Understanding "sustainable" - the Whitefield Marathahalli case study

Remember this? Back from 2005/2006 when there was a 1.5 lanes each way overbridge to cross railway lines that separate Marathahalli from Kundalahalli/Brookfield/Whitefield area. And it used to take 15 minutes to just cross this overbridge, in the morning, as well as in the evening.

I have been clocking myself at different times of commute over last 2-3 weeks, and it now takes more time to hit Marathahalli from my home than what it used to take back then. Just that most time is spent waiting before Kundalahalli signal when going to the city, and  on the new 6-lane overbridge when coming back from the city.

The growing ask now is for a yet another flyover/grade separator etc at Kundalahalli. Perhaps guys wishing for a flyover here don't know that Metro is planned this side. But anyway, the point here is about "sustainable" development of mobilicity options.

One can see how the flyover has not helped. More crowding, more private vehicles on the road, and takes same time to cross the area. You would say - hey, lot many more people live on Whitefield side now, so you can't say the flyover has not helped. But that's exactly the point. Building the flyover has been the clincher for more people to move in this side, more jobs to move up this side, with commuters banking on this new "6 lane" flyover to make life easier for them.

Instead, a Bus Priority System, or LRT on Old Airport Road all the way till Varthur - basically better scalable (than wider overbridge) mobility infrastructure - would have been a "sustainable" option. Not widening the overbridge at all too would have been a "sustainable" option as people and jobs would NOT have moved this side.

Traffic etc is a visible non-sustaible aspect of development. Since we can't see, you and me would have little idea of shortages on water, power, public spaces and more.

There is no such things as perfectly scalable and sustainable development. But preferring wider roads over building mass transit - rapid or not rapid does NOT matter as much, just some mass transit option that would be better manageable and greener than the mass of cars and cabs - shows up the problem sooner or later. Like a quote Naveen has for this. Stiching larger size clothes every year is not how you deal with obesity.