KK Nagar to get customised cycling tracks

KK Nagar looks all set to set a precedent for the rest of the city: its pavements have been made wide enough to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians. P.T. Rajan Salai, Lakshmanaswamy Salai and Ramasamy Salai will be linked by a cycling track-cum-pavements. 

The Chennai Corporation is overlooking the project, which has been designed by Triple O Studios. “Work on P.T. Rajan Salai started two months ago and is likely to be completed by December though it is on hold now because of the rain. Work on the rest of the stretches has already commenced,” says Tahaer Zoyab, who, along with Anupriya Subbian, founded Triple O Studios. They have collaborated with organisations like the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and Chennai City Connect, and worked earlier on public projects on Chamiers Road and Bharathidasan Salai. 

The one on KK Nagar required them to spend two months on research to understand residents’ needs. “The idea is to form a closed loop to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists. To include a cycling lane wasn’t in the plan initially. But we realised through our research that there were many schools in the locality and its addition would make the commute quicker and safer for students,” says Tahaer.

They also studied vehicle usage patterns. “One concern the residents had was parking. Many residents in the locality have more than one car, but don’t have enough space within their residential complex to park. They park on the road, which was a worry. We studied the number of vehicles parked during different times in the week and designed a parking space to accommodate as many cars as possible,” says Anupriya.

Residents are thrilled that their neighbourhood has been equipped with such a facility. “I don’t let my kid cycle to school because I am concerned for his safety. The roads have too many heavy vehicles and I am not happy sending my child alone. A cycling lane is a good idea and I don’t have to drop my son on my scooter,” says Suryakala S., a resident 

Triple O Studio also plans to pitch yet another suggestion to the Corporation: “To have an unbroken 57-km long non-motorised strip from Royapuram to Mahabalipuram. The idea is reconstruct the broken bridge.” 

For now though, the prospect of having handlebars to hold on to and riding off into the breeze is a joyful one for many.