Two novel proposals – longer pedestrian walkways and pedestrian-only roads on certain days of the week – make the latest draft of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Bengaluru Metropolitan Area significantly different from its four-year-old predecessor. CMP has been prepared to chalk out short and long-term plans for solving the city’s traffic mess.
Click here for the full summary of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2019
But unlike previous proposals that paid little or no attention to non-motorised transport, namely pedestrians and cyclists, the new draft CMP has specified pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Whether this is integrated into the larger scheme and is sufficient, is open for debate. The proposals are:
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Elevated walkways
Under its Multi-Modal Mobility Plan, the CMP has proposed a novel concept for Bengaluru in the form of 10 elevated walkways of 300 meter to 1500 meter, costing Rs 10 crore each, at 10 locations. The aim is to provide better connectivity between metro, railway and bus stations. While five are proposed in the second phase, five more are planned for the third phase.
The only precedent for such non-motorised mobility in the country is in Mumbai. Bengaluru’s planners believe this will improve access to metro stations from key economic centres and will thereby increase ridership in public transport systems.
The ten locations where elevated walkways are proposed:
- Vijayanagar Metro to TTMC
- Banashankari Metro to TTMC
- Kengeri Metro to KSRTC Bus Stand
- Kengeri Metro to New Kengeri Township
- Yeshwantpur Metro to East of Railway Station
- Yeshwantpur Metro to Railway Station
- Gyanbharati Metro to Railway Station
- Sandal Soap Factory Metro to Yeshwantpur TTMC to IISc
- KR Puram Metro to North of Railway Station
- Konappana Agrahara Metro to BMTC Station
[flexiblemap src=”http://data.opencity.in/Data/Bengaluru-CMP-2019-Elevated-Walkways.kml” width=”100%” height=”500px” ]
Map: Indicative locations proposed for elevated walkways
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Pedestrian-only streets
The non-motorised section of CMP recommends eight streets having significant pedestrian density and commercial establishments, to be declared as pedestrian-only streets on Saturdays, Sundays, other holidays and special days. HSR Layout has tried this out with good success in the past, as has MG Road on a couple of occasions. The proposed eight pedestrian-only streets are:
- Gandhi Bazar Main Road between KR Road and DVG Road
- 10th Main Road adjacent to Jayanagar Shopping Complex
- Russel Market Road
- Commercial Street, from Kamraj Road to Juma Masjid Road
- Brigade Road, from MG Road to Residency Road
- Church Street, from St Marks Road to Brigade Road
- Between 7th Cross and 10th Cross Malleshwaram
- Malleshwaram 8th Cross, between Margosa Road and 18th Sampige Road
[flexiblemap src=”http://data.opencity.in/Data/Bengaluru-CMP-2019-Pedestrian-Streets.kml” width=”100%” height=”500px” ]
Map: Indicative locations proposed for pedestrian-only streets
Other proposals for non-motorised transport include:
- 548 kms of footpath to be constructed with 174 kms of cycle track (all this on 103 kms of Tender Sure Roads, a concept that is being implemented on certain roads in the city)
- 550 hubs identified for public bicycle sharing
- 30 intermodal interchange stations proposed in places where two or more public transit corridors intersect
with increased vehicular traffic on bangalore roads pedestrians are totally neglected.
there is total lack of concern for pedestrian safety & comfort. Bangalore administration should plan & execute properly laid wide foot paths & pedestrian crossings all over the city so that people of all ages , including senior citizens can comfortably walk a mile or two. Foot paths should be completely encroachment free & pedestrian crossings should have automatic signals & self glow Zebra stripes.
Benches to be provided on foot paths for resting.
Diagonal crossing with “hooter” at all traffic junctions for pedastrian crossing should b implemented.
If realised this can solve the problem of last mile connectivity to a major extent.