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Lentis, Saumya Pandya Thakkar, Shakuntala Pandya and the Pedestrians of Ahmedabad

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Background

The City of Ahmedabad

As the largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat, Ahmedabad boasts a bustling urban population of roughly 9.5 million but grapples with severe traffic congestion and a mounting road safety crisis[1]. With a heavy daily ridership dominated by buses and private vehicles, the city’s dense roadways have become increasingly hazardous for pedestrians. In 2023 alone, Ahmedabad recorded 535 fatal crashes, with speeding identified as the primary culprit[2]. Traditional infrastructural attempts to alleviate these issues, such as the construction of new bridges and flyovers, have proven largely unsuccessful. This unchecked vehicular speed and disregard for traffic regulations pose a severe threat in school zones and pedestrian-heavy areas, reflecting a broader crisis where an estimated 16 children lose their lives on Indian roads every day[3].

Infrastructure

To understand Ahmedabad’s plans to reduce traffic casualties and improve traffic circulation, Ahmedabad’s existing infrastructure as well as its plans for developing infrastructure must be examined. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was established in July 1950 under the Bombay Provincial Corporation Act of 1949. The AMC is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city of Ahmedabad [4]. Other entities, such as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) [5] and the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda), manage roadways in Ahmedabad [6].

According to a budget report from the AMC, only 731.43 km of the 2,634 km road network has sidewalks, which is less than 28% of the total road network [7]. The 2,634 km reported road length may not represent the total road length within Ahmedabad, since the report may not have accounted for roads under the management of the NHAI and Auda. Ahmedabad’s major roads, often referenced as arterial roads in The Times of India, have four to six lanes, but some sections of these roads have even more lanes because they include service and bus lanes. Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) runs the public bus service in the city of Ahmedabad. The responsibility for the administration of AMTS comes under the AMC [8]. The AMC has incorporated what it refers to as a “Special Purpose Vehicle,” called Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd., in order to run and operate Ahmedabad’s Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. is registered under the Companies Act, 1956, and is a 100% subsidiary of the AMC. In order to provide faster, reliable, eco-friendly, and advanced public transportation, Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. is committed to operating and running BRTS services [9]. Alternatively, the people of Ahmedabad can take the metro. Railway transportation in Ahmedabad began in 1863, when the first train from Ahmedabad to Surat was flagged off from the newly built Kalupur railway station [10]. However, the first section of the metro opened in 2019, and the second section opened in 2026 [11]. The city of Ahmedabad has implemented several types of transportation infrastructure, such as vehicle bridges, including flyovers and railway overbridges; pedestrian bridges; roundabouts, locally known as “circles”; underpasses; speed bumps; and ring roads, which circle the city and allow vehicles passing through Ahmedabad to avoid getting stuck in city traffic. In 2006, Auda developed the 76 km SP Ring Road [12]. Between 2000 and 2026, 61 bridges, underpasses, and culverts were built, with 46 of them being constructed in the last 16 years. During that time, the city built five pedestrian overbridges, as well as an underpass in Mithakali [13].

Ahmedabad’s future plans to develop infrastructure are consistent with its previous infrastructure projects. The AMC plans to take up flyover construction at the city’s six most congested junctions as part of a decade-long program to build flyovers at the 25 most congested junctions [14]. Auda approved the upgrade of the SP Ring Road to six lanes and requested that the AMC make provisions for service roads on the 76 km ring road. There is no uniformity in the width of the road, which varies from 60 meters to 96 meters in different sections. Auda approved two tenders worth Rs 2,200 crore to upgrade the 76 km SP Ring Road to six lanes. Rs 2,200 crore, or ₹22,000,000,000, is approximately $232,000,000 USD. In Phase 1, the 37 km eastern stretch will be upgraded, and in Phase 2, the 39.2 km western stretch will be revamped. Additionally, service roads will be developed, with existing two-lane service roads being expanded to four lanes over 34 km, and three-lane service roads over 15 km being expanded to four lanes. The service roads of the AMC will also be included in this development. At the same time, Auda plans to construct two new three-lane bridges next to the existing bridges over the Sabarmati River at Bhat and Kamod. Additionally, three six-lane underpasses will be constructed at Bhat Circle, Chiloda Circle, and Aslali Circle on the SP Ring Road. To create pedestrian crossings, six new foot overbridges will be built on the SP Ring Road [15]. The state government gave the green signal to Auda to redesignate about 36 square kilometers of land under the agriculture zone, facilitating its conversion into residential and commercial use in fast-developing areas along the periphery of Ahmedabad city. At the same time, the state government has taken an in-principle decision to initiate the process of land acquisition for the proposed third ring road of Ahmedabad city[16]. Perhaps the most innovative project is the existing yet not operational high-speed railroad network [17]. India’s first bullet train project will begin commercial operations in Gujarat by December 2027. The entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor of the project will be operational by December 2029. The cost of this infrastructure project is about ₹1.08 lakh crore, or approximately $11.4 billion USD[18]. The currency conversion between rupees and USD is a reasonable approximation as of 5/2/2026.

Participant Groups

Pedestrians are arguably the group that benefits the most from the implementation of these paintings. Online sentiment shows that many citizens are concerned about the lack of safe crossing areas in Ahmedabad, particularly on larger highways[19]. Reduced driver speeds helps ensure that drivers are more aware of pedestrian crossings and gives pedestrians a visually-designated zone to cross as opposed to jaywalking. The paintings were done near schools and accident-prone areas to help slow down drivers in the area, showing a deliberate implementation of the technique[20].

