[sustran] Re: Sustran-discuss Digest, Vol 31, Issue 6

[Sunny]

Hello All,

Finally, Chennai is having its multi-storeyed parking lots. So chennai 
people will be seeing more cars, and even more pollution. When I was in 
chennai there was a city wide project to increase the flyover 
constructions. In a booming metropolitan like Chennai providing gererous 
parking facilties will not do any good for the lower and middle income 
categories especially who depend on the Transit. For a city like chennai 
which has already got a good public transit need to improve the exisitng 
and provide more interactions with the Public rail aka MRTS in Chennai. 
I have seen a good interaction of MRTS in Mylapore but the other 
stations are a bit far from the bus centers. The roads are perfectly fit 
and there is not need for an extension or widening of the roads, because 
more roads will lead to more traffic, induced demand.

In my opinion Chennai has to invest more in their public transit, and 
improve the quality of their buses. if more preseference is given to 
private mobility then the poor will be the most disadvantaged forllowed 
by the disabled and the otehr vulnerable groups. A BRT would be a good 
idea in Chennai especially on the stretch of  Anna Salai (Mount Road) 
extending right from Broadway to the Airport (Tirushulam). Apart from 
investing in public transit CMDA can encourage non-motorised transit 
like walking and cycling. Walking condition in Chennai is not as bad as 
here in Bangkok, where I am writing from. but the levels are dropping at 
a steady pace and this is because of the incentives that people get to 
buy a car and these incentives are both direct, flexible bank loans etc. 
and indirect, more road and parking. A perfect place for pedestrianising 
would be the Pondy Bazaar area where there is lot of shopping activity 
and it is proved by many researches including mine that pedestrianising 
the shopping centers will increase the income for the businesses. 
Pricing for the parking would be a great income for the government which 
in turn can be used for developing the parks or increasing the public 
spaces.

But for all this to happen there has to be 2 main igniting sources. One 
is the local government or the CMDA and the 2nd is the people. Any 
attempt to motivate these two ajor stakeholders will result in a 
sustainable transport in Chennai.

I will be very happy if other members post their comments on the above.

Sunny

---------
Santhosh Kumar K,
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies,
MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY,
Salaya,
Thailand


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>Today's Topics:
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>   1. Bad idea again ? Chennai : CMDA to issue orders for
>      multi-storeyed parking lots (arul rathinam)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:10:35 -0800 (PST)
>From: arul rathinam <arulgreen at yahoo.com>
>Subject: [sustran] Bad idea again ? Chennai : CMDA to issue orders for
>	multi-storeyed parking lots
>To: Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport
>	<sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
>Message-ID: <20060311091035.63344.qmail at web51109.mail.yahoo.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
>CMDA to issue orders for multi-storeyed parking lots 
>
>Special Correspondent - The Hindu
>
>At Broadway bus stand, Panagal Park and Government
>Estate
>
>?  High growth of vehicle ownership in the city 
>?  Authorised parking space is only 5,100 PCE in 161
>stretches 
>?  Multi-storeyed parking lots are no miracle cure,
>say experts 
>?  "Better to adopt different strategies in different
>places"
>
>CHENNAI: After more than a decade of delay, the
>Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is
>finally set to issue orders on setting up
>multi-storeyed parking lots at three locations in the
>city. 
>The announcement of elections though has temporarily
>postponed the launch of the projects. 
>
>Places identified 
>
>According to official sources, the Government agency
>has identified places for setting up the parking lots
>near Broadway bus stand, Panagal Park and Government
>Estate. The mechanised parking lots are aimed at
>decongesting high traffic zones. The on street parking
>at Chennai Corporation-designated parking lots has
>resulted in severe clogging of several commercial
>zones in the city. 
>
>Growing vehicle ownership 
>
>A study on "Parking requirements of Chennai
>Metropolitan Area" carried out by Wilbur Smith
>Associates in 2003 had pointed at the high growth of
>vehicle ownership in the city - from 4 vehicles per
>100 persons in 1981 to 14 per 100 persons in 1991 to
>30 per 100 persons in 2001. 
>
>The peak hour parking demand in the city was
>calculated at around 13,000-passenger car equivalent
>(PCE; which is roughly equal to space needed for
>parking 5,000 cars and 15,000 two wheelers).
>Authorised parking space maintained by Chennai
>Corporation was only 5,100 PCE spread across 161
>stretches. 
>
>In the commercial zones of T. Nagar and Parrys Corner,
>parking demand far exceeded the on street capacity.
>This also led to an average loss in road capacity of
>over 40 per cent. 
>
>The study suggested a comprehensive review of the
>parking policy to address the problem. 
>Private construction firm Mecon India took up a
>detailed study of the proposals for multi storey
>parking lots in six locations in Chennai. 
>
>Three projects at Broadway, Panagal Park and
>Government Estate off Anna Salai are to be taken up
>initially. 
>
>A 3.5-acre land near Broadway bus stand will be
>developed as a four-storeyed parking lot. The
>automated facility will be used for parking over 300
>two wheelers and over 350 cars, besides the buses. 
>
>The facility at Panagal Park will come up on half an
>acre plot within the park premises. 
>
>It will be used for parking close to 300 two-wheelers,
>350 cars and around 20 commercial vehicles. 
>At the Omandurar Government Estate off Anna Salai,
>parking facility will be created for over 400 cars. 
>
>Others places where similar parking facilities are
>being considered include the 4-acre-MUC (Madras United
>Club) grounds in Broadway, and the 0.4-acre MTC depot
>on Pattullous Road. Officials are preparing detailed
>project reports for the proposals. 
>
>Holistic approach 
>
>Experts have maintained that multi-storeyed parking
>lots are no miracle cure and it would be better to
>adopt different strategies in different places. 
>
>The Western countries, especially in Europe, have
>found success in reducing congestion by declaring them
>fully pedestrian zones. 
>
>Vehicles are parked outside the market. 
>
>http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/11/stories/2006031117570300.htm
>
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>SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). Because of the history of the list, the main focus is on urban transport policy in Asia.
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>End of Sustran-discuss Digest, Vol 31, Issue 6
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