ITDP India

Promoting sustainable and equitable transportation worldwide

Cycle sharing: Will India emulate China’s success story?

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(With excerpts from a toolkit developed by the author for the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India)

When it comes to public cycle sharing systems, India doesn’t need to look too far. China, in just under a decade, has outpaced European cities that gave birth to the idea half a century ago. Today, all but four of the 20 largest systems in the world are in China—ranging from 8000 to 80000 shared cycles. Unfortunately, India has none.

What is cycle sharing? 

Cycle sharing is a healthy, non-polluting, and flexible form of personal public transport—a great option for short trips and as a feeder to other public transport options. Cycles are securely stored (or docked) at a closely spaced network of stations. With a smart card or another form of identification, a user can check out a cycle from any station, use it for a short ride, and return it at any other station of the system. For a small membership fee (annual/monthly/daily), users can make unlimited free trips, as long as they return the cycle within a stipulated time (typically capped at 30-45 minutes).

Cycle Sharing - How it works

Is cycle sharing a new concept? 

Not really. It started as an experiment half a century back in Amsterdam with fifty cycles. Since then, the idea has evolved and expanded while retaining the basic essence. Advances in information technology gave a big boost to the idea and led to a massive growth in the last decade. Today, there are over 1.3 million shared cycles in over a 1000 cities around the globe. More systems are starting every year. Cycle sharing has demonstrated its ability to re-energize cycling—transforming the image of cycles from lowly tool to cool mode. In many cities, it has also led to the creation of large networks of safe cycling facilities.

User leaving after unlocking a cycle from an automated docking system in Paris, France.

User leaving after unlocking a cycle from an automated docking system in Paris, France.

Where does one start?

Above everything else, cycle sharing requires political will and policy support to succeed. Some of the largest and most successful cycle sharing systems in the world—such as those in Paris, London, and New York—are a result of active championing by the mayors of those cities. London’s hugely popular cycle-sharing scheme is a result of two of its former mayors, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson, who were determined to increase cycling in London.

The London story also gives us insights on the best way to implement a cycle sharing programme— through public-private partnership. While the London scheme is overseen by the city’s transport department, Transport for London, it is sponsored by Santander Bank (originally sponsored by Barclays) and operated by SERCO, a private company, on a six-year contract with service level benchmarks. The system that started with 5000 cycles in 2010 has expanded to 11,500 cycles today, serving 5-7 trips per cycle everyday.

Successful implementation of a cycle sharing system requires meticulous planning and oversight on the part of the government. Private sector participation can bring several advantages, including access to capital and technical expertise. But, constant oversight by the public implementing agency is necessary to ensure that the system meets high service quality standards. The contracting structure should create the right incentives by rewarding good work and penalising poor performance. In order to evaluate the operator’s performance, the implementing agency needs access to real-time system data.

The most successful systems have over 5000 bicycles, like at this docking point in Shenzhen, China.

The most successful systems have over 5000 bicycles, like at this docking point in Shenzhen, China.

What are the features of a good system?

To begin with, a system should have at least a 1000 cycles with a coverage of five square kilometres or more. Anything smaller is unviable and almost always fails. For instance, Smartbike DC in Washington DC failed to exist with ten stations and 120 cycles. It shut down in a year. Capital Bikeshare replaced it successfully with 1100 cycles connecting a 100 stations. Today, the system has three times as many stations and 2500 cycles. The most successful systems have over 5000 cycles; the largest ones have even more. The system in Hangzhou, the world’s largest, has over 80000 cycles.

Cycle sharing stations should be spaced closely—in a grid of 300m or less—so that users can get a-near-doorstep service. A fully automated system removes the need for staffing at a station. The number of docks in a system (where cycles are locked) is 1.5 to 2 times the number of cycles in operation. A typical station has 12-15 docks. Stations at some important locations, like public transport terminals, can be larger, with 30-50 cycles placed inside an enclosure, accessed through one or more automated control gates.

Technology plays a key role in cycle sharing—from safeguarding cycles from theft, to giving real time information to users as well as operators. Chips embedded in a smart card or tag (issued at the time of registration) allow users to unlock cycles from automated stations and docking points. Users get information on station location as well as availability of cycles through web based portals and mobile applications. Operators use the data collected to redistribute cycles from saturated stations to empty ones to ensure availability at all locations. Data also helps in planning future expansion of the system.

