Bianjie

[journey]

Niyalma to begin consultations with the public on the metro system
The nation's second-largest city will now ask its citizens whether they want to see a metro system in their city, and if yes, how and where it should be, and what parts it should connect
8 March 5681 (backdated)



Niyalma has been the second-largest city in Bianjie for some time now, and although the growth has slowed, it has not stopped entirely, with the city eagerly expanding its population as the next year approaches. Consequently, many have begun to question whether the rapidly growing capital of the north should follow the example of its southern counterpart, the nation's capital city, and build a comprehensive metro system to improve public transit efficiency for the citizens of Niyalma.

To answer that question, the local government in the city, led by Mayor Murhaci Quan, has turned to the Niyalma populace, inviting the latter to open public consultations either with the mayor directly or his representatives. This way, the mayor's office believes, the local government will have a better understanding of the public stance on the general need for the underground system in the city, and if the answer is yes, how the project should be done, with what costs, what area it should cover in the first phase, and how would it affect the daily life of people and the city in general. "This direct communication is what has been driving this city forward for decades now, and it will continue to do so now. So, I believe this is very important right now, especially for such a vital issue like this", said Mayor Quan.

However, despite the pre-consultations' opinion polls showing there is a slim majority in support of the idea, the experts note that the nation's northern capital does not suffer from the same amount of traffic, public transit mismanagement, and other problems the same way as Gemun did before building its own underground network. "Luckily, there is a very strong presence of trams in the city, as well as a very mindful planning made in cooperation with the various groups of urbanists, including my former colleagues", said Hua Qin, leader of the Institute for the Cities. "So I think there should be extremely convincing arguments, made by the city's government officials". And indeed, the statistics provided by Niyalma's own Department of Transportation show that up to 40% of the larger metro area population uses the city's public transport network, with trams accounting for up to about 40% of that figure as well. Still, a potential underground system could be helpful in connecting more distant areas of the area, as well as disburdening the tram system, which is slowly getting too full, with trams stacked in the mornings and evenings. 



べふ経済新聞 (Bianjie Economics Newspaper), also known as the Bekkei, is the second-largest economic newspaper in Bianjie, founded in 5561 and based in Niyalma.