[Attachment(s) from Jagdeep DESAI included below]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mumbais-unplanned-flyovers-become-bridges-to-chaos/articleshow/10134583.cms
MUMBAI: For a city bursting at the seams , Mumbai's 55 flyovers were meant to make life easy by offering a seamless drive. But quite a few of them have added to motorists' misery . Six flyovers in particular are so bad that clearing them during peak periods can take 15 minutes . These are : the Aarey flyover in Goregaon , the Andheri flyover through the Sahar junction , the Sion flyover on the Eastern Express Highway , the Lalbaug flyover , the Gloria Church flyover in Byculla and the flyover from Dadar TT towards Maheshwari Udyan .
Infrastructure experts say these flyovers have been constructed without their approach areas being properly planned , leaving bottlenecks at their entries and exits . For example , at the city's newest flyover , in Lalbaug , there are regular jams at the exit near Jijamata Udyan , Byculla , which result in long queues on the bridge.
Undisciplined driving just adds to the chaos . Kedarnath Ghorpade , a former chief planner with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA ), said : "The length of a big car is about 3.5 meters . Another 2 meters is required for clearance . If the distance between two flyovers is 50 or 75 meters at grade (an atgrade intersection is a meeting point of railroad tracks , roads , walkways or any combination of these at the same level ), then one has clearance space for only 15 vehicles . But if vehicles cut lanes , the clearance required becomes more . So , maybe only 10 vehicles can pass .
"This creates a jam all along the flyover , right from the approach to the exit , defeating the flyover's very purpose . This raises two questions : Is the capital investment justified in terms of travel time ? And , is the road behaviour of our drivers proper ?"
In defence of the flyovers , Subhash Nage , chief engineer , Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation , said : "It cannot be denied that travel time has reduced because of the bridges . Also, we take suggestions and implement them if feasible ."
EXPERTS' TAKE
Many flyovers, instead of easing traffic, have simply added to the mess
-Kedarnath Ghorpade FORMER CHIEF PLANNER, MMRDA
There is a need for holistic planning for the entire area through which a flyover passes rather than just focusing on the flyover stretch specifically
-Sulakshana Mahajan URBAN PLANNER, MUMBAI TRANSFORMATION SUPPORT UNIT
PUBLIC OPINION
It takes 15 minutes on an average to clear the Aarey flyover in Goregaon
-S Venugopal KANDIVALI RESIDENT
MODEL SOLUTION
An infrastructure expert says that to decongest the flyovers, the authorities must implement traffic rules with the strictness they reserve for Marine Drive On this road, the lanes are clearly marked If a car is on the third lane (closest to the divider) and intends to go to Mantralaya, it cannot suddenly turn left Similarly, vehicles in the first lane cannot go straight and must compulsorily turn left at signals Traffic police constables enforce the rules
CITIZEN SPEAK
A group of citizen activists recently wrote to the chief minister with suggestions about improving traffic conditions in the city. Here are some: Make the junctions better by marking out lanes, installing CCTV cameras and ensuring the presence of traffic policemen Supervise street parking Develop a vigorous and effective support system for carpooling Provide universal low-cost radio paging through mobile telephony for taxies and autorickshaws Stagger office timings Put bus rapid transit system on the fast track Improve route information/maps for buses
DECONGESTING OUR ROADS FIVE WORST FLYOVERS
SYMPTOMATIC OF THE MALAISE: Infrastructure experts say many of the city's flyovers, like the one through Sahar junction, Andheri, have been constructed without their approach areas being properly planned, leaving bottlenecks at their entries and exits
Andheri
The flyover, that passes through the Sahar junction, is on the Western Express highway. The morning peak period is difficult to endure through the glut of vehicles. Problems persist at the exits, where motorists tend to abruptly cut left after descending the flyover to get onto the service roads. This obstructs the smooth flow of traffic coming from the underside
Gloria Church, Byculla
The flyover lands at a busy intersection, which has the effect of extending the jam to almost a kilometre. Adding to the woes is traffic from the Lalbaug flyover, which has its own set of problems near the exits. At some points, the distance between the lower lane and the approach of the flyover is so narrow that often traffic threatens to come to a conflict
Sion
Approaching the island city from the Eastern Express Highway is a motorist's nightmare. At the Sion flyover, which is en route, confusion reigns. There are no boards or lane markings, and first-time motorists come to know of a separate approach only when they come close to the flyover. An infrastructure expert says that at least the bollards (short vertical posts) marking the separation of the flyover from the road alongside should be extended by 500 metres
From Dadar TT towards Maheshwari Udyan
During the evening peak period, traffic exiting the flyover for the road to Maheshwari Udyan meets traffic from Hindu Colony that turns left for the King's Circle flyover. This creates a massive jam as vehicles jostle for space. The flyover should have been planned in a way to avoid this intermingling of heavy traffic headed for conflicting directions
Aarey, Goregaon
The evening peak period is especially stressful since heavy traffic from 6-7 lanes approach from Jogeshwari for the three-laned flyover. The resulting bottleneck is made worse by frazzled motorists trying to overtake by cutting lanes. Some motorists go to the extent of cutting onto the service road and trying to cut back in from a point just at the start of the flyover. The jam sometimes extends to the start of the Jogeshwari flyover
Namaskar all,
As already communicated earlier, flyovers simply transport the problem from the original location to the landing of the flyover
Read these statements
<<<Undisciplined driving just adds to the chaos. Kedarnath Ghorpade , a former chief planner with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority [MMRDA] said : "The length of a big car is about 3.5 metres. Another 2 metres is required for clearance.
