ITDP India

Promoting sustainable and equitable transportation worldwide

Pimpri Chinchwad’s transformation: A story of perseverance and resilience amid urbanisation

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If there were a city in India ready to narrate an inspiring saga of transformation of its urban mobility, Pimpri Chinchwad would undoubtedly be at the forefront. Picture Pimpri Chinchwad as the protagonist in its own journey—a courageous figure embarking on a quest to create a better city for its people by persevering to transform the way people move, the way people experience their streets, and the way it sets the foundation for resilience. Pimpri Chinchwad’s quest remains a work in progress, with much more to be accomplished, but it has started its journey with a realisation—a realisation that change is necessary for the city’s future prosperity amid rapid urbanisation, which sparks hope. 

The plot: an ongoing challenge of traffic, poor air quality, and people’s safety

The plot of this storyline starts with the pressing issues of traffic congestion, declining air quality, and people’s safety, driving the necessity for change. The vehicle population of over 21 lakhs (2024) is racing to match that of humans, with projections suggesting that the city’s population has crossed 24 lakhs. Given the surge in vehicles, it comes as no surprise that in November 2023, the city’s PM 2.5 levels reached a staggering 103-121 µg/m³, well surpassing the prescribed daily average concentration limit of 60µg/m³. 

Safety in terms of public health and the risk to life from road accidents was also a significant factor in changing how people move. In 2022, Pimpri Chinchwad recorded 1051 road accidents, and over 370 lost their lives in road accidents—four times higher than in 2018. 

The silver lining: city leaders stepped up to initiate action

For more than a decade, these challenges have persisted, placing Pimpri Chinchwad at a perpetual crossroads where it must make a critical decision: either expand road infrastructure to accommodate the growing influx of vehicles or prioritise the safety and welfare of its residents.

In navigating this decision, a silver lining has emerged as Pimpri Chinchwad discovered a steadfast ally in its most important supporting characters—dedicated city Municipal Commissioners who have championed sustainable mobility since 2018. These city leaders embraced the pivotal role of crafting policies and implementing sustainable mobility interventions—the only way to reduce congestion, minimise emissions, and improve safety. They have done this by promoting public transport with 50 kilometres of the Rainbow Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), plying a fleet of over 450 electric buses, building over 100 kms of walking and cycling networks, and laying a robust foundation through policies—like a Non-motorised Transport Policy — and capacity building for the longevity of its efforts. 

The rising action: the city created better infrastructure to move people

One of the earliest and most significant actions in this saga was the city leaders’ initiative to take action on the ground. In 2018, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) successfully implemented the Rainbow BRTS connecting to its twin city, Pune. The BRTS changed public transport in the region, offering commuters a reliable, efficient, and sustainable mode of travel within and between the two cities. Operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), this system spans four corridors, covering a distance of 50.5 km and serving 2.88 lakh passengers daily within Pimpri Chinchwad’s city limits. The city, along with PMPML, is continuing to make improvements to the system by revamping corridor intersections, installing security cameras, and upgrading the Intelligent Transportation Management System (ITMS) to boost ridership. 

In addition to the BRTS, the electrification of buses serves as a pivotal turning point in the city’s storyline. It represented a moment of revelation, where the city realised the importance of embracing cleaner, more eco-friendly transport options. Between 2018 and 2019, 150 e-buses were introduced to serve the twin cities, and the fleet has since expanded to over 450, with an additional 200 in the pipeline. Over 70% of them are already operating on the BRT corridor. 

Around the same time, the city realised that relying solely on public transport wasn’t enough to create a captivating saga; it needed supplementary initiatives such as walking and cycling—after all, more than 30% of the city’s trips are by walk and cycle. The city’s Urban Streetscape Programme was launched in 2018, drawing inspiration from successful models of Chennai and Pune’s street programmes to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in the city. This impact of this programme, combined with the endeavours of Smart City Ltd, resulted in over 45 km of streets being revamped with wider footpaths, safer pedestrian crossings, and landscaping—Linear Garden, Patil Street, and Nigdi Road are great examples—with an additional 65 km in progress. 

Linear Garden Road designed by Prasanna Desai Architects

Additionally, Pimpri Chinchwad’s active participation in the national Streets4People and Cycles4Change Challenge, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA), enabled them to develop innovative designs, employing a Test-Learn-Scale approach. This involved implementing tactical urbanism interventions on the ground to test out solutions and subsequently expanding successful initiatives.

Handle-bar surveys for Cycle4Change Challenge

However, as the city delved deeper into these initiatives, it became evident that these projects were not forming a connected network for pedestrian or cyclist movement which led to the inception of the ‘Harit Setu’ Masterplan, translating to ‘green connectivity.’ When implemented, it would transform the city into a 15-minute cycling-and-walking-friendly haven by enhancing existing connections and creating new green links. The pilot implementation in the Pradhikaran neighbourhood will serve as a learning experience to inform a scale-up strategy, enabling PCMC to expand walking and cycling infrastructure and transform one neighbourhood at a time.

The turning point: Pimpri Chinchwad implemented policies and strengthened the team’s capacity for resilience and expansion of its efforts

Pimpri Chinchwad recognised that while building infrastructure was vital, strategic planning for resilience and scalability was equally imperative. As the storyline progressed, Pimpri Chinchwad embedded policies to ensure stability and consistency in planning and decision-making to safeguard these initiatives against changes in leadership or priorities. 

As part of this effort, the city has begun addressing the significant challenge of managing on-street parking, which has been a major concern. The city remains dedicated to enhancing parking solutions through area-level plans and establishing a robust institutional framework. They collaborated with consultants to conduct comprehensive studies, serving as the foundation for the Parking Policy adopted in 2018. The city is looking to revise the policy in 2024 based on their learnings from parking management experience to date and make enforcement more stringent.

