to the meet the project objectives, the following tasks will be conducted:

Task 1: Preparation of the Traffic Management Improvement component

Task 2: Preparation of the Parking Improvement Program component

Task 3: Preparation of the Corridor Improvement Program for Beirut Entrancescomponent

Task 4: Environmental Assessment

Task 5: Economic Analysis of all Investment Components.

Specific activities under each task are described below.

Task 1: Preparation of the Traffic Management Improvement Component

This task consists of the following four major activities: (a) institutionalassessment of the Beirut urban transport sector with emphasis of trafficmanagement functions (b) assist the client in the identification of suitableworkable alternatives for setting up a centralized GBA Traffic ManagementOrganization (TMO) that will perform all traffic engineering, operations,control, and management functions of the overall traffic management system forGBA and technical specifications/tender documents for the components of thissystem to be procured under this project and (d) development of circulationplans and traffic management strategies.

Task 2: Preparation of the Parking Improvement Component

This task consists of three key activities: (a) development of regulations, pricingand institutional arrangements for parking control, enforcement and operationsin the GBA and to create enabling environment for private investment inparking (b) preliminary design of the proposed parking facilities, and (c)development of a project report (including business plan and financial forecast)on the parking program for use by the private sector operators.

Task 3: Preparation of Corridor Improvement Program for Beirut Entrances

Sixteen intersections have been identified as requiring grade separation. Thedesign has been completed for two overpasses. These sixteen congestedintersections located throughout the study area are targeted for environmentaland economic analyses. Fourteen intersections will undergo preliminary design.

Task 4: Environmental Assessment

Environmental studies will be conducted for all the project components. Therecommendations for their individual environmental analysis are providedbelow:



(i) Traffic Management Improvement Component. The proposed componenthas been placed in World Bank Environmental Screening Category “B,”and would require preparation of an Environmental Management Plan.Such a plan would provide a framework for addressing environmentalissues in the implementation of this component. The EnvironmentalManagement Plan would include the development of potential impact and aframework for addressing any environmental concerns resulting from theimplementation of the traffic management system improvements plannedunder BUTP.

(ii) Parking Improvement Component. The proposed component has beenplaced in World Bank Environmental Screening Category “A” and wouldrequire preparation of a Site Specific Environmental Assessment to addressissues related to the proposed development of new off-street parkingfacilities (garages). A special issue associated with this component is theevaluation of potential impacts to archaeological and historical sites whichmay exist at locations proposed for the Parking Improvement Program, aswell as the need to adopt “Archaeological Chance Find Procedures” in casepreviously unknown cultural materials are discovered in the course ofexcavations.

(iii) Grade Separation Construction Program. The proposed component hasbeen placed in World Bank Environmental Screening Category “B” andwould require preparation of Environmental Management Plans for the twooverpasses already planned and the thirteen highly congested intersectionsselected for grade separation improvements. This series of EnvironmentalManagement Plans would provide a framework for addressing site-specificconcerns related to individual activities under this component and allow formitigation measures to be developed on a case-by-case basis.

Task 5: Economic Analyses of All Investment Components

The task will include, but not be limited to, the following activities:

- estimate VOC and value of time- calibrate network model- estimate project’s impacts on key urban transport indicators- evaluate benefits of all components – savings in operating costs and travel

times- estimate rate of returns- project fiscal impact analysis.

Annex 2-2 List of invited stakeholders and participants at the First National Consultation Meeting

BUTP-partJune 23, 1998

LIST OF INVITED STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTICIPANTSAT THE FIRST NATIONAL CONSULTION MEETING

INSTITUTION INVITED ATTENDED

AUB / Fac, of Health Sciences Acting Dean MakhloufHaddadine

Iman Nuwayhid / Issam Kayssi / MohamedBaaj

Fac. of Engineering Dean Nassir Sabah -

LAU Abdallah Sfeir -

Lebanese University Atallah Jabbour -

Arab University Hasan Ndeir Khairallah -

ESIB Mansour Asmar -

MOMRA Hagop Demerjian -

Min. of Transportation Omar Miskawi Imad Nawam

Min. of Higher Education Cheikh Fawzi Hobeich Ghassan Abu-Shakra

Min. of Health Soleiman Frangié -

Min. of Environment Akram Chehayeb -

Min. of Petroleum Chaheh Barsoumian Badawi Semaan

Min. of Admin. Reform Bechara Merhej André Amiouni

Min. of P.W. / PIU Abdel-Hafiz Kayssi -

Min. of P.W. Ali Hrajli Mohsen Tlais

Mohafaza of Beirut Nicolas Saba Michel Aassaf

Municipality of Beirut Abdel-Mohnem Ariss Abdel-Mohnem Ariss

Mohafaza Mount Lebanon Suhail Yamout Edouard Choucair / Maher Tmim

Forces de Sécurité Int. Iskandar Ajjaka Iskandar Ajjaka / Zakhia Kallab / SalahEid / Emile Atallah / Elias Mghabghab /Joseph Msallem

Marwan El-Zein

Ghassan Noujaim

-

ESCWA Hazem El-Beblawi Nabil Safwat

UNDP Ross Mountain Kumiko Yatagai / Lamia Mansour /Matilda Khoury

National Scientific ResearchCouncil

Georges Tohmé -

CEGP Mohammed Fawaz Malek Fakih / Mosbah Istambouli / WaelSabra / Nazem al-Khatib

CEGPVB Nour Eddine Ghaziri Samir Mansour

BUTP-partJune 23, 1998

INSTITUTION INVITED ATTENDED

Solidere Nasser Chammah Youssef Fawaz

Al-Multaka Al-Akhdar Nash at Mansour Nash at Mansour

Rotary Club George Theodory Raouf Malak

Order of Engineers Assem Salam Riad Kawa

ALTOROC Fadi Fawaz Fadi Kahoul / André Bacha /Nasri Abdel-Nour

Direction Générale del Urbanisme

Saad Khaled Walid Darwich / Ali Ramadan

Lebanese Environment Forum Assad Serhal -

WORLD BANK:Ajay K. Rathi

CLIENT (CDR):

Nohad Baroody

Ghassan Khairallah

Alain Cordahi

Nader Srage

Nayef Germani

Elie Helou

BUTP STUDY TEAM:

Yusef Salam

Antoine Hobeika

Zaki Nakkash

Imad Mroueh

Lina Kattan

Tammam Nakkash

Hicham Chatila

Jamal Al-Zarif

Nabil el-Baba

Rita Wahab

Mutasem Al-Fadel

Randa Nemr

Nazih Kronfol

Mariam Hachache

Annex 2-3 First national consultation meeting program

FIRST CONSULTATION MEETING

ON

BEIRUT URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT

BEIRUT MARIOTT HOTEL - 23 JUNE 1998

08:30 - 09:00 Registration

09:00 - 09:30 Opening Session - President ofCouncil for Development and Reconstruction

09:30 - 10:30 Presentation of BUTP and its Major Components

10:30 - 11:00 Break

11:00 - 13:00 Discussion of Project Components

13:00 - 13:30 Formulation of Recommendations

13:30 - 14:45 Lunch

14:45 - 15:00 Announcement of Recommendations

Annex 2-4 Parking component and analysis of results

This questionnaire was filled by the participants to the First National Consultation meeting. The

questionnaire was filled and collected during the meeting. TEAM International staff synthesized the results

and filled in the statistics in this Annex.

640/Parking QuestionnaireJune 23, 1998

PARKING QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

1. Do you believe chaotic parking is the mainreason for traffic congestion?

Yes

No

85%

13%2. Parking at the curb should not be provided freein commercial districts

Agree

Disagree

93%

0%

3. Where parking meters are installed, theminimum charge for first ½ hour should not beless than:

500 L.L.

1000 L.L.

1500 L.L.

2000 L.L.

72%

24%

2%

2%4. Where meters are installed, the charge for onehour shouldn’t be less than:

500 L.L.

1000 L.L.

1500 L.L.

2000 L.L.

30%

48%

17%

4%5. Where meters are installed, the charge for twohours shouldn’t be less than:

1000 L.L.

1500 L.L.

2000 L.L.

3000 L.L.

30%

39%

15%

13%6. For the same cost what is your preferred placeof parking,rank 1, 2, 3, 41 = most preferred

At the curb

In parking lot

In a multi-story garage aboveground

In an underground garage

28%

26%

22%

26%7. Are you willing to pay more for parking in agarage?

Yes

No

50%

50%8. Improving parking enforcement is important forthe following objectives please rank you answer1, 2, 31 = most important

Improve vehicular circulation

Clear sidewalk for pedestrians

Reduce emission

80%

17%

2%

9. The current enforcement of parking regulationis:(you may choose more than one box)

Adequate

Sporadic

Ineffective

Needs to be changed

11%

13%

13%

20%

10. Compliance with parking regulation can bemore effective if parking fines are high enough

Yes

No

65%

35%

640/Parking QuestionnaireJune 23, 1998

PARKING QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS (Cont’d)

11. Improving parking enforcement is bestachievable via,please rank 1, 2, 3, 41 = best

Parking citations

Physical barriers

Wheel clamps

Towing

24%

24%

15%

35%

12. Priority in parking at the curb should be givenonly to the handicapped:

Yes

No

74%

26%13. Parking government action priority should begiven to:rank your answer 1, 2, 31 = highest priority

Visitor -Shopper

Commuter

Area - Resident

50%

20%

26%

14. Do you support building underground publicparking garages?

Yes

No

93%

7%15. Public parking garages should be provided inthe City Center for the following reasons.Please rank 1, 2, 3, 41 = most important

Improve vehicular circulation

Reduce vehicular emissions

Improve traffic safety

Reduce negative visual impact

78%

7%

4%

9%

16. Underground public parking garages have anegative effect.please rank 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 = most negative

Expensive

Interfere with archeologicalremains

Big problems in lighting &ventilation in case of powerfailure

Require continuous surveillance

Affect underground water qualityand level

54%

2%

17%

17%

4%

17. Providing public parking garages may not be agood idea in the city center for the followingreasons.please rank 1, 2, 3, 41 = most important

Attract higher traffic to city center

Consumes valuable land

Could displace people

Induce negative impact onaesthetics of the city

65%

20%

0%

2%

18. Providing public parking garages should beavoided in the city center

Yes

No

24%

70%19. Which of the 3 components you wouldconsider of highest priority under budgetconstraints?Please rank as 1, 2, 31 = highest priority

Traffic signals

Parking

Grade separation

37%

26%

35%

NOTE: For questions requiring ranking of possible answers, frequency of rank 1answers is shown.

Annex 2-5 Traffic management questionnaire and analysis of results




640/Traffic Cont Questionnaire June 23, 1998 1/2

TRAFFIC CONTROL QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

1. The real positive impacts of signalizedintersections are:please rank 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 71 = most positive

Reduce vehicle stops

Higher avg. speed

Less emissions

Noise reduction

Pedestrian safety

Good image

Safer for cars

38%

30%

0%

0%

5%

16%

22%

2. Do you think we need and should install trafficsignals on all major intersections in GBA ?

Yes

No

100%

0%

3. If intersections were signalized, priority should begiven to:Choose one

Cars

Pedestrians

62%

30%

4. What is the maximum period of waiting you findacceptable before clearing a signalized intersection?

< 30 sec

30 - 60 sec

60 - 90 sec

90 - 120 sec

120 - 180 sec

> 180 sec

5%27%32%24%8%0%

5. In your opinion what are the reasons for reducingthe effectiveness of a signal system in Beirut?please rank reasons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1 = most critical

Lack of lane discipline

Interference of buses & taxis

Turning from wrong lane

Pedestrians

Other: specify ……………….

35%11%24%

3%

19%

6. Do you still see a role for a policeman where theintersections are signalized?

Yes

No

76%

24%

7. If yes, please rank the following roles: 1, 2, 3, 4

1 = most important

Ensure compliance

Override signal as he sees fit

Take over in case of signal failure


59%

19%

0%

3%

8. Video Camera may be used in traffic surveillancefor incident detection and verification.Would you support their use?

Yes

No

86%

8%

640/Traffic Cont Questionnaire June 23, 1998 2/2

TRAFFIC CONTROL QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS (Cont’d)

9. If no, what are the reasons for your objection,Please rank 1, 2, 3, 4

Ineffective

Unnecessary cost

May be intrusive on privacy


5%

5%

3%

0%

10. Do you think that a Transportation ManagementOrganization (TMO) in Greater Beirut Area (GBA) isneeded?

Yes

No

97%

0%

11. The operating budget for a TMO should beprovided by:Please rank 1, 2, 3, 4,51 = most preferred

Municipal taxes

Central budget

Fuel taxes/Vehicle registration

Parking collection

Traffic fines

16%

16%

22%

16%

22%

12. Where do you think a TransportationManagement Organization for Greater Beirut Areashould have its administrative affiliation?

Ministry of Transport

CDR

Police

Municipalities

Ministry of Public Works

Other: Specify ……………….

16%

0%

32%

14%

3%

30%

13. A Traffic Control Center may be needed tocoordinate traffic signals and providing incidentmanagement.Please rank its duties: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

1 = most important

Improve Signal timing

Incident Management

Give priority to public transport

Give priority to emergency vehicles,ambulance, fire

Give priority to motorcades

Security benefits through camerasurveillance

Other: Specify ……………….

62%

14%

5%

11%

0%

3%

0%

14. Which of the 3 components you would considerof the highest priority under budget constraints?Please rank as 1, 2, 31 = highest priority

Traffic signals

Parking

Grade separation

35%

19%

31%


Annex 2-6 Grade separations questionnaire and analysis of results




640/Grade Separation Questionnaire June 23, 1998 1/1

GRADE SEPARATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

1. As a GBA resident, which type of gradeseparations you prefer in general?

Over pass

Under pass

No preference

20%

60%

17%2. How do you rank the negative impact ofoverpasses?please rank 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 = highest negative impact

Visual intrusion

Noise

Emission

Effect on business

Vibration

57%

11%

6%

14%

9%3. How do you assess the negative impact ofunderpasses?please rank 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 = highest negative impact

Visual intrusion

Noise

Emission

Effect on business

Vibration

3%

9%

31%

20%

14%4. Do you suspect archeological finds will beencountered while constructing underpasses at theindicated locations?

