[hamster]

^^ Same here in my office too.
HOT/BREAKING NEWS : Our office admin has sent out a mail regarding the new traffic regulations in Whitefield.
IT seems the left turn in Graphite India signal is allowed for vehicles coming from Hoodi.
This seem to be a latest update after the company representatives of EPIP met the whitefield traffic police.
I am still not convinced about this info though, especially after the police had circulated pamphlets everywhere in the area.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Ok, I am not a regular here since I work off- peak hours, but I just had to note down this rant.

Was stuck on top of the airport flyover towards hebbal for almost an hour yesterday, and I see things are only getting worse. The stupid design converges 6 lanes (3 of elevated road, 2 of service road and 1 side lane) into 2 lanes just after Esteem mall and it has created a big bottleneck these days.

Pity the guys who pay 75 INR (IIRC) to use this till road only to get stuck for an hour on top of it.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Ok, I am not a regular here since I work off- peak hours, but I just had to note down this rant.

Was stuck on top of the airport flyover towards hebbal for almost an hour yesterday, and I see things are only getting worse. The stupid design converges 6 lanes (3 of elevated road, 2 of service road and 1 side lane) into 2 lanes just after Esteem mall and it has created a big bottleneck these days.

Pity the guys who pay 75 INR (IIRC) to use this till road only to get stuck for an hour on top of it.

Did the airport to Hebbal stretch this morning both ways and what annoyed me the most was there are three lanes on each side with speed markings mentioned clearly at regular intervals and this is the second time I noticed, the fast lane is basically the slow lane.
All the LCV's and goods vehicle hog this lane doing not more than 50kmph. There was even a nut two wheeler on the fast lane who I honked the daylights out of until he moved to the third lane.
Middle lane is the fast lane here.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Was stuck on top of the airport flyover towards hebbal for almost an hour yesterday, and I see things are only getting worse. The stupid design converges 6 lanes (3 of elevated road, 2 of service road and 1 side lane) into 2 lanes just after Esteem mall and it has created a big bottleneck these days.

And this is happening as a regular affair that the jam starts even before descending the Elevated section, crosses Esteem mall and then Hebbal Flyover.

• Free Flowing Traffic from Elevated section merging (That you mention)
• A pedestrian crossing Signal soon after you descend
• Traffic cutting across each other soon after this to head towards ORR, Tumkur Road and Hebbal
• Majority of traffic trying to enter the (now) narrow Hebbal Flyover

We have seen it happen over the years and we will see it getting worse now. Lane discipline is something that can never be imparted in our drivers now. Gone are the days.

Pedestrian overbridge proposed here - Looking at the already set-up bridge near Mekhri circle and the fact that it is waiting for formal inauguration, we only know much we need to wait if this one has to go live after constructing one!

Can an additional ramp towards City on Hebbal be added? - Well, this certainly can help in making things better but then, we need to wait for at least 2 more years!

In the evenings even at 9:45pm the traffic crawl in this section between Hebbal till the start of Elevated section. Thanks to the Pedestrian signal at Esteem Mall, all the buses occupy each lane and do 0-5kmph in 29.33 seconds

[pramodpk]

Here is the update from our company that we got yesterday

• Vehicles coming in from KR Puram will turn right turn at Hoodi Junction and left at Graphite India Junction
• Vehicles coming in from Kundalahalli Road remain unaffected and will turn right turn at Graphite India Junction
• Vehicles coming in from Whitefield remain unaffected

• Vehicles moving towards KR Puram -
o Vydehi Hospital Junction – Left Turn - Big Bazaar Junction – Left Turn – towards KR Puram Hanging Bridge
• Vehicles moving towards Kundalahalli Road –
o Vydehi Hospital Junction – U Turn – Graphite India Junction – Left Turn – towards Kundalahalli Gate

This means there will be a huge bottleneck at Vydehi Junction and Big Bazaar. At 6:00 PM yesterday, took 40 mins for me to cover 4 KMs from EPIP to ECC Road. The line of vehicles at Big Bazaar extended all the way till KTPO.

