Cyclists using the new network. Connecting Jurong East, Chinese Garden and Lakeside, it will be integrated with the neighbouring Taman Jurong estate by end-2020.
Travelling within the western part of Singapore has been made even easier with the launch of a 15km cycling network in Jurong East yesterday.
The network connects Jurong East, Chinese Garden and Lakeside, and makes Jurong Lake District the eighth cycling town here, besides existing ones such as Punggol, Tampines, Pasir Ris and Yishun.
It is part of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) plan to progressively construct dedicated cycling path networks in all Housing Board towns to link residential areas to public transport infrastructure and amenities.
“This network is a very important part of the transportation infrastructure for us in Jurong,” said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu at the event.
“Very often, residents are faced with the first-mile and last-mile problem in getting to the MRT stations. This network actually helps us solve many of the issues.”
The network was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, an MP for Jurong GRC, at the event attended by around 500 people.
In line with the launch of the network, the LTA has increased the number of bicycle parking spaces at Jurong East, Chinese Garden and Lakeside MRT stations to more than 600, up from 422 spaces in 2014. New and existing public housing blocks will also have up to 3200 bicycle parking spaces provided progressively by the HDB.
In addition, the district’s cycling network will be integrated by the end of 2020 with the neighbouring Taman Jurong estate, which will have its own such network.
Safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians have also been implemented. For example, the cycling path is routed behind bus stops to discourage cycling through the bus stops. Pedestrians and cyclists have also been given twice the space than usual at signalised crossings.
These measures were first implemented in the cycling town of Ang Mo Kio last July and will be used in future cycling towns.
Residents living nearby were excited about using the latest network. “It’s really good for us cyclists… because the connection is quite good, and we can avoid the bus stops,” said Mr Hee Loy Hoe, 48, who lives in Bukit Batok.
The safety coordinator plans to cycle more often in Jurong East, besides using the usual cycling paths located near his home.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Jurong GRC MP and chairman of the Jurong-Clementi Town Council, said that response to the one-year pilot between the town council and three bicycle-sharing companies has been “very encouraging”.
“The residents have been using the yellow boxes (to dock their bicycles), and that’s the reason why… we will be having more yellow boxes progressively over the next few months.”
Related story: New cycling paths will link to housing estates
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