Yes

No

Don’t know

37%

14%

43%5. Please rank the following possible inconveniencesthat may be encountered during construction, frommost disturbing to less disturbing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 51 = most disturbing

Detours

Noise

Dust

Effect on business

Other: Specify

71%

0%

6%

17%

3%6. Which of the 3 components that address trafficproblems in GBA you find of the highest priorityunder budget constraints?Please rank as 1, 2, 31 = highest priority

Traffic signals

Parking

Grade separation

37%

11%

34%


Annex 2-7 Environmental impact questionnaire and analysis of results




640/Env.Impact QuestionnaireJune 23, 1998

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

1. Do you perceive of a real pollution problem inGreater Beirut caused by vehicular traffic?

Yes

No

Don’t know

97%

0%

3%2. Do you perceive of a pollution problem inGreater Beirut caused by traffic congestion?

Yes

No

Don’t know

100%

0%0%

3. Please rank the unpleasant impacts of the car:1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1 = most unpleasant

Pollution

Noise

Visual Intrusion

Improper parking(double, over sidewalk)

Accidents

57%

9%

0%

23%

9%

4. Reduction of vehicular air pollution can best beachieved through:please rank 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

1 = best means

Strict vehicle inspection

Improve role of public transport

Raise price of gasoline

Restrict car use (by area & time)

Gradual phase-out of leaded-gasoline

Improve circulation & reductionof congestion

Other: specify

49%

17%

0%

0%

9%

23%

3%

5. Do you find the phasing out of leaded gasolinean important priority issue?

Yes

No

91%

9%

6. Do you find it necessary to phase out leadedgasoline completely?

Yes

No

86%

14%

7. What are the effective means for phasing outleaded gasoline?please rank 1, 2, 3, 41 = most effective

Reduce lead concentration ingasoline

Reduce taxes on unleadedgasoline

Stop importing leaded gasoline

Phase out cars that require leadedgasoline

17%

34%

31%

14%

8. How long do you think it should take to phaseout leaded gasoline?

Less than 5 years

More than 5 years

Should never happen

57%37%3%

9. Do you think it is necessary to monitor airquality in the city on a daily basis?

Yes

No

86%

11%


ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS(Cont’d)

10. Do you think it is necessary to monitor noiselevels in the city on a daily basis?

Yes

No

80%

17%

11. Is it necessary to create an environmental unitfor monitoring pollution levels?

Yes

No

97%

0%

12. Who should be responsible for monitoring ofenvironmental pollution?

Ministry of Environment

Ministry of Interior

Independent governmentauthority

Private institution

89%0%

3%

0%

13. Who should conduct the monitoring ofenvironmental pollution?

Ministry of Environment

Universities

Research centers

Private institutions

49%

9%

20%

6%

14. Does the Lebanese Government currently hasthe capacities to run such a unit?

Yes

No

31%

54%

15. Emission inspection is needed: No

Annual

Every two years

Every three years

0%

83%

11%

0%

16. Does traffic management affect air emissions? Yes

No

Don’t know

91%

0%0%

17. Does traffic management affect noiseemissions?

Yes

No

Don’t know

91%

6%0%

18. Do grade separations affect air emissions? Yes

No

Don’t know

77%11%

6%

19. Do grade separations affect noise emissions? Yes

No

Don’t know

89%

3%

3%

20. Do parking affect air emissions? Yes

No

Don’t know

77%

9%

6%

21. Does parking affect noise emissions? Yes

No

Don’t know

69%

17%

6%


ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS(Cont’d)

22. Does the construction of grade separationsaffect air emissions?

Yes

No

Don’t know

71%

9%

6%

23. Does the construction of grade separationsaffect noise emissions?

Yes

No

Don’t know

80%

6%

0%

24. Does the construction of parking structuresaffect air emissions?

Yes

No

Don’t know

63%

17%

9%

25. Does the construction of parking structuresaffect noise emissions?

Yes

No

Don’t know

69%

14%

6%

26. What is the effective mean of reducing noiselevels?Please rank 1, 2, 3, 4

1 = most effective

Sound barrier

Tree planting

Increase taxes on gasoline

Stringent regulations on carspecifications

34%

23%

0%

40%

27. What are the possible means of reducing airpollution?Please rank 1, 2, 3, 4

1 = most effective

29%

3%

26%

37%

NOTE: For questions requiring ranking of possible answers, frequency of rank1 answers is shown.

Annex 2-8 Participants recommendations

(Translated from Arabic)

Recommendations Proposed by Brig. General Iskandar Ajjaka -Chief of Traffic Emergency Committee

We record our appreciation for the efforts that went into organizing the FirstConsultation Meeting that was held on 23/06/1998.I see the urgent recommendations to include:

1. Accelerate establishing a Traffic Control Center (TTC) for Greater Beirut. Wehave a clear vision for the needed staffing and where to locate the center.

2. Initiate a public information campaign to encourage the private sector to invest inbuilding public car parks, especially that the law giving incentives for this activity isnow in place. Some international developers will be interested. Rarity of suitableland will be a problem.

3. Construct grade separations (overpasses and underpasses) and pedestriancrossings, at well known locations.

4. Encourage coastal maritime transport between large coastal towns to reducevehicular traffic.

5. Establish a high commission for operating the proposed facilities which includestransport, traffic, parking and similar activities. I propose to mutate the TrafficEmergency Committee to become this commission, restructuring it, activating it,and probably changing its name.

6. Implement the law of compulsory car insurance. It will improve the quality of thecar fleet and benefit the transport.


Proposals Presented by Mr. Badawi Semaan -Head of the Economic and Financial Affairs Department

Ministry of Petroleum

I commute daily between the North and Beirut, and I have noticed improvementsduring the last 3 years. I thank the Traffic Emergency Committee on its efforts inspiteof its limited resources.

The traffic problem in Beirut is part of a whole and is directly tied to other issues.

I propose the following solutions:

Immediate Solutions1. All municipal councils within Greater Beirut to transform vacant land lots to car

parking lots.

2. Install parking meters, at reasonable rates.

3. Enforce laws and regulations strictly and accurately, fortify traffic police withadditional staff and resources, and assign some of its responsibilities to themunicipal police.

4. Check on the road worthiness of cars and implement a periodic inspection.

Intermediate Solutions1. Establish large park-and-ride facilities, to be free for users of public transport.

2. Decrease the number of cars licensed as taxi and taxi-service to fit the real need.

3. Detour some ships from Beirut Port to the ports of Tripoli, Saida, and Sour.

4. Implement the exclusivity of Tripoli Fair for holding international fairs.

5. Fortify the financial role of municipalities, chambers of industry, commerce andagriculture in the regions.

6. Consult transport economists in deciding on transport investments.

Long-Term Solutions1. Implement administrative decentralization to reduce vehicle commuting to Beirut.

2. Rehabilite Quleiaat Airport, and divert all cargo flights to it.

3. Relocate the petroleum products tank farm from Dawra to an area outside thecapital.

4. Resort to coastal maritime transport among cities, if feasible.

Annex 3-1 Records of local public consultation meetings

640/hearing3 (Rec.6)December 21, 1998

RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Municipal HQ of Sin El-filDate: 18/12/1998Subject: Presentation of Projects on Saloumeh-Hayek -Mkalles

Axis and preparation for Consultation MeetingAttending: Mr. Sami Shaoul - President of Sinn El Fil Municipality

Mr. Nabil Kahaleh - Member of Sinn El Fil MunicipalityMr. Pierre Ghazal - Member of Sinn El Fil MunicipalityMr. Hoseph Farah - Member of Sinn El Fil MunicipalityMr. Elia Al-Aaraj - Member of Sinn El Fil MunicipalityMr. Johnny Abi-Rashed - Member of Sinn El Fil MunicipalityMr. Elie Helou - CDRMr. Tammam Nakkash - TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal Al-Zarif - TEAM InternationalMr. Imad Mroueh - TEAM International

The President started by explaining to the members of the Municipal Council the purpose of themeeting: (1) presentation of CDR projects affecting their Municipality and (2) preparing for thepublic consultation meeting

The Consultant presented the components of the BUTP: Traffic Management, ParkingImprovement, and Grade Separations (Hayek and Mkalles two of which). The development ofthe BUTP starting from the Greater Beirut Transport Plan conducted in 1994 was explained.An overview of the data collection, analysis and modeling efforts was presented.

The question of whether there is really the need for grade separation at Hayek, especially thereare other projects around it that may reduce the flow of traffic on it, was asked the Consultantexplained that the traffic estimates and projections are based on a network model which coversthe entire GBA. The model takes into consideration all committed Projects.

The Consultant presented all the alternatives that were considered before selecting the proposedconfiguration. Traffic, environmental, emission, noise, and economic considerations werepresented, with a comparison of the alternatives: advantages and disadvantages of each.

The members of the Municipal Council were very keen on knowing that the proposed gradeseparations are required in addition to all other possible traffic management solutions. They alsostressed the importance of executing all the elements of the project that leads to roodimprovement, signing, marking, signals, landscaping, and improving the performance of trafficpolice.

The proposed overpass at Mkalles was also presented. At the conclusion it was agreed towidely advertise the Public Consultation Meeting Planned for the evening of 22/12/1998.

640/hearing3 (Rec.9)January 8, 1999

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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Beirut Municipal CouncilDate: 28/12/1998Subject: Presentation of BUTP in Preparation for

Consultation MeetingsAttending: The President and Members of the Beirut Municipal Council

Mr. Elie Helou - CDRMr. Tammam Nakkash - TEAM InternationalDr. Mutasem El-Fadel - AUB/TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal Al-Zarif - TEAM InternationalMr. Imad Mroueh - TEAM International

Meeting started at 7:00 PM. The President of the Municipal Council of Beirut introduced Mr.E. Helou of CDR.

Mr. Helou presented briefly the projects under preparation by CDR and candidate for receivingWB funding. Mr. Helou defined the three components of BUTP:- Traffic Management, installing signals, all are connected to a TCC- Addressing the parking problem, with regulation of on-street parking as a priority- Constructing grade separations at 16 junctions, 6 of which are within municipal Beirut.

Mr. Helou stressed that the objectives of BUTP include, in addition to improving trafficcondition, reducing the pollution (noise and emissions) caused by cars.

Dr. Nakkash, representing TI presented the background of BUTP, he informed that the startingpoint was the preparation of the Greater Beirut Transport Plan (GBTP) which recommendedthree staged plans: Immediate, Medium and Long Term.

The BUTP contains most of the Immediate Action Plan and part of the Medium Term Plan. Dr.Nakkash explained that application for WB funding requires investigating, in addition to theusual technical and engineering studies, economic feasibility and environmental and socialassessment. He added that today’s meeting is in preparation for open consultations, primarilywith concerned citizens residing or working in the vicinity of the proposed project and withNGO’s, especially those concerned with environmental issues. The meeting provides a platformfor informing about the project, answering questions about it, and listening to the concerns ofcitizens and their comments.It was proposed that the grade separation component be presented first to the council, and tocover the parking and traffic management components subject to time availability.

The preliminary engineering designs of following grade separations were presented:- Tayyouneh Roundabout- Airport Road with Omar Beyhum, near Beit al-Atfal- Bechara el-Khoury with Independence- Sami el-Solh with Rue de Damas- Abdullah el-Yafi with Rue de Damas- Adlieh Junction.

For each junction, the proposed design and traffic circulation was presented. All grade


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separations proposed within Municipal Beirut are underpasses. Questions on details wereanswered. The criteria for selecting a specific solution were clarified.

After the presentation, a general discussion was held, and the following issues were raised:

Q: How much is the estimated cost of the 6 grade separations?A: About $25 m.

Q: What is the time profile for implementing BUTP?A: Appraisal by WB is expected in Spring 1999, loan agreement in Summer 1999. Loan

agreement will not be valid till after approval by Parliament.

Q: Does WB financing cover the entire cost of BUTP?A: WB may finance 50% of BUTP. All WB contributions can be assigned to one component

(e.g. grade separations). Co-financing is also expected from other sources (Japan, Arabfunds).

Q: Are all grade separations going to be executed simultaneously?A: Works will be programmed to minimize their local impact on traffic. Construction will

involve 3 groups over a period of 4.5 years.

Q: Would the Municipality of Beirut be required to chip in the financing of these projects?A: Financing will come primarily from WB, other funds, and the Government of Lebanon.

Q: Would the Independent Municipal Fund bear part of the financing?A: We do not know.

Q: What role do you see for the ‘Traffic and Lighting Committee’ of the Municipal Councilduring the coming 6 months?

A: May be the priority should be given to prepare for receiving a Traffic Management Unit(TMU), the WB will cover its cost for a specified period of time. Also you should preparefor educational and public awareness campaigns and lobby for more strict enforcement ofthe traffic code.

Following that, a quick presentation of the parking component was presented. The solutionmust start with organizing and controlling on-street parking. Strict enforcement will create themarket for off-street parking, which then can be supplied by the private sector. On-streetparking should be restricted by duration and should never be free, especially in business areasand on shopping streets.

The President asked how can we get better enforcement. It was suggested that may be theexperience of the UK in decriminilization of parking offenses should be considered.

The Consultant stressed the importance of having the consultation meetings be open toeverybody, especially neighbors of the projects. It was suggested to advertise the invitation forthe consultation meetings in the media. The Consultant said that this is OK, but the presence ofthe media (especially TV) is not recommended, as their presence modifies the behavior andencourages showing-off.

In conclusion, the following schedule was agreed:1. A consultation meeting be held at 7:00 PM, January 07, 1999 at Beit al-Atfal - Makassed


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School (Dr. Kadi will make arrangements)

2. A consultation meeting be held at 7:00 PM, January 08, 1999 at the French CulturalCenter, Rue de Damas (Mr. Sarkis will make arrangements).

The Consultant will draft the announcements and supply sketches of the grade separations forpeople to look at prior to the meeting.

Presentation ended at 9:00 PM


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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Khaled Ibn el-Walid ; Beit al-Atfal school ; Horch, BeirutDate: Thursday, 7 Jan. 1999

Attendance: See attachment

The President of the Municipal Council of Beirut opened the meeting at 07:15 PM. Heexplained that the Municipal Council will cooperate and consult with the citizens. He said thatimportant projects are under preparation concerning relieving traffic congestion includingbuilding overpasses and underpasses. He explained that the projects will be presented and theopinions of the citizens will be heard.

Mr. Elie Helou of CDR gave a brief account of the BUTP and its three components: trafficmanagement, parking, and grade separations. There are 16 grade separations, 6 of which are inMunicipal Beirut. Three of which will be discussed tonight: Tayouneh, Beit al-Atfal, andSodeco. He explained that the project is comprehensive, it deals with the social, economic, andenvironmental aspects in addition to the technical.

