The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has set the groundwork for a comprehensive pedestrian upgrade around key metro stations. This effort, aimed at bolstering multimodal connectivity, marks a strategic pivot in the city’s transport infrastructure—from car-centric planning to commuter-first urban design.
With foot overbridges (FOBs), wider footpaths, and seamless links to suburban railway and commercial zones in the pipeline, the city’s fragmented journey experience could soon be a thing of the past. Spearheaded under the Multi-Modal Integration plan, the project signals a long-overdue investment in safer, more accessible transitions for Mumbai’s ever-growing ridership. MMRDA’s collaboration with pedestrian advocacy outfit Walking Project has brought to light systemic concerns such as obstructed sidewalks, lack of wheelchair-friendly ramps, and hazardous road crossings—issues that continue to alienate a large section of the city’s pedestrians, especially the elderly, women, and those with mobility challenges. Despite some improvements in front of metro stations, the surrounding footpath network remains disjointed, according to stakeholders from the Walking Project who have been advocating pedestrian rights since 2012.
The upcoming foot overbridges, including critical links between the Ram Mandir railway station and Goregaon Metro Line 7, as well as the Aarey Metro station and Oberoi Mall, will serve as vital nodes in a city struggling with last-mile disconnections. Another proposal at Vile Parle promises to link nearby educational institutions and residential neighbourhoods with Metro Line 2B, indicating a shift in planning that places pedestrians and public transit users at the core of urban mobility decisions. By stitching together metro lines, suburban rail, and surrounding commercial hubs, these projects are designed to boost footfall, encourage transit use, and cut down dependency on personal vehicles.
According to senior officials, this transformation is more than an infrastructural facelift—it is about rewiring how citizens move through their city. The vision extends beyond footpaths and bridges. In the long term, the MMRDA hopes to knit metro networks with emerging modes like pod taxis, ropeways, and low-emission last-mile transport systems. These urban interventions are in line with broader climate goals, offering sustainable alternatives to the city’s growing carbon footprint.
With tenders floated and work expected to begin soon, Mumbai’s transport authorities are not merely laying down concrete—they are laying down the blueprint for a more connected, inclusive, and environmentally responsible metropolis. The integration of walkable infrastructure, when designed thoughtfully, has the power to make a megacity not just manageable, but humane. For a city long constrained by its own density, these changes could pave the way—quite literally—for a more breathable and balanced future.
Mumbai improves metro travel with new bridges and better walking space nearby
