http://ngopost.org/story.php?title=Save_Bangalore

1. Namma Raste, Namma Ooru Our Roads, Our City

2. Our city is in a crisis – our roads are congested, our trees are being cut down, new infrastructure projects are being launched with frightening consequences and little comprehensive planning. Road widening is the most immediate action by the authorities. The other is the Metro rail’s intervention in the cityscape when it cuts through the city in its elevated corridor.

5. Consider the consequences Trees, shops, houses, footpaths and vendors, heritage buildings and landmarks will be taken out for providing slightly wider roads for more cars. Thousands of homes and businesses will be destroyed and many more people will lose their livelihood. More than 30,000 trees will be cut, some of them 30-40 years old. With wider roads, crossing roads will be extremely dangerous for the elderly, children and the disabled. Why road widening is illogical Traffic is doubling every 5 years. Can we double road width every 5 years? The efficiency of road space usage,currently very low, must first be improved, before thinking of increasing the road space. The current plan is illegal, against the National Urban Transport Policy of the Govt. of India. Each km. of widening costs Rs. 10 Cr. This money can be better spent on improving public transportation. Our Roads, Our City

6. Consider this………………………………… 1500 vehicles are registered in Bangalore every day, 85% of which are two wheelers and cars. How long can we expand our roads?

7. Bangalore’s Future: From Garden City to Wasteland? The road widening will destroy over 40000 trees, and raise the temperature of Bangalore by 3 degree celsius! Air pollution, already 3 times permissible limits, will increase further. Air and noise pollution is seriously affecting our health – we are committing suicide if we continue this Is this short term solution worthwhile?

8. A road may connect faraway places, but it should not become a barrier for people. What happens to pedestrians, school children, senior citizens and the differently-abled? Idhu Yaara Raste? Consider this: On Bellary road, 17 people killed and 36 injured in 66 accidents in five weeks of the new airport becoming functional. And this road has only 5 traffic signals along a 30 km. stretch! Who is this road for?

11. Kasturba Road- The survey drawing Each road to be widened has trees, shops, heritage buildings, vendor kiosks, bus stops besides services to be moved or cut down. A lot of thought, study and discussion with the affected people has to happen before any action. This has not been done, and we have been asking for this from a long time. Take the case of one road that is proposed to be widened. Our brief study reveals the importance of care and sensitivity in undertaking such a scheme.

12. Kasturba Road Row of Ashoka Trees The Old Police Station building will be affected An old & large Ficus tree Large Mango tree cut Row of Champa Trees An old Raintree Large Peepal trees

14. The Metro – issues and concerns The Metro will go above key roads of the city. Buildings along the metro line will be broken down. Tree-lined boulevards like the Nanda Theatre Rd. are going to be destroyed. The metro, 3 years from now, will carry just 5 % of Bangalore's population. It will take 50 more years to cover the whole city. Metro stations are planned inside some of Bangalore's best landmaks like Lal Bagh , and will be huge, ugly and expensive concrete structures that will have malls and shopping centres. The result Homes along the Metro line will be unlivable in and shops along the Metro line will have to close down, like those next to flyovers today. 95 % of the population will not have access to the metro because it is not near them or is too expensive. M.G. ROAD 2007 M.G. ROAD 2011

18. What can you do? Join us for the Community Walk!!! Streets are for people! Come to LalBagh West Gate on Sunday November 9th 2008, at 11:00 AM. We want to participate in the planning of our cities and we can!!