The overall appearance of the cycle is a key element in the branding of a cycle sharing system. It should project a sleek, modern image. Cycle should have specially designed parts and sizes to discourage theft. Operators must conduct regular and frequent maintenance of cycles. A cycle with a flat tyre or a broken chain is of no use. Users should be able to notify an operator if a cycle needs repair with just a push of a button at a station. For instance, the maintenance team should clean the cycles and inflate tyres every alternate day. Once every fortnight, things like drive chain lubrication and functioning of brakes should be checked. Once a year, a full overhaul is recommended.

Public cycle sharing cyle parts

The overall appearance of the cycle is a key element in the branding of a cycle sharing system.

What cycle sharing is not

Cycle sharing is often confused with cycle rental systems. Cycle sharing is a technology-based self-service system that differs in significant ways from the traditional commuting or tourism-oriented rental services that are present in many parts of India. Shared cycles give the user flexibility to pick and drop a cycle at any station, encouraging short trips and providing last mile connectivity. Rentals are small scale businesses with pricing models that encourage longer trips. Users have to return the cycle where they picked it up from.

Cycle sharing systems are also not a replacement for large-scale cycle distribution schemes. These programs, generally aimed at rural users, have a strong focus on poverty alleviation. It is important to recognize that cycle sharing is not necessarily for the poorest of the poor, but an alternative for short trips done by paratransit, bus, or walking. Many low-income residents already own and use cycles because they cannot afford to use any other mode, even public transport. A critical aim of cycle sharing is to attract new users who would not otherwise use cycles. By broadening the cycle user base and raising the profile of cycling in a city, cycle sharing can build a constituency for improved cycle infrastructure, which benefits all cyclists, rich and poor alike.

What is the future of cycle sharing in India? 

Over the past decade, there have been over a dozen experiments—all of them very small in size—in various parts of India. Some were non-profit enterprises; others were commercially driven. Many were, at best, cycle rentals; others were just advertising contracts in the garb of cycle sharing. It would be a fair to say that there is not a single shared cycle in operation in India at present.

In 2012, on behalf of the Ministry of Urban Development (Government of India), the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) prepared a planning toolkit for India cities on public cycle sharing systems. The Ministry has been actively encouraging cities to adopt this idea. A positive sign is the large number of cities that were selected in the first round of the India Smart Cities Challenge identified cycle sharing as a key initiative in their proposals.

Cycle sharing is an idea whose time has come in India. Many Indian cities are at an advanced stage of planning, or even implementation. According to calculations by ITDP, the top hundred Indian cities should have invested by the year 2031 in over over six hundred thousand shared cycles—along with many other sustainable transport facilities—to become truly smart. It remains to be seen if India will emulate the success of its neighbour, China!

The article was first published in Urbana World, May-Jun 2016.

Towards Great Streets: Pune launches Urban Street Design Guidelines

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Mr Deshpande, a 63-year-old resident of Pune — a metropolitan city in a western Maharashtra — wishes he could take his 4-year-old granddaughter Anaika for a leisurely stroll on the streets outside his home. However, the fear of wading through traffic due to the absence of footpaths on most streets in the city has robbed him of this simple pleasure. Even where footpaths do exist, he fears knocking his own knees while climbing on and off them, and also fears the possibility of his granddaughter running into a utility box sometimes placed in the middle of a footpath.

While strolling on the city’s streets is a desirable activity for Mr Deshpande, for many individuals in Pune and most other Indian cities, the ability to walk and cycle safely is essential to earn a living and access education. In most Indian streets, more than a third of all trips are made on foot and cycle every day. All public transport users also generally walk at the start and end of their journeys. Yet, walking and cycling have turned into undesirable adventure sports in our cities.

To restore the dignity of all road users other than just the drivers, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has developed a unique set of Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) which give clear priority to walking, cycling, and public transport. By setting standards for the elements of street design and providing a collection of street design templates catering to the needs of all road users, this manual illustrates how good design can transform Pune’s streets into safer and more livable public spaces. It clearly breaks away from the implicitly assumed paradigm that ‘streets are for vehicles’.

