BANGALORE: All set to come up with charming twisty lanes and dedicated patched routes for cyclists; the IT city is on the verge of becoming a pedal paradise soon. While cycling has become the need of the hour looking at the chocking traffic on the narrow stretches of Bangalore, the initiative taken up by the Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT) along with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is at its last phase, which will entitle Bangalore, the cycling capital of the country. And leading the way with a stretch of 45 km dedicated to cyclists, is the Jayanagar area. According to the DULT officials, the cyclists of the residential and commercial hub of the city can hit the road on saddle within two months with signage and route maps displayed at junctions, helping green citizens in finding their way. “Streets of Jayanagar are cycle-friendly. Although the tracks will not be segregated with barricades, cyclists can expect a patched lane. At certain places, the area will also have a mixed traffic, and in order to help improve traffic flow, vehicles moving at different speeds will be segregated. This will further ensure safety of the cyclists,” said Manjula V, DULT commissioner.According to the authorities, the non-arterial roads of the Jayanagar assembly constituency will have cycle lanes,1.5 metres wide on either side. “The Jayanagar project has been achieved after investing `259 lakh, leaving apart the parking lots,” said Baswaraj Kabade, executive engineer, BBMP. “Jayanagar project also incorporates parking lots, which have been made possible by Bharati Cements. They have come up with two parking lots for the cycles at Lalbagh. We are hoping that more such private organisations and NGOs will join hands with us,” said Manjula.The next to follow Jayanagar will be the area around Madiwala lake. “The area has been selected for cycle tracks on the basis of the feasibility survey done by the DULT. The survey showed that the area has 12 per cent of the population using cycles to commute and over 50 per cent of the population showed willingness to ride the cycle if safety is ensured. The area will have a physically segregated cycling lane of 6.99 kms and footpath improvement for 11.15 kms,” said Manjula.The next on the list is the MG Road, followed by Indiranagar, RT Nagar, Koramangala, RMV Extension and Malleshwaram. “The cycling lane on the MG Road will not be physically segregated but will be a pigmented patch, connecting to the metro station and bus stop,” informed Manjula. The initiative is drawing lot of positive responses from cycling enthusiasts. “Such an initiative by the government will certainly do good,” said Rohan Kini, founder of cycle store Bums on the saddle and Bangalore Bikers Community.Under the initiative, as many as 26 cycle parking lots will be provided across the city. “We already have come up with two parking lots for cyclists in Jayanagar,” informed Basvaraj, BBMP.
Comments
0 comment