If the distance between two flyovers is 50 or 75 metres at grade, and at grade intersection is a meeting point of rail tracks, roads, walkways or any combination of these at the same level, then one has clearance space for only 15 vehicles.
If the distance between two flyovers is 50 or 75 metres at grade, and at grade intersection is a meeting point of rail tracks, roads, walkways or any combination of these at the same level, then one has clearance space for only 15 vehicles.
But if vehicles cut lanes, the clearance required becomes more.
So, maybe only ten vehicles can pass.
This creates a jam all along the flyover, right from the approach to the exit, defeating the flyover's very purpose.
This raises two questions.
Is the capital investment justified in terms of travel time ?
And, is the road behaviour of our drivers proper ?
Is the capital investment justified in terms of travel time ?
And, is the road behaviour of our drivers proper ?
In defence of the flyovers, Subhash Nage, chief engineer,Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, said, it cannot be denied that travel time has reduced because of the bridges. Also, we take suggestions and implement them if feasible>>>
And I won't restrict to comments like parking needs to be regulated, traffic needs to be streamlined.
Well, how, for God's sake.
And to think these are the highly educated professionals doing the planning.
And to think that the fate and destiny of road journeys in India, is in their hands.
And to think that these are being imposed on us again and again, despite and inspite of all the known defects and flaws.
And to think that at the very least, highways outside Mumbai may be spared these fly overs.
But I was totally dumb struck, and numbed by the no brainers of the National Highway Authority of India, to ruin a reasonably otherwise well made National Highway 08 by making fly overs over the sidiest roads and paths possible.
Truly takes one's breath away to think that for the sake of a few hundred vehicles per day, or whatever numbers they may calculate, the large ramps, and box tunnels, columns, side service roads, and huge spans are made to lift the entire NH 08 traffic, including massive heavy vehicles, up and down.
Not to mention the side roads which are made without any specifications as to width, strength, signages, lane markings, median dividers under the box tunnels of the flyovers, etc.
Anywhere, I mean anywhere in the World, the highways, motorways, expressways, autostradas, autobahns, remain on grade, side roads go up on ROB or under pass the main carriageway.
Just went up and down to and from Mumbai to Vapi, and I was completely zapped at this sheer waste of human resources, productive time, effort, materials, etc., when flyovers, exit ramps, etc., fort the side roads could have easily been constructed years ago, without much disruption, or delayed travel time for the main traffic.
Besides, these totally misplaced and ill conceived investments, like flyovers on main highways, and widening these roads, are directly taking away needed funds for bridges over rivers, etc., most of the existing ones are not only narrow, ie single lane, but also are aging, and need repair or some need replacement, many are still from Angrezon Ke Zamane Ke.
It is truly a scam of massive proportions that in the name of making the quadrilateral, not only must there be corruption in the contracts as such, but even in these no brain schemes within the already made reasonably good highways.
Therefore its quite clear that many, if not most, flyovers, instead of easing traffic, have simply added to the mess, and again not to mention the years of delays and traffic jams on highways, for God sake, and ultimately achieving nothing.