Thakkar was contacted by IL&FS, a private infrastructure company, to implement the crosswalks on an accident-prone stretch of the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway[21]. Other than a vague acknowledgement from the Ahmedabadi government, there has not been a substantial effort by the Ahmedabad Municipal Transports Service to bolster the efforts of Pandya and Thakkar. They are further restricted in the implementation of these designs due to regulations by the roadworks authorities[22]. However, the innovation drew national attention, with the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) conducting research on the effects of the paintings. They found that speed reductions ranged between 1.6% and 20.3%, with the larger reductions being that of trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles. This was primarily attributed to the higher vantage points of these larger vehicles, giving them a better view of the crosswalk and further enhancing the optical illusion. Combined with the larger breaking distance required for heavier vehicles, they are prone to slowing down more at these crosswalks[23]. Additionally, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has allocated 20 crore rupees, or 2.1 million USD, to fixing over 100 traffic crossings, emphasizing an overall prioritization of making these crosswalks safer[24].

There are very few firsthand accounts of driver sentiments regarding the crosswalks. However, given the results of the research conducted by the CRRI, it can be concluded that drivers have heightened awareness of the crosswalks and are responding relatively positively. Additionally, the design of the painting ensures that the illusion is functional from a distance, and dissipates as drivers approach the crosswalk, minimizing “panic braking” and ensuring that drivers are also kept safe[25].

Existing Solutions

Efforts to improve road safety and pedestrian conditions in Ahmedabad span three broad categories: traffic calming measures, pedestrian infrastructure, and traffic flow optimization. Each approach addresses a distinct dimension of the city's road safety crisis, and together they reflect both the progress made and the gaps that remain.

Traffic Calming

Traffic calming encompasses physical and visual measures designed to reduce vehicle speeds without requiring large-scale infrastructure investment. The most prominent local innovation is the 3D zebra crossing, pioneered in Ahmedabad by artists Saumya Pandya Thakkar and Shakuntala Pandya. By painting optical illusions directly onto the asphalt, the crossings create the appearance of a raised blockade, prompting drivers to slow down. Research by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) confirmed speed reductions of 1.6% to 20.3%, with the greatest effect observed among heavy commercial vehicles due to their elevated vantage points[26].

The concept has since been adopted in cities around the world, with results broadly consistent with those observed in Ahmedabad. In New Delhi, authorities reported that average vehicle speeds at 3D crosswalk locations dropped from 50 km/h to 30 km/h following installation[27]. In Europe, the fishing town of Ísafjörður, Iceland became the first to deploy the design in 2017, after its environmental commissioner sought alternatives to traditional speed bumps, which studies had linked to increased air pollution and driver complaints about vehicle damage[28]. In Kansas City, Kansas, a 3D crosswalk was installed near a school in a residential neighborhood prone to speeding, and residents reported that the design helped slow drivers, though they noted that additional traffic calming measures were still needed[26]. A broader academic evaluation of decorative pavement markings at pedestrian crosswalks found that speed reductions ranged from 1.89 km/h to 4.41 km/h across twelve study sites, with vehicle-pedestrian crashes reduced by approximately 25%[29]. One recurring limitation noted across deployments is durability: the Kansas City crosswalk faded significantly within two years, and the city indicated it would only repaint if the design proved effective at slowing traffic[30]. This echoes the broader concern that the novelty effect of optical illusion markings may diminish as local drivers habituate to them over time.

Complementing painted interventions, Ahmedabad installed 339 speed humps across the city in just 17 months, a rapid and low-cost deployment that reflects the city's broader prioritization of accessible safety measures. However, speed humps carry their own drawbacks: they can impede emergency vehicles, damage low-clearance vehicles if poorly designed, and face political resistance when proposed on high-capacity arterial roads.

Pedestrian Infrastructure

Ahmedabad's pedestrian infrastructure reveals a stark gap between need and provision. As of 2026, only 731 of the city's 2,634 km of roads have sidewalks, leaving 72% of the network without footpaths[31]. In response, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) allocated Rs. 20 crore to repair over 100 traffic intersections[24]. Five foot overbridges (FOBs) currently exist, providing grade-separated crossings that fully eliminate pedestrian-vehicle conflict on high-speed corridors. An additional six FOBs are planned as part of the SP Ring Road upgrade[15]. For wide arterial roads where full-grade separation is not feasible, pedestrian refuge islands offer a proven middle-ground solution. Research by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration found that installing raised refuge islands at marked crosswalks reduced pedestrian crashes by 46%, and by 39% at unmarked locations[32]. By allowing pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time, refuge islands are especially well-suited to Ahmedabad's four-to-six lane arterials, where crossing the full road width in a single phase poses significant risk[31].

Traffic Flow Optimization

Beyond speed reduction, managing how traffic moves through and around Ahmedabad is critical to reducing conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians. Signal coordination, commonly referred to as a green wave, times traffic lights so that drivers traveling at the posted speed limit encounter a cascade of green signals along a corridor. Studies show this approach reduces CO2, NOx, and PM10 emissions while cutting unnecessary stops that contribute to erratic and aggressive driving behavior[33]. Crucially, it requires no new construction, only signal reprogramming. At a larger scale, Ahmedabad has pursued traffic separation through flyovers, underpasses, and ring roads to divert through-traffic away from dense urban areas. Between 2010 and 2026, 46 such structures were built, with 25 more planned over the next decade[13]. The 76 km Sardar Patel Ring Road, currently being upgraded to six lanes, is designed to reduce the volume of vehicles cutting through the city core[15]. While these infrastructure investments address congestion on major corridors, their impact on local pedestrian safety on the side streets and arterials that feed into them remains dependent on complementary measures such as sidewalk expansion and safer crossing design.

References

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Wikibooks. From “Lentis” on Wikibooks, by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changed here: set as a page; navigation and edit links left out; each image under its own licence, credited in its caption.

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