A second fast lane to Tel Aviv will be built from south from west Rishon LeZion, Minister of Transport Israel Katz has decided. The project will include a park and ride via shuttle buses to Tel Aviv, similar to the existing project along Road 1 (the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway), and will be combined with a bus lane from Ashdod. Additional fast lanes from north along Road 2 (the Coastal highway) from Shefayim, and along Road 5 from Morasha Interchange, are also under consideration.
The Ministry of Transport today transferred NIS 10 million to the Cross Israel Highway Company for planning another level to the park and ride parking lot on the Road 1 fast lane. The doubling of the parking lot, at an investment of NIS 120 million, will boost the number of parking places to 4,000. When construction is completed in a year, it will become Israel's largest parking garage, bigger than the parking garage at the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv. The addition of another level will make it possible to add shuttle lines from the parking garage, located near the Shapirim Intersection, to Rothschild Boulevard and other locations in Tel Aviv. The new shuttle lines have been delayed because demand has outpaced the parking garage's capacity.
Katz said that the fast lane "is good news for thousands of people forced to pass through one of the most congested entrances into Tel Aviv." The fast lane project, inaugurated two years ago, is operated by Shafir Civil and Marine Engineering Ltd., which won the BOT tender to build it and operate it through 2036. Government company Cross Israel Highway is responsible for the project from the government's side.
Shuki Cohen, the CEO of Matat Ltd. which advices Cross Israel Highway on the project, told "Globes", "The fast lane is worth more than a new railway line in terms of its contribution to the reduction of the private cars entering Tel Aviv. The 1,700 cars that daily park at the parking lot is greater than our preliminary expectations from the project."
Success story
Shafir, which paid the government NIS 120 million for the franchise, receives two main revenue sources in exchange. The first is the fast lane's use fees, which range between NIS 7 and NIS 77, depending on congestion on it, and the second is the payment from the state for use of the parking garage, which is NIS 12 per car per day.
The parking lot has become the project's biggest success story because of the two shuttle line that run to the Kirya in Tel Aviv and Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan. The Ministry of Transport also operates bus route 100 from the parking lot to Jerusalem. Shafir recently received requests from other companies seeking to organize group rides on the fast lane, including from high-tech companies in Ramat Hahayal and banks along Rothschild Boulevard. But adding a shuttle to Rothschild Boulevard requires adding 300 parking space, while the parking lot is already used by 1,800 cars of its 2,000-space capacity. This is a 25% increase in its use compared with July.
"Globes" has previously reported that Shafir has asked to build a gas station at the parking lot, which could become one of the country's most profitable gas stations. A train station is also due to be built at the parking lot.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 2, 2013
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