Updates from COP21: National plans integrate transport

11th December 2015 by admin

Throughout the Paris Climate Summit, the transportation sector has been elevated and integrated at unprecedented levels. The sector has received significant attention from both technical and high level actors as a powerful tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and national plans (INDCs) have adopted significant transport measures to support their commitments. Throughout the conference, a series of panels and side-events have highlighted the progress countries are making in integrating transport, and events like the Sustainia Award and Transport Day have further elevated the visibility of transport at COP21.

At the Transport Initiatives Day under the Lima-Paris Action Agenda event, a range of high-ranking officials lent their weight and influence to advancing the role of transport in the global discussion, bringing increased visibility to sustainable mobility. The event featured insights from leaders in the transport sector and presentations of 10 examples of successful recent projects from around the world.

Speakers noted that energy related CO2 emissions (including transport) are set to jump from one quarter of total energy-related emissions today to one-third by 2050. The projections also reveal that a 50% reduction of transport CO2 emissions compared to a “transport-as-usual” scenario can be achieved by 2050 with sustainable transport, without hampering sustainable economic growth. GEF CEO Naoko Ishii estimated that $11 trillion could be saved by 2030 by transport alone, with better systems and more emphasis on urban planning and compact, connected and coordinated cities.

Additional speakers at the event included Ségolène Royal, (French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy), Hanne Bjurstrøm, (Norway Minister, Special Envoy for Climate Change), and Manuel Pulgar-Vidal (Minister of Environment, Peru). Read more about the LPAA event

High level discussions by ministers and officials have been complemented by events highlighting specific plans that use sustainable transport to reduce nation’s emissions. A side-event moderated by ITDP, Linking Ambition to Action: Success Factors for Low Carbon Development Pathways in the Transport Sector, offered a platform to showcase best practices and inspire other countries to adopt similar measures.

Indonesia has pledged to build 29 new corridors of BRT in the coming years, while Ethiopia announced its intention to use transit-oriented development, centered around 3000 new kilometers of light rail, to spur growth while minimizing emissions impacts. These national plans can serve as models to other countries, providing incentives for others to take dramatic action and use similar tools to increase their reduction ambitions.

Transport Day

On Sunday, December 6, the 3^rd Annual Transport Day brought together over 400 participants from a wide spectrum of transport modes and interests to affirm the pivotal role the sector plays in tackling climate change. The premier community building event for the sector, the all-day event included representatives from national and local government, transport sector organizations, development organizations, UN bodies, civil society and academia.

At Transport Day, Ramon Cruz, ITDP’s International Policy Program Manger, participated in a range of discussions, including commenting on innovative financial models supporting sustainable mobility. Bernhard Ensink, (European Cycling Foundation) and Lou Fulton (UC David) presented a new report from ITDP and UC Davis, A High Shift Cycling Scenario, which explores the significant emissions and financial savings possible if the world saw a significant shift away from personal vehicles and toward increased use of cycling, public transit, walking, and other sustainable modes.

Additional speakers at Transport Day emphasized the need for all actors to increase their ambitions, calling on the public sector to enhance capacity, the private sector to bring finance, and civil society to act as a catalyst for action. With the increasing prominence of transport, hopes were high that the sector will continue to play a large role in the global discussion, and that COP21 will prove a pivotal moment when policy ideas are turned into action.

Featured speakers at the event included Michael Replogle (SLoCaT Foundation Chairman and Deputy Transport Commissioner for Policy in New York City), Pat Cox (Former President of the European Parliament), and Jean Dominique Senard (CEO at Michelin).

Rainbow BRT Opens New Section, Wins National Acclaim

7th December 2015 by admin

Just months into operations, the Rainbow BRT in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, India is moving a whopping 67,000 commuters per day and receiving widespread attention. The high ridership is proof of the comfort and convenience of the system, and surveys show that passengers feel safer taking the bus than before. On November 28, 2015, a new 8km, 14 station stretch of Rainbow BRT opened in Pimpri-Chinchwad, broadening access to the network. The dramatic success of Rainbow is part of why the system was recently awarded “Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Mobility” at the Volvo Sustainable Mobility Awards 2015.

