Dedicated cycling tracks coming up in parts of Mysuru

Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has begun laying dedicated cycle tracks on selected roads to promote environment-friendly transport. Retro Reflective Flexible Delineators have been installed on Vishwa Manava Double Road and will soon be on other roads. The project is expected to be completed in one month at a cost of ₹3.65 crore. The delineators create a safe path for cyclists and the retro reflective element provides enhanced safety at night. The MCC has also upgraded the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system Trin Trin with 500 electric bicycles at 48 hubs. Once the PBS is launched, 1,000 electric bicycles will be operationalized at 100 hubs. The dedicated cycle lanes are for all cyclists, not just Trin Trin users.

With a view to promoting environment-friendly mode of transport, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has begun the task of laying dedicated cycle tracks on selected stretches of roads in the city.

The ‘Retro Reflective Flexible Delineators’ that seek to create a dedicated cycle track have begun making their appearance on Vishwa Manava Double Road. Soon, dedicated cycle tracks will be created on certain stretches of Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road, Sita Vilas Road, Bogadi Road, Krishnaraja Boulevard, Chamaraja Double Road and New Kantharaj Urs road apart from Vishwa Manava Double Road.

Development Officer of MCC Zone 1 Shushruth told The Hindu that the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Government of Karnataka, carried out a survey of the roads in the city and suggested the creation of a total of 8.7 km of dedicated cycling tracks selected stretches based on the “width of the carriageway”.

The project of installing the Retro Reflective Flexible Delineators, which began in September, is expected to be concluded in the next one month. The MCC is hoping to complete the project of creating the dedicated cycle tracks taken up at a cost of ₹3.65 crore over the next three to four weeks.

The distance between the kerb edge and the delineators is 1.5 metres while each delineator is separated by a distance of 1 metre. The delineators seek to create a safe path exclusively for use of cyclists while the retro reflective element aims to provide enhanced safety for the cyclists during night journeys.

When asked, Mr. Shushruth said the MCC had not received any complaints from the motorists on the reduced width of the road for them.

Meanwhile, the creation of dedicated cycle tracks comes at a time when the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system Trin Trin is undergoing a revamp with pedal assist electric bicycles replacing the conventional bicycles.