Dear all,

The suggestions in the email enclosed below are highly imperative, like the one way S V Road South bound, Linking Road North bound, and the regulations below flyovers, etc.

The Times of India report on the over head metro rail, 2011 OCT 30, was accompanied with another in Mumbai Mirror

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/2011103020111030024354301e55ed7ae/Life-in-a-metro-will-only-get-further-congested-traffic-cops-warn-MMRDA.html

Can you believe what the MMRDA says,

So where are the foot paths.

All foot paths are either encroached, or broken, or made narrow due to so called road widening, or blocked by staircases and columns of equally ill conceived sky walks and metro railway.

So where do the pedestrians walk.

And was this planned, did the MMRDA actually do any kind of survey or study that only those within a kilometre of these stations would use the metro, and those who travel by metro would be working within one kilometre of the stations.

And this is the authority which is mandated to do planning for MMR.

Give us a break.

And what do the traffic police have to say,

So did the MTP not know about this five years ago.

What does the planning department of the MTP do, what is the type of specialised training imparted to those in the department which makes them qualified to plan.

Did these columns and staircases and all obstructions due to construction work come up over night.

What kind of planing is done by MMRDA, MTP, Fire Department, MCGM, MSRDC, that such basics are not account for in the planning process, BEST bus stops, illegal hawkers, auto pick up and drop, etc.

Already Mumbai is destroyed by the cement concrete roads which destroyed the original foot paths and lane markings, median dividers, traffic islands, flyovers, sky walks, paver blocks, and now metro rail.

Uncleared garbage, illegal encroachments and hawkers on the roads, not only foot paths, uneven road surfaces, poor or no night lighting of roads, I mean, the list is endless.

Instead of maintaining and keeping existing infrastructure in good condition, here is the beginning of the end of Mumbai as we knew it.

How much more destruction can the City bear, the Citizens suffer.

There is absolutely no planning, as to how the traffic will be diverted, regulated during construction, and after completion, if at all, and that is a challenge.

Overnight BEST had to change and divert its routes and stops in and around Andheri East suburban station creating great inconvenience to passengers, many of whom have been forced to walk kilometres from and to places like Saki Naka instead of wait for the buses which never come on time, and take ages to reach in the nonsense traffic.

So why will they take the metro.

Don't believe me, just see the scenes below any flyover, below any skywalk, and the sheer no brain situation is exposed.

And extrapolate that to the metro route, and we have sheer madness.

Not to mention the uncontrolled mess just now, in terms of confusion and garbage accumulated in the construction trenches and pits.

Has any one noticed that the Civil Aviation Authority has specifed a maximum limit of so many metres height for structures in the flight path of Juhu aerodrome, like on S V Road area, Vile Parle West.

And that the second metro line will be way beyond that height and neither CAA nor MMDRA nor Metro One are in any position to give the resolution to that.

Basically the over ground metro railway is a bad idea from the very beginning if there was one.

Cut short the losses, even at this stage, stop work, restart on an under ground metro if at all its required, completion of all lines will be faster than the first phase now.

Better still, implement the Cyclical Time Table formulated by the Mumbai Suburban Railway Passenger Association for the suburban railways which will at one stroke, and with immediate effect

01 Add thirty per cent capacity without increase in cost, without increase in numbers of rakes, without increase platforms lengths, etc

02 Reduce travel time between forty and fifty percent

03 Reduce the peak load in the coaches by a third

http://www.suchetadalal.com/?id=b25ed0ce-5089-ca30-4e96d45ea826&base=sections&f

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_hc-seeks-details-of-busiest-corridor_1228430

http://railwayjob.wordpress.com/category/the-mumbai-suburban-railway-passenger-association-msrpa/

All these are what the ill conceived metro was to manage at peak capacity after thirty years.

Has any one seen tomorrow.

Thanqx.

Jagdeep DESAI

Architect

>>>

Here are the TTOI reports

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Could-Metro-II-finish-the-suburbs/articleshow/10535595.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Rs-8250-cr-project-still-lacks-several-clearances/articleshow/10535590.cms

>>>

Cover Story

No provision to clear traffic under elevated stations

Life in a metro will only get further congested, traffic cops warn MMRDA

• Planning authority says solution lies in people walking to catch metro rather than taking autos or taxis

Abhijit Sathe & Yogesh Naik

Posted On Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 02:43:31 AM

Two days ago this newspaper carried an interview with the commissioner of police who said that one of the two things he felt he was not confident of tackling yet was Mumbai's infamous traffic.