Since the launch of the first Rainbow BRT corridor in Pune on 30th August 2015, thousands of commuters have enjoyed high quality bus rides like never before. For the first time, citizens experienced the ease of use that comes with the system’s closed stations with sliding doors, level boarding, informative displays and transit maps. For passengers, the biggest incentive has been travel time savings. Dedicated bus lanes allow Rainbow buses to travel more quickly, ensuring that commuters reach their destinations 10 to 15 minutes earlier than usual.

For the first time, citizens experienced the ease of use that comes with the system’s closed stations with sliding doors, level boarding, informative displays and transit maps.

Thanks to the BRT’s high degree of reliability and convenience, a commuter shift was natural. Surveys carried out by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) showed that 12 percent of Rainbow users switched from using other modes of transport besides bus, including two wheelers, para-transit, and even cars. Now, instead of taking personal vehicles, which contribute more to congestion and pollution, these commuters take public transit. These benefits speak to the achievement of the system, and validate the challenges it had to overcome to reach operations.

Rainbow BRT serves the neighbouring cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The two cities, with two different municipal governments, installed the BRT infrastructure with different funding sources. The processes, timelines, and aspirations of these two cities were different, and presented many planning challenges that needed to be coordinated to give users a seamless BRT experience.

For example, Pune attempted a pilot BRT system in 2006, and the new system planned to use the designs and practices of the pilot project, where possible. In contrast, Pimpri-Chinchwad was starting on a clean slate, and designing the entire system afresh. The differences in approach led to several design challenges— most notably, the choice of station design. While the Pune BRT pilot had used split stations, with platforms on both sides of the bus lanes, the Pimpri-Chinchwad BRT opted for median-aligned stations, as recommended by the BRT Standard. After many meetings and discussions with officials and media, Pune too was convinced to adopt median stations, a decision that was crucial for the success of Rainbow BRT.

Ms. Pranjali Deshpande, of ITDP India, and Mr. Rajan Patil, City Engineer of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation accept the Volvo “Outstanding Achievement Award” for Rainbow from H.E. Mr. Harald Sandberg, Ambassador of Sweden to India.

The other big challenge in designing the system was ensuring good bus frequency and a reliable schedule. To help this process, ITDP undertook a massive exercise to analyze the pre-BRT ridership of all bus routes in the two cities at multiple different times, and along different sections of each route. Based on the study, ITDP recommended that PMPML, the systems bus operator, curtail, extend and/or merge some routes, resulting in all existing trips being supported with fewer routes and higher frequency. Load factor was improved where it was low and feeder routes were introduced to serve fringe areas. This improved reliability, a key factor in attracting high use of the bus system, and in helping riders reach home sooner.

On November 25, Rainbow received acclaim on the national stage for its success. At the Volvo Sustainable Mobility Awards, Rainbow was awarded for its ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Mobility’, in recognition of Rainbow’s role in reducing reliance on personal motorized vehicles and offering a true mass rapid transit system that provides high quality, rapid, predictable and reliable, safe and attractive public transport to the masses. Instituted in 2011 by Volvo Buses India, the Volvo Sustainable Mobility Awards aim to recognize outstanding efforts in the broad area of sustainable mobility.

Just three months after Rainbow opened, a new 8km stretch in Pimpri-Chichwad debuted November 28^th. Since the recently opened corridors form only a fraction of the eventual 147 km network, the success of the system thus far will help ensure speedy implementation of the rest of the network, and more convenience for all.

Why Transportation Is Critical at the Paris Climate Summit

27th November 2015 by admin

The 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be a pivotal moment in global politics, to provide the basis for future progress around climate change mitigation. With Chennai slowly recovering from the disastrous floods in the city over the past weeks, the need for landmark agreements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and curb the impact of climate change becomes all the more relevant in the Indian context too, with sustainable transport playing an important role in climate change mitigation.

After years of hard work by ITDP and colleague organizations, the transportation sector has gained prominence in negotiations and become a critical part of efforts to promote sustainable growth while addressing environmental challenges. In the past, there was little discussion of transport at similar events. At COP21, dozens of presentations, events, and meetings are highlighting the role of transportation, from high level discussions to specific action-based local plans.

