The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) is in a bid to encourage more walking and cycling setting aside Sh1.47 billion shillings to modernise the central business district (CBD) into a non-motorized zone.
The plan will include the inclusion of walking spaces and cycling lanes – a move that will encourage the culture of cycling around and about the city.
Kenyatta Avenue, Wabera and Muindu Mbingu Streets are among the roads where pedestrian and cycling lanes have been rolled out.
Further, a grey and red lane shall be from the central business district (CBD) to Hurlingham through Uhuru Park, Jogoo Road and Westlands.
“Through our contractors, we have created NMTs in the city centre, and plans are already in place to extend it to other areas.
We are now working on more along Jogoo Road and Westlands,” said NMS Director-General Mohamed Badi.
“The non-motorised transport corridors will not only offer safety to pedestrians and cyclists but also contribute to decongestion on the roads.
The grey ones are meant for pedestrians while the red is for cycling,” he added.
According to the Nairobi County Fiscal Strategy Paper, the money allocated for the expansion and modernisation of the non-motorised Central Business District for the financial year ending June 30, 2021, will enable the NMT to cover 116 km.
The first 36km will be in Eastlands, from Jogoo Road to the CBD, divided into four corridors.
The Jogoo Road corridor will be 10km from Outer Ring to Jogoo Road through Landhies to Haile Selassie.
A bicycle parking shall be operational at the Kenya Railways station. The cost of setting up the parking lot is an estimated Sh155 million.
On the other side of town, a 10km stretch from Juja to the CBD will be constructed at Sh155 million.
The road shall pass through Outer Ring-Ring Road Ngara-Racecourse and terminate at Ladhies roundabout.
Another 6km road will serve the CBD from Mumias South Road through Rabai Road, across Kenya Railways lines to Tanga Road, terminating at Lunga Lunga Road at Sh93 million.
It is joining it by another 6km stretching from First Avenue Eastleigh to Juja across Jogoo Road to Likoni up to Enterprise Road.
The last one, at Sh62 million, will run from Lunga Lunga Road to Likoni and then connect to Outer Ring, covering 4km.
The second package will cover 55km from the CBD to Westlands and Ngong Road.
The first corridor will cover 7km between Kibera and the Industrial area running through Mbagathi-Langata-Lusaka Road and then Jogoo Road roundabout at Sh108.5 million.
NMT will also be set up along Enterprise from Lusaka to Likoni road intersection, covering 3km at Sh46.6 million.
The next one will be the Kibera-Kilimani-Westlands corridor covering 15km from Kibera Drive to Kenya Railway crossing–James Kangethe-NMT only route- Ring Road Kilimani-Kitale Lane-Githunguri at Sh232.5 million.
Another 15km of NMT will run from Kawangware to Kilimani and then to the CBD.
This will cover Gitanga-Ole Dume-Argwings Kodhek- Valley Roads terminating at Kenyatta Avenue at Sh232.5million.
The last one will be Kawangware-Westlands/Waiyaki Way corridor, also covering 15km at Sh232.5 million.
It will run from Chalbi drive to Isaac Gathanju-Mugumo-Olenguruone-Ring Road Kileleshwa, terminating at Ring Road Westlands.
The last package in the CBD will be fixed along Harry Thuku–Muindi Mbingu–Mama Ngina–Wabera–Taifa–Harambee–Tumbo–City Square Post Office—Workshop and then Industrial Area.
There will also be another corridor running from Upper Hill (community) through Uhuru Park–City Hall Way–Luthuli/Ronald Ngala–River Road–Landhies connecting to Jogoo Road.
The last bit will run from Aga Khan Walk–part of Harambee Avenue, Parliament Road and around the Holy family Basilica.