In 2022, they also adopted a Non-motorised Transport (NMT) Policy to achieve a target of 90% of trips made by public transport, walking, or cycling by 2036. The policy focuses on creating a safe, seamless, and pleasant network of top-notch infrastructure for walking and cycling in the city. It also goes beyond infrastructure development to integrate sustainable environmental planning and utility management to boost quality of life, spur economic growth, and preserve ecological well-being.

Adoption of Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Non-Motorised Transport Policy

The city needed internal capacity, skills, and expertise to implement policies and projects effectively, hence, investing in team development became crucial. In 2017, PCMC organised workshops and site visits to enhance skills and knowledge. Recently, city officials and engineers involved in mobility projects have pursued Masters programs in transport planning, completed national road safety audit courses, and participated in certified programs to build expertise further.

A twist in the plot: financing sustainable mobility projects

In Pimpri Chinchwad’s story, a pivotal plot twist arises, revealing a significant gap in financing for sustainable mobility projects. A staggering 58% of the total allocated transport budget of 1168 cr in 2024-25 was earmarked for vehicle-centric projects, such as grade separators and road development, which offer temporary remedies to congestion but exacerbate the problem in the long term. Consequently, just 5% (110 km) of PCMC’s streets have been transformed thus far. To meet the ambitious targets outlined in its NMT Policy, PCMC must strive to implement a minimum of 25 km of better streets every year until 2035, which requires an annual investment of 200-250 crore solely for street development.

Additionally, there is an urgent need to increase the number of buses, as the current ratio of 31 buses per lakh population falls short of the desired benchmark of 60 buses per lakh population set up by MoHUA. PMPML currently operates a fleet of 2,200 buses, while the benchmark suggests a fleet of 5,200 buses is necessary. Out of this, Pune requires 2,700 buses, PCMC requires 1,800 buses, and the Metropolitan Region outside both Municipal limits requires 700 buses. To address this demand, PCMC requires an investment of approximately 930 crore, solely for bus fleet augmentation. 

Shortfall of buses in Pimpri-Chinchwad

Presently, PCMC allocates 495 crore to street initiatives and public transport combined. While this falls short of the funds needed for street and public transport projects, it is a 100% increase in the funds allocated for such projects compared to the 2023-2024 budget. Amidst these challenges, PCMC is actively exploring diverse funding avenues, including the Smart Cities Mission, municipal bonds, and funding through development banks, in a concentrated effort to secure the necessary resources for its initiatives.

The climax

PCMC acknowledges the funding shortfall for sustainable projects but is working towards establishing a strong foundation to scale up efforts. It is initiating a Sustainability Cell to prioritise innovative and sustainable approaches in city planning, alongside the establishment of an Urban Mobility Department to consolidate mobility-related efforts. This initiative aims to enhance coordination within PCMC departments, and include various civil society organisations (CSOs) and experts to streamline collaboration.

The city has become a model of collaboration, working with CSOs and community groups to lead the shift towards sustainable mobility. It recognises that meaningful change requires involvement from all stakeholders sharing a common vision.

In conclusion, Pimpri Chinchwad’s tale is not just one of transformation—it embodies perseverance and resilience. With sustained efforts, the city is witnessing the results of its hard work. The city was recognised as one of the top 11 cities in the C4C and S4P challenge, as well as being selected as one of the 10 cities for the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI). Instead of pausing, Pimpri Chinchwad is intensifying its commitment, evaluating the impact of initiatives like street assessments, and amplifying successful strategies. This forward-thinking approach reaffirms the city’s dedication to progress and prosperity, setting a promising course for its future.

Written by Kashmira Dubash

Technical inputs from Pranjal Kulkarni and Rutuja Nivate

To ensure people near transit, Pune needs to improve transit near people

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In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, 96% of residents live within a 500m walkable distance of a bus network. But, as per Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) schedules, one-third of these residents don’t have access to buses which are available frequently – every five minutes. Therefore, a lowly 12% of the trips made in the region are via bus transit.

Though a five-minute wait seems ideal, this figure is an aggregation of areas with high bus availability and low ridership and of localities with low bus availability and high ridership.

This begs the question, what good are extensive transit systems which can’t ensure accessibility and high frequency. These are some of the key arguments the People near Transit (PNT) report, prepared by the ITDP India Programme, raises with regard to access to public transit and surging personal motor vehicle dependency in the Pune Metropolitan Region.

From time immemorial, cities have been built upon transit. Be it citadels built around trading routes to present-day cities with interwoven networks connecting residents to their place of work, education, leisure, etc. Hence, transit and accessibility to these systems remain central to the development of societies.

Indian cities have been growing at a tremendous scale. This growth poses many urban transportation challenges and though tottering, public transit has stood its ground as an indispensable public utility. But as the automobile industry’s clout grows, more motor vehicles, of various kinds, offer “freedom” at the cost of congested roads and choked cities.

Whereas, accessible, affordable, and frequent public transit offers a guarantee for mobility, which also furthers the economic and social mobilisation of citizens.

Basically, the PNT analysis measures how well a city provides transit access to its residents. The USP of the analysis is that it works on secondary sources to formulate the assessment. Quite handy for Indian cities, as most lack primary data on transport operations and functions.

To start off, PNT requires basic data like ward boundaries and their population to establish demand. Next, details regarding the routes, schedule, and station placements of various modes — such as bus and rail — help ascertain accessibility and frequency of these modes. These data points, in a digitised GIS format, find accessibility levels of public transit and identify gaps in the system.

Image credit : Flickr

In the last two decades, the Pune urban agglomeration, including Pimpri-Chinchwad, has witnessed a steep economic and population growth. The IT (information technology) boom orchestrated a massive migration to Pune city. This advent doubled its population, but it pales in comparison to the city’s vehicle population — which grew by 700% in the period.