Dr. T. Nakkash of TEAM International took the floor. He explained the purpose of themeeting and clarified that public hearings are an important stage in project preparation. Heexplained that the objectives of the projects go beyond only relieving the traffic, because thereare economic and environmental issues that are tied to traffic congestion. All of this has a highsocial cost. He explained that the work is based on extensive surveys and serious planningeffort. He ended his presentation by noting that the proposed solutions can carry us through2015, but beyond that period we cannot survive without extensive good transit.

Dr. Mutasem El-Fadel presented the environmental issue at stake. He presented the results ofcomputer simulations of certain pollutants, that show that the proposed projects will decreasethe level of pollution even with an increase in traffic volumes. He also explained some of themitigation measures that will be implemented in order to avert some of the negative impacts,primarily during construction.

Dr. Ahmad Baalbaki discussed the social issues that transcend the direct impact of relievingtraffic congestion. He stressed the importance of public participation in making the project asuccess during the conception, the design, the implementation, and operation and maintenance.

Engineer Jamal Al-Zarif presented the underpasses proposed near Beit al-Atfal. Heexplained the constraints of the site. The proposed solution provides uninterrupted flow at thatjunction. Several questions were raised by the public.

1. The difficulty of accessing Barbir Hospital for traffic coming from Chatila or EB onCorniche el-Mazraa.

2. Is it possible for the EB traffic on Barbir Bridge to go SB to Chatila?3. How to allow NB traffic on A/P road to go WB on Corniche el-Mazraa?4. Is it feasible to remove the Tripoli bound taxi-service stand from the area?5. Is there a way to limit the inflow to Beirut of vehicles coming from outside it?

The first three questions were answered by explaining that the proposed underpass at Beit al-


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Atfal cannot be expected to solve all the problems caused by a misconception of some projectsexecuted three decades earlier. The Consultant explained that Corniche el-Mazraa warrants aspecial study, so does the problem of EW accessibility in general. The BUTP’s scope does notinclude Mar Elias, Borj Abou-Haidar, Barbir and other intersections on Corniche el-Mazraa,and all are congested and require to be studied.

The President of the Municipality responded to the last two questions. He explained that thetaxi-service will be diverted towards the Adnan al-Hakim terminal. He also said that regulatingon-street parking will discourage car use in the city and will force people to think about usingpublic transport after leaving their cars in remote Park’n ride facilities at the périphérique.

The Tayouneh junction was presented afterwards. There was a question on why not a 3-levelsolution was considered, by providing an overpass also that carries traffic between Chatila andAdlieh. It was explained that the proposed NS underpass is sufficient, and another gradeseparation is not warranted, as shown by the traffic forecasting model.

Finally, the Sodeco junction was presented.

There were questions of a general nature addressed to the President of the Municipal Council.He explained the problems that the Municipality is facing and how they are being dealt with.

Dr. Baalbaki tested on the audience an alternative to parkmeters, which involves assigning eachcurb length to an individual parking warden, who will collect from the people the parking feeand provide other services such as guarding the car or even washing it. Such a solution willprovide employment to old people, and to unproductive employees of the municipality. It is alabor intensive solution which does not require investing in expensive sophisticated equipmentthat does not require expensive operation and maintenance. The majority opposed thisalternative, as they expressed distrust with the individuals who could be parking wardens.

The meeting ended at 9:20 PM.


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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and AffiliationAbdel-Monhem Ariss President - Municipality of BeirutAmine Farchoukh Social Affairs Manager - MakassedRobert Abrat Member - Municipality of BeirutDr. Salim Itani Member - Municipality of BeirutRachid Jalkh Member - Municipality of BeirutDr. Ammar Houri Member - Municipality of BeirutDr. Mohamed Khair Al-Kadi Member - Municipality of BeirutZacharia Melhem Teacher, Al-Horch Secondary School - MakassedMohamed Sukkar Supervisor, Al-Horch Secondary School - MakassedAdnan Manasfi Director, Al-Horch Secondary School - MakassedJamal Housami Director, Omar Ben-Khattab Primary School - MakassedFaisal Khalil Matar Director, Omar Ben-Khattab Secondary School -

MakassedWadih Kanbar Teacher, Lebanese UniversityKhalil Soubra Teacher, Lebanese UniversityAli Nour Eddine Aassaf ArchitectHani Jamil Head of Merchants Association in Corniche MazraaDr. Wael Mehio DentistSami Daouk Founding Member, Merchants Association in Corniche

MazraaMostapha Sinno Head of Merchants & Industrialists of Afif Tibi StreetAhmad Naji Fares Owner of ANF shopsFouad Rustom Head of Ittihad Al-Chabiba Al-IslamiyaOusama Sami Jrab Owner of Sami Jrab & Sons Co. for building materialMahmoud Ayyad (reporter) Head of Abou-Chaker CommitteeNour Eddine Droub Social Affairs Assoc. - MakassedSaid Itani Director, Social Affairs - MakassedIbrahim Darwich Owner of garage DarwichHaytham Daaboul Employee (BT Electricity)Mohamed Deddé Islamic Institute for Lebanon Children’s CareSobhi Haidar Islamic Institute for Lebanon Children’s CareImad Masri Islamic Institute for Lebanon Children’s CareAhmad Itani Director, Al-Tariq Al-Jadida Al-Oula Governmental

School for BoysSaleh Mohamed Khair Al-Kadi MerchantNajwa Nahas Hariri Public Relations for Charity - Al-HorchHoda Chami Afifi Hadile Fashion Magazine (Mouseitbé)Hasna Wafiq Bekdach Owner of Hasna’ Beauty Institute (Mar Elias)Hassana Afifi Student (BBS)Rola Hakim Al-Kadi Housewife (Al-Horch)Jamilé Hakim Al-Kadi Housewife & Member of Kaskas Housewives Assoc.Maya Al-Kadi Student - Omar Farroukh Governmental School

Hilal Naamani Social League of Abna’ Al-Tariq Al-JadidaTaysir Al-Durzi Social League of Abna’ Al-Tariq Al-JadidaMohamed Bakri Sakr EngineerDr. Isam Kaysi A.U.B.


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Dr. Mohtasem Ghandour Dr. Nasib Barbir Medical Est. & Member of Board ofTrustees

Marwan Aris General Manager, Barbir HospitalKhaled Jibbawi Beirut Issues (NGO)Riad Bacha Al-Hoda AssociationDr. Sami Nasr Dr. & Member of Municipality of BeirutIsam Barghout Merchant & Member of Municipality of BeirutMona Nagib Mneimné Employee - Jammal Trust BankGhassan Majdalani Moukhtar, MouseitbéSalim Madhoun Moukhtar, MazraaElias Michel Nasif Moukhtar, MouseitbéGhazi Khamis V.P. Rezkari Party

Elie Helou CDRDr. Ahmad Baalbaki TEAM / Lebanese UniversityDr. Mutasem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAMJamal Al-Zarif TEAMMahmoud Halwani TEAMImad Mroueh TEAM


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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: French Cultural Center - Damascus Road, BeirutDate: Friday, 08 Jan. 1999

Attendance: See attachment

Introduction by President of Beirut Municipality: Purpose of the meeting.

Elie Helou (CDR)Beirut Urban Transport Plan with its three components:1. Parking control and parking management2. Installation of traffic signals, signing and pavement marking3. Constructing 16 grade separations: 3 of them will be discussed in this meeting at Museum,

Adlieh Roundabout, and Sami Solh Ave./Damascus Road.

Dr. T. Nakkash (TEAM)Overview of the study, starting in 1994: traffic surveys, data collection, and traffic modeling.

Jamal Al-Zarif (TEAM)Location of the 3-grade separations:1. Sami Solh Ave./Damascus Rd.

Year 2015 traffic projections with Damascus Rd. a 2-way street (towards Furn el-Chebak)warrant a grade separation at this location.

2. Museum* Year 2015 traffic projections show growth in the EW traffic* Physical constraints near the museum building and the existing monument* lane width reduced from 3.50 m to 3.25 m* main traffic will be in the EW direction* Hôtel Dieu Str. changed to one-way towards Hôtel Dieu (Northeast direction).

Q: How will you treat the traffic at the intersection of Hôtel Dieu St. and Adib Ishak in frontof the Internal Security Forces Building?

A: This movement will now be possible at-grade, and the traffic can use Rue de Damas to goto Sodeco.

3. Adlieh Roundabout* 3 important arterials pass through Adlieh junction, Corniche el-Mazraa, Sami Solh Ave,

and Tahwita Rd.* traffic coming from Mathaf to Tahwita Rd. and traffic from Sami Solh Ave. to Fiat are

the two most important traffic movements.

Q: Why not extend the grade separation and end it after the Fiat bridge?A: It is not warranted.

Q: At the end of this tunnel (3 lanes NB), what will happen with the 2-lane Fiat bridge where3 lanes of traffic are coming into it?

A: Part of the traffic turns right towards Jisr el-Wati.


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Discussions about traffic congestion happening currently at the Fiat bridge.

Comments by Mr. Elie Helou:Overall solutions to traffic congestion would include an expanded public transportation systemincluding metro lines, buses, etc.

Q: Were the access and egress to and from Justice Palace and General Security Buildingtaken into consideration?

A: Yes, there are three lanes bordering the General Security Building.

President of Municipality* Plans for 12 underground garages* the possibility of installing parking meters is currently being considered* the purpose of parking meters is to reduce congestion, air pollution, and getting people

used to public transport* for parking enforcement, the Municipality is currently considering having municipality

police enforce parking regulations instead of internal security forces.

Q: Why not consider parking garages under public gardens?A: It is being considered.

President of Municipality:Beirut Municipality is spending $100 million annually, while collecting only $55 millionannually.

Comment by Mr. Joseph Zaidan:* Parking on Adib Ishac St. is not enough to handle the demand in the area* Unbuilt parcels to be used as parking lots.

Comment by President of the Municipality:The Municipality will not accept cash in lieu for parking, if it is physically possible to provide it.Last experience was not successful. Cash was paid but no parking was provided. It wasproposed to form local citizen groups to enforce traffic and parking regulations.

Mr. Elie Helou:Plan for installation of traffic signals throughout Beirut and its suburbs.

Comments:Concrete barriers (walls) that are being constructed in the gore areas of the ramp entrances andexits are a safety hazard. Request for their proper treatment.

Dr. T. Nakkash presented a summary of the strategy for dealing with the parking problem:* Parking master plan overview* Background on parking problems in the City of Beirut* Priority is the treatment of short-term parking* Distribution centers to replace storage area in the buildings’ basements* The need for legalizing to issue a property title for individual parking spaces in buildings.


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Comments:The restaurant owners cannot afford to pay 30 million LL for each parking spaces beingrequired at the rate of one space per 30 m2 of gross restaurant area.

Parking problems along Monot St. in Achrafieh, because of the concentration of restaurants.

Parking lot is available for USJ. However, it is closed for public at night.

Discussions regarding the restaurants in Beirut and the lack of parking space available. ThePresident said that the future Martyr’s Square Parking Garage can serve the Monot St.restaurants.

Dr. M. El-Fadel (AUB/TEAM)Environmental impact of the project.Q: The effect of gasoline stations in the area?A: Gasoline stations are sources of emissions and can present a potential source of soil and

ground water contamination wherever built. In this case, they exist with and without theproposed grade seperation. The grade seperation itself is not going to increase adverseimpacts of the gas station. Operations and activities at the station are typically the cause ofpotential pollution at the station.

Q: Is the catalytic converter required for vehicles in Lebanon?A: No it is not, but recently the custom tax on it was removed to provide incentives for

keeping it.

Dr. T. Nakkash:A policy has to be set by the government to phase out leaded gasoline. It should beaccompanied by a policy for inspection and maintenance (I/M) of vehicles.

Q: (Bachir Saghir): Are there any proposed treatment for Salim Salam Tunnel?A: Maintenance contract for the tunnel was signed 2 ½ weeks ago, and the ventilation blowers

are now working.

Meeting ended at 9:00 PM.


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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and AffiliationAbdel-Monhem Ariss President - Municipality of BeirutDr. Fawzi Al-Aouji DentistAhmad Said Beydoun Moukhtar Achrafieh (Baydoun district)Joseph Zeydan Zeydan Merchant - Hairdresser (Adib Ishac Str.)Nizar Karam Engineer/Consultant - Credo Co. / Engineers ConsultantsRachid Jalkh Member Municipality of BeirutHalim Boulos Fayad V.P. Municipality of BeirutJoseph Sarkis Member Municipality of BeirutNadim Matar General Manager - DamebcoMichel Nasr Mokhtar Saifi SectorDr. Sami Nasr Member Municipality of BeirutWasim Ajami Reporter - Lebanese RadioMohamed Assi Representative - Agence Nationale d’InformationsNemr Rizk Reporter - Lebanese RadioCaroline Hanna President - Achrafieh Women’s CommitteeRasmi Gebrane Moukhtar AchrafiehJoseph Haikal President of the Committee - Achrafieh CoalitionSimon Abou-Loh Member - Achrafieh CommitteeIbrahim Hanna Member - Achrafieh CommitteeNawal Abou Kharroub Member - Achrafieh Women’s CommitteeEdward Noujeim Member - Achrafieh CommitteeJacques Mardini Member - Achrafieh CommitteeMarie Mardini Member - Achrafieh CommitteeRichard Noujeim Member - Achrafieh CommitteeMahmoud Younes Photographer - Al-Liwa’ NewspaperAbdo Abi-Chakra Civil EngineerGhassan Bou-Assi Civil EngineerRoger Yazbek Manager - InsuranceHanna Nazzal Manager - Nazzal Invest Group (04-530024)Sleiman Hilal Al-Mlawi Owner of Hilal Commercial AgencySatii Arna’out Consultant - United NationsJoe Kanaan Secretary of Achrafieh Merchants Committee & PDG

Sodeco Gestion s.a.l.Bachir Saghir Agronomist - Prestige GardensRobrt Jerji Mehmari Moukhtar Achrafieh (Karm Zeitoun, own bldg.)Jean Asmar Hanna Nehmeh Moukhtar Achrafieh (A. Ishac str., Rubeiz Bldg.)Elie Wardeh Jeweller (Sassine Square, Hussein Khattar Bldg.)Joseph Ahmar Attorney (Eddé Str., Abboud Bldg.)Georges Joseph Moukarzel Moukhtar AchrafiehIbrahim Salim Jabbour Owner of Jabbour Electric Shop

Elias Albert Yachouh Sales Manager - Sel & PoivreAlfred Madi Owner - Triple VMichel Aar EngineerNagib Tabbal Bank EmployeeSamira Ammar Moukhtar - Achrafieh


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Nabil Abi-Chakra Engineer - A.C.G.Dr. Gilbert Gerbaka Pediatrician & Member Municipality of Beirut

Elie Helou CDRDr. Mutasem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAMJamal Al-Zarif TEAMMahmoud Halwani TEAMImad Mroueh TEAM


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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Chiah Municipality BuildingDate: Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999Attending: Mr. Edmond Gharios and Members of the Municipality

Mr. Elie Helou CDRMr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal Al-Zarif TEAM InternationalMr. Imad Mroueh TEAM International

Meeting started at 7:00 PM.