The BRT in Lanzhou, China, is helping the city move away from car-centric growth.

Transportation is the fastest growing source of CO2 in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are expected to increase by 120% from 2000 to 2050, largely as a result of a projected three-fold increase in the number of cars worldwide. At the same time, the world is becoming a more urban place as over half the population moves to cities. Private cars are clogging the streets from Rio de Janeiro to Beijing to Delhi, straining economic growth and pumping out harmful emissions. The rapid pace of urban growth is intensifying the need for sustainable solutions.

The Paris agreement is a chance for the world to set the right course for our future. The agreement will be legally binding, and rest on flexible voluntary plans offered by individual nations. More than 75 percent of the plan announcements leading to COP21 identify transport as an opportunity for emissions reductions, and more than half contains specific measures for mitigation actions related to transportation.

While many large developing countries, such as India or China, and high income countries, such as Japan and Canada, have included initiatives in transportation, it is encouraging that many countries not usually known for taking bold steps in sustainable transport are stepping up as well. For example, Jordan has proposed increasing public transport by 25% by 2025, while Bangladesh has announce it will shift passenger traffic from road to rail by 20% by 2030 and achieve a 15% improvement in vehicle efficiency.

Leading up to COP21, ITDP and our partners, including the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT), have promoted that governments integrate transport into emissions reduction plans, encourage ambitious commitments, and provide the tools to maximize impacts.

Throughout the conference, ITDP will work to spotlight best practices in national plans and provide examples of what true climate leadership in transport looks like. In addition, ITDP will work to highlight how transport actions contribute not just to emission reductions goals, but many other global goals, including improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion and increased road safety.

The time to act is now. Currently, the commitments for national emission reduces will limit the global temperature increase to 3.5 degrees. This means more ambitious action is still needed to keep the world within a 2 degree increase, generally regarded as the goal necessary to avoiding climate change’s most devastating impacts.

Failure to change transport and land use patterns in the short term will lock in high-emissions infrastructure for years to come. COP21 is an exciting step toward achieving our collective climate goals. It offers a unique opportunity – it’s up to us to seize the momentum.

Chennai’s bold move to go car-free

5th November 2015 by admin

Chennai’s car-free Sundays at Elliot’s Beach Road saw citizens making the streets their own, with pedestrians and cyclists taking centre stage on streets that are otherwise filled with parked cars and traffic. From kids cycling and skating without the fear of cars to fitness enthusiasts training on wide streets, car-free Sundays in Chennai brought together citizens from all walks of life to transform streets into vibrant public spaces.

Where football and badminton attracted the young, spontaneous games of street cricket gave opportunities for families to unwind. Road art and storytelling sessions kept the kids engaged and were met with enthusiastic support from parents. Unexpected street performances lent an air of festivity to the event and had the crowd asking for more. But it was not all about celebrations. By bringing different social groups together, car-free Sundays have provided a platform to generate awareness about various issues in the city — one group chose to use the event to talk about cerebral palsy and the need for an inclusive society.

Sounds of traffic were replaced with music at car-free Sundays

The first of these car-free Sundays was flagged off on 11 October 2015 by the Mayor, Saidai Duraisamy, who then joined the City Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and city officials for a cycle ride along the street. “I love to bike. It is something that I am very passionate about. Given an opportunity, I would like to bike around the city,” said Vikram Kapur, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai after cycling along the car-free streets.

Car-free Sundays were initiated in Chennai on 11 October.

Initiated by the Corporation of Chennai and the Chennai City Traffic Police, this campaign was conceptualised by the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy and Chennai City Connect Foundation and presented by The Hindu. Called Namma Chennai Namakke (“Our Chennai Ourselves”), car-free Sundays form an important step in creating a paradigm shift in urban transport scenario in the city. By shifting focus away from cars and towards walking,cycling and public transport, the campaign continues to present an alternate vision of how Chennai can be — a happier, healthier and a more inclusive city. With local residents wanting to expand this initiative to other times of the week and with requests pouring in from citizens across the city to have this initiative in different neighbourhoods, Chennai looks set to pave the way for a car-free future.

