Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sunway PJS7 Stepping Backwards

Since the Taylors College Lakeside Campus opened, traffic has been a real nightmare in Sunway PJS7. Well, PJS7 is land-locked and the traffic situation has not really been thought out. To make things worse, the knee-jerk reaction from PJS7 residents has now caused some really stupid decisions being taken and not solving the situation at all. In fact, it is making it worse.
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Since this week, the PJS7 entrance to Taylors College is now closed to both vehicles and pedestrians!


As a result, students who live in PJS7 now have to go out to the LDP highway to enter the new entrance of Taylors that was constructed not too long ago. For example, for residents of Mutiara Perdana who used to be just 250m walking distance to the gate now have to walk over 1.2km.




It is also impossible to walk. As you can see from the picture below, there is no pedestrian walkway. Students have to risk their lives to walk along vehicles to get into college.


Which leaves the only one option, which is to get Daddy to buy a car and drive to college.... This will add more burden to the Sunway inner-roads, parking problems and worsen the congestions on the LDP highway.
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The PJS7 residents demand the Taylors PJS7 entrance to be closed for both pedestrians and vehicles because there are still parents or friends dropping off students at the gate. This means cars that should not belong to PJS7 are still entering the roads. But is this the solution?
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I can understand the predicament of the owners of houses in PJS7. Their once peaceful life has been disturbed by this campus. But they should also understand, that without the Taylors campus, their properties would not even have a chance in hell to appreciate. Over the past 2 years, there has been an over 200% appreciation in prices of properties and rentals in PJS7. If they do not welcome this, they should have protested the plans to build the college at that location in the 1st place, not after. It's hard to have the best of both worlds - to celebrate the development of your area and at the same time, condemn it with unreasonable demands.
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There is of course ways to solve the traffic problem:
1. Limit the students who are allowed to drive to college - encourage them to take public transport. This is what most universities in Australia are doing!
2. Improve the shuttle bus service to the KTM and LRT stations and neighbouring Sunway areas
3. Immediately, Re-open the PJS7 entrance and encourage students to walk! Not drive!
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If the steps above are taken, there will be further appreciation in the property prices in PJS7 because in order to walk, one would rather be on this side of the LDP and NPE highway.

14 comments:

Haruki said...

Why does Taylor's give in to the demands to close the gate? It doesn't make sense to their management and students.

Simon said...

you cant say because of the college, everyone must bare with the growth they enjoyed?

It is totally not making the sense. If you are the investor. You would agreed. But if you are the resident. Think again.

Businessman is watching number only.
Resident is the one that driven the area.

Kevin said...

I think no cars allowed through the residential area access is fair and square, but students going to college by foot should be allowed to access.

No one should be subjected to risk their life walking along the highway!

Patch said...

I am a resident at PJS 9 for a long, long time. I can't recall residents being consulted about Taylors College being build at PJS 7. In fact, it should not have been allowed IF a PROPER traffic impact study is done. As usual in Malaysia, the buildings get build and the residents have to suffer the traffic congestion.
The previous state govt must have approved it. So much for BN!!!

Ever said...

I am student of Taylor's Lakeside Campus who have been studying there since the first day the campus opened its doors. I drove to college everyday and have been witnessing the effect and result of every action taken by the school to solve the traffic woes.

I am glad to say that the current entrance and exit at the ldp highway u-turn is very effective and seemed to be the best solution. Before the exit was opened, it would take us up to two hours to drive from the carpark in the college to only the old gate and again the heavy traffic to get out of pjs 7. Since day 1, parking is also always an issue to students despite continuing efforts by the school to add more parking bays. I blamed that entirely on poor planning and underestimation. What an irony for a school that produces quantity surveyors.It is not that we do not want to use public transportation, rather there is none.

Well, I could give you the reason why pjs 7 residents shut the door completely to their own residents. It is because they are afraid some parents might drop or pick their children via the old gate and increasing the traffic. In the end, it will only cause trouble to their residents who study in Taylor's.

As for those asking why should Taylor's give in to the demands by the residents, Taylor's actually had an agreement with the residents association before building the campus that they will have a dedicated entrance and will only use pjs 7 for the first 6 months. Since the campus is in pjs 7, I guess only pjs 7 residents are consulted.

Anonymous said...

certainly agree with your observations but not necessarily with the solution. again, this is due to poor planning. the new LDP entrance has been introduced. no doubts it has improved the traffic situation in PJS7. however, this does not solve the problem for students who live in PJS7. they probably don't have the luxury of a car like yourself. they walk to college. and without the pedestrian entrance, obviously everyday they are risking their lives on the LDP highway. the bridge linking Taylors to PJS9 has been widened. but in widening the bridge, the college has not considered the fact that many of their students live in lagoon perdana. at the present moment, the only way to get from lagoon perdana to Taylors is by car - to get home is one way but to get to college, one has to drive up to the NPE junction U-turn and queue for 45 mins. And of course, the other option is to cross the bridge on foot and once again, risk lives and limbs.

everyone is talking as though all students own cars. even so, the college is not providing sufficient car parks. to close the PJS7 entrance to cars, I totally agree. But to close it to pedestrians is wrong without any proper counter measures.

Anonymous said...

It does not make sense la. Why would parents drop off their babies at the PJS7 gate and make them walk the extra 100m when they can drive right into the campus and drop them off in front of Starbucks?

Ever said...

I definitely do not agree with walking along the ldp highway either. I myself will not do that. The reason why some students prefer the pjs 7 road is because it is more convenient to those coming and going to PJ. Actually, students who live in pjs 7 can still come in to college via the temple/flats without having to risk their lives. However, this path is not known to many.

Anonymous said...

Just because of SOME students who prefer to come in via the PJS7 entrance you support closing the PJS7 entrance to 2000 students who live here?? That's what Taylors is teaching you rich brats with cars - SELFISH!

sinleong said...

The temple entrance is temporary. Will be closed too

Ever said...

WTF. I hope you don't go into personal attacks and stereotyping. Taylor's nor their students never ever shut the door in pjs 7. It is the residents association of pjs 7 who shut the door on us!! You ask the residents association why they shut the door on your own people. Never did I ever support the closing of the pjs 7 entrance.

Anonymous said...

I intend to rent a house at PJS7, i saw this forum and worry how my daughter acess to taylor. It is very risky waking along the highway. I am fully agree to close the road at PJS7 but not for pedestrian. Optional, the RA may just stop the non-resident car to enter the area using the gated guard house to control. or else, no point to rent at this area anymore.

sinleong said...

hi,
The residents and the college have met and they have finally resolved that the PJS7 gate will reopen for pedestrian traffic but only restricted to students and staffs who have the pass card.
so, this is no longer an issue...

LOTUS said...

Why is there no more issue? Ask the students there n they will tell you that the safest route to walk to ride public buses has been closed except to just a handful of students having the pass card probably those staying near PJS7.
Now, the issue is "what danger do other students who just WALK on public roads poses to the residents"
"Walking" not driving cars.
The question is:-
Do those who own houses in PJS7 also own the roads?