MTSU study to make life easier for pedestrians…..Stuti Shukla
With a view to easing the flow of pedestrian traffic and reduce its interface with vehicular traffic in South Mumbai, the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU), along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, has started a three-month virtual observation of traffic movement in the densely populated southern tip of the island city. Based on the observations recorded, the BMC will undertake appropriate steps in coordination with other agencies, such as the Mumbai Traffic Police and MMRDA.
The 5-sq km area under observation has the highest day-time floating population with Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg to the east, Marine drive to the west, Lokmanya Tilak Marg to the north and N Parekh Marg to the south. It covers the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Churchgate stations, key business and professional areas such as Fort, Kala Ghoda, Mantralaya, Sachivalaya, sessions court, Bombay High Court, Nariman Point, Marine Lines as well as tourist destinations such as Marine Drive, Gateway of India, Prince of Wales Museum and Art Gallery.
The project commissioned by MTSU director B C Khatua on February 27 was given to Delhi-based Medulla Soft, which will carry out the virtual simulation. The project is being funded by the BMC. Shantanu Sharma, CEO of the company, said the idea was to understand the situation by means of recording happenings.
“While it is obviously chaotic for vehicular traffic to navigate during peak hours in these commercially dense areas, it is more stressful for pedestrians to move around here. The purpose of the study is to record movement of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic through software technologies and subsequently suggest solutions to make life easier for pedestrians. Through this, walking culture can also be reinduced,” he said.
The project will entail real-time data collection to measure pedestrian and vehicular volumes, movements, classification (types of vehicles), distribution, direction of traffic, travel time and queue time, etc through video recording and subsequently developing a base model in a virtual environment to identify effective solutions. These can include construction of a footover bridge, increasing/decreasing waiting time at traffic signals, construction of pedestrian/vehicular subway etc.
An official from the roads, traffic and bridges department of the BMC said the project will also focus on hawkers, floating parking, taxi bays, bus stations, etc. that affect right of way and on key jaywalking areas that see unsignalised interactions between pedestrians and vehicles.