Last-mile connectivity: The key to unlocking Metro Rail's potential

URBAN mobility is at the heart of building resilient and sustainable cities.

- SAPNA BHAWNANI AND PAWAN MULUKUTLA

The MAP (Multisectoral Actions Pathways) Declaration for Resilient and Healthy Cities, launched at COP29, underscores the urgent need for multilevel and multisectoral action to combat climate change in urban areas.

This declaration highlights urban sustainable transport as a critical area for collaboration, alongside climate resilience, green construction and urban climate finance.

At the High-Level Opening on Multilevel and Multisectoral Climate Action, global leaders emphasized the transformative potential of integrating climate action into city planning, with COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan's Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources, highlighting the MAP Declaration as a catalyst for cross-sector collaboration.

Among these efforts, investments in public transport—particularly metro rail systems—have emerged as a cornerstone of sustainable urban development.

India, for example, has invested over $25 billion in metro systems since 2010, spanning 17 cities with nearly 1,000 kilometers of operational networks.

However, the success of metro systems depends on more than the network itself.

Seamless access to and from the metro (last-mile connectivity) is essential to ensuring that the benefits of these systems are fully realized.

A WRI India study shows metro users predominantly rely on walking or low-cost shared last-mile modes, reflecting their high price sensitivity.

While on-demand options like ride-hailing services are available, their higher costs make them unviable for a significant portion of commuters.

Instead, shared paratransit modes such as autorickshaws and shared e-rickshaws play a crucial role in bridging the gap.

The cost of last mile WRI India research highlights that metro systems like Bengaluru's Namma Metro face some of the highest last-mile costs in the country.