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Chandigarh Master Plan 2031: City Beautiful set to get 11 green corridors for cyclists, pedestrians
The UT administration has already initiated work on two green corridors -- Khudda Ali Sher-Rajendra Park-Sector 2 to Butrela-Badheri villages and Khudda Ali Sher to Garden of Spring in Sector 53, as part of the pilot project.
Soon you can soak in the greenery of City Beautiful while cycling or walking through the city as the UT administration is all set to come up 11 vertical green corridors, as part of the Chandigarh master plan 2031.
The UT administration has already initiated work on two green corridors -- Khudda Ali Sher-Rajendra Park-Sector 2 to Butrela-Badheri villages and Khudda Ali Sher to Garden of Spring in Sector 53, as part of the pilot project.
The Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) Limited, in its recently submitted report, had also recommended that though Chandigarh has a dedicated 210km cycle track network and a public bike-sharing system, it needs to integrate the two to encourage more people to switch to cycling. The report had stated that 40% of Chandigarh residents were not satisfied with the facilities provided for non-motorised transport (NMT), such as walking and cycling.
A senior administration official said, “We have already initiated the process on two green corridors and are examining the site feasibility, which will take around a couple of months. We are hopeful of completing the pilot project within a year. Each green corridor will be around 10 km.”
The total length of the corridors will be around 60km.
Besides, underpasses are also being proposed across major vehicular V2 and V3 roads along green corridors to enable constant contact with nature for pedestrians and cyclists without having to merge with vehicular movement, he added.
Cycling policy to be notified in Jan next year
Smart City Limited, which has prepared the draft for the cycle policy, will now be seeking public comments for notification. Drafted in March last year, the policy proposed a host of suggestions to upgrade infrastructure, give priority to cyclists in traffic for safe movement and encourage employees to cycle to work, besides other perks.
Chief executive officer (CEO) of Smart City Limited, Anindita Mitra said, “We are hopeful of notifying the policy in January next year and are seeking public comments, which will be incorporated in the draft. Promotion of cycling as a means of travelling can contribute towards sustainable urban travel.”
