Chennai plans Bicycle route along beach

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Chennaites can soon pedal along the beach as Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority has proposed a dedicated cycle route along the beach.

At a seminar on ‘Envisioning The Comprehensive Transport Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area’ organized by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and CUMTA along with the support of Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), officials revealed that a pilot project to have a cycle route along the beach was proposed by CUMTA.

Officials said that the plan is to develop cycle track along the beach and link to the bus or metro stations.

Interestingly, CUMTA is also planning to redesign the streets of Chennai, revealed deputy planner of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board deputy planner, who was in one of the panels of CUMTA to improve streets and public realm.

“There is a proposal to create an Urban Design Cell, which will be funded by CUMTA to fix standards for streets. The Cell will coordinate with CMDA and Chennai Corporation,” she said.

The focus will be on uniform street design and streets would be classified as arterial, intermediate and interior streets. A detailed traffic management plan for all the streets at the intersection will also be prepared, she said.

Chennai mayor Saidai Duraiswamy suggested the need for more FSI to help city grow vertical. He said permission should be given to go beyond 100 floors and added that these buildings should also have some floors allotted for parking of vehicles. He said that this would ease congestion.

Housing and Urban Development minister and CMDA chairman R Vaithilingam said the recommendations will be deliberated upon against the backdrop of the experiences of Hyderabad, Delhi and London.

He said the Chennai Comprehensive Transportation Study has recommended an investment plan to be implemented in phases at a cost of Rs 82,120 crore over a period of 20 years. “The recommendations has already accepted by the government in principle during a high level committee chaired by me in January 2012,” the minister said.

He said CUMTA is also part of the Vision 2023 document which aims at providing high quality infrastructure and service to people of the state.