Terms of Reference

Pedestrian accessibility and public space improvement for the Surat

Railway Station precinct

15 September 2010

301 Paritosh, near Darpan Academy of Performing Arts

Usmanpura, Ahmedabad 380013
india@itdp.org
1 Overview
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Surat Municipal
Corporation (SMC) are working together on several programs to expand the use of non-
motorized transport (NMT) in Surat. As part of this work, ITDP is preparing a pedestrian
safety and traffic management plan for the Surat Railway Station and its vicinity.

At present, the Railway Station area experiences heavy volumes of pedestrians as well as
vehicle traffic. A lack of dedicated pedestrian space has led to unpleasant conditions for
pedestrians. Inadequate traffic management is resulting in vehicular congestion and
haphazard parking.

Vehicles and pedestrians compete for

space outside the Railway Station

Despite these challenges, the Railway Station offers unprecedented opportunities to

create better pedestrian linkages, and high quality public space. These improvements will
help make the station area a more inviting and memorable gateway to the city.

2 Objectives
The aim of the study is to support the Surat Municipal Corporation in improving the
quality of pedestrian facilities and to improve the quality of public space near the
Railway Station. Specific objectives include:

- Assess existing pedestrian linkages between the city centre and the railway station
and propose solutions for at-grade and above-ground access

- Improve the pedestrian access to mobility services near railway station

- Rationalize private vehicle parking. Determine means of improving utilization of

parking areas on the eastern side of the station

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 - Develop a strategy for creating dedicated pedestrian space near the railway station,
including a plan for managing street vending in any such spaces

3 Deliverables
Four plans will be developed as part of this project:

1. Pedestrian infrastructure improvements. Based on analysis of pedestrian volumes

and desire lines, locations where at-grade pedestrian infrastructure needs to be added
or upgraded will be identified. Conceptual physical designs will be prepared. The
need for skywalks will be assessed and conceptual alignments proposed.

2. Traffic and parking management plan. A proposal for improved vehicle

circulation will be prepared. For local buses, the study will examine passenger
access, circulation within the bus terminal, and mid-day parking. For autorickshaws,
the study will assess the potential for formal pick-up and drop-off areas for shuttle
rickshaws, similar to the practice at many suburban railway stations in Mumbai.
Finally, private vehicle and taxi circulation will be examined. All components of the
traffic plan will be coordinated with proposed pedestrian improvements.

3. Public space on the western side of railway station. Potential pedestrian zones will
be identified, along with a management plan that addresses street furniture, vending,
and other issues.

4 Work completed to date

ITDP staff have conducted numerous site visits to the Railway Station area and have
begun photo- and video-documenting pedestrian and vehicle movements. In addition, all-
day vehicle traffic counts and rickshaw occupancy counts were completed by an SMC-
appointed survey agency at three major junctions outside the Station.

The Railway Station area was the subject of a design charrette for SMC staff led by
Michael Ronkin in June 2010. Participants brainstormed ideas for improving pedestrian
access and rationalizing vehicle movements.

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 SMC engineers participated in a design
workshop focusing on pedestrian
access at the Railway Station

5 Additional study required

The following further surveys are required to complete the assessment:

- Survey of physical conditions. Streets leading to railway station do not have

adequate space for walking. The extent of existing footpaths and other pedestrian
infrastructure will be documented along the streets indicated on the last page. The
physical survey will be conducted based on following parameters.

Topic Parameter(s) to be recorded

Clear space for pedestrian movement (1) Width of constructed footpath;
(2) Usable width
Amenities (1) Public seating; (2) Public adapted
seating; (3) Eatery seating; (4)
Vendor seating
Shade Shaded linear metres per side;
Fraction of total linear metres in
shade (%)
Pedestrian crossings Number of formal and informal
crossings
Obstructions Linear metres of footpath obstructed
by (1) mobile encroachments and (2)
fixed encroachments
Continuity Linear metres of footpath requiring
reconstruction
Cleanliness Linear metres requiring cleaning

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 - Pedestrian cordon counts. Hourly pedestrian volumes will be measured on major
streets leading away from the station, at 14 locations indicated on the next page.
Surveys will be conducted during 4 peak hours in the morning and 4 hours in the
evening.

- Railway passenger destination survey. Pedestrians exiting the railway station will
be interviewed to determine (1) their final destination in Surat, (2) the mode used,
and (3) the frequency of the trip. This survey will help determine the relative volumes
of passengers who transfer to a public transport mode or walk all the way to their
final destination. This survey will be conducted at the main entry and exit points of
the railway station. The mode shares can be expanded using the pedestrian cordon
counts to determine the total number of passengers departing in each mode during the
peak hours.

- Stationary activity survey. This survey will record the number of persons involved
in stationary activities in public space: i.e. buying goods from street vendors, eating
at outdoor establishments, sitting on public benches, and so on. Categories will
consist of: (1) informal food-related, (2) formal food-related, (3) informal non-food-
related, and (4) formal non-food-related. Persons standing or sitting but not engaged
in any explicit commercial activity will also be recorded. Vending activities will be
mapped in order to determine how much area should be allocated area for vending in
the railway station precinct.

- Parking survey. Existing volumes of parked vehicles on both sides of the Railway
Station will be recorded. Existing parking charges will be documented.

ITDP staff or ITDP appointed surveyors will conduct these surveys. The estimated time
requirements are listed in Section 6.

6 Timeline
Weather permitting, the time durations for the surveys will be as follows:

- Pedestrian cordon counts: 6-7 person-days plus 1 person-day for data entry

- Pedestrian destination interviews: 16 person-days plus 3 person-days for data entry

- Physical survey, vendor mapping, and parking survey: 3 person-days (ITDP staff)

- Activity survey: 1 person-day (ITDP staff)

Data analysis, mapping, and plan preparation will last another three weeks.

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