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Size: 17 kilometers
Key partners: Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Bengaluru Smart City Ltd, Bangalore Municipal Corporation, Bangalore Traffic Police
In India, like elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic generated an urgent need for safe and physically distanced travel options. Through engagement with key officials from the Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Bangalore Smart City Ltd, Bangalore Municipal Corporation, Bangalore Traffic Police, site engineers and civil society, WRI facilitated the provision of new safe cycling infrastructure in Bangalore – the first pandemic-responsive pop-up cycle lane in India.
WRI joined a newly formed task force for active mobility and cycling and helped conceptualize and provide design recommendations for a 17-kilometer cycle lane along the Outer Ring Road. WRI, in coordination with partners, identified stretches of road to connect with the existing cycle network and interventions were then implemented by Bangalore Smart City. The Outer Ring Road is one of Bangalore’s most congested roads and is used by more than 1,000 cyclists as part of their daily commute to offices and tech parks.
WRI analyzed road surface conditions assessing the stretch for safety issues and any potential conflict points with vehicles, as well as road visibility conditions and obstructions in the lane. The bike lane starting from Lowry Junction in KR Puram includes dedicated lanes in either direction, reconfigured junctions for safe cycling and pedestrian crossings, semi-permanent yet durable materials like thermoplastic paint and bollards, re-surfaced lanes, and pocket spaces and bicycle parking zones.
WRI also shared design recommendations for cycle lanes on three corridors in central Bangalore, which have been taken up for implementation.
Impact:
- By using existing site crash data and crash reduction factors, a preliminary estimate suggests 56 lives will be saved over a 20-year assessment period (2020-2040)
Safer Streets with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety is part of our WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.
