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Can road infrastructure ever keep up with cars?
s_yajaman - 6 July, 2009 | Traffic | Bangalore | Infrastructure | Bangalore | Roads | Analysis | mass transit
Lots of noise is made about Bangalore not having enough infrastructure being the reason for our traffic troubles. Here are some images from cities which have invested in more road infrastructure than we can ever and still face what you see below
Dubai Seoul
Moscow Beijing
Bangkok
And we somehow think we can do better?
Only imbeciles repeat others' mistakes and expect different results
Srivathsa
COMMENTS
Point taken...
Ravi_D - 7 July, 2009 - 09:08
Yes, wider roads don't necessarily mean better. And I think that is what you meant to say here.
But at the same time, we should demand for better infrastructure, including true 'roads', not pot hole ridden pathways to hell we got where everyone gets to ride in every possible direction.
I sat next to 2nd floor window of a restaurant in Jayanagar last sunday for lunch. Watching vehciles negotiate the junction of 5 roads just below was outright scary. It is a miracle that somehow most go through the junction without hitting (or getting hit by) somebody else. Junctions, pathways, signals, pedestrian facilities... Our road infrastructure has a long way to catch up.
Ravi
Quality of existing infrastructure
idontspam - 7 July, 2009 - 09:39
we should demand for better infrastructure, including true 'roads'
This has been my refrain all along. It is about the quality of the existing infrastructure. It is about engineering the current infrastructure to bring order to the chaos. Not have entropy. Not live in a hobbesian society. Make what we have more humane and navigable.
Yes - my point is about increasing road space
s_yajaman - 7 July, 2009 - 09:56
Not that we should have badly kept potholed roads with no lane markings and signage.
At some point we have to have some consensus on the maximum vehicular population we can support in our cities. Cars can become a cancer to livable cities as they soak up disproportionate funds for roads, flyovers and underpasses while carrying 10-15% users.
I mentioned this in another post - 10 years back Hyderabad went on a massive flyover building spree and thought that its traffic problems would be over. Has not happened has it?
Srivathsa
No City Can 'Build' It's Way Out of the Problem !
Naveen - 28 July, 2009 - 12:18
http://praja.in/files/White-Paper.pdf
I have said it many times before & I say it again ....
Increasing road infrastructure without allocating portion/s of it for public transport (buses, bus stops), pedestrian & bicycle facilities & with only the motor car in mind is futile & senseless & will never end, ever.
This is particularly true for Bangalore with it's many frequent, multiple-street intersections, turn-offs & other similar complications in it's road network.
No City Can ever 'Build' It's Way Out of the Traffic Congestion Problem !
But our city's authorities are relentless in their pursuit of the ultimate road infrastructure that will supposedly rid the city off all it's traffic problems. This is a pipe dream that will never come true, for sure.
"Experience is the ability to recognize a mistake when you make it again", they say, but one gets the impression that we have never had any experience before !
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