City of Almaty Sustainable Transport Strategy 0

CITY OF ALMATY SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORT STRATEGY
The future of our city is determined today!

Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Abbreviations List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1 BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 OUR STRATEGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2. WHY ALMATY NEEDS
A TRANSPORT STRATEGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3. Why a Sustaina Transport Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.1 THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2 THE NATIONAL CONTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3 THE LOCAL CONTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4 THE URBAN TRANSPORT CONTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.5 THE PROCESS FOR CREATING A SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT STRATEGY FOR ALMATY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. CHALLENGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.1. INCREASING CONGESTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.2. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.3. NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.4. SOCIAL EXCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.5. UNAT TRACTIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.6. LACK OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN TRANSPORT AND URBAN PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.7. URBAN SPRAWL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.8. NO PARKING OR ACTIVE TRAFFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.9. ROAD SAFETY CONCERN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.10. LACK OF CAPACITY AND ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.11. UNSATISFACTORY REGULATORY FRAMEWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5. VISION AND GOALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.1. A TRANSPORT VISION FOR ALMATY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.2. SETTING HIGH-LEVEL POLICIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3. SETTING CLEAR AND MEASURABLE TARGETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
6. POLICIES AND MEASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.1. IMPROVE LEVEL OF SERVICE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
6.2 PROMOTE CYCLING AND WALKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.4. ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.5. INTEGRATE URBAN AND TRANSPORT PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.6. SUSTAINABLE ROAD NET WORK DEVELOPMENT: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6.7. CONNECTING THE SUBURBS TO THE CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
6.8. PROMOTE LOW EMISSION CARS AND ZONES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
7. MECHANISM OF REALIZATION OF THE STRATEGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8. IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT STRATEGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8.1. Definition of Three Comparable Future Scenarios to Choose From . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8.2. Major Transportation Indicators of The Sustainable Transport Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8.3. Green Transport City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
8.4. Dynamic City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
8.5. Moving City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8.6. Affordable City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8.7. Accessible City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8.8. Clean City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9. Action plan (2013-2023) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
10. Short Term investment (Pilot projects): 2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
11. CLOSING REMARKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
City of Almaty Sustainable Transport Strategy 3
Foreword
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan and enjoys a vibrant social
and cultural life . While almost 1 .5 million people pass through
our city daily, this number is likely to rise to 2 .5 million by 2030 .
Almaty is working to respond to this rapid growth rate with well
thought-out strategies for transport, land use and community
services .
The City Transport Strategy for 2013-2023 is an important
part of these developments . During the draft stage of strategy
development, we consulted with experts and have incorporated
many of their recommendations . Significantly, the strategy
promotes a more integrated approach to planning, linking
all modes of transport together and coordinating them with
city development . This method will require close collaboration
between all partners in the development process .
Almaty is a 24-hour city, which needs to expand and develop its
mass rapid transit (MRT) system, to include the extension of the
metro, conversion of old tram lines into a modern and attractive
light rail transit (LRT) system, and becoming a walking and Akhmetzhan Smagulovich Yesimov
cycling city . Almaty Mayor
This strategy will help to provide a sustainable foundation for
Almaty’s future .
4 City of Almaty Sustainable Transport Strategy
Abbreviations List
ABD Asian Development Bank
Akimat Almaty Municipal Government
BAU Business As Usual
BOT Build-Operate-Transfer
BRT Bus Rapid Transport
CAST City of Almaty Sustainable Transport
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
CNG Compressed Natural Gas
DBOT Design-Build-Operate-Transfer
Dept . Department
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EU European Union
EURO V most recent European Emission Standard
GEF Global Environmental Facility
GHG Greenhouse Gases
KM Kilometers
Km/h Kilometers per hour
KZT Kazakhstani Tenge currency
ITS Intelligent Transportation System
LEZ Low Emissions Zone
LRT Light rail Transport
M Million
M-tons Metric Tons
Metro Metropolitan Railway System
MRT Mass Rapid Transit
NOx Nitrogen Oxides
P&R Park and Ride
PM Particulate Matter
PPP Public-Private Partnership
PT Public Transport
ROM ROM Transportation & Engineering Ltd .
SLA Service Level Agreement
SUTS Sustainable Urban Transport Strategy
TM Traffic Management
TIA Traffic Impact Assessment
TOD Transit-Oriented Development
TVM Ticket Vending Machine
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
Executive Summary
This strategy sets new key directions, policy targets and plans for the city . By 2023, the people of Almaty will
have access to a transport system that provides high-quality, integrated, safe and sustainable service to the
entire population . This system will contribute to the economic development of the city and the nation overall,
while significantly reducing negative environmental impacts . The strategy will contribute to improving the
quality of life in Almaty, developing an attractive city in which to live and work .
KEY STRATEGIES
• Support public transport, walking and cycling as sustainable modes of transport in the
city center
• Significantly reduce transport related air pollution
• Improve public transport services extensively
• Develop Almaty into a walking and cycling city
• Adjust the road network in accordance with the needs of the sustainable transport
system, so that trucks and through-traffic will avoid passing through the city
• Actively manage traffic in the city center
• Introduce on-street parking management in the city center
• Better integrate urban planning with transport planning
• Integrate Almaty’s transport system with the suburbs
This strategy will be coordinated with the State government to ensure that all projects
match with Almaty’s development and transport needs .
STRATEGY GOALS
• Reduce air pollution emissions and GHGs by 32% relative to current levels
• Increase the market share of sustainable transport modes (public transport, walking
and cycling) from 42% currently, to 55%
• Decrease the number of fatalities due to road accidents, especially accidents involving
pedestrians, by 35%
• Reduce congestion in the city center by 30%
• Ensure full integration between municipal urban planning and transport planning.
STRATEGY MOTIVES
• Integrate Almaty into Kazakhstan’s recently adopted national green economy policy
• Major urban development is expected as specific areas within the region are
annexed into the municipality
• Road transport is a major source of air pollution in the city. More than 80% of
the city’s air pollution is from the transport sector . Pollutant emissions in Almaty
are expected to grow by 75% over the next 10 years
• The number of cars in Almaty has increased significantly in recent years, resulting in
severe road congestion during a large portion of the day . By 2023 traffic flow during
the peak hour will be lower than 15 km/hr, while bus speed will drop to 12 km/hr .
• The city plans to host major international events such as the 2017 Winter
Universiade
• The city is plans major investments in transport infrastructure and wants to
maximize the return for those investments
MAJOR ACTIONS PLANNED FOR 2013-2018:

• • Extend the metro line toward Auezov district
• Construct an LRT line along Tram line #4
• Introduce an on-street parking management system in the city center
• Design and construct the city’s first BRT route from the western residential area
and Orbita district toward the city center
• Introduce several dedicated bus lanes along major bus corridors
• Construct a bicycle lane network in the city center and implement a bike rental
program
• Implement a public awareness campaign to promote the use of cycling for daily
transport and leisure
• Integrate suburban public transport services with urban services
• Expand the Arbat Shopping Street pedestrian zone
• Complete a freeway ring-road around the city
• Promote the use of green vehicles (CNG, Euro V and electric vehicles) in private
and public fleets
• Adopt a traffic impact assessment procedure
• Establish a strong transport authority (holding company) with effective
professional capacities and financial resources
• Prepare and implement a new traffic management scheme for the city center
MAJOR ACTIONS PLANNED FOR 2018-2030:

• • Continue metro construction
• Construct an additional modern LRT line route to replace tram line #6 integrated
into the metro system
• Construct a network of BRT routes
• Explore the feasibility of introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZ) or a congestion
pricing scheme
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
The City of Almaty decided to define its long-term strategic framework for the development of its
transportation network and services in line with Kazakhstan’s national green economy policy . This strategic
document considers a wide range of transportation related issues and provides a holistic, integrated, long-
lasting and consistent framework for decision makers dealing with transport related issues . This document
was initiated by the UNDP through the City of Almaty Sustainable Transport (CAST) project, and was
developed together with relevant stakeholders from Akimat and elsewhere .
1.2 OUR STRATEGIES
1 Metropolitan of
50 Measures 3 Scenarios
Almaty
2.1 Million 1 Green Transport

12 Targets
Residents Scenario
8 High Level 10 Year Action

11 Challenges
Policies Plan
4 Strategic
1 Vision 3-Year Pilot
Goals
2. WHY ALMATY NEEDS

A TRANSPORT STRATEGY
2.1 REPLACING AD-HOC
DECISIONS WITH A LONG-
TERM VISION
Traditionally, most decisions regarding urban transport
investments and operations in Almaty are performed on an
ad-hoc basis, with an aim towards solving an immediate
problem . Ad-hoc decisions of this type lack integration
with other sectors and often negate other decisions and
efforts . By utilizing a comprehensive transport strategy,
all decisions, in all sectors, aim at achieving a common
long-term vision for the city .
2.2 ENSURING MOBILITY FOR

ALL
The current implicit transport strategy favours the (private)
car . Roads are constructed in response to all transport
supply needs, the cost of fuel is low, and parking is cheap,
if not free . We want to ensure long term mobility and
accessibility to all Almaty’s citizens, including the poor,
the disabled, the young and the old, rather than only
addressing the needs of car users . A transport strategy
that focuses on mobility for all citizens and all modes will
achieve this purpose .
2.3 INTEGRATING
TRANSPORT WITH URBAN
PLANNING
Almaty is growing rapidly and development of new
neighbourhoods and regions are being planned . A
transport strategy will enable the provision of better
transport services to new areas while ensuring that new
development does not negatively impact on traffic in older
sections of the city .
3. WHY A SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

STRATEGY
Despite major investments in transport
infrastructure over the last few years,
Almaty’s current urban transport
network is far from sustainable . Both
congestion and pollution are steadily
growing, and cars dominate the
city’s streets, leaving little room for
pedestrian travel .
A pedestrian amongst parked cars in the city center
“ «Sustainable urban transport is a system that provides long-term and continuous high
quality mobility and accessibility for all members of the population, while positively
contributing to the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the community
“
overall.»
3.1 THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

In the mid-1990s, many countries recognized that the transport trends at the time were not sustainable and
that existing policy frameworks seemed unable to move society towards a more sustainable transport future .
Many governments began to develop new transport policies that focused on moving people rather than
cars, and ensured that transport systems would be more environmentally friendly and less polluting . Cities
like Singapore, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Bogota, and New York started to shift from expanding their
road networks towards investing in sustainable transport modes . This shift meant improvements to public
transport, increased parking regulations, the creation of pedestrian areas and the introduction of bicycle
facilities on a large scale .
At the beginning of the current century, major international institutions like The World Bank, the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), started to promote the development of sustainable urban transport
strategies in developing countries in an effort to support the shift towards sustainability . All of these efforts
shared a common purpose of decreasing GHG emissions and pollution, clamping down on uncontrolled
urbanization and implementing more integrated planning methods .
Cities that have adopted sustainable transport strategies have since found that they are able to allocate their
urban transport budget more efficiently than they could prior to implementing the strategies . These cities
have become more attractive places for residents and businesses and offer a higher quality of life than cities
that have not implemented these strategies . As part of an international community, increasingly concerned
about the effects of climate change, and as the largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty takes a leadership role in
developing transport initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions . This, combined with a growing
interest in improved air quality and transportation safety, and the shared goal of the residents of Almaty to
provide accessibility and mobility that supports economic development within the city, led Almaty to develop
sustainable transport strategies that meet these goals .
3.2 THE NATIONAL CONTEXT

Green economy strategy
At the end of 2012, President Nursultan Nazarbayev declared that «Kazakhstan is waiting for a revolution
in the ‘green’ economy» . Green energy is also the subject of EXPO-2017, which will be hosted in Astana .
In 2013, President Nazarbayev approved a strategy document entitled, «Concept for Transition of the
Republic of Kazakhstan to Green Economy», which deals with a wide range of environmental problems
and potential solutions . The strategic document first defines a set of 10 quantitative goals, of which two
deal directly with transportation elements; specifically, the reduction of GHG emissions and air pollution1 .
The document elaborates on measures to be adopted for the transport sector, including:
1 . Providing an optimal structure for the transport fleet by means of monitoring and
promoting fuel efficiency
2 . Developing alternative types of transport and respective infrastructure, in
particular for electric cars and gas-fuelled cars
3 . Ensuring the use of high quality fuels
4 . Developing an car disposal incentive program
5 . Improving control of the flow of transportation using a smart traffic control
system
The Ministry of Environmental Protection is responsible for developing an action plan for the years 2013-
2020 to achieve a greener economy for Kazakhstan . The Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr .
Kapparov Nurlan Zhambulovich said, «The proposed green economic strategy will embrace virtually all the
key sectors of the economy, including gas supply, waste recycling, transport infrastructure and operation,
urban planning, agriculture, water resources, education, and dissemination of information .»
Under this context, Almaty is preparing this document, which serves as an urban transport strategy to
support the transition to a greener economy .
3.3 THE LOCAL CONTEXT

