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Phase-2 - East not connected
Written By Naveen - 6 January, 2012
Bangalore Namma Metro Analysis Transportation public transport public transport Metro Rail Commuters
The routes chosen under phase-2 for Namma Metro are pretty good, no doubt. However, the east (except for Whitefield) will remain largely unconnected. This will surely get corrected in future phase/s.
The areas that need to be connected are Old Airport rd-Marathalli, SE ORR (with already a huge concentration of offices), Sarjapur rd (seeing rapid development now) & Koramangala. The challenge is to design a set of routes that connect these locations whilst keeping options open for future extension along Sarjapur rd, maintaining trackage to the minimum necessary.
For example, a line from Byp or Indiranagar station down to Old Airport road, thence to Marathalli, then down parallel to or on ORR to finally proceed on Sarajapur rd, & a second line hooking up Silkboard to this line at Iblur (via Madivala market, thence on Sarjapur rd to Iblur) would allow all these locations to be well connected, with interchanges at Silkboard, Ibalur & Byp.
More ideas, anyone ?
COMMENTS
BRT from Silkboard - Hebbal is the proposal
Vasanth - 6 January, 2012 - 23:22
Naveen, BRT between Silkboard - Hebbal is the proposal. Also there was a proposal for Majestic - Agara Monorail, may be they can extend that till Sarjapur Road intersecting with proposed BRT between Agara and Iblur. Question is will there be BRT in Bangalore?
Also we may need similar BRT from Nayandahalli to Hebbal on the western portion of ORR.
Naveen - 8 January, 2012 - 10:21
The small radius curve and steep gradients were the deciding factors to freeze on a light rail transit system instead of a Metro rail for a 40 km network. The CTTP had suggested Monorail/ LRT while other experts had advocated extension of the Metro on this route. Two lines totalling 20 km, of the 60 km recommended for Monorail or LRT in the CTTP will be covered by Metro rail in its Phase 2. However, the remaining 40 km cannot be covered based on the terrain and traffic along the alignment.
Branch from new trunk line in Metro Phase II?
yantraka - 9 January, 2012 - 03:29
Note that the proposed Gottigere-Nagavara line of Metro Phase II is mentioned as a new trunk line. It will make sense if Majestic-Agara Monorail proposal is shelved in favour of a branch from this trunk line (at Hosur Road checkpost or Madivala).
My Locality is not connected by Metro :)
Vasanth - 9 January, 2012 - 23:35
Everyone says that this area it not connected, that area is not connected by Metro :). But, how can every locality be connected?
Now we have a plan which is good enough connecting EC and ITPL among which ITPL needs it badly, EC doing OK due to BETL, it is the time to push BMRCL for Reach 1 of Phase 1 to extend towards ITPL as per Phase 2. Work on this route and the connection to Majestic from MG Road needs more attention. Once Majestic to ITPL is connected, Reach 1 plus underground section will serve lots of people since people from every locality can reach Majestic by Buses and interchange with Metro.
Problem lies in Majestic Station since the tender was taken just recently and Reach 3 underground work should also start to complete the Majestic station. Even without Majestic Station, extension to ITPL from say Central College can also takeaway lots of load of ITPL and ORR companies between Marathalli and Silkboard bound traffic. If BRT work is also started between Iblur and KR Puram, it would definitely ease the traffic.
Also we might need a some good transport internally like LRT/Monorail. More sustainable I think is to make busy and narrow roads one way and introduce Contraflow Bus lanes. Recently when I visited Sampige Road in Malleswaram, this though came to my mind why can't we have Contra flow bus lane on that road connecting Mantri Mall Metro Station / K C General Hospital Metro Station.
yantraka - 6 January, 2012 - 13:21
While it is true that the eastern part of Bangalore does not figure in Metro plans, an argument that can be used (not by me :-)) against providing this infrastructure in that part of the city is the ORR.
Unlike the southern part of ORR, which is a joke (with no service roads although passing through densley populated areas and with no scope for further widening), the eastern part of ORR is better planned (at least in terms of having service roads). Besides, huge investment has gone in recently to make the stretch from Silk Board to Hebbal signal free with flyovers and underpasses. There are large areas on either side of the ORR which cannot contribute to high loads for Metro - Agara lake, Iblur camp of the Indian Army, Bellandur lake, Old Airport, etc. The existing BMTC services on this stretch of ORR will be thought to suffice for a long time come.
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