Metro experience

In the popular 1980s movie Field of Dreams, a rural American corn farmer, played by the dashing Kevin Costner, hears a voice in his field whisper: “If you build it, he will come.” He proceeds to mow down the crops upon which his family’s livelihood depends, and builds a giant baseball field amid the remaining rows of corn. Lo and behold, a baseball team from 1919 appears, proving loads of fun, and eventually paving the way for the farmer’s reunion with his deceased father. Everyone lives happily ever after.

Anything is possible in Hollywood, but when it comes to real-world urban transportation projects, Field of Dreams optimism normally gives way to the stark reality that simply building a new metro rail or bus rapid transit system does not guarantee that passengers will actually use it. This was the dilemma we were facing two years ago in Hanoi, where ADB and other development partners are supporting the construction of Metro Line 3,... — blog.adb.org/blogs