If at all, some grade separation is felt absolutely necessary at these cross roads, and the NH 08, then, this idea has to be considered, and constructed
Ar. Anil LAUL, Anangpur Building Centre, has made such a simple and practical low cost high value solution available.
This is a cross between flyover and sub way.
All the time, the original problem, ie, the roads and foot paths, and spaces below the flyovers, and cross roads, not only were not considered or planned for, but are left in utter neglect and disrepair, because those travelling above are oblivious to what is unseen below.
Somehow, the expert planners in the authorities, MMRDA, MSRDC, MCGM, MTP, NHAI, mostly with noble intentions, come up with these cost ineffective and no brain solutions which call for more patch ups and more patch ups and more patch ups.
Something close to the pot hole syndrome, inappropriate road work in the first place, resulting in pot holes, poor repairs, more pot holes, etc.
If the experts can't give effective systems to relieve the daily travails, then, let non experts try.
The situation now is not any more fire fighting or damage control, it is hoping to resuscitate and revive the almost gone case status of our traffic and transportation.
The World over, highways, expressways, motorways, autobahns, autostradas, etc., are on level grade , and the subsidiary, service, cross roads go either over or under these, with the exits and entrances well planned, which is in fact on record, whether this has actually been seen by these expert urban and transport planners or not
In the case of the Ali Yavar Jung Western Expressway and Eastern Expressway, the flyovers go over the cross roads, along with any number of signalled junctions, in addition to any number of service roads merging into the expressways.
Add to that total non enforcement of lanes, and the ban on the flyovers for HCV, three wheelers and two wheelers, and so on.
No use blaming the increase in numbers of vehicles, and saying that wider roads are the answer, because they are not.
More like the wide variety of types of vehicles using the same carriageways in thje wrong way
Again the World over, mostly in countries with more vehicles than India, the roads are mostly three lanes and two lanes wide
The problem here, the absence of lane markings, and where they by mistake are, are of inconsistent widths, mostly not as per standards, and in almost all cases, lane segregation not enforced at all, in any case, not effectively.
Further, for some strange reason, the fast, overtaking lanes, are invariably blocked by right turning vehicles.
And actually this is the problem at most junctions.
The immediate solution, is ban the right turns altogether, and make those vehicles wanting to turn right, go the the next junction below the next flyover, and take a non signalled U turn and get back and turn left.
This is a very common method across the World, in fact in New Delhi, it has been in place for years.
It was tried out with partial success at Haji Ali, for vehicles coming down from Mahalaxmi going to Tardeo and Race Course, were made to go Northwards till FPH, and make a U turn.
However it didn't work very well becauser many drivers were unaware of which lane to keep in, again, no markings, and the U turn lane was the extreme right lane, which should actually be the fast moving lane.
Example in case of Kherwadi junction, vehicles coming from South of junction from Prabodhankar Thackerey flyover should be made to proceed to Kalina flyover, make U turn and come back and turn left, and those wanting to turn right coming from Kalina side on AYJ WEH, proceed to under the Prabodhankar Thackerey flyover and turn left, totally block the crossing altogether.
Enforce pedestrian crossing by the under pass, though personally pedestrians should cross on grade.
There will be protests, that it would involve more distance to travel, but time is money, time saved by all will compensate the slight detour.
As far as going across from Kherwadi to Kalanagar side, an underpass can be made while this system is in operation, almost no delays due to any diversions due to construction,.
No more flyovers like suggested by MMRDA
This can be replicated at all such junctions.
Similarly why is it that despite and inspite of wide WEH, EEH, there are traffic hjold ups and jame, mostly at the neck of flyovers.
It is the simple fact, that the flyovers have two or three lanes, while the six to eight lane wide traffic has to converge into these two or three lanes.
At the same time, there are those wise drivers driving in extreme right lanes, wanting to enter the service roads exactly at the start of the flyover .
For this, there has to be physical separation, by clearly visible median dividers, of traffic using the flyovers, and those wanting to access the service roads.
There should be no access to the immediate flyover for vehicles coming out of service roads next to them, if they are going long distances, they can get onto the next flyover, as it happens any where else.
As regards Haji Ali Circle and Lokhandwala / Juhu Circle, now signalled junctions, it was not the circle roundabout that was the cause of the congestion, it was the signals just a few hundred metres away, plus the same problem of more lanes on the main road, converging onto three and two lanes.
