Introducing people to the joy of cycling on park connectors - Terra Outdoors (ST, 02 May 2007)

"Connecting with the great outdoors," by Tan Hui Yee. The Straits Times, 02 May 2007.

A hidden network of green-lined paths that criss-cross the whole island is just calling out to be explored, as Tan Hui Yee discovers

Unnoticed by many, there is a secret world of backlanes by quiet brooks and shaded paths that take you from the sea to the heart of the land through sleepy housing estates.

These are the park connectors in Singapore - stretching over 74km now - which allow users to run, walk or cycle from one green lung to another with ease. By 2015, the network will stretch over 170km, creating an intricate network of green-lined pathways all over this 700 sq km of an island.

Some parts are more well-used than others, but they generally don't get as much attention as the more well-known green spaces like East Coast Park.

Adventure group Terra Outdoors hopes to change that, by introducing people to the joy of cycling on these trails. Run by avid sportswomen Boey Lai Wan and Chow Suet Ling, both 29, it also conducts basic cycling courses for beginners and takes them on rides around these trails.

Ms Boey told Mind Your Body: 'It's a different way to take in Singapore. There are places that you never knew existed, where motor vehicles have no access.

'Because the park connectors are so quiet, they are good places to relax at the beginning and end of each day.'

Depending on which route you take, there are varied sights. Those who venture out west along Sungei Ulu Pandan would spot egrets, which roost at night in the compounds of the Jurong BirdPark. Herons, woodpeckers and kites can also be seen.

Venture closer to central Singapore, down the Kallang River, and you get to view the charming St Andrew's School, a cluster of conserved buildings built from the 1940s onwards.

The eastern route, which Mind Your Body explored recently with Terra Outdoors, takes you from Pasir Ris to East Coast Park. Along the way, there are mangrove swamps, a fishing pond, a reservoir, as well as an interesting undulating ride on a trail near Bedok Reservoir.

The National Parks Board plans to introduce integrated bike rental services along the eastern park connector, which links up Bedok Reservoir Park, SunPlaza Park, East Coast Park and Changi Beach Park.

This means that people may soon be able to rent a bicycle at one park and return it at another when they are done with cycling.

Park connectors are mostly flat, so cycling on them is not physically demanding. However, cyclists have to be careful to avoid pedestrians who occasionally stray into their path and be prepared to get off their bikes and push them across pedestrian crossings and overhead bridges if needed.

The routes can sometimes be blocked by construction work, so be aware of surrounding traffic when making detours on the road. As with cycling in other conditions, be sure to check your bicycle's brakes and gears before moving off, and wear a helmet as well as bright or light-coloured clothing to be more visible, especially when riding at night.

Happy wheeling!

More information on Terra Outdoors can be found at www.terraoutdoors.com


See Park Connector Maps in Habitatnews Flickr album.

Pasir Ris Park to East Coast Park
(Tampines Park, Bedok and Siglap Park connectors)

THE RIDE (ABOUT 15KM) Follow the Tampines Park Connector from Pasir Ris Park, which starts near where Sungei Tampines drains into the sea. The connector traverses the river southwards, bringing taking you past Downtown East on your left and, across Pasir Ris Drive 3, a (not really busy) fishing pond in the town park. At the Tampines Expressway, cross south and head west to continue along the connector till you reach SunPlaza (one word) Park. Follow the signs leading you to Bedok Reservoir Park through Tampines, then continue onward via Bedok Town Park to the Siglap Park Connector. You will need to cross the Pan-Island Expressway by an overhead bridge before continuing your journey alongside Siglap Canal. Along the way, you will also cross East Coast and Marine Parade roads, and pass St Patrick's School on your right. Finally, take the underpass that will lead you to East Coast Park, near Carpark 3.

THE SIGHTS There are many signs along this route to point you in the right direction. Kingfishers can be spotted along the Siglap Canal, and you will pass by a variety of housing estates – from spanking new condominiums to pleasant public housing blocks and sleepy private homes with back gates opening onto the park connector. The cluster of schools in the Marine Parade area – St Patrick's, CHIJ Katong Convent and Victoria Junior College – also make an engaging sight.

WATCH OUT Although there are many things to see, the path can be narrow at times so watch out for pedestrians. A Part of the route is involves riding through Tampines New Town, which can get quite busy and crowded. The good thing is that pavements there are divided into bike and footpaths. Take a map with you as there are many roads to cross.

