Traffic Management

Study
Whitefield

Directorate of Urban Land Transport

(DULT)
Findings and Analysis Report

July 01, 2013

Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka

 Traffic Management Report
2 Whitefield, Bangalore

1. Introduction- Traffic Management Study

Bangalore’s population has grown dramatically in the last decade, and the city now ranks among the top metropolitan areas in
the country, both in terms of population and in terms of the economic activity. The city has undergone a rapid transformation
into one of the most storied economic centers of the world, and attracted millions of job-seeking migrants.

Increasing traffic volumes and its associated adverse impacts on congestion and air quality is a key problem in Bangalore and
elsewhere in India and this situation is likely to deteriorate further. Addressing the issue of travel demand solely through large-
scale road construction is neither a viable nor a sustainable option as the impact on our local communities would be huge in
terms of the environment, land take, property demolition and isolation. The need, therefore to find other solutions that can
meet peoples’ desire to travel, by creating a Traffic Management Study plan that includes both short-term and long-term, the
ones that can begin to grapple with the complex demands of traffic and transport management.

What adds to the traffic pressure in Bangalore in particular is its very little scope for expansion of roads and the need to use
existing roads for smooth movement of vehicles.

1.1 Current Scenario In Bangalore

The population in Bangalore Urban Region and Municipalities has increased from 30 lakh to 101 lakh over the past four
decades. The increase from 41 lakh in 1991 to a drastic increase of 96 lakh
in 2011 along with the increasing vehicular growth may be considered the
trigger for increased traffic volume leading to delay and congestion.

Figure 1: Represents the population versus vehicular growth over the

part four decades. Alongside the exponential growth rate for the year
2021 has also been projected.
 Traffic Management Report
3 Whitefield, Bangalore

1.2 Objective Of The Study

Whitefield Export Promotion Park Industrial Association, Whitefield had written to Directorate of Urban Land Transport
(DULT) requesting support and guidance to address the travel Constraints at Whitefield, Bangalore. The following Travel
constraints have been reported:

1. Traffic during peak hours: Increased travel time and congestion were reported at KR Puram Bridge, Mahadevapura
Road, Graphite Junction (EPIP), Kundanhalli Road, Hoody, and Big Bazaar Junction (ITPL).

2. FOB at Whitefield Station: Inconvenience for railway commuters to enter/exit the Whitefield Railway Station from the
Kadugodi Bus Terminus.

In order to identify the existing travel constraints and improve ease of accessibility, as well as decongest the roads of Whitefield,
Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has taken up the study on Traffic Management for Whitefield.

1.3 Methodology

The traffic management plan for Whitefield was aimed to ease and regulate the travel constraints prevailing within the study
area. A reconnaissance survey was done to identify the issues pertaining to the intersections, black spots, etc. as well as identify
the traffic circulation pattern in and around the study area. This was followed by the data collection effort in the from of
primary and secondary surveys where primary surveys like traffic volume counts, pedestrian volume counts, OD survey and travel
time surveys, etc. were carried out to obtain an idea of the traffic scenario of the study area. The secondary data collected from
various agencies comprised of the existing land use patterns, Bus route details and the proposed infrastructure improvements.
The collected data was analyzed to identify the Roadway Segments capacity and Level of Service (LOS), based on the Indian
Roads Congress (IRC) standards sourced from Guidelines for Capacity of Urban Roads in Plain Areas IRC 106-1990. Whereas,
the delay and queue lengths at the intersections are estimated using a micro simulation based software. The next step was to
propose section specific interventions to the identified issues and prepare an implementation plan. Based on the need of
urgency, the interventions were classified as short, medium and long-term measures.

Table 1 illustrates the methodology adapted to carry out the “Traffic Management Study”.
 Traffic Management Report
4 Whitefield, Bangalore

Study Objective
-Traffic Management Study-Whitefield

Travel Constraints
1. Traffic Congestion and Delay
2. Pedestrian Safety

Data Collection & Analysis

1. Secondary Data 2. Primary Data
Existing Maps, reports Traffic Volume Counts
BMTC Routes Pedestrian Counts
BBMP Proposal O-D Survey
Road Side Interview (RSI)

Mitigation Measures
-Short, Medium and Long Term Measures

Table 1: Study Methodology

 Traffic Management Report
5 Whitefield, Bangalore

2. Study Area-Whitefield

Whitefield is an Integral part of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka, India. Established in the late 1800s as a settlement for the
Eurasians of Bangalore, Whitefield a 3,900 acres land remained a quaint little settlement till the late 1990s when the IT boom
of Bangalore reshaped it as a major suburb and is now a major part of Greater Bangalore. Whitefield is now officially part of
Bangalore city, which is a Part of the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike).

The Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) at Whitefield of one of the country's first information technology parks -
International Tech Park, Bangalore (ITPB) which houses offices of many IT and ITES companies. One of the oldest
establishments is Tata Elxsi, which came to Whitefield around the late 80s. The EPIP zone has offices of other IT and R&D
giants like TCS, QuEST, Accenture, UTL, Symbian, General Electric, iGate Global Solutions, Sapient, Manhattan
Associates, Ascendum Solutions, SAP Labs, Dell Services (former Perot Systems), Dell, IBM, Intel, Mindtree Ltd, Sabre
Holdings, Cap Gemini, ABB, FIS, Oracle, Oracle Financial Services Software Limited and Advanced Micro Devices.

Figure 2: Study Area Whitefield

 Traffic Management Report
6 Whitefield, Bangalore

2.1 Land Use

An understanding of the land use pattern plays an important role in better understanding of the study area characteristics. Over
the past decade, Whitefield has seen a growth of mixed land use in a haphazard pattern. The study area has now been divided
into two sections, where the eastern side is mainly industrial and western side is a mix of residential and commercial land use.
The major trip attractors in Whitefield include EPIP, Kadugodi industrial area, Goodshed Station, etc.
Figure 3 shows the existing land use pattern of the study area.

Figure 3: Land Use - Whitefield

 Traffic Management Report
7 Whitefield, Bangalore

2.2 Roadway Segments and Intersections

The study area is located 20.6 Km from the Central Business District (CBD) and parallel to the Outer Ring Road passing
through the Marathahalli Bridge. There are 2 major 4-lane roads connecting Bangalore City with Whitefield namely Whitefield
Road via Mahadevapura and Varthur road via Marathalli. Both roads intersect with Karnataka State Highway 35 (SH 35), which
runs in the North-South direction (Siddlaghatta in the north to Anekal in the south).
The major roadway segments within the study area include:
1. Whitefield Main Road (K R Puram Station-Hope Farm Junction)
2. Mahadevapura Road (K R Puram- Marathahalli)
3. ITPL Main Road (Hudi – Kundanhalli Gate)
4. Whitefield Road (Hope Farm-Varthur)
5. Varthur Main Road (Marathahalli- Varthur)
The major intersections that dictate the operational efficiency of the study area are:
1. K R Puram (Old Madras Road/Whitefield Main Road)
2. ABB (Whitefield Main Road/ITPL Road)
3. Hudi (Whitefield Main Road/ITPL Road)
4. Big Bazaar (Whitefield Main Road/1st Main Road)
5. Hope Farm (Whitefield Main Road/ Whitefield Road)
6. Graphite India (ITPL Road/ EPIP Road)
7. Varthur (Whitefield Road/ Varthur Road)
8. Kundanhalli Gate (Whitefield Main Road/ Varthur Road)
9. Marathahalli (Outer Ring Road/ Varthur Road)
 Traffic Management Report
8 Whitefield, Bangalore

10.

Figure 4: Major Roadway Segments and Intersections

 Traffic Management Report
9 Whitefield, Bangalore

2.3 Surveys
A set of primary traffic surveys such as traffic volume counts, speed and delay surveys, road inventory survey, O-D survey, etc.
were conducted during January 2013 in order to assess the traffic and transport scenario of Whitefield.

