[sustran] Re: Make room for cycles, urges India's govt

[Carlosfelipe Pardo]

Thanks for this info. It's funny to read the statement which says

>"Such tracks can be kept only where there is lots of space. Mumbai is overcrowded....experience tells us  such >tracks become places hawkers and not many use cycles,"

Regarding space availability, I was once in Mumbai and, at least where I saw, there is plenty of space for pedestrians, bicycles, and even pedestrian islands (the attached may prove my point, and show the current situation for pedestrians). Maybe the point of view of the official assumes that the space needed would be additional to that currently used for motorized vehicles. Again, the typical expression of "we are afraid it will be chaos if we take that space away", and the underlying assumption that what is needed is more infrastructure supply to relieve congestion.

Another example, which I may have mentioned: In the initial designs of the BRT for Bangkok, some of the engineers designed the stations, the exclusive lanes and the car lanes, but thought there was no space for a sidewalk, so did not include them in the design. Once one of the project managers asked them who would ride the BRT, he had the insight that pedestrians are the main customers of the BRT... it was a big issue to regain some space for pedestrians, since traffic police need to approve it. Thankfully, the current designs include sidewalks.

Best regards,

Carlos.



Rajendra A (HindustanTimes) wrote:
> Make room for cycles, urges Centre 
>   Dedicated lanes for pedestrians, pedal pushers recommended in new
>  urban road projects 
>   Rajendra Aklekar
> Mumbai, April 12  
>
> IN AN environment friendly move to promote non-powered modes of
>  transport, the Union Ministry of
> Urban Development has recommended dedicated paths for pedestrians and
>  bicycles in new projects. 
> A letter to the chief secretaries of all states sent by M.
>  Ramachandran, secretary to the
> Government of India, underlines the importance of congestion-free,
>  nonpolluting transport. 
>
> It said: "Every public transport user is a pedestrian and no public
>  transport trip is complete
> without a pedestrian trip. Pedestrians and cyclists use the least space
>  on the road and are the
> most environment friendly modes of transport. Whatever roads are being
>  built, new or widened,
> enough provision should be made for dedicated paths for pedestrians and
>  cycle users. 
>
> "Such provision should be made available wherever possible and if not
>  then the speed of mo torised
> traffic should be limited to 30 kmph." 
>
> The letter, a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times, goes on to add
>  that while preparing the
> master plan, it would be desirable to incorporate a network of tracks
>  for safe cycling between
> homes and schools and work centres. 
>
> "Even flyovers that are being constructed should have proper design for
>  taking care of pedestrians
> and cyclists," said the letter. 
>
> A Transport ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
>  they would examine where
> the tracks could be incorporated in new projects. 
>
> "Such tracks can be kept only where there is lots of space. Mumbai is
>  overcrowded. We will
> implement the recommendations where possible, but experience tells us
>  such tracks become places
> for hawkers and not many use cycles," a Mumbai Metropolitan Region
>  Development Authority official
> said on condition of anonymity. 
>
> rajendra.aklekar at hindustantimes.com 
>
> CYCLING, FAR AND NEAR 
>
> UNITED KINGDOM 
> The UK has a popular National Cycle Network. It offers over 19,200 km
>  of walking and cycle routes;
> 75 per cent of the UK population now lives within 3.2 km of such
>  routes. The network connects
> towns and villages, countryside and coast throughout the United
>  Kingdom. 
>
> IN INDIA
>
> NAVI MUMBAI
> The planners of Navi Mumbai had built dedicated tracks for bicyclists,
>  but as time passed hawkers
> took them over. 
>
> PUNE 
> The Global Environment Facility of the United Nations this week
>  approved a proposal to develop
> 89.6 km of bicycle tracks on roads connecting the Pune Municipal
>  Corporation's Bus Rapid Transit
> System. The Global Environment Facility is an independent financial
>  organisation that provides
> grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global
>  environment.
>
> AHMEDABAD The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation plans exclusive bicycle
>  tracks on the Bus Rapid
> Transit System route to be functional by 2009. The cycle tracks will be
>  along the footpath and
> have a width of 2 to 2.5 metres on the Bus Rapid Transit System routes.
>  The tracks will come up on
> both the first and second phase routes, wherever road dimensions
>  permit.
>
>
> ---
> Rajendra Aklekar
> Principal Correspondent, Transport
> Hindustan Times, Mumbai
> HT Media Limited
> --
> 140-4752, Nehru Nagar
> Mumbai, 400024
>
> Mobile: +91 9892 190 761
> Office: 66539200
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>
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