'BMC creating space for cyclists, onus on citizens to make it

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is launching an ambitious project to convert a 40-km-long stretch along the Tansa water pipelines in Mumbai into a dedicated corridor for cycling.
"The onus is on us, citizens to make it a success," said Pallavi Doke of EnviroDesigners, which is providing the design for this track, which will also have open spaces and biodiversity corridors.
Doke and Nitin Shukla today spoke about the project at the 9th meeting of Cycle Katta, a platform created by a few cycling buffs in 2015. Around a hundred cycling enthusiasts attended today's meeting organised with the help of Physics Department of D G Ruparel College.

The proposed cycling track, which will run along the pipelines, will start in Mulund and fork into two branches at JVLR to run through Kurla, Bandra and Mahim, and Antop Hill.
"The idea is to reduce the city's carbon footprint, and also to secure the water pipelines by allowing people to move along it, allow cyclists to move along it," said Nitin Shukla of BMC, who is working on the project.
The track will have multiple entry and exit points, connecting it with roads, railway and metro stations, providing last mile connectivity.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself tweeted about government sanction to this unique project which seeks to utilize the space along the decades old Tansa pipeline network (it stretches north south).

However, the project faces one formidable hurdle: half of the 40 km stretch is still lined by slums and encroachments.
Though the Bombay High Court itself ordered clearance of encroachments to secure the water pipelines, success of the project will hinge on speedy execution of the order.
Some of those, who attended the Cycle Katta meeting today pointed out that experience of cycle track in BKC is not happy one, largely because of the faulty design.
Both Doke and Shukla assured that suggestions to make the track cyclist-friendly are welcome. Suggestions can be sent to sewwcivilmaint@gmail.com.
The civic body hopes to throw open a small stretch of track, on pilot basis around Diwali.