Adding to the congestion is the issue of urban sprawl. A symptom of urbanisation, urban sprawl is when cities grow unplanned towards their peripheries. It is estimated to cost Indian cities close to $1.8 trillion per year by 2050. Presently in Pune, this outward sprawl forces 48% of its trips to be longer than 5km. And in situations where public transit isn’t readily accessible or frequent, many residents — of areas like Shivane, Pirangut, Wagholi, etc., — are forced to use two-wheelers to commute.  

Many high-density areas like Dhanori, Kalyani Nagar, Warje-bypass, Pradhikaran, Talwade, etc., fall under the category of transit deserts. These are sections which do not have access to frequent transit — a public transit available every five minute — within a 500 m walking distance. Here’s where the “ideal five-minute wait-time for a bus” takes a hit, as accessibility (or lack thereof) to public transit trumps the former.

At the onset of this piece, we spoke about how mobility is key for the economic and social mobility of citizens. Now, interlay the situation of the lack of accessibility with the need of the people residing in transit deserts. There are breadwinners who struggle for hours in transit to reach work and back; caregivers whose daily regimes pivot around that one over-crowded bus and missing which throws the day into a chaotic convulsion of catching up; and then children whose means to education literally hangs on the footboards of these overcrowded buses.

In Pune region, work trips account for half of the total trips. As per the PNT report, only 62% of employment centers have access to frequent public transit. Key employment areas near Mundhwa and Bhekrai Nagar are transit deserts. While 40% of school-children don’t have access to frequent transit services to their schools.

Transit interventions best work when they take into account the needs of every citizen. Despite being capital-intensive, the much-anticipated Metro Rail project, running through the twin cities, will be accessible to only 10% of people within a 500m walking distance. Even with the Rainbow BRT (existing and upcoming), rapid transit is accessible to only 25% of people.

Now, with 23% of low-income sections not having access to frequent transit, investing in rapid transit projects with high-cost and low returns (or ridership) is a self-inflicted “catch-22”. Neither is the Metro accessible nor would it be affordable to a vast majority of the public. As for the BRT, the lack of fleet expansion and network limitations bottle up the system’s potential.   

The PNT analysis has some concrete and well-versed answers to the twin cities’ dilemma of improving public transit that works to serve all. These are:

  • In sections with low access to public transit, specific corridors can be introduced to intersect high-density areas and high-frequency corridors. Subsequently, PMPML needs to rationalise routes to ensure accessibility to frequent buses is uniform across the board.
  • Running smaller feeder services, in transit-deprived sections, ensure residents have access to the PMPML bus network. By extension, it also helps curtail the dependence on personal motor vehicles.
  • BRT and PMPML high-frequency routes could potentially facilitate multi-modal integration by connecting to the Metro — hence improving the latters’ ridership. In fact, fare integration would ensure footfall as these transfers would be affordable.
  • Densification under transit-oriented development (TOD) will help more residents get access to existing corridors in the future.
  • Low density areas in TOD zone need local area plans (LAPs) to ‘infill’ them with densities. Similarly, high density areas in TOD zones need LAPs to improve street network and public spaces.
  • By adopting PNT as a tool in preparing and revising the development plan and identifying mass transit corridors, cities can ensure better integration of land use with transport needs for the future.

The PNT report provides a thorough glimpse into the current capacities of public transit operations in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. At the same time, the analysis can pave the way for interventions that can maximise the density of city layouts, accessibility, and frequency of public transit; while minimising urban sprawl, transit deserts. To conclude, PNT is an instrument for change that holds the potential to shape public transit that serves maximum and pollutes minimum.

Written by Rohit James

Edited by Kashmira Dubash

ITDP India set to represent Pune’s Complete Streets success in Germany!

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ITDP India is excited to be invited as a panelist and a speaker at the International Conference of the Research Training Group KRITIS, at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Pranjali Deshpande, Senior Manager of the ITDP India Programme, will showcase the progressive interventions implemented by Pune to bring back life to its car-centric streets.

City records show that as of 2016-17, Pune had 2.3 million two-wheelers and seven-hundred thousand four-wheelers, and ranked second in terms of vehicle density among Indian cities. City administrators soon realised that pre-emptive measures for urban mobility was the need of the hour, and that’s when Pune started to break new ground!

In-line with the National Urban Transport Policy, Pune aims to achieve its goal of reducing dependency on personal motorised vehicles from 50 percent to 10 percent by 2031. In 2017-18, Pune’s budget witnessed a paradigm shift in its transportation expenditure wherein over half of the city’s transport budget was spent on sustainable transport initiatives – in particular walking and cycling.

These streets are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do…

Pune footed the ambitious Complete Street scheme, with technical input from the ITDP India Programme, to transform over 100 km of streets that prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. This was based on a unique set of Urban Street Design Guidelines adopted by Pune in 2016.  

The first phase—on JM Road and DP Road—was lauded across the country, even winning the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Award and the Volvo Mobility Award 2017. The redesign brought new life to Pune’s streetscape! Following on Pune’s footstep, even Pimpri-Chinchwad started the process of designing 75 km of street networks in the city.

JM Road, Pune

Maintaining its stance that Pune is for people and not for vehicles, the city administration heralded a new era of an efficient paid parking system in 2018. The Pune Parking Policy, for which the India Programme provided technical support, introduced an efficient paid parking system and a management cell to oversee implementation. The city awaits its implementation on-ground.

The success of sustainable transport projects in Pune is an ode to the efforts of the Pune Municipal Corporation and Pune Smart City Development Corporation Ltd., and their collaboration with organisations including ITDP India Programme, Parisar, Pedestrians First, Prasanna Desai Architects, and the Center for Environment Education.

The transition from a motor vehicle-dependent city to a people-friendly city is not easy without the support of citizens. To ensure success, the municipal corporation conducted several public consultation drives. And, the city continues to do so, ensuring that sustainable urban mobility practices are a continuous exercise and woven into the new people-first transport culture.