Shortly after, Arup Patnaik's men are taking steps to correct that, and it isn't happy tidings for us.

At a meeting with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) 10 days ago, the traffic police warned that the MMRDA's design for the 11.07 km-long first corridor of the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro rail, to be introduced next year, will unleash greater traffic havoc than at present.

Poor planning has already nullified the benefits of several infrastructure projects in the city, most recently the Lalbaug flyover.

The Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro rail has 11 railway stations spread over a distance of 11.07 kms, meaning one station at every kilometre.

The entire metro rail will run above the existing road and that is the real cause of the problem, believes the traffic police.

"The metro rail stations are constructed on elevated platforms above the road and not off. What this means is that in addition to the usual vehicular traffic, there will be a slew of taxis and autorickshaws outside each station as people will use them to reach the metro stations or any other destination. Given that stations are barely a kilometre apart, this will lead to tremendous clogging on the roads,'' said a senior traffic police officer who did not wish to come on record but who was a part of the meeting with the MMRDA.

According to traffic police sources, while chalking out the metro railway plan, the planners did not take into account factors like crowding by passengers, transport vehicles and even hawkers beneath the metro stations. All these put together would make travelling on the road under metro rail a difficult proposition.

According to MMRDA sources, the project was conceptualised with an idea that commuters who will use metro rail will walk their way to the station rather than use transport modes like cabs or autos.

MMRDA officials accepted that the traffic police had conveyed their concerns and that they were valid. MMRDA Commissioner Rahul Asthana told Mumbai Mirror, "The first corridor of the metro will have stations at a distance of one kilometre. This means, many users will have to walk half kilometre in any direction. But there could be some people who could be travelling to areas away from the station (not along the metro route). There could be a pile up of autos or other modes of transport. We are aware of the issue and are looking for a solution. We are in dialogue with the traffic police and our chief of transport and communications, PRK Murthy, is talking to them."

Senior Inspector of Traffic Police Rajendra Kale of Ghatkopar division, whose jurisdiction will be most affected by the metro, said, "Two stations of the metro - Asalpha and Ghatkopar - will lead to further congestion rather than streamlining traffic."

Principal secretary Urban Development T C Benjamin said, "We had asked MMRDA to make provisions for captive parking under the metro for those using the commercial establishments on metro stations foreseeing exactly these problems."

The total cost of 11.07 km of metro rail is Rs 2356 crore of which the government is giving a viability gap funding (VGF) of Rs 650 crore, while the rest will be borne by the private operator.

Status of project

Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor is an 11.07 km elevated corridor which is supported by columns at the road median. It envisages faster connectivity of eastern and western suburbs to Western and Central Railway. It also proposes to provide interchange facility with the Central and Western Railway at Ghatkopar and Andheri respectively.

The corridor is expected to reduce travel time from 100 minutes to 21 minutes. The corridor caters to the MIDC, SEEPZ and other commercial areas. MMRDA says that this line will be operational by October 2012.

>>>

Could Metro-II 'finish the suburbs?'

Nauzer K Bharucha, TNN | Oct 30, 2011, 02.01AM IST

MUMBAI: Fears persist over the widespread disruption the Metro-II elevated project could cause to the economic and social life of people residing in some of the most congested areas of the western suburbs. Citizens have launched online petitions, blogs and protest marches against the elevated Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line, demanding that the authorities review the plan and build the metro under ground.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has appointed Reliance Infrastructure ( RInfra) to execute the Rs 8,250-crore project, which will have 27 stations along a 32-km route. However, some MMRDA and state government sources agreed that the project had the capacity to "finish" the suburbs.

Residents and activists opposing the elevated line say a huge number of open spaces, hospitals, shops and residential buildings will be affected when land is taken for the construction of the stations. Experts said that on Linking Road in Khar (W) alone, around 70 residential buildings, the Lawrence High School, St Aloysious High School, Nilgiri Gardens, Madhu Park, Anand Nursing Home and Chandiramani Maternity Home will be affected.

Furthermore, traffic jams will increase due to the pillars that will be installed for the corridor. The 32-km route passes through the middle of arterial roads, like Link Road (Marve Road to Jay Prakash Road in Andheri), 10th Road in JVPD Scheme, S V Road at Vile Parle and Santa Cruz, and Linking Road at Santa Cruz, Khar and Bandra.

