Bangalore Cycling Inclusive Planning Workshop 30,31 Jan 2009

[Pradeep B V]

Dear Friends,

 

I hope this email finds you well.

RideAcycle Foundation is pleased to invite you to participate in the Bangalore Cycling Inclusive Planning Workshop on the 30th and the 31st of January 2009.

The workshop will be held at the KSRTC central office on KH Double Road, Shanthinagar, Bangalore.

 

Cycling Inclusive Planning Workshop Bangalore - Why, What and How

WHY

Bangalore is a city with progressive transport policies and has institutions like the BMLTA which are focused on integrating land use and transport to make for a more livable city. Yet, Bangalore is plagued by problems of congestion and pollution. In a city of 5.7 million, there are 298 vehicles registered per thousand people, with motorization increasing at 10-20% per annum. However, the private vehicles account for only 38% of the trips in the city - 40% of daily trips by public transport and walking and cycling account for 17% of trips. Traffic studies cite poor condition of pavements (30% of Bangalore's road network is in that shape), low travel speeds (down to 10-12 km/h), high intersection delays, and poor or non-existent parking facilities. Traffic accidents are high at about 50 per 10,000 registered vehicles in Bangalore and Chennai, respectively, with about 800 fatalities per year. High pollution levels have made Bangalore citizens prone to respiratory diseases like asthama. These problems cannot be resolved by traditional supply enhancing short-term measures like road widening, one-way streets and flyovers.

There is a need to rethink the entire paradigm of transportation in a manner which is sustainable and inclusive. The first step for that is to encourage and plan for low-energy, less-space consuming and zero-pollution modes like cycling. Bangalore wants to not only be a cycle friendly city, but, be a model for other cities in India to emulate.

WHAT

The objectives and goals of the workshop are to:

1. Understand the current International and Indian discourses on cycling friendly cities in order to formulate a base awareness of the issues involved, among the various stakeholders

2. To reach an informed consensus together with all stakeholders as to what approach would work best for the city of Bangalore

3. To formulate a base structure for capacity building of the city of Bangalore and outline a plan for inputs needed to make the city self-sufficient to implement plans on cycle inclusive transport systems.

4. To put together an action plan and get commitment from the stakeholders to their roles in its implementation

HOW

Workshop Design:

The first day of the workshop will provide data that will help in the workshop sessions.

1. The video of "cycling friendly cities" outlines the steps taken by various cities in Europe and Latin America to make their cities cycle inclusive.

2. Dr. Geetam Tiwari will present the conclusions of a study which discusses the position of cycling in Asia. This presentation highlights best practices from Asian cities and the trends of cycle use and planning. A thematic focus will highlight the planning, design, health, gender and poverty aspects of cycle inclusive planning in India.

3. Case study presentations on 3 levels of cities in India will be made to highlight methods and practices of cycle inclusive planning in Indian cities. Dr. Tiwari will present the case of Delhi, Sujit Patwardhan, the case of Pune and Pradeep Sachdeva will present the case of Nanded.

4. The next session will focus on the initiatives and context in Bangalore city to set the stage for Bangalore specific needs and approaches

5. A technical session by Dr. Anvita Arora and Dr. Vijay Kovalli will illustrate the specific issues and tools needed to plan for cycling at the road design and operation level.

6. The day will close with a SWOT analysis of the situation of cycling in Bangalore. This will form the basis of creating an action plan the next day

The second day of the workshop will focus on Action planning and commitment by the city of Bangalore:

1. The first step will be to identify issues and starting points for different stakeholders. This will be in the form of focused group discussions and presentations on the conclusions reached by the different groups.

2. The second step will be to design a Cycling Action Plan (CAP) for Bangalore city with identification of methods, timelines and people/organizations involved.

3. A Pilot exercise will be identified from that Cycling Action Plan and the roles and commitments of different players will be delineated

4. A final discussion at the end of the day will focus on achieving commitments towards the CAP in general and the Pilot in specific with timelines.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me.

 

Sincerely,
Pradeep B V
RideACycle Foundation
www.rideacycle.org
Bangalore

[Pradeep B V]

Workshop details can be seen at:

http://rideacycle.org/?page_id=53

- Pradeep B V

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Pradeep B V

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Mapunity
Social technology at work
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