The Untold Reasons for Traffic Congestion and Pollution in Our Cities and Towns

Part 2: Do You Know the Difference Between Streets and Roads? And How it Affects Our Everyday Life?

(Read part 1 here)

Streets vs. Roads: More Than Just Names

While the terms "street" and "road" are often used interchangeably, they possess distinct characteristics that differentiate them. Understanding these nuances can enhance your comprehension of urban landscapes, and most importantly will enable you to understand the reasons behind the chaotic and unlivable urban spaces we experience in our daily lives.

Streets: The Urban Fabric

Typically found within the heart of cities and towns, streets are the lifeblood of urban environments. They are public thoroughfares designed to accommodate both pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicular traffic. Characterized by their proximity to buildings and amenities, streets often incorporate essential amenities like sidewalks, street trees, and storefronts. They foster a sense of community and contribute to the overall vibrancy of a neighborhood.

Roads: The Connecting Arteries

Roads, on the other hand, are broader in scope and encompass a wider range of pathways built for transportation. They can traverse both urban and rural landscapes, connecting cities, towns, and rural areas. Roads vary significantly in size and type, from narrow, winding country lanes to multi-lane highways. Their primary function is to facilitate efficient movement of vehicles, although some may also accommodate pedestrian traffic.

Summary

Table 1: Key differences of streets and roads

What is a Stroad? And What’s Wrong with it?

Stroad is a term coined by Strong Town, a nonprofit organization and movement which focuses on promoting financially resilient and sustainable communities. The name was derived by combining the first three letters of streets with the word ‘road’. A stroads has a mix of the characteristics of both streets and roads (see table 1). Since streets and roads have conflicting priorities, stroads does not function effectively. They create heavy traffic jams and create hostile environments for not only pedestrians and cyclists, but also for automobiles and public transit.  

Let’s Explore Some Few Examples

Kandy Grid Section

Figure 1: Grid Section of Kandy City

The grid section of the city of Kandy (see Figure 1) is an extremely well-designed network of streets. The most notable feature is that all the streets in this section are interconnected in a grid pattern, with the carriageways originally planned to carry vehicles only for the purpose of accessing buildings/amenities within the local area. In other words, they are not intended for through-traffic. The streets are aligned with building facades that directly face the sidewalks.

However, unfortunately, the streets in this section are not operated as streets currently. Three of the primary streets in the area (highlighted in yellow in Figure 2) function as both streets and roads (figure 3)—in other words, "stroads." This means their carriageways serve both local and through traffic, despite the existence of bypass roads that could be used to divert through traffic away from these streets (Kandy Transport Study, 2016). On the other hand, far too much space is dedicated for the carriageways and parking, which limit the space for pedestrians.

Figure 2: Streets that are being used as 'stroads'

Figure 3: Street View of the Main Street of Kandy (Dalada Veediya)

Few More Examples……..

William Gopallawa Mawatha and Kandy-Peradeniya ‘old road’ are two roads run parallel to each other, which have the primary purpose of connecting Peradeniya-Gatambe area with Kandy central city. Let’s analyze each.

Kandy-Gatambe ‘New Road’ (William Gopallawa Mawatha)

William Gopallawa Mawatha is a road in Kandy, which connects the Gatambe area and the central city. It’s a good example of a road by design, within a city. The number of amenities on either side of the road is low, partly due to the railway line which runs parallel to the road for more than half the length of it. On the other hand, the number of intersections is also low, which minimizes the interruptions to vehicle movement. In summary, it’s a road which is planned to move vehicles between two sections of the city.

However, like many roads in Sri Lanka, the density of roadside amenities has been increased over time. Especially at the section close to the Kandy General Hospital.  

Kandy-Peradeniya ‘old road’

Figure 4: Kandy-Peradeniya 'Old Road'

The first section of the Kandy-Peradeniya road in Kandy, also known as the Kandy-Peradeniya Old Road, is a classic example of a stroad by design. It serves both as a road for moving vehicles between different sections of the city and as a street providing access to a large number of amenities on either side. Despite the high density of amenities along the road, sidewalks are fragmented and extremely narrow. (see Figure 4). This road is notorious for its heavy congestion and chaotic conditions, resulting in a highly inefficient stroad that is hostile to both pedestrians and vehicles alike.

What can we do to improve stroads?

To improve stroads, the goal is often to convert them into either streets or roads. But it’s not simple as it sounds. Let’s further explore the examples mentioned:

Kandy-Gatambe ‘New Road’ (William Gopallawa Mawatha)

Currently, there are some buildings on either side of the road, but the density is relatively low. Therefore, the best option would be to transform it into a road that prioritizes through traffic.

The first step in achieving this would be to adopt regulations to minimize construction of additional buildings along the sides of the road, thereby minimizing interruptions to traffic flow. To maximize the road's utility, an interregional bus line could be incorporated, connecting Peradeniya and Kandy, with only a few stops in between. This would help to reduce future traffic congestion, which might otherwise be induced by the improved traffic flow.

Kandy-Peradeniya ‘Old Road’

This road has two lanes, and the buildings are packed densely on either side of the road. On the other hand, William Gopallawa Mawatha (the road previously discussed) runs parallel to it (Figure 4), providing an opportunity to direct through traffic. Therefore, the best option is to convert this stroad into a street. The first step would be to add sidewalks, while discouraging through-traffic using traffic-calming measures and tolls.

Additionally, the Peradeniya-Kandy railway line, currently being upgraded to a double track line, could be utilized as a city train line with multiple stops along the way. This could serve as the primary mode of transportation along the street. To complement this, proper pedestrian connections should be provided between the train stations and the street in concern.

Figure 5: The two roads (stroads) run parallelly to each other

The complexity and Timescale

The process of transforming stroads into streets or roads is a complex process which requires multiple interventions over a long period of time. However, the interventions described above could prevent further deterioration of these arteries and may become the beginning of the change.