Sapana Shah

Since, past many years, administrations have keep attempting to make transportation systems intelligent, however, conventional methods are applied for collection of data to a large extent. In general, these methods lack in availing real-time information, tedious and involve extreme cost-time consumption if not intelligent enough. In India, any ULB (Or personnel) initiate working for the traffic survey to address the transportation problem, the survey process consumes more time and observes difficulty in obtaining reliable and valid data. It makes the collected data obsolete (and not real time). As a result, proposed alternative solution based on this data may not fulfil the need as it could be different altogether. Alternatively, travel time and delay data collection system can be developed using mobile phones. This paper explores the use of Android-based application for obtaining travel time and delay using various types of mode of transit on selectively a busy road stretch in the core area of Surat. Employed personnel using different transit modes with mobile phone having an application “My Tracks” generated data on which conventional analysis is applied to search appropriate alternative. The application revealed the travel route, total travel time, total moving time and average speed of the vehicle. The route (2.4 km length) is being fixed with start and end nodes that further allowed for indirect assessment of traffic congestion that later can be addressed to identify remedial measures of relief or minimize the adversity. It shows that the use of such application for traffic data collection may prove to be advantageous giving real-time data using this technique. An idea for such system explored on a pilot basis that may be developed in full using a server-based system, keeping anonymity of the user through tracking road stretches and performances. Congestion affected locations then may be investigated further, to draw suggestive alternative remedial measures. Current paper limitedly explores the smart mode of data collection and analysis stages only.

Real challenge for urban local body through developers, architects, and professionals is to protect and preserve the built heritage. Most difficult task ahead is to conserve the local traditional and cultural values of communities for future generations to appreciate. This paper discusses a case for the renewal & restoration of historical Gopitalao, Surat that is accomplished by Surat Municipal Corporation and on the verge of completion. This study comprehends on the past, and present conditions and development undertook for restoration and redevelopment. Further, the administrators of the city have planned for a grade separated road along the partial periphery of Gopi-talav that will add to beautification feature of the lake.

The city core is the centre of all major activities reflecting the culture of an urban centre in the most comprehensive manner and mostly, have a unique functional significance. Such centres run on and through transportation nerves and several nodes. In walled cities, the space devoted to transportation has remained more or less the same over the years while the demand for such space has undergone a tremendous upswing. The vehicular population in Surat is around 24, 21,043 (2015) so it is essential to manage its movements and ill effects like as air and noise pollution, traffic congestion, time loss, and so on.

Rajmarg (Road connecting Chowk to Delhi Gate) -2.4 km long stretch of Surat, an oldest and most important link passes through the CBD area. Naturally, it observes the problem of heavy traffic congestion due to its mixed land-use and direct
connectivity with Railway station from Rander-Adajan. There is no scope for further expansion of the available physical infrastructure within the CBD of Surat; it is the need of today to manage the available resources and make optimum use of it.

Basic details of study stretch are taken into the consideration like identification of land use (made by ground truthing), road cross-section, and special traffic generating activity. For addressing the traffic congestion, classified volume count survey and pedestrian count of 3 days i.e. Saturday, Sunday and Monday (by CCTV camera of Surat traffic police), speed and delay survey (by android mobile application “My Tracks”) has been performed and analysed. Analysis proved that the PCU/hour passing from Rajmarg is excessive than the limit (IRC-86:1983).From all analysed data, congestion location is identified, directional movement on all that location is surveyed and future traffic forecasting is done. Based on that alternative remedial measures is explored, a best alternative is chosen by SWOT and validated by the stakeholder.

If the final remedial measures are implemented, definitely it will lead to improving the present scenario for traffic congestion.