Denpasar

The population in the Denpasar agglomeration grew from 34,000 in 1950 to 924,000 in 2017. By 2035, 1.3 million inhabitants are expected.

The street system is hierarchically strongly structured. There are some main roads, e.g. Jalan Gatot Subroto in the north and east or Jalan Gajah Mada (the name changes several times in the course) in the center. Furthermore, Denpasar is developed with roads like a checkerboard, only the rivers, especially the Badung, force some deviations from this pattern. The river valleys are mostly deeply cut due to the erosion-prone rock, and bridge heights of over 10 m are the rule rather than the exception.

However, only approx. 40% of the residential development is accessible via this road system. The remaining approx. 60 % are served by single-lane (partly only 2 m wide) alleys (id. gangway) leading from them. Unlike many main streets, they can be used in both directions of travel. These alleys open up the squares in a herringbone fashion. They are usually not connected to each other along their entire length.

The main roads are often four or more lane one-way streets with raised median strips from the time of two-way traffic, which always causes traffic jams at the few interchanges.

Typical for the city (as for the whole of Bali) is the building up to the property line. Either, especially in the center or the Islamic quarters such as Kampung jawa, the building itself or the property wall (in better quarters with larger properties but also around public buildings) limit the public street space quite physically, so that the traffic space is clearly limited. Sidewalks (usually on both sides) are present along streets and magistrals and are protected from traffic by curbs about 30 cm high, alternating between black and white.

Denpasar is the transport hub of Bali. The city is choked with traffic and public transport exists only in the form of bemos, taxis and intercity buses, which serve three main terminals in Denpasar.

Regulated public transport or rail-based transport systems do not exist and have never existed. Bali's first public bus line in the sense of a public transport system, the Trans Sarbagita (all-day 15-minute service) Corridor 2, has been operating since 18 August 2011 and only touches Denpasar in the southeast. A second line has been operating from the city centre to the airport since summer 2012. Access lines with minibuses are also operated. The number of users has doubled as a result, but there can be no talk of a network effect or even relief for the roads. There is no basis for this, such as through-tariffing or guaranteed connections. Instead, the conductors on the bus only sell single tickets.

Denpasar Airport is located about 12 kilometers and about 30 minutes south of downtown on the isthmus to Nusa Dua at Tuban in Badung.