The Vizag Metro Rail Project’s CMP will shortly be updated

In response to a request from the Union government, Simhachalam BRTS Metro Rail Corporation Ltd is getting ready to update Visakhapatnam’s comprehensive mobility plan (CMP). This update is crucial for moving forward with the proposed metro rail project, as the original CMP, created in 2018, is set to expire after five years. With the evolving traffic patterns, mobility needs, and infrastructure requirements, a new plan is necessary not just for the metro rail initiative but also for enhancing other public transportation options, such as bus routes, metro feeder services, road network expansions, and new route alignments. The main objective of the update is to boost public transport usage from 40% to between 50% and 55%. To achieve this, the plan will focus on addressing gaps in the road network to better distribute traffic across major routes. Important areas of focus include the Simhachalam BRTS corridor linked to NH-16, along with routes through NAD, Lankelapalem, Sontyam-Anandapuram, Peda Narava, Gangavaram-Tallapalem, and the Gajuwaka bypass. Previous studies have shown that the NAD junction is the busiest traffic point, handling 3.57 lakh passenger car units daily, whereas over 10% of daily traffic occurs during peak hours at important crossroads like Birla Junction and YSR Stadium. The CMP upgrade will proceed as requested by the Union government, according to a Metro Rail Corporation source. This updated CMP, valid for five years, will aid in the effective planning and implementation of the metro rail project. In the earlier CMP, service level benchmarks were classified into four categories (LoS 1-4), with LoS 1 representing the highest service quality. Visakhapatnam’s public transport, mainly operated by APSRTC, offers 100% organized coverage, but has a low availability rate of 0.29 per 1,000 residents, leading to an LoS of 2. The whole public transport coverage over 250 km of the 643 sq km metro area similarly indicates a LoS of 3, as does the average bus waiting time, which is between 5 and 10 minutes. With just 23% of the network under examination having paved walkways and several junctions not meeting pedestrian wait-time requirements, pedestrian infrastructure is rated as LoS 2. With a LoS of 4, non-motorized transportation facilities receive a low grade, and the use of intelligent transportation systems is still minimal, as seen by unsynchronised signals and limited traffic monitoring (8.84%, LoS 4). Both personal automobiles and public transit have an average travel speed of 28 km/h and 18 km/h, respectively, which results in a LoS of 2.