The Hindu              28.01.2014 

Makeover for roads near pedestrian plaza

Aloysius Xavier Lopez

Roads around the proposed pedestrian plaza in T. Nagar will get a makeover with traffic and junction improvement works. Chennai Corporation has floated tenders for traffic improvement works around the proposed facility.

Work on stretches between G.N. Chetty Road and Venkatnarayana Road will commence as part of development of the plaza in T. Nagar. Roads such as Dr. Nair Road, Thanikachalam Road, North Boag Road, South Boag Road, Vijayaraghava Road, Raja Badar Street and Raman Street are also likely to get a makeover as part of the project.

The changes will facilitate optimum use of the proposed pedestrian plaza covering 1400 metres of Thyagaraya Road from Bashyam Road near Panagal Park to Anna Salai.

“Stretches that serve as link roads for the pedestrian plaza will be developed for easing traffic congestion in the commercial area. Some stretches will have roadside parking lots to help visitors park their vehicles. This requires support from residents. So we will make minor modifications to traffic flow without bothering residents,” said an official of Chennai Corporation. Normal traffic flow will not be possible on the plaza that will have space for seating.

The proposal includes development of the stretch as a busy intersection of art and commerce with animated and illuminated signs.

Tenders have been floated for work on roads near proposed facility in T. Nagar.

The Hindu              28.01.2014

Rs. 400 crore sought to realise new projects

Karthik Madhavan

The Coimbatore Corporation on Thursday made a proposal to the Municipal Administration, and Water Supply Department officials in Chennai for about Rs. 400 crore to implement schemes for pedestrians.

The corporation wants to lay pedestrian-friendly footpaths for 9km, create pedestrian zones for 1.1km, lay bicycle tracks for 34km, create greenways for 26.6km, and create a bicycle sharing system on a 19 sq km area at Rs. 140 crore.

Another proposal was to improve the public transport, and creating a bus rapid transit system at Rs. 193 crore.

The footpaths would be laid on NSR Road for 1.8km, Mettupalayam Road for 4km, T.V. Samy Street for 1.2km and D.B. Road for 1.6km, according to sources in the corporation.

A pedestrian zone would be created on Big Bazaar Street for 1.1km. Vehicles would not be allowed on the stretch.

Bicycle tracks would be laid along the Gandhi Managar Road, Vilankurichi-Masakalipalayam-Trichy Road, Vilankurichi-Codissia-Kalapatti-Avinashi Road, and Race Course. Greenways would come up near Valangulam, Singanallur Tank, and along the Noyyal River.

The objective of the project was to reduce private transport, promote public transport by providing quality service, and encourage people to go in for non-motorised transport, wherever possible, by providing the necessary infrastructure.

The project aimed at taking the percentage of people who walk from 28 in 2013 to 30 in 2018, people who bicycle from seven to nine, take buses from 19 to 21 and private transport from 38 to 26.