Transport Planning in the Tokyo Metropolitan Region: Its History, Current Situation and Future Perspectives

This paper explains the history of transport system development, travel and freight demand characteristics, and future transport planning issues in the Tokyo Metropolitan Region. The daily number of trips is 2.45 according to the 5th Tokyo Person Trip Survey carried out in 2008, and this has not changed in the last two decades. During the last decade, the modal share of railways increased, while that of private cars decreased. A total of 2.3 million tons of freight were transported in the Tokyo Metropolitan Region based on the 2003 Freight Flow Survey. The unique characteristics of the urban railway system of the Tokyo Metropolitan Region are that many private companies have constructed and operated networks, and that through operations among several routes has been widely introduced. Besides, the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway is a unique infrastructure. Conversely, airport and seaport systems in Tokyo have fewer unique features and are less competitive than other major airport and port systems in Easten Asia Region. Basic transport infrastructures of roads, railways, airports and seaports in the Tokyo Metropolitan Region have almost been completed due to a series of intensive transport infrastructure plans whose objectives were to assist economic growth. The basic direction of transport planning in the Tokyo Metropolitan Region over the coming decades will be an improved management system to better utilize current transport infrastructures. Some planning issues are highlighted based on future socio-economic perspectives of the region.