Izmir tramway

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The proposed investment is a loan to the Metropolitan Municipality of Izmir to help finance the construction of two new tramway lines along the coast on opposite sides of Izmir Bay: Konak Tramway Line: 13 km in length, requiring19 stations and 21 wagons, construction agreement targeted to be completed in April 2014; construction time targeted as 36 months; designed to handle 64 million commuters in 2017, when the line becomes operational and 92.6 million commuters in 2030;Karsiyaka Tramway Line: 10 km in length, requiring15 stations and 17 wagons, construction agreement targeted to be completed in April 2014, construction time targeted as 36 months; designed to handle 72.6 million commuters in 2017, when the line becomes operational, and 100.3 million commuters in 2030. Both lines are fully integrated with existing ferry piers and bus stations, and in the case of Konak, the metro system, so that passengers can switch from one mode of transportation to another at strategically located transfer stations with a single ticket. Both tramways will be fully electrified, mostly on dedicated lanes running alongside existing roads, thus there will be no need for land expropriation.At the time of the appraisal, Izmir has an operational 16.2 km metro line and an 80 km suburban rail network. A 3.14 km metro line is under construction, and 5 additional metro lines that will be added to the existing route are at a design stage. As for sea transportation, with the 4 passenger and 2 vehicle ferryboats that IMM owns and 18 additional passenger ferryboats that it has procured, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality’s fleet now consists of 22 passenger and 2 vehicle ferryboats, carrying approximately 1.2 million passengers per month. A new fleet of 15 passenger ferry boats as well as 3 vehicle ferryboats are in the process of being procured and are expected to be operational one by one starting in 2014. These new ferryboats will have a higher capacity and will be faster, safer and more energy efficient than the existing fleet of the Municipality.Izmir Metro A.S. will operate the tramway lines. Izmir Metro A.S. was established in 2000 by Metropolitan Municipality of Izmir to provide railway operation services. The existing bus lines running parallel to the tramway lines (operated by ESHOT), will be re-routed to transport commuters to the tramway lines. Commercial shops and restaurants, on Gazi Bulvari (from Konak Iskele to Cumhuriyet Meydani) and on Bostanli to Pazaryeri and small workshops from Alsancak Train station to Depo will be affected during the construction and operational phases, as the existing road will be replaced by tramway lines and a narrow, single lane service road.The project is expected to relocate around 900 trees and 150 bushes. The tram route has been adjusted in order to protect 250 mulberry trees on Sair Esref Boulevard A further 150 trees will be cut down as they cannot be relocated because of their height and/or physical and biological disorders. The Municipality plans to plant more trees in the same area than those that will be cut down, and also plans to plant additional trees in other parts of the city. In addition, as a result of the rehabilitation along the tramway lines, an additional green area of 52.000 m2 (which will include establishment of new parks, rehabilitation of existing parks and / or planting green grasses along tramway lines) is expected to be developed.Due to the conversion of parking spaces into tramway routes, the coastal part and Cumhuriyet Meydani to Alsancak Train Station section of the Konak Tramway Project will be particularly impacted, with the number of car parking spaces reducing from 1,888 to 856. All parking slots are owned and operated by the Municipality, and the Municipality will be constructing several new car parks with a total capacity of almost 3,400 cars (a multi store car parking at Uckuyular with a capacity of approximately 1000 cars, 3 underground car parks with a total capacity of 600 cars along the tramway lines, and a 2 story underground car parks with a capacity of 1,800 cars). In order to minimize the reduction of parking spaces along Sair Esref Boulevard, the tramway route was revised and 197 car parking slots were saved. In addition, construction of a new multi store car parking with a capacity of 280 cars is almost completed along this section. Karsiyaka Tramway Project is not expected to affect the existing car parking spaces. Karsiyaka Tramway Project is expected to affect private “taxi dolmus” drivers which are working parallel to the tramway line. The Municipality is planning to provide taxi stations and/or alternative routes to taxi dolmus drivers that will be affected. Izmir Tramway project will help to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions due to replacement of diesel-fuelled bus services with electric-powered trams.