2.4 Existing Condition

The existing operation conditions of the study roadway networks and intersections were evaluated with respect to the following
to analyze the issues with respect to vehicular and pedestrian traffic
1. Roadway Segments- Volume to Capacity Ratio and LOS
2. Intersections- Delay and Queue Length

Roadway Segments:
The Level of Service (LOS) and the capacity of the Roadway segments computed is based on the Indian Roads Congress (IRC)
standards sourced from Guidelines for Capacity of Urban Roads in Plain Areas IRC 106- 1990. Table 2 provides the LOS
standards adopted based on the volume to capacity (V/C) ratios at the intersections and its performance.

V/C LOS Performance

0.0 - 0.2 A Excellent

0.2 - 0.4 B Above Average

0.4 - 0.6 C Average

0.6 - 0.8 D Below Average

0.8 - 1.0 E Poor

1.0 - 1.2 F Very Poor

Table 1: Existing V/C and LOS of Roadway segments

Note: V = Volume in PCU’s/Hr & C= Capacity in PCU’s/ Hr.

Table 3 shows the existing traffic operation conditions of the study roadway segments and Figure 5 depicts the same.
 Traffic Management Report
10 Whitefield, Bangalore

Existing Peak hour

Road Name Segment Direction of Traffic Flow V/C LOS
Volume (PCU/ Hr)

Whitefield Main Road K R Puram- ABB East Bound (LCW) 3389 0.96 E

West Bound (RCW) 3200

Whitefield Main Road ABB-Hudi East Bound (LCW) 2379 0.88 E

West Bound (RCW) 2040

Whitefield Main Road Hudi- Big Bazaar East Bound (LCW) 3819 0.90 E

West Bound (RCW) 2673

Whitefield Main Road Big Bazaar-Hope Farm East Bound (LCW) 1881 0.78 D

West Bound (RCW) 1546

Whitefield Road Kadugodi-Hope Farm North Bound (LCW) 867 0.75 D

South Bound (RCW) 1401

Whitefield Road Hope Farm- Kadugodi North Bound (LCW) 1996 0.35 B

South Bound (RCW) 1595

Varthur Road Varthur - Kundanhalli East Bound (LCW) 2659 0.87 E

West Bound (RCW) 2952

Varthur Road Kundanhalli Marathalli East Bound (LCW) 3809 1.66 F

West Bound (RCW) 5218

ITPL Road Kundanhalli - EPIP North Bound (LCW) 3074 1.22 F

South Bound (RCW) 2395

ITPL Road EPIP-ABB North Bound (LCW) 522 0.78 D

South Bound (RCW) 1290

ITPL Road EPIP-Hudi North Bound (LCW) 1592 0.80 D

South Bound (RCW) 1557

 Traffic Management Report
11 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 5: Existing operating LOS condition

 Traffic Management Report
12 Whitefield, Bangalore

As per the results tabulated above, the roadway segment of Outer Ring Road between K R Puram and Marathahalli and
Whitefield Road are operating at a good level of service of C when compared to the worst level of service of the roadway
segments of ITPL Road (Kundanhalli Gate-Graphite India) and Varthur Road (Kundanhalli Gate – Marathahalli) which are
operating under a level of service F. As per site observations, most traffic are bound to EPIP (Major IT hub of Bangalore) are
accessed through Varthur road and ITPL road. This attracted traffic on the 4 lane traffic has reduced the operational efficiency
of Whitefield.

Intersections:

During the existing conditions, the delay at the study intersections was found be greater than 30 seconds or more except the
ABB and Big Bazaar which have delay at the intersections less than 1 minute. The delay at Graphite India junction the main
access road to the EPIP zone has recorded a delay of 117 sec/veh with a throughput of 1327 vehicles. Maximum throughput of
3220 vehicles at Kundanhalli and minimum throughput of 1327 at Graphite India have been tabulated. As per the field
observation, the increased delay at Hope Farm and Hudi are leading to increased queue lengths causing congestion and choking
the intersection and the neighbouring roadways segments.

The traffic analyses at the identified intersections are tabulated in table 4.

Table 2: Existing operating conditions at the Study Intersections

Road Name Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles))

Kundanhalli Gate
133 3220
(Varthur Road/ITPL Main Road)
Graphite India
117 1327
(ITPL Main Road / EPIP Road)
Big Bazaar
33 2387
(1st Main Raod / Whitefield Main Road)
Hope Farm
237 3022
(Whitefield Main Road/Whitefield Road)
Hudi
298 2429
(Whitefield Main Road/ ITPL Main Road)
ABB
22 2018
(Whitefield Main Road/ ITPL Main Road)
 Traffic Management Report
13 Whitefield, Bangalore

3. Mitigation Measures
This chapter lists out the issues and relevant interventions proposed to address the travel constraints of Whitefield. The traffic
management plan is composed of Short, and Long-Term Plans/measures, where short term measures are the most simplest and
immediate to implement with less capital intensive whereas long term are more section specific measures and more capital
intensive.
This chapter has been divided into two sections where the first section illustrates the traffic management plans for vehicular
traffic and the second section intervenes the safety aspects related to pedestrians

A. Traffic Management Plan

Kundanhalli Gate

Kundanhalli Gate is a four arm signalized intersection located at the intersection of Varthur Road and ITPL Road. This
intersection is an access to the ITPL traffic bound from Marathahalli, Old Madras Road, Silk Board, etc. Both Varthur Road
and ITPL Road are 4-lane divided roads which have over the recent years become inadequate to cater to the increasing trips
made to and from ITPL main Road leading to increased queue lengths and delay at the intersections. This delay is due to not
enough clearing time available for the vehicles standing at the intersections to cross the intersection at a single phase.
In order to analyze the reasons for intersection delay, the existing signal phasing plan at Kundanhalli was analyzed. As per the
phasing plan of cycle time of 460 seconds, a phasing of 185 second has been provided for the Varthur junction and a phasing of
150, 90 and 28 seconds has been provided for Marathahalli, ITPL,Sai Nagar legs respectively. As a pedestrian phase, a pedestrian
signal phase of 10 second has been provided. In spite of an increased phasing of 150 seconds and a banned right turn provided

Table 3
 Traffic Management Report
14 Whitefield, Bangalore

for the Marathahalli leg, vehicles are not being cleared off the junction. The existing signal phase plan is as shown below. Table
4: Existing Signal Phase at Kundanhalli Gate

Interventions

In order to address the immediate need of traffic management at Kundanhalli Gate, a set of interventions have been suggested.
As there is no scope for junction improvement, alternative short-term measures like change in circulation pattern and a
suggestion of adapting a split-phasing plan at Kundanhalli Gate have been evaluated. In the proposed signal phase, the cycle
length can be reduced from 460 seconds to 290 seconds. The proposed signal phasing, a signal phasing of 180 seconds for
Varthur and Marathahalli leg has been suggested. As for the ITPL leg, a phase of 75 second and Sai Nagar leg of 20 seconds has
been proposed. The pedestrian signal phase has been increased from 10 second to 15 seconds. This increase in pedestrian signal
will also provide ample time for the pedestrians to safely cross the junction. The proposed signal phasing is as shown in table 5.
Table 5: Proposed Signal Phase at Kundanhalli Gate

