Innovations in Design

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) is now acknowledged as a key mode to help large-scale mobility of people.

Today, eighteen cities in the country are at different stages of planning, design, execution and operation in their BRTS journey. These cities have faced various issues during this progress. Since the BRTS concept was new to India a decade ago, cities experimented in various ways with varying degrees of success. The Janmarg, as the BRTS is known in Ahmedabad, also explored many options before choosing its design approach.

It was flexible in changing design elements even during the implementation stage. It was and still is seen as a long-term infrastructure provision. Every element was discussed, debated, and experimented with before a final decision. Many of these experiments led to innovations and best practices. Since its inauguration in October 2009, Janmarg has been accepted as the first ‘complete’ BRTS in India. It has influenced planning and design choices in other cities in India and abroad.

This book traces the design journey of Janmarg, the alternatives that were considered, the rationale underlying the choices made, the innovations it fostered and lessons for the future—for Ahmedabad and for other cities. The volume will be valuable resource for researches as well as students.