Students propose cycle tracks, trees, pedestrian plaza to set apart Metro 3 stations

Winning idea from Rachana Sansad proposes pathway for devotees near Siddhivinayak station; Pillai College team plans lift connecting two concourses at Marol Naka

Brainstorming: The winning team from Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture at the Observer Research Foundation office on Monday.

A pedestrian plaza, cycle tracks and trees to demarcate Metro stations were some of the ideas students have proposed as part of a competition organised by Observer Research Foundation and Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC).

The competition to plan the station area of Metro 3 featured 238 participants from 13 colleges, divided into 52 teams, in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The competition was announced in March and the inaugural workshop was held on June 21.

MMRC had provided key focus areas such as non-motorised transport and pedestrian pathways, a feeder system network plan and services and encroachment-resilient planning. Students were asked to create their solutions for an influence zone of around 1.2 km. The top three winners had provided solutions and designs for Siddhivinayak, Marol Naka and Worli stations.

The winning team from Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture had chosen Siddhivinayak and focussed on pedestrian access to the station. The hallmark feature was a dedicated pedestrian plaza of about 30 m near Khed Galli behind the station. The students felt devotees would be encouraged to use the back exit if a dedicated plaza was created for pedestrians.

The runner-up team from Pillai College of Architecture created a master plan for Marol Naka station, which had a five-year, 10-year and 15-year plan considering the impact a Metro station would have on the adjoining regions and the existing mixed pattern of commercial, industrial and residential establishments within the catchment area.

In the five-year plan, they had proposed to provide a lift from the Metro 3 station concourse to the existing Metro 1 station concourse for a seamless interchange, as well as plazas around the Metro 3 station area.

The team that stood third was also from Rachana Sansad. The students created a plan for Worli station, which is coming up on the busy Dr. Annie Besant Road. Among the proposals was to have different bus stops for feeder and long-distance buses, with the former having bays cut out of pedestrian pathways.

The team said feeder buses typically carry more people and hence wait longer at bus stops than long-distance ones. The team proposed flowering trees of a particular colour at Metro stations to demarcate it from the rest of the landscape.

A common thread in all the ideas was the space given to pedestrian pathways and a dedicated cycling track. The students felt that in future, the city would need to include these to create sustainable modes of travel.