Nimmanhaemin congestion charge

[2020]

I found this on the internet so it must be true-

http://www.aroundthemoat.com/2014/09/30/congestion-charge-to-be-introduced-for-nimmanhaemin-rd/

[heybruce]

A really bad idea. Unfortunately since there was no intelligent planning for development in Chiang Mai, there are no good ideas for solving congestion problems.

[peterjackson]

The linked article has a publishing time ne of September 2014 and talks of the 'test phase' starting in mid November with Motorcycles being free during the test phase and being charged during 2015. So it would appear the idea is dead in the water, at present.

[brommers]

But look at the dates. The article is from September last year and the gates were to go in in mid November. Looks like the idea was forgotten.

[eyecatcher]

Imagine the chaos at the Maya crossroads as cars start backing up even further due to drivers fumbling around looking for 50bt or even having an earlier ticket checked.

Where will these checkpoints be set up I wonder. Even at 100m in from each end doesnt leave you with an option to u turn.

Been said before but nimmen road should have been pedestrianised the extra tourist draw and rent tax could easily finance alternative transport routes.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Congestion on Nimmanhaemin is only really a problem if you want it to be. I for one am happy it's all the way out there, and not in the parts of town that matter.

[eyecatcher]

Congestion on Nimmanhaemin is only really a problem if you want it to be. I for one am happy it's all the way out there, and not in the parts of town that matter.

Its been the fasest developing area in Chiang Mai for three years and now the rate of development is running at twice the previous rate.

It matters to many people and certainly for me.

If you havent wandered the sois for a month honestly you cant recognise it.

There are some great design ideas here from condos to restaurants to bars to boutique shops.

The big spending though launching a business is foolhardy though as many give up the ghost in 12 months. No marketing strategy no work ethic.

Remember sukasem. They opened dec 2011 i think a 5 way partnership did ok it seemed for 2.5yr. Then Chimney came in spent around 500k plus renovating got the staff loaded with food every day no doubt and they open every day for what seems to be 6 customers. The drinking area next door at the victoria hotel is about as wide as a footpath and its packed every night.

And now I have forgotten the point of even mentioning that.>_>

Beer time.

[terminatorchiangmai]

After reading a few more articles on that around the moat site , you can see that there are only bullshit stories.

No very serious.

AROUND THE MOAT

We take the news in Chiang Mai seriously

[LivinLOS]

Having tried to take a truck through the old city yesterday there does need some kind of action. I would support a congestion charge system being implemented for inside the moat if it cleared all non essential vehicles from there. Something has to happen as its heading to gridlock.

Doesnt help that drivers are just so inconsiderate.. Difficult to park, OK I just stop my car in the traffic lane and get out here.. Whats the problem I am just buying some noodles / dropping my kids at school / going to the ATM. Start giving out fines, real ones, 1000b a pop.. For anyone parking and clogging up the free movement and flow. Song Teow drivers double !!

[true blue]

Congestion on Nimmanhaemin is only really a problem if you want it to be. I for one am happy it's all the way out there, and not in the parts of town that matter.

think you have got your head in the clouds there wtk,nimman is propaly the the most matterable place in chiang mai,certinally more going for it than your loy kroy area.its certinally buzzing up here,well the Chinese love it anyway,5555.

[Puwa]

I think it's supposed to be a spoof site, like The Onion or NottheNation. But it's not particularly funny or well done.

[banagan]

Gates? What is this, the 1950's?..... oh, wait...

I think a congestion charge would be a good idea, if they did it right. The London system is all electronic.

They need to charge more than 50baht a day too... and a lot more for SUV's.

There's also no public transport system, a regular bus and train service, like most cities would take traffic off the road.

No harm dreaming I guess

[phrodan]

Maya has brought a lot of traffic problems.

Anyway, there's been a couple of welcome improvements recently on the odd-numbered side sois. Many have been lined, and have clear no-stopping grids painted at the junctions. That was a good start -

Even better is the new policy of ensuring that vehicles only park on one side of the road - excellent. It's really opened the sois up.

I reckon that Soi 9 should be one way only, running past the now closed Monkey Club with the one way section stopping at the Ducati corner. Soi 6 should be opened up as a main route to Canal Road, with the removal of traffic bumps, and stricter parking enforcement, especially at the junction with Nimman Road. You can't get round that corner sometimes for motorbikes and vendors parking up too close. That causes backing up on Nimman.

To me, the only logical solution now at the Maya corner would be an underpass on Huay Kaew Road. An underpass there would end the congestion overnight. Another underpass at Canal Road would be great, and the same for Suthep Road/Canal Road. Canal Road has to be treated like a genuine city bypass, - That would solve the problem until they build another 10,000 condos, then it will be back to square one, and I'll be living somewhere else.

[heybruce]

Maya has brought a lot of traffic problems.

