Indicators that matter : measuring transportation performance in Ahmedabad

Abstract

In light of the growing challenges of planning for transportation in India, this thesis proposes that a set of indicators, sensitive to local conditions, developed, implemented and managed through a collaborative partnership with public and agency stakeholders can provide an effective framework to evaluate investments in transportation infrastructure. It analyzes the implications of following the Indian Ministry of Urban Development's (MoUD) Urban Transportation Service Level Benchmark indicators, and offers an alternative set of indicators with an eye towards expanding the set of capabilities and choices available to all transportation system users. In evaluating the MoUD's benchmarks and an alternative subset of Human Powered Transport (HPT) indicators, this thesis utilizes participant observation on four main corridors in the city of Ahmedabad, India, a tier I Indian megacity of 5.5 Million people. In light of historical transportation performance and development indicator practices, an alternative set of indicators is developed which attempt to reset the focus on the transportation needs of India's urban population. Finally, this thesis ends with a discussion of the ways that indicator creation can actually become an iterative and reflective process, used by stakeholders to provide equitable transportation outcomes.