Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) for Chennai IT Corridor

Traffic impact analysis (TIA) is a powerful tool for engineers and planners to determine the possible effects of any project on the transportation and traffic system. Often it is applied only to the direct impact area and countermeasures for potential negative impacts are specific for the development. TIA is performed to assess the adequacy of the existing or future transportation infrastructure to accommodate additional trips generated by a proposed development, redevelopment or land rezoning. These studies vary in their range of detail and complexity depending on the type, size and location of the development. They are important tools in assisting public agencies in making land use planning decisions for local governments, especially for managing traffic and in planning their respective transportation systems. Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city of India which covers an area of 426 sq.km and recorded a population of 46.81 lakhs in 2011. The Chennai Metropolitan Area which extends over an area of 1189 sq.km recorded the population of 86.96 lakhs in 2011 and the density is 11,000 per sq.km. The population of Chennai in 1639 was 40,000 and today the city is estimated to have a population of 7.5 million, which gives a population density of about 6482 per sq.km. This rapid increase in population leads to traffic congestion and imbalanced supply and demand of transport facilities. Thus it is imperative to conduct a TIA which would analyze the adverse impacts of developments on service levels of transportation facilities in Chennai city and to provide an early warning on the robustness of travel demand for both present and future situation.