Transport in Tel Aviv

Seen as the hub of the Israeli transporation system in terms of road, rail, and air transport, transport in Tel Aviv is regarded as very good. The Israeli road network partly centers around the city with some of the country's largest highways passing through or running to the city. The city forms a major part of the country's rail network, whilst Ben Gurion International Airport located near the city is the country's largest airport. There is also a strong transportation system within the city which is based around bus transportation.

Road transport

Many major routes of the national road network pass through or end in Tel Aviv, a transportation hub. The main road access route to Tel Aviv is the Ayalon Highway (Highway 20), which runs along the eastern side of the city from north to south along the Ayalon River riverbed, dividing for the most part Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. Driving south on the Ayalon gives access to Highway 1, leading to Ben Gurion International Airport and Jerusalem. Within the city, the main routes are King George Street, Allenby Street, Ibn Gabirol Street, Dizengoff Street, Rothschild Boulevard, and in Jaffa the main route is Jerusalem Boulevard. Namir Road connects the city to Highway 2, Israel's main north–south highway, and Begin/Jabotinsky Road, which provides access from the east through Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva. Tel Aviv, accommodating about 500,000 commuter cars daily, suffers from increasing congestion. In 2007, the Sadan Report recommended the introduction of a congestion charge similar to that of London in Tel Aviv as well as other Israeli cities. Under this plan, road users travelling into the city would pay a fixed fee. [Cite news | url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1198517321459 | title=Public transportation to be overhauled | accessdate=2008-01-27 | work=Jerusalem Post | date=2008-08-01 | last=Wrobel | first=Sharon ]

Rail transport

Tel Aviv has four train stations along the Ayalon Highway. The stops are from north to south: Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv Central, Tel Aviv HaShalom (near Azrieli Center shopping mall) and Tel Aviv HaHagana (near the central bus station). It is estimated that more than a million people travel by train from the surrounding cities to Tel Aviv each month.

Since the completion of the Ayalon Highway railway section in 1995, Tel Aviv has been the central hub for rail transport in Israel. The Savidor Central Railway Station alone handled over 30,000 passengers daily in 2006.Fact|date=March 2008 Railway lines from Tel Aviv include Israel Railways's main line, running from Beersheba to Nahariya, as well as lines to Ashkelon, Modi'in and Jerusalem. A faster line to Ashkelon via Bat Yam/Holon is under construction.

Bus transport

Tel Aviv has two central bus stations: 'The old central bus station' and 'The new central bus station'.The new Tel Aviv Central Bus Station is in the south of the city. The main bus network in Tel Aviv is operated by Dan Bus Company; the Egged Bus Cooperative, the world's second-largest bus company, provides intercity transportation. [cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/11/Facets%20of%20the%20Israeli%20Economy-%20Transportation |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |title=Facets of the Israeli Economy – Transportation |date=2001-11-01 |last=Solomon |first=Shoshanna |accessdate=2007-07-17]

Other important terminals include the 2000 Terminal, located next to the Tel Aviv Central railway station, the Carmelit Terminal, near the Carmel Market, the Reading Terminal near the power station by the same name, and the Atidim Terminal, on the northeastern outskirts of the city.

Air transport

Tel Aviv's domestic airport is Sde Dov in the northwestern part of the city. Sde Dov is slated to close because it occupies prime coastal real estate near the upscale Ramat Aviv neighborhood. [Cite news| url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/793988.html | title=Sde Dov to be vacated, state gets half of Big Bloc | accessdate=2007-07-17 | work=Haaretz | last=Bar-Eli |first=Avi| date=2006-11-30] In the near future all services to Sde Dov will transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's main international airport, close to the city of Lod and convert|15|km|mi|0 southeast of Tel Aviv. Because it is close to Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion International Airport is often referred to as "Tel Aviv International Airport" even though it is not part of any municipal jurisdiction.

Future plans

Tel Aviv Municipality is trying to encourage the use of bicycles in the city, aiming to open 100 bicycle-rental stations to serve convert|74|km|mi|1|sp=us of bicycle paths. Plans call for expansion of the paths to convert|100|km|mi|1|sp=us by 2009. [Cite news | url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200572503247&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull | title=City wheels in bicycle rental plan | accessdate=2008-01-31 | date=2008-01-21 | work=Jerusalem Post]

In early 2008, Tel Aviv Municipality announced a pilot scheme to build charging stations for electric cars. Initially, five charging points will be built, and eventually 150 points will be set up across the city as part of the Israeli electric car project, Project Better Place. [cite news | url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000299280&fid=942 | title=Tel Aviv commits to electric car | accessdate=2008-01-17 | date=2008-01-17 | work=Globes] Furthermore, battery replacement points will be located at the city's entrances.

A light rail/subway system is planned for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. The Red Line of the project is expected to be operation in 2013 and will pass through south-central Tel Aviv and Jaffa. A second line, the Green Line, will pass through the heart of Tel Aviv and in January 2008, it was decided that most of its route will be underground.

References