Mr. Helou gave the background of the BUTP and explained that this is an informative meetingin preparation of a public hearing on the proposed grade separations at:

- Galerie Semaan- Mar Mkhael- Msharrafieh.

Dr. Nakkash gave the background of the GBTP studies and its recommendations and gave thefloor for Mr. Al-Zarif and Mr. Mroueh to present the proposed grade separations.

The proposed bridge at Galerie Semaan was presented. A discussion followed, and the majorraised issues are the following:

Q: Why not an underpass instead of a bridge?A: Major drainage box culvert crosses the junction, an underpass must stay under it.

Underpass will be very long, especially that the grade towards Sayyad is up.

Q: Why not have the grade separation on Camille Chamoun Blvd.A: Right-of-way is narrower, will need to expropriate more, and will cut trees and touch

buildings.

In general, the council members said that the shops at the intersection oppose vehemently thebridge. It was proposed to look into expropriating more from unbuilt properties in order toprovide a wider service road at-grade along the bridge.

Many council members asked whether the Hazmieh-Airport link and the Périphérique willrender this overpass unwarranted. It was clarified that Hazmieh-Airport link will serve adifferent mission than Chiah Blvd. and will not divert a lot of the latter’s traffic to it. While thePériphérique is not expected to be in before 5 years. All simulations show the need for thebridge now and into the future under all scenarios.

For the proposed underpass at Mar Mkhael, there was less objection. The question of thepedestrian movement was raised. It was clarified that pedestrians are not supposed to crossmid-block, and crossing at the intersection is taken care of.


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For the proposed overpass at Msharrafieh, there was a question on why not have the bridge inthe N-S direction. It was explained that the main traffic is E-W and is best to separate it fromthe turning movements. It was mentioned that this junction falls in 3 municipalities: Chiah,Ghobeiri, and Haret Hreik.

By the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed to invite for a consultation meeting with theresidents and stakeholders living or working near the 3 proposed structures to be held onMonday, January 25, 1999 at 6:00 PM at the HQ of Chiah Municipality.



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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Municipality of GhobeiriDate: Saturday, Jan. 16, 1999Attending: see attached list

Meeting started at 10:00 AM.

Mr. Elie Helou of CDR gave an introduction about BUTP and the purpose of this meeting inpreparation for the public hearing.

Dr. Tammam Nakkash of TEAM International gave the background of all the studies that wereperformed for the GBTP and the undergoing studies for BUTP. He explained that thecomponents of the BUTP will serve the immediate and short-term needs, but the long-termrequires a substantial investment in mass transit. He also explained that the proposals of theBUTP are being examined as to their economic feasibility, environmental and social impact.

Dr. Ahmad Baalbaki explained the approach of the study towards studying its social impact. Heexplained that some of the grade separations (bridges) can become an important landmark ofthe area and that the space under it could be used for some community activities.

Before starting to present the two grade separations located within Ghobeiri Municipality, thePresident of the Ghobeiri Municipality explained that the Municipal Council appreciates thisnew approach of consulting with the Municipality and the people. He explained that Ghobeirihas a long interface with the City of Beirut and that it houses probably 200.000 people. He gaveexamples of big projects that were executed in Ghobeiri earlier without coordination with theMunicipality and that they are now trying to do something about them. He objected to the busterminal under Adnan Hakim street couplet because it is not compatible with the touristic usesof the area, due to its negative environmental impacts.

Mr. Imad Mroueh started then to present the proposed grade separation at the Intersection ofChiah Blvd. and Airport Road. It was shown how the proposal serves the traffic and providesfor all the movements that are not allowed now. There was a general acceptance of the proposaland it was observed that the required expropriations are minimal and insignificant. There werequestions about some roads in the vicinity that the Municipality plans to improve (the onepassing near Sahel Hospital). It was proposed to provide a better E-W connection betweenAirport Road and the Kafaat - Chatila Road that passes near the Chiite Higher Council. Mr.Helou explained that some of these projects will be looked into in order to possibly incorporatein the “Suburbs Development Project”. There was a discussion on how to treat GhobeiriSquare. The proposed solution is to provide the E-W movement with right-in and right-out onlyon and from Chiah Blvd., because the N-S movement will be well served by the Airport Roadand Kafaat - Chatila, especially after providing all the turning movements at the intersection ofAirport Road with Chiah Boulevard. The circulation of Haret Hreik area should be looked at.

Afterwards, the proposed bridge at Msharrafieh was presented. Many questions and commentswere raised.


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Q: Why can’t it be an underpass instead of a bridge?A: There are utilities right at the intersection. If we go under them, the underpass will be

very deep and subsequently very long.

Q: Why not the bridge is put N-S?A: The main traffic is E-W, and right-of-way in E-W direction is wider requiring less

expropriation.

Q: What about the entrance and exit to Bir el-Abed via the old road?A: The location of this now minor road makes it impossible to provide N-B traffic on it

near the intersection. It is better to provide the possibility of left-turns on the Kafaat -Chatila Road in order to provide the transition of the traffic from Bir el-Abed Road to it.

It was decided finally to present in a subsequent meeting all the available alternatives and thepros and cons of each.

Trying to set a date for the consultation meeting, the Ghobeiri Municipal Council was reluctantto arrange for one before reaching a convincingly acceptable alternative.

It was decided to provide to the Council, the text of the invitation and copies of the proposedgrade separations on Friday, January 22, 1999, and to plan for another meeting during the firsttwo days of the week of January 25, 1999. The public consultation meeting is to be scheduledduring the week of Feb. 01, 1999 the latest.



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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Chiah Municipality BuildingDate: Monday, Jan. 25, 1999Attending: See attached list

This is a record of the consultation meeting which took place at the date indicated above. Thehearing started at 6:20 PM.

Mr. Helou of CDR gave an introduction explaining the scope of BUTP and its objectives. Heclarified that studies are being performed since 1994. The grade separations were selected withthe objective of improving circulation on entire corridors. He also explained that environmentalissues are among the objectives of BUTP.

Dr. Nakkash of TEAM International proposed to go directly to the presentation of the proposedgrade separations along Chiah Boulevard, especially the thee that concern Chiah Municipality,namely Msharrafieh, Mar Mkhael, and Galerie Semaan.

Mr. Mroueh of TEAM International, started by presenting the proposed grade separation atMsharrafieh which is an overpass along Chiah Blvd. that carries EB and WB traffic, on2-lanes each direction. Mr. Mroueh explained that all possible alternatives were considered:overpass versus underpass, and whether the grade separation should carry EB and WB trafficor NB and SB traffic. He explained that in order that the signalized intersection at-gradeoperate satisfactorily, the heaviest movements must be separated, i.e. EB and WB traffic. Theunderpass alternative would require relocating major underground utilities right at theintersection. The underpass would be deep and thus longer than the proposed overpass. Moreexpropriation would be needed including partial demolition of a 6-floor and a 2-floor building.

Q: What about Ghobeiri Intersection (the one to the West of Msharrafieh, and between itand A/P Road Intersection?

A: The Kafaat - Chatila Road and the new proposed design at A/P Road Intersection, inaddition to the Chatila interchange, currently under construction would render Ghobeiri- Haret Hreik Road a local road. In addition, the right-of-way along Chiah Blvd. atGhobeiri Intersection is very tight which precludes any structure there withoutexcessive expropriations. Accordingly, it is proposed to allow only right-in and right-out movement on and from Chiah Boulevard at that intersection. The NS movementwill be well served by Kafaat - Chatila Road and A/P Road, especially after providingall turns at the A/P Road Intersection and the additional EW connectors between Kafaat- Chatila and A/P Road to the South of Chiah Blvd that are part of SuburbsDevelopment Project are completed.

Mr. Mroueh presented next the proposed underpass at Mar Mkhael. He explained that at thislocation, an underpass carrying EB and WB traffic was feasible. All expropriations are taken onthe southern side in order not to touch the newly rehabilitated Mar Mkhael Church.

Finally, Mr. Mroueh presented the proposed overpass at Galerie Semaan. Again here, the EWtraffic was the heaviest and it was best to separate it. He explained that two factors precludedconsidering an underpass at this location. First, there is a major drainage conveyor that goesunder Blvd. Camille Chamoun, and an underpass would have to stay under it, because it would


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not be possible to reroute it. Second, the Chiah Blvd. rises sharply in the direction of Sayyad atabout 200 m to the East of the Intersection, which will make any underpass very long.

The floor was open for discussions. The following issues were raised:Q: Don’t you think that the currently under-construction Hazmieh - A/P Road will relieve

the traffic on Chiah Boulevard once it is opened to traffic?A: The Hazmieh - Airport Road has a different mission. It is also not parallel to Chiah

Blvd. Its western extremity at A/P Road is far to the South of the intersection of ChiahBlvd. and A/P Road. It is also important to remember that all the vacant propertiesalong Chiah Blvd. are candidate for major developments. Some of these developments(hotels, commercial centers) are already sprouting. Any traffic diverted to other roadswill be far exceeded by traffic generated by new developments.

Q: What about the Périphérique, would it not relieve Chiah Blvd. and cancel the need forthe grade separations?

A: The computer model shows that with all the committed and proposed road links thedelay at Galerie Semaan in the year 2010 will be 20 times worse than it is today, whichis already beyond the level of tolerance.

Q: There are decrees for more roads in the area. Maybe when executed, it will make theproposed grade separation redundant.

A: The decrees are for local roads (16 m wide ROW).

At the conclusion of the meeting, some of the shop owners in the area expressed their wish todelay the construction at Galerie Semaan overpass until the Hazmieh - Airport Road is open.They argued, maybe it will reduce traffic drastically on Chiah Blvd. The same personsexpressed their conviction that a grade separation at Galerie Semaan is a necessity now, andmore so in the future if things do not get better.



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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and AffiliationEdmond Gharios President Chiah MunicipalityZuheir Gharios Moukhtar ChiahCharles Semaan DecoratorIbrahim Rahal Civil EngineerGhandour Michel Semaan Decorator - SiméaGeorges Yousef Malkon Civil EngineerAntoine Libbos Member Chiah MunicipalityAntoine Abi-Harb Member Chiah MunicipalityMohamed Jabadi Civil EngineerMe. Joseph Nahim Attorney - ChiahFadi Tanios Gharios LawyerElias MaksoudPierre MaksoudJamil Achkar Present for expropriationsRonald Melkon Member Chiah MunicipalityRepresentative of Rasamny Younes Co. for Cars

Elie Helou CDRDr. T. Nakkash TEAM InternationalJamal Al-Zarif TEAM InternationalDr. M. El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalDr. A. Baalbaki TEAM InternationalT. Wehbé TEAM InternationalM. Chouman TEAM International

640/hearing3 (Rec.14)February 8, 1999

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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Choueifat Municipality HQDate: Friday, Jan. 29, 1999 and Tuesday, Feb. 02, 1999Attending: Dr Wajih Saab (President)

Mr. Akram SaabMr. Ismat Saab (et.al.)Dr. T. Nakkash - TEAM InternationalMr. J. Al-Zarif - TEAM InternationalMr. I. Mroueh - TEAM InternationalMr. E. Helou - CDR

First Meeting: Friday 29/01/1999

Mr. Helou started introducing the topic and Dr. Nakkash gave also a long explanation of thehistory of the project. It was apparent that we did not have an audience for what we came for.The group led by Mr. Ismat Saab expressed strong feelings about many issues affectingChoueifat, but not related to the BUTP or to the proposed grade separation at the intersectionsof Bchamoun and Aramoun Roads. They were not ready to listen before having answers toquestions including:

1. The rezoning of Choueifat, resulting in reducing the permitted exploitation (to 5% asthey said in some areas).

2. The uncompleted Tiro Road which leads to nowhere after authorities opted to go insidethe A/P ROW for the Southern Entrance Freeway, leaving no possibility for connectingChoueifat with the motorway for going in the direction of Beirut or to the South.

3. Why wasn’t the rehabilitation and widening of Old Saida Road (Decree 1332)implemented between Sainte Thérèse and Deir Koubel bifurcation?

4. What happened to Decree 6859 (middle of Sahara Road) that connects to Tiro Road?

The meeting was concluded on the account to get more information on these issues for the nextmeeting.

Second Meeting: Tuesday 02/02/1999

Mr. Helou of CDR brought in the available decrees.

1. Regarding Decree 1332, it was explained that the rehabilitation done on the SectionDeir Koubel Bifurcation to Khadeh was not done according to the Decree, but with theconcurrence of the people. It was demanded to have the Decree adjusted to fit the fact,as part of the expropriation decree needed for the proposed grade separation nearKhaldeh.

2. The old decree of the Southern Entrances which envisions a roundabout at Khaldeh,and which includes the Bchamoun, Aramoun, and Old Saida Roads together with theproposed motorway, is not anymore in context.


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3. The Choueifat people are insisting on downgrading the previous motorway whichinstead was re-located inside the A/P ROW to the level of urban blvd.

4. The people of Choueifat want their roads connected to the network by completing theroads in the plain.

The discussion of the specific grade separation reached a conclusion that they are for it, butinsist on tying its execution with that of the rehab. of Old Saida Road between Sainte Thérèseand Deir Koubel Bifurcation.

The preparations for the public consultation meeting were discussed; it was decided to be heldin the coming 10 days, at the Municipal HQ.


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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Ghobeiri - Dallas CenterDate: Monday, Feb. 08, 1999Attending: See attached list

Meeting starting at 6:15 PM

The President of the Municipal Council of Ghobeiri, Mr. Mohamed Khansa opened the meetingwelcoming everybody and explaining its purpose.

Mr. Elie Helou of CDR made a presentation about the components of BUTP, explaining thatthe grade separations were selected to relieve entire corridors in order to allow, in addition toreducing congestion, efficient operation of public transport, and this results in reducingpollution.

Dr. T. Nakkash of TEAM International gave a brief background of the studies that precededBUTP and explained that not only traffic and engineering considerations were studied but alsoeconomic feasibility and environmental impact.

Mr. I. Mroueh of TEAM International started by presenting the proposed grade separations atthe intersection of A/P Road with Blvd. Chiah. He explained how the proposed solution willprovide all the turning movements, that are not allowed now.