In order to achieve this reduction in signal phasing time, a ban right turn from the Varthur Road onto ITPL Road is proposed.
As per the O-D Survey, majority of the trips made are to EPIP or onto Whitefield main Road. Thus, as an alternate route to the
banned right turn, the traffic is be diverted onto Siddapura Road. Siddapura Road is a 2 lane undivided road with connection to
both EPIP and Whitefield Main Road. Vehicles that are currently traversing across to Kundanhalli Gate to reach ITPL can be
diverted onto Siddapura Road though a median opening provided at the Siddapura Road and Varthur Road intersection. If the
motorist is likely to be traversing from Whitefield Road, he can also access Siddapura Road through Borewell Road. The trip
ends, banned right turn as well as the alternate route to the banned right turn has been illustrated in figure 5.
 Traffic Management Report
15 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 6: Interventions at Kundanhalli Gate

The operational efficiency of Kundanhalli Gate was evaluated with respect to both existing and proposed conditions. As per the
analysis, the delay of 133 sec/vehicle has been reduced to 37 sec/vehicle reducing the delay by 96 sec/vehicle. This reduction in
delay will increase the throughput from 3220 to 4343 increasing the throughput by 1123 vehicles. The operational efficiency is
tabulated in table 6.
 Traffic Management Report
16 Whitefield, Bangalore

Table 6: Operational Efficiency of Kundanhalli Gate

Kundanhalli Gate Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 133 3220

Mitigation Measure 37 4343

Operational Efficiency +96 +1123

Graphite India (EPIP)

Graphite India (EPIP) is a three arm signalized intersection of ITPL Road and EPIP Road. This junction generates traffic to and
from the EPIP zone. EPIP main Road and ITPL main Road are each four lane undivided roads. As per the field observations,
the junction in peak hours is choked causing congestion leading to a travel time delay of 117 sec/veh. This condition is usually
observed during the peak hours. All trips generated from the city onto Whitefield are accessed through the ITPL Road either
from the Whitefield Main road or from the Varthur Road. Thus, designing of the signal phase should be done evenly to both
arms. The existing signal phase illustrate that the signal phase is evenly distributed to the ITPL and Kundanhalli gate (ie
90seconds) whereas the Hoodi arm has the maximum signal phasing time of 135seconds. The signal phasing is as shown in table
7.

Table 7: Existing Signal Phase of Graphite India (EPIP Junction)

 Traffic Management Report
17 Whitefield, Bangalore

Interventions

Since no scope of diverting the generated trips away from the EPIP junction, the short-term measure of reducing the signal
phasing time has been attempted. In order to achieve this, split phasing signal plan has been designed. This short-term measure
will ban or restrict the right turning movement from EPIP main road to ITPL Main Road. The proposed split phasing plan is
illustrated in table 8. The proposed phasing will help reduce the 3-phase signal plan to a two-phase signal plan. Thus, reducing
the cycle time from 315 seconds to 225 seconds. A combined phase for the ITPL and Kunadanhalli gate arms for 90 second
and a 120 second phase for the Hudi arm have been proposed.

Table 8: Proposed Signal Phase of Graphite India (EPIP Junction)

The banned right turn movements will be diverted to the Big Bazaar Junction located adjacent to the Whitefield Main Road.
The right turning vehicles will have to traverse an extra distance 1.7 km through 1st Main road reach the Big Bazaar junction in
order to reach the likely trip end of Whitefield Main Road. The suggested alternate route is as shown in figure6.
 Traffic Management Report
18 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 7: Interventions at Graphite India (EPIP)

The operational efficiency of Graphite India (EPIP) was evaluated wrt to both existing and proposed conditions. As per the
analysis, the delay of 117 sec/veh has been reduced to 53 sec/veh reducing the delay by 64 sec/veh. This reduction in delay will
increase the throughput from 1327 to 1439 increasing the throughput by 115 vehicles. The operational efficiency is tabulated in
table 9.
 Traffic Management Report
19 Whitefield, Bangalore

Table 9: Operational Efficiency of Graphite India (EPIP)

Graphite India (EPIP) Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 117 1327

Mitigation Measure 53 1439

Operational Efficiency +64 +115

Big Bazaar Junction

Big Bazaar junction is a three arm signalized intersection of Whitefield Main Road and 1st Main Road. This junction is
connected to EPIP zone. Traffic from the banned right turn at the EPIP junction will be diverted onto the Big Bazaar junction.
This increased traffic will reduce the operational efficiency of Big Bazaar Junction. Thus, in order to minimize the negative
impact, certain junction improvement measures have been suggested.

1. Short Term Measure- Junction Improvement

BBMP as a part of the Signal Free corridor project have proposed a grade separator adjacent to the Big Bazaar Junction. This
proposal will go alongside the road-widening proposal proposed for the construction of the grade separator. Although the
construction of the grade separator at Big Bazaar is not likely to be started soon, a proposal to the BBMP to make the necessary
road widening measure has been suggested. This increase in ROW will provide sufficient space for the vehicles to clear off the
junction within the allocated signal phasing time.

Adding to the junction improvement, a proposal of realignment of the lane configuration of 1st main road has also been
suggested. Based on the intensity of traffic flow, the lane has been divided into 14m and 10.5m to the left and right respectively.
The 14m-carriage way on the left will be divided into 2 lanes each for left and right turn respectively.
The existing and proposed junction alignment is as shown in figure 7 and 8.
 Traffic Management Report
20 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 8: Existing Roadway alignment at Big Bazaar Junction Figure 9: Proposed Roadway alignment at Big Bazaar Junction

The operational efficiency of Big Bazaar was evaluated with respect to both existing and proposed conditions. As per the
analysis, the delay of 33 sec/vehicle has been reduced to 29 sec/vehicle reducing the delay by 4 sec/vehicle. This reduction in
delay will increase the throughput from 2387 to 3656 increasing the throughput by 1269 vehicles. The operational efficiency is
tabulated in table 10.

Table 10: Operational Efficiency of Big Bazaar Junction

Big Bazaar Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 33 2387

Mitigation Measure 29 3656

Operational Efficiency +4 +1269

 Traffic Management Report
21 Whitefield, Bangalore

2. Long Term Measure- Grade

Separator (Underpass)

The signal free corridor of the grade

separator at Big Bazaar Junction proposed
by BBMP was evaluated to check the
improvements in operational efficiency.
The proposed alignment is as shown in
figure 9.

The proposed grade separator will be

aligned in the north south direction along
the Whitefield Main Road. The evaluated
results are as tabulated in table 11 below.
The junction operations will reduce the
delay by 17 sec/vehicle increasing the
throughput by 2693 vehicles.

Figure 10: Proposed grade separator alignment at Big Bazaar Junction

Table 11: Operational Efficiency of Big Bazaar Junction

Big Bazaar Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 33 2387

Mitigation Measure 16 5080

Operational Efficiency +17 +2693

 Traffic Management Report
22 Whitefield, Bangalore

Hope Farm Junction

Hope Farm Junction is a four arm signalized intersection of Whitefield Main road and Whitefield Road. The major trips that
traverse across this intersection are towards Chikka Tirupathi and Kadugodi Industrial Town. The traffic analysis shows that
comparatively this junction has seen a lot of freight traffic. This freight movement is mainly from the railway good terminal
located about 200m from the Hope Farm junction. These freight movements were observed throughout the day even during
peak hours.

1. Short Term Measure- Signal Phasing Plan

As per the O-D survey the truck trips from Chikka Tirupati to Kadugodi were found to make a sharp right turn with no proper
sight distance at the intersection. This is hindering the vehicles on the Channsandra arm to find ample time to clear off the
junction during the allotted signal phasing. As a short-term measure, split phasing signal plan is suggested. In order to achieve
this, the right turns of the Whitefield main road onto Whitefield road and Whitefield main road onto Kadugodi should be
restricted. The banned two right turns can be diverted onto the identified arterial two lane roads shown in figure 11. This split
phasing can reduce the signal phasing from 340 seconds to 210 seconds. Reducing the four-phase signal to a three-phase signal
plan.
The existing and proposed signal phase and the alternate route proposed are illustrated below.
 Traffic Management Report
23 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 11: Existing Traffic Movements at Hope Farm Junction

 Traffic Management Report
24 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 12: Proposed Traffic Movements at Hope Farm Junction

 Traffic Management Report
25 Whitefield, Bangalore

The operational efficiency of Hope Farm was evaluated with respect to both existing and proposed conditions. As per the
analysis, the delay of 237 sec/vehicle has been reduced to 143 sec/vehicle reducing the delay by 94sec/vehicle. This reduction in
delay will increase the throughput from 3022 to 3318 increasing the throughput by 296 vehicles. The operational efficiency is
tabulated in table 12.

