## 4 ) Promotion of easily comprehensible road information

For pedestrians who are not familiar with the roads in the district, the enhancement of information provision is being worked out through the introduction of an easily comprehensible way of providing road information to get to one’s destination and the cooperation of different information provision methods.

## 5 ) Construction of a flexible road management system

In addition to further facilitating the flow of automobile traffic, in order to perform diversified functions of safe pedestrian areas and bustling areas for regional communication, as well as to enable flexible road management according to the needs of locals living along the road, various management exceptions are being implemented based on the revised Road Act. They include (A) the management exceptions of national roads and prefectural roads administered by municipalities (agent system), (B) a request system for pedestrian safety reconstruction performed by municipalities, (C) the exception of road spaces used for planting trees or street lamps built by NPOs, (D) the management exceptions of convenient facilities, except roads, for unitarily administering roads and roadside facilities.

## Section 3 – Realization of Traffic with High Convenience

## (1) Promotion of a comprehensive urban and regional transportation strategy

In order to realize intensive road development ensuring safe and smooth traffic, it is necessary to consider the format from the users' view rather than the view of bicycles, railways, buses nor business operators. Therefore, regional public organizations established a council formed by public transportation business operators and related parties for defining the target and the future vision for urban and regional areas and a transport service must be provided. In addition, the council formulated an “urban and regional comprehensive transportation strategy” that states the necessary transportation policies and implementation programs. Under the corresponding responsibilities, it is necessary to form policy and project implementation measures. Based on the same strategy, the country provides support for pushing forward comprehensive and strategic transportation measures in collaboration with transportation businesses and road development, such as LRT development.

## (2) Promotion of TDM for resolving traffic congestion

Although the conditions of automobile traffic and the resolution of traffic congestion are different for different cities, TDM $ ^{1} $ is a method that is able to deal with each city's characteristics. Therefore, the popularization of comprehensive and effective TDM is being promoted.

In order to resolve congestions during rush hours in the day and at night, in addition to the expansion of traffic capacity, TDM measures are being implemented. The measures include the policy of promoting the usage of public transportation organizations such as the common IC card for buses and railways and the introduction of a bus location system, “no driving during peak times $ ^{2} $ , and flexible time commutation. Moreover, through distributing bus route maps and individual booklets to local people in regions, a review of automobile usage is encouraged and mobility management $ ^{3} $ using public transportation effectively is implemented.

## (3) Measures for the invigoration of public transportation

The current conditions of regional public transportation are increasingly severe. To deal with this, the “Act on Revitalization and Rehabilitation of Local Public Transportation Systems” is utilized and the unitary support of voluntary measures with regional ingenuity is being provided actively to the council that takes measures on different businesses, such as railways, community buses/shuttle taxis and passenger ships, through expansion of the “Comprehensive Project on the Invigoration and revitalization of regional public transportation”. Furthermore, the District Transport Bureau is leading the review of regional public organizations, transport business operators and local people, as well as pushing forward the formulation of the “Comprehensive Program of Public Transportation Invigoration” prescribing concrete measures and role sharing for implementing the measures.