Riyadh On The Move: One of the Biggest Transportation Projects in the World Discussed at the United Nations

Moving a city of 6.5 million people from home to work and back, and anywhere else their daily life takes them, is a huge task.

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 29. 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Moving a city of 6.5 million people from home to work and back, and anywhere else their daily life takes them, is a huge task.

The King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport includes a metro and a bus network, and is designed to relieve traffic congestion and improve access to transportation for all population groups.

On Thursday, The Arriyadh Development Authority sponsored A Day in Riyadh conference at the United Nations focused on innovations in transportation being built into the future of the city.

Diversifying the modes of transportation means moving residents efficiently and appropriately, and keeping the use of private cars within the minimum limits.

Hassan Al Musa, Deputy Director of Transport Planning at Department of the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh, the main speaker at Thursday’s workshop, “People on the Move,” described how the city is involving its citizens in the planning. “We are engaging with the community, having job fairs, and also developing campaigns that help to educate the people about the project, give awareness about the progress, and what milestones will happen in the near future.” “Every hour we have 20 new residents in Riyadh,” he added. “We have a very good road network, but it needs advanced traffic management (ATM).”

The King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport initiative is a comprehensive solution to the traffic congestion in Riyadhwhile making it easier for residents to get where they need to go, encouraging them to make the city a larger community and take advantage of shopping centers, green space and communal gathering areas.

“A successful transportation plan is necessary to make all the other parts of the transformation of Riyadh work,” said RiyadhMayor H.E. Ibrahim bin Mohammed Alsultan, who is also the President of the Arriyadh Development Authority. “Transportation is one of the first ways a city is judged, and we’re excited by the many benefits this project will bring to Riyadh.”

The “On the Move” workshop at the United Nations included top experts from the transportation sector, including Dr. Adib Kanafani, Civil & Environmental Engineering Professor at University of California, Berkeley; Jack Requa, General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Khalid Al Hogail, the CEO of the Saudi Public Transport Company; and Dr. Robert Cervero, Director of the University of California Transportation Center.

Kanafani noted, “This project comes at a time when inadequate mobility is becoming a barrier to sustain the community. For example, we are fundamentally enhancing the quality of education by providing affordable mobility for students.”

On Friday, A Day in Riyadh wraps up their series of workshops with a double session on the Development of Civilization and Social Partnerships. To learn more, visit www.ADayinRiyadh.com or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Arriyadh Development Authority