DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT STRATEGIES FOR A LOW CARBON URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Unchecked growth of urban population has put forth tremendous demand for infrastructure and resulting in mismatch between demand and supply of transport infrastructure leading to delays, fuel loss, air and noise pollution , accidents and loss of productive time and energy. On account of this growth, it is very critical to develop a sustainable transport solution, which can create value for all stakeholders in a sustainable manner through creating and adopting safe, reliable, fast, economic and environmentally friendly transport options for all sections of society. The objectives of present research are (1) to assess existing condition of the transport system and impact of socio-economic characteristics and user behaviour on sustainable transport strategies, (2) to develop a multi criteria development method (MCDM) framework for evaluating alternative sustainable transportation strategies for a city, (3) to evolve an emission estimation framework for road transport vehicles and identify strategy to reduce carbon emission through scenario analysis, (4) to suggest proposals, policy measures and improvement schemes to achieve environmentally and socially sustainable transport system. The capital of Uttarakhand, Dehradun has been chosen as a case study for the development of sustainable transport strategies for low carbon urban environment. Dehradun, a city with the population of 5.68 lacs in 2011, ranked 31th most populated city in the world (WHO, 2018) and urban transportation is the major factor for contributing in pollution; exceeding the limit of ambient air quality index in most of the city areas. Due to its location advantage, there is a considerable influx of population from the surrounding regions. Being home to a number of prestigious institutions and with its large tourism potential, the existing transport infrastructure of Dehradun requires substantial augmentation. The stress on transport infrastructure is causing congestion, reduced mobility, and rising air and noise pollution levels. Therefore, analysis of projects/ programs/ plans needs to be carried out before implementation to ensure that it will not in any way harm the environment, society on a short or long-term basis. 2 Through comprehensive literature review, the concept and definition of sustainable transportation, the issues, and challenges for sustainable urban transport and sustainable transport practice in India and worldwide were identified with available approaches and models for evaluation and estimation of strategy. In order to assess the existing condition of the public transport system in the city, relevant data required was collected as per the guidelines of the Service Level Benchmarking (SLB) handbook issued by MoUD (Ministry of Urban Development). The data could either be taken through previous studies, secondary sources or captured through specific primary surveys, and to understand the existing condition of the present transport pattern and human behavior, the data on various qualitative parameters affecting the urban mobility has been collected objectively and subjectively. The objective data collected in terms of observation survey and subjectively based on the questionnaire survey. A random survey has been conducted on 300 stakeholders. The study investigates relationships between people's perception of the influencing parameters of the strategies. The result proves that when parameters are judged on a rating scale, the user behavior towards sustainable transport is revealed. The study supports the need to frame strategies to evaluate in a sustainability framework. The study develops a hierarchy framework to improve urban mobility using a Multi-Criteria Decision Method (AHP) to generate priorities from experts for various criteria and sub-criteria that affects the sustainable choice of urban mobility. Out of 6 identified alternate strategies, enhancement in public transportation in the city is the most sustainable strategy followed by transit-oriented development and non-motorised transport. The study estimated the emission in present and 4 proposed scenarios in Dehradun city. The best possible emission reduction scenario is proposed for the city. The proposed methodology for emission estimation is developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and used in various researches to estimate the emission load in the urban area. With the help of the proposed methodology, the effect on existing transport and proposed transport or scenarios has been estimated. A questionnaire survey has been carried out on a selected corridor to know the percentage of mode shift to proposed mode/scenario through which emission has been calculated 3 against each scenario and compared it with the base scenario. The study recommended personal rapid transit in the study area. It would cover major routes and cater to the need of student, shopping and work trips. It will work as a feeder service as well to the Mass transit system in the future. Sensitivity analysis has also been carried out to determine the emission changes in different percentage of commuter shift, the effect of fuel type and vehicle technology.Genetic algorithim (GA) has been used to predict number of different categories of vehicles and their distribution in order to minimise CO2 emission in the city.. It will help to determine the policy to reduce the carbon footprint in the city. Finally, the study proposes various measures and recommendations for sustainable mobility in the city. Paltan Pazar should be developed as a pedestrianized zone.To reduce the encroachment on road, pathways are provided with a guardrail to reduce access to it. Crosswalks are proposed for pedestrians at all intersection. Grade separate crosswalks are proposed where space is limited. This research shall helps urban and transport planner to analyse the impact of the project before implementation.