An Urban Fabric Responsive Last Mile Planning

Abstract

The chapter aims to cover an important and often neglected aspect of transit planning—that of last mile connectivity (LMC). Today most transit systems extend beyond the city to conurbations or metropolitan regions. However, most often LMC planning is on the hindsight or follows a “one shoe fits all” approach, without taking into cognisance the importance of the urban fabric context of the stations. Last mile solutions that do not respond to the built environment context can result in unsustainable mode choice for LMC or in reduced transit appeal. The chapter presents last mile trip characteristics for stations located in different urban fabrics in the city of Delhi and its surrounding town Noida. It explores the attributes of the built environment that impact last mile travel behaviour across the metropolitan region. Additionally, the paper discusses the level of integration, with a lens on the current last mile environment, policy and planning practice for Delhi. The chapter further makes a case for treating LMC planning as integral to transit planning and outlines last mile planning principles suitable for different urban fabrics.