Anyway, there's been a couple of welcome improvements recently on the odd-numbered side sois. Many have been lined, and have clear no-stopping grids painted at the junctions. That was a good start -

Even better is the new policy of ensuring that vehicles only park on one side of the road - excellent. It's really opened the sois up.

I reckon that Soi 9 should be one way only, running past the now closed Monkey Club with the one way section stopping at the Ducati corner. Soi 6 should be opened up as a main route to Canal Road, with the removal of traffic bumps, and stricter parking enforcement, especially at the junction with Nimman Road. You can't get round that corner sometimes for motorbikes and vendors parking up too close. That causes backing up on Nimman.

To me, the only logical solution now at the Maya corner would be an underpass on Huay Kaew Road. An underpass there would end the congestion overnight. Another underpass at Canal Road would be great, and the same for Suthep Road/Canal Road. Canal Road has to be treated like a genuine city bypass, - That would solve the problem until they build another 10,000 condos, then it will be back to square one, and I'll be living somewhere else.

Better change that underpass idea to an overpass. During the heavy downpours, the kind we desperately wish for during the burning season, an underpass would flood deep enough to drown anyone caught in it.

[chingmai331]

Seems the locals know how to build underpasses, many around town along SuperHiway. But my god, underpass construction would take years and triple the current MAYA corner congestion during those years.

All these minor headaches of daily Thai life are fully paid for by the nice climate, and low food and rent costs.

[heybruce]

Seems the locals know how to build underpasses, many around town along SuperHiway. But my god, underpass construction would take years and triple the current MAYA corner congestion during those years.

All these minor headaches of daily Thai life are fully paid for by the nice climate, and low food and rent costs.

The superhighway doesn't flood, at least not very often. I assume it was built with flooding in mind.

Have you been on Nimmanhamin during the intense downpours? The drainage systems are overwhelmed and water is ankle deep on much of the street. An underpass would provide a place for this water to drain into--good for the ground-level streets, bad for the underpass.

[northernjohn]

Having tried to take a truck through the old city yesterday there does need some kind of action. I would support a congestion charge system being implemented for inside the moat if it cleared all non essential vehicles from there. Something has to happen as its heading to gridlock.

Doesnt help that drivers are just so inconsiderate.. Difficult to park, OK I just stop my car in the traffic lane and get out here.. Whats the problem I am just buying some noodles / dropping my kids at school / going to the ATM. Start giving out fines, real ones, 1000b a pop.. For anyone parking and clogging up the free movement and flow. Song Teow drivers double !!

I see that you have been here since at least 2004. Did they not do the same things then?

I myself have not lived here that long but my experience here goes back 10 years and I can remember times in the back of a Tuk Tuk or songthaew I would start to get the road rage so common back in North America.

As for planning ahead who could have forseen the tremendous growth in Ex Pats and tourism 25 years ago?

[cardinalblue]

Prodan

Building more underpasses overpasses widening streets etc just encourages more cars on the road..

The objective needs to be get people out of their cars by creating incentives punishments insfrastructures built for non private vehicles...

Thai mentality is. Non progressive non visionary non problem solving uncreative etc so they need to copy a best practice from elsewhere...

Mini bkk in a very short period of time....

CB

[phrodan]

Seems the locals know how to build underpasses, many around town along SuperHiway. But my god, underpass construction would take years and triple the current MAYA corner congestion during those years.

All these minor headaches of daily Thai life are fully paid for by the nice climate, and low food and rent costs.

The superhighway doesn't flood, at least not very often. I assume it was built with flooding in mind.

Have you been on Nimmanhamin during the intense downpours? The drainage systems are overwhelmed and water is ankle deep on much of the street. An underpass would provide a place for this water to drain into--good for the ground-level streets, bad for the underpass.

You're obviously not an engineer. This is simple tunnel engineering.

@cardinalblue - feel free to outline a plan where there will be less cars in Chiang Mai in the next ten years.

Maybe they should start with banning all foreigners from owning cars, huh?

Edited March 12, 2015 by phrodan

[heybruce]

Seems the locals know how to build underpasses, many around town along SuperHiway. But my god, underpass construction would take years and triple the current MAYA corner congestion during those years.

All these minor headaches of daily Thai life are fully paid for by the nice climate, and low food and rent costs.

The superhighway doesn't flood, at least not very often. I assume it was built with flooding in mind.

Have you been on Nimmanhamin during the intense downpours? The drainage systems are overwhelmed and water is ankle deep on much of the street. An underpass would provide a place for this water to drain into--good for the ground-level streets, bad for the underpass.

You're obviously not an engineer. This is simple tunnel engineering.

@cardinalblue - feel free to outline a plan where there will be less cars in Chiang Mai in the next ten years.

Maybe they should start with banning all foreigners from owning cars, huh?

I'm not saying it's impossible to keep roads or tunnels from flooding during a downpour, I'm saying that if the local government hasn't figured out how to keep surface streets from flooding, I have little faith in their ability to keep a tunnel these surface streets feed into from flooding.