Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Bangsar LRT station

To satisfy my own curiosity, I want to see first hand what a LRT station looks like. Of course I have seen a LRT station before, but this time I will pay more attention to the details.

I am interested in particular one that is quite similar to the future station no. 5 in BK 3, elevated over a multi-lane highway.

And I found one in Bangsar.

Bangsar LRT station sits on top of Jalan Bangsar. Not exactly a highway but also has a few lanes of traffic running both directions.

The support system and size of the station is also quite similar to station no. 5 that we are getting in BK 3.

So I went for a drive. As I was approaching Bangsar LRT station, I could see the LRT tracks. It was easily 12 metre or 4 storeys high. If I am not wrong, the track around BK 3 area will be even higher at about 15 to 16 metres in height, or around 5 to 6 storeys high.

Looking at the track, I ask myself does anyone want this as the view in front of their houses instead of some green trees for the rest of their lives? I think everyone will agree with me the answer will be a very resounding NO. No one in their right mind will ever want that.


The next thing I notice was it got very dark underneath the station, almost like a tunnel. In fact I felt like I was driving through a tunnel when passing underneath the station.


There are plenty of taxis idling there waiting to pick up passengers. Not only taxis, passenger cars as well. I didn't stay there for long, as the air quality was not really that great.

I can feel that the ventilation was not good in the tunnel-like structure underneath the station. With all the exhaust from the cars and taxis, it gets worse.


I was trying to think where I have seen a station with long lines of cars parking, waiting to pick up people at the drop off zone. I know I have seen it somewhere before. Then I remember it was Kelana Jaya station.

Although that station has a drop-and-ride system at one side, there are always long line of taxis and cars PARKING at the drop off zone waiting to pick people up, causing very bad traffic jams in LDP any time of the day.

Station no. 5 in BK 3 is also a designed drop-and-ride system. I can foresee there will be long lines of taxis and passenger cars parking at the drop off zone already.  

Bukit Jalil highway will eventually become a second LDP. That is not a very pleasing thought.

I walked pass outside of the station area.

Even on a Sunday, I could see cars are parking at the back of other cars. This is not a good sign. I am starting to wonder what will happen to future station no. 5 in BK 3. Will people park their cars indiscriminately in front of our houses?


As I kept on walking farther, I was finally far enough to take in the whole view of the GIGANTIC station. I must admit the station with it's support system was much bigger than I think. In my mind I kept having this image of a tiny little bus-stop-like station that will be the future station no. 5 in BK 3. I was wrong. If station no. 5 is similar to Bangsar station, the station will be HUGE!



On the way home, I just couldn't erase the image of the LRT tracks and station no. 5 a few feet away in front of our houses in BK 3, replacing the trees in the green lung area. Will the quiet neigborhood of BK 3 be the same residential area that it is now?

I drove away with more questions than answers.


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