In recent years, different departments in Akimat developed strategic development plans, master plans
and action plans that partly supported sustainable transport policies . Departments in charge of roads,
passenger transport, the economy, environmental protection, law enforcement, architecture and natural
resource management each separately set long-term targets, identified major development directions
and prioritized investments . For example, while the road department set a clear three-year action plan
for the local road scheme, the passenger transport department separately released strategies and action
plans for 2012-2016 that were recently approved by the mayor .
This document, however, confronts much larger challenges and proposes a clear overall strategy and
action plan . It adopts ideas and concepts from different sources and integrates them into one consolidated
framework to guide all relevant departments .
1
The national green economy goal is for 2020 GhG levels to be similar to levels in 2012, while in 2030 and 2050, GhG levels will drop by 15% and 50% respectively.
With respect to air pollution, the strategy sets EU standards as an achievable goal for 2030-2050 .
Municipal budget allocation toward road However, while the traffic situation has improved
development over time, it has become evident that it is not
90000 sustainable, as will be discussed later in this report .
80000 It is important to ensure that the impacts of these
70000 investments will be efficient and in-line with the
60000 transport strategy policy .
50000
40000
30000
10000
0
2009 1010 2011 *2013 *2013
*based on estimation Source: Akimat
UNIQUE URBAN CHALLENGES

Massive Urban Growth
The City of Almaty expects significant population
growth in the coming years . In preparation for this
growth, the municipal architecture department
has developed a new urban master plan . Under
this master plan, the Alatau district is expected to
increase by approximately 150,000 residents by
the year 2020 .Due to the expected population
increase, it will be necessary to have a properly
integrated transport system to ensure that the city Almaty Population Growth Trend and the Major Area
will continue to grow in a sustainable manner . of Expected Population Growth
2 500 000
2 000 000
Hosting International Events 1 500 000
In 2017, Almaty will host the Winter Universiade 1 000 000
games and will need to provide high quality 500 000

transport services to the thousands of visitors
that are expected to partake in the games .
1990
1995
2000
2010
2005
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
Source: UNDP CAST analysis of Urban Master plan
Massive Investments in Infrastructure

The city is implementing major investments in transport
infrastructure . In recent years, a significant amount
of money was allocated to the development of new
roads and additional road construction is planned .
3.4 THE URBAN TRANSPORT CONTEXT

Previous Urban Transport Strategy
Currently, there is no official urban transport

strategy document that governs decisions for the
sector in an integrated and balanced manner .
However, the de-facto transport strategy has
been to give priority to car users in implementing
transport solutions . This strategy is evident from
the following current activities:
• Massive road construction
• Free and unregulated parking in the city
center
• No priority given to buses along roadways
or at traffic signals
• No allocation of road space for bicycle
facilities
This de-facto strategy is far from sustainable .
Increasing Pollution
In spite of major investments in transport infrastructure in recent years, the current urban transport system in
Almaty is far from being sustainable . Carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector in Almaty are expected
to grow from an estimated 2 .65 million tons in 2012 to 4 .99 million tons by 2023 . This growth in emissions
undermines the general decrease in GHG emissions that Kazakhstan has seen in all of its other sectors .
Other pollutants are also expected to grow dramatically . NoX pollutants, which include nitric acid is likely to
increase by 60% while carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, which are toxic to humans, are expected to double
by 2023 .
“ The current transport strategy is not sustainable . If no strategy change is made, pollution
will increase by 75% in the next 10 years, and the total time commuters spend sitting in “
traffic will more than double .
Increasing congestion and time spent in traffic

The current performance of the transport system does not meet the City of Almaty’s goals and objectives
for transforming into a green economy . This situation, if left without intervention, is expected to deteriorate
further .
The current average auto traffic speed during the morning peak hour is 19 km/h . If no transport strategy
changes are implemented the average auto traffic speed is projected to decrease to less than 15 km/h .
Public transport will not provide an alternative to this congestion, as the average speed for PT is expected
to decrease to 12 km/h . This is due primarily to a large increase in the number of cars in Almaty . Currently,
approximately 500,000 cars registered on Almaty’s roads . Over the next 10 years, this number is projected
to increase to almost 800,000 registered cars . With such a large quantity of cars on Almaty’s roads and a
slowdown of average car speeds, the city is expected to lose 800,000 hours of productivity every working
day . The time spent in traffic could have been used to contribute to the city’s economic growth rather than
impeding it .
3.5 THE PROCESS FOR CREATING A SUSTAINABLE

TRANSPORT STRATEGY FOR ALMATY
To avoid this bleak future, this document presents a strategy for sustainable urban transport for Almaty . This
strategy was prepared as part of the UNDP/GEF «City of Almaty Sustainable Transport» (CAST) project, that
was launched in 2011, with the financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) . The Municipal
Government of Almaty is the beneficiary and the national implementing agency for the CAST project . With
this in mind, the mayor’s office committed itself to prepare a sustainable transport strategy .
The objective of the CAST project is to reverse the trend of increasing GHG emissions in the transport
sector . This is being done elsewhere in the world by promoting the use of sustainable transport modes
like public transport, walking and cycling, at the expense of private car use . As part of the CAST project, a
International
consultants
stakeholders Modern travel

demand model
CAST - City of Almaty Sustaianble

Transport Strategy
new state-of-the-art travel demand model was developed, based on extensive data collection . This model
was used extensively to compare various transport alternatives and scenarios for the development of a
transport strategy .
The following strategy was the result of an international and national effort .
“ We estimate that current congestion is responsible for an economic loss of 210,000,000

KZT daily / 60,000,000,000 KZT annually . In 2023 we expect the economic loss to “
grow to 480,000,000 KZT daily / 140,000,000,000 KZT annually!!!
4. CHALLENGES
Almaty’s transport system is diverse and intense, and is composed of multi-modal urban public transport,
including official and grey taxis, and different types and sizes of transport service vehicles . Additionally,
there is growing private car ownership, new energy alternative vehicles, passenger and freight rail, and an
international airport .
Managing and synchronizing such a diverse system is challenging, and is made even more difficult for a
city such as Almaty, due to dramatic economic growth and social change .
What will happen if we continue our current car-oriented policy?

Key 2023 Transportation Conditions Indicators:
Congestion will increase significantly so that average morning peak hour

trips will decrease from 19 km/hr to 15 km/hr
Traffic congestion will spread to more streets and will extend to more hours
during the day
Time spent sitting in traffic congestion in Almaty will increase from 95 million
person hours per year to 220 million person hours per year
Pollution in the city, especially GHG emissions, will increase by 75% over the
next 10 years
The morning peak hour bus speed in the city will decrease from 15 km/hr to
12, increasing public transport operating costs
Low income groups will be disconnected from city services
The above describes a city unattractive to residents, and unable to contribute to national
economic growth.
A different approach is needed.
The new approach calls for a sustainable transport policy.
The sustainable transport strategy in this document directly confronts these challenges.
4.1 INCREASING CONGESTION

The City of Almaty has experienced rapid economic growth, which has resulted in a dramatic increase in
car ownership by approximately 10% annually over the past decade. Coupled with sprawling development
and suburbanization, high car ownership rates generate rising traffic congestion . While, in general, roads
in Almaty are relatively wide, congestion is becoming a major problem on many arterial and collector
streets, not only at peak hour, but also during the middle of the day . Current traffic speeds in the city at
peak hours are as low as 19 km/h for private vehicles and are expected to slow even further as more roads
reach saturation .
As shown in the following maps, congestion will dominate all major arterials during peak hours . Moreover,
during mid-day and late evening, traffic will slow significantly and will create major accessibility problems .
Increasing congestion poses great environmental, economic, urban and social challenges for Almaty . This
will be elaborated upon later in this report .
GROWING CONGESTION IN ALMATY BY 2023

(RED = Traffic Jam / Yellow= Slow Down/ GREEN = Free Flow)
Source: UNDP CAST
Did you know?

On many collector roads,
congestion can be so severe
that it is often faster to travel
by bicycle than by car. When
comparing the travel speeds
of cycling to public transport,
cycling is favored on most urban
routes during peak hour.
4.2. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE

Increasing car use and continuous city sprawl Vehicle Distribution by Engine Type
generate rapid growth in overall vehicle 50%
Euro 0
kilometres travelled . It is estimated that 40%
motor vehicles in Almaty travel 5,780 million Euro 1
kilometres annually, with an annual growth 30%

Euro 2
rate of approximately 6.4%. 20% Euro 3
10% Euro 4
0
Cars and Trucks Buses
Source: UNDP CAST
Did you know?

Overall, motor vehicles in Almaty burn
up approximately 772 million litres of
petroleum and diesel annually, with more
than 90% being consumed by private
vehicles .
On the other hand, the average age of motor

vehicles in Almaty is relatively old .
In addition, the city is surrounded by the Alatau mountain range, which blocks wind circulation and
prevents air pollution from dissipating . The consequence of all this is that the citizens of Almaty suffer,
from serious air pollution, which reduces their quality of life and creates health problems . If the current
transport policy, which favours cars, continues, GHG emissions will nearly double over the next ten years,
from 2 .6 tons emitted annually to 5 million tons by 2023 . The same undesirable growth is predicted for
other pollutants as well and will likely pose severe health problems for residents . This is unsustainable . A
more environmentally friendly approach is needed .
4.3 NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMY

In recent years, Almaty enjoyed significant economic growth . However, this growth is heavily diminished
by increasing congestion . Rising traffic congestion in Almaty results in a total of 220 million hours wasted
by commuters annually . This wasted time could have contributed 140 billion KZT annually to Almaty’s
economic growth . Compounding this issue, firms may decide to move out the city center to locations in
the surrounding area, causing even more traffic .
Did you know?

Without any change in strategy, GHG
emissions from Almaty’s road system are
expected to increase by 75% in 10 years.
4.4. SOCIAL EXCLUSION

While Almaty’s roads and streets are congested
with cars, many people can’t afford proper mobility
because private cars are too expensive . Many public
transport passengers need to take more than one
bus for their daily commute to work, doubling the
cost of their trip . This causes low income individuals
to be unable to afford the daily commute to work .
In addition, people with reduced mobility will
suffer even more . The elderly, disabled people and
children, all face an unpleasant environment where
private cars dominate .
Therefore, one of the challenges facing Almaty’s

transport system is the inclusion of the poor in the
Did you know?
social structure and the provision of efficient, safe
A recent analysis shows that if no changes and affordable mobility .
are made to the transport strategy, the time
A recent survey on the socioeconomic level of
commuters will waste in traffic congestion will
Almaty’s public transport riders revealed that 91%
increase to 220 million hours per year within 10
of public transport users belong to the lower-
years .
middle income group .
4.5 UNATTRACTIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Today, less than 30% of all trips are done by public transport (PT) in Almaty. PT modal share has declined
in recent years and will continue to lose ground given increasing car ownership and poor levels of service .
A recent survey revealed that only 5% of PT users have access to a private car, while the vast majority are
«captive users,» having no choice but to take PT . This statistic makes clear how unsatisfied passengers and
potential passengers are with the PT level of service, and implies a low opinion of the system’s image .
Although substantial investments have been made in public transport recently, improvements are mostly
related to rolling stock («hardware») . To improve the quality of public transport and offer an attractive
alternative to car use, the focus should shift to overall quality improvements for public transport .
Improvements should include, a well-designed route network, sufficient capacity, and high quality
passenger information .
Did you know?

In developed cities with good public transport
systems, such as Zurich, Paris and London, the
share of public transport for all trips is more
than 60%.
Public transport in Almaty suffers from various challenges which are not unique to the city:
1. Lack of Integration. The metro system is not well connected to the tram network,
nor does the bus network properly feed passengers into the metro . Furthermore, the
current plan for the first LRT line in Almaty does not include a connection to the metro
and the ticketing system for the various modes does not integrate them .
2. Low operating speed. Buses are the major Did you know?
public transport mode in Almaty . The average bus The bus system in Almaty is
speed is approximately 14 km/h, and in many among the most overcrowded
cases closer to 10 km/h . Even during midday systems in the world with over
hours, buses operate at very low speeds . 950 passengers per bus per day .
Passenger dissatisfaction is at
3. Crowded buses. Most buses are overcrowded 60% with the most common
during the entire day, since sufficient capacity complaint being that buses are
is not provided . Modern low floor buses and too crowded .
articulated buses are not available in Almaty .
4. Short operating hours. Most public transport operators run only one driving shift
per day, starting relatively late (typically 07:00) and terminating service earlier than
needed (typically 20:00) . This creates severe shortages in service which drives more
passengers to use private cars, expensive taxis or even skip their trip altogether .
5. Old and highly polluting vehicles. While new CNG vehicles and trolleybuses were
introduced in recent years, the majority of the bus fleet is old and of poor quality . This
reduces the attractiveness of the service, increases maintenance costs for operators
and contributes to overall pollution in the city .
6. One ticket per boarding. A lack of an integrated ticketing system means that
passengers who use single tickets and need to switch from one bus to another, have
to pay twice . This creates a major affordability challenge for low income families who
spend a high proportion of their earnings on public transport .
7. No passenger information. The existing public

Did you know?
transport system has a theoretical timetable, but
in practice runs buses with irregular frequency . Almaty’s public transport hardly
Passengers waiting at stops do not have any operates in the late evening .
information about the arrival of the next bus . In Only 25% of bus routes operate
most cases, bus stops have no name, nor signs or after 20:30 and a mere 5%
maps of the bus routes or system . operate after 22:00 .
8. Poor network service. The current bus network was developed when Almaty was
smaller and less developed, and only minor adjustments have been made since its
growth . Due to changes in travel patterns and urban development, the system is far
from optimal .
9. No priority on roads or at traffic signals. Unlike many cities worldwide, Almaty’s

buses lack both dedicated bus lanes and priority at traffic signals .
4.6 LACK OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN TRANSPORT

AND URBAN PLANNING
Almaty’s urban master plan proposes the addition of major new land uses to the city, including a large
residential neighbourhood in Alatau and other areas, as well as big commercial land development in several
locations . These projects often do not consider the negative impacts they may produce on the current
transport system, because a traffic impact analysis is usually not conducted . New road developments do
not include proper bus stop facilities, bus lanes, bicycle lanes and pedestrian facilities .
Did you know?

