Reimagining Delhi's Intersections for a Safer Commute
by
Avtar Bhalla, and - 
People of all ages step out and navigate roads across India every day and yet, the many road crashes that regularly feature in news headlines are a reminder that the current state of road safety is far from ideal. In 2023, Delhi recorded a total of 5,834 road crashes resulting in 1,457 fatalities and injuries to 5,470 individuals. This is 18% more than the crashes in 2021. The steep increase in road crashes has been recorded around blackspots near the larger junctions.
The globally known ‘Safe Systems Approach’ aimed at reducing road traffic fatalities acknowledges that while humans make mistakes, this should not result in fatalities. We need to build forgiving infrastructure through better and sensitive design. Building safer infrastructure for all road users not only improves road safety but also enhances traffic efficiency.
Taking cognizance of the rising tally of crashes, Delhi’s Traffic Police, Transport Department and Public Works Department, supported by WRI India, reconfigured five of the city’s high-risk road intersections. This blog looks at key learnings from this process and emphasizes the importance of scaling up safer intersections across the city.
PRINCIPLES OF JUNCTION DESIGN
Compact Intersection Design
A key principle of intersection design is to provide only as much space as is required for safe and efficient movement of all road users. Additional space incentivizes non-permitted movements, hindering safety and traffic efficiency. Compact intersections can provide vehicle drivers, cyclists and pedestrians a clear view of all road users and inform user behavior to limit crash risks.
Situated towards the southern entrance of Shahjahanabad, the Delhi Gate junction is an important node connecting Old Delhi to New Delhi. The junction connects the New Delhi Railway Station with two major roads – Ring Road and Mahatma Gandhi Road. The node is surrounded by major arterial and sub-arterial routes and plays a critical role in connecting key activity centers across the city.
Spread across a vast area with unmanaged crossings, the junction used to be a high-risk intersection for both pedestrians and vehicle users. To make the intersection safer for all users, the Delhi Gate junction was made compact by extending medians, adding refuge areas at corners and ensuring wider footpaths.
Safer and Shorter Crossings
Pedestrians often struggle to cross a wide road in one go. While compact intersections help shorten crossing distances, refuge areas at either ends of the crossings can offer pedestrians a safe space to pause while crossing the road. To ensure accessibility for wheelchair users or caregivers with prams, these refuge areas should also have ramps.
Delhi’s Madhuban Chowk experiences heavy footfall as many passengers switch between the Delhi Metro and other modes of transport on the traffic-heavy Outer Ring Road outside Pitampura Metro Station. Reclaiming more space for refuge areas, has made the junction tighter and reduced the crossing distance making it safer for pedestrians.
Speed Calming Measures
Uncontrolled intersections that lack traffic police personnel, need speed calming measures to curb speeding and maintain a controlled pace of traffic. Introducing rumble strips, speed humps and raised crossings, as illustrated in IRC:99-2018, into junction design are some tried and tested ways to deter high speeding around intersections. Installing optimal, clearly visible traffic signals, signages and legible road markings are some other key components that help regulate traffic flow at high-volume intersections.
The Mukarba Chowk, a high-speed intersection located near the western part of Delhi, connects several important roads – such as National Highway 44 which connects to Sonipat. It offers access to areas like Azadpur, a major vegetable and fruit market in the North and ISBT Kashmere Gate, the inter-state bus terminal and multimodal hub. With a large area and unmanaged speeds, the intersection was extremely difficult to navigate and monitor. The below diagram indicates the proposed speed calming measures for Mukarba Chowk.
TESTING THE PROPOSED DESIGN
Trials can be conducted with simple cost-effective elements that can be quickly assembled. This helps establish the efficacy of proposed solutions thereby enabling stakeholder buy-in. Furthermore, it gives one the scope to refine proposed solutions, based on user perception surveys, which then inform implementation.
Collecting Metrics
Collecting metrics during junction improvement is crucial for assessing current traffic conditions, identifying problem areas, and measuring the effectiveness of implemented changes. It ensures data-driven decision-making, enhances safety and optimizes traffic flow by providing insights into real-world impacts.
Following the implementation, a survey of users revealed that 99.93% of pedestrians felt safer at the Delhi Gate intersection. Additionally, 96.51% of pedestrians found the refuge areas helpful for crossing, and 96.66% felt secure traversing the junction after the temporary installations.
The implementation at Delhi Gate junction has led to a significant reduction in the conflict area, shrinking it from 4,800 square meters to 1,480 square meters. Furthermore, pedestrian crossing distances have been shortened from 60 meters to 40 meters and from 80 meters to 37 meters.
When proper design and rigorous testing are accompanied by documentation of learnings and accurate measurement of impact, it can help inform the permanent transformation of intersections. By consistently refining strategies, based on data and feedback, we can achieve lasting change, enhancing safety, efficiency and overall user experience at intersections.
Intersections are a complex space in any road network, therefore transforming them requires an informed approach. Prioritizing intersection improvement is an easy win for the city. Improvement of these smaller areas at a lesser cost can end up creating greater impact. A city-level program focused on making intersections safer, efficient and universally accessible with innovative, people-centric and holistic designs can reduce the number of crashes in the entire city.
Realizing the vision of safer roads in Delhi needs greater co-ordination between different government departments, NGOs, implementing agencies and civil society organizations. By working together to devise and implement solutions to make streets safer by design, our cities can prioritize all road users and ensure that they get home safe.