ITDP India – Our Journey from a Dream to Reality

team ITDP

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It was back in 1998 that ITDP began its engagements in India, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s words, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” What started as one woman’s journey to change the dystopian path our cities were drifting towards has transformed into a formidable force of young, passionate visionaries who strive to bring back life in a place we call home. Today, ITDP celebrates two decades of action on the ground, catalysing tangible transformation at scale in over a third of urban India.

Transportation is the focus of many pressing issues facing the world today—decisions about whether to build highways or bus corridors have a great impact on our health and our planet. For this reason, ITDP has worked with over 18 Indian cities to reduce the human impact of transport choices: ensuring cities put people before cars, all citizens can walk and cycle safety, and jobs and services are a bus ride away. Through the dedicated efforts of our team and a strategic approach towards sustainable transport, ITDP India programme has impacted the lives of millions for the past 20 years.

ITDP in India

The journey in India began in Agra. The vision to develop a modern cycle rickshaw to counter the growing threats of motor vehicular pollution, gave way to the India Cycle Rickshaw Improvement Project. What started off as five prototypes has become sustainably embedded as the standard design in cities across North India. Today, around half a million of these modern cycle rickshaws serve  4-5 million zero-carbon trips daily and offer dignified livelihood to over a million people, transforming the lives of their families as well.

Cycle rickshaws

ITDP realised the need to transform the quality and availability of public transport in Indian cities. Since 2003, the India Programme evangelised the idea of the Bus Rapid Transit (popularly known as BRT) to transform mediocre bus services into high-quality mass transit.

Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s largest city, welcomed ITDP to reimagine bus transit in 2005. Our partnership with Environment Planning Collaborative, and thereafter with CEPT University and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation resulted in the launch of Janmarg (in 2009)—India’s first high quality BRT system that expands to a network of 87 km. Janmarg has inspired many cities in India, and with guidance from ITDP, five cities have created 200 km of high-quality BRT to date.

janmarg

In 2009, the India Programme revolutionised the way people perceived streets in India. Safe, child-friendly streets are not just a mirage of the past, but can be a beautiful reality even today. Ahmedabad was the first city in India to host Car-Free Sundays in collaboration with ITDP, Riverside School and other partners.  The initiative allowed citizens to experience the freedom of walking and cycling on safer car-free streets.  The success enabled expansion to Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra to raise awareness and transform their streets into places we all dream of everyday.

ITDP India Programme initiated collaboration with Chennai City Connect in 2009 to improve cycling and walking conditions across the city. Change isn’t easy in cities where the car is a symbol for status. But within five years of ITDP’s engagement with the city, Chennai took the bold move of adopting the Non Motorised Transport (NMT) Policy—first in India.

The policy mandates that a minimum of 60 percent of of transport funding to create and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure in the city. Having retrofitted over 50 km of walkable streets over the years, Chennai has initiated the next phase of redesigning an additional 50 km of street network. Chennai’s policy has inspired many national and international cities—from Chandigarh to Nairobi—to adopt similar policies. The comprehensive approach undertaken by Chennai, was awarded the Sustainia Award in 2015.

 

chennai complete streets

Since 2013, the India Programme has worked with the smaller cities of Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore, Trichy, Tirupur, Salem, and Madurai.  In Coimbatore, the Namma Kovai Namakke (Our Coimbatore Ourselves) campaign, initiated by ITDP, sparked citizen demand for better pedestrian facilities. Coimbatore was the first city in Tamil Nadu to host Car-Free Sundays, that inspired Chennai and Madurai to do the same. The city also adopted The Coimbatore Street Design and Management Policy that aims to increase walking, cycling and public transport use. In light of Coimbatore’s vision to improve people-mobility, the city has planned a 30 km-network of walking and cycling paths to connect the city’s major lakes, in line with the guiding Policy.  

The India programme began its engagements in Maharashtra in 2009, first with the Municipal Corporations of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and thereafter in Nashik and Aurangabad. Today, Pune is the epitome of a smart Indian city. Pune launched 40 kms of the Rainbow BRT in 2015, with an additional 45 km in the pipeline. The city adopted the Urban Street Design Guidelines and plans to redesign 100 km of streets based on the world-class standards set by the transformation of  JM Road and DP Road pilot project.

While Pune has taken the first steps towards developing a people-centric city, the next challenge is to address the encroachment onto footpaths by parked vehicles. As a result, Pune adopted the Public Parking Policy to regulate parking, in 2018. The Policy aims to manage on-street parking through an efficient paid parking system but exempts bicycle parking from any charges. Pune realises that encouraging cycling reduces CO2, improves commuters’ health and increases retail visibility. As a result, the city plans to implement a dockless Public Bicycle Sharing system of 13,100 cycle, under the city’s Bicycle Plan.  Yes, the city has worked wonders. Pune, Chennai, and Coimbatore – all cities ITDP assisted, were selected in the first round of the national government’s Smart City Mission.  

Pune complete streets

In 2013, the India programme also expanded to Ranchi, the capital of the state of Jharkhand. Local conditions were unfavourable to support sustainable transport; thus, ITDP initiated collaboration with local civil society groups, educational institutions and trade associations that formed the Ranchi Mobility Partnership. Ranchi’s Mobility for All action plan prepared by ITDP, with input from the partners, provided a detailed roadmap of transport solutions for local conditions.

The action plan inspired the city to take responsibility of overseeing operations of 100 new buses, and an additional 300 buses in the due course—an applaudable move for a city that had fewer than 30 buses. The plan also identified a cycle network to improve access to public transport; as a result, the city is in the midst of constructing the state’s first Bicycle Sharing system comprising of 1200 cycles.

Onward and upward, Ranchi’s Parking Policy has inspired other cities in the state, like Jamshedpur, to manage on-street parking. The State too realised the chaos caused by unregulated parking and thereafter adopted the  Jharkhand Parking Regulations—first in India. Jharkhand is also the first state to endorse the Transit Oriented Development Policy that was prepared in consultation with ITDP India.

