Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Cycling Solution to Traffic

This is one of the best Bangalore specific presentation on traffic problem and possible solution.
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/das-125207-bangalore-traffic-solutions-bangaloretrafficsolution-travel-places-nature-ppt-powerpoint/

This guys from our biking community dreams in this presentation of having a large network of bike rentals in Bangalore. I fully endorse him!
http://www.slideshare.net/rajivmathew/ananth-ranganathan-freewheeling-presentation

This presentation is from Hasiru Usiru an NGO working towards saving environment by promoting related causes.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3841727/Bangalore-traffic-solution-presentation

Each and every day 500,000 people ride their bicycle to work or school in Copenhagen. This blog highlights who they are, why they do and how it was made possible.
Forty years ago Copenhagen was just as car-clogged as anywhere else but now 36% of the populations choose the bicycle. Copehagenizing is possible anywhere.
www.copenhagenize.com

Just imagine Bangalore in the 70’s and 80’s. The same width of arterial roads, no one-ways, no signals. 50% non-motorized like walkers, cyclers, tongas and about 50% motorized vehicles. Now the situation is hardly 5% walkers and cyclers and no tongas. Rest is black vehicles.
Now imagine if we can Copenhagenize Bangalore, that means about 30% green vehicles and rest black vehicles on the road.

I attended a workshop in Bangalore recently on the biking solution to traffic organized by BMLTA in collaboration with various like minded organizations. There were case studies presented from Delhi, Pune and Nanded, first, second and third tier cities. The city planning especially in Nanded was very well appreciated. It was designed on a concept called ‘Street’. Streets typically host lot of activities. It needs to cater to Pedestrians, Buses, Cars, motor bikes, cycles, Hawkers, cobbler corners, parking, bus stops, trees etc., Some of the roads are so well designed catering to most of these items which is marvelous. And there is no road widening done here. It is just the best utilization of the space available. Percentage allocation changes to each item all along the stretch of each road. I think we need to think in those directions for Bangalore as well.