Table 12: Operational Efficiency of Hope Farm Junction

Hope Farm Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 237 3022

Mitigation Measure 143 3318

Operational Efficiency +94 +296

2. Long Term Measure-

Grade Separator

The signal free corridor of the

grade separator at Hope Farm
Junction proposed by BBMP was
evaluated to check the
improvements in operational
efficiency. The proposed
alignment is as shown in figure
13.

Figure 13: Proposed grade separator

alignment at Hope Farm Junction
 Traffic Management Report
26 Whitefield, Bangalore

The proposed alignment will provide a signal free corridor to the vehicles bound from Whitefield /Varthur onto Kadugodi and
visa versa. The evaluated results are as tabulated in table 12 below. The junction operations will reduce the delay by 52
sec/vehicle increasing the throughput by 846 vehicles.

Big Bazaar Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 237 3022

Mitigation Measure 185 3868

Operational Efficiency +52 +846

Hudi Junction
Hudi junction is a four arm signalized intersection of Hudi Main road and ITPL Road. The major trips that traverse across this
intersection are made to and from EPIP. As per site observations, this junction is choked up during peak hours and the reason
being the inefficiency of the existing signal phase to provide sufficient clearing space to pass the junction. As a short-term
measure, few changes in the traffic circulation plan along with the adaptation of a split signal phasing plan has been proposed.
The proposed intervention for Hudi junction will include few changes in the traffic circulation plan at ABB junction located
about 1 km away Hudi junction. The existing traffic circulation plan is as shown in figure 13 below.
 Traffic Management Report
27 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 14: Existing Traffic Circulation Pattern at Hudi Junction

1. Short Term Measure- Signal Phasing Plan

The short-term measure includes the following interventions:

A. Ban of right turn for vehicles moving from Hudi main road (from Hudi) to Whitefield Mani road towards KR Puram:
The banned right turn will use the phasing provided to the straight moving vehicles, traverse up to Graphite Junction and
use the ITPL road to reach ABB junction and make a free left. This change in circulation is illustrated in figure 14.
B. Ban of right turn for vehicles moving Hudi Main Road (from Graphite Junction) to Whitefield Main Road &
introducing a right turn phase at the ABB junction.: Vehicles banned to make a right turn at Hudi junction traversing
from Graphite junction to Whitefield Main Road should be directed to use the ITPL Road, move up to the ABB junction
and use the proposed right turning signal phase at ABB to reach Hudi junction and use the straight turn signal phase to ply
towards Hope Farm. This change in circulation is illustrated in figure 15.
 28 Whitefield, Bangalore
Traffic Management Report

Figure 15: Proposed Traffic Circulation Pattern at Hudi Junction - Case A

 29 Whitefield, Bangalore
Traffic Management Report

Figure 16: Proposed Traffic Circulation Pattern at Hudi Junction - Case B

 Traffic Management Report
30 Whitefield, Bangalore

The existing and proposed signal phase at Hudi and ABB are as shown below in table 13 and 14 respectively, where the signal
phase of Hudi is reduced from four phase to three phase plan and at ABB the three phased signal plan has increased to a four
phased plan.

Table 13: Existing and proposed signal phase plan for Hudi Junction
 Traffic Management Report
31 Whitefield, Bangalore
Table 14: Existing and Proposed signal phase plan for ABB Junction

The operational efficiency of Hudi and ABB Junction was evaluated with respect to both existing and proposed conditions. As
per the analysis, the delay of 71sec/vehicle has been reduced at Hudi Junction whereas at ABB junction the delay has increased
to 29 sec/vehicle. This change in traffic circulation pattern has increased the throughput to 631 vehicles and 17 vehicles at Hudi
and ABB junctions respectively.

The operational efficiency is tabulated in table 15.

 Traffic Management Report
32 Whitefield, Bangalore

Table 15: Operational Efficiency of Hudi and ABB Junction

Hudi Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 298 2429

Mitigation Measure 227 3060

Operational Efficiency +71 +631

ABB Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 22 2018

Mitigation Measure 51 2035

Operational Efficiency -29 +17

 Traffic Management Report
33 Whitefield, Bangalore

2. Long Term Measure- Grade Separator

The signal free corridor of the grade separator at Hudi Junction proposed by BBMP was evaluated to check the improvements in
operational efficiency. The proposed alignment at Hudi junction is aligned bothe in the north-south and the east-west direction
as shown in figure 16. In the north- south direction a four lane two-way underpass and in the east west direction a four lane two
way flyover has been proposed.

Figure 17: Proposed grade separator alignment at Hudi Junction

 Traffic Management Report
34 Whitefield, Bangalore

The operational results were evaluated and are as tabulated in table 16. The junction operations will reduce the delay by 45
sec/veh increasing the throughput by 428 vehicles.

Table 16: Operational Efficiency of Hudi and ABB Junction

Hudi Junction Delay (sec/veh) Throughput (Vehicles)

Existing 298 2429

Mitigation Measure 253 2857

Operational Efficiency +45 +428

B. Pedestrian Safety

Increased traffic, higher vehicular speed, lack of road discipline, etc. has lead to hinder the safety of pedestrian. In order to
address the issues related to pedestrian safety in the Whitefield study area, four locations have been identified to analyze and
propose the necessary mitigation measures so as to ascertain pedestrian safety.

Tin Factory Bus Stop / K R Puram Hanging Bridge

Located at the intersection of the Old Madras Road and Outer Ring Road, has over the recent years being known as the
“choked intersection” causing prolonged delay and increased travel time. Traffic plying across this intersection includes traffic
from Old Madras Road, Outer Ring Road and Bennganhalli Flyover. All these roads generate large volumes of both light
motorized vehicles and freight traffic. Adding to this is the Tin Factory bus stop located adjacent to the Tin factory generates
high number commuter traffic accessing the bus stop at grade rather than using the skywalk facility located 10 m from the bus
stop.
Although the Tin factory bus stop has a 2 number bus bay, buses bound towards KR Puram or Hoskote or the buses plying
through the cable bridge do not stop at the designated bus stop. This is mainly because the bus stop is located about 10 m from
the cable bridge and the buses do not find sufficient space to maneuver onto the cable bridge. This has lead to the formation of
an undesignated bus stop on the flyover, causing commuters to constantly move to and fro between the two adjacent bus stops.
In order to get a better visualization of the issues and the existing scenario, figure 17 has been referred.
 Traffic Management Report
35 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 18: Existing Scenario at the ramp off K.R. Puram Cable Bridge & Tin Factory Bus Stop

The reasons to the prolonged choisk were identified as follows:

1. The insufficient storage length of 171 m between the Benaganahalli Flyover and the KR Puram bridge has left no space
for easy maneuvering for the vehicles bound from Benaganahalli Flyover to move to the right before moving onto the K
R Puram Cable bridge as well as there is no room available for vehicles moving form Old Madras road to move to the
left to move onto the Outer ring Road. This scenario has been illustrated in figure 18.
 Traffic Management Report
36 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 19: Existing Traffic Scenario at Old Madras Road

2. Insufficient at grade crossing facility at the junction of the ramp of the cable bridge and the tin factory bus stop has lead
to haphazard movement of pedestrian. In spite of a skywalk being set up for the safe movement, its non-connectivity to
the undesignated bus stop has made safety to commuters at risk. This scenario has been illustrated in figure 19.
 Traffic Management Report
37 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 20: Existing Commuter Movement at Old Madras

Interventions

1. Prohibition of freight during peak hours: In spite being a National Highway, the increased volume of traffic which ply
in and out the city has lead to congestion the cable bridge junction, thus the ban of truck traffic onto Old Madras road
during the peak hours will reduce the maneuvering difficulty at the junctions as well as avail space for the vehicles to ply
through the junction more efficiently.

