The transport section of Baku's Master Plan reflects a modern, sustainable, and advanced planning approach. At its core is the philosophy of transit-oriented development - the TOD model - which is fully integrated into the Master Plan.
Modern.az reports that Tarlan Safarov, head of the Baku regional department of the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency (AYNA), stated these views at an event dedicated to the Master Plan of Baku city, held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
He noted that within the framework of the TOD model, high-density urban development is strategically directed around public transport hubs, so that the city's development is based on a sustainable transport system.
“The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan has achieved significant success in implementing many key directions of this vision. The currently presented digital twin system was created by the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency. This system combines millions of data points and plays an important role in testing and analyzing projects implemented within the Master Plan.”
He stated that to turn this grand vision into a real outcome, the President approved the “Integrated Action State Program for 2020-2025”. This program acts as the main practical mechanism for the transformation process of urban transport infrastructure:
“When talking about active projects, we always pay special attention to urban bus transport. We have achieved significant results in this direction. Currently, 368 environmentally friendly buses operate on our streets, and 114 kilometers of special bus lanes have been built. As a direct result of this, the daily active bus fleet has increased by 30 percent, and 2300 buses are put into service every day.”
He also emphasized that, in addition, work continues on the implementation of additional passenger transportation:
“The suburban railway network is being expanded, and service capabilities to the outer areas of the city are being increased. New passenger railway lines are planned to connect settlements with the city center. At the same time, the acquisition of new trains with modern designs for the suburban railway system is envisaged.”
T. Safarov also added that the high-capacity metro network is also being optimized.
“To increase urban accessibility, the design and planning of 10 new strategic metro stations are being carried out. To increase the efficiency and safety of the network, the separation of the green and red metro lines through the central transfer station '28 May' is envisaged.”
According to him, work is currently underway on the integration of light rail systems into the public transport network.
“In particular, the implementation of modern tram lines in high-density areas such as the '28 May' metro is being analyzed. We are trying to integrate all transport systems into a single network. We no longer look at different modes of transport separately. Our goal is to create a unified ecosystem that combines digital and physical systems.”
