MCG plans cycle track along Gurgaon-Faridabad Road

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is planning to survey the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road for setting up cycle tracks along the stretch, officials said on Thursday.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is planning to survey the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road for setting up cycle tracks along the stretch, officials said on Thursday.

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For the upcoming MCG House meeting on November 18, an agenda regarding this has been proposed by Mahesh Dayma, MCG councillor of Ward 30. In the reply section of the agenda list, the MCG answered that commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh has already directed officials to carry out a survey in Ward 30 for setting up cycle tracks.

“Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and MCG, together, are working on setting up cycle tracks across the city. In this regard, work on the cycle track on Gurgaon-Faridabad Road has been taken up by MCG’s engineering wing. Our objective is to bring air pollution levels down through encouraging people to use non-motorised transport modes, such as bicycles, by creating the requisite infrastructure for it,” said Hariom Attri, joint commissioner, MCG.

The entire Gurgaon-Faridabad Road falling within Gurugram is located under MCG’s Ward 30, comprising localities of Bandhwari, Gwal Pahari, Ghata, Baliawas, Ullawas, Bahrampur, sectors 55, 56, 57 and 62.

“The Gurgaon-Faridabad Road is the ideal location for setting up cycle tracks in Gurugram. It is wide enough to accommodate cycle tracks without compromising on the road width. In addition, the road has several slopes and hilly terrains which will make it a major point of attraction for cyclists across NCR. Hence, I included the stretch as one of the areas in my ward where cycle tracks need to be established on an immediate basis,” said Dayma.

Dayma’s agenda also proposed construction of cycle tracks along Golf Course Road (GCR) and between Ullawas and Sohna, along the Aravallis.

Dayma said that with the GMDA already having plans for constructing cycle tracks along GCR, and the MCG not in favour of constructing any concrete track in the Aravallis, the civic body is no longer considering these two options and solely focusing on assessing the feasibility of cycle tracks along Gurgaon-Faridabad Road.

Around 11 kilometres of the 25 kilometres Gurgaon-Faridabad Road fall under Gurugram, while the remaining section falls in Faridabad. MCG officials will be surveying the 11-kilometre section between Khushboo Chowk and the toll plaza for assessing if cycle tracks can be installed there.

“MCG and GMDA are looking at establishing cycle tracks across various parts of the city and undertaking assessment at multiple locations as part of this process. Increasing cycling infrastructure is not only important for health but also vital for safeguarding thousands of residents who choose this as a mode of transport every day,” said a senior MCG official.

Last month, GMDA-MCG had opened the city’s first cycle track between Huda City Centre (HCC) and Subhash Chowk on Sohna Road. During a Raahgiri event, Singh had announced that the MCG will be building two cycle tracks from HCC towards Galleria Market and Vyapar Kendra, respectively, within the month.

MCG also has plans for building a cycle track along St Thomas Marg, between Genpact Chowk on Golf Course Road and Kanhai traffic signal.

Coincidentally, on Thursday, the GMDA also issued a tweet stating that according to their survey, 57% of citizens would cycle to work. As per a GMDA study, 12-15% of residents use cycle as a daily mode of transport on Gurugram roads every day.

“Despite being a state highway, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road has a sizeable number of cyclists riding along the stretch. Hence, building cycle tracks is of great importance on this stretch as it will firstly ensure safe passage for thousands of cyclists and pedestrians, and secondly, also promote and provide an opportunity for others to use non-motorised transport for commuting,” said Sarika Panda Bhatt, co-founder of Raahgiri foundation, a body promoting non-motorised transport.

Raahgiri is working alongside the MCG and GMDA as a consultant for setting up cycle tracks across the city.