What's next?

With the construction of Ampang LRT line continues, our fight for realignment still hangs in the balance. We have exhausted almost all avenues in our fight, but continue to reach out to the people that can possibly help us to find a solution.

On Tuesday, 4th of July, we finally get another chance.

This time with the help of Dato Yap Pian Hon, we managed to arrange a meeting between Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, chairman of Suruhanjaya Pengakutan Awan Darat (SPAD), Dato Yap, Prasarana and BK3 protem committee members.

Meeting in SPAD's office

We again presented our case with several proposed options for the realignment of the LRT track. However, Prasarana again citing technical and cost as some of the reasons that are preventing them from further pursuing the possibility of realignment.

In addition, some of technical issues also involve possibilities of restructuring the ramp and highway alignment, which fall under the jurisdiction of JKR. All that will probably involve additional funding as well.

Unfortunately, SPAD mentioned that their hands are tied in our realignment issue. They have no say in anything that involves cost. Unless there is instruction from higher authority, there is really nothing much they can do.

They also mentioned we are probably a little late in highlighting this issue, even though we told them since as far back as in 2009, when the project was announced, we have already voiced our concerned. We then continue to highlight the issue again many times since beginning of 2011, when the project was awarded, non stop until now. Most of our correspondences are copied and hand delivered to SPAD as well.

However, SPAD did mention anything is still possible and ask Prasarana to stop cutting the trees at the green lung until this is officially settled.

One thing we must highlight is Prasarana has already obtained all the necessary approvals from all relevant authorities to construct the track at the green lung. In other words, they have the legal right to go ahead with the tree cuttings and construction of the tracks at our green lung.

As with station no. 5, it is still put on hold at this moment, and we hope it remains so forever. For the convenience of BK3 residents, there is a station no. 4 walking distance away at BK2 that can serve our community equally well.

Meanwhile, we will continue to take our fight to the next level.

Prasarana must try harder to realign track from green lung to median!

This morning BK 3 residents came out in full force, urging Prasarana to try harder in order to move the LRT track away from their green lung area to the median.

No one is against the LRT project, the residents just have a simple request.

The message is loud and clear.

SAVE OUR TREES
NO LRT TRACK NEXT TO OUR HOUSES
NO NOISE POLLUTION
GIVE US BACK THE GREEN BUFFER ZONE
RAISE UP STATION 04 & THE TRACK TO CLEAR THE RAMP
LISTEN TO THE 'RAKYAT'

AND.. PRASARANA MUST TRY HARDER TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

A big "THANK YOU" for all the residents who turned up and showed their support this morning.

Show your support, save our green lung!

After all this while, we still can not be sure if the realignment of the track can be done. Although we manage to get them to cancel station no. 5, that only solves half of our problem. The track will still be running at our green lung. We still want some answers.

Do you need some update? Do you still want to save our green lung?

Show up this Saturday morning at Jalan BK 3/3C to show your support. Reporters will be here to hear what you have to say. We will also try to answer some questions that you might have. Show up with you own placard. Stand up and be counted.

Date: 21st April 2012
Day: Saturday

Location: Jalan BK 3/3C (near pedestrian bridge)

Time: 9:00am sharp

Show your support, save our green lung

As many of you know, some of the trees have been cut to make way for the new LRT track. We have been trying very hard to have them stop temporarily. However, there is no promise that the realignment can be done. The tree cutting exercise may continue again very soon. Are you concern that the trees will be cut? The tracks too close to our homes? Green lung lost forever? Don't let them do this to us. We want our community the way it is.

Stop cutting our trees!

 
Let's show up in full force again to save our green lung. Don't let them cut our trees.

Hear the sound of chainsaw? Trees gone forever?

It has occurred to us that some of the residents, especially those staying at Jalan BK 3/3B, 3/3C and 3/3E, are still not awared that the green lung right in front of the their houses will be gone forever very soon.

All these trees will be chopped down & replaced with LRT track.

In case the residents haven't found out yet, the new Ampang line LRT track will be running RIGHT AT OUR GREEN LUNG, and not at the middle of Bukit Jalil highway.

In other words, all the TREES WILL BE CUT to make room for the new LRT tracks.

All the trees cut. This is what our green lung will look like very soon.

In fact, it can happen any moment now. Although  we are still fighting to keep the track off the green lung, the answer we get from Prasarana is not too encouraging. Although at this moment station no. 5 is cancelled, we are still left with the task of trying to get the track off our green lung.

That's why we need you, especially those staying at BK 3/3B, 3/3C and 3/3E to come forward to SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, since you are affected the most by this development.

Yes, you better wake up

There is a briefing again tomorrow at the time at location listed below that we want you to attend:

Date: 24th. March, Saturday

Time: 6pm (evening)

Location: 1, Jalan BK 3/3C (in front of En. Amin's house)
(near pedestrian bridge)

We will update all residents of the latest development on the LRT project. 

Time is running out. This will be our last-ditch effort trying to make something happen.

It is time to wake up before it is too late.

p/s: This blog is not going to reach everyone. So we need a favour. Check and see if your neighbours are awared of the problem. If not, inform them. Then ask them to inform their neigbours too..

