Bicycle network plan for core city area of Meerut

Abstract

The thesis talks about the cycling conditions in context of Indian cities with the increase in motorised and non-motorised vehicle. Non-motorized transport (NMT) has a positive impact on the environment. In cities, it is the primary mode of transport for the urban poor, and also a significant source of income for them. Therefore, has a significant impact on the poverty. Despite being Non-Motorised Transport as the main transport mode for poor to commute for the work, it also plays a critical role for the economic functioning of the city. Despite these obvious merits, NMT has been ignored by policymakers in terms of infrastructure policy and also leading to behaviour change of NMT users (The World Bank, 2002). The two major modes of NMT are walking and cycling. NMT accounts for between 40 and 50 percent of all trips in several major cities in Asia. (TRIPP, IIT Delhi; iTrans; SGArchitects, 2012). Due to lack of pedestrian and Bicycle infrastructure facilities on the road, pedestrian and cyclists are forced to use other private modes such as two-wheelers three-wheeler and other motorised modes. The lack of finance for the poor people in urban areas due to which they are unable to afford bicycle as a mode of transport. Safety and security are another big issue associated with non-motorised transport due to intersection of heavy traffic and different modes of transport. Moreover, due to the high share of motorised vehicle the level of pollution is also increasing and hence creating health issues. The study is needed as there is a lack of Bicycle Infrastructure and Planned Bicycle Network for cycling within the Core City Area for Medium Town. The percentage of cyclists is quite high despite of the fact a detailed study needs to be undertaken to understand the reasons why people are not using cycle as a mode of transport. To understand the basic level of service required, the elements which attracts the end users, reasons which leads to into origin or destination of an area.