E-Paper
Linear Garden Street tops street assessment survey in Pimpri-Chinchwad
The street assessment framework was based on five guiding principles namely ease of movement, safety, liveability, accessibility and inclusivity, and blue-green infrastructure
As per a six-month-long research project undertaken by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in collaboration with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) towards scaling-up the walking and cycling network in the twin city, Linear Garden Street has topped the street assessment survey owing to its continuous and adequate walking and cycling infrastructure.
Whereas Vishalnagar DP Road, Nigdi Road and D Y Patil Road have notched second, third and fourth position in the survey, respectively. On the other hand, the old Mumbai-Pune Highway, Dighi-Alandi Road, and Hutatma Chowk to Sambhaji Chowk Road (Pradhikaran) have scored the lowest due to their inadequate walking and cycling infrastructure.
The project findings were published as an extensive street assessment report titled ‘Pimpri-Chinchwad on Foot and Cycle’ in the recently concluded Smart Cities Mission’s national workshop on ‘Streets and Urban Spaces’ hosted by the PCMC. According to the ITDP, 13 streets across Pimpri-Chinchwad were studied and around 1,850 citizens, including 1,300 pedestrians and 140 cyclists, were interviewed. The street assessment framework was based on five guiding principles namely ease of movement, safety, liveability, accessibility and inclusivity, and blue-green infrastructure.
The report provides a detailed assessment of each street, and pinpoints the gaps in infrastructure. Vehicular and illegal vending obstructions on the footpath and cycle track are highlighted as significant walking and cycling deterrents on all the streets. Speeding vehicles are highlighted as the primary road safety concern for pedestrians and cyclists.
About the report, PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “We will soon initiate the pilot implementation of the Harit Setu Master Plan in Pradhikaran. The PCMC is aware that this is a resource-extensive project. Hence, to ensure the success of this project, the PCMC is keen to adopt a data-informed approach.”
Pranjal Kulkarni, deputy manager at ITDP, said, “The streets in Pimpri-Chinchwad are designed for 30 kmph and 40 kmph speed limits. However, speed surveys on all 13 streets revealed that the average speed recorded is around 50 kmph and breaches safety limits. On the other hand, PCMC has some unsafe junctions, like Pimpri Chowk, Kalewadi Phata, Nashik Phata, Bhosari Chowk that could fit in around 30 badminton courts! Imagine a kid or an elderly person trying to cross the street amid such speeding vehicles.”
Kulkarni further said, “As an implied pat on the back of the corporation, around 91% of the respondents wanted more such streets (like Linear Garden Street) throughout the city. That being said, strict enforcement is the need of the hour in PCMC. Over the last few months, this has been discussed on several platforms in the city. The report has now supported the argument with strong data points. The commissioner and the officials have agreed to take required action to improve user experience.”
Buoyed by the recent wins at the national Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference and the international Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) grant challenge, the PCMC is planning a scale-up of the walking and cycling network in the twin city.
