[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

The silk board flyover and the Madiwala flyover should have been constructed together. I remember the Madiwala flyover being constructed back in 2004.

Sorry did not get you. What did you mean by Madiwala Fly over? The one we see today at Silk Board Jn? Or the box type road underpass at the Ayyappa temple Jn? The fly over at Silk Board Jn (i.e the Hosur-Bangalore road going over the road connecting Agara to Jayadeva Circle) was constructed some where in 2004, and the other underpass built some time later.

Now that the CM promised Rs.650 for a brand new fly over at Silk Board, I am really confused where exactly would this fly over come up? And how would this become beneficial? The simple fact is that there are too many vehicles who land up at this junction - Silk Board. A better way would be to come up with a plan which helps people avoid this junction.

All said and done, building fly overs at every junction would not bring in any long term benefits. Having a useful public transport system is the only long term solution. Or else traffic jams would start popping up at every junction.

[aravind.anand]

I have an observation, after driving for a few days recently in Bangalore... I find the taxi drivers to be excessively aggressive. I constantly had the fear of being rear ended by one of those light flashing and honking maniacs. I was on the ORR, and wasn't too slow either. I was maintaining about 60-70 kmph, and din't want to go much higher as I did not know the exact location of the speed breakers, but these guys were too bullish. If this is the case with the old Innova and Indica, I cannot think how driving in Bangalore would be once we have the new Innova or other powerful cab cars.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

I have an observation, after driving for a few days recently in Bangalore... I find the taxi drivers to be excessively aggressive. I constantly had the fear of being rear ended by one of those light flashing and honking maniacs.

I am surprised that it took you few days to figure that out. . I stay next to ORR and it just takes few minutes of getting out of house to encounter a specimen as mentioned by you.

I feel the Force / Tempo travellers the most aggressively driven followed by Indica's. Apart from the aggressive part, many of them are extremely sleep deprived.

Also, speed limit in most of Bangalore roads is 60KMPL.

[micrographics]

Some time back, BTP launched a campaign on Mandatory Helmets and they caught several law breaking guys as well but now everywhere I'm seeing that people drive their Two Wheeler without Helmets and that too vary rashly.

Would like to know whether Wearing Helmet rule has been withdrawn or BTP is no longer in catching such law breaking guys ?

Another major problem I've seen in BLR roads is that if there is a huge JAM on Signal, people try to run on the other side of road causing inconvenience to oncoming traffic and risking their own life. No one catches them even BTP person is standing there.

[sandeepmohan]

Something went very wrong on my commute from ITPL - Cox Town on 5/24.

I left work at quarter past four and right from Decathalon, all the way to the KR Puram station was bumper to bumper. I doubt if I ever got out of first gear. The usual chaos to get past Phoneix Market city was what I thought was causing the jam but that was not the case.

A journey that usually takes an hour ended up taking close to two hours. It was that bad. By the time I hit OMR, it was already 540pm and traffic had built up. On a good day, I clear tin factory an hour earlier.

I tanked up the car in the morning and by the time I reached home, the needle had come off the Full mark.

[null]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Something went very wrong on my commute from ITPL - Cox Town on 5/24.

I left work at quarter past four and right from Decathalon, all the way to the KR Puram station was bumper to bumper. I doubt if I ever got out of first gear. The usual chaos to get past Phoneix Market city was what I thought was causing the jam but that was not the case.

A journey that usually takes an hour ended up taking close to two hours. It was that bad. By the time I hit OMR, it was already 540pm and traffic had built up. On a good day, I clear tin factory an hour earlier.

I tanked up the car in the morning and by the time I reached home, the needle had come off the Full mark.

Guess it was because of the city inspection by the CM. The visit covered KR Puram bridge junction as well as per the newspapers this morning.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

The fly over at Silk Board Jn (i.e the Hosur-Bangalore road going over the road connecting Agara to Jayadeva Circle) was constructed some where in 2004, and the other underpass built some time later.

If I am right, Silkboard flyover was built in 1997 and Madivala underpass in 2010.

Now that the CM promised Rs.650 for a brand new fly over at Silk Board, I am really confused where exactly would this fly over come up? And how would this become beneficial?