[hamster]

Live Update :
Went in the morning to check the status from Hoodi.
Vehicles from Hoodi are allowed to take a left turn towards EPIP/ITPL.

I went to Kundalahalli from Hoodi in the peak hours. I had to take a left at Graphite India Signal towards EPIP and take the U Turn near the IOC Petrol bunk and again take left at
Graphite Signal to go towards Kundalahalli. This is going to create more jams in the morning.

Hoodi Main road was a two way(as against one way) till 10:00 AM in the morning. Not sure, whether they will implement by EOD today. Saw same Tata ACE vehicles carrying the "Whitefield Traffic - Final Option" flex boards going towards Hoodi Junction.

The right turn towards Graphite India Signal for vehicles coming from Alpine Eco, Chanapannahalli through the Cement Factory Road is not blocked as of now.

But there is "No Right Turn" board kept in the same place for vehicles coming from Hoodi. This might impact people who go towards ORR/Old Airport Road taking the Cement Factory/Alpine Eco Apartment road.

[hamster]

Update # 2 :
All the bye lanes/divider openings leading to Hoodi Main Road are closed by afternoon.

Traffic going towards Kundalahalli from Hoodi have to take a left at Graphite Signal, move further till SAP exit gate or till Ginger Hotel to take a U turn and then come back towards Graphite signal and take a left turn.

The stretch from erstwhile ABB signal(now closed) till Hoodi Signal is made oneway.

Monday is going to be crazy.
Vehicles will be trying to criss-cross before or at Hoodi signal depending upon whether they want to go left towards Devasandra or right towards Hoodi Main Road.
Also, there are chances that 3-4 lanes of traffic will merge into two lanes just after Hoodi Signal towards ITPL. The signal is already in a pathetic state due to the bus stop there.

In Hoodi Main road traffic coming from KR Puram side, who will be on the right lane of the road, will try to change to left lane of the Road, if they have to go towards EPIP.
Simillarly, traffic coming from ITPL going towards KR Puram Railway station, who have to "compulsarily" take a left at Hoodi Main Road, will be in he Left lane and try to go to Right lane so that they can take a U turn in the Standard Chartered ATM junction.

There might be no respite for Graphite Signal, since
1) traffic from Kundalahalli will try to take a right turn towards EPIP/ITPL,
2) traffic from Hoodi Main Road will try to take a left towards EPIP/ITPL,
3) traffic coming from the Alpine Eco/Cement factory Road will also merge with the traffic coming from Hoodi Main Road.

Also, anybody who wants to goto Kundalahalli from Hoodi, will try to make a U turn near the already narrow SAP exit gate or near Ginger Hotel.

Brace up, Folks

[benbsb29]

I would not be driving along these roads, but having used these roads for 7 years and seeing the traffic density during peak hours, it doesn't take much foresight to predict the chaos that is going to ensue.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Traffic flowing from Kundalahalli, AECS side to EPIP will have a free right turn at Graphite India. No need to go to Hoodi. The traffic coming from Hoodi side won't be allowed to take left or go straight at Graphite India towards Kundalahalli.

Are you sure about this? Because my interpretation of the traffic plan map makes me think no right at the Graphite India signal.
And if traffic moving towards Kundalahalli has a left open to SAP- how can people driving from the opposite direction have a free right? Does not sound feasible to me. Monday should clarify perhaps.
If anyone already has checked then please do let others know.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Ok, I am not a regular here since I work off- peak hours, but I just had to note down this rant.

Was stuck on top of the airport flyover towards hebbal for almost an hour yesterday, and I see things are only getting worse. The stupid design converges 6 lanes (3 of elevated road, 2 of service road and 1 side lane) into 2 lanes just after Esteem mall and it has created a big bottleneck these days.

Pity the guys who pay 75 INR (IIRC) to use this till road only to get stuck for an hour on top of it.

I religiously check Google traffic status as I near that last flyover (Hebbal to Yelahanka). On the Hebbal side there is traffic due to the cloverleaf congestion and on the other side due to accidents or waterlogging under the railway overbridge. Best to stick to the normal road than on the elevated section!