Car-free days are held every Sunday, from 6:00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m., on Elliot’s Beach Road, Chennai. All are welcome. For more information, log on to https://www.facebook.com/NammaChennaiNamakke/

A ‘Rainbow’ Future for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad

2nd September 2015 by admin

“What more could I ask for!”

That was the reaction from one of the riders on India’s newest Bus Rapid Transit system, Rainbow, the first corridor of which was launched this weekend in Pune. The sleek new BRT system will serve the neighbouring cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad in western India and will give residents the benefits of a strong mass rapid transit system.

The two cities are facing problems that challenge many municipalities in rapidly urbanizing countries. Increasing use of personal motorized vehicles, fuelled by the growing purchasing power of the middle class, is leading to excessive congestion and air pollution. The lack of reliable public transport has made matters worse. After years of these concerns mounting, the Rainbow system comes as a glimmer of hope for the region, offering a viable alternative to private car use.

The first corridor of Rainbow opened in Pune on 30 August and will offer free rides for a month to seek feedback from commuters. The Pimpri-Chinchwad corridor joins the network on September 5. Both corridors run through residential and commercial areas, connecting people with schools, offices and hospitals. From day one, the corridors are expected to carry 60,000 commuters daily. Rainbow will not only transport riders reliably and quickly, but also with increased comfort and ease thanks to the system’s BRT features, including dedicated lanes, closed stations with sliding doors, transit maps, informative displays and level boarding.

However, it has not been a smooth ride for BRT in Pune. In 2006, Pune experimented with a BRT system. The 13 km pilot corridor was the first in the country. However, the system failed to implement many standard BRT features and met only moderate success. Today, those routes are largely served by traditional bus service again.

Learning from this experience, and from the successful BRTs later commissioned in India and around the world, leaders were determined to get the system right. The Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipalities implemented the infrastructure, while PMPML, the two cities’ public transport service provider, will manage operations. ITDP provided technical guidance for the design and implementation of Rainbow. For PMPML, a significant challenge was how to retrofit a BRT system on an existing bus system. ITDP made that task simpler though a massive route rationalization effort, resulting in more frequent service and a more effective use of the system’s buses.

While both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad received financial support for implementing the Rainbow BRT from the Government of India under the JNNURM scheme, Pimpri-Chinchwad was also assisted by the World Bank under the Sustainable Urban Transport Program (SUTP). Citizens hope that this network will bring a mass transit system closer to their homes and provide relief from traffic congestion.

Rainbow BRT at Pune (L); Features include level boarding(R)

Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad are just getting started. The new corridors are the beginning of a plan for a 140km BRT network, projected to carry nearly 900,000 passengers daily. This will be one of the largest planned networks in India. With a strong system in place and big plans ahead, the residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have a bright future.

Car-free days transform Coimbatore — congested streets become parks for people

28th August 2015 by admin

Coimbatore spoke loud and clear! The people reclaimed their streets from automobiles, in the process reclaiming their quality of life. Sunday, 9 August 2015, saw over four thousand residents out bright and early for Coimbatore’s first car-free Sunday. People put DB Road and TV Swamy Road to good use, whether they were walking, cycling, playing badminton, jumping around on trampolines, or dribbling soccer balls. What stood out was the laughter and the palpable joy.

The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and Coimbatore City Police launched the car-free Sundays along with founding partners ITDP, the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC), and presenting partner The Times of India. The events are part of Namma Kovai Namakke (Our Coimbatore for Ourselves), a campaign to create people friendly streets across Coimbatore.

“I didn’t realise how wide our roads are,” said Archana Patnaik, District Collector for Coimbatore, as she walked and cycled along the streets. Patnaik and other city officials met with residents and participated wholeheartedly in the activities.

Citizens walk and cycle along car-free streets (left) while Coimbatore Municipal Commissioner, Dr. K. Vijayakarthikeyan, enjoys a game of cricket (right).

With a turnout of over 15,000 the next weekend and 19,000 in the third week, more and more of Coimbatore’s residents have begun participating, enjoying their Sundays like never before. The unprecedented public support for car-free Sundays has enthused CCMC and the Traffic Police, who are planning to expand the initiative to include other streets like Race Course Road.

