Serious rail congestion expected during Tokyo Olympics

Smith - Docomo BayBike bike share in Yokohama is extremely popular and they have been adding stations and increasing the number of bikes regularly to meet demand since it started about 5 years ago. It is very popular with tourists who can easlily sign up for a 1 day rental for 1500 yen at most Lawson’s.

Now Docomo, just in the past year has been adding more and more bike share stations in Tokyo too.

http://docomo-cycle.jp/tokyo-project/en_index.html

Like you said, the narrow painted bike lanes that are now on some streets are almost useless with cars and trucks standing in them - which is why protected lanes are necessary. The space to do this already exists on major streets in Tokyo - it would just require a willingness to actively dissuade driving, encourage cycling, and to allocate space more effectively and efficiently.

I think for many foreign tourists, the first image of Tokyo is the overcrowded crosswalk in Shibuya. Crowded trains will all be a part of the Tokyo experience for travelers whether they like it or not.

TigersTokyoDome: "and make it compulsory that Tokyo area staff take another 1 week of their holidays during the Olympics."

You're obviously not living here if you think the government can ask companies to make something compulsory. Remember when they demanded they limit overtime? That worked! Now we have a new term "burakku kaisha". Remember when they asked companies to increase wages for the third arrow? Remember when they said they would ban smoking? No, they'll ASK the companies, at best, and the companies will say, "It's up to staff (who know they'll be fired if they take the time off)".

David Varnes: Try reading, amigo. I said "here" -- aka, Japan. They work in all sorts of places, but not here. In fact, while some cities have gone out of their way lately to make cycling lanes where they can actually widen streets without utility poles and houses being in the way, they haven't bothered to ask police to stop people from using them as illegal parking lots. I nearly got hit just yesterday as I had to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid a guy who stopped and flipped on his hazard on a curve outside the nearby station. That's just cycling in general. Bike sharing is improving, but it still extremely limited, HERE.

smith, there are other bike sharing systems that I've seen in plenty of cities. I first saw them in Phoenix Arizona, but since then have seen them in Australia, Rome, and Albania.

There's a couple of brands out there, but they work the same way. You scan a QR code on the bike with your smartphone, and the app charges you by the usage. Scanning unlocks the bike, and when you're done you lock the bike, and the charge stops.

The prices were quite reasonable, too. I think when I looked in Phoenix it was $1 for an hour, and Rome was 1 Euro. I could see the same in Tokyo, 100 yen per hour.

The bikes are then left wherever you get on and get off, ready for the next person to use them.

It's not a perfect solution, of course. But I am seeing it more and more in addition to traditional bike rental outlets, and would provide another outlet for bike usage.

Yokohamarides: bike rentals and share programs don’t work in large scale tourist areas here. The work best in places like Takamatsu, which has an awesome system, but like I said, not so many tourists. In Osakaif you want to rent a bike hey are sold out by 8:00 am.

Well, duh!

theperson, its not really a problem because a) most people working in Tokyo live in Saitama or Kanagawa so would not be travelling around central Tokyo, b) even those Tokyo workers who did travel into central Tokyo would avoid the rush hour as they are on holiday, and c) very few Tokyo workers would use their holidays to go to the Olympics and if they did they would only get tickets for a couple of days of events leaving the rest of the break elsewhere.

This is not rocket science information this on a consistent for serious congestion and took your during rush hour. Add the Olympics do it and you have a total cluster situations. Nobody needed their specialist to tell us this

If the weather is like it is now, lots of the "visitors" may opt to stay in their air conditioned hotel rooms and watch the events on TV than sit in a steaming, crowded stadium for several hours and battle the crowds to go there and back.

TigersTokyoDome

What if half of the people on holiday decide to stay in Tokyo for the Olympics?

Yubaru has already come up with the one reasonable solution.

Bring Obon forward to one of the Olympic weeks for 5 days, create a national holiday thing which they are very good at in Japan (2 or 3 days), and make it compulsory that Tokyo area staff take another 1 week of their holidays during the Olympics.

He added congestion at train stations could also be significantly eased if Olympic visitors are guided to get off trains before reaching the closest stations to the venues and walk a longer distance.

Maybe locals can do this but not the visitors. So instead of Gaienmae station, one would get off at Omotesando or Aoyama Ichome, but walking from Shibuya might take over a half hour.

The London Olympics took place in London's East End and the only transport links to it were 2 highly congested commuter lines going through the Canary Wharf financial district. There was some concern but they managed to time events and ticket times to avoid peak rush hour and it all worked out.

Can you see the salarymen in their three piece suits and dress shoes, getting off their bicycles and walking into an office smelling like a rugby locker room after the match, leaving a trail of sweat behind them?

You’d much be more likely to smell like a locker room after a ny rush hour commute on packed trains through over- capacity stations.

If you aren’t going very far, use an electric-assist bike, go easily, and leave the jacket and tie in the office, it won’t be a problem at all. I’ve been riding the 3 kms to work in Yokohama everyday for years - it’s a great way to start and end the day.

More serious than this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7kor5nHtZQ

The Lords of the RIngs, officials and members of the Olympic village will have their own limousines to transport them between their 5-star hotels and the venues, along with priority lanes and signalling. Heaven forbid that they descend below the streets to squeeze or be squeeeezed onto a public train. They won't have a clue as to what is happening.