Participants presented their comments and questions.

Q: Are pedestrians taken care of?A: Yes, the signalized at-grade intersection will allow safe pedestrian crossings, as

pedestrians will have their protected phases.

Q: How is Ghobeiri Square treated?A: After opening the Kafaat - Chatila, with all movements allowed at Musharrafieh, and

the above proposed solution, and because the Ghobeiri Road will be disconnected atChatila when the Chatila Interchange is completed, the Ghobeiri Road will carry lesstraffic. It is possible to consider discontinuing it, i.e. allowing only Right-In / Right-Outturns from Chiah Blvd.

Q: Why not provide a grade separation at Ghobeiri Square?A: The ROW at that location is very tight. Any grade separation would require excessive

expropriation and tearing down several multi-storey buildings.

The proposed solution at Msharrafieh was presented next, and the following questions wereraised.

Q: Why not an underpass instead of a bridge?A: Important underground utilities are present at Msharrafieh junction. An underpass will

go down below it, thus it will be excessively long, resulting in the need to expropriate asix-storey building on one side and a 2-storey structure on the other.


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Q: Why not have the bridge in the other direction?A: Since the Blvd. Chiah traffic is the heaviest, if it stays at-grade the signal will not

operate properly. In addition the ROW along Kafaat - Chatila is narrower, and moreexpropriation will be required.

Q: Isn’t a traffic signal only enough to serve the purpose?A: By the year the proposed grade separation is expected to be in place (2003), the delay

at the signal will be far from tolerable. It is already excessive nowadays.



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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and AffiliationMohamed Khansa President, Ghobeiri MunicipalityHasan Dergham Engineer, Ghobeiri MunicipalityAli Khansa Member,Ghobeiri MunicipalityWassim Dergham Civil EngineerSalim Al-Khalil Civil EngineerFiras Kanj Civil EngineerMahmoud Hamdan Civil EngineerBahya Mahmoud Hajj LawyerNassim Amine Hajj MerchantWafiq Berjaoui Mokhtar - Ghobeiri Bir HassanYousef Al-Khalil ResidentSamir Mohsen Hajj Traffic EngineerAdel Hajj Architect + Civil DesignGhassan Chararah Manager, Jammal Trust Bank - Ghobeiri BranchMahmoud Ahmad Khansa V.P. , Jammal Trust Bank - Ghobeiri BranchMohamed Ibrahim Diya Civil EngineerWael Farhat LawyerHusein Mohamed Khansa Merchant - spare parts for carsKhoder Dergham Civil EngineerOsama Khansa Electrical EngineerSaid KanjMohamed Hamdan Owner Hamdan shopMostapha Kanaan Cultural Center for Research & DevelopmentGhassan Khansa Member, Ghobeiri MunicipalityAbbas Khansa ResidentHasan MawlaIbrahim …..Hasan SheikhMohamed Dargham Electromechanic Engineer… Kazma ArchitectSalah Kazma ContractorMostapha Abdel-Aziz Kanj ArchitectAli Ahmad Khansa MokhtarJihad AlamehHusein Salah Khansa Expert, car accidentsYousef HamdarMahmoud Dagher Sirat Co.

Elie Helou CDRDr. T. Nakkash TEAM InternationalDr. M. El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalJamal Al-Zarif TEAM InternationalImad Mroueh TEAM International


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RECORD OF MEETING

Place: Choueifat MunicipalityDate: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 1999Attending: See attached list

Meeting started at 12:30

A member of the Municipal Council, Dr. Mcharrafieh, introduced the representatives of CDRand the Consultant.

The representative of CDR, Mr. Helou, explained the purpose of the consultation meeting andthe various components of the BUTP, and defined the focus of this meeting, which is theproposed overpass along Old Saida Road at its intersection with Bchamoun and AramounRoads.

The representative of the Consultant, Dr. Nakkash, gave the background of the studies leadingto the BUTP. He explained that projects are being screened for technical, economic, andenvironmental feasibility and impact. He explained that the purpose of this consultation meetingis to inform the stakeholders, answer their questions, and benefit from their insight in improvingthe proposed design.

Engineers Mroueh and Zarif of TEAM International presented the proposed design, trafficforecasts, overpass configuration, and at-grade intersection under the overpass.

Questions were entertained from the audience:

Q: Is the expropriation required within existing expropriation decrees?A: The extra right-of-way needed is essentially within the decree (26 m) envisioning

widening of Old Saida Road, but some extra will be needed and all of it will be on thewest side to avoid hitting the Statue and other properties.

Q: One person identifying himself as the owner of a gas station asked how much will hisproperty be touched.

A: About 6 m deep along the entire façade.

Q: Why not have the overpass carry traffic in both direction?A: The intersections of Bchamoun and Aramoun Roads are each a T-intersection with Old

Saida Road. There is no need to have the overpass be in both directions. The trafficforecast shows that the proposed design will work through 2015. Beyond that date,there is still room for adding the overpass in the other direction.Mr. Helou interjected explaining the concept of “phased construction”.

Q: There is a lot of traffic during AM peak coming down from Aramoun and goingtowards the schools in Bchamoun. How is it going to be handled?

A: The signal phasing will be adjusted in a manner to allow this traffic to negotiate the areaof the intersection during the same cycle.


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Q: Why not have traffic coming from Khaldeh going to Bchamoun take the proposedoverpass and provide a ramp for it in the direction of Bchamoun? This will reduce thetraffic conflicting with Aramoun traffic at-grade.

A: Will look into that, but it should be noted that this will require additional right-of-wayon Bchamoun Road.

Q: How long the construction duration will be?A: 14 months.

Q: Will owners of the properties to be expropriated be given the chance to know howmuch will be expropriated?

A: Yes, when decrees preparation is complete, there will be a formal meeting for thatpurpose.

The audience took the opportunity of the meeting to express their concern about mobility issuesin their area, not related directly to the proposed project. These issues were discussed, and Mr.Helou encouraged them to write to various competent parties explaining their concerns.

The following issues were raised:

1) There are many limited access motorways planned to cross the area. The expropriatedright-of-way will be huge. But there is a lack of lower classification roads (Boulevards,etc.) that encourages the development of the area.

2) There is a planned road whose construction was started many years ago, but was notcompleted. It runs from Khaldeh Junction, north to Tiro Road. It will relieve Old SaidaRoad in that area and will not require expensive right-of-way acquisition.

3) Why not complete upgrading Old Saida Road between Ste. Thérèse and Deir KoubelRd. especially that it was widened at both sides of this section?

4) There is a lot of trip exchanges between Aramoun, Bchamoun and Doha, yet everybodyneeds now to go down to Old Saida Road to go from one to another. A road thatcrosses the wadis between the areas is needed. Apparently, decrees for such a roadbetween Doha and Aramoun exist. This axis warrants further study.

5) The planned Périphérique has a partial interchange with Bchamoun Road, but not withAramoun Road. The connection of both areas with the Périphérique should berestudied.



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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and Affiliation Anis Hammoud Manager Advertising Agency - Member, Dawha

Development CommitteeMahmoud Baydoun President, Committee of Azhar Lebanon MosqueCamille Ajjaj Mehtar ResidentWajdi Haidar Member, Municipality CouncilJeryes Tawil Owner of Gas Station (Bchamoun Bifurcation)Ghazi Souki Member, Municipality CouncilYassine Chahine Member, Municipality CouncilMetri Hanna Vice President, Municipality CouncilHicham Jurdi ResidentAmir Charif Soubra Representing Stayro Products Co.Mohamed Nabil Turk Member, Dawha Development CommitteeWafiq Baddour Member, Dawha Development CommitteeKamel Rida Member, Dawha Development CommitteeNazih Rayyes Member, Dawha Development CommitteeAhmad Ayyach ResidentKhaled Kammourieh Manager, SoliverreElias Karam P.R. - Choueifat MunicipalityDr. Fadi Mcharrafieh Technical Office - Choueifat MunicipalityOmar Adib Kadi Technical Office - Choueifat MunicipalityHisham El-Jurdi Engineer - Resident

Elie Helou CDRDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalDr. Ahmad Baalbaki TEAM InternationalJamal Al-Zarif TEAM InternationalImad Mroueh TEAM International

640/hearing (Rec1)December 09, 1998

Page 1 of 2

RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 09 Dec. 1998Place: CDRSubject: Preparations for Public Hearings - BUTP

Attending:Name On behalf ofMr. Elie Helou CDRDr. Wafaa Charafeddine CDRDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalDr. Mutasem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal El-Zarif TEAM International

Preparations for public hearings were discussed. It was decided to start as soon as possible byholding a meeting headed by Mohafez of Mount Lebanon with representatives of Municipalitiesin Northern and Eastern suburbs. This meeting will include representation from BorjHammoud, Jdeideh, Jal el Dib,Antelias and Sin el Fil. The following grade separations arewithin the jurisdictions of these municipalities:

- Dawra Bridge: Borj Hammoud and Jdeideh- Grade Separation at: Jal el-Dib and Antelias- Hayek and Mkalles: Sin el-Fil Municipalities.

An appointment with the Mohafez of Mount Lebanon was set for 11:00 AM Friday December11, 1998.

The municipalities will be tentatively covered during the period Dec. 17 - Dec. 23, 1998. Aproforma Consultation Meeting Announcement (attached) was prepared for the use of themunicipalities.

It was decided to finish the rest of the public consultations by January 16, 1999 with thefollowing sequencing:

- Beirut 1 (Mathaf, Adlieh, Sami el-Solh)- Beirut 2 (Tayouneh, Beit al-Atfal, Bechara el-Khoury)- Ghobeiry (Msharrafieh, A/P)- Chiah (Galerie Semaan, Mar Mkhael, Tayouneh)- Choueifat (Bchamoun, Aramoun).

640/hearing (Rec1)December 09, 1998

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AttachmentS A M P L E


ANNOUNCEMENT OFA CONSULTATION MEETING

The municipality of Borj Hammoud invites all concerned residents in its jurisdiction to attend aconsultation meeting to discuss a project concerned with traffic improvement at Dawrajunction.

Date: Thursday, Dec. 17, 1998 - 18:30 PM

Place: Municipal Offices

640/hearing (Rec.2)

December 11, 1998

Page 1 of 2

RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 11 Dec. 1998Place: Serail of BaabdaSubject: Preparations for Public Hearings - BUTP

Attending:Name AffiliationHis Excellency Muhammad Suhail Yamout Governor of Mount Lebanon - PresidingMr. Elie Helou CDRMr. Sami Khazen Municipality of AnteliasMr. Ziad Lteif Municipality of AnteliasMr. Walid Abou Jaoudeh Municipality of Jal el-DibMr. Assaad Bakhos Municipality of JdaidehMr. Sami Chaoul Municipality of Sin el-FilMr. Solat Totelian Municipality of Borj HammoudMr. Maurice Ojail Municipality of Borj HammoudDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal El-Zarif TEAM International

The meeting started with an explanation of the BUTP objectives which include improvement oftransport conditions in Greater Beirut through traffic management, organizing parking, andconstruction of overpasses and underpasses at selected junctions. The requirements of IBRD,as a probable financer, were explained as to procedures required prior to appraisal, whichinclude technical, economic, environmental, and social evaluations.

The Consultant explained the “participatory approach” and its positive impact on improving thequality of the project and ensuring maximizing its benefit, reducing its negative impacts (ifany), and gaining public support for it.

The representatives of various municipalities showed interest and willingness to support thisapproach, and expressed their wish to know more about the projects prior to the open publicmeetings.

After a discussion, the following was agreed upon:

First: Each of the municipalities represented in the above meeting will receive copies of thepreliminary designs of overpasses or underpasses within their jurisdiction onSaturday morning December 12, 1998 from CDR.

Second: Preparatory sessions will be held with representatives of the municipalities, CDR,and the Consultant according to the following schedule:- Monday, December 14, 1998 @ 16:00 hrs - with the Municipalities of Borj

Hammoud and Jdaideh at Borj Hammoud Municipality- Tuesday, December 15, 1998 @ 16:00 hrs with the Municipalities of Jal el-Dib

and Antelias at the CDR- Friday, December 18, 1998 @ 13:00 hrs with the Municipality of Sin el-Fil at its

headquarters.

640/hearing (Rec.2)

December 11, 1998

Page 2 of 2

Third: It was agreed that public meetings be advertized and open to whoever wishes toattend and be held with the participation of each Municipality at 6:30 PM at the datesdefined below. Particular attention will be given to make these meetings known toconcerned parties and NGO’s. The following schedule was adopted:- Borj Hammoud and Jdaideh: Thursday, Dec. 17, 1998- Jal el-Dib and Antelias: Monday, Dec. 21, 1998- Sin el-Fil: Tuesday, Dec. 22, 1998.

640/hearing (Rec.3)December 14, 1998

Page 1 of 1

RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 14 Dec. 1998Place: Borj Hammoud Municipality HQSubject: Consultation Meeting with Municipalities of Borj Hammoud and Jdaideh

Attending:Name Position and/or Profession MunicipalityMr. Antoine Jbarah V.P. Municipality JdaidehMr. Joseph Kharrat Pharmacist, Member Borj HammoudMs. Arpina Mikarsian Engineer, Member Borj HammoudMr. Joseph Nseir Civil Engineer, Member Borj HammoudMr. Assaad Bakhos President - Municipality JdaidehMr. Solat Totelian President - Municipality Borj HammoudMr. Edward Kogoglian Engineer, Member - Municipality Borj HammoudMr. Rafi Kogoglian Engineer, Member - Municipality Borj HammoudMr. Ohannes Bohmian Mokhtar of Borj HammoudMr. Antranik Masleban V.P. Municipality Borj HammoudMr. Nijad Bou Khalil Secretary Municipality Borj HammoudMr. Maurice Ojail Tech. Advisor to President Borj HammoudMr. Fares Bou-Khalil Elderman (Mokhtar) Borj HammoudMr. Labib Bakhos Engineer, DGU JdaidehMr. Shawki Kairouz Asst. to V.P. Municipality JdaidehMr. Jamal El-Zarif Representing the Consultant TEAM InternationalMr. Mahmoud Halwani Representing the Consultant TEAM International

The project of Dawra Bridge consisting of replacing the existing 2-lane steel bridge, which issubstandard and cannot carry heavy trucks, by a 2x3 post-tensioned concrete bridge with highgeometric and structural standards, which provide better circulation of the local traffic underthe bridge, was presented to the audience.