As many as
206,000 people
travel to Almaty
from nearby
communities daily,
but only 23% of
them do so by
public transport
(and those who do,
do so mainly using
unofficial PT) .
New Shopping Projects Planned for Almaty
4.7. URBAN SPRAWL

Many metropolitan areas in the world suffer from ongoing suburbanization and sprawl . Negative impacts
of sprawl include longer travel times, high trip costs, limited or non-existent public transport service, social
segregation, difficulty in promoting cycling as a mode of transport, high spending on new roads, and the
loss of open spaces and natural beauty . While some cities, most notably in eastern Asia, manage to limit
sprawl, others, including Almaty, face serious challenges in this regard .
Best practices encourage metropolitan areas to return activity to the heart of the city rather than focus
development on suburbanization, and leading to increased vibrancy and attractiveness by most standards .
Because Almaty is currently growing the most at its periphery and in neighbouring communities, the city
needs to reconsider the above implications and make a clear decision with regards to how it implements
the recommendations within this transport strategy and applies them to the urban master plan .
4.8 NO PARKING OR ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Traffic management is a cost effective tool that can alleviate congestion rapidly . For example, at many
intersections, long queues form because of a lack of dedicated left turn lanes and left turn signals .
In addition, on most of the downtown streets, there are no parking regulations, allowing commuters to park
their cars for the entire day for free and without restriction . This increases the number of cars that enter and
leave the city center on a daily basis . The problem is not road capacity, because streets are generally quite
wide . Rather, this issue is the use of road space . Chaotic parking takes up a lot of road capacity and there is
a lack of dedicated left turn lanes at intersections .

Thus, road capacity is not the key issue causing
congestion, but the way that the capacity is
managed . Using road space more effectively
could reduce congestion significantly .
Worldwide, there are plenty of technological
parking solutions (smart phone applications,
Short Message Service text messaging, magnetic
parking cards, payment booths, or even old
fashion paper cards) . Parking solutions in Almaty
are managed and regulated manually with parking
guards collecting money and managing parking
spaces (both on the road and in parking garages) .
4.9. ROAD SAFETY CONCERN

Urban areas are exposed to high levels of conflict between different transportation modes that share and
cross the same limited space . Increasing traffic further increases the significant challenges that that impact
road safety . Pedestrians and cyclists are most exposed to severe injuries and fatalities from a collision with
a motor vehicle. In 2011, 60% of all car accident fatalities were pedestrians. This is an unacceptable rate
compared to international urban pedestrian fatality levels (20-40%).
Only a comprehensive strategy with clear targets, a budget and a strong action plan can lead to a reduction
in car accidents, thereby saving lives .
4.10. LACK OF CAPACITY AND ORGANIZATION

WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY
Urban transport planning requires a professional staff, several technical tools and open-minded decisions
making . Relevant staff in Akimat involved in planning the future transport system and maintaining the
existing system, are well experienced and skilled, but staff is limited in number . In addition, the organizational
structure of the municipality is not properly defined with respect to transportation issues . Responsibility for
transportation is divided among multiple departments without a sufficient clear coordination mechanism
between them . This hampers an integrated approach toward sustainable transport solutions .
4.11. UNSATISFACTORY
REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK
The current regulatory framework for the provision
of transport services is not well defined . Public
transport operators do not always work under a
uniform license and do not always meet the service
level agreement . Such practices damage the level
of service for passengers, and in some cases, even
expose operators to unnecessary losses .
5. VISION AND GOALS
5.1 A TRANSPORT VISION FOR ALMATY

In order to facilitate the
In 2023, the citizens of Almaty will enjoy a transport
development of a long-lasting, fast,
system that is integrated, sustainable and safe, with
affordable, accessible, sustainable high-quality services for the entire population . The
and financially stable transportation transport system will contribute to the city’s economic
system in Almaty, the Akimat has development with a limited environmental footprint .
developed the following vision:
Almaty’s transport system has to meet a wide range of needs and support different types of activities and
population groups .
Our first goal for the transport system is for it to support the economic growth of the city and the nation
overall . As Almaty transforms into a major national and regional hub and business centre, we need to
ensure that the transport system can facilitate such growth . The city is committed to continuing its rapid
economic and urban development through the provision of a sound multi-modal transport system for the
benefit of its residents, its employees and its visitors .
The second goal is for the transport system is to promote social development by ensuring that the entire
population receives affordable, fast and reliable access to different types of activities across the entire
metropolitan area . The City of Almaty will maintain its commitment to providing reliable and affordable
transportation to its most vulnerable populations (pensioner, youth, people with special needs, etc .) which
in many cases have no access to a private car . The city will provide high-quality transport to ensure access
to medical, social and community services .
Our third goal, which is critical to sound economic and social development, is the need to reduce the
environmental impact of the transport system . The city will prioritize cleaner and environmentally friendly
modes of transport at the expense of existing dominant car use, in order to improve air quality in the city
and reduce its environmental footprint on the planet . The city will also commit to providing high-quality
transport services that promote a more efficient use of land and
protect existing open and green spaces .
The last goal is to make the transport system safe and
secure, especially to those who are currently at high risk
of automobile related injury (such as pedestrians and Support
cyclists) . All people travelling in or through Almaty
Economic
should be confident that they can use our transport
Growth
network free from the threat of harm . While this
will directly impact public wellbeing, it will
also provide an indirect benefit to society in
Reduce
economic terms . Environmental
The ultimate goal of this vision is to make Impact
Promote
Almaty an attractive city in which to Maximize
Social
live and work; a city that cares about Safety
the quality of life of its citizens and Development
its business community .
These four goals are summarized in the figure below
5.2 SETTING HIGH LEVEL POLICIES

In order to obtain the vision and the goals set above, the city adopted eight major transport policies . These
policies will govern decision making in Almaty over the next 10 years . The following chart illustrates these
policies:
IMPROVE LEVEL OF SERVICE OF PT INTEGRATE TRANSPORT AND URBAN
ALMATY SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT POLICY

PLANNING
PROMOTE CYCLING AND WALKING DEVELOP THE ROAD NETWORK IN A

SUSTAINABLE MANNER
MANAGE PARKING INTEGRATE THE SUBURBAN TRANSPORT

NETWORK WITH THE CITY
MANAGE TRAFFIC PROMOTE LOW EMISSION CAR AND

ZONES
For each policy area, several measures and strategies were developed and are presented in the
following section .
5.3. SETTING CLEAR AND MEASURABLE TARGETS

In order to select the most efficient transportation strategy, a set of quantitative measures that can be
defined and referred to periodically will need to be implemented . This procedure will ensure that plans
and investments are sound and incrementally shift the city toward achieving its goals . The following table
presents the targets that have been defined:
Intermediate Target
№ Target Status 20123
Target 2017 2023
1 Share of sustainable transport modes (public
42% 44% 55%
transport, walking and cycling)
2 Share of MRT (Metro, LRT, BRT) 1% 7% 20%
3 Number of MRT corridors 1 3-4 10
4 Share of residents living in a radius of 500
12% 30% 60%
meters from a MRT stop
5 Number of MRT corridors 10% 14% 25%
6 Reduction in GHG emissions Base -10% -31%4
7 Reduction of overall car accident fatalities 141 120 192
8 Reduction in pedestrian fatalities (annually)5 83 70 40
In addition, the city has set three additional qualitative targets:
Target #9: An affordable and accessible public transport network for all population
groups; especially the elderly, the youth, and the disabled .
Target #10: Base all decisions regarding investments in transport infrastructure on a

cost-benefit analysis, where benefits are derived from an up-to-date Travel Demand
Model .
Target #11: Evaluate each new major land use development using a Traffic Impact
TOD Assessment (TIA) . A transit oriented development (TOD) policy should be adopted for
all future land use development decisions .
Target #12: Establish a regulated and automated parking scheme . Parking operation
and enforcement will be based on available technological solutions that will enable
better management of parking space . The parking duration will be capped and parking
capacity in the city will not increase .
3
Source: Transportation surveys, September-November 2012 (UNDP /GEF-CAST project)
4
Relative to the no intervention scenario (Status 2023) . ) . Assuming the same energy types as today . Improved energy sources, includ¬ing
electric energy will reduce emissions further
5
Source: Департамент технической службы МВД в соответствии с приказом МВД № 234-2007г .
6. POLICIES AND MEASURES

In this chapter we present high-level policies in more detail and specific
measures that the city will adopt . Together, these policies and measures Support
Economic
form the new sustainable transport strategy for Almaty 2023 . Growth
The City of Almaty set eight strategic policies that will facilitate the Reduce
sustainable development of a prosperous city . The high-level policies are Environmental
Impact
further divided into a set of 8 policies . Promote
Maximize
Social
Safety
Development
environment
environment
economic
social
Index
Policy Measure
1-A Set integrated hierarchical PT scheme + + +

1-B Develop a backbone Mass Rapid Transit system + + +
1 . Improve level of service of PT
1-C Reorganize the PT network + + +

1-D Integrate electronic ticketing system + +
1-E Integratepassengers information system +
1-F Improved public transport vehicles + + +
1-G Higher frequencies and longer operating times + +
1-H Dedicated bus lanes and priority at traffic signals + + + +
1-I Introduce school bus service + +
1-J Affordable ticket pricing +
1-K Dealing with Driver Human Resource Deficits + +
2-A Construct cycling paths and cycling parking spaces + + + +
2 . Promote cycling
2-B Introduce a cycling rental scheme + +

and walking
2-C Integrate cycling and PT + + +

2-D Launch cycling public awarness campaign + + + +
2-E Develop design guidelines for bicycle lanes + + + +
2-F Introduce new pedestrian zones in city centre + +
2-G Design zebra crossing and overhead passes + + +
3-A Introduce regulated parking at an appropriate fee + + +
3 . Manage parking
3-B Differentiate prices within the city centre + + +

3-C Introduce a residentialpermit system + +
3-D Enforce parking regulations using physical means + + + +
3-E Prepare a parking system monitoring programme + +
3-F Provide Park&Ride parking lots outside the city centre + + + +
3-G Eliminate parking on arterial roads + +
4-A Define hierarchical network and strengthen arterial roads + + +

4-B Introduce a one-way traffic system at some main streets + +
4-C Provide priority to buses at traffic signals + + +
4 . Manage Traffic
4-D Provide traffic light phasing for left turn at traffic signals + +
4-E Introduce roundabouts in local streets + +
4-F Smart traffic signal system (traffic management system) + + +
4-G Consider "shared space " concept in local streets + + +
4-H Manage freight and goods vehicles + + +
Promote car pool programmes to major commute
4-I + + +
destinations
5-A Plan future development of the city along transit corridors + + + +
5 . Integrate
Urban and
Transport
Adopt a mandatory traffic impact assessment (TIA)

planning
5-B + + + +
procedure
5-C Set a long term master plan + + + +
5-D Promote urban infill in the city centre + +
Construct new roads to strengthen the hierarchy of the
6 . Road network
6-A + + +
road network
development
6-B Convert inner road to support sustainable modes + + +

Introduce separated bus lanes, cycling paths and sidewalks
6-C + + + +
as a standard for any new road
6-D Set 10-year rehabilitation program + +
7-A Provide high quality PT service to and from suburbs + + + +
7 .Suburban &
long distance
7-B Provide P&R facilities near PT terminals in suburbs + + +

7-C Buildtransit hubs + + + +
7-D Plan the future of the train service + + +
Support the develpoment of a new airport with high
7-E + + +
standard PT service to city centre
8-A Introduce a low emission zone in the city centre + + + +
8 . Promote
emission
8-B Promote use of zero emission vehicles +

low
8-C Use cleaner fuel for buses and private vehicles + +

8-D Introducea scrapping plan for old vehicles and buses + + +
6.1 IMPROVE LEVEL OF SERVICE OF PUBLIC

