Trams in Izmir

It is wrong for the Tramway to pass by the beach in Izmir: Hasan Topal, Head of Izmir Branch of the Chamber of Architects, wants urban planning instead of projects for the development of Izmir.
Hasan Topal, the head of the Izmir Branch of the Chamber of Architects, who has studied many projects that need to be done for the city, voiced the mistakes in the projects, initiated lawsuits in this direction, and made the projects cancel and corrected, defends the Izmir city plans with scientific facts. Topal complains that although he is at the head of a room that produces many projects for the problems of the city, decision makers do not consult them adequately on projects to be produced for the city. Topal reproaches politicians and says, 'Parties should go around with city plans instead of projects under the seats of managers.'
Karşıyaka Goztepe tramway
As the Izmir Chamber of Architects, you put forward transportation as one of the essentials of urban transformation. Some projects have been initiated in this direction. One of them is the tram. Karşıyaka and how do you interpret the tram project planned to be built in Göztepe?
We are in favor of making all discussions in the city over city plans. You cannot know how it affects another project unless you look at it from the planning axis. It is necessary to look at the tram lines planned to be built from the axis of the Izmir Transportation Plan. Izmir Transportation Plan (IUP) covers the next 15-20 years of this city. IUP has a strategy to develop rail systems, light rail systems, and sea transportation and metro. Since the tram is the proposal of IUP, we cannot say that the truth is wrong in principle. However, we see that there are some difficulties in determining the transition routes of the spaces of this project. We make some warnings from time to time. For example, İzmir is a city that lacks green. That's why we say plan without destroying the green on the tram route. Project the few trees in the medians, whatever their type, without cutting them.
Tram and traffic use the same road in all city centers. You have to acquire this culture. You cannot divide traffic in the center. Therefore, if you acquire this culture, you do not need to cut those trees. Corridors with transportation demands should be determined. It is understood from the complaints that the route determinations are not correct. There is no movement in Alsancak and Konak yet. We had suggested Mithatpaşa during the discussions on Mustafa Kemal Sahil Boulevard. But that process has passed. In our opinion, passing the beach is not the right choice due to the principles of the transportation master plan.
The transportation plan says strengthening sea transport. So he says multiply the number of scaffolds. If people have already landed on the shore, there is no point in putting a tram there. We are making this criticism. Mithatpasa is a little behind.
I don't know if the tram project has nostalgia. We look at the transport master plan. They're leading the tram to the shore. Karşıyakain. Due to some transportation problems… The transportation master plan has already created a strategy to multiply the piers. In a situation with duplicated piers, no one would conclude that the tram is essential for transportation.
Metro
You have some criticisms and suggestions that the metro lines should be increased. How should the metro be arranged so that İzmir has a healthy transportation?
The transportation master plan offers strategies for the development of İzmir metro and İZBAN. It offers metro lines from Üçyol to Buca. Also from Evka 3 to Bornova. There is an extension of İZBAN to Bergama in the north and Ephesus in the south. İzmir transportation problem cannot be solved without developing rail systems. The main philosophy of the transportation master plan is to get people from one place to another. In other words, from residential areas to working-education-health areas. Not cars but people… The mistake in us is vehicle transportation… If you prioritize vehicles, it's not. If you prioritize people, the use of vehicles will not go beyond the mandatory areas. Rail systems must be increased. Whether the rail systems will go from underground or aboveground is an engineering issue. For example, you cannot pass a subway through a historical environment. Undoubtedly, the healthiest ones are the metro systems that go underground. Of course, this is a matter of cost and research.
Towing buses from where rail systems pass is the right strategy. But you have to support those rail systems and ferry ports by bus. People should not get off the ferry and wait for a bus for half an hour or a bus for half an hour after getting off the rail system. That is why it is important to ensure integration. This is the integration and integration of transport transformation and modes of transport. Get off the subway and reach İZBAN in five minutes; You should be able to get off İZBAN and get on the bus within ten minutes. Or you should be able to get on board. It is not right to say anything without knowing the local government's transportation decisions.