2. Pedestrian Signal with a Raised table top crossing: in order to ensure pedestrian safety while accessing the bus stops, a
designated bus stop with shelter of the K R Puram bridge ramp and a pedestrian signal phase with a raised table top
crossing connecting the tow bus stops have been suggested. This is as illustrated in figure 20.
 Traffic Management Report
38 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 21: Proposed Commuter Safety Measures at Tin Factory Bus Stop

Spice Garden Bus Stop

Spice garden bus stop is located on Varthur road and is mainly accessed by commuters living in the residential layouts of
Puruvankara. The residents association of Puruva Riveria has reported concerns with respect to accessibility to the bus stop and
increased vehicular speed.
The bus stop set up for the eastbound buses is located just at the down ramp of the Marathahalli Flyover. This unscientifically
located bus stop location not only blocks the vehicles moving down the flyover ramp but also risk the safety pedestrians accessing
the bus stop.
Another concern was the disconnected access between the two bus stops (both located on the eastern and western side of the
Varthur Road). The six-lane road is divided by a high raised median aligned all throughout without any lowering of median that
can act as a refuge island as well as a crossing pathway. The existing scenario is as shown in figure 21.
 Traffic Management Report
39 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 22: Existing Scenario at Spice Garden Bus Stop

Interventions

As a part of short term measures to immediately address the accessibility issues at the Spice Garden Bus stop, a set of
interventions have been proposed, namely:

a. A small piece of vacant land located adjacent to the bus stop for the east bound bus can be used a one number bus bay
and shifting bus stop at least 30-40 m away from the junction is suggested. This will ensure safety to both for pedestrians
and commuters as well as provide ample maneuvering space for the vehicle to overtake once they reach the down ramp
of the Marathalli flyover.
b. A raised tabletop crossing with a pedestrian signal of 20 seconds for every 2 min will resolve the issue of safe access to
both the bus stops. The proposed interventions are shown in figure 22.
 Traffic Management Report
40 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 23: Proposed Commuter Safety Measures at Spice Garden Bus Stop

Marathahalli Bus Stop

Marathahalli bus stop on Varthur Road is one of the busiest bus stops of Whitefield with large number of commuter traffic. In
spite of the large number, there is no proper bus stop with bus shelter. This has lead to haphazard movement of both
commuters as well as buses. Adding to this, the parking of private vehicles close to the slip road access of the Marathahalli
underpass has lead to insufficient turning radius as well as poor sight distance for the vehicles bound from Outer Ring road on
to Varthur road. Figure 23 illustrates a pictorial representation of the existing scenario at the Marathalli Bus Stop.
 Traffic Management Report
41 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 24: Existing Bus Stop Scenario at Marathalli Bus Stop

Interventions

In order to achieve orderly traffic movement at the following measures have been suggested:
a. The segregated bus bay lane to be allocated to a left turning lane.
b. The bus stop without shelter lane to be made a bus bay.
c. The parking lane to be converted into a 3 number bus bay with shelter.
 Traffic Management Report
42 Whitefield, Bangalore

The proposed explained is pictorially represented in figure 24.

Figure 25: Proposed Commuter Safety Measures at Marathahalli Bus Stop

As an alternate to the banning of parking from the junction, parking after the 3 number bus bay shelter (eastwards) has been
suggested. This reallocation of lanes will help achieve orderly traffic flow at the Marathahalli Intersection as well as ensure safety
to both pedestrians and commuters.
 Traffic Management Report
43 Whitefield, Bangalore

Figure 26: Proposed Parking Management Measures at Marathahalli Bus Stop

 Traffic Management Report
44 Whitefield, Bangalore

Conclusion

Cities play a vital role in promoting economic growth and prosperity. The development of cities largely depends upon their
physical, social, and institutional infrastructure. In this context, the importance of intraurban transportation is paramount. This
report provides an overview of urban transport issues in Whitefeild,Bangalore. Table 15 is a list of section specific proposals that
have been suggested for the study area.

Table 17: Proposed Improvement with their Implementing Agencies

SN Interventions Implementing Agencies

Short Term Measures

1 Kundanhalli: Signalization Traffic Police

2 Graphite India: Signalization Traffic Police

3 Big Bazaar: Roadway Improvements BBMP + Traffic Police

4 Hope Farm: Signalization Traffic Police

5 Hudi and ABB: Signalization Traffic Police

6 K R Puram Hanging Bridge: : Signalization Traffic Police

7 Spice Garden Bus Stop: Signalization Traffic Police

8 Marathahalli Bus Stop: Bus Bay and parking BMTC + Traffic Police
management

Long Term Measures

9 Big Bazaar: Underpass BBMP

10 Hope Farm: Underpass BBMP

11 Hudi: Flyover and Underpass BBMP

Note: The long term proposal by BBMP have been tendered and likely to be opened in year 2015.
 Traffic Management Report
45 Whitefield, Bangalore

Pedestrian Infrastructure: Whitefield Railway Station

History of Whitefield
According to the Whitefield Diaries, the history of the growth of the settlement now known as Whitefield, began in 1882 when,
the Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar granted 3,900 acres for the creation of a settlement where the European and
Anglo-Indian communities could build homes and raise farms. Whitefield was thus born, named after D.S. White who came up
with the idea of the settlement.1
Whitefield is a suburb and a part of Greater Bangalore that was established in the late 1800s as a settlement for the Eurasians of
Bangalore, which remained a quaint little settlement. Over a period, Whitefield became a village/ suburb with beautiful villas
and orchards that attracted those who worked in Kolar Gold Fields and Bangalore to come there for short holidays. In the 1900s
the IT boom hit this area with the International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB) created in 1998, an the Export Promotion
Industrial Park zone being marked in 1994 which started changing the scene of Whitefield from being rural to semi-rural in
1970’s to the IT hub of India since 1990’s, when farmers started selling acres of lands to give way to high-rise apartment
buildings, malls and IT Companies.
Whitefield Railway Station is one of the major transit centers for the IT industries and residential neighborhoods in and around
this station.

Background of the Study Area

The study is to analyze the existing pedestrian infrastructure facilities in and around Whitefield Railway Station and come up
with recommendations for improving the same. Figure 27 gives a background of the study area and shows the distances between
the existing and proposed infrastructure around the Whitefield Railway Station. It is required to know the infrastructure coming
up around an existing railway station to study the pattern of movement that will take place between these different pieces of
infrastructure. The existing infrastructure consists of the Whitefield Railway Station towards the north of the railway tracks
(mass transit), the Kadugodi flyover running perpendicular to the tracks from south to north (private vehicles and public
transport), an auto rickshaw and cycle stand towards the north of the railway tracks 300m away from the railway station
(Intermediate Para Transit & Non Motorized Transit), and a proposed Metro Station around 350m south of the railway tracks
(Mass transit).

1
Colonial diaries, Pavitra Jayaraman, Published October 14,2011, Live Mint & The Wall Street Journal. Web source:
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/F7xGHYFpUGzspLm3IOuL2O/Colonial-diaries.html
 46 Whitefield, Bangalore
Traffic Management Report

Figure 27: Background - Whitefield Railway Station

 Traffic Management Report
47 Whitefield, Bangalore

Land Use – Whitefield Railway Station surroundings

To study the surroundings around the station area and to better understand the role, land use has in the issues that pedestrians
face around this station, a land use map analysis was done for a radius of 750 m around the station (10 minute walking
distance). The following observations were made through this analysis.

