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Mumbai to get more pedestrian-friendly streets by the end of 2018

The BMC, city traffic police and a New York-based organisation are working towards making Mumbai’s streets and roads safer and walkable by redesigning several roads and junctions across the city to avert pedestrian fatalities

Mumbai to get more pedestrian-friendly streets by the end of 2018
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Walking on Mumbai streets is a plight. With the inadequacy of public transport, the absence of footpaths and sidewalks and subways at most places in the city, pedestrians’ safety is put at risk every day as the city lacks the required infrastructure. Besides, poor condition of the roads and potholes make it even worse for road users and are the major cause of road accidents.

To turn the situation around, some parts of the city are being redesigned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai traffic police and New York-based National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).

NACTO conducted a survey mapping the alignment of pedestrian crossings starting with P D’mello Road and five other roads. The study found that there was no standard length for the crossings or the distance between two crossings on one road. Also, the crossings are at 500m or even more, which is not a quick transit for a pedestrian trying to cross the road and unsafe considering the density of vehicles plying on the road.

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Around 10 junctions including Mith Chowk in Malad and HP Junction in Bandra are scheduled to be transformed by the BMC and the Mumbai traffic police by the end of 2018. These spots have free spaces which could be utilised to ease traffic jams and safeguard pedestrians. The construction work at Ambaji Dham at Mulund, redesigns of which were submitted by NACTO-GDCI, has already started, while the work at Maharana Pratap Chowk will start post-monsoon.

Five intersections including Lokhandwala Circle (Andheri), Chakala Junction (Andheri East) and Dharavi Bus Depot intersection will be surveyed and redesigned additionally by NACTO and BMC. Last year, NACTO-GDCI trained 100 engineers to design safe streets across Mumbai’s wards, along with BMC.

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