15 September 2010
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.
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
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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:
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.
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
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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
- Physical survey, vendor mapping, and parking survey: 3 person-days (ITDP staff)
Data analysis, mapping, and plan preparation will last another three weeks.
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