TRANSPORT
GENERAL
The city is committed to providing a transport system for the citizens of Almaty that will implement
a system with measures defined in the acronym «FARSICOM»: Fast & Frequent, Affordable,
Reliable, Safe and Simple to use, Integrative, Comfortable, Operationally sustainable, and having
full Metropolitan Coverage .
In 10 years, public transport in Almaty will be so attractive that car owners will prefer to use
public transport for their trips . Public transport will also become affordable to low income groups,
connecting them to all the services that the city has to offer, including work, education, social and
recreational activities .
The backbone of the system will be a fast mass rapid transit network (MRT) . This network, spread
all over the city, will include an extended metro line, two new and fast lines of Light Rail Transit
(LRT), six new routes of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and several new bus-only lanes .
All public transport modes will be integrated and connected: the metro will connect with the
LRT lines, which will connect to the BRT and the bus network . Passengers will be able to transfer
easily from one mode to another with no additional cost and with the knowledge of real time
information provided at all stations and on the internet . This will enable passengers to know when
the next vehicle will arrive at the station .
To achieve this, the strategy includes the following measures:
*
1-A. SET INTEGRATED HIERARCHICAL PT SCHEME
Layer A Layer B Layer C Layer D
Metro &LRT BRT Principle line Feeder line
Articulated clean bus Buses of mixed Buses of mixed
Technology Rail-based
(Trolley, CNG) type and size type and size
Articulated (100)
Capacity of rolling stock 200-400 pass 120-140 pass midi (35)
& Solo (70)
# of routes 3-4 3-5 30-40 30-40
Partial (on bus
Right of way Exclusive Mostly exclusive -
lanes)
Speed (peak) 30-50 km/hr 20-35 km/hr 20 km/hr 20 km/hr
Frequency 3-6 minutes 2-5 minutes 6-15 min 3-10 min
The cornerstone of the PT strategy is the development of a hierarchical transit scheme, providing different
types of services simultaneously . Rail-based transit (Metro and LRT) will be at the top of the pyramid
providing a high capacity and high speed solution . BRT will operate on major commuting corridors . The
third layer will be operated by standard frequent buses and the bottom layer will be feeder bus lines
operated with smaller minibuses .
* on the side of each measure, appears pyramid containing the colors of the fields in which the measure associated
with (the full pyramid is on Page 24)
1-B. DEVELOP A BACKBONE MRT SYSTEM

PT can only attract passengers from cars if it is fast and reliable . This is made possible by the introduction
of a MRT network . Over the next 10 years, we intend to develop a comprehensive MRT network that will
span the entire city and provide quick access to most activities . The MRT network will be composed of 3
systems, as demonstrated in the following graph:
Metro Light Rail (LRT) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
Surface Underground On ground On ground
Priority Full Best effort Partial
Speed 50 km/hr 25-30 km/hr 20-25 km/hr
Capacity 400 passengers 250 passengers 120-140 passengers
Distance between 700-1,000 meters 400-600 meters 300-500 meters
Varied
Energy source Electric Electric
(electric, CNG, Diesel)
Number of lines 1-2 lines 2-4 lines 4-6 lines
EXAMPLE OF MRT SYSTEMS FROM TURKEY
Metro: Ankara, (Ankaray), Daily passenger per line =175,000 daily, frequency in peak = 3 minutes . Stop every
1 KM . 33 rolling stocks
Light Rail: Kayseri (Kayseray), Daily = 99,013, frequency: every 6 min ., stop every 600 meters, 25 trams
Bus Rapid Transit: Istanbul (MetroBus): daily per line = 200,000 . Stops = 45 . 315 articulated buses
1-C. REORGANIZE THE PT NETWORK

All PT lines will be reorganized to realize an integrated network in which each line compliments the other .
Buses will feed MRT stops and a single integrated and user-friendly map will help passengers use the
system easily so that even infrequent users will be able to find their way without difficulty .
1-D. DEVELOP AN ADVANCED AND INTEGRATED TICKETING SYSTEM

Passengers will be able to treat all PT as a single system . They will need
only one electronic ticket to transfer between all modes (Metro, LRT,
BRT and Bus) . New fare types will be developed, especially for those
who use public transport regularly . For these passengers, monthly
tickets, daily tickets or multi-trip tickets will be available at a relatively
low cost, thus making public transport affordable to poor people that
depend on PT for their daily movement . Each ticket, regardless of its
type, will enable a free transfer between all modes of the network .
1-E. INTEGRATE PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEM

All passengers will be able to get real time information at each stop in order to know, not only when the
next vehicle will arrive at the station, but also information about the availability and real-time schedule
of all other public transport modes that serve
the station .
Real-time information will be available on
the internet as well, and a special smart
phone application will allow passengers to
plan their trip and know when they should
travel to their station .
Information about the route will also be
available on-board vehicles . Electronic signs
will display the direction of travel and the
name of the next station . This information
will also be announced audibly through
a modern audio system to allow vision
impaired people to use the system . All stops
will have information available regarding
routes serving the stop, time-tables and a
route map .
1-F. INCREASED AND IMPROVED PT VEHICLES

Within a period of five years, the city expects to have over
600 CNG buses (2010-2014) . We intend to continue
expanding the bus fleet and encourage private operators
to purchase new vehicles of higher standards . New buses
will be more client-oriented: low floor, air conditioned,
quiet and non-polluting, with three doors .
Some of the new buses will be articulated to provide more
space for passengers .
1-G. HIGHER FREQUENCIES AND LONGER OPERATING TIMES

To cope with projected demand, the bus service will improve significantly . Bigger buses will be put into
service (articulated buses with a capacity of 120 passengers), the frequency of service will increase, and
operating hours will be extended at night .
1-I. INTRODUCE SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

A survey conducted among parents in Almaty showed that many people take their car to work in the
morning because they need to transport their children to school first . We will therefore plan a pilot program
to consider reviving school bus service .
1-J. AFFORDABLE COST

The user cost of the public transport system will be affordable
to all passengers and cheap enough to encourage passengers
to shift to public transport . In addition, vulnerable populations
will enjoy discounted fares . If necessary, PT operators will be
compensated to keep fares low and discounted .
1-H. DEDICATED BUS LANES AND

PRIORITY AT TRAFFIC SIGNALS
To allow buses to operate smoothly and reliably, they will
be given priority on roads . Along many main streets, special
bus lanes will be allocated, and buses will be given priority at
some traffic signals to minimize waiting time .
1-K. DEALING WITH DRIVER HUMAN RESOURCE DEFICITS

The city’s public transport system is constrained by human resource issues, such as recruitment, retention,
training and provision of resources for vehicle operators . This deficit in human resources impacts negatively
on PT service . Despite Akimat’s efforts to organize training programs in local colleges, the lack of suitable
vehicle operators remains a significant constraint in
efforts to improve PT service . The perceived prestige of
the transit driver profession is low and must be elevated
in order to increase the human resource supply for
this profession . A related issue is the need to improve
working conditions for vehicle operators . Regulation
and enforcement of rules calling for appropriate labour
conditions and working hours are not present, and there
is a degradation of physical conditions such as driver
terminals for drivers to refresh themselves . These issues
require a concerted, coordinated and holistic effort in
order to improve conditions .
6.2 PROMOTE CYCLING AND WALKING
GENERAL
In the past 10 years, cycling and walking have
become important modes of transport in major cities
worldwide . Congestion, increasing pollution, health
awareness or cultural mind shifts, are some of the
factors contributing to worldwide cycling revolutions
that have taken place over the past decade . In many
cities like London and Paris, the share of cycling trips
doubles every 2-3 years . Akimat plans to speed up
and keep pace with the international trend making
cycling an attractive, clean, safe, convenient,
accessible and affordable mode of transport . During
the four winter months (November-March), cycling
may not be suitable for everyone, but during the rest of the year, our city has the potential to become a
cycling-oriented city .
In the past, Akimat paid limited attention to the potential walking has to become a significant mode of
transport . Walking has a positive impact on the environment, economy and personal well-being . Akimat
intends to invest both in facilities and awareness for promoting walking .
2-A. CONSTRUCT CYCLING PATHS AND CYCLING PARKING SPACES

In a large city like Almaty, the use of bicycles for everyday
trips is highly dependent on the availability of a network
of dedicated bicycle lanes that are safe to use and allow
for continuous travel to all major destinations in the city .
In addition to lanes, Akimat intends to install bicycle
parking facilities throughout the city in major activity
centres . This will allow bicycle owners to park their
bicycles safely in shopping centres, universities, schools,
major office centres, etc .
2-B. INTRODUCE A CYCLING RENTAL SCHEME

Bicycle sharing allows city residents to cycle around
the city without the need to own a bicycle . Usually,
people need to subscribe to the system and then can
take a bike at any one of the service points in the city
and park it at any other service point . The success of
this scheme is dependent on the availability of the
bicycle network and the number of service points
throughout the city . Akimat will develop such a
scheme for the benefit of its residents and visitors
alike . The system will reach around the city in major
central locations . The scheme will also offer a complementary means of transport to and from Metro
stations . By positioning points of rental in residential blocks and additional points next to nearby Metro
stations, we will increase the service area of the Metro station and significantly increase its ridership . Such
a concept is illustrated below .
2-C. INTEGRATE CYCLING AND

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
At all MRT stops, Akimat intends to provide safe bicycle
parking facilities to allow citizens to combine cycling
and public transport in an easy way . The parking
facilities will be close to the boarding and alighting
point, making public transport more accessible .
Akimat intends to test options to allow bicycles on
public transport - Metro, future LRT and buses (using
special racks) .
2-D. LAUNCH A CYCLING PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Because Almaty residents are not used to cycling
for daily activities, Akimat will launch a major public
awareness campaign to highlight the benefits and
possibilities provided by daily cycling and to educate
users about proper and safe cycling . The campaign will
target different population groups such as university
and high school students and young people between
the ages of 20-40 . Large employers will play a special
role in advocating cycling as a mode of transport to
work . Akimat intends to approach major employers to
develop specific cycling facilities for their employees .
Such facilities usually include dedicated parking and
on-site showers .
Walking will also be promoted as part of the daily physical activity plan based on the recommendation of
the World Health Organization .
2-E. DEVELOP DESIGN

GUIDELINES FOR BICYCLE
LANES
To ensure that any future upgrade of existing roads or
construction of new roads will include bicycle lanes,
Akimat will develop new design guidelines that will
commit all designers to develop bike lanes and present
standards for the inclusion of bicycle infrastructure on
every street cross section .
2-F. INTRODUCE NEW PEDESTRIAN ZONES IN THE CITY CENTRE

To promote walking, we intend to introduce several pedestrian-only zones in the city centre . The benefit
of creating such zones is plentiful: first, it encourages people to walk for short distance trips (for instance
at lunch time) . Secondly, it provides a great space for family gatherings and social outdoor activity . Third,
pedestrian space attracts local and foreign tourists and promotes economic activity . Finally, pedestrian
areas by their nature eliminate traffic; reduce noise and pollution, and create an attractive space for people
to congregate in the middle of the city . Accessibility to these zones will be possible using public transport
and cycling . This will stimulate the development of a lively street life, with cafes, restaurants and outdoor
public events . This can be the first step toward the creation of a low emissions zone city centre, where
traffic is limited, if not forbidden in some cases, and polluting vehicles are restricted .
Our target is to increase pedestrian zones three fold by 2023 and to double them by 2017 .
2F. DESIGN ZEBRA CROSSINGS AND OVERHEAD

PASSES FOR PEDESTRIANS
In order to enhance accessibility and promote road traffic safety
we intend to design additional zebra crossings at streets with high
volume of pedestrian activities, such as Abbay St . The benefit with
regards to pedestrian safety is obvious and is achieved through
other traffic calming measures like dedicated traffic lights next to
zebra crossing, traffic bumps and so on .
The second benefit, improved accessibility for pedestrians and PT
users, is achieved by shortening walking distances . Our guideline is
to provide safe crossing space every 300-400 meters at maximum .
On arterial roads, overhead passes will be erected, so as not to
hinder fast moving traffic . While such overhead passes are not
typically pedestrian friendly, we will promote them on roads where
car traffic is prioritized over pedestrian traffic, such as Al-Farabi .
Special attention, however, will be given to the provision of optimal
accessibility to these passes for pedestrians of all groups (stair-free
crossing, lights, etc .) .
6.3 ON-STREET PARKING MANAGEMENT

GENERAL
Parking infrastructure and regulation has a substantial impact on the travel behaviour of residents, and affects
their daily decision making . A Parking policy is a powerful element in creating a livable and economically
prosperous city . A parking policy creates and offers space . It creates space for urban quality of life, such as
space where the residents of the city can meet, recreate and where children can play . It offers space for parking
for functions that add value to the city . A livable city is one designed for people . It is a city that supports residents
and that supports visitors who visit the city for cultural, social and economic purposes . Our green transport
policy will modify parking conditions in the city centre . Our parking strategy is therefore based on the following
4 main objectives:
• Providing enough parking space for residents to park their cars near their homes;
• Providing enough parking spaces for visitors to the centre either for cultural, social or commercial purposes.
• Using the available parking space as efficient as possible.
• Creating a framework that allows investment in new and alternative parking provisions
A separate parking strategy document has been prepared during 2013 . This chapter provides a short overview
of the main strategic points, measures and action plans . Institutional aspects of the parking policy are elaborated
upon in chapter 7 .
THE FOLLOWING SET OF MEASURES ARE USED IN ORDER TO MEET THE

