[Sample] Ahmedabad BRTS Corridor Green Streets Upgrade

Making the BRTS Work at the Street Level

Ahmedabad's Janmarg BRTS, launched in 2009, was India's first true BRT system but its success was undermined by poor last-mile conditions — the streets feeding every station were hostile to pedestrians and cyclists. The Green Streets Upgrade, completed across 85 km in 2020, treated each BRT corridor as a complete street redesign problem, working within the existing right-of-way to accommodate all modes.

The standard cross-section inserts 1.5 m protected cycling lanes on both sides using low-level concrete kerbs, widens footpaths from 1.2 m to 2.4 m minimum, and plants native shade trees at 6 m spacing in a continuous canopy strip. The redesign also repositioned auto-rickshaw and private-vehicle set-down zones to clear the cycle lane, addressing the enforcement failure that had undermined earlier cycling infrastructure.

“Ahmedabad has a BRT that wins international awards. But if you couldn't safely walk from your house to the station, none of that mattered. The green streets project fixed the first and last 500 metres.”

— Transport Planner, CEPT University

Post-completion surveys recorded a 34% increase in cycling trips on upgraded corridors and a 22% increase in BRTS ridership at stations with improved pedestrian access. The project has since been adopted as a model by the MoHUA for its National Urban Transport Policy guidelines.