NMT vizagPrior to the launch of the National Urban Renewal Mission (2005) and the National Urban Transport Policy (2006), investments in public transportation systems to meet the mobility needs of the current and future population were limited in Indian cities. Planning for essential city systems — environmental, land, mobility, economic and social — has largely been attempted in piecemeal manner. The need to induce a paradigm shift, putting people first in planning our regions, cities and neighbourhoods, implies providing for increased mobility choices from dependence on private vehicles to the availability of good public transportation and safe non-motorised transport. Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) is a foundational mobility concept that prioritizes planning for walking and cycling over automobiles. This NMT City Specific Plan presents a compendium of strategies and recommendations for integrating accessibility with land use and infrastructure investment decisions in shaping NMT-friendly street designs. It follows the five-step planning process as prescribed in the NMT Guidance document for implementing non-motorised transport projects.
The document includes a comprehensive study on assessing the existing conditions in the context of preserving and encouraging the higher share of NMT usage, reviewing current institutional support, proposing development strategies and funding opportunities to facilitate implementation of prioritized non-motorised transport proposals. The plan also provides its stakeholders in Visakhapatnam on the city specific planning process for NMT and equip them with essential tools and resources necessary to integrate NMT planning within the city’s existing public infrastructure implementation framework. It is of utmost importance that the local agencies integrate the NMT recommendations presented in this document to mainstream non-motorised transport planning in Visakhapatnam. This will ensure that strategic investments in Visakhapatnam lead to reducing emissions, increasing safety and sustainable urban environment for India’s emerging tier II city.