Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Rant on BTM ORR traffic :
Took me a record 55 minutes today for the 3 km stretch from Jayadeva flyover to Silk board. Just out of curiority, I measured the time between the junctions using my stopwatch (yeah I was jobless inside the car).

Beat this
Date: 05th Aug, Monday (Yesterday)
Type of Ride: Car
Total Distance Travelled: 12 kms

Time Started from BTM Lake Road (near CCD): 9:05 AM
Time Reached Ecospace, Bellandur: 10:40 AM
Time Taken for 12 Kms - 1Hr 35Mins.

BreakUp:
Time Taken from BTM Lake Road (near CCD) till Bharti AXA Signal: 40Mins
Time Taken from Bharti AXA Signal till Silk Board junction: 20 mins
Total Distance Travelled: ~4 Kms; Time Taken: 1 Hr

Time Taken from Silk Board junction till Ecospace, Bellandur: 35 mins
Distance Travelled: ~8 kms; Time taken: 35 mins

Today (06th Aug) - Bike Ride
12kms : 50Mins

[Vid6639]

Just spotted a goat running up the BETL ramp on silk board side. The BETL guys were chasing it to get it down from the up ramp.

Just when you think you've seen it all. *shaking head in disbelief*

Hopefully the toll booth guys collect cash from the goat unless it has the OBU unit.

[acroback]

I was a victim of these Midnight Road kings. In this case it was a Force Traveller.
On Hope farm signal at around 12:30 AM ( Friday night, deliverables + US time meetings = late departure from Office), I looked at intersection all fine and carried on straight on whitefield Road enroute home at around 45-50 kmph. I have almost crossed the intersection when I notice this tempo traveller from opposite jumping in front of me in quest to take a right turn. I braked, he braked but alas there was a low speed head on.
I was puzzled, how the hell did I miss such a behemoth.
I immediately went out and noticed that car had neither indicator on or any of the headlights on. LOL, now I knew why I missed the scumbag in pitch dark environment.

I was pissed, but nothing much I could do. I do not know if he was sleeping or misjudged. I just asked him if he was sleepy, to which he did not reply.
Vehicle is back on road but this lunacy of driving without headlights and turning without indicators is a menace. It can cost him or someone else his life. I am thankful, i was not using a 2 wheeler, I would have been doing break dance under his wheels.

[denver85]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Also, how is the road from Domlur HAL airport to Marathahalli?? Has that drainage expansion thing been completed now?? I might quit ORR altogether again.

The roads are ok now. The portion where they dig for the drainage is filled up and tarred. Though that left side of the road will definitely offer a horse ride effect because of the irregular surface. This is stretch is not bad now-a-days(as compared to ORR between Silk Board and J P Nagar) from my experience. Only bottleneck is the Murugeshpalaya signal.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Just spotted a goat running up the BETL ramp on silk board side. The BETL guys were chasing it to get it down from the up ramp.

Just when you think you've seen it all. *shaking head in disbelief*

Hopefully the toll booth guys collect cash from the goat unless it has the OBU unit.

speaking of encounters with the animal kingdom, the most bizarre one for me was a month ago when those elephants had strayed on to the Hosur road - Sarjapur road area. I was on my way to office at around 10AM on that sedate state highway, when I actually saw Elephants along the roadside straying into some fields . I had to pinch myself twice to make sure I was awake, driving in Bangalore city, and not in some kind of weird dream.

Originally Posted by denver85

The roads are ok now. The portion where they dig for the drainage is filled up and tarred. Though that left side of the road will definitely offer a horse ride effect because of the irregular surface. This is stretch is not bad now-a-days(as compared to ORR between Silk Board and J P Nagar) from my experience. Only bottleneck is the Murugeshpalaya signal.

Thanks for that Denver85. I am inclined to try the dairy circle - St. Johns - HAL route tomorrow. I have noticed that if I leave early by 7.30 or so, the dairy circle - IRR route is relatively free compared to the BTM - ORR stretch which tends to be in gridlock even at those early hours. The bad patch of roads near St. Johns and the gridlock near HAL airport was what was putting me off back then.

[KarthikK]

Bi-annual Lalbagh flower show begins today:
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/b...cle1719857.ece

For people travelling around this area, watch out for traffic snarls along RV road west gate, Lalbagh main gate road and the double road back gate area. Tons of cars will be haphazardly parked through the day, weekends are worse

[superutp]

Any one know how long the traffic light is at silkboard (under flyover) when coming down from BETL side to go towards HSR??

