Policy UpdateShreeya Dixit Background A primary feature of urbanization and urban areas has been the development of transportation facilities in the specified areas. Transportation has always been a feature of progress, symbolizing connectivity and a means for growth. As per the World Bank estimates, 35% of India’s population is urban. Whereas, the Economic Survey 2025-26 highlights that the GDP/Population ratio of the top 10 cities in India is 3x times than that of other countries like the US, China or Germany. This highlights the strain on the resources and infrastructure in urban regions. Similarly, with increased urbanization, the need for transportation has increased multi-fold. In accordance with the growing need for transport facilities, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs came up with the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Policy in 2017. As of the Economic Survey 2025-26,  around 1,036 km of Metro/RRTS are operational across around 24 cities as of 2025, with further corridors under construction. In simple words, transit-oriented development indicates efficient usage of land in urban cities, and maintaining liveable and greener spaces while providing convenient transit facilities. The policy envisions the transformation of cities from private-focused vehicles to public transport-oriented, accessibility of public transport, and creation of compact walkable communities (Desk, 2025) (CBRE, 2025) The TOD policy combines land use and transport planning to design high-density, walkable, mixed-use communities located 500-800 meters from transit stations, with goals of enhancing transit ridership, optimizing corridor utilization, and supporting pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.  However, a detailed analysis of the policy implies that the TOD policy has faced challenges in terms of governance capability, monitoring, inadequate multimodal integration and last-mile connectivity. Commuters complete their travel using a public service like a bus, a train or a metro service, but they use another mode of transport to reach those stations. Last-mile connectivity refers to the availability of transport services that are utilized to reach the transport station. This article essentially focuses on the last-mile connectivity and suggests possible recommendations.  Functioning  The TOD policy offers a statutory guideline to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other planning authorities for integrating transit-oriented planning into their urban development strategies. The implementation of the policy requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including agencies responsible for infrastructure development, traffic control, public transport, and urban planning. The policy also recommends the formation of a coordinating committee to ensure effective implementation and to avoid unplanned congestion or over-concentration of development near transit facilities. The TOD framework encourages increasing the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and promoting vertical development to support higher density in areas around transit corridors. It also focuses on mixed land use, which allows residential, commercial, and public spaces to develop together in a planned manner. Another important component of the policy is the creation of Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) infrastructure, such as pedestrian pathways and cycling facilities, along with the development of feeder services and other facilities that improve last-mile connectivity. The policy identifies influence zones, which are demarcated areas around transit stations, usually within a radius of 500 to 800 metres, where planned and compact development is to be encouraged. Within these zones, higher FAR, often ranging between 300-500 percent, is promoted to support sustainable growth and improve public transport ridership. A key feature of TOD is multimodal integration, which aims to provide seamless connectivity across different modes of transport. The policy gives priority to pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized transport users, while also recommending facilities such as bicycle parking, feeder transport services, and park-and-ride arrangements to improve accessibility to transit stations. The TOD policy has been made mandatory under the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, and has also been identified as an essential reform under the Green Urban Mobility Scheme, which strengthens its role in urban transport planning. In terms of financing, TOD is based on the idea that public investment in transit systems, along with increased FAR and mixed-use development, can lead to a rise in surrounding land and property values. The policy proposes Land Value Capture (LVC) as a key financing mechanism to use this increase in value for upgrading infrastructure and amenities within the influence zones, while also supporting improvements in the public transport system. To support this financing approach, land value capture can be achieved through different methods, including enhanced land value taxes, one-time betterment levies, development charges or impact fees, and the transfer of development rights (TDRs). These mechanisms are intended to help generate additional financial resources for sustaining transit-linked urban development. Beyond land use planning and financing, the TOD framework also includes several important components such as multimodal integration, street design, building regulations, open spaces, safety and security, parking management, institutional coordination, and a statutory planning framework. Effective coordination among different agencies and capacity building at the local level remain essential for successful implementation of the policy. (PIB, 2017) Source: National TOD Policy, 2017 Performance       Since the launch of India’s National TOD Policy in 2017, the country has significantly expanded its metro infrastructure, thereby enlarging the spatial foundation for TOD implementation. At the time of the policy’s introduction, India had approximately 430 km of operational metro rail across 10 cities, with another 700 km under construction. By 2020-21, the operational network had expanded to over 700 km across 18 cities, while 1,010 km was under construction. This steady expansion reflects the growing emphasis on urban mass transit as a key part of India’s urban development strategy. More recent data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) further highlights this progress. According to the Year-End Review 2024, India now has 993 km of operational metro rail network, representing an increase of 745 km compared to May 2014, when only 248 km was operational. In addition, around 998 km of metro rail projects, including the balance portion of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), are currently under construction across several cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Pune, Kanpur, Agra, Bhopal, Indore, Patna, Surat, and Meerut. This substantial growth in metro infrastructure has expanded the geographical scope for Transit-Oriented … Continue reading Challenges in Last Mile Connectivity Problem in Urban India and Possible Solutions