Abstract
In an era of vanishing footpaths and widening carriageways, the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India has been introducing a host of initiatives prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users — giving these social heroes their due. With nearly two third of the city users commuting daily by walking, cycling or public transportation, the state used to top the country in road fatalities, of which one third were pedestrians and Non Motorised Transport(NMT) users. Realising the need to address these concerns and the declining mode share of NMT users, which was 41% in 1970, to 34% in 2008, the city of Chennai has started its journey of street transformation to provide access to safe, affordable and sustainable transport systems for all users. From adopting a progressive NMT policy that makes walking and cycling its priority in 2014, to rigorously implementing the policy through its Chennai Street Design Project and the Smart City Mission over the last five years , the city has been transforming itself from a car-centric to a people-friendly city. The journey began through tactical urbanism initiatives in the form of Car Free Sundays, that portrayed what the paradigm shift would look like to the stakeholders. Over the last five years, the city has transformed over 140 kms of roads with safe and accessible footpaths — directly benefiting at least half-a-million people everyday. The pedestrian plaza project completed in November 2019 is a prime example of the city’s aspiration to promote walking and cycling. Chennaites’ love story with Pondy Bazaar is one which spans across many generations, long before shopping malls sprouted across the city. It continues to weave its charm, attracting people from all walks of life across the world to be a part of this unique shopping experience. “Since my childhood I have been coming here for shopping. The experience of walking from shop to shop with my parents is a fond memory, which I am reliving now with my kids,” said Mr.Balaji, a 46-year old shopper. For him and many others, Pondy Bazaar is not just a space, but an emotion. Over the years, the commercial space had begun to deteriorate, with uneven and narrow footpaths where pedestrians walked in fear. The project was thus conceived, with the intent of enhancing the shopping experience that Pondy Bazaar offers, by reclaiming public space for the pedestrians. For the first time, Chennai was looking at a street as not just a mobility corridor, but as a social, public space for everyone, be it families, kids, elderly, etc. An open-air mall in the heart of the city! Initial surveys done by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, showed how 100% of the users felt safer to use the space and over 90% of the women felt it was safer to use the space after dark. The space has witnessed increased activity through the various placemaking elements, like colorful seater, play equipment, cycle sharing systems etc. Over 95% of the users stated they spend more time walking and lingering in the newly transformed spaces. To further its efforts in creating high-quality and equitable streets for all, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) launched the Mega Streets Programme. It aims to transform all the arterial and sub-arterial streets in the city with three guiding principles. Enhancing Livability: to ensure happiness and the well-being of our citizens Ensuring Seamless Mobility: for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, women, children, elderly and differently abled. Well-Managed Utility: To ensure resilience of urban infrastructure with no road cutting necessary for the next 30 years.
