Public Initiative for Development of Public Transit Nodes

Busta Shinjuku was developed by the national government as part of a new road bridge on an artificial ground area of about 1.47 ha. The new facility joins multiple transit functions (e.g. a gateway to the railway station, an expressway bus terminal, and a taxi pool) and handles a wide range of intercity bus lines seamlessly. Importantly, this terminal was jointly developed with the East Japan Railway Company, one of the country’s largest privatized railway companies. The company also built a 170-meter-tall building adjacent to the terminal. This tower accommodates many offices and commercial tenants, open air green spaces, cultural facilities, a nursery, a medical clinic, and a farm garden. Also, the government collaborated with multiple private service providers to make available various convenient amenities for travelers in and around the terminal.

An underground passage was newly constructed to connect the Shinjuku Station area near Busta Shinjuku extensively with another subway station operated by Tokyo Metro. With this 150-meter pathway, passengers can smoothly get access to and from the multimodal transit complex on foot without being stuck in pedestrian congestion or passing across car traffic.

  • Leadership by the public sector to coordinate multiple transportation operators through capital improvement projects
  • Coordination mechanisms (e.g. periodic stakeholder meetings) to discuss project scheme
  • Highlighting benefits of coordination (ideally in monetary terms) for the private bus service providers by the public sector
  • Capability of private companies to implement large urban redevelopment.

When bus stops and lines provided by several private operators are fragmented, the public sector needs to initiate the efficient coordination of multiple bus services through capital improvement projects and/or demand management programs. In particular, public investment in integrated modern terminal development can play a pivotal role in not only aligning public transit operations but also alleviating traffic congestion and related negative externalities around busy commercial districts.