Jalvi Contractor

Thesis/DRP/Capstone Project

India is in the midst of rapid urbanization, with the urban population expected to reach 40% of the total population by 2031 and 50% by 2051. This urban growth has resulted in a surge in private vehicle ownership, even with a variety of public transportation options available. Among the 24 Indian cities with urban mass rapid transit systems, 8 cities, including Ahmedabad, have multiple urban mass transit modes such as BRTS and metro complemented with city bus and paratransit services. Despite these options, city have yet to fully embrace multimodal integration to enhance public transport. However, assessing multimodal integration is a challenge due to the absence of a comprehensive framework which focuses on all the five pillars of integration i.e. Physical, operational, informational, fare and institutional. Among this pillars, physical integration appears to be one of the most important aspects of an integrated and multimodal transport system. With this backdrop, the present study seeks to fill the existing research gap by proposing a framework for assessing the physical integration by taking Ahmedabad’s Kalupur interchange as a case study. The framework is developed based on literature and national and international case studies and was employed to assess physical integration of interchange where there is presence of higher, intermediate and lower transit modes. There are 3 components involved in the framework for evaluation of physical integration which are the facilities available at the entry and exit of transit stations and stops, facilities available within transit stations and stops and facilities available for connection between transit stations and stops. The assessment proposed usage of two types of data: a physical evaluation and a user perception survey. Based on the prepared framework, the assessment of physical integration of Kalupur interchange has been carried out and score and performance level of the available facilities within the interchange has been determined and recommendations for the same have been provided. The outcomes of this research will serve as a valuable resource for government and relevant organizations, guiding them in implementing the suggested recommendations to enhance the physical integration at Kalupur interchange in Ahmedabad.