As part of plans to make walking, cycling and taking public transport the primary means of commuting in Singapore, the Land Transport Authority unveiled what it called two “signature” conversion projects – incorporating more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly dimensions to the original plans for the North-South Expressway and Bencoolen Street.
The planned North-South Expressway – originally conceived as a 21.5km road to connect towns in the North to the city centre – will be reconfigured to be part of a “North-South Corridor” that will include express bus lanes and a cycling trunk route to the city, said the LTA on Thursday (Jan 21), expanding on Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan’s addendum to President Tony Tan Keng Yam’s opening address in Parliament.
According to visuals supplied by the Land Transport Authority, the design of this Corridor will be tiered, with dedicated cycling and walking paths on the surface, lined with trees, and roads alongside and underground. The finalised design and timeline will be released at a later date, said the LTA.
Mr Khaw also pointed to the remaking of Bencoolen Street as an example of what the Government is trying to achieve with the shift away from cars as a primary mode of commuting.
The stretch of Bencoolen Street between Middle Road and Bras Basah Road has been closed since October 2011 for the construction of Downtown Line 3’s Bencoolen Station. When reopened in 2017, two of the original car lanes will be converted into wide, tree-lined footpaths, as well as a dedicated cycling path connecting Rochor Canal and Bukit Timah to the Central Business District. More bicycle parking facilities will also be provided in the area.
Works are scheduled to start from the middle of 2016, and be completed with the Bencoolen station in 2017, said LTA.
Other cycling connectivity improvements include the Queenstown-City Link and the Bishan-Kallang Link, while mature and upcoming towns will include “integrated, seamless” connections between the walking and cycling network and train and bus hubs, said Mr Khaw.
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 21 Jan 2016