They must have done this 10 years back - construct double decker flyover, over the existing one, the 2nd flyover connecting BTM & HSR. But now its late. A metro station is planned in Silkboard (which might turn out to be an interchange). In case if they are planning 2nd flyover, it is after Metro plans are finalized, so more delays.

The simple fact is that there are too many vehicles who land up at this junction - Silk Board. A better way would be to come up with a plan which helps people avoid this junction.

For south Bangalore to reach east Bangalore, Silk board is the gateway. Alternate is via diary circle-Koramanagala-Agara, which is also congested and has more traffic signals.

All said and done, building fly overs at every junction would not bring in any long term benefits.

Why not? Why make people wait in traffic signals? Let them go over the flyover and get on to the other side. Imagine without ORR flyovers, waiting at every junction, which was the case 8 years back.

[glenmz]

Bmtc Volvo breakdown just before silkboard signal from hsr. causing a major congestion from hsr. Be prepared.

[daretodream]

2 Rants of the day=
1. Today I saw Traffic Police Crack Down on vehicles with yellow number plates- right in front of Mantri Sarovar on Outer Ring Road and then near Madivala Police Station. The stopped vehicles had occupied 2/3rd of the road and had created bottlenecks. Dont know what has triggered this- a part of me is happy though that enforcements are happening.

2. Went to City Railway station to drop my inlaws for Chennai Shatabdi which leaves at 0600 am. We keft home(HSR Layout) at 5:10 am and cruised till Tank Bund Road.
The tri-signal at the junction of Tank-Bund Road, TCM Road, Gubbi Thotadappa Road (here) was in big mess. Took us more than 20 minutes to cross as it was in deadlock at morning 05:30 am!!!
The left turn to enter station complex - all jammed up by autos ushering the passengers... Had to honk ( I hate honking) when they were simply not moving a bit inspite of lights flashing and engine revving!!
I just managed to help my in laws keep the luggage at the door and train moved.. phew!

[LoneRidder]

Originally Posted by micrographics

Would like to know whether Wearing Helmet rule has been withdrawn or BTP is no longer in catching such law breaking guys ?

Helmet rule is not removed, its still active. Police become active, generally, during the month end when their target is not met. Also, Bangalore police are considerate in nature. The hot summer may have made them let go the riders.

Originally Posted by micrographics

Another major problem I've seen in BLR roads is that if there is a huge JAM on Signal, people try to run on the other side of road causing inconvenience to oncoming traffic and risking their own life.

This is the psycho of Bangalore drivers. I am getting too restless against these maniacs these days. Last week I had been to my home town, Coorg. At one of the small towns due to the heavy tourist rush, the traffic got piled-up. I could see all the KA12 (Coorg) registered vehicle waiting in line, and suddenly as many as 15~ 20 Bangalore vehicle breaking the line and going in the other direction blocking the oncoming vehicles. I encountered this while returning also near Channapatna too. Fortunately, in Coorg these drivers got their lessons. The local ensured they were made to wait till all other vehicle got cleared.

However in Bangalore, due to more traffic, bad roads, the police also become helpless in putting fine or regulating them. Most of the time they excuse them and let them go.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by daretodream

2. Went to City Railway station to drop my inlaws for Chennai Shatabdi which leaves at 0600 am. We keft home(HSR Layout) at 5:10 am and cruised till Tank Bund Road.
The tri-signal at the junction of Tank-Bund Road, TCM Road, Gubbi Thotadappa Road (here) was in big mess. Took us more than 20 minutes to cross as it was in deadlock at morning 05:30 am!!!

This route is always unpredictable. Once I got stuck for around 30mins at this junction at 4:30 AM. It would be better to keep 30mins-1hr buffer, if it is to drop someone in railway station.

[glenmz]

Originally Posted by daretodream

2 Rants of the day=
1. Today I saw Traffic Police Crack Down on vehicles with yellow number plates- right in front of Mantri Sarovar on Outer Ring Road and then near Madivala Police Station. The stopped vehicles had occupied 2/3rd of the road and had created bottlenecks. Dont know what has triggered this- a part of me is happy though that enforcements are happening.