On account of leveraging the sustainable transport agenda at the national level, the India expanded to the country’s capital, Delhi, in 2016. This gave rise to the policy brief on Women and Transport in collaboration with Safetipin and UN Women. Women represent the largest share of public transport users, yet they face many barriers that limit their mobility such as safety, comfort, convenience and affordability. Empowering women in transport enables them to participate in workforce, thereby creating a societal shift to transform the entire world economy.

The India Programme’s capacity development work, through training workshops and study tours, has been imperative to the success of its projects and policy. The India Programme has trained over 1000 government officials and other stakeholders. Over the years, our knowledge products have not only been used for best practise references, but also endorsed by the government – for example, the National Guidelines for Public Bicycle-sharing for the Ministry of Urban Development, and Street Design and BRT Guidelines for the Indian Roads Congress (IRC).

capacity development

Since 1998, ITDPs’ agenda of improving the quality of life of citizens through equitable and sustainable transport has only magnified in momentum over time. Times have evolved, but our dream remains the same. Take a moment and imagine a 2050: will we design a future where we continue to get trapped in endless traffic while pollution destroys the city, and infrastructure fails to deliver? Or, will we live in ‘smart cities’ where people can zip around town, connected with walking and cycling boulevards and world-class rapid transit. The choice is yours; we chose the latter.

P.S. Dear Mahatma Gandhiji, we are being the change we wish to see in the world today. And, we have been doing it successfully for the past 20 years in India!  

Pune soon to become a cycling haven: Bicycle Plan approved

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“I would gladly leave my motorcycle home and cycle at least thrice a week if roads were made safer!”, said Deepti Gokhale, a working woman in Pune. Granting her wish and that of many others in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) General Body has approved a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan which envisages safe and convenient cycling conditions for existing and future cyclists in the city.

To transform this vision of a cycling haven into reality, the Plan provides several recommendations including the creation of a city-wide cycle track network, a public bicycle sharing system, design guidelines for cycle-friendly infrastructure, bicycle parking facilities and strategy for awareness campaigns. Its vision for integration with public transit prompts Pune’s citizens to use cycling for last-mile connectivity. With the Pune Bicycle Plan, PMC aims to improve the city’s share of cyclists from its current 3%[1] to 25% by 2031.

Today cycling constitutes a mere 3% of the city’s trips

Not long ago, cycling was a widely popular mode of transit, favored by most school and college students. However, today cycling constitutes a mere 3% of the city’s trips owing to congested, unsafe roads with over 500 motorized two-wheelers and cars being registered every day. In an effort to make Pune a cycle-friendly city again, the Comprehensive Mobility Plan, prepared in 2008, set an ambitious goal that “by 2031 at least half the trips in Pune i.e. 50%, should be by walk or cycle”[2]. To meet this goal, PMC set out to create a Bicycle Plan for the city, with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and encouragement from Parisar, a non-profit organization lobbying for sustainable transport.

The Corporation appointed a team of consultants, including iTrans, Prasanna Desai Architects and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), to create the plan.  The consultants surveyed over 11,000 people from various backgrounds for their travel patterns, views about cycling, willingness to shift, etc. A Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) was formed to oversee the progress of work, with regular cyclists and concerned citizens as key members. ITDP India Programme was also a part of the BAC and helped in periodically reviewing the Plan. Two rounds of public consultation took place before the drafted Bicycle Plan was submitted to the General Body for approval.

The fear of riding on roads with mixed traffic deters people from cycling regularly

One of the primary objectives of the Pune Bicycle Plan is the creation of a 300 km network of bicycle tracks in the city. The fear of riding on roads with mixed traffic deters people from cycling regularly. Segregated, user-friendly cycle tracks, like the one recently constructed on JM Road, will help put them back on their bicycles.

A key component of the Plan to support the cycle track network in the city is the Urban Cycling Design Guidelines for cycling infrastructure, like the physically segregated cycle tracks in high-speed roads, the visually segregated cycle lanes in medium-speed roads, shared use of cycles and motorised traffic in low-speed roads, and appropriate vegetation. The Plan details the width and material requirements to enable comfortable conditions for cyclists.

The public bicycle sharing (PBS) system proposed under the Plan aims to serve as another mode of transport for commuters and provide efficient last-mile connectivity for public transit users. The Plan suggests 388 stations and 4700 bicycles in the first phase, with a proposed total of 13100 docked bicycles. A dockless PBS system, recently piloted with 275 bicycles in three different areas of the city, has received great response from residents and four vendors dealing with dockless systems have recently signed an MoU with PMC.

Apart from the policy and design changes, the Plan also recommends awareness and outreach programmes to rejuvenate the culture of cycling in the city. As part of these programmes, several discussions have been conducted with multiple stakeholders such as schools and colleges, RTO, Traffic Police, various NGOs, cycle shops and corporate staff (as a part of their CSR initiative).

The year 2018 will see various measures for the implementation of the Cycle Plan

The year 2018 will see various measures for the implementation of the Cycle Plan, like the setting up of PMC’s Bicycle Department, re-construction and retrofitting of select existing cycle tracks, and the development of a training facility for cycle mechanics. With many such steps in place – and in the pipeline – for the improvement of all sustainable transportation modes, Pune is becoming an incredibly ‘smart’ city indeed!

 

[1]“The mode share of cycles, elicited from the household survey carried out in 2016 for the Pune Cycle Plan is 3%. This is a much smaller proportion as compared to the modal share of 2012 from Pune Metro DPR study which shows 9% of cycle as a mode share.”- Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan, 2017
[2] Currently, walking and cycling constitute 32% of the trips made in the city

Vibrant Pune: City’s streets transform into vital public spaces

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By Nashwa Naushad 

“On our firm course towards sustainable transportation, we are also transforming Pune into a great city for the people, with numerous initiatives to encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport”, said Mr. Kunal Kumar, IAS, the commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation. Indian cities are gradually taking greater efforts to improve the quality of life for its citizens, especially in terms of transportation. Pune has come to be a pioneer in this regard.

