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‘Road Safety and Traffic Intervention Project’ in Hoodi Main Road

March 2017

Supported by

Mr. Pradeep Singh Karola Managing Director

Submitted to

A report

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Introduction

In 2016August, TEConnectivity India Pvt Ltd supportedB.PAC andWRI India to do a road safetyinspectionofHoodiMainRoad.Theroadbeingaonewaywithhighvolumesoftrafficduringpeakhourhasbecomeasafetyconcernforthecommutersandpedestrians.

Under this initiative, WRI Sustainable Cities committed to conduct a Road Safety Inspection inBangaloreonHoodiMainRoad.ThisReportdocumentsthefindingsandrecommendationsfromthisInspection.

AbouttheStretch

HoodiMainRoadisaconnectorroadconnecting2majorsubarterialroads.Thesectionselectedforthis inspection is1.2kmlongandis locatedbetweenWhitefieldMainRoadandKundalahalliroad.HoodiMainroadisamaincorridorintheeasternpartoftheBangalorecityintheWhitefieldarea.Thisareaisdominatedbycommercial/businessandindustrialareas.

Figure0-1showsthelocationofthestudycorridorinBangalore.

Figure0-1MapofHoodiMainRoad

TheHoodiMain Road has a Right-of-Waywidth that varies between 24m to 26m along differentsegmentsofthecorridor.Similarly,thenumberoflanesandcross-sectionvariesacrossthecorridor.

Thereare2major,intersectionsonthiscorridor,whichareWhitefieldMainRoad-HoodiMainRoadintersectionandKundalahalliMainRoad-HoodiMainRoadintersection.Inadditiontothesemajorintersections,thereare3minorintersections,includingseveralsmallaccessstreetsthatconnectintothis corridor. Besides, theWhitefield main road becomes one way from Kundalahalli main road-Whitefield main road intersection till Whitefield Main Road- Hoodi Main Road intersection andKundalahallimainroadbecomesonewayfromKundalahalliMainRoad-HoodiMainRoadintersectiontoKundalahallimainroad-Whitefieldmainroad.Thusformingaonewaytriangle.Sincevehicleshave

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togoroundaboutthese3intersections,toreachtheirofficesontheHoodiMainroad,therearemanyinstancesofvehiclesmovingagainstthetrafficillegallyontheHoodimainroad.

Theland-usealongthiscorridorispredominantlycommercialandindustrial,includinghigh-riseofficecomplexes.Thecommercialusesincludeconvenienceorgrocerystores,banks,offices,vehicleserviceshops,restaurants,etc.Inaddition,therearetwolargeshoppingcomplexes.Highdensityresidentialareasaremainlylocatedalongtheback-sideofcommercialpropertiesandconnectedviasmallaccessstreets.

Thecorridorisaccessibletoprivatevehicles,motorisedtwo-wheelers,buses,cyclesandpedestrians.Forthecity’s transitsystem,theBangaloreMetropolitanTransportCorporation(BMTC), thebusesoperatewithmixedtraffic,andasthereareonlytwostops,bothareatthetwomajorintersections,thusthebusesarenotrequiredtostoponthisstretch.

The variety of office complexes and commercial uses generate significant pedestrian crossingmovementalongtheRoad.Coupledwithconsiderablyhighspeeds,thecorridorcanbecharacterizedasaheavy-movementcorridor.

Based on traffic survey inDecember 2016, themaximum traffic volumeon theHoodiMain Roadduringpeakhourfrom7PMto8PMis8326PCU.Belowisavolumefluctuationfrom8AMto8PMmeasuredonthestretch.1

Figure1-2TrafficVolumeCountonthestretch

ThecumulativetrafficcountfortheHoodiMainroadishighestfrom7PM-8PM.TheVolume/capacityratioforthepeakhourtrafficisapproximately1.15.2

1 ThePCUcountsarebasedonIRCSP041:GuidelinesfordesignofAtGradeIntersectioninRuralandUrbanAreas1994.Thedesigncapacityofa2laneonewaymaybetakentovaryfrom1400-2400PCU/hour. 2 Sincetherearenomarkings,andthewidthofRightofWayvariesfrom24-26m,6lanescanbeassumedtofunction.Keepingthepeakcapacity/laneat1200thissuggeststhepeakhourvolume/capacityisover1.15.

82207662 7398

61855708

5179

6436 68216159

6700 7126

8326

0100020003000400050006000700080009000

Trafficvolume(PassengerCarEquivalent/hour)

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SummaryoftheKeyFindingsandbroadinterventionareas

ThisstretchisanactivecommercialandindustrialzoneinBangalorethatgeneratesalargevolumeofvehiculartraffic.Thereweremediumvolumesofpedestriansobservedatseverallocationsofthiscorridor;however,thelimitednumberofsafecrossingsinadditiontohighvehicularspeedonthisonewaystretchwereanissue.Sincetheroadwasearliera2wayroad,thereisapresenceofmedianwithwidegapsforvehiclestomerge,butitisindiscriminateandcancauseaccidents.

Thisroadcurvatureonthisstretchreducessightdistanceofbusstopslocatedaroundthecurveandtheon-streetillegalparkingattheintersectionsreducesthedriver’sfieldofvision,especiallywhenthere are conflicting vehicular movement. The footpaths has vendors and utility along specificsegmentsthatcreatescritical issuesforpedestriansastheyareforcedtowalkonthecarriageway,exposing them to higher speeds. The footpaths are uneven and there is lot of undulation due topropertyentranceswhichforcespedestriansontothecarriageway.