Access hierarchy by mode - Infographic - low res

The launch of the manual comes in the wake of rapid urbanisation that has resulted in the streets of Pune getting clogged with more and more vehicular traffic every passing year. The drastic increase in motor vehicles, especially two wheelers has pushed pedestrians and cyclists to the very edge of the street, with footpaths most often disappearing from the street section. On the few streets where footpaths dos exist, speeding motorists driving on them during peak hours is a common sight. Once a ‘cycle city’, Pune has now deteriorated into a heavily ‘motorised city.’

Apart from pedestrians and cyclists, the needs of public transport users are also ignored. Finding space to locate bus stops and manoeuvring city buses through the heavy traffic have become increasingly challenging. Poor allocation of street space for walking, cycling, and public transport has made it extremely inconvenient to use these sustainable modes of transport — leading to a dip in their modal share. Over the last five years, cycling mode share has reduced by half while public transport use has fallen by a quarter.

Keen to rewrite street hierarchy by putting pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users at the top, PMC with support from private consultant VK:a architecture [1] [2] [3] developed the manual. The preparation of this document was very closely guided and reviewed by the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) as well as Pedestrians First (a local NGO). The process, which witnessed enthusiastic participation from different levels of PMC officers — right from the junior engineers to the Commissioner — was unprecedented in the Pune Corporation.

The manual aims to support the transformation of all streets in the city into ‘complete streets’ with wide and continuous footpaths, safe crossings, separate cycle tracks (on selected streets), organised on-street parking, and uniform carriageways. It establishes the proposed street typology for Pune, offers detailed guidance on designing different types of street elements — including safety elements and multi-utility zone elements — along with a set of detailed drawing templates for designing streets and intersections. The final section provides insights into the processes involved in the design and implementation of street design projects.

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Caption: A design template from the USDG illustrating section and detailing for 15 m right of way

This simple and easy-to-use manual is a handy reference for planners and designers working on street design as well as for PMC engineers carrying out execution on-site. The manual simplifies street design into a three step process: Determine the available right-of-way, identify the character of the street from the surrounding land uses, and finally choose the correspondingly right template. With a total of 50 templates and right-of way (ROW) ranging from 6m to 60m including sections with bus rapid transit (BRT), the guide provides references for all possible street sections.

The launch of the manual comes at the most opportune time for Pune. The PMC, with support from ITDP is focused on implementing sustainable solutions in the city. With all new road construction and repairs guided by the USDG, Pune’s streets will soon be transformed into great people-friendly public spaces, which promote and encourage walking, cycling and public transport.  

Download the document here.

Pune boosts its ‘Sustrans’ Initiatives: Hosts Smart City Anniversary Celebrations

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One of India’s fastest growing business and IT hubs, Pune has been constantly planning and executing sustainable initiatives even before India envisaged the Smart City Mission. For many Indian cities, the national initiative is its first step towards sustainability. However, for Pune, the mission acted as a catalyst. It significantly boosted confidence of the city administration, who not only fast tracked implementation of existing projects, but also expanded their scope and added many new projects to the city’s kitty. The city is making rapid progress in expanding its bus rapid transit (BRT) network, strengthening its public transportation system and implementing projects to make its streets pedestrian and cyclist friendly.

On account of its successes, late June 2016, Pune was selected as the destination for the first anniversary celebrations of India’s smart city mission. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who graced the occasion, launched 84 projects across 20 smart cities. Of these projects, 14 were from Pune. The new projects will give the city the required thrust to make IT based improvements in its public transport system.

Pune’s high quality mass transit system—Rainbow BRT, launched in September 2015—is witnessing constant expansion. The city is exploring ways to converge different funding sources and further strengthen the system. While a new 8 km corridor is planned under Smart City’s area based development in Aundh-Baner-Balewadi region (ABB), the city’s progressive 2016-17 budget has allocated funding for two more corridors, which will expand the Rainbow network by 15 km. In addition, the “pilot” BRT corridors will be redesigned with “Rainbow” style median stations to provide level boarding.

A Rainbow BRT bus enters a station equipped with safe access ramps that allows everybody, especially the elderly and the differently able, to use the system.