[binand]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

Are you sure about this? Because my interpretation of the traffic plan map makes me think no right at the Graphite India signal.
And if traffic moving towards Kundalahalli has a left open to SAP- how can people driving from the opposite direction have a free right? Does not sound feasible to me. Monday should clarify perhaps.

I am at (near) Graphite India now; and I can confirm all this.

1. Traffic coming from Vydehi side can do only one thing at Graphite - turn left. The right turn is blocked off with a 90-degree arc created out of those metallic barricade contraptions.

2. Traffic coming from Hoodi side can also do only one thing - turn left towards Vydehi. The same barricade prevents them from going straight ahead.

3. Traffic coming from Brookefield can either go straight towards Hoodi or turn right towards Vydehi.

So, in normal course of operation, there is no signal required at Graphite India junction anymore. All directions are free for all (except poor pedestrians, if any).

Now, there are two problems I can see:

1. Traffic from Hoodi wishing to go towards Brookefield can take the left towards Vydehi, take a U-turn (Ginger), and proceed pretending to be traffic from Vydehi and follow case 1 above.

2. Traffic from Vydehi wishing to go towards Hoodi can take the left towards Brookefield, and take a U-turn (RxDx) and proceed as 3 above.

All said and done, this has the potential to be a game changer or a disaster - it is now all up to the hen-pecked BTP.

[bejoy]

Came to say something positive. I went to Lalbagh yesterday at around 4:30PM from HSR Layout and very surprisingly reached in 30mins. Took the Kormanagala-St Johns-Dairy Circle-Double road and we were held up only in signals, that too got cleared in a minute.

Returned at 6:35PM and went to Total mall in Sarjapur road. Feared worst traffic at this time, but again was in for pleasant surprise and reached in 40 mins.

Not sure if it was a one off day, but I was expecting a much worse situation on a Saturday evening.

[rki2007]

Don't know whether this is the right thread for this discussion !!.

The major reason that i see behind all these traffic issues are the huge number of cars on road.

On weekdays if you notice, most of the cars will have just one occupant in the car and that is none other than the driver of the car. Please do not see from an individual comfort/convenience point of view but see from a macro level. At least four two wheeler can travel in the same place where one car can travel . If one person is occupying so much of space on the road for his sole travel, then off course there will be a traffic pile up and what else?

I was born and brought up in Bangalore. At one time, car was a luxury and even if a person had a car, it was used only when the family wanted to travel together. But today that is not the case.

No offence meant to any one. But what will improve, if you keep complaining about the traffic jams!!!.

At least i do not travel in car if were to go alone. I any day prefer a two wheeler.

To over come this issue, I feel car pooling, using a two wheeler, better public transport facilities are the way out.

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by rki2007

At least i do not travel in car if were to go alone. I any day prefer a two wheeler.

To over come this issue, I feel car pooling, using a two wheeler, better public transport facilities are the way out.

I completely agree with this.

Even motorbikes, I find almost everyone(including myself) travelling alone when there is space for another person.

But at every signal, when I look around, I see so many cars with a single occupant. If everyone carpooled, 4 cars cars can be converted into a single car. I grin at the prospect of having 1000 cars reduced to 250 cars.

You save money, you bring down pollution, you make friends, you make your journey more enjoyable!

But I guess there are some factors that come in the way, everyone having the same timings at the office, people being unpunctual(I always thought it was impunctual, till Firefox and Google told me otherwise ). But these are tiny things that can be worked out. Carpooling is the only way I believe we can dig ourselves out of this hole that Bangalore finds itself in. And I do not see any measures being taken to improve the infrastructure in the IT regions of Bangalore. There are more Tech Parks opening up, more companies in these Tech Parks opening up, more people joining in these Companies, more cars adding up but still the same amount of road. Unless the government or us act quickly, I see a literal deadlock situation not very far in the future. (And government vs us should be a no-brainer )

[itwasntme]

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/banga...w/45246234.cms

SC approves widening of Bellary road

As per the master plan prepared, road between BDA junction to Mekhri circle and Cantonment Railway station to Mekhri circle (Jayamahal Road) will be taken up for road widening.