The run-up to the launch of the car-free Sundays saw the residents and city officials come together to discuss how to to transform Coimbatore into a smart, vibrant city, one that offers safe, accessible, and comfortable public spaces to all. “I want Coimbatore to be the smartest city—not just a smart city—in India,” remarked Dr. K. Vijayakarthikeyan, Commissioner, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, at a stakeholder meeting.

Municipal officials, traffic police, RAAC, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Coimbatore chapter, prominent citizens and the media participated in the stakeholder meeting to envision a Smart Coimbatore.

Car-free days are but the first step towards making Coimbatore a liveable city with safe and equitable public spaces. Following the success of car-free Sundays, Coimbatore plans to upgrade footpaths along key streets in each of its five zones, including DB Road and TV Swamy Road. As one participant rightly said, reclaiming space for people makes it “not (only) a happy street, but a happy city.”

Car-free days are held every Sunday, from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., on DB Road and TV Swamy Road, Coimbatore. More streets will join the party soon! All are welcome. For more information, log on to https://www.facebook.com/NammaKovaiNamakke.

InFocus: Building ‘smart,’ customer-oriented transit

25th August 2015 by admin

ITDP brings you a monthly digest of sustainable transport and urban development news from around the world. From Indian Railway’s new paperless ticketing system to Sydney’s electronic signs to improve parking management, this month’s InFocus looks at how technology has helped create customer-oriented transit systems.

Cities stagnate when their residents and visitors are stuck in traffic. To provide seamless connectivity and reduce traffic delays, cities need to focus on moving people, not vehicles. This calls for the creation of high-quality rapid transit along with effective parking management systems. The integration of modern payment and ticketing technologies can go a long way toward making urban transport systems more convenient—both for first-time users and regular commuters. Here is a look at how technology can hasten the shift to sustainable transport.

[Read more…]

Delhi plans for smart growth around transit

18th August 2015 by admin

Between 1991 and 2011, the population of Delhi and its adjoining suburbs more than doubled, from approximately 10 million to 22 million. Despite the presence of mass rapid transport networks in the city, the number of private motor vehicle trips nearly doubled between 2001 and 2008, not only increasing congestion, but also earning it the dubious distinction of being the “world’s most polluted city.”

Recognising the need for a major transformation in the way the city manages urban growth, planners embarked on an overhaul of the city’s planning regulations. City officials now recognise that the city needs to begin integrating land use and transport planning, and discouraging the use of private vehicles. Toward this end, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) approved a new transit-oriented development policy in early 2015.

Promoting intense development around transit stations

At the core of the policy is a provision to encourage higher densities within 500 m, or a 10 minute walk, of rapid transit stations. These areas are called ‘‘Influence Zones” in the Delhi Master Plan, 2021.The policy aims to reduce trip lengths by enabling a greater portion of the population to live in these influence zones. Higher floor-area ratios (FAR)—up to 400 per cent of the plot area—are now allowed for redevelopment projects larger than 1 ha. The policy also mandates mixed use in developments in Influence Zones, with a minimum of 30 per cent of floor space reserved for residential uses, 10 per cent for commercial uses and 10 per cent for community purposes. This mixed-use approach is expected to eliminate private vehicle use for daily errands, while creating a higher concentration of jobs and residences within easy reach of rapid transit.

Creating safer public spaces through urban design

TOD is not just about higher density. Good urban design can help Delhi transition from being a “rape-city” to a “safe-city” by creating a better public-private interface that makes for more eyes on the street. By eliminating setbacks along main building facades and mandating transparent fences where setbacks are allowed, the policy ensures that there is an active interface between activities inside the buildings and on the street.

Building inclusive streets for transit access

Besides addressing the design of the private realm, the policy also aims to improve the public realm through people-centric street design guidelines. Pedestrians would have wide footpaths and at least 5 crossing opportunities for each kilometre of street length. Twenty-one per cent of Delhi’s land area is already used for roads. With these street design guidelines, Delhi’s TOD policy looks at ways to better manage existing road network to balance the needs of all users.

