Last mile Connectivity

2 May 2008 - 3:08pm — blrsri

There has been numerous opinions expressed on transit systems and also the last mile connectivity(from home to station) has come to question here time and again. What are our options:

1. Skateboards - there will surely be lot of leg injuries

2. Free small busses to doorsteps - Budapest does it...but not practical for Blr

3. Bicycles - Arguably the best way to do the trip, again Budapest gives free parking for bicycles

4. Walking - the best..but limited to 1-2 kms

5. Motorbikes/Scooters/scotterette - we have many of them already with us..so using them to get to the local metro/LRT/BRT station should be a breeze

We get there and we need to park. How do we do that?

1. Park bikes in MLCP (multilevel car park)

This is not a very good option as there will be lot of unused space.

2. MLBP(multilevel bike parking)

These parking lots can be tailor made for bikes only. Think this will be the way to go. Any ideas how these parking lots can be?

Afterall we have the most bike population in the whole of India and finding ways to park bikes efficiently should help. anyways.

This will also help in congested roads where we can have multi level bike parking which will free-up space at grade..which can be used for bicycles/walking

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MLP for bikes

narayan82 - 3 ಮೇ 2008 - 3:03pm

Have a parking system where all you do is deposit your bike, and a mechanical system lifts it to its parking slot -which is defined by the collection time. This way it will be faster than riding searching for parking. BUT! We need to build the metro on time first!

Narayan Gopalan
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore

Follow example of Austin, TX

mcadambi - 3 ಮೇ 2008 - 4:23pm

When i was in Austin, TX - the Dillo - a free feeder service used to run between routes that could not be served by the regular bus service.

http://www.capmetro.org/r...

In Mangalore, i heard that buses go deep into wards so that there is no incentive to have a private vehicle.

A free service that would connect the metro stations would act as feeder routes and thereby provide a platform for people not to have private vehicles.

Mini Buses owned by residential complexes/communities

silkboard - 4 ಮೇ 2008 - 10:21am

About this point - "2. Free small busses to doorsteps":

Incentivize small residential complexes or communites to run small buses in "local loop" that connect their small neighbohood with select BMTC routes. A few of them already own buses, and already run services till CBD/M G Road. They could leave the trip to CBD/M G Road to BMTC Volvos, and instead focus on last mile connectivity an extending the reach of BMTC.

The thing is - we have to think better than autos.

Auto Menace

narayan82 - 4 ಮೇ 2008 - 10:39am

Is there a solution to the Auto Menace? - they seem to be the perfect solution to Last Mile Connectivity, yet they are monopolising the situation. They have Unions, large in numbers, aggresive and often dangerous. I never have been able to take an Auto for Minimum fare - its often rounded off to 30 even 50! Meters are tampered with. In fact once, after 200 meters the meter started ticking. If i do the same the distance in 3 different autos, I will get 3 different fares! Bombay is a good example of the Auto System. My travel there has never seen an Auto driver decline a journey, and charge a rupee more than the meter. It was actually a very pleasant journey. No politician will come forward and put this down in his manifesto as it is a sure vote looser. Police seem to have no control over them. Auto's road sense is by far the worst - they cut oneways, lanes and signals freely. Often they clog traffic on narrow roads as the drive and incredibly slow speeds searching for a passenger. What kind of enforcement will bring these Autos in order? Can we have PILs against them? Can we put an easier method of registering complaints?

Narayan Gopalan
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore

Last Mile - One More Option

Naveen - 5 ಮೇ 2008 - 8:05pm

BlrSri,

That's a very good list of options with suitability /remarks.

There is one more simple, environment-friendly option which is missing & needs to be promoted - Cycle rickshaws or Pedicab (click the link for a futuristic design) :

Cycle-rickshaws were banned in Delhi in Chandni Chowk area - ITDP has taken up the cause of cycle-rickshaws & is fighting a case - I think they will win since the National Urban Transport Policy specifically requires such modes to be promoted.

[Admin edit - put pedicab photo inline]

Segway scooters?

silkboard - 7 ಮೇ 2008 - 2:23pm

Remember segway? Was such a hyped hot thing a few years ago. I know these things are more like dreams for Bangalore today, but I thought these segways were small, slow and usable for use as "shared local transport". You need something slow, not so big - basically something that will be light, and unfit for dual use as long distance vehicle. A GPS based location "lock" could force these to be usable only in a designated area, then, segway, or something similarly small and light could be a good fit for local people transportation needs.

[Note: Photos sourced from flickr]

Segways on humps?!

blrsri - 7 ಮೇ 2008 - 4:10pm

I am not sure it will survive the humps and potholes we have and it also needs some skills in learing to ride that and manage in our erratic traffic..btw dont see a luggage carrying option in it! :)

Segways/cycles/bikes all need parking..so how do we stash them? Tokyo has a automated multi level cycle parking..youtube has videos on that..its all underground.

Maybe we need to look at something like that..but we need it for motorbikes..that presents a different challenge..

There are automated parking solutions similar to the one here.. http://www.palis.de/produkt_engl/produkt_engl.html that BBMP has been planning to impliment here in blr!

We need something like this customized for mobikes too!

Cycle rickshaws are back in Chandani chowk in new avatar

sanchitnis - 24 Mar 2009 - 11:10am

Now we have electric powered cycle rickshaws in Chandani chowk:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/chandni-chowk-to-go-green-with-solar-ricksh.../368233/

I think to charge them using solar panels may not scale up, but plain electric charging is possible...So this will be a great alternative.

Another of course will be shared radio taxies - nanos or otherwise..

Sanjay

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