Similarly, the city bus service is also undergoing a massive transformation. The city is investing heavily on expanding its fleet size—by almost doubling the operational fleet. Pune’s existing bus fleet of  about 2,055 buses will be augmented with an addition of 1550 buses by 2017—to achieve 25% of total trips by public transport. As part of the Smart City Mission, Pune will improve bus services through ITMS and real-time tracking of all its buses. A central control centre will monitor driving quality of buses and services at all levels. The city has also embarked on developing websites, mobile apps,  and passenger information systems to give commuters critical information on expected time of arrival of buses and schedules. A common mobility card—‘Mobility Integration (MI)’—has been launched to enable cash-free payments on public transport systems.

The city is also looking towards improving conditions for its pedestrians and cyclists. Most arterial roads in the city will be redesigned as ‘Complete Streets’—including 45 km of streets in the ABB region under the smart city proposal and 100 km of streets across the city through PMC budget. To re-establish its cycling culture, Pune is developing a cycle plan for the city, with an objective of increasing the cycling modal share from today’s 9% to 25% by 2031. A bicycle sharing system is also proposed in the ABB region. To ensure that quality remains consistent during the planning, designing and implementation of its non-motorised transport initiatives, the city is setting up a street design cell, as well as adopting a pedestrian policy and urban street design guidelines.

Pune’s commitment to improving mobility is placing the city as a leader in India, on sustainable transport and development. By embracing the direction set by the national mission and expanding its scope across the city using both national and city funding, Pune is setting a benchmark for all other cities in the Indian urban panorama.

Cover picture source: www.punesmartcity.in

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‘Smart City’ gives wings to Ranchi’s urban dreams

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Ranchi, capital of Jharkand- one of India’s youngest states, is taking incredible strides to transform itself into a livable, healthy, and sustainable city  in a very short span of time. With focus on improving the quality of life for its citizens, Ranchi is embracing people-centric planning practices including strengthening public transport services, implementing a progressive parking management system and adopting transit-oriented development principles for urban planning. These efforts were reflected in the city’s Smart City Proposal (SCP), which was selected in the fast-tracked second round of India’s Smart City Mission in May 2016.

Originally, Ranchi was not among the first twenty cities to be selected under the Smart City Mission. The proposal, which selected a greenfield development with focus mainly on drinking water, sanitation, sewage and solid waste management, failed to address the challenges of urban mobility posed by Ranchi’s rapidly growing urban population.

Until recently, the city’s transport problems were on the back burner. Although half of all the trips in the city are made on foot or cycle, footpaths and cycling lanes are almost non-existent. In the absence of a formal bus service, high polluting and unsafe informal paratransit caters to two thirds of all the motorised trips. Further, the limited financial capacity of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has been a major hindrance in changing the status quo.

However, in mid 2015, the city began to take its first steps towards a sustainable transport transformation. RMC assumed responsibility of overseeing city bus operations and is working towards expanding and improving the service. The city has also initiated the process to adopt a progressive parking policy to tackle traffic congestion. To test the policy, the city is working towards implementing priced parking on a heavy traffic commercial zone. The parking prices, which are pegged to parking demand, are approximately four times higher than the current rates. Building on these initial steps, Ranchi’s revised SCP, improved with technical inputs from ITDP, embraced multiple sustainable transport initiatives.

Ranchi-July16-existing

Ranchi-July16-proposed

Caption:The rendering (above) shows the proposed design of a major intersection, Albert Ekka Chowk (existing photo), on the Main road in Ranchi—with all elements of a complete street.

Over the next five years, Ranchi aims to increase its modal share of public transport to 50% by expanding its bus fleet by more than five times—from existing 65 buses to almost 375 buses. An intelligent traffic management system will help improve efficiency and service of its bus fleet. Further, to provide comfortable access to its public transport and encourage walking and cycling in the city, Ranchi aims to redesign 31.5 km of its streets as ‘Complete Streets’ with wide, safe and continuous footpaths, safe crossing facilities, clearly demarcated parking bays, and uniform carriageways.