A government source conceded, "An underground metro, despite costing phenomenally more, would allow us to plan and expand a network for the next 100 years. An elevated metro will result in large-scale dislocation." An MMRDA official added, "Constructing an elevated metro will be a nightmare. Financial institutions were ready to fund an underground line. However, the government decided on an elevated line because it would be two-and-a-half times cheaper than going underground."

But a state government official said, "The elevated metro is the best option. It is much cheaper and therefore in the public interest. An overhead line will also make the metro more accessible."

On the cost, Congress MLA from Vile Parle, Krishna Hegde, said tenders for the Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai metros were floated at around the same time. "Yet, there was a huge discrepancy in the rates quoted for Mumbai as compared to the other two cities," he said. Hegde said metro pillars in the middle of congested roads will cause traffic chaos. "At many places, traffic crawls right now because of the skywalks. It would be worse when the metro comes up," he said.

Recently, the JVPD Residents' Association prepared a report on the merits of an underground route. "There is a perception that an underground metro line would be costlier and more time consuming to build," said architect Nitin Killawala, who prepared the report. "That may be true theoretically, but in the context of Mumbai, an elevated line would be much more expensive and time consuming in terms of land acquisition, narrow arterial roads, ever-increasing vehicular traffic, complexity of utility lines and so on."

Interestingly, while MMRDA and state sources said the project is on track, there are still numerous clearances to be given. "A Bombay high court order states that the MMRDA cannot go ahead with the work unless it obtains all the requisite permissions before commencement," said Killawala. "Under the present circumstances, it is almost impossible to get these permissions from over a dozen authorities."

Killawala's report said, "Public interest unanimously demands an underground metro.... We believe that the underground metro (has been) rejected for an obvious reason, that it will give lesser profit to the concessionaire. Surely, this consideration should not be allowed to prevail over the larger interest of public safety, security and other advantages."

PROS & CONS

UNDERGROUND

* Open spaces, hospitals, shops and residential buildings would be unaffected, as there would be no land acquisitions and setbacks

* Traffic on arterial roads would not be obstructed by pillars

* Reservations for schools, markets, recreation grounds and playgrounds won't have to be deleted to make space for rail yards

* Schedule for work can be predetermined without obstacles like traffic, utilities, land acquisition etc. The tunnels would be at least 10 metres below existing roads

* Quicker construction without complexities and uncertainties would rein in cost

* Inter-agency coordination -- civil aviation, PWD, railways, MSEB, BEST, etc - for permissions would be minimal

* No environmental issues

ELEVATED

* Elevated line estimated to be about two-and-a-half-times cheaper to build

* In many ways, it could also be cheaper and easier to maintain

* Could be technically easier to complete

* Public would be able to access it easily

* Could be easier to provide security along the route and at stations

FIELDS OF OPPORTUNITY

Stations for an underground route could be built below six large public open spaces, argue suburbanites. According to a plan drawn up by architect Nitin Killawala for the JVPD Association, these spaces are Lokhandwala Gardens (Andheri), Kaifi Azmi Park (Juhu), Pushpa Narsee Park (JVPD), Podar Grounds (Santa Cruz), Patwardhan Garden (Bandra) and MMRDA Grounds (BKC). "These under-utilised gardens and parks can be converted to thriving public spaces. The MMRDA Grounds are already an established exhibition site, thus a station underneath would be important for the public," Killawala said.

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Rs 8,250-cr project still lacks several clearances

Chittaranjan Tembhekar, TNN | Oct 30, 2011, 01.59AM IST

MUMBAI: The deadline for Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) to start work on the Metro-II line, which will run between Charkop and Mankhurd via Bandra, expires on Monday, but MMRDA officials said RInfra would be most likely getting an extension.

Sources said the project has yet to receive over a dozen clearances from various agencies andgovernment departments. For example, the MMRDA has made no headway in getting the plots for the car depot and casting yard at Charkop, which are crucial to starting the construction.

The financial closure for the Rs 8,250-crore project was achieved in March, which means by then all the money needed had been mobilized. Usually, a project has to begin within six months of the financial closure, but RInfra was given an extension in September due to the rains.

The car depot at Charkop was planned on land in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), and if permissions came it would have to be built on stilts. "The land falls in CRZ-I because of mangroves there. MMRDA's application for the clearance was rejected by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority," said a source. An MMRDA official said, "We have identified another plot belonging to the government close to the same plot. We are hoping to get this plot, which will be free of CRZ conditions."

The BMC has refused the contractor permission to build commercial spaces in the 27 stations. Sources said the BMC would also be hard-pressed to approve the metro station buildings and yards because there would be too little open space around them to conform to the city's Development Control Regulations.

