HOT TOPICS
SPOTLIGHT AGENCIES
BBMP has grand plans for the city
Written By s_yajaman - 6 September, 2009
Traffic Bangalore BBMP Road Works Elevated Roads Corridors Media Reports Signal Free Transportation Infrastructure
The transport minister has come out with a mega proposal for Bangalore.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/23637/mega-revamp-plan-city.html
Some highlights -
"With a massive financial outlay of Rs 22,000 crore, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to drastically change the face of the City’s roads, drains and lakes in three years."
"To make 12 key corridors signal-free, the plan is to equip over 100 junctions with grade separators. The total road length covered under this project will be 122 km, a network connecting the Central Business District (CBD) with Outer Ring Road and Radial Roads."
"Another important proposal is the construction of three elevated corridors, in the City’s north, south and east to decongest traffic. The south corridor will run from Vellara junction to Silk Board, the north corridor from Minsk Square to Hebbal flyover and the east corridor from Vellara junction to Kundanahalli junction."
Some questions and I think we should try and meet Ashwin Mahesh as soon as possible
a. Are they planning to demolish the current magic boxes between Hebbal and High Grounds to construct the elevated corridor?
b. The south elevated corridor and the east elevated corridor both end at Vellara junction. How are the roads leading out of this junction - Richmond Road towards Richmond Circle and Brigade Road/Museum Road going to handle this flood of vehicles?
c. Do roads also include sidewalks as part of them?
d. Does this interfere with Phase 2 of the Metro which supposedly will connect Yelahanka with E-City. Where will the viaducts for the Metro come up?
e. Given BBMP's track record of finishing grade separators, what is the execution plan that will enable this to be finished in 3 years. For the record - the 15th Cross underpass that was to have been completed in March 2009 is still not finished and this is on the ORR.
Srivathsa
COMMENTS
silkboard - 6 September, 2009 - 07:47
A case of pre-election announcement? If anyone thinks that people who would be excited at the prospect of getting elevated roads will actually go out and vote in BBMP elections, that person is being a bit too hopeful.
Anyway and regardless, assuming that this is a serious new announcement, good number of roads mentioned are from CTTP. Some are parts of a North South East West (NSEW) announcement from past. Roads over storm Water drains has also been talked about earlier.
But besides re-issue or extension of old ideas, some curious new ones are:
- ORR: Mysore Rd to Central Silk Board — 14.5 km - So after all the talk of monorail, are we getting an elevated road instead?
- Mekhri Circle to Hope Farm via OMR — 21 km. - Why is a signal free ORR north/east loop not enough for whoever wants to cruise here? Go up Bellary Road, hit ORR, go signal free to Mahadevapura.
- Cubbon Rd to ORR thro' Kamaraj Rd — 7 km - So this seems to be a replacement for the famous "tunnel road" proposal?
What could make you burn up with frustration is this statement (refer today's TOI, lets trust the reporter that he actually said this) which goes like this
" ... plan will ... make sure that things don't happen at whims and fancies of those at the helm ..."
What exactly is this then?
If all of this is indeed part of some serious plan, Mr Meena needs to disclose that "plan". Spending Rs 22000 crores to build signal free roads is not any plan. But spending money to move people is. Where is that plan?
I think all public transport lovers, green, not-so-green or whatever flavor would need join hands to control this new found excitement because this would seriously be curtains for Bangalore as far as fixing its mobility woes is concerned.
Srivathsa, I bet Ashwin Mahesh has nothing to do with it. Just can't be. If I am wrong, then I would be disappointed with AM.
got it, need to get more details of this "plan"
silkboard - 6 September, 2009 - 08:21
Just edited my last comment. I thought this could be a case of one excited young reporter picking out what the likes of TOI think or know "sells well". But reading all other newspapers (just went around reading this), there is a bigger plan, and it may not be just about elevated and signal free corridors.
Will wait to read and hear more about the full "revamp" plan before commenting further. Will this entire proposal be made public? That will definitely help. Till they make the full plan public, I would dismisss this as BBMP pre-election gimmick.
sanjayv - 6 September, 2009 - 04:53
These are grand plans indeed. Srivathsa raises some valid questions that came to my mind too. Given the track record of city agencies in their foresight, planning and implementation, I really wish that these grand plans are discussed and debated in public prior to such grand unveiling of details. The sort of things I would have liked to see discussed in public fora (news papers, public consultation meetings) are:
(a) What is the big picture vision (link the plans to the CDP for example)
(b) What were the alternatives considered in order to accomplish the big picture plans in the CDP. Any good design of this magnitude has to have throught through at least two or three alternatives, right?
(c) What are the numbers and forecasts for future traffic, population growth. What are the identified commuting coridoors. How is heavy goods transport flow going to be addressed etc.
Similarly, the drains and lakes plan also needs some deep thought, science, desgin and planning. From our visit to IISc yesterday, based on the data presented by Prof. R, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach about that.
All such projects are inevitably going to involve some people losing their property and enduring disruption. All those travails and pain should al least be worth it for the scoiety at large?
Another set of grandiose plans
Naveen - 6 September, 2009 - 05:19
This is the link for the same report in today's TOI :
The 12 Signal-Free corridors announced are :
1) Dr Rajkumar Rd: Yeshwanthpur to Oklipuram — 5 km.
2) Chord Rd: Mysore rd Jn to CV Raman Rd — 10.5 km.
3) Magadi Rd: Chord Rd to ORR — 3.5 km.
4) ORR: Mysore Rd to Central Silk Board — 14.5 km
5) Hosur Rd: Central Silk Board to Vellara Jn — 6 km.
6) Bannerghatta Rd: IIM-B to Wilson Garden — 9.5 km.
7) Old Airport Rd: Vellara Jn to Whitefield — 13.75 km.
8) Agara Lake to Sirsi Circle via Lalbag Fort Rd — 8.5 km
9) City centre to Kengeri via Sirsi Circle — 15.5 km.
10) Yeshwanthpur Ind. Area to Hebbal — 6.5 km.
11) Mekhri Circle to Hope Farm via OMR — 21 km.
12) Cubbon Rd to ORR thro' Kamaraj Rd — 7 km
Elevated NS corridor: Madiwala to Hebbal.
Elevated East corridor: Vellara to Kundanhalli.
Elevated roads over storm water drains:
1) Double Road to National Games Village.
2) Rajiv Gandhi Circle in Seshadripuram to Mysore Rd.
There has been enough disruption with Metro construction. If these are built, they would cause havoc with a lot more disruption along so many roads, not to mention the invite for more vehicles to the roads.
Why build any Metro at all ? Who is going to use the metro when so many signal-free roads are going to be made available ? Why give up cars or two-wheelers at all ? What about pedestrians & bicyclists ?
Naveen - 6 September, 2009 - 08:30
there is a bigger plan, and it may not be just about elevated and signal free corridors
Are the various agencies co-ordinating for any such bigger plan ? Before the DPR for Metro Ph-2 & Monorail is out, how can BBMP decide & announce these ? This might just be a pre-election gimmick, after all.
ORR (SB to Mys Rd) - from available reports, widening this to 150ft has been shelved (at least for now) due to opposition by house owners along the stretch.
PRAJA.IN COMMENT GUIDELINES
Posting Guidelines apply for comments as well. No foul language, hate mongering or personal attacks. If criticizing third person or an authority, you must be fact based, as constructive as possible, and use gentle words. Avoid going off-topic no matter how nice your comment is. Moderators reserve the right to either edit or simply delete comments that don't meet these guidelines. If you are nice enough to realize you violated the guidelines, please save Moderators some time by editing and fixing yourself. Thanks!