How are all the athletes, coaches, referees etc going to get there? Are they going to live in capsules beside their venues?

Nice photo....

Of the SLOWEST and LEAST conjested looking station in a city.

Should a photo headlining a potential commuter crisis feature commuter heaven?

Cycling to reduce congestion, as several people pointed out in the incredible humidity and heat of Tokyo mid-summer?

Can you see the salarymen in their three piece suits and dress shoes, getting off their bicycles and walking into an office smelling like a rugby locker room after the match, leaving a trail of sweat behind them?

Serious rail congestion expected during Tokyo Olympics

Oh, so what goes on every weekday morning is not serious?

Here comes a worrier again to create "news."  It will be solved when the games get closer.

(cont) ..say

Cycling would be a good idea perhaps, but as Yubaru said, would need more parking spaces and cycling in july/august? I dont think so.

papigiulio - The electric assist bicycles, that the Tokyo/Yokohama Docomo bike share system uses, requires almost no effort at all - all you feel is a nice breeze on your face. Even, regular bikes are fine over short distances(say

Seriously, where do these researchers get hired? I want to be one! I could EASILY have pointed out years ago that "Olympics will lead to serious congestion", or, "If it's cloudy, the sidewalks might not be as hot from the sunshine", etc.

I love how they act as though this is just occurring to them now as a potential problem.

This is research that should've been done BEFORE they decided to do the Olympics. But yeah logical thinking is a rare concept for Japanese.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Really?!

this

Awesome idea, especially since there are no concerns about the extreme heat or anything like that to worry about. So encouraging visitors to spend more time walking along Tokyo’s sidewalks in August is a viable solution.

Oh wait....

And this.

Cycling would be a good idea perhaps, but as Yubaru said, would need more parking spaces and cycling in july/august? I dont think so.

Again, this research doesn't come as a shock, every logical thinking person already knew all of this.

Goodlucktoyou, that is supposed way in modern time. There is no need for a centralized Olympics. Japan has golden opportunity to showcase of 5g technology, Abe missed it.

I said it once and I will say again. Half in Tokyo and half in Osaka.

Olympics 2020 is a very flawed planning in modern time. Yet no single person takes responsibility for the disaster. From the turtle stadium to the expected heat, from childish sprinkler to the no brain traffic jam, all of these are nothing when people have to wait in line for toilets, diapers forever.

Make that two weeks in 2020 as holiday in Tokyo

Honestly I think they really didn't think all this out very well before shooting for the 2020 Olympics.

He added congestion at train stations could also be significantly eased if Olympic visitors are guided to get off trains before reaching the closest stations to the venues and walk a longer distance.

Awesome idea, especially since there are no concerns about the extreme heat or anything like that to worry about. So encouraging visitors to spend more time walking along Tokyo’s sidewalks in August is a viable solution.

Oh wait....

Hey, Yubaru! Cycling, eh? Great way to reduce congestion!

The Chinese were doing it way before the New Yorkers though!

Of course, if they'd held them in the winter months... everyone would be wearing a coat, increasing the need for platform-pushers even more.

Yeah those spectators aren't going to have enough heatstroke, they have to walk another station! What a terrible tone deaf plan!

Holding the Olympics at night is probably the only realistic means of using trains or avoiding serious heat problems. It would also allow for more volunteers

Yubaru - inactivity is a much greater health risk. Insurance companies should realize this.

Cycling is the healthiest way to get around cities.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/187688/cycling-healthiest-around-cities/

I just got back from a trip to NYC and couldn’t believe all the people cycling - now, subway usage rates are down, - as well as, traffic injury rates.

10 years ago this would have been impossible to believe, but they simply built plenty of safe spaces to ride and a great bike share network and people use them.

If it can happen in NYC it can happen anywhere. Not all solutions to urban problems have to be expensive, high-tech projects.

Serious rail congestion expected during Tokyo Olympics

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Really?! Well now, who'da thunk it.

Asking anyone to get off at an earlier station and walking in the August heat/humidity is just not going to be taken seriously as a solution, is it? No need to make getting work into an Olympic event.

You don't say.... Just close all the streets in the day time to cars and only allow buses to move people around... problem solved.

its a two week event you don't need to make sweeping changes it will pass and be forgotten

Tokyo companies have to stop forbidding employees from cycling to work.

If the typical Japanese company "up there" is like the one I work for "down here" their employees are covered by insurance, co-paid, and it also covers their commute to and from work. Cycling is not as safe as commuting by car, train or bus.

Not to mention, cycling to work would mean needing to provide parking for all those bikes and not everyone is going to come to work smelling like a rose either.

I already decided to take holidays during he Olympics.

The answer is simple and cheap - protected cycling lanes, combined with more bike share stations. Also, Tokyo companies have to stop forbidding employees from cycling to work.

profound stuff from a 'professor of traffic networks'.... amazing what some people can figure out!!! （⌒▽⌒）

What spectator would cram themselves (possible?) into a carriage at an overcapacity of 250%?

I wouldn’t....

For the folks who live in Tokyo just another day on the job!

However I highly doubt the Japanese Olympic committee wants the world to see foreign spectators and athletes being pushed into the cars like cattle.

I see a two week holiday in the works for people in Tokyo coming in about 2 years!