SINGAPORE – A street intersection close to Tiong Bahru Market shall be made extra pedestrian-friendly in a six-month trial that may contain closing off a 60m stretch of Eng Hoon Street to vehicular visitors from the tip of this month.
Roadside parking areas in Seng Poh Road and Lim Liak Street will even be transformed into wider footpaths and group areas, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor mentioned on Wednesday (March 9).
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) can also be trying to reshape Singapore’s streetscape by creating extra transit precedence corridors (TPCs), that are roads that incorporate bus-only lanes, wider pavements and biking paths.
Bencoolen Street is one instance of this, as is the upcoming North-South Corridor, and the goal is so as to add one other 60km of such corridors by 2030, Dr Khor mentioned in the course of the debate on her ministry’s funds in Parliament.
“This may not sound like a lot but each TPC will become the key thoroughfare for the neighbourhood,” she added.
Construction on one in every of them – a 2km-long TPC in Sin Ming Avenue – will begin within the second half of this yr.
This hall shall be absolutely accomplished solely in 2029 as will probably be in-built two phases to minimise disamenities and keep away from abortive work, mentioned an LTA spokesman.
Meanwhile, TPCs in new development areas comparable to Tengah, Bayshore, Jurong Lake District, Woodlands North Coast and Punggol North shall be in-built tandem with future developments, the spokesman added.
Robinson Road, which connects Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar, may be was a TPC, probably from 2024 onwards.
These initiatives are the newest in an ongoing effort by the authorities to repurpose street lanes to enhance public transport entry, and make strolling and biking right here safer and extra nice, as Singapore goes car-lite.
Another space that has been recognized is Tanjong Pagar, Dr Khor mentioned, and LTA will lead an inter-agency workgroup to review how one can enhance strolling and biking there.
Last March, Dr Khor mentioned about 60 websites the place roads may very well be transformed into footpaths, biking paths or bus lanes have been recognized.
In December final yr, 13 roadside parking areas in entrance of a row of shophouses in Havelock Road have been completely transformed into an prolonged footpath after a trial.
That similar month, Connaught Drive, Fullerton Road and Anderson Bridge have been absolutely closed to vehicular visitors to make it simpler to stroll within the Civic District.
Meanwhile, a 200m stretch of Woodlands Ring Road will even be completely transformed right into a path for pedestrians and cyclists by the third quarter of this yr.
Like these different initiatives, the trial in Tiong Bahru got here after consultations with native companies and grassroots leaders, who have been supportive of it, LTA mentioned.
Eateries across the pedestrianised part of Eng Hoon Street embody Prive, Thai restaurant Little Elephant and Tiong Bahru Bakery. Temporary kerbs and planter containers shall be used to shut off the 60m stretch in the course of the trial.
An present taxi stand in Seng Poh Road shall be moved to Lim Liak Street to facilitate the footpath widening works.
Surveys shall be carried out to gather extra suggestions from the group, and the modifications shall be made everlasting provided that there’s assist.
This is the strategy the LTA has taken with earlier pedestrianisation initiatives and would be the modus operandi going ahead, Dr Khor mentioned.
Said the LTA spokesman: “When the future Havelock MRT station on Thomson-East Coast Line opens (later this year), the Tiong Bahru area can expect to attract even more visitors. The creation of wider walking spaces will help improve safety for residents and visitors, especially seniors and children.”
On the lively mobility entrance, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng mentioned on Wednesday {that a} trial shall be carried out to offer devoted biking house in West Camp Road in Seletar on Sunday mornings.
This comes after a brand new rule kicked on this yr, limiting biking teams on roads to 5 riders in a single file, or 10 if biking two abreast.
“We heard the desire of cyclists to cycle in larger groups,” mentioned Mr Baey, including that extra particulars on the trial shall be shared at a later date.
In addition, the Government is accelerating its plans to develop the biking path community to 1,300km by 2030. It can also be including 3,000 extra bicycle parking heaps at MRT stations by 2025, which is able to take the overall variety of parking heaps at transport nodes right here to 30,000.
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