Cycle track along periphery of Delhi’s Nehru Park inaugurated

A 2.7 km cycling track around the periphery of Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri has been opened for public use on Thursday evening, said New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) officials, adding that the inauguration was attended by lieutenant governor VK Saxena and newly elected New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj..

The Nehru Park, spanning 75 acres, is surrounded by embassies, high commissions, diplomats’ residences, and state houses, and now features an international-standard cycle track. The construction for the cycle track began in January 2023 and was expected to be completed in four months but faced delays.

“This track is one-of-a-kind in New Delhi and would not only encourage cycling among people of all age groups but also provide them with safer cycling routes,” said LG Saxena during the inauguration.

An NDMC official highlighted the track spans over 2.7 km, with the lanes being 2 to 4 metres in width. It is an international standard bicycle tack with 150 mm thick concrete layer, 6 mm thick micro-surfacing and a 2 mm cold plastic paint overlay. The track is equipped with 200 LED lamp posts for evening navigation,” the official added.

NDMC has also added 90 red sandstone bollards to prevent entry of motorised two-wheelers on the track along with 228 hazard markers, 227 solar studs and 115 signages.. They have also developed table top crossings at Vinay Marg, Panchsheel Marg, and Niti Marg to facilitate safe pedestrian and cyclist access. “Such crossings will automatically reduce the speed of vehicles and help people cross the stretch,” said an official.

In the second phase, the NDMC plans to link this track to a broader network of bicycle tracks between New Moti Bagh and Raisina Hill, promoting cycling in New Delhi, said officials. The expanded stretch would be located on the arterial Vinay Marg and Africa Avenue that connects New Delhi to South Delhi, they added.

According to a second NDMC official, the larger 10 km-long cycle track, which is still in planning, has been approved by Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning and engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) and will connect New Moti Bagh near Ring Road to North and South Block on Raisina Hills. This proposed track will cross 12 major roundabouts in the New Delhi area and integrate a series of dedicated cycle tracks, shared lanes (with footpaths), cycle crossings and parking bays, the official said. Slated to be the longest continuous bicycle track in Delhi, it will start from North-South Block and pass key government offices as well as government housing colonies.

This project follows the NDMC’s “Cycle4Change” initiative launched in October 2020, which introduced a 5 km cycle track from Bikaner House at India Gate to Jor Bagh Metro Station via Lodhi Garden. This new track is the second large-scale effort to encourage cycling in the city.