The document summarizes the findings of a survey conducted on pedestrian infrastructure and walkability in various cities in India. It was found that infrastructure for pedestrians is generally poor and unsafe, especially in low-income areas. Sidewalks are often encroached upon, discontinuous, poorly maintained and not disabled-friendly. There is a need to prioritize pedestrians and enforce laws and guidelines to protect pedestrian rights and space in urban planning. Learning from international best practices, Indian cities can work on legal frameworks, traffic calming measures and creation of walkable neighborhoods to promote walking.

1. Anumita Roychowdhury Centre for Science and Environment Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure centre New Delhi July 22, 2009 How walkable are our cities?

2. Stunning data….. Source: Anon 2008, transport demand forecast study: study and development of an integrated cum multi modal public transport network for NCT of Delhi, RITES, MVA Asia Ltd, TERI, September

3. How many people walk in our cities? Source: Anon 2008, transport demand forecast study: study and development of an integrated cum multi modal public transport network for NCT of Delhi, RITES, MVA Asia Ltd, TERI, September Modal share of walking in key cities of India 28 National 22 > 80 lakh population 25 40-80 lakh population 25 20-40 lakh population 24 10-20 lakh population 32 5- 10 lakh poplutation 57 < 5 lakh population (hill terrain) 34 < 5 lakh population (plain terrain) Percentage walking Cities classified according to population

4. Our cities were meant to be walkable…. Kolkata

5. Urban form and sustainability Dense growth helps …… Delhi Kolkata Bangalore Mumbai -- High density, mixed land use, and narrow streets make our cities walkable -- In a typical city the core can just be 5 km across and easily walkable within a reasonable time. -- Studies show more than 40 to 50 per cent of the daily trips in many of our cities have distances less than 5 kilometers. -- These have enormous potential to convert to walking and non-motorised trips. Source: Urban age

6. Walking for work, education and services….. Of all education trips – 58% walk trips Service and business trips – 31% walk trips ( RITES 2001) Walking and urban poor……. About 60% of people live in low income localities. An earlier estimate shows 22% of people with less than Rs 2000/month income walk in Delhi. Moving slums out to periphery had sharply reduced women employment as accessibility became a problem Disability and walking…… S amarthyam survey: 58% of the disabled found steps, ramps, difficult to negotiate; 45% of elderly found steps and ramps daunting; 20%found uneven, narrow sidewalks difficult. Engineering guidelines for disables are not implemented Urbanity and life style Corelation between active transportation (walking and cycling) and obesity. China – 1.8kg weigh gain after and twice as likely to get obese for a Chinese who acquired a car. King County – people weigh 7 pounds less on an average in walkable neighbourhoods Who walks in our cities?

7. Unacceptably high accident rates…….. Total number of road accidents are very high in Delhi – 2.5 times higher than that of Kolkata, 2.1 times higher than Chennai – personal vehicles cause most of these accidents…. Nearly half of fatal accidents in Delhi involve pedestrians High risk group…

8. We organised random survey to assess the state of walking facilities, walking environment, exposure to traffic and safety. We walked through…. -- The dedicated pedestrian path along the bus rapid transit corridor (Ambedkar Nagar to Chirag Delhi) -- Connuaght Place, the central business district -- Interstate Bus Terminus, an important interchange point -- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a sensitive area -- Lajpat Nagar, prominent commercial area. -- Residential colonies of Patparganj, Chittaranjan Park and Alaknanda. -- Delhi Haat, a recreational site. -- Nehru Place another commercial area -- Seelampur Zaffrabad, and Govindpuri -- low income neighbourhoods Volunteers participated in this survey…. We have also guaged Perception of pedestrians…. We took a walk……

10. Patparganj: Highly encroached, dirty and unsafe Pedestrians wriggle their way through the fast moving traffic. Zebra crossings have faded There are stretches without footpaths and that too adjacent to a school. The areas demarcated for the pedestrians are unpaved that force people to walk in conflict with the motorized traffic. Residential colonies rank poor

11. Govindpuri and Zaffrabad: Traffic and people on collision course….. - Discontinuous, poorly paved footpaths, and not easily accessible - Height and width of pavements violate norms - Poor signages, no pedestrian refuge islands -- crosswalk are ordeal - No kerbed ramps or blended crossings to access the crosswalk facilities - Exposure to traffic very high. Neighbourhoods of poor people Large captive pedestrian traffic but worst infrastructure

12. Indian style socialism Aurangzeb Road and Govindpuri We have counted 3 persons per 10 minutes in Aurangzeb Road and 100 person per five minutes in Govindpuri Urban planning does not keep people in focus

13. Connaught Place Rebuilding and redesigning of pedestrian path has begun in some stretches….. We have seen improvement as well….. Janpath: congenial pedestrian ambience R K Marg: Walkable

14. …… . Connaught Place Older pavements remodelled to make them pedestrian friendly After thought Retrofitting change … but problem persist Zebra crossing hits roadblock

15. Design of sidewalks near AIIMS has improved But cloverleaf flyover has disrupted at-grade continuity, increased walking distance for the ailing visitors using public transport At least in one direction use of subway is unavoidable But these are not handicap friendly and are without supportive tools Cloverleaf has completely severed neighbourhood, increased walking distance, disrupted direct shortest route Hospitals: Sensitive area AIIMS Before After

16. Unusable infrastructure: Wasteful Unusable infrastructure: Wasteful Guidelines of Indian Road Congress are inadequate Eg. In the absence of proper guidelines on height of pavements unacceptably high pavements without proper gradients are being made…..

17. No one thinks of disable Narrow uneven sidewalks, high kerbs, steps, make sidewalks unusable for people with impairments. Only in the BRT corridor disable friendly features have been introduced.

18. Cars taking over the legitimate space of walkers Walkways motorised…….

19. Seamless and signal free traffic is interrupting shortest direct route for pedestrians. This is inciting jay walking Jay walking….rampant Sai Chowk, Patparganj Scindia House, CP

20. Mother dairy, Patparganj: Highly encroached, dirty and unsafe Highly encroached….

21. Main complaints -- uneven surface, potholes, obstruction, urinals, height of the pavement …... User survey brings out disenchantment.. Pedestrians on BRT lane are happy with sidewalks.. have commented how their daily drudgery of walking has changed

22. In ISBT we have seen direct walkway connection between bus station and metro station.. Need detailed guidelines for siting of bus stations, interchange points… Pedestrian plan needs linkage with public transport plan…….

23. As skywalks and flyovers take over …….angry protests begin in our cities -- Right To Walk campaigns in Hyderabad, Chennai. Angst against sky walks in Mumbai Whither policy….. Anger in cities

25. Fundamental concern -- Pedestrian space does not have legal protection Yusuf Sarai near AIIMS, space usurped Pedestrian space is chipped away arbitrarily -- without consulting people

30. Right to walk is non negotiable…… Thank you