UnpackingtheKidexControversy

TherecentcontroversysurroundingplanstobuildanelevatedexpresswaythroughPJhasbroughtour
attentiontotheissueoftransportation,notablyhighwaysandourcity'sutterdependenceonthem.Oneof
themostdisagreeableaspectsofthecityishowourlifestylesarelargelydeterminedbyourrelianceon
carstogetaround.Asmuchasweloveourcity,theexperiencewalkingarounddowntownisunpleasantif
notharrowing.Frangipanisliningthestreetarenomatchforthesmellofexhaustatstreetlevel,walkingis
aconstantobstaclecoursewhereifyou'reluckyyoumightgetthechancetooutmanouverasinkhole,cars
whizzingbyposeaconstantlifeordeaththreat,cursingoutpedestrianswhentheyshouldbetheones
slowingdown.

InthebookbyCharlesMontgomery,TheHappyCity,hedescribeshowdrivingisdetrimentalforbrainand
body.Thestressthatoneencountersinbadtraffictriggersatoxicstewofstresshormonesthatinthe
shorttermmakeyoumorealert,butinthelongtermcanmakeyouill.AccordingtotheMontgomery,it
takesatleast1hourpostdrivingforstresslevelstoreturntonormalwhereourabilitytoconcentrateand
heartrateisrestored.Thestresslevelsofalongcommuteduringpeakhoursexceedsthatoffighterpilots
andriotpolicefacingangrymobs.Thelongeronetravels,themoredetrimentalitisaswell.Researchers
foundthattheidealcommuteisa16minutedriveinonedirection.Beyondthat,satisfactiondrops
significantly,andthefurtheronehastotraveltoworkdailythelesshappytheyare.

Sobacktothisexpresswaythathascausedmanyanangryuncletovent,andpoliticianstobristleatthe
thoughtthattheymayactuallyhavetomediateanissuefacetofacewithanupset,namecalling
constituency.PerhapsitisamootthepointtosaythatweshouldprotestKIDEXbecauseweshould
protesthighways.KIDEXwouldhavebeenbuiltrightunderournoseshaditnotbeenforthesepublic
protests,andKIDEXwassingledoutbecauseitcutsthroughthewellestablishedtownshipofPetaling
Jaya,directlyaffectingthelivesofresidentsthere.

Evenso,protestsagainsttheconstructionofanurbanexpresswayforwhateverreasonisagoodthing.
Suchacontroversyisajumpingoffpointtoinitiateaconversationaboutthestateoftransportationinour
city.Factis,increasingprivatecarownershipandtheendlessconstructionofhighwayswithinacityisbad
forlivabilityandqualityoflifemuchlesstheenvironment.ThisiswheretheKIDEXdebatescanhelpto
shedsomelightontheissueofurbantrafficcongestion.TheKIDEXcontroversyandtheclaimsmadefor
andagainstitsconstructionallowustounderstandthekindsofassumptionsusedtojustifywhyourcity
needsmorehighwaysandcreatesaspaceforacriticalevaluationoftheseassumptionsandthe
consequencestheyhaveonourbuiltenvironment.

Indeed,thebasicpremiseusedformostroadexpansionprojects,KIDEXincluded,isthatincreasing
vehicleownershipwillrequiremoreroadstoeasecongestion.Thisverybasicclaimfromwhichallother
justificationsprecedeishowever,largelyselffulfillinginthatittakesforgrantedthecurrentpatternof
vehicleownershipandusesfutureprojectionsbasedoncurrentgrowthratesasthejustificationforbuilding
moreexpressways.Thislineofthinkingprecludestheexpansionanduseofalternativemeansof
transportation,andtakesprivatevehiculartravelasaconstant,continuingtrend.

WhileKIDEXsTrafficImpactAssessmentandclaimsthatKIDEXwilleffectivelyeasetrafficcongestion
onexistinghighwayshasbeenchallengedfortheirstatisticalaccuracy,thecruxoftheissuehereisgreater
thanpointingouterrorsofcalculation.Therealissuethatweshouldbeconcernedaboutisthemuchmore
complexandsomewhatquixoticproblemofhowwecanrestructurethewaywemoveaboutinthecityina
morehumane,sustainableandclimatefriendlyway.

Studieshaveshowntimeandagainthatmoreroadsdonoteasecongestion.Thelackofattentiontothis
fact,orrather,aconvenientignoringofit,hasperhapsputusonthepathofsuchshortsighted,remedial
solutionsasbuildingmoreexpressways,settingusonaviciouscyclewithnoendinsight.Furthermore,
notonlydothesehighwaysmarthelandscapeofthecity,oftentimes,theycutthroughexistinggreen
space,destroyingallthatispleasantandupliftingaboutourcity.

ExpresswayssuchasSKIPandKIDEXmaybenefitsomepeoplewithafastercommute,butthey
contributetotheworseningofourqualityoflifeasawholeoverthelongterm.Lookedatinthisway,weare
spendinganexorbitantamountofmoney(RM2.4RM3.4billion)forlittlegainandarefurther
disenfranchisinglowerincomegroupsbyneglectingourinefficientanddisconnectedpublictransportation
network.

ItisunfairtomanythattransportationdevelopmentsinKLissoheavilyskewedtowardsprivilegingthe
privatecarownerandthishastoendifwearetohaveamorejustandsustainablefuture.Whilethejuryis
stilloutastohowmuchpublictransportationsystemcaneasetrafficcongestion,arobustpublic
transportationsystemprovidesoptionsforpeopletogetfromPointAtoPointB,andplacesmore
pedestriansonthestreets.Itenhancesconnectivitywithinacityforthosewhomaynotbeabletoaffordor
donotdesireowningacar.Furthermore,anefficientpublictransportationsystemslowstherateofgrowth
ofcarownershipoverthelongtermaspeopleneednotdependonacartogetaround.Congestionwoes
aside,fewercarsisgoodfortheenvironment.

Ourdependenceoncarsastheprimarymodeoftransportationhasdecimatedourpublicstreetlife,which
canonlyhappenwhenweslowdownbyhavingamultimodaltransportationsystemthatputspeopleback
onthestreets.Pedestrians,andbyextensionindividualswhotakepublictransportation,arethelowest
commondenominatoronthestreetsofKLandthisisahugeblowtooursenseofplaceandcommunity.
Perhapsthisiswhatneedstochangeifwearetotalkabouta#BetterKL.Onecannotbegintoimaginethe
positivechangesthatcouldbecatalysedwiththatRM2.4billionKIDEXisslatedtocostshoulditbeused
towardsrealisingalternativewaysofgettingaroundinourcitybeyondthatoftheprivatelyownedcar.

Clickheretohearfromour#BetterCitiesinternYapLayShengonhisexperienceslivingcarlessinKLcity.

HerearesomelinkstoarticlesabouttheKIDEXplan:

http://www.malaysiandigest.com/opinion/505367kidexthefactsbeforeyoudecide.html

http://www.thenutgraph.com/kidexandthelawwhatthegovernmentsnottellingyou/

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2011/10/onlyhopereducingtraffic/315/

http://www.nber.org/papers/w15376.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2013/04/publictransportationdoesrelievetrafficcongestionjustnotevery
where/5149/