This month marked the conclusion of the first year of activity of the Metro Forum (“Forumetro”) – a professional and neutral platform bringing together government ministries, local authorities in the Gush Dan area, and the NTA company, with the aim of strengthening the cooperation and trust required to advance the Metro project.
The Forum operates based on the understanding that large-scale transportation infrastructure is not only an engineering challenge, but also a socio-economic opportunity to shape the future of the metropolitan area.
One Platform for Many Stakeholders
Forumetro was established out of a clear need: alongside planning, budgeting, and engineering, there is a need for a shared working space in which all parties involved in the project can develop a common professional language, understand the different perspectives, and act in coordination.
The Forum enables connections between government ministries, local authorities, and the project implementation entity, with a focus on the urban and social challenges accompanying the project – already at the early planning stages.
During its first year, approximately 40 senior managers from government ministries, local authorities, and NTA took part in the Forum’s activities. These included in-depth meetings, site visits, professional discussions, and joint learning processes, which addressed, among other things, the integration of transportation planning, urbanism, operations, and social aspects.
As part of the year’s activities, a study tour to South Korea was also held, aimed at exposure to international models of advanced metro systems, and at examining how meeting performance targets can be combined with strengthening urban space and quality of life.
Transportation Infrastructure as a Social Opportunity
Within the Forum, the Metro project is perceived as a move with broad potential: improving access to employment, education, and services; strengthening the connection between the urban center and the urban periphery; and reducing social gaps over time.
To realize this potential, shared, systematic, and coordinated work among all stakeholders is required – already at the stage of shaping plans and policy. The Forum’s first year marked a significant step in building the human and professional infrastructure that will accompany the project in the years ahead.
A Broad Partnership for the Metropolitan Area
Forumetro operates in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Planning Administration, the Metro Authority, NTA, the Tel Aviv–Yafo Municipality, the Givatayim Municipality, the Ramat Gan Municipality, the Bnei Brak Municipality, the Petah Tikva Municipality, the Rishon LeZion Municipality, the Holon Municipality, the Azor Local Council, the Bat Yam Municipality, and the LAST MILE company.
The summary of the first year underscores the importance of inter-system partnership in a project of national scale, and lays a professional and social foundation for the continued advancement of the Metro – as a move that will affect not only transportation in Gush Dan, but the face of society and the city for years to come.