OBJECTIVES:
3-A. INTRODUCING REGULATED PARKING
AT AN APPROPRIATE FEE
Paid parking will be introduced in the centre of Almaty where parking is
scarce and demand is high . The actual parking fee level will be determined
by considering a wide range of aspects and needs . Regulated parking will
prioritize short time visitors over commuters who park for the entire day .
3-B. DIFFERENTIATING PRICES WITHIN THE

CENTRE
The fare in the regulated parking area in the city centre will not be flat .
Rather, it will vary based on the attractiveness of the zone . The centre
will be split into 2-3 sub zones, and will offer different parking fares for
visitors .
3-C. INTRODUCING A RESIDENT’S PERMIT SYSTEM

Residents will enjoy free parking upon purchasing a relatively cheap annual permit . Such a permit will secure
their parking rights near their place of residence . However, no parking space will be reserved specifically
for residents . When residents are not present during the day, the parking space will be available for visitors .
3-D. ENFORCING PARKING REGULATION VIA PARKING WARDENS

AND USING PHYSICAL MEANS WHERE POSSIBLE
Akimat will enforce parking regulations by setting
up a team of parking wardens that control parking
regulations and issue fines to violators (illegal
parking and non-paying drivers), and will ensure the
parking scheme is implemented and its objective are
met . Parking wardens cannot be everywhere all the
time . That is why it is also necessary to implement
«physical means» of enforcement such as bollards
that prevent cars from parking on sidewalks .
3-E. PREPARING A PARKING SYSTEM MONITORING PROGRAMME

Akimat will develop a parking monitoring program aimed at managing the parking system in a professional
manner . The results of parking monitoring will help the Municipality to make adjustments to the regulatory
system (price, controls needed, etc .) Monitoring data will also be linked to dynamic signs that will divert
traffic towards a nearby available parking space .
3-F. PROVIDING PARK & RIDE

PARKING LOTS OUTSIDE THE
CENTRE
Many drivers would like to use the MRT system but
do not have the service available at their point of
origin . They might approach the city boundary by
car and then switch to MRT . For this reason, Akimat
plans to introduce several new P&R parking lots
major MRT stations . Parking at these lots will be free
and the lots will often be guarded to provide drivers
with a feeling of security .
6.4 ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

GENERAL
Traffic management is all about squeezing more out of what you have by optimizing operations,
redistributing scarce resources such as right of way or intersection phases, or just by better operating and
managing the existing system such as parking, goods delivery vehicles, bus fleets, etc .
Traffic management also offers great opportunities to actually reduce congestion while prioritizing public
transport and other sustainable modes . It is normally considered as a win-win strategy where all users
enjoy better management of the system . In recent years, the concept has been developed into a vision of
the «Smart City» . Akimat intends to implement different transport related components that can transform
the city into a «Smart City» .
4-A. DEFINE HIERARCHICAL ROAD NETWORK AND STRENGTHEN

ARTERIAL ROADS
The road system needs to be hierarchical in order to
offer different levels of service to different types of
movements . This is particularly critical in a large and
sprawling city like Almaty, where different routes
are available .
The top of the scheme will have a set of freeways
which will allow non-stop mobility to motorized
traffic . Freeways will serve incoming traffic to the city
as well as through-traffic . This layer will be limited in
nature and will include one or two ring roads . The
second layer, which is the backbone of the urban
road system, is the arterial roads network, in which

motorized traffic (primarily cars and trucks) will be
prioritized; parking will be limited and pedestrian
crossings will be minimized to facilitate motor vehicle
mobility . The third layer is the primary roads network
(sometime referred as feeder roads), in which mixed
traffic including pedestrian and cycling is served .
This layer provides access to different land uses by
providing parking and pedestrian infrastructure .
The last layer is the local street network which is
based on a grid of small streets where parking and
pedestrian movement are favoured at the expense
of motor vehicle mobility .
4-B. INTRODUCE A ONE-WAY

TRAFFIC SYSTEM AT SOME
MAIN STREETS
On some main roads, the traffic is slow due to the need
to provide many left turn movements . We intend to
explore the feasibility of introducing a one-way traffic
system on several main corridors, to enable traffic to
flow more rapidly . In these cases, one road will allow
traffic to flow in one direction and a parallel road will
allow traffic to flow in the opposite direction . This
may extend the length of some trips, but it will allow
for smoother traffic flow .
4-C. PROVIDE PRIORITY TO BUSES AT TRAFFIC SIGNALS

On many streets, the number of passengers on buses is much higher than the number of passengers in
private cars, although the number of cars is higher than the number of buses . Therefore, giving priority to
buses at traffic signals is justified to minimize passengers waiting time . This requires special equipment on
the bus and in the traffic controller . Priority will be provided to buses that use dedicated bus lanes .
4-D. ADD DEDICATED LEFT TURN LANES IN CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS

Many long queues are a result of not enough capacity
for left turning vehicles . The overflow of these
vehicles blocks the whole street section and causes
major traffic jams . During 2013, Akimat started
adding left turn lanes to congested intersections . We
intend to map all problematic intersections in the city
and consider the introduction of dedicated left turn
lanes so that thorough-traffic will not be disturbed .
If necessary, special left turn phases at traffic signals
will be added .
4-E. INTRODUCE TRAFFIC CIRCLES (ROUNDABOUT) IN LOCAL AND

COLLECTOR STREETS
On many local streets and some collector streets, it is
preferable to introduce traffic circles instead of a standard
at-grade intersection . These circles are safer, beautify
the city and can provide increased traffic flow from all
directions . Speed on streets accessing the roundabout
will be reduced to 30 km/hr while roundabout geometric
speed will be even lower (typically 25 km/hr) . Cyclists and
pedestrian will benefit from these traffic calming measures .
We intend to define the road map for traffic signal installation
for the upcoming 10 years by identifying candidate
intersections in residential areas, considering the impact of
such changes using engineering tools, and then selecting a list of projects as part of a multi-year plan .
4-F. SMART TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM

A metropolitan automatic traffic light management system will be introduced in Almaty . The system will
provide real-time analysis of road conditions and congestion and will manage the smart traffic light system
that will ensure the efficient usage of intersection space . Traffic light sensors will be installed at intersections
and will communicate with the traffic management centre, which will monitor traffic constantly and will
adjust to real-time traffic conditions .
The system will also provide a base for various routing applications online and on mobile devices . In
addition, it will serve as a principle tool in managing traffic in crisis circumstances and special events .
4-G. CONSIDER A SHARED SPACE CONCEPT ON LOCAL STREETS

The city will design and consider the implementation of the shared space concept on suitable roads, where
the right of way is used by all types of movement without physical separation . The shared space concept
will increase pedestrian accessibility, improve safety standards for all users and reduce through traffic .
4-H. MANAGE FREIGHT & GOODS VEHICLES

Heavy trucks (including ones with hazardous materials), will be diverted
onto bypassing roads, and will be completely prohibited from entering the
city centre during peak hours . In addition, the city will develop a parking
lot for heavy vehicles in the outskirt of the city . Akimat will define clear
guidelines for heavy duty truck traffic within the city and will define clear
restrictions on the hauling of hazardous material .
4-I. PROMOTE A CARPOOL PROGRAMME

Carpooling is an ideal cost-saving arrangement, particularly for those
individuals who commute long distances to and from work each day,
have limited access to public transit, and arrive and depart from work on a
relatively set schedule . The city will promote a carpooling program in the
near future, and encourage businesses to organize transportation of staff
to major employment centres .
6.5 INTEGRATE URBAN AND TRANSPORT

PLANNING
GENERAL
Our city experiences fast and dynamic economic growth and social change which requires intensive
development plans . Future urban plans will be largely affected by mobility and accessibility . The interaction
and integration of urban and transport planning will be at the heart of any future master plan . In order to
achieve long-lasting urban development, Akimat will promote the following measures:
5-A. PLAN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY ALONG TRANSIT

CORRIDORS
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a mixed-use residential and commercial development style
designed to maximize access to public transport and often incorporating features to encourage transit
ridership . Transit-oriented development (TOD) brings compact, mixed-use development within walking
distance of high capacity rapid transit .
TOD features vibrant streetscapes,
pedestrian-oriented built forms, and
land use characteristics that make it
convenient and safe to walk, cycle,
and use public transport . Because
we plan to significantly improve the
service of PT in Almaty, we intend
to plan future development of the
city around the new MRT corridors .
Planning will also include the design
of cycling and walking facilities, to
increase the total use of sustainable
modes of travel . The development
of these corridors will take time, but
that is often the case with new land use plan implementation . In this way, the additional population that
will live and work in the city will primarily use sustainable modes for their trips .
5-B. ADOPT A MANDATORY TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT (TIA)

PROCEDURE
In most cities worldwide, it is mandatory to evaluate the impact of major land use plans on traffic . This is
done by comparing the traffic situation with and without the proposed development, using an up-to-date
travel demand model for the city .
This procedure, called a Traffic Impact Assessment, is mandatory by law, similar to the Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA), which is also mandatory for most projects in Kazakhstan .
Until now, a TIA was not undertaken because there was no relevant travel demand model that could
compare a «before-after» situation . However, now that Almaty has such a model, we intend to adopt a
mandatory TIA procedure . Once this procedure is in effect, every developer will have to mitigate traffic
problems caused by proposed development at his own cost . For example, these procedures would be
applicable to the development of all new shopping malls .
5-C. SET UP A LONG-TERM URBAN MASTER PLAN SYNCHRONIZED

WITH TRANSPORT PLANNING
The next urban master plan will be assembled together with the development of the transportation plan .
The long-term urban master plan will use the recently developed travel demand model for Almaty, which
can provide guidelines for sound long-term development .
5-D: PROMOTE URBAN INFILL IN THE ALMATY CITY CENTRE

The city will support intensification of land uses in the city centre and will try to minimize suburbanization .
This will be achieved by promoting the development of high-rise buildings (primarily for residential and
employment purposes) in the city centre .
6.6 SUSTAINABLE ROAD NETWORK

DEVELOPMENT
The focus of our strategy is to promote
the use of sustainable transport modes:
public transport, walking and cycling . However, the majority
of vehicles in the city using the road system will still be private
cars . Moreover, in 10 years, the number of cars is expected to
increase by 25%-35% (almost 3% annually), even with the
implementation of our strategy . These cars will have to travel
smoothly to provide mobility and accessibility to car users .
Therefore, our transport strategy deals with car traffic as well .
6-A. CONSTRUCT NEW ROADS TO

STRENGTHEN THE HIERARCHY OF
THE ROAD NETWORK
Almaty’s road network should provide two contradictory functions: fast mobility, to allow cars to move from
one point to another quickly, and accessibility, to allow car users to park their cars and access destinations .
In order to provide these two functions efficiently, there is a need to create a hierarchical road network in
which high level roads provide fast mobility and no accessibility, and lower level roads provide accessibility
but with low levels of mobility .
In a balanced city, around 70% of all kilometres travelled by all vehicles is done on only 30% of the road
network; the arterial roads and freeways . Today, travel in Almaty is not balanced, as many trips cross the
central area without needing to stop there . Therefore, Akimat intends to further develop the road network
in a manner that will lead to an increased road use balance .
6-B. CONVERT THE INNER ROADS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE MODES

While construction of new roads will be targeted mainly to the arterial and freeway system, an inner road
network will be adopted to allow the inclusion of sustainable modes, such as public transport and cycling .
Dedicated bus lanes and dedicated busways for BRT will be introduced, as well as dedicated bicycle lanes
in place of travelling and parking lanes .
The development of new roads and extensions

or enhancements of existing roads under specific
circumstances will still occur . Road development should
be carefully appraised against other alternatives and
should be implemented if it is found that a link that
would promote mobility is missing . Part of this policy
will be to enable the allocation of separated lanes for
high occupancy vehicles, as well as cycling paths . The
city will also consider better connectivity from suburban
areas to the city centre, if needed . In addition, local road
development and maintenance should be carried out
based on a 10-year rehabilitation program .
6-C. INTRODUCE BUS LANES, CYCLING PATHS AND SIDEWALKS AS A

STANDARD FOR ANY NEW ROAD
The development of an extensive network of bus lanes and cycling paths will need to be mitigated, in
some cases, by enhancing the road to accommodate the new cross section . For that matter, new road
development and existing road rehabilitation will include standard facilities for public transport, cycling
and pedestrians .
6-D. SET A 10-YEAR ROAD REHABILITATION PROGRAM

