TRANSPORT PLAN FOR CITY

Presentation to Urban Development Authority, Colombo

Amal S. Kumarage Department of Civil Engineering University of 2001 PRESENT ISSUES URBAN SPRAWL

Due to Urban Sprawl, the commuting distances between employment and business activities within the city and its residential areas are increasing. DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASED ACTIVITY ALONG THE CORRIDORS

Due to uncontrolled roadside activities, available capacity on major radial corridors is restricted and travel speeds are deteriorating especially for trips made between home and work. DETERIORATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Due to inability of public transport to improve quality and supply, the increasing incomes have translated to a rapid shift commuters to private vehicles, outstripping road widening and causing heavy peak period congestion on all road corridors. A MODE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR CIRCULATION WITHIN COLOMBO

The inability to provide a good public transport service for travel within Colombo City has resulted in heavy dependence on private vehicles for short distance travel within the city causing high demand for roadside parking and severe congestion during the work day particularly in the commercial areas of the city. DISAPPERARING BUS TERMINALS AND INTERCHANGE FACILITIES

Bus Terminals and parking areas within the city and in the suburbs have gradually been taken over for commercial purpose. Inter-modal linkages particularly between rail and bus have also been considerably weakened right across the city . The most serious is in where at least four bus terminals that were in operations have been closed entirely . As a results of the non development of new terminals and closure of existing bus terminals in other parts of the city has led to increased pressure on Pettah. Consequently, a large number of bus and rail passengers travel to the center of the city purely for the purpose of transferring from one bus to another or between train and bus. There are now at least four bus terminals and the railway station spread across a vast area, and the resulting pedestrian traffic between these causes much congestion and chaos within Pettah. INAPPROPRIATE BUS ROUTING

Bus service have not adapted to change with the expanding city. Nearly 60 percent of buses entering the city still terminate at the city center causing a a huge burden of parking and circulation particularly in the Pettah area. HEAVY TRAFFIC CIRCULATION AROUND THE BEIRA LAKE

The business activities once concentrated in the CBD having migrated to areas such as , Town Hall, has resulted in large day time traffic flows on the roads around the Beira Lake and congestion is experienced particularly at the intersections of these roads. Existing Traffic Circles in CBD and Congestion at Intersections TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

There is no traffic management strategy for Colombo that ensures roads and intersections are managed to their maximum available capacity. Lack of such a strategy has resulted in allowing developments that generate traffic volumes far in excess of the facilities for parking and movement available in the locality. Most areas within the city are becoming intensely motorised and thereby the land use and street activities are being changed in a subtle but steady manner. There is also no clear policy on traffic management. For example, no strategies have been formulated to deal with effects of major trip generators such as schools, as such. INTERVENTIONS & DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS QUESTION # 1

An extensive area of land within the City of Colombo is presently occupied by the defense establishments, as well as numerous informal residential settlements. There is also land owned by the Railways in the CBD area. The UDA proposes to relocate all the defense establishments to Pelawatte and also redevelop the lands that presently occupy informal housing. Both these actions will release considerably large amounts of lands for alternate development. The question arising from this possibility is that, given the present experience of ever increasing problems of congestion in travel to and from Colombo, as well as in circulation within it, would such a move to re develop vacating land be sustainable in the long-term, especially when it is known that as incomes increase, the use of private vehicles will also increase thus further burdening the existing road network. QUESTION # 2

Therefore if one were to assume that all or some of these transport based solutions (to Question # 1) are possible to some extent, then there is the possibility that Colombo City can attract and retain some more development-even up to doubling it present level of activity. In which case, we should know what type of development is best suited for Colombo City and where it should be located. QUESTION # 3

In order to achieve the above, does Colombo need an interventionist policy with regards to Land Use and Transport? Alternately, is what is required a policy of providing more of what has been provided in the past, in terms of the widening of existing roads, improving railway lines, providing more buses and trains or the rebuilding of existing terminals and stations and indeed developing land areas that are already in high demand? RECOMMENDATIONS © POLICY

© STRATEGY

© SPECIFIC PROJECT/ACTIONS