To ensure safety and smooth movement of all modes of transport there is a strong case for developing a bicycle and pedestrian friendly transport infrastructure as an integral part of the urban transport network. Detailed field studies have shown that motorised vehicles do not use the left most lane even when bicycle flow rates are very small. This affects the overall capacity of the road, because one whole lane is not used by the motorised vehicles. However, the natural segregation of bicyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorised vehicles (NMVs) does not ensure their safety on two and three lane roads. Even a subsidised public transport system remains cost prohibitive for a significant segment of the population. According to the ORG 1994 survey, approximately 28% of the households in Delhi have a monthly household income of less than Rs. 2000. For these people, bicycling and walking are the only logical choices. A well designed bicycle infrastructure can reduce the hardships faced by this section of the population. If a separate segregated lane is constructed for bicycles, the curb-side lane, which is currently used by bicyclists will become available to motorised traffic. This will lead to an increase of about 50% in the capacity of the existing three-lane road network. Thus a relatively small investment in bicycle lanes which can increase the road space for motorised traffic significantly. This will also make it possible to provide for dedicated bus lanes. However, the segregated bicycle lane has to be made attractive for bicyclists with the help of various traffic calming measures which increases their safety and also gives them priority over motorised vehicles on these paths. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123863.
Samenvatting