Dubai Constructions Update by Imre Solt: September 2011

RTA to rent retail outlets at Dubai Metro stations

Outlets on offer include 116 outlets on the Red Line, 79 on the Green Line

Roads & Transport Authority – Nashwan Atta'ee:
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched another key initiative related to the Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines whereby 116 retail outlets are offered for rent on the Red Line stations while 79 outlets are being offered on the Green Line.
"This project is considered one of the vital & unique investment projects that house diverse business activities such as restaurants, cafes, groceries, supermarkets, confectionaries, bookshops, flower shops, beauty parlours, and outlets for selling accessories, electronics, telecommunication systems and others," said the CEO of RTA Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi,

"The retail outlets of the Dubai Metro stations offer a host of diverse goods, products and services in areas ranging from 8 to 645 square meters, depending on the nature of the commercial activity and the location within the station.
"These outlets offer unique business opportunities for the retail sector in Dubai Emirate enabling the offering of goods and services to passengers using both the Red and Green Lines, particularly in view of the continuous increase in the metro ridership. The outlets have been designed to be in harmony with the unique designs of the metro stations and meet the needs of investors and businessmen. They are expected to attract a wide spectrum of international brands, and accordingly boost the existing partnership between the RTA and private sector businesses.
"The layout and design of these outlets has been customized to suit the practicing of different trading activities to serve a wide segment of the metro users comprising residents, visitors and tourists. Retail outlets sector of the Dubai Metro will play a key role in boosting the tourist image of the Emirate of Dubai besides its core role of enhancing the integration of the mass transit network, and making the public transport the ideal mobility choice of all community segments," added the CEO of Rail Agency.

Al Hammadi expected the project to be extremely popular and add to the successes made by the Emirate of Dubai in a way that that boosts the economy as well as the ability of the Emirate and its investment potentials. The success of this experiment is closely linked to the success of the metro project and showcases its unique role not only at the UAE level and the region but also across the globe besides the positive impact it has or bound to have on the daily life of the public.

RTA to widen Al Rebat Street in the direction of Sheikh Rashid Street

Dubai – Roads & Transport Authority:
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) announced the widening of Al Rebat Street from two to three lanes in a sector extending up to Sheikh Rashid Street.
Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, said: "This project comes stems from RTA's keenness to improve and upgrade roads network in Dubai Emirate and falls under the "Miscellaneous Improvements in Dubai" Project undertaken by the RTA to offer prompt solutions ensuring smooth traffic flow and avoiding tailbacks. Roads Maintenance Dep't will carry out Al Rebat Street Widening Project by adding one more lane to widen the street to three lanes at Al Garhoud area.

"A study was conducted in the response of the mounting tailbacks in the traffic inbound from Al Rebat Street and outbound to Deira or Abu Dhabi. It revealed that the problem was attributed to the vehicular capacity of Al Rebat Street which comprises two lanes only required to serve about 3500 vehicles in the evening peak hour; which generates traffic crawl in the area. The second factor contributing to the congestion in the area was the large number of traffic overlaps (10 overlapping movements) with the traffic inbound from Al Rebat Street, Al Garhoud Bridge and the street serving the parallel business area," continued Maitha.

"RTA mulled several options & suggestions for improving the traffic situation in the area, assessed the pros & cons of each option and accordingly approved the optimal alternative of increasing the number of lanes in the sector stretching 1.5 km linking Al Rebat Street and Sheikh Rashid Street from two to three lanes. It includes modifying road markings whereby two lanes are designated for serving the tunnel bound to Bani Yas Street and two other lanes to serve the traffic bound to the Airport Street instead of the current position which offers three lanes only to serve both directions. The project works also include closing the exit of the business district parallel to the area covered by the study; which means abolishing three overlapping movements in the area, while providing suitable alternatives for the closed traffic movements. RTA will install new and clear directional signage to facilitate the process of taking the appropriate lane in a fast & smooth manner," she added.
The CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency anticipated that the project would ease the traffic jam in the area, and upgrade the traffic rating of Al Rebat Street in that area from "unaccepted" service level to a "good" service level.

Captions:
- Engineer Maitha bin Udai
- Layout of the street widening project