Microsoft PowerPoint - Vision of TOD_22-03-12

(Left) View of an existing street in Delhi; (Right) Proposed street design improvements include better walking and cycling facilities and the creation of paid parking areas.

Restricting parking

While incentivising development around transit, the policy also establishes disincentives for the use of private motor vehicles. Due to the presence of unrestricted, cheap on- and off-street parking in Delhi has meant that car users have remained reluctant to switch to public transport. To address this, the policy restricts parking supply by allowing a maximum of 1.33 equivalent car spaces (ECS) for every 100 sq m of built space in TOD areas—far lower than parking permitted in other areas poorly served by public transport. Only a fraction of this parking is to be used for cars. Provision of cycle parking is mandatory in all developments. Additional parking can be built only in the form of paid, publicly accessible, shared parking.

Using pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility of proposed reforms

Many city planners were initially sceptical of a TOD approach in Delhi’s context. They raised questions on the availability of physical infrastructure—including water, electricity, sewage, and solid waste management—to support higher densities. To address these concerns, DDA worked with planners, urban designers, and infrastructure experts to test TOD concepts in a pilot project at Kadkadooma. Their analysis proved that high population density can be achieved along with ecological, social, and economic viability. It showed that developments can easily be designed for mixed income groups, with various compatible uses and with decentralised infrastructure for water, solid waste, and electricity. DDA has adopted a public-private participation (PPP) approach to speed up project implementation and support needed infrastructure investments.

Finer street grid proposed (right) in the pilot project at Kadkadooma helps improve connectivity to the station from surrounding neighbourhoods as compared to the earlier configuration (left).

By adopting a new planning approach to meet the demands of the nation’s capital, Delhi’s transit-oriented development policy can go a long way in furthering sustainable development in the country.

InFocus: Innovative solutions to prioritise cycling

25th June 2015 by admin

ITDP brings you a monthly digest of sustainable transport and urban development news from around the world. From Delhi’s policy aimed at improving cycling infrastructure to London’s strategy to prioritise cyclists at intersections, this month’s InFocus looks at the different components that contribute to creating cyclist-friendly cities.

“Today, even for 1-2 km we are forced to use motorbikes or cars… Therefore, promotion of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is vital to reduce pollution as well as congestion.”

– LG Najeeb Jung, Delhi

Delhi adopts cycling policy to provide last-mile connectivity

In a bid to decongest the city and improve access to public transport, Delhi has adopted a cycling policy that will enable implementation of 100 km of shaded cycle tracks and pedestrian walkways. It also envisions the creation of a cycle sharing system with 2,500 cycles and 180 cycle stations spread over a 30 sq km of area of Dwarka. Times of India reports.

New York employs smart street design to build cycle lanes and reduce traffic delays

Adding cycling infrastructure doesn’t mean that traffic has to come to a stand still. To illustrate this, Citylab reports on how smart street design interventions like reduced lane widths, buffer areas, and dedicated bus lanes not only make streets safer, but also improve speeds.

London tests out new signal systems that prioritise cyclists

To reduce delays for cyclists, Transport for London has developed a new cyclist detection system that uses radar and thermal cameras. Traffic lights will be adjusted to enable cyclists to pass through junctions faster. BBCLondon reports.

Indian smart cities need a tenfold increase of mass rapid transit

10th June 2015 by admin

India is urbanising at an unprecedented rate. A third of the country’s population—an estimated 400 million people—now lives in cities. As they cope with this growth, cities are realising that traditional transport solutions like wider roads and flyovers will not provide a lasting solution to their transport problems.

As the national capital has shown, these solutions are only causing high levels of air pollution and unsafe roads while mobility remains poor for the vast majority, including car users. Smart cities need to embrace a radically different approach to urban mobility: one that focuses on more efficient, sustainable forms of mobility like public transport, walking, and cycling.

At roughly 400 km, India has 1 km of high quality rapid transit per million urban residents—a thirtieth of France, the present world leader. To keep pace with its urban growth, India needs a ten-fold increase of its mass rapid transit supply. At the present rates of building mass transit in India, it would take two generations to build enough rapid transit!