Immediate vicinity of the railway station has land uses which includes medium to high density and mixed uses, which include
mixed use residential to the north of the station and sparcely developed lands to its south.

Source: Revised Master Plan 2015

Residential (Main) Parks & Open Spaces Whitefield Railway Station

Unclassified Use
Public/ Semi-public ½ mile/ 750m radius around the
Residential (Mixed) station
Commercial
Industrial
 Traffic Management Report
48 Whitefield, Bangalore

Mobility Diagram

Figure 28: Mobility Diagram

The above is a mobility diagram, showing the flows of different modes around the Whitefield Railway station and the Kadugodi
Bus Stand. The diagram indicates that pedestrians have to tread dangerous routes to get to and from the Railway Station. They
either have to cross the railway tracks that are non-signalized with no gates for at grade crossing of pedestrians and get on to the
platform or have to travel around 350 m after crossing the railway line to get to the Railway Station. There exists a cycle stand at
the northern side of the railway tracks and an IPT stand on either sides of the track.
 Traffic Management Report
49 Whitefield, Bangalore

A survey was conducted at the railway crossing to count the number of pedestrians crossing the tracks per day and it
was found that around 21,315 pedestrians cross this track every day to get on either sides of it. It was noticed that more
people cross over from the bus stand to Kadugodi during evening peak and from Kadugodi towards the bus stand
during the morning peak, which clearly indicates that people from various parts of the city and from Kadugodi are
moving out of the Whitefield Railway Station in the mornings (work trips) and are coming back to the station area to
disperse off to their homes during the evening (home based trip)

Total Number of Pedestrians Crossing/ Day

Evening Peak Morning Peak Total Number of people

3265
Bus Stand to Kadugodi 610
11480
750 21,315
Kadugodi to Bus Stand 2520
9835

KADUGODI

KADUGODI BUS
STAND

Figure 29: Line Diagram of Pedestrians crossing the Railway Tracks

 Traffic Management Report
50 Whitefield, Bangalore

Along with the pedestrian counts done at the railway

tracks, a rail passenger interview survey was also carried Boarding Passengers
out, and the boarding and alighting passengers were asked
Others
in this interview, about their mode of travel to get to and 0%
Cycle
from the Railway station. The pie charts clearly show the Rickshaw
Walk
22% 0%
modes by which the passengers use.
Bus Cycle
44% 3%
Majority of the boarding (44%) and alighting (49%)
passengers, use bus as their primary mode to get to the
Motorcycle
railway station, which explains the line diagram in the Autoricksha 1%
previous page, where most of the pedestrian movement w
30%
during morning and evening peaks was towards the
Private Car
Kadugodi Bus Stand. 0%
Taxi
0%
The next majority is of people using the auto rickshaws as
a mode of travel to and from the railway station with 30%
of the boarding passengers and 25% of the alighting Alighting Passengers
passengers using this mode. Others
0%
The third major mode used by boarding (22%) and
Walk
alighting (14%) passengers was found to be walking, 14%
followed by cycling.
Cycle
It is worth noting that almost negligible percentage of the 10%
Bus Cycle
passengers travel using personal modes like cars and 49% Rickshaw
2%
motorcycles. This could indicate the income levels of
people or that people prefer using public transport and
Autorickshaw Motorcycle
25% 0%
IPT and NMT to transfer to the railways. Taxi
0%
Private Car
0%
 Traffic Management Report
51 Whitefield, Bangalore

Pedestrian Safety Issues

The major problems around the Whitefield Railway Station are listed below:
a. Around 50 trains pass this junction everyday. (Source: South Western Railways)
b. Goods trains that pass this junction per day are 20-30 (which are around 58-45 wagons long). Goods - Trains Park at this
station as the Goods terminal station next to this station is always busy. (Source: South Western Railways)
c. Death statistics as recorded at this station in 2012 was 17.
Analysis from the above observations:
a. Accidents are caused due to lack of good pedestrian infrastructure to cross the railway lines as shown in the pictures below.
b. There is no integration of Bus Stand, Railway station and other IPT and NMT modes around the Whitefield Railway Station.

Figure 30: Pictures showing difficulties faced by pedestrians to cross over the railway tracks

Source of the photographs:

DULT
 Traffic Management Report
52 Whitefield, Bangalore

Addressing the Pedestrian woes

There are two phases of addressing the woes of the pedestrian at this location.

Pedestrian Infrastructure Proposals at Whitefield Railway Station

Long Term: Intermodal Transit Hub and

Short Term: Safe Pedestrian crossing along
related pedestrians improvements around
the railway tracks
the hub

Short Term Proposal:

For the comfort and safety of passengers transferring from railways to any other modes around the station which include buses,
auto rickshaws, cycles or private modes, there needs to be a seamless connection between the railway platforms where people
board and alight the train, and the bus stand, IPT stand and Cycle/Car/ Two wheelers parking facilities. Thus a few design
alternatives for this connectivity have been created and the same discussed below.

DESIGN SCENARIO 1:
At Grade Pedestrian Crossing
Proposal: At Grade Pedestrian crossing
involves, Laying of asphalt to make a leveled
walkway to cross the railway tracks. This will
also involve signalizing this junction for
pedestrians.
The strength of this proposal is that it is cost
effective and will take lesser time for
implementation as well.
On the downside, this will require that the
train signals be pushed behind the pedestrian
crossing and will also involve technical
 Traffic Management Report
53 Whitefield, Bangalore

difficulties such as changing fouling distances by the Indian Railways (Fouling Distance is the minimum distance that is given to
a train to park such that another train can easily pass by). At present the goods trains are parked for hours blocking the
pedestrians from crossing the railway tracks. The option of not allowing these goods trains at this station was studied, as the
Goods terminal station is just the next station after the Whitefield Station, but this had to be turned down, as the reason for the
goods train to be parked at Whitefield station is the lack of optimum parking stations at the Goods Terminal Station and hence
these trains have to wait at the Whitefield Station until a parking spot is available for unloading.

Figure 31: The present crossing condition when goods trains are parked at the Whitefield Railway Station

Some examples of at-grade pedestrian crossings around railway lines are shown below. The important elements of this kind of
crossing includes, security gates on either side of the railway tracks, which are either signalized or manually monitored. This will
help the pedestrians be aware of moving trains and hence prevent collisions and accidents.

Figure 32: Examples of Pedestrian Automatic Gate and Swing gates; Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration; Websource:
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/com_roaduser/07010/sec09.htm
 Traffic Management Report
54 Whitefield, Bangalore

DESIGN SCENARIO 2: Integrating bus stand into the existing railway station
This alternative was studied as a beginning to integrate the two different modes (railway station & bus stand) present in each
other’s vicinity. This alternative entails the bus stand to be shifted to the northern side of the rail track. Alternatively, bus bays
can be provided in the parking lot of the railway station so that people transferring to and from the railway station need not
have to cross the tracks. The strengths of this proposal is that the railway station, in its existing form or with some
additions/renovations will act as a multimodal hub serving railway and bus users. To augment this proposal there is existing
auto rickshaw stand and cycle stand on the northern side of the railway tracks for the last mile connectivity.

Figure 33: Showing the Design Scenario 2

 Traffic Management Report
55 Whitefield, Bangalore

However this alternative does not take care of the integration of the Proposed Metro Station with the other modes and hence
will need other integration methods discussed in the subsequent section on Intermodal Transit Hubs (IMTH). Also this
alternative will need an extensive route rationalization exercise to decide whether this option is feasible, as the bus stops on the
existing bus route (shown in yellow line in Figure 33) will have to be studied as to whether a lot of bus riders get off at these two
stops before the Kadugodi Bus stand.