The greenfield area based development is proposed to adopt a transit-oriented development (TOD) approach with dense, mixed-use neighbourhoods planned along frequent, fast, and reliable high capacity mass transport lines. The smart city proposal reinforces the city’s intention to curb private vehicle use by managing parking through market-based pricing.

With definite funding from the national and state governments towards these tangible improvements planned in the city, Ranchi is en route to transforming itself into a sustainable and equitable city. ITDP is a proud partner to the city in its mission to embrace this bright future.

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Nashik celebrates the bicycle with its first ‘Cycle Day’

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“I have been riding a bicycle for years, but this is the first time somebody respected me and honoured me for this.” These were the words of Kiran Nikam, an industrial worker, when he was greeted with a rose for riding a bicycle on 26th April, the first ‘Cycle Day’ in Nashik. The ‘Cycle Day’, a joint effort by the Marathi newspaper Sakal, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and ITDP, is a part of the larger movement to promote non-motorised transport (NMT) as a safe, comfortable way of commuting around the city.

Nashik, situated in north-west Maharashtra, is witnessing rapid motorization and congestion, but like other Indian cities, lacks good infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. ITDP has been working with NMC to promote a transportation paradigm where the focus is on public transportation, pedestrians and bicycles. To achieve this end, there needs to be a visible demand for these facilities with elevation of the social status of bicycles and public transport.

When ITDP and Sakal discussed how to build support for cycling and raise demand for better cycling infrastructure, Sakal proposed a ‘Cycle Day’, which would in turn encourage the next generation to use cycles as a safe and acceptable mode for commuting. The team from Sakal headed by editor Shrimant Mane handled the outreach and community engagement, with support from NMC and technical assistance from ITDP.

The initiative kicked off with a pre-event launch on April 12th, which was attended by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Nashik, officials from other important government departments and notable residents of the city, who extended their support to the initiative. “NMC is committed to safety of cyclists, and I personally support the need to create the necessary infrastructure,” said Ashok Murtadak, the Mayor.

As a run-up to the event, a 12 km Cycle Rally was conducted on Sunday, April 24th, and the wide media outreach by Sakal helped in getting a turnout of about 250 enthusiastic cyclists- school children, men and women of all ages, and even the Mayor riding the entire course with the participants. A member of Nashik Cyclist Association joined the rally after completing a long-distance ‘brevet’ of 200 km the previous night, and Sanjay Gaay, a person with special needs also completed the rally on his tricycle. With the conclusion of the successful rally, the Mayor announced that NMC would create a bicycle friendly greenway this year.

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The cycle rally saw a turnout of about 250 enthusiastic cyclists of all ages and backgrounds.

After the right spirit created ahead of the Cycle Day, people used the Monday to borrow bikes or dust theirs off, to make sure that they are seen riding one on Tuesday and their efforts certainly paid off : the Cycle Day recorded  a 26 percent increase in cyclists as compared to a normal day. (This data was gathered from surveys that ITDP conducted at critical locations along with volunteers from ‘Young Inspirator’s Network’.)

NMC-AddlComm-officers

Cycle Day saw widespread participation from both government workers and private sector companies.

Government employees across various ranks pedaled their way to work to send the right signal to the people, the private sector was not too far behind with many companies ceremoniously welcoming employees who cycled to work, and even some school teachers cycled 30 km to work on a hot summer day.

With the passion that cyclists showed on the Cycle Day and the backing received from NMC, it is evident that the city still loves the bicycle, and ITDP is optimistic that Nashik will soon see serious investments on bicycle-friendly infrastructure to pave the way to a cleaner, healthier city.

 

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Citizens want safer streets and greener spaces for a better Coimbatore

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DB Road and NSR Road are two of busiest streets in Coimbatore, where one can often see pedestrians fighting for space with vehicles. But every Sunday morning, thanks to car-free days, such scenes are replaced with those of citizens walking, cycling and playing. Initiated in August 2015, car-free Sundays have not only provided a new form of public space for people to unwind, they have also  brought together various organisations working on improving Coimbatore and helped initiate dialogue on different issues in the city.

Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC) is one such citizen organisation. Along with Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, Coimbatore City Police and ITDP, RAAC was a founding partner of Namma Kovai Namakke (‘Our Coimbatore for Ourselves’), a campaign to create people-friendly streets in Coimbatore. In conversation with ITDP, R Raveendran, from RAAC, speaks about what residents want for Coimbatore. Responses have been translated from Tamil and have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Coimbatore has seen rapid growth in traffic over the past few years. What can the city do to address this concern?

The concept of traffic jams in Coimbatore was unheard of, even a few years ago. But of late, there are traffic jams that last an hour or more. In this context, project such as car-free Sundays and better streets for walking and cycling are timely interventions.

Giving importance to pedestrians is a novel idea in Coimbatore, and people support this idea. Before this, we didn’t know concepts like pedestrian movement and walkability. People ended up walking on busy streets, sharing space with vehicles. With car-free days, children can now play on the streets. Residents have realised the importance of walking as well.

Namma Kovai Namakke has been very well received in Coimbatore. Tell us more about what makes this campaign a success.

Streets become highly energetic on car-free Sundays, new friendships are being formed, and  the image of the city itself has been transformed. The cultural activities are a great hit, with many schools coming forward on their own to organise dance, drawing and other activities. Laughter clubs are popular with the older crowd. Walking and fitness activities are popular among all ages. For children who have forgotten or never experienced the idea of playing on the streets, car-free Sundays provide a place to kick a football and run around.

Within a short time, the city has expanded car-free Sundays from DB Road to NSR Road. How has the event been received in the second location? What makes this one different?

The event on NSR Road is also getting a lot of attention. With new activities like street magic, flash mobs and street music planned every week, people have something new to look forward to. Often, there are popular chief guests who come in. This also draws many people.

How have car-free Sundays helped in engaging people in the city-building process, in initiating a dialogue on different social issues in Coimbatore?

With car-free Sundays, residents now have a platform to talk about these issues. Many community  organisations meet during the car-free Sundays to discuss common problems. The message that people want better footpaths has come out strongly in the event. Even for other social issues like voter awareness or disability rights, the event has become a platform where different people can communicate with each other as well as with the government.

What kind of public space improvements do you look forward to in Coimbatore? What public transport improvements do residents want in the city?

Coimbatore has been selected for funding under the Smart City Mission, and we hope that better footpaths on all roads, with features like good lighting, will be a part of the project. Work to redevelop six roads with better footpaths has already been initiated by the municipal corporation, in collaboration with ITDP.

We look forward to redevelopment of the lakes and creation of cycling tracks. Cycling is becoming increasingly popular here and streets needs to be made safer for cyclists. Such projects are not too expensive and should be a part of the government budget and implemented quickly. To address traffic congestion, we hope that the city develops a mass transit system that will help reduce use of personal motor vehicles.

What other projects do you work on? How does Namma Kovai Namakke fit in with your overall vision for Coimbatore?

We work on many projects like source segregation of waste, increasing green cover, developing parks and improving roads. We conduct activities related to restoring forests and rivers, and improving the quality of life in the city. We want the city to develop in a positive way, and initiatives like Namma Kovai Namakke help the cause.

Car-free days are held every Sunday, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., on DB Road, TV Swamy Road, as well as NSR Road in Coimbatore. All are welcome. For more information, log on to https://www.facebook.com/NammaKovaiNamakke.

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Coimbatore delegation visits Chennai: Understands best practices in street design

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As Coimbatore looks at developing 13 km of streets as ‘Model Roads’ in the city featuring high quality pedestrian environment, a team comprising officials from the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation along with empanelled architects visited Chennai for a detailed knowledge-sharing session with their peers from the Greater Chennai Corporation on 23 February.

The team, comprising of four engineers and ten architects from Coimbatore, visited various streets developed in Chennai as part of the ongoing Chennai Street Design project. ITDP facilitated the site visits and discussions with support from the Greater Chennai Corporation and local partner, Chennai City Connect Foundation.

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City officials from Chennai explained various site-specific details to the visiting engineers and architects.

Over the course of the day-long program, participants visited various streets in the city and noted key design features, such as continuous footpaths at property entrances, location of bus stops, and pedestrian crossings, all of which contribute to a safe walking environment. City engineers from Chennai showcased various construction details and stressed the need for contextual design solutions that accommodate existing utilities and landscape elements. Key implementation barriers like managing parking and street vending were also discussed.

