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How Wide is Wide?

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Written By Vasanth - 21 December, 2008

Bangalore BBMP Road Works Trees Road widening Complaint Transportation Infrastructure

Nomatter however the road is wide, there is always traffic jams. Still BBMP seems to have not analyzed the problem and expanding the roads by cutting trees and reducing pavements has become its endless project. Today morning I saw trees on the Maharani's College Road while getting down the Anand Rao circle which were 'alive' from 100s of years being cut to widen further. Already the road is 1 way and it is a 4 lane road. Why to loose our greenery unnecessarily. Also the pavements were narrowed still further. We all know, how matter the road is wide, still traffic will not reduce. Length of the jam decreases and width increases. We have seen the examples of Bangkok, as well as we have seen the roads of California. Its all so wide still there are lots of delays in traffic. Why to loose our precious trees which are seniors in terms of age for a foolish act of road widening which we all know is not going to give us any solution. Loosing the tree for a Metro Rail / Mono Rail is OK since it is minimal as well as it is definitely give us a solution. Still, alternative routes should be taken wherever possible to avoid tree cutting such as the case in Nanda Road. I think the act of BBMP to cut trees to widen road is just 'ridiculous'. What is our environmental agency 'Hasiru Usiru' doing?

COMMENTS

How Wide is Wide?

sandeepckeerthi - 21 December, 2008 - 12:54

Vasanth,
Yes, you are right, increasing the width is really not a great solution all the time.
Making the existing intersections signal free through underpasses or flyovers or a combination will help curtail the number of trees being cut and also speed up traffic thus allowing for more number of vehicles to ply.

It will never be wide enough

s_yajaman - 21 December, 2008 - 14:22

I saw this mad tree cutting on Seshadri Road on Friday night.  If only BBMP could clear garbage as well as they clear trees!!!  Palace Road has also been stripped of its tree cover. 

Once the car/private transport madness is let loose, roads will never be wide enough.  Check out this picture of Bangkok

www.eslteachersboard.com/webbbs/images/thai/pic1096.jpg

All this widening will make a mega mess at KR Circle and then at Hudson Church.  That's all. 

Seshadri road has a basic problem - it is the only link road from Rajajinagar/Vijayanagar/Majestic towards MG ROad/Indiranagar/Jayanagar.  All BMTC buses to these areas have to go through Seshadri Road.  If an elevated road has to be built it will have to continue all the way along Nrupathunga Road, JC Road, etc.  I don;t know what options there are for Seshadri Road.

Srivathsa

 

Segregation is the only solution.

Nitinjhanwar - 21 December, 2008 - 14:46

I think the solution lies in dedicating lanes for :

Buses,-

4 Wheelers

2 Wheelers

3 Slow moving (pedestrians and cyclists)

This will divert traffic to buses. The median dedication or curb dedication or cross flow will have to be site specific.

Cutting trees for a wider traffic jam does not make sense.It will only help in GPS navigation.

Solution has to be segregation and grade separation.

nJ

Requoting Dr S Subrahmanya

mcadambi - 22 December, 2008 - 02:16

I remember Dr S Subrahmanya (BBMP Commissioner) who remarked during the BMLTA meeting held a few months back that, "widening roads to solve traffic problems is like using larger sized pants to solve obesity!".

While i appreciate his wisdom, his juniors in the BBMP have not shown any of it. For them traffic planning, traffic rationing (this includes controlling the number of cars) is an alien concept.

Lets face facts. Cars cause most of the jams in Bangalore. Car rationing is a must if this city has to move ahead. A Bus Rapid Corridor is essential to Bangalore.

Incentives could be given to small electric cars like Reva and other cars can be disincentivised.

If Singapore, our "benchmark" city can do that, so should we.

Loss of trees in Pedestrains Perspective

Vasanth - 21 December, 2008 - 10:29

A pedestrain, a cyclist and even a 2 wheeler can travel comfortably if the road is full of trees. It gives them the shade. On the other hand, to widen roads if the trees are cut, it heats up the surrounding areas, walking for a pedestrain, bicycling and even a 2 wheeler travel becomes difficult. Only a person in a car with A/C or an A/C bus  can only travel comfortably. Travel for non A/C 4 wheelers such as buses, transport vehicles will also become difficult because of the roof heating.

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