No matter how many flyovers will be suggested, and built, unless the lanes are consistent, constant and regular, bottlenecks will continue.
In both case, better to reduce the width of the main roads, make the extreme left lanes for left turns, etc., and only allow the extreme right three lanes to carry the main through traffic.
Same in the case of Kalanagar junction below Prabodhankar Thackerey flyover , etc.
All junctions below flyovers need median dividers to regulate the turns by vehicles, need raised pedestrian crossings made to the correct road standards and specifications
How many such standards are the public expert traffic and transport planners aware of, let alone follow and put in place, is not clear.
As far as the Dr G Deshmukh Marg / Peddar Road flyover is concerned, it is a no brainer.
The one way diversion used when there was some civil road work a couple of years ago, South on Dr G Deshmukh Marg, North on B Desai Road, worked with relative smoothness.
East West roads connecting the two be made one ways.
This could easily be further fine tuned.
Same way S V Road can be made South bound, Linking Road North bound.
All the East West cross raoads alternate one ways.
If at all, some grade separation is felt absolutely necessary at Haji Ali and Lokhandwala / Juhu, then, this idea has to be considered, and constructed
Ar. Anil LAUL, Anangpur Building Centre, has made such a simple and practical low cost high value solution available.
This is a cross between flyover and sub way.
Then we have the great possibilities of further decongestion of Mumbai roads like banning HCV, cement concrete mixers, delivery trucks, fuel tankers, water tankers, garbage compactors, cranes, excavators, CNG filling for taxis and autos, during the hours 07h00 to 23h00.
The roads will be less congested, each HCV not only occupies road space, but creates adverse multiple problems like slow traffic, means more use of fuel, more air and noise pollution, more wear and tear of road due to stop, start, braking, the area of influence of these HCV also is much more than its size, etc.
Many routes can be made to flow in clocvkwise direction to relive traffic
01 Approach and exit to Lokmamya Tilak terminus
02 Approach and exit to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport domestic terminal complex from AYJ WEH
03 Approach and exit to Andheri Station West
All these are worked out in fair detail.
Apart from the Cyclical Time Table, enclosed below, for Western Railway and Central Railway suburban sections.
It only requires some will.
Till then, endless delays, traffic jams, loss of productive man hours, increase in road rage, waste of many lives, etc.
Everything to slow the progress and development of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Thanqx.
Jagdeep DESAI
Architect
Secretary
Founder Trustee
Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Suburbs
+91 98 6922 7148
>>>
Make the vehicles go exactly where they should, not to give any free space where vehicles casn weave in and out.
Regarding the case of Kherwadi junction, as I told you on phone, vehicles coming from South of junction from Prabodhankar Thackerey flyover should be made to proceed to Kalina flyover, make U turn and come back and turn left, and those wanting to turn right coming from Kalina side on AYJ WEH, proceed to under the Prabodhankar Thackerey flyover and turn left, totally block the crossing altogether.
Enforce pedestrian crossing by the under pass, though personally pedestrians should cross on grade.
There will be protests, that it would involve more distance to travel, but time is money, time saved by all will compensate the slight detour.
As far as going across from Kherwadi to Kalanagar side, an underpass can be made while this system is in operation, almost no delays due to any diversions due to construction,.
No more flyovers like suggested by MMRDA.
Thanqx.
Jagdeep
>>>
Images of Dubai
>>>
Mumbai's unplanned flyovers become bridges to chaos
Clara Lewis, TNN | Sep 27, 2011, 06.04AM IST
Read More:Unplanned Flyovers|Bridges
3
MUMBAI: For a city bursting at the seams , Mumbai's 55 flyovers were meant to make life easy by offering a seamless drive. But quite a few of them have added to motorists' misery . Six flyovers in particular are so bad that clearing them during peak periods can take 15 minutes . These are : the Aarey flyover in Goregaon , the Andheri flyover through the Sahar junction , the Sion flyover on the Eastern Express Highway , the Lalbaug flyover , the Gloria Church flyover in Byculla and the flyover from Dadar TT towards Maheshwari Udyan .
Infrastructure experts say these flyovers have been constructed without their approach areas being properly planned , leaving bottlenecks at their entries and exits . For example , at the city's newest flyover , in Lalbaug , there are regular jams at the exit near Jijamata Udyan , Byculla , which result in long queues on the bridge.
