Comprehensive Public Transportation Master Plan for the Urban Center of Ramallah and Al-Bireh

The Comprehensive Public Transportation Master Plan for the Urban Center of Ramallah and Al-Bireh is a public transportation strategy initiative for the Ramallah-AlBireh Governorate located in the West Bank, Palestine.¹ The proposed Master Plan covers the urban area of Ramallah, AlBireh, Betunia, and Surda Abu-Qush.² The project is part of the Integrated Cities and Urban Development Project (ICUD),ⁱ a 4-year World Bank-funded project implemented by the ministry of Local Government.³

The Ramallah Al-Bireh governorate experienced substantial socio-economic and urban growth following the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994, attracting thousands of Palestinians to the region. This population increase, combined with rising vehicle ownership and expanding economic activities, has significantly intensified vehicular traffic, resulting in severe congestion throughout the area.⁴

The project aims to improve the quality of life in the urban area of Ramallah and Al-Bireh through addressing the increasing demands of the growing population and private sector for urban spaces and Infrastructure that are planned in a more sustainable and efficient manner.⁵

The formulation of the master plan was based on a detailed assessment of existing national and regional transport network and the results of a comprehensive analysis of existing gaps.⁶ It consists of proposed strategies and measures to be implemented. These strategies cover the five following components:⁷

• Parking strategy that covers the increasing off-street parking study, and the establishment of Park and Ride facilities,
• Pedestrian strategy that orioises the provision of safe facilities for cycling and walking,
• Legislation measures that include activities such as the establishment of a legal relationship between the transport operators and passengers, as well as between operators and public administration bodies. It also includes fiscal (customs duties for imported vehicles) and social(consumer) and environmental protection. This will be done through the establishment of an integrated urban transport committee, and a body responsible for local public transport organization and provision,
• Redefining the role of taxis to function as feeder services, connecting passengers to public transport terminals and the central station,
• Technical and operational measures for different elements (terminals, lines), bus stops, flow measures, car circulation, etc.

The strategy was implemented in four distinct phases: (1) Inception, (2) Data Collection and Participation, (3) Analysis and Modeling, and (4) Formulation of the Master Plan.⁸ The final stage, the Master Plan, was structured into three comprehensive volumes: Volume 1: Scenarios and Modeling, which developed and evaluated various transport scenarios; Volume 2: Feasibility Analysis, examining the economic, technical, and operational viability of the proposed solutions; and Volume 3: Public Transport Master Plan, presenting an integrated and actionable roadmap for the future of public transportation.⁹

The project was initiated and will be implemented by the ministry of local government.^{10 11} The master plan was designed by a consortium that includes Move Mobility, Community Development Group (CDG) and National Center for Sustainable Development (NCD).¹² The project is funded by the Municipal Development & Lending Fund (MDLF).¹³