Among the host of people-oriented initiatives being undertaken by the city, Pune has been working to improve its pedestrian and cycling environment by redesigning its arterial roads as Complete Streets. 27km of streets have been identified for redesign, in the ABD (Area-Based Development) area as part of the Smart City proposal, and 100km under the city’s annual budget. The first phase of these street design projects has already transformed Aundh’s DP Road and JM Road into more vibrant public spaces.

The Jangli Maharaj or JM Road bustles with people and activity – a vibrant street indeed

Complete Streets are those that cater to all user groups – designed with wide and continuous footpaths, safe pedestrian crossings, separate cycle tracks where applicable, conveniently placed bus stops, clearly designated on-street parking, organised street vending and properly-scaled carriageways. With the Smart Cities Mission encouraging the improvement of non-motorised and public transport infrastructure, cities across India are now developing networks of complete streets. Pune has gone over and beyond the Smart City proposal, by setting over twice that target with the Corporation’s own budget.

As the first step towards redesigning the 100km network, Pune Municipal Corporation has empanelled 4 nationally acclaimed architecture and urban design firms – IBI Group Inc., HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd., Oasis Designs Inc. and Design & Planning Counsel. The network has been equally divided and allocated to the designers. Each firm thus gets a ‘package’ of streets, ensuring uniformity in design language and better integration on ground.

Following PMC’s footsteps, Pune Smart City Development Corporation Ltd. is also allotting the 27km network in the ABD Area as 3 neighbourhoods to the empanelled designers. 9km of streets in 1 neighbourhood, including DP Road in Aundh, has been contracted to the IBI Group in partnership with Prasanna Desai Architects.

DP Road in Aundh has been redesigned with dedicated spaces for different users

The first phase of reconstruction under the Smart City Mission has commenced on DP Road. The 1.5km stretch is being remodelled by the designers, kickstarting 520m on the ground. The 3.5m wide footpath on either side of the street has been streamlined to dedicate spaces for different users.

The numerous existing trees that line the stretch have been fundamentally incorporated in the design, with care taken to demarcate soft areas around them to allow for growth, and the perimeter forming seating. In addition, benches have also been provided along the footpath, complementing the shops and making the stretch more vibrant. Art installations, including the attractive casing that has been used to cover up the junction boxes, spruce up the space. Other features such as life-sized snake & ladder boards on the footpath further augment the character of DP Road.

Design features on DP Road: (clockwise from left) Art installations with recycled material; attractive casing covering up the junction boxes; play area for children

Similarly, JM Road, being revamped by Oasis Designs Inc., has also been kicked off on a 300m stretch as part of the first phase.Streamlining the haphazard parking has helped reclaim space for the people, enabling a wider footpath and cycle track. Green spaces serve as buffers to segregate the two speeds of walking and cycling. Bus stops have been located so as to allow for smooth flow of pedestrians and cyclists.

Vendors now have dedicated spaces, as do children – play areas with rubberised soft flooring have been designed at regular intervals between the green buffers. Frontage of the shops spillover to the wide footpath, adding life to the street. Better signage, street lighting and seating are other features that collectively make JM Road a stellar example of street design in the country.

Green spaces serve as buffers to segregate the two speeds of walking and cycling. Bus stops have been located so as to allow for smooth flow of pedestrians and cyclists.

Backing these design changes in the city, are institutional reforms that help enhance the capacity of the government. A dedicated Street Design Cell has been set up with professionals such as urban designers and urban planners to oversee general maintenance of streets and work done by design consultants & contractors, in addition to designing neighborhood streets. The Corporation has also developed a unique set of Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) which give clear priority to walking and cycling.

Streets are vital public spaces which go beyond serving as mere channels for the movement of vehicles, but are crucial to the very identity of a city. Acknowledging this fact, Pune is remodelling its streets to respond to the multitude of activities and functions they host. The city thus continues firmly on its course towards becoming more people-friendly by the day.

Money’s worth: Pune sets exemplary sustrans budget

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Written by Mayank Balakrishnan | Edited by Nashwa Naushad

“I don’t have my own vehicle. Does that mean I’m not entitled to space on the street?” In the past, this had been the cry of many in one of Maharashtra’s most prominent upcoming smart cities – Pune. However, over the years, the tides have turned, with the city taking greater efforts to improve walking, cycling and public transportation facilities for its people. Last year’s budget proposal especially, witnessed a paradigm shift in Pune’s transportation expenditure — Rs.397 crores (i.e) over half of the city’s transport budget, was spent on sustainable transport initiatives.

The good news does not end there – this rain of resources will continue to shower in 2017-18, with more funds for achieving the city’s sustrans vision. Rs.534 crores have been assigned for sustainable transportation projects, out of a total transportation budget of Rs. 1040 crores for the city (51%).

Upgradation of the existing Satara Road BRT has been initiated.

Around 52% of a total of Rs. 769 crores spent last year on transportation, was for sustrans projects, as allocated in the 2016-17 budget for Pune. These expenses are materialising today. JM Road, one of the busiest stretches in the city, is being redesigned with wide footpaths and a cycle track on both sides. 21km of BRT construction along with upgradation of the existing Satara Road BRT corridor in the city has been initiated.

Pune is set to make an even bigger leap this year. The sustrans projects to be undertaken with the 2017-18 budget include NMT improvements with Rs.56 crores, in addition to Rs.80 crores allotted for the construction of cycle tracks. The city aims to eventually create over 100km of cycle tracks in a phase-wise manner. The budget also allocates Rs.137 crores to complete on-going BRT redesign and expansion work.

DP Road in Aundh turns vibrant with a 500m pilot stretch redesigned by Prasanna Desai Architects. 60kms of footpaths are to be redesigned as part of the Smart City Proposal.