Thecarriagewayhasnolanemarkingcausingvehiclestospeedandmotorcyclestoweavedangerouslyaroundlargervehicles.Whilethemarkedspeedis40km/hr,excessivewidthsallowvehiclestotravelathigherspeeds.

Thisstretchhasseveralminoraccessroadsfeedingintoitfromtheadjacenthousingandindustrialareas.Thevisibilitysplaysofdriversenteringontothemainroadviatheselanesarereducedbytheroadsideobstructionsincludingpolesandtrees.Thisiscriticalatmajorintersectionsandturns.

Although the intersection at Whitefield- Hoodi road is signalized, the intersection meetingKundalahalli–Hoodimainroadisnot.Itwasalsoobservedthatthesignalphasesdidnotprovideapedestriancrossingphase.

Thefollowingcountersafetymeasuresareproposedtoaddresstheseissues:

• Enforceno-parkingatfootpathsandmakeitevenandunobstructedforpedestrianstowalk.Itisalsonecessarytosplayexitingsideaccesslanesforbetterdrivervisibility.

• Remove/relocatepoles, trees, andotherobstructionson the cornerof the intersection toimprovevisibilityoftheintersection.

• Provide adequate pedestrian crossings at intersections and tabletop crossing at midblocklocations.Thedesignforthesecrossings,withsufficientmedianrefugeisalsorecommended.

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BangaloreMetroRailPhase2,SectionR1Extension

(BaiyappanahalliStationtoWhitefieldStation)

The Hoodi Main road alignment may change due to Namma Metro R1 extension line construction, which is expected to occur soon, the above counter measures shall be implemented in phased and time bound manner.

Figure 2 Metro Alignment on the Hoodi Main Road as procured form BMRCL

Consideringthattheroadexperienceshighvehiculartrafficvolumes,andBMRCLmaywidentherightofwaytoaccommodatethetraffic,BMRCLshouldtakethefollowingprecautionswhileconstructing:

• Facilitate safe pedestrian crossing at regular intervals by virtue of both design andenforcementasmentionedabove.

• Constructionmaycausetrafficdisruption.BasedontheabovefigurethemetrowillbetakingagentlecurvefromtheWhitefieldmainroadontotheHoodimainroadavoidingthetrafficsignalattheintersectionofthe2roads.ThetrafficturningrightfromtheintersectiontowardstheKundalahallijunctionandthetrafficturningleftfromtheotherendoftheWhitefieldmainroadwillbedividedbythemetropillarsinthecenter.Consideringthischangefollowingthingsshouldbeconsidered:

KundalahalliMainRd

WhitefieldMainRd

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o Earlierthestreetlighthad2bulbswithacentralpoleandwerelocatedinthecenterofthemainroad.Withthemetropillarscominginthecenterandexpansionofroadwidththestreetlightswillbeneededonbothsidesoftheroad.

o Restrictvehicularcrisscrossingacrossmidblocks.Pillarsmayobstructvisionandthevehiclecrisscrossingneeds tobeappropriately locatedandcontrolledusingdesigninterventionormanualinterventions.

o Pedestriancrossingshouldnotbe inconflictwith thevehicularcrossingacross themid-block.

o AsWhitefieldhashadissuesofwaterlogginginthepast,itisnecessarytoensurethatthestormwaterdrainagesystemiscoveredandinworkingcondition.Thefootpathlaidontopoftheundergrounddrainsareevenandusable,andisnotdisruptedduetomaintenanceinfuture.Thus,itwillbenecessarytoensurethemouthofthedrainremainsclearforthewatertodrainout.

o Speed needs to be reduced before eachmid-block and preferably have table-topcrossing.

o Thepillarsshouldbeprotectedbyasmallermedianwithreflectivestickers.

o Intersectionswithsmallerroadsshouldbeideallysignalizedormanuallycontrolledsuchthatthetrafficflowisnotdisrupted.

o Improveenforcement

• High vehicular volumes on this road and in the neighboring extensions leads toinsurmountable traffic congestions.Metroconstructionmay reduce theusable road spacetemporarilywhichmayescalatethecongestionfurther.Athoroughstudyandimplementationofanalternativesolutionwillensurereductionincongestionandimprovetrafficmovement.Metroshouldideallyconsulttrafficpoliceandprovidethesealternativesolutions.

• Oncethemetro iscompletedandfunctionalthestationshouldbe integratedwiththebusstopandotherIPTmodestoimprovelastmileconnectivity.Forthistheauto-rickshawstandsneedstobedesignedappropriatelyandalltheabovementionedcounter-measureswillneedtobeimplemented.

ConclusionBMRCLshouldproactivelyworkwithotheragencieslikeBengaluruTrafficPolice,UrbanLocalBody(BBMP), BengaluruWater Supply and Sanitation Board (BWSSB), BESCOM etc to ensure that thecommutersdonotsufferduringtheconstructionandtheconstructionworkofthemetroprogressessmoothly.

InadditiontheBMRCLshouldappointateamtostudythetrafficconditionsandcreateanalternativesolutionfortheanticipatedissuesthatcanariseduetometroconstructioninthevicinity.

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Appendix12hoursurveycountinHoodiMainRoadduringDecember

TimeTrafficvolume(PassengerCarEquivalent/hour)

8:00-9:00 54119:00-10:00 443310:00-11:00 301311:00-12:00 280912:00-13:00 279713:00-14:00 294314:00-15:00 298115:00-16:00 300216:00-17:00 340417:00-18:00 328118:00-19:00 348719:00-20:00 3483