[amitoj]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Did no one get stuck in the mess at Marathalli junction this morning?
It was total chaos, and my usual commute time more than doubled since i had to use different roads to get to Whitefield.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Tell me about it. They decided to

1: Allow traffic from Whitefield turn right on to ORR
2: All straight traffic to Whitefield to turn left onto ORR, U turn and left back into Marathahalli

I sat in Marathahalli for 40 min - fuel consumption imcreased by 20% due to stop start.

What were they thinking?

I crossed Marthahalli on ORR at around 8:30 AM. All traffic was normal at that time. At least on the ORR.

[ajmat]

The ORR was fine. The mess was on top!

[kousik]

We have received the information that locals residing around Marath Halli Bridge are protesting a demolition drive by BDA for road widening. The protest has resulted in Traffic congestion in and around Marath Halli Bridge.

Police authorities are dealing with situation. Employees are advised to avoid the roads leading to Marath Halli Bridge and use alternate roads to reach campus.

This is what our office's CSO said. It took me 1 hr 30 mins from HAL junction to office at ORR.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by kousik

This is what our office's CSO said. It took me 1 hr 30 mins from HAL junction to office at ORR.

That is partly correct. This is due to the fact that the Marathahalli junction is being made a signal free junction so the locals are up against the planners as they will need to take Uturns to cross the street.

Basically narrow minded people who are looking at selfish gains instead of looking at the bigger picture.

These same locals come down the wrong side every other day even though there are gaps in all the medians.

They should be lathicharged and the signal free junction should be implemented.

[kousik]

Around 1:30pm the protest was still continuing. Though BTIS - Bangalore Transport Information System isn't showing the congestion. So not really sure it is a bug in btis.in or it has just cleared up.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

That is partly correct. This is due to the fact that the Marathahalli junction is being made a signal free junction so the locals are up against the planners as they will need to take Uturns to cross the street.

Basically narrow minded people who are looking at selfish gains instead of looking at the bigger picture.

While i am for a signal-free junction, there is rather poor consideration for those who live aorund the area. Consider my case as an example.

I stay along the service road which joins the ORR to Marathalli junction. Earlier, if i had to get on the ORR to go towards Sarjapur road, all i had to do was go to Marathalli junction, take the right at the junction, and then using the service road get down onto the ORR, and carry on.

Then, they went ahead and closed the entry from this road to the junction. Still fine with me, i used to go and take the Uturn in front of Brand Factory. One fine day, they stopped that U turn as well.
As a law-abiding citizen, i questioned the cops behind the rationale. All i got as an explanation were some abuses and shooing away.
I then went all the way till Marathalli market (the one with a temple on the road) to take the U turn. As those who commute along this road would know, its really asking too much even from a car with a reasonable turning radius to turn in a single effort here. Still, i managed, and so did many others who were inconvenienced by this mess.

Then, they stopped us from using this as well! Now, where the heck do i need to go to, just to take the damned u turn?! the easiest option for me as well as many others would be to drive out of the building, take the wrong side of the road, get onto the service road in towards JP Morgan and Nokia, and carry on.

Which one would people prefer? And whereever is the narrow minded thought?

Also, with them closing the U turns along the ORR in front of Kalamandir, as well as Malgudi restaurant, people need to go all the way till ISRO just to take a U turn. Noone complained much about that since it did help to ease traffic a bit although the distance increased. However, making Marathalli junction signal-free wont help much since there is anyway a never ending mess in either direction from the junction - both towards HAL as well as the bus stops in front of Chemmanur jewellers going towards Kundanahalli.

This is just scenario 1. Imagine and extrapolate the same situaiton if at all i had to go anywhere from my house. Seriously, i dont blame the locals for the thoughtlessness shown by the cops in implementing this.

IMO, leave the junction as it is.. its fine.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

And whereever is the narrow minded thought?

The service road, before the entry to the junction is a two way. You dont need to go the wrong way.

Coming back to the "I undestand because I am suffering part." I stay on the ORR towards KR Puram. I need to drive 2kms - 1 km up the service road(in opposite direction) and 1 km back everyday to get on the ORR towards Marathahalli. Then take the Uturn near Innovative and join the Marathahalli road towards HAL.

I do this everytime I have to get out of my house.

What I can do instead is take the broken down median that was broken by people who think their time is important then the city planners and get on the ORR inconviencing a lot of people coming down the straight route. I dont do that. I can ask for a gap in median aligned to my gate so that I dont have to go any further and start a dharna and block arterial roads for that and be justified for wasting the time of thousands of folks.

This I think is one of the steps to make the whole HAL - Marathahalli -Whitefield road a signal free road. If we are going to start opposing right from the start we will never see any good happening.

I take this inconvience in my stride everyday. I now take the bus by crossing across the street.