DESIGN SCENARIO 3: Proposed Foot Over Bridge (FOB) across the Railway Line
In this alternative a skywalk is proposed to connecting the northern and southern sides of the railway tracks as shown in Figure
34 so that there is easy and safe access to the pedestrians. It is also suggested that there be connections to the platform for people
who want to access the platforms so that they don’t have to walk 300m to the railway station (As shown in Figure 27 & 28) after
getting to the northern side of the tracks or tread any unsafe paths (railway tracks) to get to the platforms. This proposed FOB
along with developing the Kadugodi Bus Stand as a multimodal hub, (Discussed in the subsequent section – Long Term
Proposal: Intermodal Transit Hub) having interchanging facilities for the different modes (Railway Station, Bus Stand, Metro,
auto rickshaw, cycle stand and, private vehicles) present in the vicinity, will be a holistic approach to the problems faced by
pedestrians in this study area.

Figure 34: Proposed Foot over bridge

 Traffic Management Report
56 Whitefield, Bangalore

The points to be kept in mind while designing this foot over bridge are:
• The access to this bridge should be old, disable and passenger friendly, which means that there needs to be
incorporation of ramps/ escalators and elevators by means of which the bridge can be accessed.
• The Foot over bridge and its access should be covered for protection from sun and rain.
• In this case, the bridge should be designed in a way that gives flexibility for future expansion of the railway lines (with
the suburban rail in inception)
Some examples of the footbridges across the world that have been built above the railway lines have been shown below.

Figure 35: Examples of some of the foot over bridges built over railway lines
 Traffic Management Report
57 Whitefield, Bangalore

Long Term Proposal: Inter-Modal Transit Hubs (IMTH)

What is an Inter-Modal Transit Hub?
With growing urban population, city sizes and hence distances that this urban population travels for various purposes, a variety
of travel modes were developed depending on the length of trips and comfort of the traveller. Historically the modes that
transported larger masses (railways/ports) and travelled longer distances became the hubs/nodes for interchange. Today, with a
plethora of travel mode options available, a more robust interchange could be imagined.
When two or more modes of transport intersect or evolve next to one another to better serve the interpolation of short and long
mobility, an Inter-Modal Transit Hub is derived. The main purpose of a hub is making a common roof for people to transfer
from one form of mobility mode to another with minimum hassles. A transit hub is thus generally more sustainable.

Need for a Inter-Modal Transit Hub

An inter-modal transit hub is required for the following purposes:
1. Provides a hub for interfacing and interconnecting a variety of intercity, regional and local public transport systems
within a single facility.
2. Lowering transportation costs by allowing each mode to be used for the portion of the trip for which it is best suited.
3. Reducing burden on overstressed infrastructure components (roads) by shifting use to infrastructure with excess capacity
(mass transit).
4. Generating higher returns from public and private infrastructure investments
5. Improving mobility for the elderly, disabled, isolated and economically disadvantaged.
6. Reducing energy consumption and contributing to improve air quality and environmental conditions.
7. Improve capacity and reliability.
8. Intermodal transit hubs tend to be strong attractors for transit-oriented development (TOD), often being transformed
into destinations in their own right. [TOD is the functional integration of land use and transit via the creating of
compact, walk able, mixed-use communities within walking distance of a transit stop or station.]2

2
Intermodal Surface Public Transport Hubs: Harnessing Synergy for success in America’s Urban and Intercity Travel; Capital Metropolitan Transportation
Authority & Capital Area Rural Transportation System, Austin, Texas. Web source: http://www.vtpi.org/henry_marsh.pdf
 Traffic Management Report
58 Whitefield, Bangalore

Facilities at the Inter Modal Transit Hub

An intermodal transit hub is a place where different modes of transport intersect and transfers happen, and hence is subject to a
lot of activities inside of it, that involve around travel, transit, waiting, and other forms of recreation and relaxation. Thus a
number of facilities should be provided to address all these activities. Some of the facilities are mentioned below:
• Helpdesk/ Kiosk
• Ticket counters
• Waiting Halls (Different for various modes, accompanied by announcements for departure/ arrival of those modes)
• Restaurants/ Cafes/ Refreshment area (helps rejuvenate passengers during their wait and also can help earn revenue)
• Cloak Rooms
• Resting facilities for passengers and drivers
• Sign-ages and announcements for different travel modes
• Parking area for cycles, auto-rickshaws and private modes of travel
• Retail/ Shopping area (where one can purchase groceries and other daily use/ other products while waiting or
transferring and can serve as revenue generator)

In Context
As identified in the previous section, in Design Scenario 3, the conditions at the Whitefield Railway Station junction are ripe
for a possible Intermodal Hub and the associated pedestrian improvements for easy transfer from one mode to another. There
are a few different design options that can be studied further for integrating the modes present currently as well as the ones that
will appear in context in the future. Some of the case studies done for understanding the standards and the way it is done all
over the world is discussed in the next section and subsequently the design options presented.
 Traffic Management Report
59 Whitefield, Bangalore

Case Study
In most international cases, where intermodal transit is a practice, railway stations have been converted to interject various
mobility options under the roof of these old architectural marvels, making them a destination in itself and hence making it a
lively place 24/7. One such example has been discussed below.

1. Regional Intermodal and Multimodal Facility: Union Station, Washington D.C.

The Union Station in Washington D.C. is one of the busiest and best-known places in Washington D.C. Serving as an
extremely busy intermodal hub, Union Station is served by Amtrak (intercity rail passenger service), Maryland Rail Commuter
(MARC) and Virginia Railway Express (regional passenger rail transit systems), Washington transit system of MetroBus buses
and MetroRail subway trains. Washington D.C.’s Union Station
illustrates well how intermodal hubs can become destinations in
their own right.3 Along with its busy mobility functions, this station
boasts an upscale shopping center, food court, and multi-screen
movie theatre.

Figure 36: Washington D.C. Union Station, USA

3
Intermodal Surface Public Transport Hubs: Harnessing Synergy for success in America’s Urban and Intercity Travel; Capital Metropolitan Transportation
Authority & Capital Area Rural Transportation System, Austin, Texas. Web source: http://www.vtpi.org/henry_marsh.pdf
 Traffic Management Report
60 Whitefield, Bangalore

High-density urban environments usually accommodate a varied mix of facilities; each designed to serve a specific function.
Union Station in Washington D.C., includes nearly every mode and trip type. The L’Enfant Plaza in the Union Station of
Washington D.C. allows commuter rail passengers to transfer to either bus or heavy rail, and heavy rail passengers to transfer
between lines. 4 Figure 37 shows a typical intermodal facility with the activities around it and the multiple modes that it harbors
within it.

Figure 37: Pictographic representation of activities around an urban intermodal and multimodal facility in USA

4
Planning and Urban Design Standards; By American Planning Association, Frederick R. Steiner, Kent Butler
 Traffic Management Report
61 Whitefield, Bangalore

Proposals
Proposal 1: Intermodal Transit Hub at the Whitefield Railway Station
As seen in most of the international cases, railway stations have been historically used as hubs for transfers into different modes
of transit, as people coming from outside the town needed to disperse within the town using these modes. Thus the Whitefield
Railway Station was studied as a potential Intermodal hub, which could serve these transfers.

Figure 38: Proposed Intermodal Hub at Whitefield Railway Station

The reasons that the Whitefield Railway Station might not work as a possible Intermodal Transit hub are as follows:

a) The Railway Station is farther apart from the other two modes that need to be connected, which are the Kadugodi Bus
Stand and the proposed Metro Station, and hence it will cost much more in infrastructure to make connections
 Traffic Management Report
62 Whitefield, Bangalore

between all of these different modes, unless either the bus stand is shifted into the railway station or the Metro Station
and the existing Kadugodi Bus Stand are integrated into the same complex at the existing Kadugodi Bus Stand location.

b) Making the railway station as an intermodal transit hub will work best if the bus stand shifts to the station and this will
require an intense route rationalization exercise, which might make sense once the Metro Station is in place.

