Looking at growth pattern and projections for next 100 years metro rail is also inevitable and logical solution. However, it must essentially be a integrated solution with Metro rail, buses and other supplementary modes like walking, cycles, etc.
The current proposal appears very shortsighted and only looking at today’s expanse of the city.
Metro rail needs to reach – Loni, Saswad, Khed Shivapur, Khanapur, Pirangut, Maan, Hinjawadi, Rajgurunagar, Kharadi, etc. that are future urbanisable areas and the corridors leading to these places are already under pressure.
On the Lonawala-Pune-Daund corridor simply quadrapuling the existing lines would take care. No point running third option of Metro parallel to exiting road and rail corridor. That will be quick and economical.
Running metro on elevated corridor is not right solution on many counts. For Pune it will be worst as road widths are narrow. If you have road width more than 90 Mtrs it can possibly accommodate elevated metro. In lesser widths it is just impossible to accommodate stations. See what is happening along metro corridors in Delhi.
The elevated corridors also ruins the urban image forever. See what has happened most parts in Delhi and to MG road of Bangalore. Elevated metro also leads to decrease in property prices abutting Metro corridor. Nobody wants to be next to metro. This is evident is entire West Delhi.
In tropical climate, particularly in Pune where variation in day and night temparatures is high, life of Concrete is question. We have seen that many road bridges had to be -built or extensively repaired within 20-25 years of making them.
It is quite likely that elevated structures for Metro will soon get deteriorated and will need repairs. After 40 years when city will be highly dependent on Metro it will be disastrous to close a section for repairs of elevated superstructure. For roads you can divert the traffic to save the situation but what you can do with railways?
What’s the solution?
BURY the METRO
Underground metro will have many advantages.
It will link various parts of city within shortest possible time. (Being shortest route)
Can reach any and every point desired to be served. Need not follow road network.
Average speed could be higher as not much change in grade.
No major land acquisition required, no eating precious road space.
Expansion in future is easier.
In case of external emergencies these tunnels can serve as shelters.
No major repairs required in future.
Initial cost may be little high but on long run (100 years time) total cost of ownership could be less than elevated metro.
Machinery to build underground, I heard, is readily available with many Indian and international agencies at very low rent.
In short - Look at it with long term perspective and in the interest of the city just BURY it.
Very interesting blog Pushkarbhai... I really hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears in our government. So who is the supervising body for the Pune metro, like MMRDA for the Mumbai metro?
ReplyDeleteDear sir,
ReplyDeleteconsidering that Pune requires Metro, most of us facing two basic questions
1. how to put the metropolitan transport system
2. where to put the metropolitan transport system
i personally feel that you have precisely given the answer of second question, and i completely agree with you. to travel any distance between two given points, a straight line of movement is considered as fastest and most economical in any given context. the more turns and breaks the movement line will have, the less economical it will get along with slow down in pace. Ultimately we will get similar problems that we are facing regarding the road networks today.
Today we have only 3 situations to put the metro on,
1) on ground, 2) above ground, 3) below ground
logically and contextually, except situation 2 we have no hurdles to put the movement corridors of METRO in straight lines. out of situation 1) and 3) it is extremely economical to put the network underground and join the desired destination as speed will remain same in both cases. the Delhi METRO is a good and bad example in front of us. areas like dwarka, faridabad are having good connectivity now but certainly the on ground situations made the existing congested context more congested.
also there are many cases of underground situation proving way more successful than above ground situation. for example jubilee line in London.
thus i fully agree with your suggestion of "burying" METRO for good.
also i like the points you raised about the expanse of connectivity, real estate market and Image of the city. considering pune's growth rate, coming 5 years will eat out most of the fringe area nearby towns, villages. great connectivity can only support a good Metropolis to sustain and to grow.
eventually metro corridors are going to be the strongest movement network for any city. they will act like veins and arteries of blood in human body. if we compare human body to city....keeping these movement line under the "skin of the city" will help keeping the "body of city" healthy as well as beautiful in terms of its image. .....:)
i think most of us will surely agree what you are proposing, and we must all also should seek the answer for "how to put metropolitan transport system"
regards
Agree. Architects should take the lead in creating a campaign around this issue. Start with creating some well designed and impactful material and start telling the decision makers about it. Create public awareness by perhaps having a public display. Rope in media. I think it's now or never. Otherwise you will simply be left wringing your hands while the disastrous elevated Metro unfolds.
ReplyDelete