While many roads in Almaty are in good condition, some need to be rehabilitated to provide safe, smooth,
and fast service . Road rehabilitation also reduces the damage to all vehicles, hence reducing expenses to
bus operators and owners of commercial and private vehicles . The city will set a 10 year rehabilitation plan
for urban streets and identify financial resources for this plan .
Sustainable transport is about squeezing more out of limited space . Re-allocation of road space to bus
lanes, pedestrian facilities (side walk or pedestrian mall) and cyclist facilities (bicycle path) will move 4-10
times more people than cars, given the same 3 .5 meter lane width .
Capacity (passengers) per hour
Sustainable transport is
about squeezing more
out of limited space. Re-
allocation of road space to
bus (bus lane), pedestrian
(side walk or pedestrian
mall) and cyclist (bicycle
path) will move 4-10 times
more people than cars,
given the same 3.5 meter
lane width
6.7. CONNECTING THE SUBURBS TO THE CITY

Almaty’s rapid growth will transform the current metropolitan area of 2 .5 million
people (2013) to over 3 .5 million in 2025 . Transportation systems, in particular, need
to be planned and operated beyond the border of the municipal area and provide
quick and affordable access to commuters coming from nearby communities .
Almaty has become a major regional hub and the
largest commercial centre in central Asia, attracting
significant numbers of passengers and commercial
goods . This requires better integration between
urban and intercity transportation networks .
Almost 200,000 people enter Almaty every day,
primarily from the suburbs . Most of them are using
cars, as there is no comprehensive and attractive
public transport connection and no option to park
cars outside the city centre to use public transport
for the remainder of the trip . As a result, this
demand produces congestion both inside the city
and at entrances .
7-A. PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE TO AND

FROM THE SUBURBS
There are few mini-buses that serve the suburbs . We intend to introduce modern and attractive bus
service, operating with standard or articulated buses, bringing passengers to the city centre quickly . Based
on demand analysis, we intend to introduce this service in the following suburbs: Talgar, Alatay, Belbulak,
Baiterek, Baiserke, Kapchagay, Askhar, Abay, KaminkaTau-samal(Kamenka), Chemolgan and Kaskelen .
When needed suburban bus services will be provided with dedicated bus lanes at congested road sections .
7-B. PROVIDE P&R FACILITIES NEAR PUBLIC TRANSPORT TERMINALS

IN SUBURBS
To operate the suburban bus service quickly and regularly, we need to operate it from a single terminal in
each suburb . To bring passengers to this terminal, we will provide both a feeder system and P&R lots near
the terminal so passengers can arrive by car .
7-C. BUILD A TRANSIT HUB

Suburban public transport service will be, for the most part, based on standard or midi buses . Upon
entering the city, passengers will switch to the Almaty MRT . For that purpose, the city will develop transit
hubs where fast and easy transfers will take place .
7-D. PLAN THE FUTURE OF THE TRAIN SERVICE

Akimat will consider future use of the two existing train stations, considering both passenger and freight
needs . Akimat will ensure that high quality and easily accessible transit service will connect stations to
major central destinations .
7-E. PROMOTE THE

DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW
AIRPORT WITH HIGH
STANDARD PT SERVICE TO
THE CITY CENTRE
The current airport has limited air traffic and
passenger volume capacity . The City will build a
new airport that will meet the growing needs of
the international and national volume of air traffic
predicted and will facilitate the growth of the city .
The new airport will be connected the city centre by
convenient and fast public transport service, such as BRT lines .
6.8. PROMOTE LOW EMISSION CARS AND

ZONES
According to a 2011 UNDP-GEF report the transport sector is responsible for over
85% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Almaty. Therefore, in order to transform
the city into a green city, we need to take significant actions in three main directions:
SHIFT to green transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport
IMPROVE the quality of engines and fuel to be more environmentally friendly
AVOID unnecessary high pollution emission trips within the city
In order to fulfil official obligations to improve the environmental situation in Almaty and reduce GHG
emissions, the following measures are proposed:
8-A. INTRODUCE A LOW EMISSION ZONE IN THE CITY CENTRE

A LEZ is a geographically defined area which restricts access for specific polluting vehicles or only allows
low emitting vehicles, with the aim of improving air quality . LEZs are becoming popular in many cities .
There are already more than 100 LEZs in different countries worldwide .
8-B. PROMOTE THE USE OF ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES

In addition to LEZs, the city intends to promote the use of zero emission vehicles (like electric vehicles)
by giving these vehicles priority for on-street parking, reserving spaces for the use vehicles with charging
options, or exempting these vehicles from parking fees .
8-C. USE CLEANER FUEL FOR BUSES AND PRIVATE VEHICLES

The city will replace old buses with new and modern trolley buses, CNG buses or diesel buses, complying
with EURO 5 standards or higher . In 10 years, all buses in Almaty will be low or zero emission buses .
8-D. INTRODUCE A SCRAPPING PLAN FOR OLD VEHICLES AND BUSES

Akimat will gradually implement a scrapping plan that will provide incentives to owners of old polluting
vehicles to replace them with newer less polluting vehicles . Special attention will be given to old trucks
manufactured before 1990, which contribute significantly to air pollution .
7. MECHANISM OF REALIZATION OF THE

STRATEGIES
Akimat intends to reform the current organization to focus on sustainable transport development . The
main purpose of this reform is to obtain full integration in the activities of all relevant stakeholders toward
the implementation of the strategy . All of the measures set above will be optimally implemented once
institutional, organizational, and regulatory improvements will be introduced . These include:
Organizational
Capacity building Procedural improvements development Regulatory reformation
TO THIS END, WE IDENTIFIED 11 MAJOR ACTIONS THAT WILL BE TAKEN IN THE

NEAR FUTURE:
Action 1: Establish a Public Transport Holdings Company
Public transport will be better planned and more professionally regulated upon the establishment of a
public transport authority (or holdings company) . Such body will be responsible for all aspects of PT service
provision, including but not limited to:
• Planning public transport route schemes for LRT/BRT/Bus/Trolley and Tram
• Tender operation of PT lines to the private sector through public service contracts
• Supervise operations and enforce penalties if the operational expectations of the public service
contracts are not met
• Serve as a focal body for system integration (ticketing and information)
• Assume responsibility for maintenance of PT facilities (such as bus stops and terminals)
• Operate and update all common integrated facilities like the integrated ticketing system and the
integrated public information system
• Address public complaints
• Promote a targeted, coordinated and holistic approach to improve deficits in transit vehicle operator
resources
Akimat will claim responsibility for all PT lines that operate to and from the city and will ensure adequate
service is provided to nearby suburbs .
Action 2: Establish Transportation Planning Team
Akimat will establish a professional transportation planning team that will be able to support strategic
decision making . The team will cooperate with various departments in Akimat including those responsible
for the economy, roads, PT, environment, law enforcement and architecture . The team will maintain and
update the newly developed travel demand model, will

routinely execute transportation surveys, propose new
transportation scenarios and alternatives, appraise
their benefits, provide preliminary cost-benefit
analysis to various projects, and complete revenue and
ridership estimation for different transport options . The
planning team will become the most professional body
in Almaty and will transfer knowledge to universities as
well as to other stakeholders in Akimat .
Action 3: Establish Traffic Management Department
Akimat will establish a traffic management department which will claim responsibility over all traffic
activities in the city . The primarily role of this department will be to control traffic lights and manage daily
car traffic . In addition, the department will be responsible for different engineering solutions such as one-
way traffic roads, bus lanes, intersection layout changes, and the introduction of cycling lanes .
Action 4: Establish Parking Department

Akimat will establish a parking department which will be responsible for all parking activities in the city .
Its prime goal will be to implement our parking strategy to introduce the paid parking scheme in the city,
enforce it, prepare monitoring programs and guarantee that new parking space is created together with
the implementation of new building plans that increase parking demand . The department will also deal
with parking revenue collection for Akimat .
Furthermore the Department will be responsible for communication with citizens regarding the application
for permits and promotion of the general policy objectives .
Action 5: Establish Cycling Round Table Panel /Council

Akimat will form an advocacy panel composed of
different officials and other stakeholders . The main
objective of this panel will be to plan and promote
cycling as transportation mode and coordinate
ambitious cycling infrastructure plans within different
entities . The group will monitor the progress of relevant
departments in achieving cycling goals and will report
periodically to the mayor .
The round table will coordinate with NGOs, cycling
activists, international experts, the private sector,
public transport operators and the media .
Action 6: Introduce Public Service Contract

The city will define a clear and comprehensive mechanism for Akimat to work with public transport
operators . Such a contract will define mutual obligations and rights of both sides, and ensure passengers
are provided with a satisfactory level of service . In practice, all public transport service will be offered to
operators for a period of 6-10 years . Contracts with obligations (Service Level Agreement, SLA) and rights
(compensation, subsidy) of operators will clearly define an enforcement and penalty mechanism .
Other Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) such as for parking operations, and the electronic ticketing system
will also be based on a public service Contract .
Action 7: Ongoing Training and Engagement of International Expertise
In order to fulfil our vision Akimat will define an annual training work plan that will involve all professionals
and officials dealing with transportation matters from Akimat and from the private sector engaged by
Akimat (such as bus drivers) . The main objective is to develop a high level of local expertise in a wide range
of transportation functions (such as planning, operation, design, procurement, legal, organizational, etc .) .
In order for this to be fulfilled, Akimat will seek ongoing assistance from international experts . Capacity
building and knowledge transfer will be a strategic task involving all stakeholders .
Action 8: Cost-Benefit Analysis Investments
Akimat will define a clear mechanism for evaluating project feasibility that will meet international standards
and will be accepted by the international committee . A standard Cost-Benefit Analysis will be completed
for each large infrastructure project . This will enable the city to justify and prioritize projects, spend the
budget more effectively, and attract financing agencies if needed .
Action 9: Engage Private Sector in Project Financing
In order to fulfil our vision, Akimat intends to invest a

significant amount of money in the upcoming years to
leverage the transit system from the Soviet era into a
system meeting EU standards or better . This requires
significant budget allocation which might not be
always available within our local or national budget .
Given the more transparent project evaluation
processes mentioned above, Akimat will engage the
private sector in large projects such as new highways,
light rail or the installation of technology systems .
This will enable us to invest simultaneously in multiple
projects while ensuring that cash flow does not run dry and the project is financially stable .
Action 10: Regulatory Change to Enable BOT Projects

As Akimat might consider implementing some of its large projects with the private sector through a BOT (Build-
Operate-Transfer) mechanism, we will need to make legal adjustments to support these types of projects . Such
changes include the ability of the private sector to collect revenue and to issue penalties to violators .
Action 11: Transparency in Planning, Investment Process and

Public Participation in Decision Making
The City will move towards a more transparent planning processes where documentation of planning
alternatives and execution of municipality budgets will be available to residents . Access to all information
will be available to the public online . In addition, the city will perform public hearing sessions early in the
planning process to receive opinions from residents and refine plans if necessary .
8. IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORT STRATEGY
8.1 DEFINITION OF THREE COMPARABLE FUTURE
SCENARIOS TO CHOOSE FROM
The city’s newly adopted sustainable transport policy, reflected by this document, will make significant
changes in budget allocation, prioritization of investments and right of way redistribution . We call it the
«Green Transport Scenario,» to distinguish it from the mix of investment and transportation solutions adopted
to this point, which mainly favour car traffic at the expense of sustainable transportation modes . The existing
path is therefore named «Business As Usual» (BAU) . For analysis purposes, we also define a third scenario
which is based only on existing projects, services and operations as they exist today without considering
the future development of any transport system . While this scenario is not realistic, it does provide a good
reference point for comparison of the two others . We name this scenario the «Do Nothing Scenario» .
Do Nothing BAU Sustainable Transport

Road network Only approved projects Significant development Limited to bottle necks only
Public Transport Same as today + Metro Today+ Metro West +
Major investments
facilities West (2 stations) LRT-1
Public Transport Significant increase in fleet
Current fleet + 200 CNG Current fleet + 200 CNG
Service & operation
Cycling & Walking As of today As of today Major investments
8.2 MAJOR TRANSPORTATION INDICATORS OF THE

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SCENARIO
The result of the new sustainable transport strategy is that by 2023, Almaty will provide its residents with
a higher quality of life . Almaty will be a connected city in which most residents will be able to walk a short
distance to the nearest MRT station and travel quickly and safely to their destination along lanes dedicated
to public transport, seamlessly using a single and affordable transit ticket .
2023
Parameter Today 2023 BAU Sustainable
Transport
Average car speed [km/hr], (morning peak) 19 .1 15 .0 18 .3
Public Transport average in-vehicle speed [km/hr]
15 .5 11 .8 19 .2
(morning peak)
Emission of GHG from transport sector, M-tons CO2
2,650,000 4,990,000 3,420,000
equivalent
Total time wasted in traffic, daily (car and PT
300,000 hours 700,000 hours 400,000 hours
passengers)
Percentage of people living 500 m' from MRT station 8% 18% 51%
Percentage of cycling from total trips made Less than 0.5% 1.5% 6%
Percentage of trips using sustainable modes
42% 35% 55%
(walking, cycling, PT)
Number of car trips and total length of car trips 1 .13 M trips / 1 .85M trips / 1 .37M trips
(daily) 10 .34 M KM 20 .04 M KM /14 .1 M KM
Alternatively, residents and visitors will be able

to cycle to their destination using their own
bicycle and park it at their destination, or use
one of the many shared bikes that will be located
at bike share stations throughout the city . The
city will be greener, with much cleaner air, and
will contribute positively to the economic growth
of Kazakhstan .
The following table shows the expected
ALMATY
quantitative impacts of the sustainable urban
transport strategy (SUT) compared to the
Business-as-Usualscenario .
The table above shows that the proposed
strategy will turn Almaty into a:
8.3 GREEN TRANSPORT CITY

