First of all, credits to BDA or BBMP or ABIDe (who knows!?) or whoever is thinking about bus interchange points like Marathahalli ring Road and improving the pedestrian amenities there. So yes, something is better than nothing. However, if you watch the work, uncalled for and unscietific preference to road width over pavement is visible. Sample some pictures.
What do you see above? The dusted portion of road is appx the increased width available due to embankments on the road edge. This road is an entry into ORR. It does not need more than two lanes. And pedestrian traffic is heavy in the evenings. Further, you want to encourage people to change buses. The right way is to have much wider pavements than what has been done.
People don't walk in 2 by 2 files as the new pavement with its narrow width would expect. If you don't give them enough space, this is how the walking patterns will be like.
Now, the increased width of the road is most likely to be consumed for unwanted parking, Like in this picture below.
Here is the Map of the area we are talking about - those 3 blue lines is where the work is in progress, or perhaps done already (since I don't know the full extent of plans, I don't know whats left and whats done).
I have highlighted this earlier as well (see this). The original problem was highlighted here (hardships - changing a bus)
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Ample road width - why?
The main point here is - why do you need so much road width for these entry and exit points? Two lanes, at max, isn't it? Two lanes = 20-25 feet width. Rest should be for pedestrians.
One more pic to get an idea of increased width available after sprucing up the edges of the ORR entry/exist ramps. You can see what will happen here - the pavement will be consumed by the adjoining shops, people will end up walking on the road. Little more width for pavement will help. Dealing with encroachment from the shops is the other issue, but a separate one.
Road width goes to parking
Extra road width is already going towards parking (notice those bikes, and that auto), and the narrow pavement is looking crowded from adjoining shops. Excellent thought and idea from someone (to make bus interchange easier on commuters) may end up going waste due to shoddy execution.
Good points
Excellent photoblog. The problem being solved was wrong. They saw congestion due to parking of vehicles. So they extended the road to continue to allow all the parking and chaos and let 2 lanes of traffic through.
Assume 3 lanes of traffic from this exit & entry ramps are going to reach the ring road, are there 6 lanes available at the ringroad on each side to take all the traffic? So in trying to solve the congestion probllem they have created a merge nightmare at the landing point on the ring road. There is no engineering in this madness. Just random thoughts of ignorant people shaping our city.
Very valid SB
Good post SB. Your post mirrors my thoughts. If you go along the downramp from Marathalli towards Iblur, there is point where a water pipe sort of thing half sticks out from the extended area. In other words, it is half exposed in the newly created "roadway" area. Plus it is painted black in colour. I can imagine a a vehicle driving along going "bump" with disastrous consequences. Let me try and take a picture of this and post in the next couple of days.
Thanks guys
I just don't know who to meet and convey these things to. Need an opening with this closed shell called BDA.
I think one of us will have to bunk a weekday (Mon, Tue or Fri afternoon are meeting days I think) and go meet the comissioner.
One connect with their engineers and we can start learning and passing all this stuff.