DDA's MPD-2047 plan: Metro to 695 km, 200 km cycle tracks for Delhi
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) held its 11th stakeholder consultation on the Master Plan for Delhi-2047 (MPD-2047) on Friday, 24 October, bringing together officials from civic bodies and transport authorities to deliberate on sustainable urban mobility and traffic decongestion strategies for the capital. The session was convened under the directions of Lieutenant Governor and DDA Chairperson T.S. Sandhu.
Key Agencies at the Table
The consultation drew representatives from a wide cross-section of urban governance institutions, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi Traffic Police, Public Works Department (PWD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), among other government bodies. The breadth of representation signals the plan's ambition to coordinate across institutional silos — a persistent challenge in Delhi's urban governance.
Transport Expansion at the Core
The MPD-2047 envisages expanding Delhi's Metro network from 416 km to 695 km — an addition of 279 km — while the Namo Bharat rapid rail network in the National Capital Region (NCR) is proposed to grow from 82 km to 383 km. Multimodal transit hubs are planned at Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, and Kashmere Gate to improve interchange efficiency and last-mile connectivity through Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) and non-motorised transport options.
Active Travel and Cycling Infrastructure
A notable feature of the plan is its emphasis on active travel. The MPD-2047 proposes 200 km of dedicated cycle tracks to establish Delhi as a more walkable and cycle-friendly city. Provisions covering pedestrian safety, universal accessibility, and improved street design have been incorporated, recognising the health and environmental co-benefits of non-motorised mobility. This comes amid growing concern over Delhi's air quality and the need to reduce private vehicle dependency.
Parking Management and Decongestion Measures
On parking, the plan calls for rationalisation of existing norms, demand-based management of parking facilities, and the creation of comprehensive area-based parking plans. Parking Management Areas are to be identified in high-congestion localities, governed by a Unified Parking Planning Framework to ensure coordinated regulation. Physical decongestion measures outlined include new road networks, underpasses, elevated corridors, cross-corridors, improved junctions, and removal of bottlenecks — alongside efforts to bridge missing road links across the city.
What Comes Next
The consultation process for MPD-2047 is ongoing, with Friday's session being the 11th in the series, indicating that the DDA is methodically building stakeholder consensus before finalising the plan. The authority also briefed participants on provisions for improving access to newly urbanised areas and better integrating land-use planning with transport systems. As Delhi's population and vehicle count continue to rise, the plan's implementation timelines and funding mechanisms will be closely watched by urban planners, civic bodies, and residents alike.