November 11 th marked an important day for Dubai residents, especially for those living in the Marina and its periphery. The Dubai Tram opened its doors on this date, with residents lining up for their first ride along the 10.6 kilometer route . The tram looks like the younger sibling of the Dubai Metro, yet it is much slower with travel speeds that reach around 20 kilometers per hour. However, you can’t help but admire the brilliance of such mega projects, especially in a nascent city like Dubai that was closer to a sandpit than an international metropolis a couple of decades ago.
Generally, residents of Dubai believe that the tram doesn't bring much of an added value because it is still restricted to one section of the city. For commuters arriving from northern parts of the city, the ride still takes more than two hours. And as we all know, the most valuable commodity is time.
However, the reason why such projects are crucial for the coming years is that the Dubai Tram lays down the foundation for commuting in highly congested areas like Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence. True urban planning realizes the value in short term execution that might not affect residents’ daily lives now, but bets that it will change how they will commute for years to come.
Aside from extra commuting time, the real reason why the Dubai Tram is irrelevant for the majority of people living in the city is that it is still fairly cheap to buy a car and consume ridiculously low-priced gasoline. This makes using public transportation look like wearing a t-shirt from a department store when you can afford a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt.
So, until taxis and cars become more expensive, mass transportation will continue to be an afterthought or an interesting attraction for Dubai residents, not an actual method for commuting.