These site visits were followed by a presentation by ITDP on best practices in street design. Mr. L. Nandakumar, Superintending Engineer (Roads, Works & Bridges), Greater Chennai Corporation, outlined the various processes adopted in Chennai to build public support for better streets. In addition, he also detailed out the construction and implementation challenges faced in Chennai and how these were resolved. Subsequent discussions saw active participation from the visiting delegation, who provided positive feedback on this program.

Learnings from these site visits and discussions will directly contribute to the street design processes underway in Coimbatore, where important streets like DB Road, TV Swamy Street, NSR Road, Sanganoor Road, Race Course Road and Masakalipalayam Road are to be redeveloped at an estimated cost Rs. 26 crore. 

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DB Road in Coimbatore (left) is proposed to be redeveloped into a pedestrian-friendly street with wide, continuous footpaths (right).

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Chennai Celebrates Walking at the Sustainia Award Ceremony

Safe and wide footpaths in Chennai

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For the past several years, the city of Chennai has been taking bold, rational, and consistent steps towards a sustainable future. New footpaths are making walking more accessible for city residents. The Corporation introduced new capacity building programs for municipal engineers. A new Car Free Sunday initiative is engaging more residents to explore their city on foot. And the progressive non-motorised transport policy adopted by the city, which allocates 60% of transport funding for non-motorized transport, has inspired many national and international cities to adopt similar policies.

For this comprehensive approach to improving sustainable transport, the Corporation of Chennai has been recognized with the 2015 Sustainia Award, presented by the Danish think tank, Sustainia. The Sustainia Awards identify innovative and demonstrated sustainable solutions from across the world. Chennai’s Street Design Project was selected as the best solution of 2015 for transforming Chennai from a car-centric to a people-friendly city and addressing safety concerns and air pollution in one go.

The award was originally presented on December 6th at the Paris Climate Conference, and was received by ITDP CEO Clayton Lane on behalf of the city. Chennai officials were unable to attend the event, as they were responding to torrential rains that hit Chennai in early December 2015. ITDP has been one of the principal partners on the project. On January 23rd, the Corporation of Chennai, ITDP, the Chennai City Connect, and numerous partners came together to celebrate the success of the project.

“The city has set a new example in the country by prioritising people over cars with the adoption of the non-motorized transport policy,” said Saidai Duraisamy, the proud Mayor of Chennai, as he received the award from Clayton Lane.

(Left) The Mayor of Chennai receiving the award from Clayton Lane (Right) Clayton Lane receiving the Sustania award on behalf of Chennai at the Paris award ceremony.

These new policies are necessary to combat the decline in walking and cycling in the city in recent years. “The mode share of vehicles and two wheelers have rapidly increased. Although this is a sign of economic development, it is also a matter of concern due to the rising level of pollution and road accidents. We need to work towards becoming a safer, healthier city,” stated Vikram Kapur, former Commissioner of Chennai, during whose term many projects promoting non-motorised transport were initiated.

The heightened risk of air pollution was further stressed by B Chandra Mohan, Commissioner of Chennai, who added that pollution is a problem that can wait no longer. To this end, Clayton Lane emphasized the major impact sustainable transport can have, citing ITDP research showing how “a considerable switch to walking and cycling can reduce these emissions in half.”

The speakers highlighted that the street design process needs to be balanced and include the needs of all stakeholders who are an integral part of the cityscape.

Everyone needs to come together to build a walkable Chennai, and the event brought together people who contributed to the cause in various ways—architects who assisted the city in street design, community agencies, academic institutions, media partners and the traffic police—who were felicitated at the event.

While Chennai has taken the first steps towards developing a people centric city, the next challenge will be addressing the encroachment onto footpaths by parked vehicles, and the stakeholders gathered for the Sustania Award celebration took some time to discuss best practices in parking regulation and management. “Parking is like a magnet that attracts more cars. Providing more parking is not the solution to tackle this problem,” asserted Shreya Gadepalli, Regional Director, ITDP India, as she presented some of the myths associated with on-street and off-street parking along with progressive solutions.