Proposal 2: Intermodal Transit Hub at the Kadugodi Bus Stand

Kadugodi Bus Stand is centrally located to the different modes of mobility that includes Whitefield Railway Station which has
intercity railways, and the proposed suburban railways; the Kadugodi bus stand itself (which has connecting buses to the
international airport) and the proposed Metro Station, along with the different IPT modes and supporting NMT facilities like
cycling and walking.

This proposals strength is that since the location of it is central, the required connectivity can be broken into two: one serving

Figure 39: Proposed Intermodal Hub at Kadugodi Bus Stand

 Traffic Management Report
63 Whitefield, Bangalore

connectivity between the intermodal hub and the railway station and the other serving connectivity between the intermodal hub
and proposed Metro Station.

Institutional Co-ordination:

This proposal can include the possible shifting of the proposed Metro Station, to be placed at the current bus stand location and
a suitable institutional coordination (between BMTC and BMRCL) could be proposed, to make an intermodal hub at the
current Kadugodi Bus Stand location.

Shifting the proposed Metro

Station and integrating it
into the Intermodal Hub

Figure 40: Diagram showing shifting the Metro Station to integrate with existing Kadugodi bus stand/ proposed Intermodal Transit Hub
 Traffic Management Report
64 Whitefield, Bangalore

Proposal 3: Intermodal Transit Hub at the Proposed Metro Station

Since the Metro Station is a proposed Metro Station, it could be easily integrated to be an intermodal hub. The existing
Kadugodi Bus Stand can also be shifted to this place, to have bus operations on the ground and metro station above with

Shifting the existing bus stand

and integrating it with the
proposed metro station

Figure 41: Proposed Intermodal Transit hub at the Proposed Metro Station

connectivity to the railway station at grade or through skywalks/subways.

The reasons that the Proposed Metro Station might be a more expensive option for the possible Intermodal Transit hub is as
follows:

a) The distance of the proposed Metro Station from the other two existing stations (Whitefield Railway Station &
Kadugodi Bus Stand) is considerably larger and hence more investment needs to be done into pedestrian infrastructure
if these three need to be connected effectively.
 Traffic Management Report
65 Whitefield, Bangalore

Proposed Facilities at the Intermodal Transit Hub

The Intermodal Transit Hub needs to attract people from all sections of the society and hence needs to have activities that are
suitable for any class of the society to feel comfortable recreating while waiting for their transfers. At the same time, the facility
needs to generate revenues to sustain itself, such that it could be maintained at healthier standards. Thus a combination of
activities that could be enjoyed by all classification of economic groups needs to be introduced. Some of the major activities that
can come into the intermodal hub are:
• Helpdesk/ Kiosk: At the entrance and on each floor to help people with queries and questions.
• Ticket counters: For the sale of direct tickets and transfer tickets
• Self-ticket purchasing booths: This serves like the ATM machines, where people could buy their own tickets once they
know how to do so.
• Waiting Halls: Different for various modes, accompanied by announcements for departure/ arrival of those modes
• Restaurants/ Cafes/ Refreshment area: helps rejuvenate passengers during their wait and also can help earn revenue
• Cloak Rooms
• Resting facilities for passengers and drivers
• Restrooms: Having paid showering facilities for people using cycles
• Sign-ages and announcements for different travel modes: This will make the spaces more interactive and will help
people move around with ease.
• Parking area for cycles and private modes of travel: Private modes can have restricted parking, and preferential parking
can be for cycles, followed by electric vehicles.
• Pre-Paid Auto-rickshaw facilties can be provided
• Retail/ Shopping area: where one can purchase groceries and other daily use/ other products while waiting or
transferring and can serve as revenue generator

Pedestrian Improvements around the Intermodal Transit Hub

Any of these proposals need to be supplemented by a good pedestrian infrastructure plan. The plan can be a combination of
either only an at-grade pedestrian infrastructure development or a combination of subways and skywalks to bring in the much-
needed connectivity for transfers to happen between different modes. At-grade improvements are a must in either case, as people
using NMT modes, to get to the hub need to have a proper footpath to walk on and a cycle track to cycle on. These when
combined with the Intermodal transit hub will have a greater sustainable impact, by not only attracting more people to use
Public transport but also to reduce the use of private modes.
 Traffic Management Report
66 Whitefield, Bangalore

Way Forward
The above proposals given for the implementation of an Intermodal Transit Hub at the Whitefield Railway Station can only be
successful when a detailed feasibility of the same is completed and a Detailed Project Report prepared for the same. The
components of making a successful integration of different modes and proposing the Intermodal Transit hub are:
• Proven pedestrian activity (moderate-heavy): The pedestrian surveys across the railway tracks have been conducted and
the other surveys required would be
o How many people use each of the existing modes of transit (railways and the buses).
o How many people transfer from one mode to another
o Projected ridership of the Metro and how many of them will be willing to take the Metro in the future
o What is the last mile connectivity for each of the people interviewed
o Projected ridership of Suburban Railways
o Railway data of number of trains and passengers at the station per day
o Bus routes travelling via Kadugodi Station as well as routes whose end station is Kadugodi
o Feeder buses that might be proposed from surrounding job centers into this hub
• Presence of different modes converging at one place: There is a definite presence of more than two modes at the
Whitefield Railway Station Junction that includes the Intercity Railways, Proposed Suburban Railways, Intra-city buses
(BMTC) and Airport buses, Proposed Metro. There could be a Feasibility study on bringing in intercity buses (KSRTC
and other intercity bus providers) also at this station to make it a more robust hub.
• A detailed activity list needs to be thought about, to see the kind of structure and design that can be proposed. A well-
designed Intermodal hub will not only make it a destination, but also help it thrive in the long run. Thus investments
need to be made by inviting top notch architects to come up with good design proposals for these centers, that can be of
international standards (like the Bangalore International Airport).
• Study of demographics of the passengers using these services. This study will help determine the kind of activities to be
introduced in the Intermodal hub to sustain and maintain it.
o People’s incomes that use Railways/ buses and those that might use Metro and suburban railway in the future.
o People’s ages who use railways/ buses and those that might use Metro and suburban railway in the future
The above study will be carried out as a part of a detailed Feasibility study for the introduction of the Intermodal Hub at
Whitefield. This intermodal hub will serve many sustainable policies of the NUTP by serving as an effective push-pull factor to
push people using private modes to start using public transport and pull them into more sustainable means by provision of the
right infrastructure for them to feel safe and comfortable using this facility.
 Traffic Management Report
67 Whitefield, Bangalore

Conclusion
Intermodal transit hubs have a tremendous potential for creating larger and an interconnected public transport transit systems
that can effectively bolster urban sustainability and livability as well as contributing to solutions for traffic congestions and the
worsening problems related to energy use, petroleum availability, and greenhouse gas emissions. There is a major need to
effectively encourage and finance the development of such facilities wherever feasible with the integration of government
agencies, private sectors and the community. Currently the weakest links in the current transportation system are the points of
transfer between modes and since in the current system the different modes are funded and managed separately, responsibility
of strengthening these links is the key for DULT. Even though there is a mention of Intermodal connectivity in the central
government policy in the form of National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), there is no detailed guidelines or studies done on
the same. It becomes even more difficult when such modal integration involves the Indian Railways, which is under the central
government, and hence an effective approach needs to be sought. Thus a centrally coordinated program taken up by DULT will
foster the sustainable development of such hubs, leading to stronger connectivity.