Furthermore, Pune’s Smart City Proposal (SCP) of Rs 1100 crore would be used to create 42 km of cycle tracks, 60 km of redesigned footpaths – 500m of which has been kicked off vibrantly in Aundh on D.P. Road, 8 km of BRT corridor, and for the procurement of E-buses and technology based projects such as command control centers, smart ticketing, smart bus stops, integrated road asset management and developing a traffic app.

Throughout Pune’s sustrans journey so far, ITDP has provided the requested technical assistance to PMC, helping them review street and BRT corridor designs. ITDP will continue to assist the corporation with its future endeavours. Considering the current developments, PMC is sure to continue channelising its resources in the right direction – towards creating a sustainable Pune!

 

Note: The total transportation budget includes projects by Road department, PMPML and Projects departments
1 Cr = 10 million | 1 US$ = approx. Rs 65

 

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On-Street Parking Management: Pune and Chennai to join the bandwagon

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“I bought an AC, now the government has to give me a free house to install it in!” If this is an absurd demand, so is free parking – “I bought a car, now the government has to give me a free place to park it!” Cities across the world including India, are gradually beginning to realise that parking is not a right; it is a commodity and should come at a price. In keeping with this revelation, Indian cities such as Ranchi have started implementing on-street parking management, with a parking fee.

Pune and Chennai are the latest cities striving to join the bandwagon. Pune will soon adopt a parking policy to guide parking management in the city. Pune and Chennai both aim to put a smart parking management system in place. There is now an urgent need to learn more about global best practices, especially challenges faced during implementation and solutions. In order to initiate this learning process, Pune and Chennai will host discussions and workshops internally and for the public in the following weeks, led by internationally acclaimed parking expert Dr.Paul Barter.

Today, unorganised on-street parking and invasion of pedestrian footpaths by parked cars is common of most Indian cities. On-street parking is mostly free, and even when charged, the rates are too low and fee collection is carried out by private operators with little monitoring or oversight by the government.

In Pune, open spaces have been converted into parking lots – including a mechanised structure – to meet the ‘demand’. However, prior to providing off-street solutions, on-street parking has to be addressed as it comes free of cost and is more easily accessible, hence is more sought after.

Realising this, Pune has tried to employ certain strategies to ensure that rampant parking doesn’t hinder movement of vehicles as well as people. The age-old “P1/P2” scheme has been incorporated in several streets where parking is allowed only on one side of the road depending on odd/even dates. Traffic cops have tried to ban parking on mobility corridors during peak hours.

A manually-operated “Pay and Park” system in Pune charges 4-wheelers Rs.5-10 for 2-4 hours

Pune has also implemented a manually-operated “Pay and Park” system on some streets with parking charges of the order Rs 5-10 for four-wheelers for 2-4 hours. While this is the on-street scenario, many private establishments like hospitals and cinema halls charge upto Rs 50 for 4 hours of car-parking. All these measures have had mixed successes.

In Chennai on the other hand, parking rules and fees are administered on an ad-hoc basis, leading to a lack of clarity for users, inconsistent enforcement, and significant revenue leakage. The city experiences localised shortages despite overall availability of parking space.

The two cities are thus trying to solve the parking problem by better on-street parking management. The Pune Municipal Corporation has proposed a policy to manage parking in the city. The policy suggests slabs of parking charges, using the fundamental economic principle of supply and demand to determine the cost. It prioritises road space for other users – especially pedestrians, by dissuading the usage of any available public space (both off- and on-street) for parking.

The revenue from parking management only on bus-route roads in Chennai could itself be over half a crore rupees per year.

Chennai has initiated the process of implementing a smart parking management system. Key features of the proposed system are parking guidance for users and real-time information of parking slot availability on mobile platform, an online digital payment portal to improve revenue collection and enhance transparency and an electronic enforcement system, among other things.

For parking charges, a zone-based system will be followed wherein streets are categorised into paid parking (medium to high demand), free parking (low demand) and no parking (since parking restricts movement) zones. Parking fee and fine will be determined by the Greater Chennai Corporation and Chennai Smart City Ltd. It is estimated that the revenue from the system only from bus-route roads could itself be well over half a crore rupees per year.*

Dr. Paul Barter at a parking management workshop in Kathmandu. Image Courtesy: Clean Energy Nepal

In order to assist the two cities’ commendable efforts to deal with parking, Dr.Paul Barter will be visiting and leading discussions in both Pune and Chennai. Dr. Barter has offered his expertise along with necessary training in several parking-management projects across the world including Beijing, Kathmandu, Jakarta, Singapore, Mumbai, etc. He has published an on-street parking management toolkit as a guide for government staff in low-income and middle-income countries. His expert opinion and knowledge will add greatly to the parking management plan of the two cities.

Through their actions to tackle parking, Pune and Chennai are surely setting a great example for other cities that intend to create an urban environment focused on people rather than vehicles!

*This estimate is based on a parking fee rate of Rs. 40 per ECS per hour for bus-route roads.

 

Read the draft of Pune’s parking policy here: Suruvath: Public Parking Policy 2016.

Discover the basics of parking management and regulation in ITDP’s publication, Parking Basics.

Voicing out: People shaping Pune’s public transport business plan

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“An online portal launched by the Government of India could be used to procure spare parts from traders at competitive rates.” “ PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) could look at fixed deposit investment plans for better fund-raising.” These ideas for PMPML’s business development plan were not suggested by a transport planner; neither by a banker nor a tech expert. These were suggestions from the young citizens of Pune at a citizens’ engagement workshop!

PMPML, the public transport service provider for the city of Pune, organised two such workshops in collaboration with Ernst & Young. The first workshop was held in Aundh on January 12th, 2017, followed by one in Pimpri on January 19th. The aim of the programme  was to collect people’s feedback on existing public transport conditions in the city and their recommendations to improve bus services through PMPML’s business plan.

