The Hindu 28.01.2014
Rs. 400 crore sought to realise new projects
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.
