NMT Times June 2013

Friday, 28 June 13

NMT TIMES NMT Times is a monthly

ISSUE VII | VOLUME I | JUNE 2013

compilation of news, views, features and articles from India and Asia on NonMotorised Transport (NMT) The newsletter and its detailed articles are available in the walkability asia website which is an initiative of Clean Air Asia.

Dear Readers, Greeting from the NMT Times!

With this issue we have completed eight months of the NMT Times. Since the first Issue in November 2012, the NMT Times has shared a lot of news about non-motorised transport from across the world, views of leading Indian experts on the state of NMT in the country, concern over the lack of respect for pedestrians in India and a crying need for basic infrastructure for walking and bicycling.

When we started, we had a small readership of about 60 (institutions, organisations, individuals and corporates put together). Today we are reaching more than 110,000 readers through our monthly publication and its links. We get interesting feedbacks from our readers, who appreciate the efforts that go into bringing the different views and perspectives related to walking, cycling and other nonmotorised mode in a reader-friendly format. Everybody has to be a pedestrian at some point of time.

Even the CEO of the biggest car manufacturer has to walk to reach his car. The needs of the pedestrian can't be overlooked in a society that is increasingly becoming conscious of the rights of its citizens and demanding them.

Last week we lost Ruma Chatterjee, the cycling coach of India, who was mowed down by a speeding car while she was with the national team training on the outskirts of New Delhi. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ruma Chatterjee.

The NMT Times receives valuable contributions from several individuals and organisations that help us bring the publication every month for you. In case you would like to share your opinion, we urge you to do that and we assure you it would be published.

NMT TIMES Friday, 28 June 13

In this issue, we are presenting the Bicycle Sharing System as the cover story. The NMT Times has spoken with several experts in the field to find out how something as basic as cycling can be brought back into our neighbourhood. We are confident you will enjoy reading the thoroughly researched feature on how to create a bicycle sharing programme in our own backyard. In this issues, we would also need your help in knowing how the current cycling situation be examined (Page 3) Happy reading!

ParthaaBosu

How to Start a Cycle Share System in your Neighborhood Last month New York City rolled out a bicycle-sharing system aimed at locals, tourists and officegoers. When will New Delhi or other Indian cities get one of its own?

Urban centres around the world are dedicating a slice of their streets and transportation infrastructure to the friendliest mode of getting around—bicycles. By keeping brand new bikes at major city nodes to help people commute easily and comfortably, these sharing programmes extend high quality and in some cases free transportation combined with the best of modern technology. Information Technology, a term India loves because of her status as the software superpower, is the key in the bicycle-sharing systems, which uses technology to help users pick and drop their bikes at any points they want with only the click of a button.

Then, why is it that none of the Indian cities has a bicycle-sharing system, a benchmark of the quality of life, it can boast of? In this feature article, we explore this question as we present successful models of bike sharing across the world to help understand how a bicycle-sharing system can be put in place, in your colony or campus, city or countryside.

Situated about 190 km from Shanghai, the northern Chinese city of Hangzhou started its bike sharing system five years ago with a modest 2,800 bicycles. Today, the Hangzhou Public Bicycle, the largest in the world, has over 60,000 bikes, which help the city residents mainly as a last-mile connectivity to their destinations. The hugely popular Velib bike-sharing programme in Paris is used by about 100,000 people every day, while Spanish city Barcelona’s Bicing has nearly 50,000 daily users.

NMT TIMES Friday, 28 June 13

The first bike-sharing system is said to have originated in Amsterdam, in 1965. But Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark is credited with the first major bicycle-sharing system in the world, called City Bikes, launched a decade-and-ahalf before it hosted the climate summit in 2009.

Today, 40 per cent of Copenhagen’s population rides a bicycle to work. But the third generation bicycle sharing systems like the Velib of Paris, Hangzhou Pubic Bicycle and BikeMe of Milan uses software applications to take or deposit a bike at docking stations. There are even apps that identify the number of bicycles available at a particular docking station.

worldwide. In fact, Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Rajkot in Gujarat and Pune in Maharashtra are in the early stage of planning for a bicycle sharing system.

“India is known around the world as the centre of Information Technology and the third generation bike sharing systems extensively use IT for system management. That makes it ideal for India to have its own bike sharing systems,” says Gadepalli.

Read More: http://wp.me/p2no2x-Ae

New York was the newest addition to this growing list of bike-friendly cities when its CitiBike system was unveiled on May 27. But what about India? ”Bicycle sharing hasn’t picked up in India yet, but gradually several Indian cities are showing interest,” says ShreyaGadepalli, Regional Director, India of the US-based Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), which promotes environmentally sustainable transportation policies

How to Maintain your Bike!

Contributed by:

Although simple, regular maintenance is necessary to prevent undue wear and tear. Cleaning and lubricating your bike is quick, easy and therapeutic too!The ABC quick check is a simple procedure to ensure your bike is always in top condition.

What you need - a pump A is for Air Inflate tires to the pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire. Always use a pressure gauge. A well inflated tire not only prevents wear and tear but also ensures an efficient and comfortable ride. Quickly scan your tires to ensure the tire is free of nicks, cuts and embedded objects which could lead to a puncture when you are out on your ride.

Look for maintenance tips every month!

To assess the conduciveness of cycling or 'cyclability' in a neighborhood Clean Air Asia is developing an index. The questions in the survey are meant to validate the importance of parameters for assessing a neighborhood's conduciveness to cycling. Each parameter is to be rated on a scale of 1 to 5 depending on its importance. A rating of 1 would mean that the parameter is 'not important' while a rating of 5 means that the parameter is 'very important' in assessing "cyclability".

