Jayanagar TTMC Report September 12, 2009

 The sky walk can be connected to the first mall floor.

Isnt that a bummer? How could they have missed it? Shows how intelligent the planners are. We trust these people with building our city.

The central Island for passengers is dangerous

Islands themselves if used as busstop are not bad. Direct landing to the island from the first floor in conjunction with the skywalk connection from the street would have been very simple but useful solution.

If you post pictures we can see how many more simple things they have missed.

Sorry for bunking today, had a family thing till 12, and would have been too late by then.

Looks like Murali is figuring out East Bangalore there, eyeing a private shuttle proposal for Whitefield or what!?

I will be in the area tomorrwo though, want to observe how the TTMC changes the parking and shoppers dynamics at 4th block.

PSA sir, don't upload all pics - few key ones would do, and can upload them right here. Click on a yellow "Image" icon you would see on the comment toolbar, and then find and click on the "browse server" button. Then on, you should be able to figure how to upload your images. Still a bit hard to upload images here, but you can.

I was of the initial impression that there would be two levels of bus parking atleast in the TTMCs. But, having multilevel bus stations without buses going to the upper level will reduce the space for buses. Ultimate aim should be to have more space for buses in TTMCs. A ramp on the Jain Temple side to the 1st floor for Buses would have added one more level of bus stop doubling the bus handling capacity. Whoever who would have seen the Port Authority of NY or South Station of Boston would have seen how multilevel bus stations are used. Our TTMCs just gives park and ride facility plus the office space and not more than that. NY Port Authority Video:

If this pic was taken at the Jayanagar TTMC why does the map show "you are here" next to the old airport? No wonder Murali looks lost.

The pictures I took may be accessed here - with battery running out, I could take only four.

My first impressions were that the overall work quality and finishes appeared to be fairly good. But, the pedestrian/ passenger movement/ safety aspects have not been given sufficient attention to. And, like has already been pointed out, taking the skywalk right into the TTMC first-floor area should have been the obvious thing to do, which has been over-looked.

First and foremost, I don't think this can qualify as a TTMC (Traffic and Transit Management Centre). It is just an ordinary bus-stop, with the space above awaiting total commercialisation. One set of buses coming in from Shivajinagar, enter from the East side, and head towards South or North (across the junction); and another set coming in from KGS (West - again, across the junction), have compulsorily to head Southwards. In the reverse direction, the buses don't touch the 'TTMC' at all (In the forward direction also, not all buses seemed to be entering it). I don't think much transitting can happen given this scenario, and consequently, the parking space (on the 3rd floor) is essentially going to be used up by the commercial space lessees (and their employees/ visitors/ clients).

All said and done, this is essentially a 90% commercial, and 10% passenger amenities project, by my reckoning. I expect most other so-termed TTMC's are also going to just that. The argument may be that they can thus cross-subsidise the basic operations, in order to retain the fares low. But, the problem is that they invariably end up as covers for inefficiencies, particularly in monopoly situations.

Further, even as the PRAJA team was at the place, a high level traffic police team landed up there, and seemed to be figuring out solutions to the newly created problems arising out of the TTMC's operations. The traffic signal operations, at the adjoining busy junction, do not appear to have factored in the new kinds of flows. And, the TTMC itself has common entry/ exit points for some of the bus routes, which by themselves can lead to buses blocking each others' paths.

Also, apart from the skywalk linking the shopping complex (which itself should idealy have landed on the first floor), the access for pedestrians from other sides are currently non-existant, with the erstwhile zebra cross markings ending mid-way on the roads. Obviously, very little consultation has happened between the traffic police, BMTC and the architects at the planning stage.     
 

I’m looking at the first pic where people are crossing the road midway. I’m sure there are ped xings on both the traffic lights few yards from the TTMC entry/exit. With  all the enduring efforts from the Traffic police et al like BTRAC to make Bangalore a better place to drive, with no discipline from the common man (to use the traffic lights to cross the road) this effort would be never-ending.

In short - Good concept. Implementation is certainly better than what I would have expected of a government bus-stand a few years back. But there is a lot left to learn.

Examples of lapses are already listed up here. For example, Pillars & Support structure for the bus stand could have been better placed to help easy vehicle movement. Just a glance at the drawing board would have required answers to such questions.

Basic issue: Lack of accountability. Any such project needs to be managed - set goals, plan, execute, verify if the goals are being met during and after, adjust as needed to complete the loop. We just seem to want to execute. You guess the reasons.

But what is TTMC in any case? I'd call it a TTMC if outer reaches beyond 4th Block are served from and terminate here, and if this TTMC connects to other TTMCs and other popular destinations (including Namma Metro). I certainly see no reason for the tiny parking space - as Murali pointed out, it might be just about enough to serve those visiting the retail space above the bus stand (if it becomes one). I'm still hoping they will retain floors above the bus stand for setting up a real Traffic Management Center.

Ravi

1. Wouldnt it make sense to put the numbers on the pillars or the walls to the back so people can see. Now they have to go to the opposite side or in the way of the buses if they have to read the information
2. Simple bench is a big ask? even steel bars fitted to the superstructure will do.
3. So how do the passengers walk along the narrow crowded bus stand? Looks like they have to step on to the busway obstructing the buses or squeeze between the pillars and the wall. After spending so much money on the TTMC the travellers dont get a few extra feet of platform?

 But why should the skywalk go away? Its the leg near the TTMC that is causing the problem get rid of the leg by connecting it to the first floor and supporting with extra beams & cables from the building? This should remove the obstruction at the entrance for the buses. BTW How come they thought about this now and not catch it when building the TTMC? Everything about the authorities building anything is shoddy. Goes back to what I said here

 I think we need to redefine TTMC and understand what is the objective? 

Drove past the TTMC some days back.  I could not believe that this took as long as it did. 

I thought this would be as big as the Shantinagar TTMC and that the land behind this would also be used. 

This is essentially the old bus stop with a building on it.  At least the old bus stop had two sections - one for buses headed to Majestic, etc and one for buses headed to Jayanagar 8th block.

IDS has pointed out all the problems and executional misses.  I think some tough questions via the rTI route are in order.  People have borne a lot of inconvenience for the last 2 years for this?? Is this how JNNURM funds are to be used?

Srivathsa

I dont have a problem with malls on bus stops or wherever, I am concerned about the primary purpose being served "effectively" "FIRST". I have restricted my comments to the primary functions of the TTMC, beyond that they may have the right to earn money building anything as long as it does NOT impede or restrict or replace the primary functions.

One of the reasons for pointing out these mistakes is because it is an instance of the larger malaise that plagues public infrastructure in our city.

Numerous points/ideas have come up.

It will be worthwhile to have a joint inspection with BMTC authorities to point out the improvements/rectifications needed.

More important, the same mistakes should not be repeated in the other TTMCs being built.

K.V.Pathy

The point I am trying to make here is that, particularly in public places (even though this specific place is normally to be accessed only on vehicles), the railing height needs to be more than than that of the centre of gravity of an average man, so that in case he looses balance (for whatever reasons), he does not topple over.

Yes, that would be good idea to present all these findings to the BMTC so that these shortcomings should be rectified in the other TTMCs being built-up as well as some very basic stuff shouldn't be compromised with.

What can be done is that - we have so many pictures right, so we can try to add comment/arrow/sketches to those pictures using mspaint or any other picture editor to show the problems in there and how can be taken care in short.

Later, we can combine all of them, sort them out, compile them and present it to BMTC.

hahahahaha!!! you go tweetanator.