These were RTO squads. I saw atleast 3 of them, 2 near Mantri and one at silk board and they were cracking on Yellow board vehicles.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by msdivy

construct double decker flyover, over the existing one, the 2nd flyover connecting BTM & HSR.

Correct me if I am wrong. Now there is a single decker fly over (connecting Hosur road - Roopena Agrahara->Madiwala Police station). So vehicles coming from Hosur side can quickly get over to Madivala PS side. For people coming from Agara side, to cross over to Jayadeva circle side, they would just go under the fly over. So now why do we have to build a double-decker fly over for the folks coming from Agara side to go towards from Jayadeva circle?

Why make people wait in traffic signals? Let them go over the flyover and get on to the other side.

Perhaps it may not be as simple as that. Currently vehicles who go over the fly over also are not having a very smooth go. Why? They all land up at the traffic jam at Madiwala PS side. Because there is a junction out there, then there is the Ayyappa temple Jn and then there is also Sarjapur Rd. Jn. Plus lot of side roads also joining the main roads. So vehicles just cannot go at a steady speed here. Now at Silk Board Jn., on the level road there exists a provision to take a right turn to goto Madivala PS side. There is a signal out there, as they cannot allow a free right turn. The ideal solution would have been the "clover interchange" which they built at Hebbal Jn. Where every one can go in any direction they want without a signal blocking them. Today even if a double-deck is built over existing silk board fly over, what is going to happen is that the block would move away to the junction near the BTM Bus Stand (and perhaps at the first junction on the Agara side as well). In the case of ORR towards the Air Port the signal free corridors may work fine because there are no major arterial roads just landing up into the main road. Where as in both Madivala, HSR and BTM Lay out there are lots of these narrow roads joining the main road. And all such narrow roads also house large commercial establishments or housing estates. Which means that there would be very many vehicles who would have to join in or get into these narrow roads. Which again reduces the over all speed of every vehicle.

[shreyascashyap]

Massive 5+km bumper to bumper jam on top of BETL at 5pm. Avoid it at all cost

They have dug up the road from silk board side and are re-asphalting the road. Blocked one full Lane on either side.

Very lucky that I was on my two wheeler today, managed to get down after 20 mins. The upshot is totally empty roads (almost) from end of BETL to silk board! Seems like everyone is stuck on top.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Why not? Why make people wait in traffic signals? Let them go over the flyover and get on to the other side. Imagine without ORR flyovers, waiting at every junction, which was the case 8 years back.

In my view, flyovers are good but only when used correctly and in few numbers. Lets see this logically, signals will exist and will continue to exist.. putting flyovers at every signal would then make the signal redundant, even if the flyover is for one direction only.

The traffic signals exist to hold a particular amount of vehicles based on traffic density or road width or both. Its job is to allow the flow of vehicles from 1 or 2 directions simultaneously while stopping the flow of 1 or 2 opposite directions so that there may be no traffic gridlock. A flyover in certain very congested areas will help move up to 3 directions at a time simultaneously.. but when implemented poorly will result in massive gridlocks in the next signal due to continuous movement of vehicles. In humorous terms traffic lights are like planned constipation and unplanned flyovers would be the direct opposite - overdose of laxatives which would cause way too much free movement for a few yards and then end up in extreme constipation.

Being a city planner or traffic police chief may be one of the toughest jobs, but even I know that for Silk Board Junction to be eased, they simply need more efficient policing > ensuring vehicles don't change lanes and manually controlling the signals according to volume. The infrastructure isn't there, no point in trying to improve it - the junction road is narrow, barely a 3 lane road.. the path leading to Silk Board is 1 lane posing as a 2 laner and BTM Road the less said the better. There are numerous routes from Sarjapur Road leading into the city like 1) Old Airport Road 2) via Agara Lake 3) Outer Ring Road to EC 4) Whitefield road 5) the dreaded Silk Board, but due to moronic planning by the government which lead to TOO many offices out there, SEZ's, massive campuses etc the sheer numbers put the road availability to shame.

As for me, I'm glad I don't travel anywhere near those godforsaken areas for work. Electronics City used to be nice to travel to but not from the way things are going these days.