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SINGAPORE – Around 60 sites have been identified where roads could be turned into trails, bike lanes or bus lanes, and the Land Transportation Authority (LTA) has started engaging the community in five of them, said the minister of State of Transportation, Amy Khor, on Friday (March 5).
The LTA will begin paving the roadside parking spots along a stretch of Havelock Road this month, in a test to widen the trail there.
This follows an ongoing lawsuit to pedestrianize a stretch of road next to Kampung Admiralty.
Beyond this, the LTA will also seek to improve pedestrian accessibility in the Civic District, including the possible closure of the Anderson Bridge to traffic, Dr. Khor said during her ministry’s budget debate.
The urban landscape in areas such as Sembawang, Bishan-Toa Payoh, Tanjong Pagar and Jalan Besar will also be gradually remodeled, he added in response to suggestions from Ms. Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Mr. Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten). on improving the infrastructure for both pedestrians and cyclists here.
Before beginning these projects, the LTA will seek input from residents, grassroots volunteers, city councils and local businesses to identify potential improvements, Dr. Khor said.
These views will shape key details of the project, such as the length of the stretch of road being reused, when permanent infrastructure improvement works will begin, or whether the project should continue in the first place.
In response to MP-nominee Cheng Hsing Yao, who had asked about LTA’s plans to make historically significant areas in Singapore more walkable, Dr. Khor said that many Singaporeans have expressed their desire for more extensive pedestrianization of the District. Civic, and LTA can do more.
The pedestrianization of one side of the Anderson Bridge and part of St Andrew’s Road, as well as the restriction of vehicle access to sections of Parliament Place, Old Parliament Lane and Connaught Drive, have allowed pedestrians to walk seamlessly from Old Parliament House to the Esplanade Park. she scored.
A suggestion from veteran Singapore architect Mok Wei Wei to fully pedestrian the Anderson Bridge would offer unobstructed, panoramic views of the architecture of the Civic District, added Dr. Khor.
“We will consider your suggestion along with others from visitors, arts and civic groups, and venue owners.”
At the road reuse project on Havelock Road, Dr. Khor said residents, grassroots volunteers, and local business owners on the mature estate had asked for wider trails to make the area more walkable.
The LTA said the existing walkway in front of the business houses along the stretch of highway between 715 and 745 Havelock Road is narrow and cannot accommodate pedestrian traffic at times, especially during rush hours.
The stretch of highway will be reused in phases, he added.
Roadside parking spaces will be eliminated and water-filled barriers will be placed to temporarily alter the road design for several months.
The LTA will make the changes permanent only if the community supports it.
Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that commuters are increasingly walking or cycling for shorter trips, and this is the impetus to expand the bicycle network and reuse roads.
Of the 60 projects identified by the LTA, Mr. Ong said authorities will work closely with the community and proceed only when the project has been assessed as beneficial.
Some sections of the road will also be converted to bike lanes, beginning with Ang Mo Kio Street 22, Dr. Khor said. This is part of plans to triple the cycle lane network here from 460 km to 1,300 km by 2030.
By the end of the year, 28 km of cycle lanes will be added to farms such as Bukit Panjang, Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Tampines and Toa Payoh. Localities that do not have bicycle lanes will be prioritized, he added.
The Straits Times reported last month that the LTA is studying whether stretches of more than 20 highways in the northeast and east of Singapore can be reclaimed for cycle lanes.
Based on revenue and expense estimates for fiscal year 2021, the Ministry of Transportation is expected to spend around $ 36.3 million on bikeway projects and about $ 15.6 million on other active mobility projects.
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