Mumbai: TOD policy centering Metro stations continues to be in cold storage despite many positives – The Indian Express

An MMRDA official, who did not wish to be named, said they aim to introduce the policy on a pilot basis on the Metro Line 7 passing through the Western Express Highway (WEH). He said, “The TOD will help commuters avoid unnecessary travel.”

The TOD policy focuses on the creation of high-density mixed land use in the ‘influence zone’ of transit stations, an area within walking distance of a transit station or along a corridor in case the spacing between two stations is about one km.

Officials asserted that the TOD policy — much like the ‘Paris, The 15-minute City’ concept – envisages creating neighbourhoods where the essential needs of a resident can be catered to within a 15-minute walking distance.

If TOD is implemented, land prices next to and around the Metro stations for both commercial and residential construction will attract a higher floor space index (FSI) and the government could fetch higher returns through premium payments. The MMRDA can earn revenue through the TOD as part of its ‘non-fare box revenue model’ since it is the planning authority in the MMR and the nodal agency for Metro construction. Non-fare box revenue means revenue generated other than ticketing sales.

The official said that it is high time the government approved the TOD policy as two Metro lines have been commissioned recently. Developers along both these routes – Metro Lines 2A and 7 – are already promoting their projects sensing growth traction in the real estate market, and anticipating an increase in the price of properties by around 5 per cent owing to the Metro. The official added, “With the proposed TOD policy in place, even the government can take advantage of it and bring holistic development along these two new Metro lines.”

Urban Mobility expert Vivek Pai said the TOD is a western concept. He said, “The TOD helps to increase the FSI by promoting high-rise buildings and at the same time it helps to reduce the demand for parking. So if a TOD policy is in place, it can bring highly dense development and mixed-used neighbourhoods which require a live-work-play-like environment. So all requirements are usually fulfilled within 500 metres of your station.”

Pai explained that the TOD policy will eliminate the parking concept, as under this policy people are expected to travel in mass transit only. “Then a car is really not needed, instead users will need micro-mobility like sharing auto cycles among others. In simple language, if you put a particular Metro station on a centre point of a circle and draw a 500-metre radius, then all buildings within that radius will be high-rise, mixed-use in nature comprising offices, colleges, and schools. So one need not go anywhere…” he said.

Pai underlined that the TOD policy also encompasses the ribbon development, which he said was happening along the WEH through which the Metro Line 7 passes. Ribbon development means building houses along a route of communication.

The Mumbai Metro Lines 2A and 7 were opened to the public on January 20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two Metro lines. Together, the two lines form a 35-km long elevated corridor with 30 stations. The lines pass through suburban Mumbai’s Dahisar and Andheri. The lines are expected to cater to three to four lakh commuters daily and the ridership is expected to grow to six lakh by 2031.