Undisciplined driving just adds to the chaos . Kedarnath Ghorpade , a former chief planner with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA ), said : "The length of a big car is about 3.5 meters . Another 2 meters is required for clearance . If the distance between two flyovers is 50 or 75 meters at grade (an atgrade intersection is a meeting point of railroad tracks , roads , walkways or any combination of these at the same level ), then one has clearance space for only 15 vehicles . But if vehicles cut lanes , the clearance required becomes more . So , maybe only 10 vehicles can pass .
"This creates a jam all along the flyover , right from the approach to the exit , defeating the flyover's very purpose . This raises two questions : Is the capital investment justified in terms of travel time ? And , is the road behaviour of our drivers proper ?"
In defence of the flyovers , Subhash Nage , chief engineer , Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation , said : "It cannot be denied that travel time has reduced because of the bridges . Also, we take suggestions and implement them if feasible ."
EXPERTS' TAKE
Many flyovers, instead of easing traffic, have simply added to the mess
-Kedarnath Ghorpade FORMER CHIEF PLANNER, MMRDA
There is a need for holistic planning for the entire area through which a flyover passes rather than just focusing on the flyover stretch specifically
-Sulakshana Mahajan URBAN PLANNER, MUMBAI TRANSFORMATION SUPPORT UNIT
PUBLIC OPINION
It takes 15 minutes on an average to clear the Aarey flyover in Goregaon
-S Venugopal KANDIVALI RESIDENT
MODEL SOLUTION
An infrastructure expert says that to decongest the flyovers, the authorities must implement traffic rules with the strictness they reserve for Marine Drive On this road, the lanes are clearly marked If a car is on the third lane (closest to the divider) and intends to go to Mantralaya, it cannot suddenly turn left Similarly, vehicles in the first lane cannot go straight and must compulsorily turn left at signals Traffic police constables enforce the rules
CITIZEN SPEAK
A group of citizen activists recently wrote to the chief minister with suggestions about improving traffic conditions in the city. Here are some: Make the junctions better by marking out lanes, installing CCTV cameras and ensuring the presence of traffic policemen Supervise street parking Develop a vigorous and effective support system for carpooling Provide universal low-cost radio paging through mobile telephony for taxies and autorickshaws Stagger office timings Put bus rapid transit system on the fast track Improve route information/maps for buses
DECONGESTING OUR ROADS FIVE WORST FLYOVERS
SYMPTOMATIC OF THE MALAISE: Infrastructure experts say many of the city's flyovers, like the one through Sahar junction, Andheri, have been constructed without their approach areas being properly planned, leaving bottlenecks at their entries and exits
Andheri
The flyover, that passes through the Sahar junction, is on the Western Express highway. The morning peak period is difficult to endure through the glut of vehicles. Problems persist at the exits, where motorists tend to abruptly cut left after descending the flyover to get onto the service roads. This obstructs the smooth flow of traffic coming from the underside
Gloria Church, Byculla
The flyover lands at a busy intersection, which has the effect of extending the jam to almost a kilometre. Adding to the woes is traffic from the Lalbaug flyover, which has its own set of problems near the exits. At some points, the distance between the lower lane and the approach of the flyover is so narrow that often traffic threatens to come to a conflict
Sion
Approaching the island city from the Eastern Express Highway is a motorist's nightmare. At the Sion flyover, which is en route, confusion reigns. There are no boards or lane markings, and first-time motorists come to know of a separate approach only when they come close to the flyover. An infrastructure expert says that at least the bollards (short vertical posts) marking the separation of the flyover from the road alongside should be extended by 500 metres
From Dadar TT towards Maheshwari Udyan
During the evening peak period, traffic exiting the flyover for the road to Maheshwari Udyan meets traffic from Hindu Colony that turns left for the King's Circle flyover. This creates a massive jam as vehicles jostle for space. The flyover should have been planned in a way to avoid this intermingling of heavy traffic headed for conflicting directions
Aarey, Goregaon
The evening peak period is especially stressful since heavy traffic from 6-7 lanes approach from Jogeshwari for the three-laned flyover. The resulting bottleneck is made worse by frazzled motorists trying to overtake by cutting lanes. Some motorists go to the extent of cutting onto the service road and trying to cut back in from a point just at the start of the flyover. The jam sometimes extends to the start of the Jogeshwari flyover
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Attachment(s) from Jagdeep DESAI
4 of 4 Photo(s)
MARKETPLACE
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