Sustainable Modes
By 2023, over 55% of all trips in the city will be 100%
completed using sustainable modes,such as MRT

80%
(over 22%), bus (16%), walking (12%) and
cycling (5-6%). The number of trips by car will 60%
therefore drop by over half a million trips daily, from 16,9%
40%
1 .75 million to 1 .22 million . Our strategy will also 13,3%
11,5% 11,3%
reduce the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% 38,0%
29,8% 25,0% 24,1%
over 6 million kilometres daily (this is equivalent to
0
over 150 trips around our planet daily) . Today Do Nothing Business As Green
Usual Transport
PT NMT Non-Sustainable
8.4 DYNAMIC CITY

The development of 8-10 MRT lines will enable
the city to develop and transform into a dynamic
metropolis with excellent accessibility for all people
and all purposes . The MRT, accompanied with
complementary bus and cycling services will play a
major role in the economic development of the city
and will assist in attracting national and international
investments .
In addition, the vitality of the city centre and the
creation of a walkable and green-oriented city will improve quality of life for residents and tourists and add
to the attractiveness of the city .
8.5. MOVING CITY

Due to the provision of a reliable, attractive,
accessible and affordable PT system, people will
shift from driving cars and taking taxis to greener
modes, thus congestion will be relieved significantly .
It is predicted that travel time by car will be reduced
from 40 minutes to 33 minutes; while AM peak
car speed will increase from 15 km/h to over 18
km/h . Passengers on public transport modes will
enjoy even higher speeds than car drivers . Overall,
passengers will save approximately 160 million hours annually if our strategy is implemented .
8.6. AFFORDABLE CITY

Increasing PT usage by over 50% will enable us to provide more frequent and cheaper PT service for all. System
integration will enable all users to reach destinations with less than 50 cents, US, no matter where they go or
when . For commuters, students and the elderly, PT will be even cheaper . In addition, people will enjoy cycling free
of charge (or at minimal cost if using our cycling rental scheme). Most importantly, over 25% of our residents will
give up driving their cars in the city centre . In other words: over 200,000 families will save considerable amounts
of money because of the sustainable transport strategy .
8.7. ACCESSIBLE CITY

By 2023, more than half of the residents of Almaty and over 60% of its employees will be living next to a
MRT stop . People will be able to switch between modes quickly and reach different parts of the city faster
than ever before without the need to drive a car .
8.8. CLEAN CITY

Our strategy will stop the rapid increase in pollution level within the city and for some pollutants like PM
and NOX, we forecast a reduction compared to 2013 levels .
Green House Gas Emission, Аlmaty, mln. tonnes of СО2 Our strategy will cap the level of GHGs
5 within 5 years and reverse trends from an
over 5% growth currently, to a reduction
4,5 of -1% from 2020 onwards.
4 Our strategy will reduce the number

of kilometres driven by private car by
3,5 almost 1 .5 billion annually which is
equivalent to over 10 times the distance
3 to the sun . This will enable us to free up a
large amount of asphalt and create new
2,5 parks, cycling paths, pedestrian malls,
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
playgrounds and more green-oriented

spaces for the benefit of our residents
Green Transport Business as Usual
and for the future of our planet .
48
9. ACTION PLAN (2013-2023)

The implementation of the Sustainable Urban Transport strategy involves a variety of physical and institutional measures . The following section describes
the action plan that Akimat will implement in the next 10 years (2013-2023) .
Estimated
Responsible Planning / Construction Operational
Project Description budget [M
agency year year
KZT]6
Metro extension West-1 two stations: Moskva & Sairan 2013-2014 2014 36,000
Metro extension West-2 to Auezov street in Kalkaman Road 2014/2015-2020 2020 100,000
Department
2016-2018/ 2019-
Metro extension north through Almaty 1 Almaty 2 2023 100,000
2022
LRT-1 2013-2014 /2015-2017 2017 45,000
City of Almaty Sustainable Transport Strategy
Alatau region Depot Tole Be  JTCU

Department 2013-2014 /2015-2017 2017 45,000 45,000
2015-2017 / 2018-
LRT-2 Orbita  Green Bazar 2020 45,000
2020
BRT 1 phase 1 Orbita Timiriazova Bikonyr  Zhetysuiskaya Passenger 2014 / 2015 2016 10,000
BRT 1 phase 2 Aqua park Timiriazova  Bikonar  Almaty 1 2018 / 2019-2020 2021 8,000
Mass rapid transit (annex a)

BRT 2 Kamenka Gogol  Green Bazar 2016 / 2017-2018 2019 10,000
BRT 3 Dostyk  Ainabulak--Bazar 2019-2020 / 2021-2022 2023 6,000
BRT 4 Zhuldyz  Furmanov  Dostyk 2014/ 2015-2016 2017 6,000
2016-2017/2018-
BRT 5 Airport raiymbek West bus station 2020 6,000
2019
3 Multi-Modal public
transport Hubs (with 1 . West end (on road to Kackalen) 2014/ 2015-2018 2016-2018 1,500
MRT integration)
facilities
2 . east end (on road to 150 km of urban bus lanes (some within the Road 2013-2015/ 2014-
Public transport
2015-2022 15,0008
Talgar) MRT corridors) Department 2021
6
Rough Estimation only . Feasibility study will be completed on each project to provide accurate cost estimation . Operation & Maintenance Cost (O&M) excluded
Phased, Upon
3 . North end: on A-3 1,500 for
Passenger 2014-2015 opening MRT
highway campaign
system
Passenger
From Talgar, Kackalen, Kamenka and other 10 (fleet account
Department + PT department + 2014 2014
suburbs separately)
PT Holding
Operational
holding 2014/ 2015-2016 2017 6,000 subsidy might
be needed
Bus stops renewal with
Public transport service

renew old bus stops in the city (~1,000 stops) 2014/ 2015-2018 2016-2018 1,500
static information
e-ticketing & integrated Purchase of on board (validators, terminals) and
2013/2014-2015 2016 4,000
fare structure off-board(TvM, system) equipment
real time information at Multi-annual deployment plan to cover all stop
2013-2014/ 2015-2019 1,000
stops > 500 passengers daily
new CNG / Clean Diesel 35,000-
Purchase additional 1300 buses in next 10 years 2013-2014/ 2013-2023
buses 40,000
Passenger
Purchase 500 in next 10 years (out of which Department + 15,000-
new articulated buses 2013-2014/ 2013-2023
300 for BRT) PT holding 20,000
Purchase 500 Trolley Bus or electric bus in next
new electric bus 2013-2014/ 2013-2023 20,000
Bus fleet & PT ITS

10 years
Allocate and construct 182 taxi parking space in
taxi stands 2013/2014-2017 2014-2018 3,000
the city
taxi service regulate service, add new CNG taxi (200 in 2014) 2013 2014
Road
separated cycling lane
140 km of cycling lanes Department + 2014-2015 2015-2023 5,000
(annex B)
Architecture
Road
Bike parks 500 Bike parks across the city 2013-2014 2014 15
Department
economic
Cycling rental scheme 100 stations, 1,500 bicycles 2014-2015 2016 1,200
department
Arbat extension toward Green Bazar (Pushkin Road
Pedestrian mall (annex B) 2014-2015 / 2016 2017 1,000
Cycling and walking

Street) . Panfilov (Makataev to Aiteke Bi) Department
7 8 9
Excluding land acquisition Excluding bus lanes constructed for MRT system cost excludes MRT equipment
49
50
Road
Cycling campaign At school, workplace and universities 2014 2015-2016 500
Department
side walk & zebra Multi-annual plan for sidewalk expansion and Cycling round
2014 2015-2020 2,000
crossing zebra crossing table
walking
pedestrian bridge over over 10 bridges over the ring road and over Road
Cycling and
2014-2016 2014-2016 2,500
arterials raiymbek with elevators Department
Park & ride facilities Passenger
construct 6-7 park & ride lots 2014/ 2015-2016 2016-2017 1,200
(annex c) department
Paid parking pilot in city on street Pilot project in selected streets in city Road
2013 2015 1,500 10
center (phase 1) center Department
Paid parking in city center Deployment of technology system in zone 1 (to Parking
2015 2016 750 11
(Zones) be defined) department
Parking
Parking permits Issue parking permits for residents 2015 2016 500
Parking
department
establish parking management system to Parking
Parking management 2016 2017 750
monitor and display occupancy of parking lot department
enforce non-paying vehicles and those who Parking
Parking enforcement 2013 2014 750
park illegally department

Provide buses with partial priority at intersections Passenger
Priority at intersection13 2014-2015 2015-2022 4,50014
along bus lanes . department
Provide buses with partial priority at intersections Passenger
priority at intersection 2014-2015 2015-2022 4,500
along bus lanes . department
At AblaiKhan, Seyfullina, Karasay-Batyr
one way street (annex D) & Boegenbay-batyr and at Zhambul and Passenger 2014-2015/2016 2016 1,800
Kabanbay-batyr department +
Introduce left turns in major intersections (~20 Traffic Police
left turns 2013/2014-2015 2014-2015 1,000
of them)
road
replace intersection in local street to roundabout
roundabout Department + 2014 / 2015-2017 2015-2018 900
in suitable places
Traffic Management
Architecture
Traffic
smart city traffic light Connect all traffic light into 1 central traffic
management 2015/2016-2017 2018 3,000
control center management and control center
department
10
Cost of construction only . System generates significant revenue for the city
11
Cost of construction only . System generates significant revenue for the city
12
Along Bus lanes, In addition to those planned for the MRT scheme
13
Excluding at bus lanes constructed for MRT system
14
Excluding land acquisition . Assuming two way tunnels and intersection
15
To be established under PT holding
Ministry of
BaKaD highway 2015 / 2016-2019 2020 150,000
transport
Construction of several connectors between 2013-2015/2015-
Arterial roads road Dept . 2017-2023 75,000
BAKAD to city . 2020
Toli-Be extension Connect Tole-Be to Al Farabi ring road road Dept . 2013/2014-2015 2015 30,000 16
Widening local streets Add capacity in specific streets in center road Dept .
Prepare 10 years rehabilitation plan for existing (Annually –
rehabilitation of roads road Dept . 2014 2015
road network . Secure budget up front O&M)
regional
Talgar road widening transform Almaty-Talgar into arterial road 2015/2016-2020 2020 10,000
Road Network Development

(oblast)
talgar-almaty Brt/ lrt PT holding 2015/2016-2017 2018 (BrT) 7,500
Provide reliable service from Talgar / Kackalen
Kackaeln-almaty Brt/ lrt / Kapchagay to Almaty along separate right of PT holding 2015/2016-2017 2029 (BrT) 6,000
way
Kapchagay-almaty Brt PT holding 2017/2018-2019 2020 6,000
National rail
train station Consider re-location of Almaty 1/2
Company
Development of transit simple hub in suburbs
regional
Suburban & Intercity

transit hub at suburbs (primary Talgar, Kackalen) to switch to buses 2014/2015-2016 2017/2018 2,500
(oblast)
(including P&r)
Further investment in airport to meet 2025 Ministry of
airport development 2014/2015-2017 2017 75,000
demand transport
eliminate polluting vehicles from city center environmental
low-emission Zone 2018/2019-2020 2031 1,000
(monitoring station, enforcement department
Promote (subsidy, tax reduction) zero emission
Zero emission vehicle 2017 2018 ?
vehicles
Initiate scraping plan to get off road old polluting
scrapping plan 2017 2018 ?
vehicles
improve quality of
Low Emission
2017 ?
Benzene
Minimize incoming traffic and encourage
introduce congestion
commuters to shift to sustainable modes while PT holding 2015/? ? 2,000
pricing
reducing environmental impact
Total Investment 871,865 M KZT (5 .8 B $)
16 17
Excluding land acquisition . Assuming two way tunnels and intersection Excluding land acquisition
51
SOFT MEASURE ACTION PLAN

responsible operational
action plan description
agency year
Planning and establish planning and modeling in-house team to
m o d e l i n g appraise benefit of different project and assist decision P .T holding 2014
Department makers in project evaluation
establish traffic management department within PT
traffic management
holding that will be in charge of traffic flow, signals P .T holding 2015
department
and traffic lights and other traffic related aspects
establish parking department who will plan, manage,
p a r k i n g
legalize, develop, regulate and enforce parking issues P .T holding 2014
organization
in the city
PSC will become a standard and will define mutual
public service
obligations and rights of operators and regulator (the P .T holding From 2014
contract
city)
Standardize a mechanism to appraise the traffic impact
traffic impact Planning &
of new large scale development project and propose 2015
assessment Modeling
mitigation to negative impacts
10. SHORT TERM INVESTMENT