Interestingly, developing countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico have 4-5 times more rapid transit than India. These countries are also expanding their systems at significantly higher rates because they are creating surface systems like bus rapid transit (BRT) that are cheaper and quicker to implement. BRT systems feature dedicated median lanes for buses, allowing commuters to bypass congestion. They also provide features such as stepless boarding, off-board fare collection, and real-time passenger information to reduce delays and improve customer service.

Quick evolution of the Janmarg network

The Ahmedabad BRT system—known as Janmarg or “the People’s Way”—has revolutionised expectations about bus-based mass rapid transport in India. In a quick span of five years, Janmarg has expanded from a 12.5 km corridor to a network of 88 km of dedicated BRT corridors with 120 stations, providing connectivity across the entire city. Janmarg demonstrates that BRT can provide metro-quality service at a fraction of the cost.

Rapid transit, while important, is not enough. Many Indian cities have skeletal bus services or none at all. In their absence, people depend on intermediate public transport modes that are uncomfortable, unsafe, and highly polluting. The lack of reliable public transport is causing a shift to private two wheelers and cars. Hence, a formal bus-based public transport service is a necessity in all urban areas with a population of over two lakhs. In all, Indian cities will need over 4 lakh new city buses and minibuses by 2030.

In addition, streets must be redesigned to support walking and cycling—clean modes of transport that still play an important role in Indian cities. While more than a third of all the trips in most of our cities are made by foot or cycle, public transport trips too start and end on foot (or cycle)—making walking and cycling integral to India’s transport systems. Indian cities need to build 30,000 km of wide and accessible footpaths and 20,000 km of cycle tracks over the next decade.

Complete streets with wide footpaths, Chennai

In Chennai, the Corporation has proposed to create a safe and pleasant network of footpaths, cycle tracks and greenways through the entire city to arrest the current decline in walking and cycling. The first phase of the project has been implemented. Streets with wide carriageways and narrow footpaths have been replaced by wide, continuous and unhindered walking spaces, safe pedestrian crossings, protected cycle tracks, properly scaled carriageways, conveniently placed bus stops, and clearly designated on-street parking.

Investments promoting walking, cycling and public transport will not bear fruit unless Indian cities stop counterproductive car-centric investments like flyovers and elevated roads. No city in the world has solved its congestion problem by building more roads. Yet Indian cities are repeating the mistakes of developed countries. Rather, cities must control personal motor vehicle use through parking restrictions and market-based pricing.

Tackle congestion by limiting parking

Our cities should follow a simple mantra: build transit, add density, control parking. That is, cities should allow higher densities in areas where there is good connectivity to mass rapid transit while simultaneously limiting parking supply. Parking fees should be pegged to parking demand.

Ahmedabad’s Development Plan 2021 embraces this mantra. It encourages the use of public transport and promotes a compact city by allowing higher density commercial and residential activities along BRT corridors while removing minimum requirements for off-street parking in new buildings. All developments are allowed only two basements of free parking.

While these walking, cycling and public transport initiatives will require substantial funds, they will cost only a fifth as much as a car oriented future, with significantly better results for all. Sustainable transport will cut the outflow of foreign exchange for fossil fuel imports by 40 per cent, reduce air pollution by a third, and save tens of thousands of lives on our roads. Let’s invest in sustainable solutions that secure an equitable, liveable future for our cities.

This article was first published in BW Smart Cities.

Related News

December 21, 2015

November 27, 2015

February 4, 2016

Related News

April 6, 2016

April 26, 2016

September 2, 2015

Related News

June 10, 2015

November 30, 2014

December 21, 2015

Related News

October 21, 2014

December 17, 2013

April 17, 2015

Related News

February 16, 2016

December 7, 2015

April 6, 2016

Related News

March 7, 2016

February 16, 2016

December 23, 2015

Related News

April 6, 2016

June 10, 2015

March 16, 2015

Related News

April 6, 2016

March 16, 2015

June 10, 2015

Delhi adopts cycling policy to provide last-mile connectivity

New York employs smart street design to build cycle lanes and reduce traffic delays

London tests out new signal systems that prioritise cyclists

Related News

May 10, 2016

August 18, 2015

October 21, 2014

Related News

April 6, 2016

April 26, 2016

February 4, 2016

Related Resources