Good work TM, shows you dont need multi million rupee projects to have order in the city, just proper signage and markings.

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TM,

Thats a nice illustration you've put up, but wonder if you thought about the implications on bus travellers by this new bus lane? Our buses have doors on their left side, and people will have to alight/board from the middle of the road!!

Its okay if you've already given this a holistic thought! But if you hadn't, you may want to re-think this idea :)

-Nijavaada

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Nijavaada and others,

Oddly enough I did overlook that! Thanks!

With small adjustments though it could still work. Situate the median bus stop and consequently at the entry/exit to the ped subway at the left edge of the bus lane (red lane in pic) and curve the bus lane a bit to add a bit of traffic calming (Tom Turner anyone?!) which might discourage the average driver from just shooting through the bus-exclusive lane. Ideally I should redraw and respost but shall rely on everyone's imagination to understand what I mean :)

transmogrifier

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http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan202009/city20090120113543.asp
Finally it has dawned to the BBMP authorities of a sensible use of the MUP..the nrupathunga road job is quite good..

There are more important junctions which need this MUP and one of them as transmogrifier explains is at the tin factory bus stop at KR puram..hope they do it soon!

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TM,

Taking a li'l simpler, and less-intrusive (as in causing physical change) approach, I suggest that this can be solved by disciplined and meaningful signalling at our junctions. I am talking about the bus-lane issue when it comes to planning our OMRs or the ORRs or any other *Rs for that matter.

The hassle with creating bus lanes in our system is because of the deep penetraton of the bus facility into our road network. At every junction we invariably find buses going out of their "stops" and making a right turn at a signal junction. The lane discipine illustrated above doesnt cater to such a common situation. (For instance a bus on the extreme right bus lane could have to take a left at a junction on this road) So what we need apart from lane-disciplining is appropriate signalling to match the exact situation we have on our hands.

We need signals to specifically address bus lanes allowing them to make turns at junctions, thereby encouraging them to stick to their lanes. We may have to draw curved bus lanes at junctions (dotted lines perhaps) to indicate how buses should engage in the turn. This will help hasten the bus transit during the signal duration. This way the system gives the due-respect to the public transport (buses) per-se, and ensures the system is friendly to a mode of transport that is better for the city! Also, this way, the rest of the traffic is free of abrupt bus interference at signals.

-Nijavaada

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NV,

Thanks! The reason that I drew up 'plans' for an median/island bus stop is highly location specific. Most buses that stop to pick up/drop off patrons at the base of the Cable stayed bridge. These are buses that are coming from Bangalore city (the inner lanes) and headed onto Hoskote (again, the inner lanes). Putting a bus stop on the outside is actually likely to be more chaotic since that involves the buses crossing two merging lanes from the Bennigannahalli flyover (see pic above) and then recrossing these lanes rather quickly to join the flyover. From this standpoint IMO, the median/island bus stop is least intrusive in this case. For this very reason that I would not advocate a mirrored median/island bus stop on the Westbound lanes...as buses that use it will have to very rapidly cross three lanes to avoid the Benniganahalli flyover up ramp. More on Westbound lanes in a later post. 

While I would agree with you in theory,  about dedicated bus signals, their success (as a part of a bus priority system) depends on the complexity of the intersection. A simple intersection of two roads can result in six phases before a green re-occurs (see figure below from ITDP's report of Delhi BRT). Add more roads into the mix and it worsens. Of course our whole discussion depends on the premise of bus-exclusive lanes criss-crossing the city. Authorities though have stated clearly that bus-exclusive lanes would not be built except where two more traffic lanes can be retained (can't find a reference now). Now that doesn't leave too many roads... but it's a foot in the door atleast!

Here's to hoping that ABIDe or BMTC (or any of the powers to be) declare their intent on declaring a few bus exclusive lanes and then we can really start arguing this out :)   


copright ITDP

transmogrifier
PS: Pic from asj's post on ITDP's review of Delhi BRT (slide 33)
 

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TM,

I appreciate the research you might have done about road transport systems across many cities, and that you want to benefit from that to ease the situation in Bengaluru. But with all that in mind, let us remember that the solution offered needs to be holistic, and also uniform.

Holistic: The solution should not throw up avenues for newer problems not should it implicitly ignore some existent issues itself.

Uniform: The solution offered better not be different for outskirts and CBD. An abrupt change in the system/solution can also create havoc on the road (exits) - especially when we have heavy traffic moving there, and speeds picking up even while vehicles are forced to change lanes - this could lead to major lock-ups or high-speed accidents!

So IMO, while it is given that we need those dedicated bus-lanes all throughout the city (limited to affordable places today, but need not be tomorrow) accompanied with supportive signalling systems, the very need for this solution is to ensure this solution can be applied to such nasty junctions as well - where more roads converge. Take the south-end circle in Jayanagara of Bengaluru for instance - the question we need to be asking ourselves is "how to make this bus-laning & signalling a success even at such strangest of junctions?" How innovative can we get in coming up with this solution? What are the variables at our disposal in arriving at a solution? Can we make good use of the terrain in that situation to our benefit? Can we make modifications to a few bus-routes so that this solution becomes adoptable? We need such unique thoughts to make this happen.

-Nijavaada

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Hi,

Check this idea to give some relief for free flow on either side flow .

From Banaswadi/Biyappanahalli towards ITPL/Marathalli

And from  ITPL/Marathalli towards Banaswadi/Biyappanahalli.

Why there is traffic jam. 3 reasons -
1. Bus stop next to temple and 2 Bus stop next to railway station which parks on turning point. and 3, the right turn from opposite road to railway station and U turn towards tinfactory from railwaystation.

Solution-

1. No U turn or right turn below flyover. Let all go and take U turn below flyovers ringroad and the other u turn at just down the Tin factory.  No police man required to man the right turn and crossings below the flyover. This makes traffic flow smooth on either side.

2. Mad drivers stops the Bus at turning point. There is small divider between pillar and auto stand. Atleast 2 or 3 buses can stop and pass through that. Let bus stop here if at all they want to pick passengers.

I have made the PDF but I don't know where to upload to this comment.

Thanks

Srikanth

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I have made the PDF but I don't know where to upload to this comment.

Upload on scribd & paste the embed code in "plain text editor" with "full HTML" input format

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HI,

B Narayanapura / whitefield road junction on ORR is a very good candidate to pilot Bus priority system. 

Currently vehicles are stranded there for 15-20 minutes including buses. There is a service road which is mainly used by two wheelers. This can be converted to a dedicated bus lane starting immediately after the small road than goes inside B Narayanpura. Main traffic can be allowed to proceed from this junction only after all buses have left as per standard BPS convention.

Similar lane can be carved out on whitefield road as well.

As this will directly save 10-15 minutes of time during peak hours  thereby allowing more trips per bus and more revenue for BMTC.

Sanjay

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