In many cities throughout the world, bike lanes are an essential component of sustainable urban transportation. They encourage daily bicycle commuting, reduce traffic, and enhance air quality when properly designed and executed. While dedicated cycle tracks thrive in cities abroad, including Amsterdam, Beijing and many others, dedicated cycling infrastructure has failed to take off in Mumbai despite large investments by urban local governments.
As part of its mobility plan, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which created the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) as a significant commercial business hub, has suggested building bike lanes specifically for cyclists. Improving last-mile connectivity and encouraging ecologically friendly travel were the objectives.In Mumbai, the idea of specialised bike infrastructure initially surfaced in 2009. At a cost of Rs 6 crore, a green cycle track was opened in 2011.
But the project didn’t achieve its goals. Without traffic control and enforcement, motorbike riders soon overtook the track, which was then utilised for parking. Without adequate upkeep or public backing, the bike lane gradually became unusable. A number of organisations, such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), have made bold plans to build a system of bike lanes throughout the city throughout the years.
After 2010, the MMRDA’s urban mobility vision included several bike corridors. The Comprehensive Transportation Study (CTS-2), one of its most important projects, projected that by 2041, Mumbai would have more than 1,000 km of bike lanes. Dedicated lanes along the Western Express Highway and the Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor, which is now under development, were among the proposals. None of these ideas, meanwhile, progressed past the planning phase. The BMC also started its own projects, chief among them the building of a bike path from Sion to Mulund that runs parallel to the Tansa Water Pipeline. This project was implemented at first, but it eventually became neglected and abandoned.
Why are Mumbai’s bike lanes failing?
Although riding has become more and more popular as a kind of exercise both internationally and in Mumbai, the city’s designated bike lanes have mainly fallen short of their goals. Poor planning, insufficient infrastructure, and a lack of public involvement are all blamed for this failure by urban planners and mobility specialists. Mumbai’s ongoing space shortage is a significant problem. Allocating broad, unobstructed areas solely for cyclists is sometimes viewed as extravagant and unnecessary, given that roads are already congested and traffic bottlenecks are a daily occurrence. The lack of a physical barrier between motor vehicles and cyclists, for instance, has resulted in numerous clashes between pedestrians and drivers in places like the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
International design criteria were frequently not met by the constructed bike paths. Uneven surfaces, inadequate signage, and a lack of continuity were frequently complained about. The enabling environment never developed, despite the growing popularity of recreational riding. It was logistically challenging for commuters to ride their bikes every day because there were no designated bike rental services, repair facilities, or safe parking.
Lack of enforcement and encroachment were two other significant problems. Due to a lack of regulatory control, numerous tracks became useless due to pedestrian spillage, parked cars, and street sellers. The notion had not yet found its place in the metropolis.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has made the decision to demolish the Bandra-Kurla Complex’s (BKC) Dedicated Cycle Tracks (DCTs), which are currently mostly inactive, due to the area’s increasing traffic congestion.
The move, which was accepted at a recent MMRDA meeting, is a component of a larger strategy to enhance traffic flow and lessen delays during peak hours in one of Mumbai’s busiest business districts. BKC, which covers 370 hectares, now receives 4 lakh visitors and nearly 2 lakh employees every day. The Sion bridge closure has made matters worse by forcing heavy vehicles to use BKC’s already constrained interior roadways. As a result, the authority has accelerated both short-term and long-term decongestion measures.As part of this plan, sections of the current cycling infrastructure will be converted into additional traffic lanes, increasing road capacity by an estimated 600 to 900 vehicles per lane. For example, some existing two-lane (2+2) roads with 2.7-meter-wide cycle tracks will be expanded to three lanes in each direction (3+3). The MMRDA has allocated Rs 25 crore for the conversion, on top of the Rs 6.25 crore previously spent on constructing these DCTs. Presently, there are no new proposals under consideration for dedicated cycling tracks in the city.
Source: the Indian Express