Pune's youth voicing out their innovative ideas.

Pune’s youth voicing out their innovative ideas.

The business plan is an important step towards attaining a 40% modal share of public transport in the city – one of the goals in Pune’s comprehensive mobility plan.  Ernst & Young & UMTC have been appointed to create the business plan. The business plan committee consisting of representatives from Nagrik Chetna Manch, Parisar, Pravasi Manch, Sajag Nagrik Manch & ITDP has helped PMPML put together the scope of work for the business plan and is also reviewing the consultants’ work.  

The business plan will include short-term (3 years), medium-term (8-10 years) and long term (10-20 years) plans in order to achieve continued delivery of good service. Contrary to a business plan that generally comprises of purely technical details detached from the people and devoid of their inputs, PMPML’s plan is being made inclusive and people-oriented right from the scratch.

The citizens’ engagement workshops were a part of this strategy to include the public and get their on-ground opinion. During the workshop, several issues were brought forward, a majority of them focused on everyday transit ordeals. The physical condition of the bus, conflicts with the conductor and dissatisfaction with the driving, were a few of these concerns. The programme thus proved to be a good platform for PMPML to learn about these problems, which the agency has promised to resolve immediately.

Mr. Kunal Kumar, the commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation, addressing the audience

Mr. Kunal Kumar, the chairman and managing director of PMPML, addressing the audience

Apart from micro-scale suggestions, macro-level long term ideas were also raised, especially by the youngsters in the crowd. These included ways to make the service more affordable and brand it better, for the benefit of both the users and the service provider. Another suggestion was to award points to PMPML employees as encouragement for good work. Fixed deposit investments could be considered for better fund-raising. Setting up an online portal to create a virtual marketplace for spare parts, thus promoting healthy competition among traders and better rates, was also suggested.

Comments from the workshops are currently being compiled to be included in the plan. Apart from the citizens engagement programme, people’s feedback is being collected in other methods as well such as on-board (during the journey) & off-board surveys by representatives from Ernst & Young. Photography, essay writing and slogan-phrasing competitions along with other contests have been organised to increase awareness of the use of public transport, while also gathering people’s thoughts on the issues.

on-the-dias-pune-citizens-engagement-workshop

By allowing people to voice out their opinion in different ways and acknowledging that stakeholders should play a key role in shaping any service for the people, Pune is setting a great example for other cities. Following Pune’s lead, Coimbatore is also organising an exhibition to showcase the design ideas for its Model Roads. This exhibition will also serve to collect people’s feedback on the proposal and help shape the final design. Coimbatore Smart Streets Exhibition is to be held on the 18th & 19th February, 2017.

Reclaiming streets: Pedestrian-only test run marks new beginning in Pune!

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“If we play in our backyard, the shuttlecock always falls into a neighbour’s compound!”, complained little Anaya and Avani, residents of Aundh, Pune. In a city that is getting more congested by the day leaving behind fewer playgrounds, Anaya and Avani are joined by other Pune locals in grumbling about a lack of open public space. But for a week now, and everyday in the nearby future, children and adults alike have a chance to play in the open to their heart’s content – right on the streets!

As a step towards returning Pune’s streets back to its residents, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has organised a weeklong trial of “HEALTHY Aundh – Street and Pedestrian Walkway” until 15th October, 2016. A stretch of 1.5 kms between Bremen Chowk and Parihar junctions in Aundh has been converted into a pedestrian-only zone for this test run.

Children play badminton Aundh

The idea of pedestrians and cyclists reclaiming some space back from vehicles has been receiving positive feedback in Pune. This welcome has been witnessed during the numerous pre-event meetings with various stakeholders, shop owners and residents of Aundh, who believe that it is high time for a change of this scale. A few concerns were raised by a small group of local shop-owners, who were apprehensive about the impact of the pedestrianisation on sales in the region. Despite this minor discrepancy, it is a general consensus here that the freedom to walk and cycle is every citizen’s right!

In addition to backing from the public, immense support from Prasanna Desai Architects (PDA), IBI Group, Pavetech Consultants, CEE and McKinsey Group with technical counsel from ITDP, has helped PMC in getting this challenging project on ground. The traffic police have also played an important role in assisting the Corporation and the architects with the design for this test run.

As per this plan, half of the road between Bremen and Parihar junctions has been completely reallocated for pedestrians and cyclists, giving them enough room for safe movement. The aim is to create a better environment for both the individual and the community. Hence, the layout for the pedestrianized street includes a combination of elements that seek to decongest public space.

Cycle track in Aundh during mock

These elements include a cycle track, in line with the city’s vision to substantially increase its current cycling share of 9%. A separate, wide footpath allows pedestrians to walk without obstructing the cyclists. Street furniture with clear road signage has been placed in different areas within the zone to enhance the experience of the pedestrians and shoppers. While some on-street parking slots have been retained along the other half of the road, the overall design of the plaza reduces space occupied by parking and repurposes it for people’s use.

A shopping destination, these streets on Aundh attract a lot of local residents. To make it easy for them to visit, Kinetic Motors has provided electric vehicles to shuttle along four colour-coded routes every ten minutes during the trial week. This free service should encourage residents to abandon their private vehicles and opt for publicly-shared transport methods instead, until they get habituated to walking and cycling as mainstream modes of commute.

With these changes in place this week, Aundh has been witness to children playing happily on the streets, families strolling uninterrupted, shoppers enjoying at the stores, locals peacefully riding their bicycles for running errands, seniors sitting on benches under trees having animated conversation on politics – a scene unimaginable in the past!

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The mock is but one among many new beginnings for Pune. The city also recently launched the open data portal as a part of the Digital India Initiative, which will soon make Pune’s transport and traffic data freely accessible to all. With these continuous efforts by the PMC combined with the positivity in the air, Pune is definitely on the right track towards becoming a sustainable developing city!