The panel discussion saw active participation from Kavitha Selvaraj, C.R.Narayana Rao architects; Rajesh Gurumurthy from JLL India; Dr. Sumanthran, executive committee member of Chennai City Connect; Vikram Kapur; and Clayton Lane; who all agreed on the importance of enforcing and regulating parking.

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1 parking space occupies the same space as an affordable housing unit. What should we prioritize, parking or people?

Spurred on by the successes of the non-motorized transport movement, progress on new issues looks hopeful. With strong political will and a collaborative effort from different stakeholders and policy makers, Chennai looks all set to walk into a sustainable future.

Presentation on Parking Basics 

More pictures  of the Sustania event

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InFocus: Building climate resilience through transport

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ITDP brings you news from around the world about sustainable transport and urban development. The past year was interesting, specially in India. Chennai’s NMT transformation, to Delhi’s odd-even car-restriction scheme, to Burdwan’s car-free days, change was in the air!

The Conference of Parties summit – popularly called COP21- held in Paris last December, saw the nations committing to maintain an increase in the world’s temperature at less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, ‘If we don’t hang together, assuredly, we shall hang separately”.

Transport accounts for a staggering 23 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions. There is NO WAY we can redress the situation without changing the way we travel.  A large-scale, planned movement towards non-motorised, and public, transportation seems the only practicable way out. Let us see what Indian cities have been trying out, lately :

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Coimbatore’s car-free Sundays spark demand for better pedestrian facilities

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Over the last four months, as more than one lakh citizens have stepped into the streets on car-free Sundays transforming the city’s thoroughfares into vibrant public spaces, Coimbatore residents have started strongly calling for better pedestrian facilities in the city. The dramatic success of Coimbatore’s car-free Sundays has proved that there is demand for pedestrian infrastructure, and has encouraged civic authorities to begin implementing more permanent changes on ground. As a first step, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has begun—redesigning and construction of city’s main roads with wider footpaths. In addition, the city plans to expand the car-free event to other areas such as Race Course Road.

Coimbatore’s car-free Sunday has been a huge success, and is bringing the city national attention. The comprehensive effort by CCMC was recently honored with the Best Project Award, Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) category, by India’s National Ministry of Urban Development. The national award was received by CCMC Commissioner K Vijayakarthikeyan at the Eighth Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo, 2015 held at New Delhi. Of the 40 cities that sent in entries, Coimbatore emerged the winner, recognizing both the success of the program and it’s potential to be replicated in cities across India

For decades, transport planning in India has focused on improving conditions for private vehicles at the expense of safe footpaths and cycling facilities. However, in most Indian cities at least a third of all daily trips are made by foot or cycle. In Coimbatore, rapid urbanisation is placing increasingly high pressure on the existing infrastructure. Until recently, the response to these pressures has been to widen roads and propose more flyovers, while the welfare of pedestrians and cyclists was often overlooked.

Fortunately, the success of car-free Sunday is transforming this paradigm. By creating a new platform for citizens to assert their right over the city’s public spaces, the program is sparking interest in better footpaths and safer streets. The initiative, which brought together other partners including Coimbatore City Police, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC) and the Times of India, helped generate the political backing for a comprehensive programme of pedestrian improvements.

Recently, the Coimbatore Council approved redesigning 13 km of streets in the city with wide and continuous footpaths. Gathering architects for the design of these streets is already in progress, and ITDP India will continue to play a role in the process. The Corporation is also creating a network of greenways along the city’s water bodies. Work is in progress on walkways along Perur Lake, while the edges of Ukkadam-Valan Kulam lake are being cleaned and beautified. Besides the construction of new footpaths, the Corporation has also set a goal of building raised pedestrian crossings outside 80 schools and redesigning two intersections for improved safety by August 2016.

(Left) Existing and (Right) Proposed pedestrian facilities on DB Road, Coimbatore

Car-free Sundays in Coimbatore reclaim only 2km of streets from traffic. However, even this modest beginning has made citizens realise the joy of walking on their streets and empowering them to voice their demand for better pedestrian facilities. With national leaders taking notice and local leaders taking action, Coimbatore’s non motorised future now looks promising. The vision of reclaiming the city for its people—Namma Kovai Namakke—is becoming a reality.

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