June 7, 2023
Chennai, a bustling metropolis, faces significant challenges in its urban transport system. With an annual influx of 180,000 new cars and two-wheelers, the city’s streets are under immense pressure, leading to congestion and increasing transport costs. A significant portion of scheduled bus kilometers is routinely canceled due to congestion, and around 40 percent of the population lacks access to buses within a 10-minute walking distance. The cost of congestion alone is estimated to be around ₹4000 Crores per year.
To address Chennai’s complex transport issues, ITDP India collaborates closely with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). Our comprehensive approach covers various aspects of sustainable mobility, including walking and cycling infrastructure, safe commuting routes, transit-oriented development, and parking management.
Capacity building is a crucial aspect of our work, and we conduct workshops and consultations for officials, empowering them with the knowledge and expertise to drive sustainable transport initiatives. We actively support the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) to transform the city’s transport systems into a world-class, equitable, and socially just one.
In 2014, Chennai embarked on its long journey of transforming its streets, becoming the first Indian city to adopt a Non Motorised Transport (NMT) Policy. With the award-winning Chennai Street Design Project, the city has redesigned more than a hundred kilometres of streets so far and created a flagship Pedestrian Plaza in the heart of the city. The city is now looking to scale up its work to transform over 250 km of streets into Healthy Streets by 2025 through its ambitious Mega Streets Programme.
Our projects include the Chennai Mega Streets initiative, where we prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 5 km of Quickwin streets and 19 km of streets under Phase-1. Additionally, we hire consultants to develop DPRs for 58 km of roads, of which 28 km is under Quickwin.