The audience raised the following points:- Investigate the possibility of using more slender piers.- Reduce the width of the median in order to widen the roadway. This involves cutting the

existing Eucalyptus trees. Eventually, everybody was against cutting trees.- The two municipalities favored expropriating more on both sides to provide service roads

wider than 7 m in order to account for parked and stopped cars.- Borj Hammoud Municipality is against installing Park Meters. They rather control parking

duration without imposing a fee for curb parking.


Page 1 of 1

RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 15 Dec. 1998Place: CDRSubject: Consultation Meeting with Municipalities of Antelias and Jal el-Dib

Attending:Name AffiliationMr. Elie Helou Projects Dept - CDRMr. Antoine Attiyeh Architect, Jal el-Dib MunicipalityMr. Edmond Al-Hajal Engineer, Jal el-Dib MunicipalityMr. Walid Abou Jaoudeh Engineer, Jal el-Dib MunicipalityMr. André Abou Jaoudeh Jal el-Dib MunicipalityMr. Munir Al-Hajal Dr. Engineer, Jal el-Dib MunicipalityMr. Ziad Lteif Engineer, Municipality of AnteliasMr. Sami El-Khazen Municipality of AnteliasMr. Farhat Abou-Jaoudeh President of Antelias MunicipalityMr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal El-Zarif TEAM International

AnteliasThe meeting started by explaining the proposed N-S 2x3 lanes bridge to replace the existingNB 3 narrow lanes steel bridge at Antelias, in order to provide good servicing in the N-S / S-Ndirections and provide access to Joseph Khoury landfill development.

A question was brought up regarding the possibility of building underpasses in lieu ofoverpasses. It was explained that this location is particularly difficult to drain, as an underpasswill be below sea-level and Nahr Antelias is very close. Depending on a pumping station willprove costly as a first investment and probably ineffective due to poor maintenance.

The other option of providing a grade separation in the direction EW (between Antelias andJoseph Khoury) was discussed. An overpass will be opposed by the Armenian Patriarchy,while an underpass will have drainage problems.

After extended discussion, it was agreed that the last proposal will be investigated regardless ofits drainage problem and presented together with the proposed sketch design during the OpenConsultation Meeting.

Jal El DibNext, the proposed grade separations at Jal el-Dib were discussed. The main objection to theproposal is that the overpass will block the sea-view and it will put additional traffic on theinternal roads. The representative of Jal el-Dib Municipality informed that some expropriationdecrees exist and some additional expropriation can be done on the internal roads.

The improvement of the internal roads as part of the project was asked for. A decree exists towiden the internal road to 22 m. Designs were made by ACE. Jal el-Dib Municipality wishesthis project be executed.


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It was explained that when Linord is executed, then its main access will be from Jal el-Dib. Theoption of just replacing the existing bridge by a 3 or 4-lane concrete bridge and leaving the SBtraffic at grade for the time being until Linord is urbanized should also be considered.


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RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 17 Dec. 1998Place: Dirmelkonian TheatreSubject: Consultation Meeting with Municipalities of Borj Hammoud and JdeidehAttending: See attached list

The meeting started with a series of short presentations made by representatives of CDR andthe consultant. During the presentation overhead projection was used. The whole meeting wastaped for record.

Mr. Elie helou of CDR presented BUTP and highlighted its environmental objectives: reductionof pollution and emissions, reduction in noise level.

Dr. Nakkash, representing the Consultant, gave the background of the transport planning effortthat preceded BUTP, starting in 1994. He explained that the proposals were evaluated usingnetwork models of GB that permit evaluation of several alternatives.

Dr. El-Fadel, responsible for EA on behalf of the Consultant, described the existing levels ofnoise and pollution, he said that the proposals will cause a positive effect but it will not beenough. It should be accompanied by a plan to phase out leaded gasoline and require thecatalytic converter. He also explained the environmental concerns during construction. Carewill be taken to alleviate the noise caused by the excavation equipment, safety precautions willbe taken, protection of the site, signing the detours, and monitoring the construction to protectthe workers, the neighbors, and the environment in general.

Dr. Baalbaki, responsible for Social Impact on behalf of the Consultant, stressed the importanceof implicating the community in order that the area will not become only a transit zone, wherepeople overfly. Improving the traffic will encourage people to come and shop from the area. Heinvited the community to consider how to benefit from the space under the bridge. It may beused as a street art gallery, for street performing art, etc. He explained that any project willcause some negative impacts, especially during construction, these negative impacts will beidentified and assessed in order to mitigate.

Engineers Jamal el-Zarif and Imad Mroueh presented the technical description of the bridgestressing its capacity to carry traffic, and heavy trucks (existing does not carry heavy trucks, thedesign takes care of aesthetics, the walls at the two ends of the bridge were kept as low aspossible to minimize obstruction of the view, the spans were chosen to be long to keep thenumber of piers at a minimum, the piers are slender, the concrete surfaces are treated todiscourage sticking posters, or writing graffiti.

The following questions were raised:

Q: Why not use the area under the bridge as a taxi stop?A: Due to substandard vertical clearance, the area under the 2 extremities of the bridge is

curbed. It is not safe for pedestrian and traffic to have taxi ingress-egress under thebridge. The President of Borj Hammoud Municipal council proposed that taxis shouldrent a lot for their parking, and they will be called by radio to the round point when a taxiis needed there.


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Q: The at-grade service roads, designed for 7 m (2 lanes), why not expropriate and make it 3lanes?

A: Traffic does not require more than 2 lanes. Also the bridge is 3 lanes (each direction),plus 2 lanes for the ramps must merge to 4 lanes. The Consultant has provided for asmooth transition 1:70. It is not good practice to go from six lanes to 4 lanes (violateslane between rules). Otherwise the expropriation will touch the entire area betweenDawra and Nahr El Mott.

Q: Is there a way to look how to organize the parking in the area by benefiting from the set-backs. Why not expropriate the set backs from curb parking.

A: If the set backs are expropriated, the vehicles parked on them would now use the curb.But the Consultant will look closely at the previous expropriation decrees to evaluate ifanything better can be done.

Q: Why not provide a pedestrian underpass?A: Pedestrian movement is well provided at-grade, under the proposed bridge. A pedestrian

underpass is not warranted, it is costly, interferes with existing utilities, has securityproblems, and will be under the water table.

Q: What is the cost of the project and the construction duration?A: About $ 3 m and 16 months for construction.

Q: For how long would this bridge solve the problem?A: It will serve the traffic through 2015. Traffic problems are not solved solely by grade

separations. A substantial effort in improving public transport is required.

Meeting concluded at 9:00 PM


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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position AffiliationDr. Salim Allat Member of the Health & Works

CommitteeMunicipality: Jdeideh -Baouchrieh

Asaad Yazbeck Head of New JdeidehMerchants Association

Senator Shop

Georges Yazbeck Member of Municipal Council:Jdeideh - Baouchrieh

Edd Shop

Elias Abou-Jaoudé Head of Dept. Municipality: Jdeideh - BaouchriehAntoine Gebara V.P. Municipality: Jdeideh - Baouchrieh - EssedAntoine El-Kik Head of Division. Municipality: Jdeideh - Baouchrieh - EssedTanios Farès Hobeika Businessman - Rond Point DawraJoseph Albert Kharrat Kharrat Pharmacy Dawra IntersectionD. Ara Menassian Head of Health & Environment

CommitteeMunicipality: Jdeideh -Baouchrieh - Essed

Shawki Kayrouz V.P. Assistant Municipality: Jdeideh -Baouchrieh - Essed

Farès Abou Khalil Borj Hammoud MayorEdward Koja Oghlanian Engineer Member: Borj Hammoud Mun.Joseph Kahwaji Real Estate Consultant Member: Borj Hammoud Mun.Joseph Nseir Civil Engineer Member: Borj Hammoud Mun.Rafi Kok Oghlanian Civil Engineer Member: Borj Hammoud Mun.Naja Abou Khalil Head of Administrative Affairs Borj Hammoud MunicipalityArpina Menkasarian Engineer Borj Hammoud MunicipalityDr. Solak Totalian President of Borj Hammoud MunicipalityMaurice Ojeil Technical Consultant Borj Hammoud MunicipalityOhannes Hovig Bedoyan Borj Hammoud MayorSoren Yaacoub Manager of the Theatre

Mr. Elie Helou Projects Dept - CDRDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalDr. Mutasem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalDr. Ahmad Baalbaki TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal El-Zarif TEAM InternationalMr. Imad Mroueh TEAM InternationalMr. Mahmoud Halwani TEAM International


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RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 21 Dec. 1998Place: Mar Elias Church - AnteliasSubject: Consultation Meeting with Municipalities of Antelias and Jal el-DibAttending: See attached list

Elie Helou (CDR)* Reason/or goal of this public hearing* Overview of the BUTP with its 3 components:

- installation of traffic signals- parking issues- 16 grade separations

* Present existing conditions at Jal el-Dib and Antelias junctions* Discussion of possible solutions at these two locations* Open Consultation meeting should involve the public not only the city or municipal council

members.

Dr. Tammam Nakkash (Consultant)* Benefits of a public hearing* History of the project starting with the 1994 GBA Master Plan traffic surveys were

conducted, traffic forecasting model was developed, future highway networks were codedwhich include all programmed and planned projects by the Lebanese Government

* Different alternatives/solutions were studied using this traffic model* Priorities were identified in the BUTP to improve traffic conditions in GBA.

Dr. Mutasem El-Fadel (Consultant)* Environmental issues or impacts resulting from traffic congestion* The environmental impacts of the proposed project (grade separation) during and after

construction.

Dr. Baalbaki (Consultant)* Social impact* Participation of ordinary citizens is very important in assessing the impact of the project.

Comments by Mr. Raymond Azar (Attorney)* The bridges that will be built at Antelias and Jal el-Dib, must represent and protect the

environment and the history of Antelias* The bridge over Antelias Square was built without the consultation of the people of

Antelias* Traffic problems were not solved by building the bridge at Antelias Square* Traffic congestion at Antelias is a result of the junction with the coastal Highway* Citizens’ participation is very important as Dr. Baalbaki has indicated.

Other general comments* The residents of this area are living the daily problems associated with this traffic

congestion.* The organization sponsoring the project should set the conditions that the residents of the

area should participate and give their opinion regarding the project.


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Imad Mroueh (Consultant)* Presentation of the proposed designs of the grade separations at Antelias and Jal el-Dib

Proposed Grade Separations at Antelias:1. Underpass connecting Antelias to the landfill area.2. Two overpasses that carry each the NB and SB traffic of the Coastal Highway, allowing

connecting Antelias to the landfill area and turning movements at-grade.

The pros and cons of each alternative were presented. Alternative 1 would require going undersea level and its connection with the street system on the landfill will be close to the shore line.It will require pumping to extract storm water and the design of the street system in the fill areawill need to be changed. It does not provide direct connection between the Coastal Highwayand Antelias for traffic leading from Antelias to Beirut and for that coming from Jounieh toAntelias. Alternative two would provide the required movements, with no constructibilityproblems.

Q: Why Not build a directional underpass from Antelias Southbound towards Beirut?A: It would need to go under Fouar River and will not provide the required movements

Q: Why not build two underpasses: one NB, the other SB instead of the unsightly bridges?A: A very expensive solution, since one needs to drop below Fouar River. This makes the

underpasses very long. Its drainage would require a pumping station, operation andmaintenance would be costly and in case there is a failure of the pumps or power, theconsequences are grave on public safety and trafickability of the Northern Highway.

Proposed Grade Separations at Jal el-Dib:1. Two directional overpasses2. A three-lane concrete overpass to replace the existing steel overpass.

Alternative 1 would provide effectively all the movements in and out from Jal el-Dib and the Uturns. It is easy to construct without disrupting the traffic. Connection to Linord can beprovided by extending one of the directional overpasses to the West.

Alternative 2 would keep things as they are now, with the many conflicts under the bridge. At alatter stage a SB similar bridge must be constructed to provide access from Jal el-Dib to Linordlandfill.

CommentsSeveral persons expressed their discontent with Alternative 1, as it will dump traffic on theinternal roads of Jal el-Dib that requires rehabilitation. Several persons commented that sincewe do not have a river at Jal el-Dib, why not provide two underpasses: one NB, the other oneSB, this would allow all movements at-grade with no conflict. It was brought to the attention ofthe audience that the underpass will be under sea level, its drainage would need a pump station.No such solution can be adopted without the approval of the MPW, the owner of the CoastalHighway, that they are committed to the operation and maintenance of the pump station, itsauxiliary power supply, etc.

It was agreed to present to each municipality a summary table of the pros and cons of eachAlternative. CDR and the Consultant will hear the suggestions of the municipalities, if theyhave other viable alternatives.


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Mr. Helou of CDR concluded by stressing the need for the general public to attend the hearingwhich should be advertised to attract ordinary citizens and not be monopolized by members ofthe municipal council.



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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and AffiliationKhalil Bou Habib Member: Antelias MunicipalityDr. Samir Serhal Member: Antelias MunicipalityFarhat Abou-Jaoudé President: Antelias MunicipalityGeorges Abou-Jaoudé President: Jal el-Dib MunicipalityJoseph Khoury Developer and ContractorSami El-Khazen Member: Antelias & Naccache MunicipalityGeorges Khoury Member: Antelias & Naccache MunicipalityRaymond Azar Attorney - AnteliasPère Antoine Daou Head of Mar Elias Convent - AnteliasMona Mneimneh (Mrs.) Supervisor - BankFawzi Bouari Engineer - ContractorAndré Abou-Jaoudé Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityEdmond Hajal Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityAntoine Attieh Engineer & Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityEmile Akl Abou-Jaoudé Mayor: Jal el-Dib MunicipalityDoumit Akl Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityAntoine Abou Ali Member: Antelias & Nakkash MunicipalityGérard Khatchadourian Engineer: Representing Archbishop Aram Al-AwalZiad Lteif Engineer: Antelias MunicipalityDr. Emile Bou-Habib V.P.: Antelias MunicipalityElias Fouad Bejjani Engineer & Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityWalid Abou-Jaoudé Engineer & Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityMenhem Maroun Engineer & Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya MunicipalityFadi Farid Abou-Jaoudé Member: Jal el-Dib & Bkinnaya Municipality

Mr. Elie Helou Projects Dept - CDRDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalDr. Mutasem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalDr. Ahmad Baalbaki TEAM InternationalMr. Philimone Azar TEAM InternationalMr. Imad Mroueh TEAM InternationalMr. Mahmoud Halwani TEAM InternationalMr. Toufic Wehbé TEAM International


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RECORD OF MEETING

Date: 22 Dec. 1998Place: El-Saydeh Church - Sin el-FilSubject: Consultation Meeting with Municipality of Sin el-FilAttending: See attached list

Meeting started at 6:45 PMPresident of Sin el-Fil Municipality Council* Welcoming all participants in this public hearing* Purpose of the public hearing is to present the proposed solutions for the traffic congestion

problems at Hayek and Mkalles roundabouts and get feedback from the residents of thearea participating in the meeting.

