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
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Grand plans indeed!
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
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 ?
Who has lost it?
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:
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.
Not saying that AM has anything to do with it
SB,
Not saying he has anything to do with it. But he might have a better idea of what this is all about being part of ABIDE. TOI/DH might have highlighted only the motor-car friendly part of the plan - TOI seems to think that this is the sort of stuff that makes for development.
We can also share our concerns with him. Given his bias, he will probably share exactly the same set of concerns and so it might be redundant. He has to be the voice of reason in this - else we are doomed. This will pretty much destroy what is left of Bangalore. This seems to be another case of pandering to car owners in the hope of winning elections in 2013 and 2014.
ORR to CSB - they are acquiring land from houses all along that stretch. Apparently it is part of CDP that this will be a 150 foot road. I don't think it is planned to be elevated (just signal free!!) though it might be a good idea for BTM layout people given what they go through.
Overall - very disappointed that 22,000 crores is being spent this way, if indeed it is true.
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
got it, need to get more details of this "plan"
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.
Hope there is a larger plan
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.
Cubbon Rd to ORR thro'
Cubbon Rd to ORR thro' Kamaraj Rd — 7 km - So this seems to be a replacement for the famous "tunnel road" proposal?
No, this one is thru Cox town and Hennur main road.
The lowest point in this announcement is an elevated road on JC road from minerva to hudson circle. What is the problem on 5 lane wide JC road? They need 4 more? This kind of shows how they are thinking. I am sure these are plans by people who havent seen best practices around the world, unfortunately we are well past experimentation time. The mention in one of the reports that they are yet to check with public and experts shows it is thoughtless.
Shouldnt they look at basic engineering like turn lanes seperate signals for turn lanes to control flow. These are proven techniques to maintain flow.
North south corridor may be worth it, if they take suggestions from this thread, considering they are not planning a metro or tram or any proper mass transit to areas around Bellary road. I dont trust BMTC to provide reach within these residential areas to carry people to a metro station. These areas are left to fend for themselves.
...just can't digest
...just can't digest this....hope this is only a gimmick...Bangalore cannot take all of these.
Again, BMLTA is nowhere in the picture. Is BBMP capable?
I am really sick and tired of
I am really sick and tired of these nonsensical news articles which keep popping up every once in a while elaborating on BBMPs grand plans to make Bangalore in to a `world class city'. The reality is that BBMP is rapidly destroying whatever little charm remains in Bangalore. Instead of spending large sums on these grandiose infrastructure projects they need to
1. Make kerbs and footpaths well so that people can walk.
2. Manage traffic using one - ways and restricting and regulating parking.
3. Enforce road rules. Make BMTC buses actually stop in the bus bays. Make sure that cars/autos dont stop and block traffic just because they are waiting for a passenger.
4. Complete existing projects, not abandon them after the CM has cut a ribbon 100/200/365 days after coming to power just to show that he has achieved something.
5. Remove debris from the sides of roads so that the entire road is usuable.
I suppose all these simple things are cheap and not sexy like the elevated tunnels overpasses over stormwater drains which are signal free that they plan to construct to `solve Bangalore traffic problems'.
I suppose at the end of the day it is our fault - we accept whatever crap they dole out.
Ramesh
22,000 crores is a lot of money
If well spent, can change the city. But as somebody stated, if it is true, it is probably our only chance, we will not see that kind of money for many many years. As used in national scene sometimes, each earning Bangalorean would be around Rs 70,000 in debt, will take a long time to pay it off.
Sometimes I feel it is better to have totally incompetent people - their grand plans never take off, or even better, they dont plan at all. At least money is not wasted. Of course, very competent people would be fantastic. It is the semi-competent people who scare me - half thought ideas and half-baked projects, create more trouble than help and good money lost forever.
Suhas
First do no harm
BBMP should follow a principle that is quite important in medicine - "First do no harm".
Agree with Suhas - better to have incompetent people than to have the act-without-thinking lot that we have in Bangalore today. They seem to want to show that they are on the move trying to solve problems.
Funny how the BBMP never seems to have money for bus shelters - was going along NH7 and people have to wait on the side of a highway next to one rickety board that says "BUS STOP" waiting for buses.
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
Alternatives...
22k crore... Couldn't agree more. We need to see the 'plan'. I'd like to see a comprehensive listing of the 'problems', proposed solutions (some of which are making this news now) after alternatives are looked at, AND results to expect after the chosen 'solutions' are applied.
Now that we are talking of alternative solutions, how about a brain teaser? Taking plan extracts out of CDP, CTTP, 2015 or 2020 (or whatever that already exist), for 22k Crore, what can we get instead?
Or looking at it the other way around, let us say we just fix what we have and make them as effeicient as they can be - say we convert all 2 lane roads and junctions in Bangalore to true 2-lane-usable roads/junctions. How much will that cost?
Ravi
1000 crores for lake renovation!
Steps to reduce traffic more urgent
Whilst a good road infrastructure is also a necessity for any city, this is clearly going too far. Why can't they use some of this money to have much more mass transits, such as additional corridors (UG) for Metro phase-2 ? Why not have six new lines instead of just two additional lines ? Why not have much more Monorail ? BRT also needs much more, serious attention.
Unfortunately, most would be thrilled with these announcements as many urban expressways & signal-free roads have been quoted.
Until a large network of mass transits are in place, it might be better to maintain status-quo & only improve the existing road network to stem the volumes of traffic.
There has been no effort by the authorities to address concerns relating to the growing volumes of traffic. In fact, they are playing right into the hands of the car lobbies.
This is something like trying to put out a fire with gasoline instead of water !
22K crore. i would be happier
22K crore. i would be happier if some amount would have been kept for standard satellite towns connecting bangalore city.The concept of satellite town which picked up momentum during Sm krishna and kumaraswamys time seem to be discarded.
govt's work done?
Their statements are being discussed in real earnestness here and elsewhere!
Maybe that was their only intention!
May be offtopic, But i see
May be offtopic, But i see BBMP officials painting beautifull pictures on many walls side by road to make it look more beautifull. this seemed to be a wonderfull idea .Look at the picture below.
courtesy : Churmuri
PS: I have joined this forum 1 year back.But have posted only few post.How i can create new threads.Is their certain post limit after which i can start posting new threads.I would welcome if you can help me out .
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Elevated roads - old proposal
Just to bring back this old pic showing proposed elevated roads. some of these are in these new grand plans