Note that these questions are for determining what should go into an index and it is not the actual cycling assessment To take the survey click http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/caa_bikeindex

NMT TIMES Friday, 28 June 13

Communicating Communication Flyovers and sustainable

FOBs

not

SK Lohia Joint Secretary of Union Ministry of Urban Development termed FOB a short-term solution to public transport. “Construction of FOB or flyovers are not a very good idea it can be instant solution but not in long-term interest of public transport,” said Lohia, adding that many countries have demolished FOB and flyovers. He insists on insist on developing alternate route and subsidiaries pathways and roads to main road.

Read More: http://wp.me/p2no2x-xg

Study reveals NMT is healthier For the sake of their health, Indians would do well to leave their cars, scooters and motorbikes behind and walk or bicycle instead, according to research just published in the journal PLOS Medicine. That also means that more investments ought to go into making such physical activity safe and convenient. In India, economic prosperity has led to a boom in motor vehicles, which has gone hand in hand with less physical activity and greater consumption of energy-dense food.

Read more: http://wp.me/p2no2x-AN

Delhi: Metro stations to have better access To ensure pedestrians have more facilities to cross busy arterial roads, the public works department (PWD) has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to provide passage to pedestrians through the unpaid area in all stations in phase 3 and phase 4 expansions. PWD officials said they had written to DMRC earlier this month and held a meeting with its officials. “The number of vehicles is growing at a steady pace and it gets difficult for pedestrians to cross the busy streets.

Read More: http://wp.me/p2no2x-AL

Ahmedabad: Cycle tracks to be converted to lanes Corridors of Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) in Ahmedabad are aligned with internationally accepted designs, which include space for pedestrians and cyclists. But the design has lost utility among citizens, who use the cycle tracks for everything else (read parking and fast-food stalls) but cycles.The stretches for mixed traffic here are already narrow, and traffic snarls are commonplace.

To address this problem, Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd (AJL) has decided to remove barriers that segregate cycle tracks from the mixed-traffic lanes along all future corridors.

Read More:http://wp.me/p2no2x-AI

Are Indian Cities ready to Implement NMT Projects?

In this edition, we present Srinagar, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and one of the cities assessed as a part of the Ecomobility Readiness Assessment project. A popular tourist destination, this city with a population of 220,000 is situated in the scenic Kashmir valley. While a buses ply in the city, a large proportion of locals walk for short distances, and non-motorized water transport also exists.

When thinking of non-motorized transport in Indian cities, boats aren’t the first things that come to mind. Srinagar though, like many other Indian cities with rivers running through them, has a traditional water way system. The pictures of ‘shikaras’or small row boats on the picturesque Dal 4Clean Air Asia NMT Newsletter lake are a well-known imagery of the Kashmiri city. In addition, these shikaras ply along the Jhelum river, which runs through the spine of the city. People are ferried, for a small fee, across the river from ghat to ghat in these shikaras. The shikaras are an affordable, convenient and quick way to cross the river for many locals, while road travel for the same purpose would take much longer.

Read More: http://ecomobilitynmt.blogspot.in/2013/06/how-ready-is-srinagar-for-nonmotorized.html

NMT TIMES Friday, 28 June 13 P E R M A L I N K

Abroad

Signs to watch out Jakarta revamps its for safety markets

The new road markings, which spell out the word “look”, come Cars and motorcycles jammed Jl. courtesy of the Land Transport PasarMinggu, South Jakarta on Authority (LTA) to remind Saturday afternoon, as usual. pedestrians at zebra crossings to The area is notorious for its look out for oncoming vehicles. appalling traffic, but the flow The LTA said it will be was smoother than two weeks progressively adding more of the ago when the market and bus signs at pedestrian crossings, terminal were restructured. starting with five at Ang Mo Kio Congestion is inevitable, but the Street 43, Jurong West Street 52, absence of street vendors and Sin Ming Road and Bukit Merah illegal parking means the Central – estates with many vehicles can at least crawl elderly residents. The move forward. The Jakarta follows positive public feedback administration is regulating onfrom an initial trial last street parking and street vendors year.New signs for drivers at the around Jatinegara market and junctions of Rivervale Lane and PasarRebo in East Jakarta, Rivervale Drive and Hougang Tanah Abang market in Central Avenue 4 and Upper Serangoon Jakarta and PasarMinggu in Road have also been in place South Jakarta since April.

For More: http://wp.me/p2no2xFor more: http://wp.me/p2no2xAW B6

Pedicab annual fee reduced Pedicab owners and drivers in Valenzuela City can breathe easier after the city government lowered registration fees for the transport vehicle. City Ordinance 28, series of 2013, which was enacted earlier this year, has amended the Land Transportation Code of Valenzuela City, particularly provisions on fees for registering pedicabs. The amendments mean that the registration fee for public utility pedicabs is now just P100, down from the previous P200, while the registration fee for private utility pedicabs is now also P100, down from the previous P150 For More: http://wp.me/p2no2xxd

Beginning with March, each of the walkability survey parameter is briefly described PARAMETER 4: GRADE CROSSING SAFETY

This parameter check the exposure of pedestrians to other modes while crossing, time spent waiting to cross as well as the crossing time at signalized intersections.

Crossing points are vital for pedestrian safety. The width of the crossing and the time provided to safely cross should be determined by the volume and the width of the road. The presence of elderly and children should also be determined while fixing the time for crossing. Refuge islands should be of sufficient width to accommodate the pedestrians especially on wide roads. For this purpose the median width can be increased at the crossing locations. High pedestrian density areas can be provided with additional crossings to enable pedestrians to cross freely and quickly powered by :

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Clean Air Asia India Office 1st Floor, Building No.4, Thyagraj Nagar Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi, 110003, India Tel +91 11 601 20260, Fax +91 11 438 50032 india@cleanairasia.orgwww.walkabillityasia.org