Traffic planners face Rajarhat challenge...

[Bong]

Excerpts from - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=482640&page=25

Traffic planners face Rajarhat challenge

If the warning signals are ignored now, the township will throw up a
traffic mess
Suman Chakraborti | TNN

Kolkata: While the rest of the city's traffic lurches from one
bottleneck to another, Rajarhat -- with its futuristic skyline and
multiple-lane roads -- promises to be a driver's delight.
Or does it?
An indication of things to come is already visible. Obscure traffic
signals that don't always work have been installed at four-point
junctions in such a way that motorists can't even see them. Vehicles
enter the nascent township from all directions in a haphazard manner.
Given the track record of transport management in Kolkata, those
shifting base to Rajarhat fear that the authorities display similar
lack of vision while preparing the traffic plan for the 3,779-hectare
township.
Though traffic flowing through Rajarhat has not yet peaked, if the
situation is not tackled now things might get out of hand once the car
count shoots up. "Rajarhat will witness major traffic snarls if the
authorities don't get down to executing a traffic management plan now.
Traffic signals are not working already and crossing roads is becoming
increasingly dangerous," said retired naval architect Amalendu
Bhattacharya, a resident of New Town's Animikha housing complex.
"Very soon, we'll see traffic congestion starting from the Technopolis
building at the entry point to New Town," said another resident.
However, Hidco officials assure that these problems would be solved.
"With an estimated population of 15 lakh and a floating population of
nearly five lakh, there would be tremendous pressure on New Town
roads. We are carefully setting up a traffic system in the township to
ensure that the mistakes made in the city and Salt lake are not
repeated," said a Hidco planning department official.
Hidco has given transport infrastructure top priority and allocated
about 400 hectares for developing this.
According to Hidco's traffic and transportation study, New Town will
account for a maximum of 10 lakh passenger trips a day. The study
stresses on developing various public transport modes like bus
services, suburban and metro railway systems and electronic trolley
bus or light rail transit (LRT) systems. The authorities have made
provisions for underground metro services as well.
New Town will have flyovers, carriageways, subways and grade
separators at all key intersections to ensure smooth traffic movement.
"Unlike Salt Lake, there will be no island or rotary at traffic
junctions. All four-way traffic junctions would have electronic
traffic signalling systems," said an official.
According to a study by Trammell Crow Meghraj Property Consultants
Private Limited, New Town would require at least 23 flyovers at all
its intersections and may need more grade separators at traffic
intersections in future.
The township will have several arterial and link roads to effectively
connect it to key areas of the city like the airport, Bypass, the
proposed eastern expressway and other areas. "All arterials roads of
the township will have 10 lanes to ensure easy and speedy traffic
movement," said an official. The township will have at least five bus
terminuses of international standard and several taxi stands. The
government is working on the proposed metro project from Rajarhat to
Howrah's Ramrajatala. There are also plans to include New Town in the
proposed LRT alignments.
Authorities are also constructing the Southern extension of the main
arterial road, which will link up with EM Bypass. A 15-km road will
connect the airport to the Bantala Leather Complex. Work on an inner
road network of 50 km will also start soon.