(Pilot projects): 2014-2015
The implementation of the Sustainable transport strategy involves a variety of physical and institutional measures .
The following section describes the action plan that Akimat will implement in the next 10 years (2013-2023) .
Opening
Institutional Involved Agency Actions Pilot
year
1 . Planning (2014) • Public Service
2 . Detailed design (2013-4) Contract
PT Holding
BRT-1 3 . Construction of Infrastructure 2015 • Articulated bus
T .M Dept .
(2014-5) tender
4 . ITS & Fleet (2014) • Procurement of ITS
1 . Planning (2014) PT holding
2 . Construction of Infrastructure Architecture • Procurement of ITS
Separated Bus
(2014) 2014 T .M Dept . • Design tender of
lane on Abaiavn
3 . Parking re-location (2014) P a r k i n g bus stop
4 . Bus stop & ITS (2014) department
PT Hours of 1 . Planning (2014) • Public Service
2014 PT holding
operation 2 . More Driver (2014) contract
• Public Service
Talgar  Almaty contract
1 . Operational planning (2014)
Kackalen  PT Holding • 2014: Second
2 . Bus purchasing (2014) 2014
Almaty bus District hand buses
service 2014: procurement
of new buses
1 . Identification of candidate school
(2014) PT holding
O p e r a t i o n
School bus service 2 . Public participation & planning 2015 & Education
concession
(2014) department
3 . Fleet purchasing (2015)
Purchase new 1 . Technical specification (2013)
PT holding Procurement of new
fleet (CNG, 2 . Tender (2014) 2014 
AET bus
Trolley, Euro 6) 3 . Depot design & build (2014)
1 . Preliminary planning and
technology spec (2014)
p a s s e n g e r Procure-
2 . Installation of Electricity and
information ment of PT Holding 2014 
communication (2014-2015)
system system
3 . ITS tender (2014)
4 .Installation of ITS (2015)
1 . Identify location (2014)
Pedestrian Zebra
2 . Detailed design and 2014  Road Dept .
crossing
implementation (2014)
3 cycling path
1 . Detailed design (2013)
at Kaznu-Abai,
2 . Construction of Infrastructure 2014 Road dept .
Esentai-Saptaeva,
(2014)
Al-Farabi, and
Archi-
1 . Planning and selection of location
tecture/
500 bike parks (2013) 2014
Passenger
2 . Installation (2014)
dept .
1 . Design and tender documents

(2013)
Design-Build-
Cycling rental 2 . Procurement and selection of Economic
2015 Op era t e- T r a n sf e r
scheme supplier (2014) Dept .
(DBOT)
3 . Construction and commissioning
(2014-5)
1 . System architecture and (2013)
R e g u l a t o r y
and detailed deployment plan
Paid Parking pilot change to enable
2 . tender documents preparation
project in selected 2015 Parking Dept . enforcement and
(2014)
streets revenue collection
3 . Selection of supplier, installation
by private sector
(2015)
1 . Identify intersection and road
Passenger
Dedicated left map (2013)
2014  department
turn 2 . Construction of Infrastructure
& Police
(2014)
Round about pilot 2015  Road Dept .
1 . Inventory and planning (2014)
Passenger
New Bus stop 2 . Tender for supplier (2014)
department
3 . Installation (2015 )
11. CLOSING REMARKS

The future of our city is bright . The great enthusiasm of our people to contribute to the city will inevitably
transform Almaty into a better place to live . The dynamics of our nation and the skills of our great people
will ensure that the city keeps on developing and transforming into a leading international metropolitan .
Our unique setting and cultural diversity will ensure tourism will continue on growing at rapid pace .
Our challenges are significant and solutions can be risky, but they can be mitigated if we join forces and
embrace a new path for our city . The goals and objectives of our plan are set high, but they will be achieved
with hard work .
One of the key principles of our ambitious plan is integration . We must ensure our plan is coherent and
different stakeholders are communicating with each other . One cannot expect passengers use buses if
service is not reliable and synchronized . We cannot expect people to relinquish use of their car, if a better
solution is not provided to them .
INTEGRATION WILL BE ACHIEVED BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING SEGMENTS:

1. Between urban development and transport system development: Akimat will ensure urban
development and transportation are synchronized and expanded based on mutual principles and a
shared strategy .
2. Between modes of transport: Our plan will make sure passengers can enjoy alternative modes of
transport to choose from, and transfer from one mode to another easily .
3. Between departments in Akimat: All relevant departments within Akimat will work closely to make
sure the transportation system is implemented according to our plan . Special attention will be given
to ensure that all departments work in concert .
4. Within the same mode of transport: Public transport will act as a synchronized system with smooth
interfaces between lines . Car traffic will also be managed in a synchronized manner .
5. Between vehicles and pedestrians: Akimat is committed to providing mobility to people, rather
than vehicles . Therefore people will enjoy engineering and technological solutions that will provide
improved levels of service and accessibility .
6. Integration with our surroundings: Almaty will keep its strategic position as the central regional city
and will provide high-class mobility integration to commuters, long distance national and international
travellers and goods .
7. Integration with our environment: Our plan will ensure that we continue to protect our environment
and live side by side in our wonderful natural surroundings .
Our vision fully encapsulates our sustainable urban transport plan:

In 2023, the citizens of Almaty will enjoy a transport system that is integrated, sustainable and safe, with
high-quality services for the entire population . The transport system will contribute to the city’s economic
development while limiting its environmental footprint .
A. MASS RAPID TRANSIT NETWORK 2023
Алматы ept
Concепция
ТалдКапчагай
ган
ке
Конц
ер
ыкор
Байс
Объединенная транспортная система
Integrated Rapid Transit
A3 A350
CAST
нева
City of Almaty
Sustainable Transport
Л а вре
Турксибский р-н
Астана Бек
мах
ан ова Международный
Аэропорт
Алматы
Алматы-1 ек
а
ер ай
ин
йл
йт т
Ба Ки
Ма
льцо
A351
ое ко
н
Север
Хмельницкого
т
рак
кина
Жансугурова
пр. Сейфуллина
нбая
Ипподром
ий т
аума
Шемя
нск
пр. Сую
Роща Б
жи
Кул
Базар
Жетысуский р-н акт Талгар

Бокей
пр. Рыскулова Восточный

ский тр
депо
автовокзал Талгар
лова
ханов
ыску
Жангельдина
пр. Р
а
ADM
л лина
Халиу Метро:
действующая/ Райымбек
а
Алатауский р-н Алматы-2
ибе
ков строящаяся линия
я Тат проектируемые линии
Аба
лова
Райымбек
Легкий рельсовый транспорт
га
пр. Сейфуллина
ыску
Желтоксан
доро
пр. Р Макатаева Зоопарк LRT-1 LRT-2

Муканова
я
здна
Зеленый
Базар
Жибек Жолы депо
объе
Гоголя ПКиО
Новые кварталы Парк
бека Скоростной автобусный транспорт
Байтурсынулы
чная
Фурманова
Панфилова
Панфиловцев
айым Толе Би (Метробус)
пр. Р
Восто
Карасай Батыра BRT-1 BRT-2 BRT-3

Алмалы
Алмалинский Театр оперы

Медеуский р-н
Сайран р-н Шевченко
и балета
Троллейбусные BRT маршруты
Саин
пр. Достык
Би Театр Коктобе
Толе BRT-4 BRT-5
Глобус гост.
Утег
Базар Стад.
Западный б ека
Драмы Байконур
пр. Абая
Абай “Казахстан”
а
айым
Сайран
автовокзал
ен Б
Цирк Стад.
пр. Р
Алатау
Акимат
A2
аты
Розыбакиева
пл. Республики Пригородные BRT/LRT маршруты

ва
Ауэзова
Т. Озала
ова Жолдасбекова
ра
пае
ан Каскелен/Талгар Капчагай
Шымкент Жуб Хай-Тек
Сат
Бишкек Аквапарк Москва

Тимирязева
я ADK Кажымукана Железнодорожная линия
Аба
Мом
пр. КазНУ
Бостандыкский р-ни
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Орбита R21 Аэропорт
Казахфильм Ме Горна
деу я Ж/д вокзал
A4 Каменка Парк
Каскелен Первого
Президента Автовокзал
пр. Дулати
Больница
Торговый центр Университет

P22
Алматимское
Большое
ROM Transportation & Engineering Ltd.

97 Jaffa st., Jerusalem, Israel
+972-2-624-61-69
www.rom-transport.com
concept–09/2013
This map presents concept of Mass Rapid Transit network that was developed in consolations with
stakeholders to support sustainable city growth and shift toward fast and reliable public transport .
8 MRT corridors are integrated in one system and are projected to transport 1M passengers upon
completion . Each of the proposed lines will be tested independently through a dedicated feasibility study .
B. CYCLING AND WALKING NETWORK
The proposed network was prepared in joint collaboration between relevant departments in Akimat,
NGO’s and consultants . The map presents the most suitable corridors where NMT facilities should be
introduced . Overall Almaty will enjoy over 100 KM of cycling path that will provide direct, separated and
safe infrastructure for cyclists .
C. BUS LANES, TRANSIT HUBS AND PARK & RIDE FACILITIES
This map presents proposed location of dedicated bus lane that will be developed throughout the city . Over
160 KM of dedicated and segregated bus lanes will be established along major PT corridors to prioritize
buses and BRT and provide high speed alternative .
D. ROAD NETWORK
This map presents conceptual road hierarchal network where Highways (blue) and arterial roads (pink)
are at the top of the of the pyramid offering high capacity (2,300+ and 1,500+ vehicles per lane per hour
respectively) and maximum mobility with minimal traffic interference (no parking, minimum entrances,
pedestrian crossing, etc) . in addition, we propose to transform some of the city center main road into 1
way roads to improve traffic flow and speed .

City of Almaty Sustainable Transport Strategy 0

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City of Almaty Sustainable Transport Strategy 0

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CITY OF ALMATY SUSTAINABLE

The future of our city is determined today!

MAJOR ACTIONS PLANNED FOR 2013-2018:

MAJOR ACTIONS PLANNED FOR 2018-2030:

1.2 OUR STRATEGIES

2.1 Million 1 Green Transport

8 High Level 10 Year Action

2. WHY ALMATY NEEDS

2.2 ENSURING MOBILITY FOR

3. WHY A SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

A pedestrian amongst parked cars in the city center

3.1 THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

3.2 THE NATIONAL CONTEXT

3.3 THE LOCAL CONTEXT

UNIQUE URBAN CHALLENGES

Hosting International Events 1 500 000

In 2017, Almaty will host the Winter Universiade 1 000 000

games and will need to provide high quality 500 000

Source: UNDP CAST analysis of Urban Master plan

Massive Investments in Infrastructure

3.4 THE URBAN TRANSPORT CONTEXT

Currently, there is no official urban transport

Increasing congestion and time spent in traffic

3.5 THE PROCESS FOR CREATING A SUSTAINABLE

stakeholders Modern travel

CAST - City of Almaty Sustaianble

“ We estimate that current congestion is responsible for an economic loss of 210,000,000

What will happen if we continue our current car-oriented policy?

Congestion will increase significantly so that average morning peak hour

Low income groups will be disconnected from city services

4.1 INCREASING CONGESTION

GROWING CONGESTION IN ALMATY BY 2023

Did you know?

4.2. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE

kilometres annually, with an annual growth 30%

Did you know?

On the other hand, the average age of motor

4.3 NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMY

Did you know?

4.4. SOCIAL EXCLUSION

Therefore, one of the challenges facing Almaty’s

4.5 UNATTRACTIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Did you know?

7. No passenger information. The existing public

9. No priority on roads or at traffic signals. Unlike many cities worldwide, Almaty’s

4.6 LACK OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN TRANSPORT

Did you know?

New Shopping Projects Planned for Almaty

4.7. URBAN SPRAWL

4.8 NO PARKING OR ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

a lack of dedicated left turn lanes at intersections .

4.9. ROAD SAFETY CONCERN

4.10. LACK OF CAPACITY AND ORGANIZATION

5. VISION AND GOALS

5.1 A TRANSPORT VISION FOR ALMATY

5.2 SETTING HIGH LEVEL POLICIES

IMPROVE LEVEL OF SERVICE OF PT INTEGRATE TRANSPORT AND URBAN

ALMATY SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT POLICY

PROMOTE CYCLING AND WALKING DEVELOP THE ROAD NETWORK IN A

MANAGE PARKING INTEGRATE THE SUBURBAN TRANSPORT

MANAGE TRAFFIC PROMOTE LOW EMISSION CAR AND

5.3. SETTING CLEAR AND MEASURABLE TARGETS

In addition, the city has set three additional qualitative targets:

Target #10: Base all decisions regarding investments in transport infrastructure on a