The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has announced a strategic move to repurpose underused cycle tracks in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) into vehicular lanes, aiming to improve traffic flow in one of Mumbai’s busiest commercial zones. Spanning 370 hectares, BKC currently accommodates nearly 2 lakh employees and receives around 4 lakh visitors daily. The recent closure of the Sion bridge has worsened congestion, forcing heavy vehicles through BKC’s internal roads, which were originally designed for lighter traffic.
To address this, MMRDA’s traffic management plan proposes converting 2.7-metre-wide cycle tracks into additional lanes for vehicles. In some areas, lane capacity will expand from 2+2 to 3+3, potentially accommodating 600–900 more vehicles per lane. This could reduce peak-hour travel time by 40%, from 25 minutes to 15 minutes, and decrease average waiting time at traffic signals from 10 minutes to 7 minutes. As a result, carbon emissions due to idling are expected to fall by around 30%.Supporting infrastructure such as bus stops, signboards, and landscaping will be shifted to footpaths, while a one-way traffic system will be implemented on selected roads to ease bottlenecks.
The BKC cycle tracks were first approved in 2011, with construction beginning in 2012. By 2021, approximately 9 km had been built at a cost of ₹60 crore. However, the tracks have remained largely unused, with critics blaming poor planning, lack of connectivity, and insufficient upkeep. The proposed dismantling will cost an estimated ₹25 crore.While the move promises short-term traffic relief, it has sparked debate about sustainable urban development and the marginalisation of non-motorised transport. Urban planners urge a more balanced approach that considers both immediate traffic needs and long-term environmental and mobility goals.
While the move promises short-term traffic relief, it has sparked debate about sustainable urban development and the marginalisation of non-motorised transport. Urban planners urge a more balanced approach that considers both immediate traffic needs and long-term environmental and mobility goals.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has announced a strategic move to repurpose underused cycle tracks in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) into vehicular lanes, aiming to improve traffic flow in one of Mumbai’s busiest commercial zones. Spanning 370 hectares, BKC currently accommodates nearly 2 lakh employees and receives around 4 lakh visitors daily. The recent closure of the Sion bridge has worsened congestion, forcing heavy vehicles through BKC’s internal roads, which were originally designed for lighter traffic. To address this, MMRDA’s traffic management plan proposes converting 2.7-metre-wide cycle tracks into additional lanes for vehicles.
In some areas, lane capacity will expand from 2+2 to 3+3, potentially accommodating 600–900 more vehicles per lane. This could reduce peak-hour travel time by 40%, from 25 minutes to 15 minutes, and decrease average waiting time at traffic signals from 10 minutes to 7 minutes. As a result, carbon emissions due to idling are expected to fall by around 30%.Supporting infrastructure such as bus stops, signboards, and landscaping will be shifted to footpaths, while a one-way traffic system will be implemented on selected roads to ease bottlenecks. The BKC cycle tracks were first approved in 2011, with construction beginning in 2012.
By 2021, approximately 9 km had been built at a cost of ₹60 crore. However, the tracks have remained largely unused, with critics blaming poor planning, lack of connectivity, and insufficient upkeep. The proposed dismantling will cost an estimated ₹25 crore.While the move promises short-term traffic relief, it has sparked debate about sustainable urban development and the marginalisation of non-motorised transport. Urban planners urge a more balanced approach that considers both immediate traffic needs and long-term environmental and mobility goals.
Source: Urban Acres.