Permission from the civil aviation department is also pending due to height restrictions near the airport. "Our negotiations are on and we hope to settle the matter soon," said an MMRDA official when speaking of the proposed metro station near Vile Parle.

Similarly, MMRDA is yet to had over the right of way (ROW) for the entire track to RInfra.

The MMRDA signed a concession agreement with RInfra in 2009 for building the 32-km Metro-II. The MMRDA will not be a partner in Metro-II, unlike in Metro-I, in which it possesses equity. RInfra will operate Metro-II for a specified number of years before handing it back to MMRDA.

RInfra is presently conducting a geotechnical survey, which was started in 2009, revealed MMRDA sources. When asked when the work would actually start, an MMRDA official refused to specify a date.

>>>

On Sun, Oct 30, 2011 at 9:50 AM, ashok datar <datar.ashok@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear all - who have concern for traffic in mumbai , here and now
can we get together under the auspices of MTSU or Observer Reserach Forum

or Loksatta,

first within civil society and then with UMMTA ( which is either dead or too exclusive ( when the inclusive is the buzz word)

congrats to all of u of a very compelling story in todays times of india
the comparison between the two versions is very telling
the side story on american travel of chief secy is also v interesting as there have been several such trips in the past
and with very little learning . it appears this is one more supplier financed selling trip

thru rti we must obtain the history of such trips, what we have learnt and whether we have used any knowledge . N Y and Washington two of the most heavily used public transport systems in USA are underground

But I would like to add one very pertinent question
whichever we do ( hope we will opt for the underground as it is clearly superior and I doubt whether its effective cost would be any higher and with that train we should not spend any money whatsover on any road widening , flyovers kind of projects in the same area

in any case , it is going to take at least 8 years before such a system will go into operation
hence why cant we think of solutions which will hold good until that time

in the cause of east west connectivity and getting away from SOBO and car centric mentality

one railway solution - today harbor line from Panvel, Vashi, Kurla, Vadala, Mahim, Andheri is in operation

it has only one service per hr from vashi to andheri. it can be increased to more than 5 direct services
but more important , we should have a direct linkage from Kurla to Mahim at surface which will make a direct and faster linkage between east and west. It will cost perhaps rs. 200 cr and can be completed in two years and then we can run at least 12 services per hr on this line which will serve half the needs of proposed II metro line.

we will then have one east west rail connection ( in addition to Versova GHatkopar) Perhaps we should think of Borivali Thane surface line .
But let us get real . There is a tremendous scope for two immediate solutions ( 6 to 9 months and a I phase cost of Rs. 10 cr only) under which we can implement the following :

one way grid between SV RD and Linking Rd - Bandra to Jihu - not with a view to provide higher car speeds but to provide bus lanes, bike paths, proper, paid and regulated parking and creat good walking ambience in Bandra West, Khar West, S Cruz west

secondly, we must extend Chembur santa cruz link upto S V Rd with a bridge over Khar underpass - this will be far better than half hearted ROB being built over Milan Subway as this will link western suburbs all the way to eastern suburbs.

Needless to say this too is getting congested and should have a bus lane from Juhu beach to S V Rd via Khar overbridge and then under WEH and to S Cruz east , University and then on SCLR to Amar Mahal .
In addition, we should have well marked, subervised with the help of wardens, publicity, cctv cameras to ensure complaince bus lanes on WEH between Kalanagar to Jogeshswari and to Vikroli via JVLR . In the first stage, with the existing but chosen low floor buses with special color schemes, high frequency ( at least one a minute by combining several routes into one BRTS route with tickets and connections to east and west within the same ticket price and with easy connectivity . This beginning must be worked out on top priority

This should be treated as a city project and not only BEST project
Improving the design, supervision of all the major traffic junctions such as Kalna nagar, vakola, airport etc.
a bus lane from Kalanagar to Ghatkopar/Deonar via Dharavi with contra bus lane and footpaths in Dharavi

But let us give time and attention - money is small and we can recover this money thru higher and regulated parking which will also help the bus use and patronage - we can have buse on all these routes at 100 buses per hr as compared to Ahm brts offering 20 to 30 buses per hr.

Ashok R.Datar
Mumbai Environmental Social Network
20 Madhavi, Makarand Society, S.V.S.Marg, Mahim-400 016
98676 65107/0222 444 9212 see our website : www.mesn.org

I hear, then I forget. I see, then I remember. I do, then I understand.