Well, I do, calculated today and it was a whole 8 mins

Hows that possible?

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by superutp

Any one know how long the traffic light is at silkboard (under flyover) when coming down from BETL side to go towards HSR??

Well, I do, calculated today and it was a whole 8 mins

Hows that possible?

That could be because the cops might be controlling it. For an automated traffic light, the max I've seen is 180s.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by superutp

Any one know how long the traffic light is at silkboard (under flyover) when coming down from BETL side to go towards HSR??

Well, I do, calculated today and it was a whole 8 mins

Hows that possible?

This is where your making a mistake. Never go below the flyover and get stuck in the jam going to BTM and HSR. That signal is atrocious and the jam below is even worse.

Always go up the silk board flyover and take a U turn at Madivala Police station and go down the flyover from other side to HSR. This works most of the times, other than the times when there is a massive pileup on the Silk board flyover itself. Then you end up stuck on the flyover for some time. The best part is during non peak hours when you can take a U turn in no time and not have to stand at the light.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by superutp

... it was a whole 8 mins

Originally Posted by Vid6639

...Always go up the silk board flyover and take a U

THAT is the most sensible way to tackle this junction. It could take 5-8 minutes to reach the ORR bus stop from the start of the Silk Board flyover in peak traffic. Unless the St.John's hospital junction is so much clogged that the queue of vehicles reaches the Madiwala Police Station/Total Mall signal, the Silk Board flyover is relatively free. You will be left to a crawl after you come down the flyover till you take a U-turn in front of the police station, but beyond that you can do normal speeds.

[deadguy25]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

That could be because the cops might be controlling it. For an automated traffic light, the max I've seen is 180s.

Yes, the cops control it.

While going towards BTM from HSR in the evenings, it takes a lot of time to cross that signal.

I plan start selling bonda\bajji (if i manage to get out of IT soon) in that signal (between HSR and silk board), I am sure i can make good money .

[Soumyajit9]

Adding to the woes of cops manning the signal lights, I wonder when will there be some kind of sensible solution to the manual traffic stop in front of Ecospace, ORR ?

Today it took me about 40mins on a bike from Sarjapur signal to Ecospace (via Bellandur flyover and under Intel flyover).

All this, just because OORCA cops stop vehicles for pedestrian crossing at the foot of the Bellandur flyover. Can't they put an application to build a footover bridge here. 2-3 smart asses will die trying to defy the footover bridge. Then everyone else will fall in place. And it will be a free corridor.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

That could be because the cops might be controlling it. For an automated traffic light, the max I've seen is 180s.

I have seen 240 seconds and even 300 seconds at certain intersections. The 300 seconds interval can be seen at South end signal in Jayanagar during evening peak hour traffic. That place has 6 huge roads meeting in a single intersection, so it actually does need a large duration by the time we get our turn again.

For some strange reason, signal intervals seem to be adjustable only in 30s durations . I've never seen any number other than multiples of 30

[denver85]

Originally Posted by deadguy25

While going towards BTM from HSR in the evenings, it takes a lot of time to cross that signal.

For last two months, once or twice in a week I am crossing the Silk Board signal from HSR side to BTM around 4.30 PM and BTM to HSR side around 8.30 PM on weekdays. It's always a pain to cross it and will take minimum 10 minutes in both directions. Do anybody has any tip/shortcut to avoid this hiccup ??
Thanks Vid for that tip for crossing from BETL side to HSR side. I will definitely try it next time

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by denver85

For last two months, once or twice in a week I am crossing the Silk Board signal from HSR side to BTM around 4.30 PM and BTM to HSR side around 8.30 PM on weekdays. It's always a pain to cross it and will take minimum 10 minutes in both directions. Do anybody has any tip/shortcut to avoid this hiccup ??
Thanks Vid for that tip for crossing from BETL side to HSR side. I will definitely try it next time

Surely there is a way to get out of BTM towards HSR.

Take a left from Udupi Garden or AXA Signal and take the inside road towards Madiwala. This route comes out below the Silk Board flyover and there is a cut under the flyover, to cross over towards the HSR Side.

I'm not sure of I am able to express it correctly.

Here is the MAP:

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...ra=pr&t=m&z=17