Elie Helou (CDR)* Overview of the BUTP project with its 3 components:

- Parking issues- Traffic Management- Grade separations.

This project is a follow up to the study started in 1994 when the GBA Master Plan wasdeveloped.

Dr. T. Nakkash (Consultant)* Purpose of this meeting* History and background of the GBA Master Plan with its components: Immediate Action

Plan, long-term plan (Year 2015), and mid-term plan (Year 2005)* The BUTP study* The place of a public hearing in review process of the projects* Hayek and Mkalles projects and their impact on traffic, environment, and society.

The Consultant presented answers to questions such as:

Q: Are the Hayek grade separations needed if the périphérique was built?Q: What percentage of trips using the Hayek junction are characterized as being local trips

versus long regional trips?Q: Why not widen/improve the road between Mkalles roundabout and Dekwaneh Square

through Tell Ez-Zaatar, so more traffic will go through it relieving Hayek?Q: Will the proposed bridge affect the parking issues/problems in the area?Q: What is the status of the project?Q: What is the construction cost of the bridge?Q: What is the construction cost of the périphérique?Q: Lot No. 965 in Sin el-Fil, part of this parcel will be expropriated as part of the project, and

about 460 m2 will be left. However, with the 30% of the area is buildable according tozoning with only 30% of lot area available for building, how could the owner provide therequired parking?

Q: What is proposed along Sin el-Fil Blvd., at Galerie Khabbaz and Ittihad intersections?Q: Why not install traffic signals at Hayek first, before deciding if a grade separation is

required?


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Q: Why not try a one-way system Hayek - Dekwaneh and Saloumeh - Hayek beforeconstructing the bridge?

Q: What other alternatives were considered in addition to the proposed bridge?Q: Why not construct underpasses instead of overpasses?

The Consultant presented briefly the process used to reach the proposed solutions, the variousscenarios considered, and the criteria of evaluation. A table was presented showing the MOEused to compare alternatives. It showed that without the proposed grade separations, even if thePériphérique is in service, the LOS at Hayek will continue to be unacceptable from now andincreasingly through the horizon of the study.

Jamal El-Zarif (Consultant)* Presentation of previous overpass solutions considered: 4-overpass (bridge) alternatives

were considered and presented* Identification of the number of points of conflict with and without the grade separation.

Imad Mroueh (Consultant)* Presentation of 3 alternative grade separation underpasses solutions considered: 3-

underpass (tunnel) alternatives were considered and presentedQalaa - Dekwaneh tunnel, slope ≈ 10%Jisr el-Wati - Dekwaneh, slope ≈ 8-9%

For acceptable slopes in and out of the underpasses, the underpass would need to beexcessively long. Other problems with the underpasses are that they require relocating a largewater minor (Hayek - Qalaa) direction, and a major box culvert in Slav area. Draining ofunderpasses would require pumping. An excerpt of a report prepared by the Consultant as partof the Archeological Assessment was read. The report concludes that “archeological depositsare likely to be present in the vicinity of Saloumeh, Hayek, and Mkalles Roundabouts and anyintrusive ground works may result in their being seriously compromised”.

One of the representatives of an NGO (Man, Earth, and Environment) interjected that he hadthe chance to review this project with CDR and has spent many hours trying with others tocome up with other alternatives. He said that the main objection to the overpass is its visualintrusion, in addition to noise, and the inconveniences to the residents during the construction.

Using a laptop, the Consultant presented a simulation of the queues build-up at Hayek undervarious alternatives, using a software called SYNCHRO.

At the end of the meeting, the CDR and Consultant expressed their availability to sit with acommittee named by the Municipality to discuss any proposals they have and incorporate theirconcerns in improving the proposed design if any.



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LIST OF ATTENDEES

Name Position and AffiliationMr. Alexi Hamouch Hamouch Gas StationMrs. MajdalaniMrs. Nadia AounMr. Robert Mansour DibMs. Jambeh Abi-AadMr. Rafic Abou-Antoun Merchant Mr. Sabeh Abou-Antoun Employee: Sin El-Fil Municipality Mr. Abdo Joseph Kahalé Mechanical Engineer: Calitec Company Mr. Antoine Barakat Owner of lot No. 965 in Sin El-

Fil Mr. Antoine Hamouch Owner: Hamouch Gas Station Mr. Mitri El-Bahri Sales Manager: Mitsubishi Company Mr. Samir Boustani Manager Mr. Steve Khayat Owner of apartment in Forest Bldg. Mr. David Abi-Nader Member: Sin El-Fil Municipality Council Mr. Edmond Bilal Owner of lot No. 957 - Hayek Roundabout Mr. Georges Rizk Renter of Commercial space in lot No. 957 Mr. Jean Edmond Bilal Owner of apartment and office space in lot No. 957 Mr. Eid Rizk Renter - Commercial space at Hayek Roundabout Ms. Marguerite Hatem Renter - Commercial space in lot No. 957 Mr. Roland Daou Owner of apartment - Hayek RoundaboutAl-Ittihad Engineering Owner of 3 offices in lot No. 957 Mr. Michel Farès Fares Est. For Trading and Decoration Mr. Antoine Chaoul MerchantMr. Bassam Farès Owner of dry cleanerMr. Nagi ChaoulMr. Pierre Jbeili Merchant and Mayor of Sin El-Fil MunicipalityMr. Georges Mghamès Owner of travel agency and member of Sin El-Fil MunicipalityMr. Joseph Farah Attorney & Member of Sin El-Fil Municipality CouncilMr. Abdo Elie Jbeili JewelerMr. Chafic Gébara Insurance Agent - Mar Elias St, Sin El-FilMr. Charbel Mardini ArchitectMr. Georges Sélim Zouein Merchant - El-Saiydeh St.Mr. Labib Kallas EngineerMr. Dory Azar Student - Civil EngineerMr. Nadim Torbey OpticianMr. Antoine KahaléMr. Charles Bitar IndustrialistMr. Farouk Minkara Owner of Commercial SpaceMr. Amer Nassar Civil Engineer - ACE & YASAMr. Elie Khazzoum Business Administration & member of the Lebanese House of

EnvironmentMr. Ziad Akl Attorney - YASAMr. Maher El-Ajam Civil Engineer - YASAMs. Antoinette Nehmeh Civil Engineer - Nehmeh Office, MkallesMr. Negib Selim Zouein Merchant - ADPMr. Georges Elie Ojeil Engineering Planner member of Sin El-Fil MunicipalityMr. Sami Chaoul President - Sin El-Fil Municipality


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Mr. Imad ZoueinMr. Selim HayekMr. Samir Azar Owner of land parcel to be partially expropriatedMr. Noubeir Kouyoumji PharmacistDr. Antoine HachemDr. Elias Hachem College of Engineering - Lebanese UniversityMr. Nasim Abou-Zeid Architect - Lebanese UniversityMr. Elias Matar Municipality Police - Sinn El-FilMr. Roger Sfeir Archeologist & Member of Sin El-Fil MunicipalityMr. Halim Gerji Nasr Self - EmployedDr. Naji Chamiyeh Environmental Engineer - Ministry of EnvironmentMr. Elie Haddad Airplane Maintenance Engineer - Beirut AirportMr. Khalil Ouyoun Retired - General Security

Mr. Elie Helou Projects Dept - CDRDr. Tammam Nakkash TEAM InternationalDr. Mutasem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM InternationalDr. Ahmad Baalbaki TEAM InternationalMr. Philimone Azar TEAM InternationalMr. Imad Mroueh TEAM InternationalMr. Mahmoud Halwani TEAM InternationalMr. Jamal El-Zarif TEAM International

Annex 4-1 Second National Consultation Meeting schedule

Registration 08:30 – 09:00Opening Session

• Team International • CDR • Minister of Transport

09:00 – 09:30

Coffee Break 09:30 – 10:00

BUTP Progress 10:00 – 10:30EIA 10:30 – 11:45Exhibition & Questionnaire 11:45 – 12:15Mitigation & EMP 12:15 – 13:00Discussion 13:00 – 14:00Lunch 14:00 – 15:00

Annex 4-2 Invitees and participants to the Second National Consultation Meeting

Participants are shown in Bold

First Name Last Name Affiliation1 Iman Nuwayhid AUB2 Naif Germani CDR3 Elie Helou CDR4 Ghassan Khayrallah CDR5 George Samaha CDR6 Hala Shams CDR7 Alan Kurdahi CDR8 Abdel Mounhim Shehadeh CEGP9 Samir Mansour CEGPVB10 Mohammad Mashnouk Development and Environment Media Association11 Mona Abdel Khalek DGU12 Nabil Safwat ESCWA13 Sati’ Arnaout European Union14 Nashaat Mansour Green Forum15 Adel Abou Daher Internal Security Forces16 Fouad Hamid Khoury Internal Security Forces17 Abdel Badih Soussi Internal Security Forces18 Mouein Shehadeh Internal Security Forces19 Iskandar Ajjaqa Internal Security Forces20 Nabil Merhi Internal Security Forces21 Adel Hamieh Ministry of Public Works22 Mohammad Baaj Ministry of Transport23 Atef Merhi Ministry of Administrative Reform24 Naji Kodieh Ministry of Environment25 Berj Hatjian Ministry of Environment26 Samih Wehbe Ministry of Environment27 Hadi Kamal Ministry of Petroleum28 Edward Shoukair Muhafazat Mount Lebanon29 Abdel Mounhim Ariss Municipality of Beirut30 Michel Assaf Municipality of Beirut - Traffic Section31 Joseph Nseir Municipality of Bourj Hammoud32 Tony Abi Harb Municipality of Chiyah33 Fadi Mcharrafieh Municipality of Chouwaifat34 Amine Jraidiny Municipality of Chouwaifat35 Mohammad Khansa Municipality of Ghobeirey36 Hassan Dergham Municipality of Ghobeirey37 Munir Hajal Municipality of Jel El-Dib38 Nabil Zurd Abou Jaoude Municipality of Jel El-Dib39 George Ajail Municipality of Sin El-Fil40 Joseph Farah Municipality of Sin El-Fil41 Samir Doumit Order of Engineers42 Abdel Hafiz Kayssi PIU - MPW43 Tania Mansour PIU - MPW44 Adel Mortada Public Transport and Railways Authority45 Youssef Fawaz Solidere46 Mariam Hashash TEAM International47 Mahmoud Halwani TEAM International48 Nada Dagher TEAM International49 Yusef Salam TEAM International50 Jamal Zarif TEAM International51 Philimone Azar TEAM International52 Dunia Andary TEAM International53 Lina Kattan TEAM International54 Imad Mroueh TEAM International

55 Tammam Nakkash TEAM International56 Zaki Nakkash TEAM International57 Rita Wahab TEAM International58 Nazih Kronfol TEAM International59 Ahmad Ba’albaki TEAM International (Expert)60 Mutassem El-Fadel AUB/TEAM International (Expert)61 Mohammad Fawaz UMP62 Dima Khatib UNDP63 Lamia Mansour UNDP64 Ziad Akl YASAParticipants who were not invited:65 Hicham Sinno Municipal Council of Beirut66 Chafic Sinno MEAD s.a.l.67 Afif Ariss ATC (Ariss Trading & Contracting)68 Adnan Kayssi Kayssi Co.

Annex 4-3 Opening session speeches during the Second National Consultation Meeting

TEAM International by Dr. Tammam Nakkash

Excellency Adel Hamieh representing his Excellency Minister of Transport and Public Works; SecretaryGeneral of CDR Mr. George Samaha; President of the Order of Engineers; Ladies and Gentlemenparticipating in this Consultation Meeting from among municipal councils’ members, representatives ofgovernment agencies, officers of Internal Security Forces, Academicians, representatives of internationalorganizations and NGO’s, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I welcome you all on behalf of TEAM International in this Second National Consultation Meeting on BeirutUrban Transport Project. Our First Consultation Meeting was held about one year ago at the inception ofthe Preparatory Study. The results of the First Consultation Meeting oriented our efforts during the past yearwhile completing the major part of the Preparatory Study. It is now timely to expose to you today theresults, especially those pertaining to the Environmental Impact Assessment, Economic Feasibility, and theinstitutional framework required during the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the BUTP.

Last year was full with daily interactions between the Consultant (TEAM International) and the ProjectOwner (CDR) on one side and many government officials and bodies in order to choose among technicalalternatives and decide on engineering details. I like here to single out a unique practice, probably the firsttime ever used in Lebanon during the preparation of a development project. I meant the public participationin the decision-making process. This participation would have not succeeded without the close cooperationprovided by the newly elected municipal councils, NGO’s, and the citizens at large concerned by thisproject. The many hearings and consultation meetings were open to all of them. They communicatedfrankly expressing some of their worries at times, objecting to certain details at others, always abiding byobjectivity and putting public interests ahead of their own, in case of any conflicts.

I look forward to this Second National Consultation Meeting with you today, and you are this selected elitegroup of professionals, experts, and officials, as an open forum through which we expose the results andexchange views about some options and alternatives. Our role stays as that of a consultant who puts in frontof the decision-maker a comparison of all alternatives exposing pros and cons of each, and it remains to thedecision-maker to act.

Today we will discuss some important options and alternatives Decisions seem to be ripe and ready forharvesting. I say that, holding this meeting under the auspices of His Excellency Ministry of Transport, is agood omen that confirms official support to this project and providing it with prerequisites of success.Ladies and Gentlemen, investment in infrastructure, equipment, and high-tech - although important - cannotrealize its objectives in the absence of the proper organization and institutional set-up or without the trainedmanpower required for operation and maintenance. In conducting the BUTP Preparatory Study, we haveendeavored to provide it with all the prerequisites of its success: technically, economically, socially, andenvironmentally. We have ahead of us a busy day of discussions and consultations. While consultingtogether we enrich the democratic experience, which is the backbone of sustainable development.

Before I leave this podium I must thank the World Bank for his support of this project and making availableto it the rich international experience it possesses; and like to thank again his Excellency Najeeb Mikati,Minister of Transport, and each one of you for your participation.

