Can Transit Oriented Development be Effective in India?

TOD guidelines for Delhi indicate a desire to achieve a 70-30 modal share in favor of public transportation by 2021 (70% for public transport, 30% for individual vehicles). In comparison with cities around the world, Indian cities have a pretty good ratio of car trips to public transport. In Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai, less than 25% of trips were made by private motorized vehicles. Only Tokyo had a lower private transportation share at 12%. In many ways, Delhi already has a desired mode share with only 19% of tips made by private vehicles. Additionally, the Delhi metro ridership is at an all-time high at 2.4 million passengers a day.

To be effective, TOD policy formation should begin with setting quantifiable benchmarks that best represent the objectives and goals of the city. While shifting the mode share is a prominent TOD benchmark, other benchmarks should also be considered, especially for Mumbai and Delhi, where the mode share is already quite favorable.