And when required take up the inconvience of a mere 2 kms.

If some folks think that is too much to ask for then they have all the right to protest. I dont.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

The service road, before the entry to the junction is a two way. You dont need to go the wrong way.

You miss the point, Spitfire!
I dont refer to the service road which is the one in front of the Multiplex. I refer to the road which joins ORR to the junction, basically the ramp.

I gave a briefing to the traffic cops about the issue which was being faced by a lot of residents along this stretch. One senior (in terms of post) cop said, "You drive down the wrong way, no problem". Another one fined a resident saying he was going the wrong direction. So, they have no consensus among themselves as well.

The suggestion i gave the cops was, remove the drainage canal which currently serves as a divider between this side road and the main ORR, and allow vehicles to ply across. The cop said, "Thats not our business".
So much for citizens who try to help solve road issues.

If some folks think that is too much to ask for then they have all the right to protest. I dont.

Well, those protesting certainly see the need for it.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

You miss the point, Spitfire!

Oh ok. I only see shops on the ramp sides. Seems like a very badly designed area.

Trouble is a the convience of a few hundred, inconviences thousands on a daily basis. And thats what I am trying to convey.

Well, those protesting certainly see the need for it.

Yeah, i know its a democracy. And we know what sort of protests are more successful. Until we evlove a bit more. I think we will have to live with this selfish attitude.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Oh ok. I only see shops on the ramp sides. Seems like a very badly designed area.

Trouble is a the convience of a few hundred, inconviences thousands on a daily basis. And thats what I am trying to convey.

Even if the junction was made signal-free, till the various bottlenecks along the main road are removed, it wouldnt help. All we will have is a similar situation as we have now, after the Marathalli railway overbridge was built. From having the mess on top of the narrow bridge earlier, we now have them at the junctions on either sides.

Marthalli has developed (??!) into a perfect example of badly designed growth. A major shoppers paradise, with absolutely no parking facilities, lack of proper footpaths (which are anyway used to park bikes), narrow roads, and harried cops to man traffic.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Even if the junction was made signal-free, till the various bottlenecks along the main road are removed, it wouldnt help.

There is conscious effort to change these bottlenecks. Eg. The vegetable market has a newer area right behind where they sit presently. Instead of right next to the road there is a provision for the vendors to sit in a area right behind. But the pig headed vendors dont want to move. What do we call such behaviour? And they were the same ones protesting yesterday.

From having the mess on top of the narrow bridge earlier, we now have them at the junctions on either sides.

I am new to this area and still getting to know it.

Marthalli has developed (??!) into a perfect example of badly designed growth. A major shoppers paradise, with absolutely no parking facilities, lack of proper footpaths (which are anyway used to park bikes), narrow roads, and harried cops to man traffic.

Instead of harried cops, I would call them low IQ. But I agree this is one messed up place. And with the indiscipline of the folks staying in this area its just chaos.

Thank god for good service by BMTC in this area.

[praful]

Since we are on the topic of ORR and Marathalli... Just noticed this morning that the service roads have been blocked at quite a few places along the ORR when coming from Agrara towards Marathalli. I was taking the service lane to save time and avoid signals, now need to be ORR and get stuck with traffic.

PS: Do you guys feel that the once the flyover/Metro's have been built will the traffic situation be any better? I somehow have a gut feeling that by the time the construction work is complete the traffic situation would have gotten a lot worse.

PS: PS: I feel there should be walkways created over ORR at key areas , specifically where there are bus stops eg: EcoSpace, Marathalli. People tend to run while crossing the ORR and this can prove deadly at time. Just this morning I nearly hit a dude who came running across. I could not even see him as I was overtaking a bus.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by praful

I was taking the service lane to save time and avoid signals, now need to be ORR and get stuck with traffic.

When will people learn...

You answered your own question as to why they have blocked the service roads.

Just to make it clearer because you and many more like you do this -> I was taking the service lane to save time and "avoid signals", now need to be ORR and get stuck with traffic.

[praful]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

When will people learn...

You answered your own question as to why they have blocked the service roads.

Just to make it clearer because you and many more like you do this -> I was taking the service lane to save time and "avoid signals", now need to be ORR and get stuck with traffic.

I know the service lane is meant to be taken only when you have to move towards the buildings or lanes next to the service lane. But when the service lanes are virtually traffic free why not take them?

EDIT: The service lane was not blocked because "many more like me" as you put it were using it. Its actually closed down for construction work.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by praful

But when the service lanes are virtually traffic free why not take them?

Are you being sarcastic? Or you really think that is the right thing to do?

The service lane was not blocked because "many more like me" as you put it were using it. Its actually closed down for construction work.

Sorry, that was sarcasm. You didnt get it.