Council for Reconstruction and Development by the Secretary General George Samaha

Your Excellency Minister of Transport, Minister of Public Works Najeeb Mikati, Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to deliver the CDR’s address, on behalf of its President Engineer MahmoudOsman, in the opening session of the Second Consultation Meeting for the Beirut Urban Transport Project,organized by TEAM International, the consultant charged by CDR to prepare the studies of this vitalproject.

My address will not be long, we engineers deal with designs, plans, perspectives, and graphs more thanwords which are used only to support selecting an alternative over another.

Brethren,

Urban transport is one element among many addressed by urban planning science. Designs for roads andtheir implementation are not sufficient without equipping the networks with means and equipment thatensures a safe environment for the society, providing housing and convenient transport to the citizens.

It is well known that in all countries problems of traffic congestion and accidents are prevalent.

This confirms the need to find solutions for these problems by organizing car parking along the curbs,providing off-street car parks, organizing streets intersections in a well studied manner that provides formovements in all directions with a reasonable cost. The split among various modes of transport, private andpublic, is essential and leads to restricting the use of the private car.

Restrictions whether procedural or organizational are not enough, because restrictions may open the door toexceptions, excessive use of authority, and selectionism. Financial constraints based on tariff impact thepoor and middle class income groups, while providing comfortable transport to the higher income strata.That is why it is necessary to adopt an objective well conceived policy for public transport, of all types, andinstitute public awareness to convince the people to use it for their daily travel. These solutions should notstop at the limits of lip service, but require improving the quality of the public transport services andprovide enough frequency and geographical coverage.

We in Lebanon: authorities, administrations, and citizens become to realize day after day the society’s needto address these issues and find the adequate solutions, subject to available resources and in harmony withthe approved development plans.

These developmental and planning responsibilities and others including consulting, directing,implementing, financing, and control, all specified by the law establishing CDR according to the LegislativeDecree No. 5 dated 13/01/1977, were all and are still performed by CDR, in various degrees according tothe prevailing circumstances and the associated available funds. Witness to that are our accomplishments todate including studies and executed projects, according to funds assigned to CDR and in cooperation withline ministries, concerned administrations, CEGP, and CEGPVB.

We are fully confident that during the promising new administration headed by President Lahoud, we willcontinue to perform with full transparency and cooperation with all parties to equip our country, cities,towns, and villages in a manner commensurate with Lebanon’s cultural and economic role which is presentin all corners of the world, and that ensures the sustainability of Lebanon’s existence and mission.

I am grateful for your attendance and I thank all who contributed to the success of this ConsultationMeeting, especially the World Bank and the consultant TEAM International, and I stress finally on thepositive coordinating role played by all concerned ministries, the Municipality of Beirut and all othermunicipalities within Greater Beirut.

Ministry of Transport and Public Works by H.E. Adel Hamieh

It is my pleasure to participate in the Second Consultation Meeting of the BUTP.

We recognize the BUTP as a pilot project, lots of our ambitions rely on it to establish traffic managementsystems that will be implemented first in Greater Beirut and eventually all over the Lebanese territories.

In addition to its impact on Lebanon’s emergence to the world, the land transportation sector in Lebanonhas a very important and positive role in the revitalization of all economic and social sectors, which shouldreflect the ambitions provided by the present Administration for a prominent future for Lebanon.

It is without any doubt that Lebanon in general and Greater Beirut in particular is suffering from copingwith the huge traffic volumes on one hand, and the lack of organization of traffic on the other. This requiresan in-depth study to propose plans and solutions to remedy the problems and mitigate the negative impactsof this problem on the environment and the economy.

We are now in front of one of the most important projects, which deals with the essence of traffic problemsin Greater Beirut to put the engineering and economic basis for solving some of the traffic congestionproblems especially on major intersections, in addition to the organization of traffic using technicalinnovations for traffic management that contribute to the reduction of the burdens born by the citizens, interms of the high transportation cost. These solutions will eventually produce a positive effect on thenational economy.

This project is one of the pillars required to improve the quality of transport services in Lebanon. However,this should be completed by other steps. We should endeavor to achieve improving public transport servicesand increasing road capacities along major axes around Beirut and leading to it. In that respect we have tomention the effective initiatives taken by the Ministry of Interior to implement drivers’ awareness programsleading to better abiding by traffic laws and ordinances, which is essential to realizing the transport sectorobjectives.

We, at the Ministries of Transport and Public Works, are presently preparing for a workshop, during thefirst week of July, with an objective to help draft a national policy for land transport to be implemented inphases based on a programme of priorities complying with available financing, to attain the best economicpay off, always targeting a balanced development that addresses the local socio-economic needs of eachregion. Almost two weeks ago, the Ministry of Public Works launched the National Roads Project, whichembodies a pilot project to rehabilitate the national road network, utilizing the most modern scientifictechniques in project planning, programming, monitoring, and implementation. We look with anticipationto launching the implementation of the BUTP. Moreover, we look forward to implement other projects thatfortify the transport sector in Lebanon.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to TEAM International for their great endeavor in theirlaborious studies to improve the performance of the transport sector in Lebanon. I also would like to thankCDR for its sincere efforts towards bringing this viable project to success and also the World Bank whoalways financed various development projects in all sectors, for its support to this project. Long liveLebanon.

Annex 4-4 On-street parking management questionnaire and analysis of results

Category Option %1. Priority in government action should be given in the short-term to

organizing on-street parking over off-street parking provision.YesNoNot answered

8119

02. Public money need not be directed towards building parking garages,

since such an investment should be financially viable on its own andthus attractive to private investors.

YesNoNot answered

7822

03. Should the projects for building underground parking garages under

the following gardens be still considered as part of the BUTP?Sanayeh

YesNoNot Answered

444115

MazraaYesNoNot Answered

532819

Mar NicolasYesNoNot Answered

503119

RachidineYesNoNot Answered

443719

4. Paid on-street parking in urbanized areas should be implemented: (a) Immediately completely (b) Gradually after experimenting with pilot projects

abNot Answered

2872

05. Paid parking in areas like Hamra or Sassine should be enforced

during the following periods daily (except Sundays and officialholidays. Choose one

(a) 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM (b) 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (c) 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

abcNot Answered

3460

33

6. Labor intensive curb-side parking control is a viable alternative tothe use of electronic equipment.

YesNoNot answered

3856

67. Among all curb-side control methods not requiring installing

equipment on the sidewalk, I prefer them in the following priority:1, 2, 3, 4 (1 = best)Attended parking, receipts issued manually

1234Not Answered

366

3550

Attended parking with hand-held computer 1234Not Answered

91328

347

Voucher (scratch card) 1234Not Answered

371316

331

Individual Park Meter 1234Not Answered

4719

09

258. Comparing only Park Meters with Pay and Display (a) I prefer Pay and Display (b) I prefer Park Meter

abNot Answered

5044

69. If Pay and Display is used in Beirut, the public will find it

unacceptable because of the need to walk to the machine to pay andback to the car to display the receipt.

TrueFalse

5644

10. If Pay and Display is used, the longest walking distance acceptableto the Lebanese parker between where he parks and the location of aPay and Display machine is: Choose one

25 m50 m75 m

6334

311. If Pay and Display is used, the public will not accept a PAD machine

on the opposite sidewalk because it requires crossing the street inorder to get the receipt and back to the car to display it.

TrueFalseNot Answered

7522

312. Enforcement of curb parking regulations is the exclusive

responsibility of traffic police and civilians should not have a role init.

YesNo

6634

13. Parking violations should be fined outside the traffic courts systemand treated as a bad debt. (Decriminalization of traffic violations)

YesNo

8416

14. Do you prefer that parking organization and management in GreaterBeirut be under a single parking authority, or be controlled by eachMunicipality individually?

(a) Parking Authority (b) Individual Municipalities

abNot Answered

3859

315. Do you prefer in any case to have the parking field management

handled directly by the employees of the Municipality or ParkingAuthority or have it contracted or concessioned to the private sector?

(a) Directly by Parking Authority or Municipality employees (b) Contracted or concessioned to theprivate sector

abNot Answered

7225

3

Annex 4-5 Questions/comments and answers during the Second National Consultation Meeting

Discussion (Public transport)

Q Last year there was an attempt to ban any talk about public transport. Is this ban still valid today?

A I do not remember that we said that we should not talk about Public Transport.

Q you said it is not a component of our discussion.

A That is not accurate? We said that public transport is not an element we are working on. If youremember, I started my presentation by stating the importance of public transport. What ever we do,we will not solve the problem unless we invest in public transport. The roads and traffic situation atthe present time does not allow us to plan for the public transport that could be adequately used bythe people. But this does not mean that someone else could work on it at the same time. Furthermore,we are ready to talk about anything. There is no ban on anything. I would like here to confirm thatpublic transport is not absent form the CDR, World Bank or TEAM's minds. We have alwaysinsisted on its major importance in solving transport sector problems. Nevertheless, the elements ofthe BUTP facilitate a better performance of Public Transport, but does not include any directinvestment in that sector.

Q I disagree with your presumptions. I think there are very small and low cost initiatives that could bedone that could positively affect the public transport performance. However, since the terms ofreference of the BUTP does not include a section on Public Transport we are obliged to respect yourposition and not talk about it.

A I agree with you, however this does not neglect the fact that other people could work on it. TEAMdoes not monopolize transportation planning.

Discussion (Environmental impacts)

Q What are the variables that you have taken in your model? When you collect spot data do you takealso from the surrounding roads? Do you model the impact on the alternative routing roads andsurrounding areas?

A One can model the impact on alternative routing roads. In this exercise we focused on theintersection itself where a grade separation is proposed to evaluate the future noise levels with andwithout the grade separation. Many elements were taken into consideration in the formulation of themodel some of which are: car speed, type of cars, characteristics of the fleet, emission factors, fleetage and many other elements that we can evaluate within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty.What is most important in the modeling, is the comparative assessment, and not the exact numbersthat you get, that will allow you to compare different scenarios irrespective of the numbers that areobtained.

Q The Internal Security Forces are the ones that are now responsible of managing the traffic; hencethey are exposed to pollution on daily bases, due to there long stay on intersections which areheavily polluted as you have already explained. What do you think are preventive measures thatshould be taken by the traffic police to reduce the impact of pollution on him.

A I will go in detail on how we can reduce the pollution impacts, not only on the traffic police, but onthe general public as well.

A BUTP provides traffic signals on all the intersections, which will eventually replace the trafficpolice, thus reduce the impact of air pollution on policemen.

Discussion (Economic Assessment)

Q What do you mean by Parking Control?

A Parking Controls are procedures to implement and enforce the Law in the areas that we have studied.The implementation requires for its success to equip the parking authority (internal security forcesand/or municipal police...) with means to facilitate their work and coverage.

Q Are you going to provide parking places for those who park illegally?

A No. It is left to the market forces to take care of it. The areas we are talking about here arecommercial zones many of the shop owners leave their cars in front of their shop all day. What weare saying is that we are going to place Parking Meters to allow a better turnover for the on-streetparking, which will increase the number of visitors.

Q You mentioned that the cost of expropriation is 25M$, which I do not think it is correct?

A 25M$ is the economic value of the expropriated lands. The land value is very high in these urbanareas we cannot estimate the cost of the land without knowing the economic value of land in eacharea. The effective cost of expropriation was not studied yet, this is a separate study that will be doneafter the expropriation decrees are released.

Q In the context of parking lots. A decision was taken 2 years ago to oblige the owner, of vacant lots toclear it and make it a parking lot. This decision was not fully implemented. Since the cost of parkinglots is that high and most probably within the present economic situation, it is not feasible. Did youstudy the economical implications of the full implementation of the official decision on the presentparking situation? Don't you think that we can postpone the parking problems for future years untilwe become able to spend money on such a problem?

A What you said is very true. According to the statistics and studies that we have done we found outthat the main problem in parking situation is the lack of law enforcement. Thus, it is very clear to usthat if we enforce the law on parking, lots of the problem will diminish. Moreover, what you havesuggested will not work if there is no law enforcement of parking on street. For example, next to ouroffice in Jenah facing the NBN TV, people used to park in a vacant lot for free. The municipalityobliged the owner to clear the lot from rubble and provide it as a paid parking lot, today all the carsare double or triple parked on the street, where as the new parking lot stays empty.

Q In the economic assessment, social impact has a serious value on the economic assessment. There isa big impact on the land value when you install a bridge in an area, all the buildings within the areaare effected in terms of value which consequently has a social impact. It should have been studiedwhether you prefer a bridge or a tunnel. A tunnel keeps the noise underground and keeps thecommercial activity on ground level. It also affects the value of apartments and shops. Otherelements are the value of time. Saving 30 min of time does not mean gaining 30 minutes of work andits relationship to the personal income.

A VOC (Vehicle Operating Cost) and VOT (Value of Time), were separate studies. To calculate theVOC we used different factors to evaluate fuel consumption, car depreciation and maintenance,wheel wearing, and interest. VOT based on 2 surveys, the statistics we did on streets road sideinterviews 2 household surveys in each zone where we carried interviews and found the level ofincome, car ownership and social class. Hence, we were able to calculate the time we save and itsvalue in terms of money; in addition, we introduced the factor of time where time was directlyrelated to work. This is the point that you have referred to. All the time that is saved which hasnothing to do with work has been given a very low value/percentage; we sometimes calculated it as33%. The impact on land value was explored in terms of expropriation or if a building is hit by theright of way and its economic value.

Q What about the social impact?

A The social impact is being studied in a separate Report. Which will be ready in the coming fewmonths.

Q I do not intend to discuss the methodology. I would like to know if you have taken intoconsiderations the impact of your design on the performance of bus routing. As you know the PublicTransport Authority is implementing a plan prepared by TEAM, IAURIF, SOFRETU and CDR.There are specific bus stops and bus stations next to the 16 grade separations that you have workedon. How is it being affected by your plan? Did you assess the impact of that change on the busrouting? Is the use of public transport going to increase or decrease? Did you change any bus lane?

A We have taken the public transport occupancy in our economic analysis. In terms of operations allthe designs did not change or adversely affect the operations of public transport. For each grade

separation, service roads were provided that are designed to accommodate the public transport.Buses should not take the overpass or underpass, they should always take the peripheral roads. Thisproject will improve the traffic flow and consequently bus operations and schedule adherence willimprove.

A The components of the project are going to upgrade the fluidity of traffic which is going to reflectpositively in an increase in median velocity of public transport movement. Thus increasing itsefficiency and ridership.

Q I think there are lots of buses. But people in developed countries do know when the bus is comingand how long it takes to go from one point to the other. Here in Lebanon people avoid the use of thebus because they do not know when to expect the bus, where it is going, and how much it takes toget there, that is why they prefer the use of jitney and taxis.

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