By David Ee, The Straits Times, 23 Oct 2014
CYCLING should not be just a recreational pursuit, but also a viable transport option for short trips around Singapore, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday.
He wrote on his blog that the Government wants Singaporeans to be able to cycle "to the supermarket, coffee shop, hawker centre or the nearest MRT station".
"To do so, we must make such trips safe and pleasant," he said. "Cities are increasingly finding it important to make themselves friendly to pedestrians and cyclists."
He praised both European capitals as good examples of cities with "active mobility", where walking and cycling make up over half of all modes of transport.
Singapore's National Cycling Plan envisions a 700km cycling network by 2030, within, as well as between, neighbourhoods.
By next year, 100km of cycling paths will be built in Yishun, Punggol and Bedok. Eventually, said Mr Khaw, all 26 Housing Board towns will have cycling paths connecting homes to neighbourhood centres and MRT stations.
Singapore is also exploring bicycle-sharing schemes and increasing safe-cycling education initiatives, such as the Safe Cycling Programme for Youth for secondary school students.
Mr Khaw said Singapore has always embraced active mobility, with its extensive Park Connector Network (PCN), pavements and sheltered walkways being examples of this.
The PCN, he said, lets people walk, jog or cycle safely close to greenery. The city itself is "quite walkable", he added.
When contacted, Mr Francis Chu, co-founder of cycling group LoveCyclingSg, said more cyclists are keen to use their bicycles for short daily commutes.
But roads in town centres can be unsafe and intimidating for inexperienced riders, he said.
As for non-cyclists such as motorists, it may be difficult to motivate them to switch to bicycles as driving often gets them to their destinations faster, he said.
"But with improvement of the cycling network, more and more people will start to consider cycling as a serious mode of transport."
10 ideas to make Singapore more bike-friendly and walkable
Ideas proposed in the study by Urban Land Institute and Centre for Liveable Cities include keeping motorised traffic slow in areas with lots of pedestrians and offering end-of-trips amenities such as shower facilities.
Channel NewsAsia, 22 Oct 2014
Ideas proposed in the study by Urban Land Institute and Centre for Liveable Cities include keeping motorised traffic slow in areas with lots of pedestrians and offering end-of-trips amenities such as shower facilities.
Channel NewsAsia, 22 Oct 2014
This fundamental change in how urban cities are designed is required in order to create a walkable, bikeable space, according to the study by Urban Land Institute and Centre for Liveable Cities, which was released on Wednesday (Oct 22).
The Creating Healthy Places through Active Mobility report offered 10 ideas to make cities more walkable, bikeable and people-friendly:
• Make walking and cycling convenient and efficient, integrating them into public transit systems
• Provide dedicated space for all forms of transportation
• Ensure high visibility at junctions to improve safety
• Maintain continuity of movement
• Keep motorised traffic slow in high pedestrian areas
• Make street-level crossings a priority
• Ensure consistency in design standards throughout the city
• Make walking and cycling paths comfortable and attractive (for example, shady trees help shield people from heat, sun and rain)
• Mix up the land uses adjacent to the routes; mixed-use developments are conducive to walking and cycling as an easy way to get from one place to another
• Close the loop with end-of-trip amenities such as shower facilities, lockers and bicycle parking
The study is the result of research that began in November 2013. The process involved engaging the community through two workshops in which participants from the private sector, Government and civic groups discussed perceptions, issues and ideas on active mobility in Singapore and sought to identify potential improvements. It also involved a cycling tour of Ang Mo Kio led by renowned Danish architect and urban designer Jan Gehl.
“The release of the ‘Active Mobility’ research study is the result of bringing together a diverse group of people to discuss land development issues within high-density cities,” said former ULI Singapore Chairman and AECOM Southeast Asia Vice President Scott Dunn, who worked with CLC representatives to prepare the report.
“Our hope is that the report will be used as a reference point for decision-makers in other tropical cities as well as other cities facing similar challenges,” he added.