The long wait

Many residents in BK 3 are losing their patience with SPNB (Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad), especially when they saw some LRT track preliminary work had started in our area.

A big pile of sand at green lung area, and some digging work

There were drilling frames for soil investigation work at our area for quite some time now. At certain areas the workers had even started to do some digging work to lay the underground cables.

Cable laying work

This morning there was a land surveyor doing some surveying at the green lung area. Obviously he was doing some surveying work for the new LRT extension.

Land surveyor doing work and soil investigation work

The residents had actually met and talked to SPNB three times since the LRT track and station no. 5 issues arose.

Just a few days ago SPNB had told us their consultants are finalizing their alternative proposals with a few options regarding realignment of LRT track and possible relocation of station no. 5.

SPNB had given us assurance no actual construction work will begin until our issues are settled.

We were also told SPNB will submit their proposals to MPSJ some time next week. After which a meeting will be held between BK 3 residents, SPNB and MPSJ to discuss the issues. Eventually MPSJ will have the final say on all the proposals.

There is still a long way to go...

It is the little things that count.

BK 3 is a considerable low density residential area with simple amenities. Life is peaceful and quiet around here.

We are blessed to have a large playground with open green area that has a football field and a basketball court. For a small housing like ours, I must say our green area size is the envy of many others.

Large green area and playground

In the morning we can see people jogging and walking at the track around the park, or groups doing their exercises.

There are even more people in the evening, either playing a game of football or basketball. There are also kids playing at the playground and youngsters riding bicycles at the track. It is full of life.

Football field

BK 3 also connects easily to other areas. From Bukit Jalil highway we can get to KL, Sunway, IOI, Kesas highway and Shah Alam. The other direction in housing roads we can get to Jalan Puchong , Old Klang road and then PJ easily.

Unfortunately, no housing is perfect. Ours have some shortcomings as well.

There are only two entry-and-exit points for BK 3. One to Bukit Jalil highway and the other via Jalan Kinrara 4 to Jalan Puchong. Although we can get to other places easily, we must use either of this points.

BK 3 with two entry-and-exit points

That becomes a problem during morning rush hours, when parents are sending their kids to school, and residents going off to work. Two entry-and-exit points are just not enough for our housing.

In addition, with the newly open Kesas highway access road at Kinrara interchage to Old Klang Road, the outside traffic going through BK 3 and Jalan Kinrara 4 leading up to that access has also increased tremendously, making getting out of BK 3 more unbearable at times.

Traffic in the morning

On top of that roadside parking is also a big concern for our residents. With mostly landed properties, BK 3 does however has a few apartment blocks. We all know very well no apartment will ever have enough parking spaces for their residents. The apartment residents have no choice but to park their cars outside of their compound.

Road side parking

Jalan BK 3/7 facing Kasturi apartment in particular has this big parking problem. Being a very narrow street, with cars parking at both sides of the road, it can only allow one car to pass at anytime. This makes driving on that road a test of patience for most of the drivers.

Two way street blocked by parked cars

We must bear in mind that the future LRT station no. 5 is not only catered to the residents of BK 3. Anyone from nearby housings like Puchong Jaya, Taman Kinrara and Taman Bukit Kuchai for example will want to use the station as well.   

The only way they can reach the station is driving into BK 3. 
 

Morning traffic

While some of outsiders will pass by and drop off or pick up their family members, there are others who will just take advantage of the FREE parking at our road side.

Now imagine for a second our roads all jammed up with the additional traffic, and our roadside full of outsiders' cars. This is not how a residential housing should look like.

Besides traffic and parking, there is also a concern of noise pollution created by the new LRT trains.

It is not as quiet as you think.

If the new LRT tracks and station no. 5 are at our green lung area, residents who stay a few rows away can probably still hear the squeaking sound when the train handles the curves, breaking or starting off from a station.

SPNB will want you to believe the modern LRT is very quiet, but reality tells us otherwise.

Don't forget LRT runs from early morning until late hours, weekdays  and also on weekends.  So there will always be traffic coming in and out, cars parked in front of our houses, and squeaking sound most times of the day, everyday of the week.

If that is the case, all the little things we always enjoy and take granted for in BK 3 area, will be gone forever.

The Ampang LRT line extension

When the news of new Ampang LRT line extension came out in 2009, Bandar Kinrara BK 3 residents had some mixed feelings.

While some residents were glad that the line is going to pass through our area, others were worried that the whole area will be changed forever.

So naturally some of us were shocked looking at the general layout of the LRT line. There were not one, not two, but three stations right here in Bandar Kinrara.

The layout clearly showed new LRT line running at the middle of  Bukit Jalil highway with station no. 3 in BK1, station no. 4 in BK2 and station no. 5 in BK 3. All the stations and LRT tracks were shown to be at the middle of the highway.

Concerned about all the negative impacts station no. 5 will bring, some BK 3 residents took initiatives, collected signatures and submitted them to the relevant authorities. The residents felt it was not necessary to have a station in BK 3, especially when station no. 4 in BK 2 is just walking distance away.

The question was raised by our residents two years ago in 2009, but no reply was ever given by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (SPNB), the government body that handles the LRT extension project.