The intersection of Kha Van Can and Road No. 2 (formerly Thu Duc City) has a fairly spacious sidewalk, and residents suggested that the right-turn lane could be temporarily widened. This right-turn lane has now been opened. - Photo: CHAU TUAN
Kha Van Can Street isn't long, but it's frequently congested due to its narrow width and the presence of numerous shops selling building materials, plants, household goods, and many intersecting streets. The section where Kha Van Can intersects with Street No. 2 is always congested; during rush hour, it takes 2-3 cycles of traffic lights to get through.
On September 28th, the Department of Construction cut a 12-meter-long, 2.5-meter-wide section of sidewalk from Kha Van Can Street to the beginning of Street No. 2, allowing vehicles to turn right. This small action has completely changed the traffic situation, making the area much more open and less congested.
However, to replicate this success, the Department of Construction should spend more time observing the situation on the ground and listening to the people, including those living and doing business right at the sidewalk cutting points, as well as traffic police, in order to gather practical feedback.
For example, there should be a sign about 20-30 meters from the sidewalk opening to inform drivers that they can turn right so they don't encroach on the right-turn lane, because just one or two motorbikes stopping at a red light blocking the right-turn lane can cause immediate traffic congestion.
Of course, not all sidewalks can be arbitrarily narrowed; this only applies to sidewalks that are 4 meters or wider, because 1.7 meters must still be left for pedestrians, including 1.5 meters of road surface and 0.2 meters of curb, and the narrowed area cannot be less than 2 meters to allow at least one vehicle to pass.
Additionally, if the sidewalk has been widened, it should be bordered with square stone blocks, not beveled, as this would allow motorcycles to climb onto the sidewalk.
Similarly, the process of trimming traffic islands in the middle of intersections also requires caution. Those islands that are too large and occupy too much road space can be narrowed, but the spatial balance must be considered, ensuring they are large enough for vehicles like buses and trucks to make turns without being too sharp.
The widening of sidewalks and the continuous installation of right-turn lanes have yielded noticeable results, reducing the number of vehicles waiting at traffic lights and improving traffic flow.
And people expect innovative initiatives from the government in all areas, not just transportation but also drainage, waste management, healthcare , public administration... sometimes even a small initiative can bring huge benefits to the people.
The city government should open a separate mailbox to receive initiatives from citizens. Life is diverse, the city is multifaceted, and citizens have many good ideas. If the government is willing to listen and observe, it will bring about more practical changes for the city.
For example, the initiative to make public benches uneven to prevent homeless people from occupying them as places to eat and sleep originated from an elderly woman who often strolled in a park in Bangkok and was submitted to the city government. It has now become a model used in public bus stations in many countries.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/them-mot-sang-kien-nguoi-dan-bot-cuc-20251005081114051.htm
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