Bicycling Infrastructure Design for Indian Cities and Emerging Economies

Bicycling is one of the most sustainable, affordable and efficient transport modes, and during the last few decades, there has been a massive expansion of cycling infrastructure and facilities in most of the major cities of the world. Yet, this is not the case in India and many other emerging countries which face a different set of problems and require a different set of solutions in regards to bicycle infrastructure design and its provision. In Indian cities, urban transport infrastructure development has historically favoured motorised vehicles that have led to a steady decline of bicycling. Bicycling is also affected by various other factors such as terrain, climate, land use and absence of properly designed and maintained infrastructure facilities discouraging potential bicyclists. Captive users, on the other hand, continue to bicycle along the road sections thus increasing own risk and increasing hindrances for motorised vehicle users. This book aims to overcome these challenges through suggesting context-specific bicycle infrastructure design strategies for Indian urban areas or for similar emerging economies to improve the overall bicycling experience in terms of safety, comfort, efficiency and uniformity. In most cases, there can be a trade-off among recommended strategies, site constraints and users’ behaviour and acceptance which need to be a part of the design process.

This chapter explores the current state of bicycle infrastructure in Tier-I and Tier-II cities from various geographic regions in India. Various infrastructure and facilities including bicycle tracks, intersections, parking facilities, signage, markings, traffic calming measures, services and utilities, and street furniture and landscaping are analysed to understand the various issues, constraints, shortfalls and the need for context-specific infrastructural solutions. Tier-I cities include Pune (Maharashtra), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Tier-II cities include Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Warangal (Andhra Pradesh), Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and Nashik (Maharashtra). Primary surveys reveal a lack of continuous bicycle network, lack of adherence to design standards, lack of context-specific modifications to a standard design, lack of enforcement of regulations, maintenance issues, etc. that prevents people from using bicycle facilities in urban areas.

Bicycle tracks are designed to provide users with safe, direct and convenient routes resulting in a minimum delay in total journey time. The most critical consideration for bicycle track design is to minimise conflicts with motorised vehicles. This chapter covers both Indian and international standard and guidelines in regard to bicycle track design. IRC guidelines are based on existing traffic, road characteristics and width of right-of-way and cover different engineering aspects. International guidelines such as FHWA, NACTO and AASHTO specify additional recommendations regarding the design of the bicycle tracks based on the direction of the bicycle traffic, buffering strategies, midblock strategies, traffic calming measures and their maintenance. The chapter also includes the design of bicycle track pavement, bicycle stairways and automated bicycle wheeling ramps. Finally, general recommendations and context-specific design solutions for bicycle tracks in the Indian scenario are discussed with examples.

The continuity of bicycle lanes/tracks at an intersection is a crucial aspect of bicycle infrastructure design that ensures safety of bicycle riders. To address this concern, various geometric design (space separation) strategies and temporal separation strategies can be implemented. Geometric design strategies include minimisation of exposure to conflicts, reduction of speed differentials at the points of conflict, communication of the right-of-way priority and provision of adequate sight distances. Temporal design strategies address these conflicts using signals and beacons. In addition, various common intersection design strategies such as intersection design for limited space, intersection design for divided carriageway, intersection design for free bicycle track and Dutch model of protected intersection are explained. Finally, some context-specific bicycle-friendly intersection design strategies are proposed for some existing developments.

The provision of convenient and secure bicycle parking facilities at major locations is a key strategy to encourage cycling. Bicycle parking facilities are designed based on various criteria such as duration of parking, level of security required, land use, level of weather protection needed, availability of space, cost and issues related to maintenance. This chapter explains the various aspects of bicycle parking that including bicycle racks, bicycle lockers, bicycle stations and suggested bicycle parking facilities for the Indian context. Bicycle rack design covers strategies for demarcation of the bicycle parking area, material of bicycle racks, types of bicycle rack mounts, surface materials for bicycle racks, types of bicycle racks and space requirements. Bicycle locker design covers material used, locking mechanisms, types of bicycle locker and space requirements. Bicycle station design includes general design principles for these long-term storage facilities and a few case studies.

This chapter explains various aspects of necessary road signs for bicycle infrastructure. Signage is a crucial element of bicycle infrastructure that notifies road users about regulations and includes cautionary/warning, prohibitory/regulatory/mandatory, compulsory and informatory messages. The chapter includes general principles about signage design, their placement, size of signage, size of letters, material and different signage classification.

Road markings are lines, patterns or words applied to the carriageway or kerbs or objects within or adjacent to the carriageway for warning, guiding and informing both bicycle and other users. These are important tools to control and guide traffic on urban roads and highways. They primarily act as a psychological barrier and signify the delineation of the traffic path and its lateral clearance from hazards to facilitate safe movement of vehicles and people. Road markings are used to segregate bicycle tracks and prioritise bicyclists along a given route. Markings also help in identifying potential conflict areas between bicyclists and motorists.

Lighting, drainage, landscaping and street furniture are essential infrastructure elements that should be carefully planned to support the various functions of the roads and the ROW including pedestrian pathways, bicycle tracks/lanes, green verges and utility corridors. These provide both direct and indirect assistance to vehicles and people and require adequate consideration towards their design, installation and maintenance. In general, lighting and drainage have little impact on the geometric design of the road. Their design should, however, reflect sound engineering and economic principles and their operation and maintenance should consider existing traffic flow and conflict with other facilities. Landscaping and street furniture on the other hand are sometimes part of the geometric design in addition to their aesthetic appeal and visual identity. They are also key elements for the provision of comfort, convenience and safety. The overall design of the streetscape including lighting, drainage, landscaping and street furniture should prioritise, traffic safety, overall integrity and visual quality of the road and maintenance efficiency.