Cycle tracks, bus lanes to make Dwarka commuter friendly soon

Newspaper:  Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Date: 19th June, 2016
Source Link :  http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/cycle-tracks-bus-lanes-to-make-dwarka-commuter-friendly-soon/story- btI4zesL39CxyCeZTwphOL.html

Dwarka sub-city will soon be a commuter friendly space with levelled footpaths, cycle tracks, and colour-coded bus lanes.

The redevelopment plan initiated by Delhi Development Authority’s Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) along with Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and Centre for Green Mobility (CGM) promises to change the face of Dwarka.

The project will start from September this year.

Sources in DDA said the project will include several road design improvements such as installation of roundabouts at traffic heavy intersections. Along with separate tracks for cycles and cycle rickshaws, colour-coded bus priority lanes will also be made.

“The idea is to redesign the sub-city to make it well connected. The design will also make people rely more on public transport, because the bus lanes will ensure uninterrupted passage for buses. With better infrastructure the traffic problems of the area will improve,” said a senior DDA official.

The official said that at present, no traffic signal in the city has a separate crossing for cycle users. The new design has the provision of a designated crossing for cyclists, which make the roads safer.

Apart from this, keeping in mind Dwarka’s cycle-sharing scheme, which is in the pipeline, space will be left near market areas on both sides of the road, for cycle stands.

Footpath levelling

Sources from CRRI said that special focus is being laid on the safety and convenience of pedestrians in the project. Extra street lights will be installed all around the area, to ensure safety, and all the footpaths will be redesigned with a common height, as per the Street Design Guidelines (SDG). Currently, the footpaths in the sub-city are of uneven heights.