Buona Vista to Jurong Hill (Ulu Pandan and Jurong connectors)


THE RIDE (ABOUT 25KM) Starting from the canal opposite Buona Vista MRT station, follow the Ulu Pandan Park Connector westwards, across Sungei Pandan, and past the International Business Park on your left. Once you hit Boon Lay Way, follow this road westwards, passing Chinese Garden MRT station and Jurong Lake on your left. Turn left into Yuan Ching Road, and get onto the Jurong Park Connector just south of Lakeside MRT station. Follow that path along Sungei Lanchar, until you reach the Ayer Rajah Expressway. Cross under the highway and you will find yourself at Jurong BirdPark. Then take a deep breath and pedal up Jurong Hill Road to reach the top of the 60m peak.

THE SIGHTS This scenic ride is a treat for birdlovers as herons, egrets, woodpeckers and even parakeets can be found in the woodlands around the Ulu Pandan connector. Jurong Lake, which you will pass, is a rest stop amidst tranquil surroundings. For those who persist till the end, there is a three-storey spiral lookout tower on top of Jurong Hill from where you can catch 360-degree views of the area. There's also a restaurant serving Japanese and Indonesian food if you need to refuel for the return journey.

WATCH OUT You will need to cycle by some roads to get from one park connector to another, as well as cross some roads, so ride safely and watch out for oncoming traffic.

Upper Boon Keng Road to Bishan Park
(Kallang Park Connector)


THE RIDE (ABOUT 15KM) Starting from behind Geylang West Community Club, hop on the Kallang Park Connector and follow the Kallang River northwards in the direction of Bendemeer Road (the river is crossed by a bridge near Block 14 in Upper Boon Keng Road). Cross Serangoon Road, ride past the homes in Moonstone Lane, then cross the busy Pan Island Expressway by the overhead pass close to the cluster of schools known as St Andrew's Village. Continuing along the Kallang Park Connector, you will pass Potong Pasir on your right, cross Braddell Road by the ComfortDelGro office and head north towards Bishan Park, where the route ends.

THE SIGHTS This is an efficient short-cut for residents travelling from Potong Pasir to Bishan, and passes through a number of housing estates along the way. Admire the conserved buildings in St Andrew's School and soothe those tired muscles at the Aramsa spa in Bishan Park.

WATCH OUT There are many roads and bridges to cross, so be prepared to get off your bike and push it along where it is not safe to ride. This path is mostly unshaded so it can get quite hot on a sunny day.

Kim Seng Road to East Coast Park
(promenades by Singapore River and Marina Bay, and Kallang Park Connector)


THE RIDE (ABOUT 15KM) Starting from Kim Seng Park, by Kim Seng Road opposite Great World City, you will ride along the promenade by the Singapore River, past Robertson Quay, Clarke Quay, and the Asian Civilisations Museum on your left. Cycle down Queen Elizabeth Walk, then turn right to follow the Marina Promenade on the bayfront until you hit Crawford Street. Cross Rochor River near Block 4 in Crawford Street to reach the Kallang Park Connector at the Kallang Riverside Park, and head towards Stadium Road on the opposite bank. by crossing via Geylang Road. Go past the Singapore Indoor Stadium and onto Tanjong Rhu bridge, which you ride over into Tanjong Rhu Road. That leads to Fort Road and the East Coast Park.

THE SIGHTS If you haven't had much of a life lately, this will acquaint you with many of Singapore's attractions at one go – the Singapore River, the quaint river bridges, the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Esplanade, and the soon-to-be completed giant ferris wheel, Singapore Flyer.

WATCH OUT The riverfront promenade can get quite crowded with diners and strollers in the evenings. There are also frequent road crossings and a fair number of underpasses where you are expected to dismount and push your bike across.

Traffic Police Video for Pedal Cyclists, Singapore and comments by SATan

This video produced by the Traffic Police about road safety for cyclists was uploadded by LingtheMErciless to YouTube last year.





SATan posted her reaction to the video on her blog a week later and since its no longer updated, I got permission t reproduce it here:


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"Traffic Police safety video for pedal cyclists." By S. A. Tan. .synthesized, 20 Aug 2006.

The road safety video
(Yes, it’s a little old, but still…)

Well, it does have a few good points, but I do have a few issues with the video…..

1) Who the hell wears elbow pads and knee pads?
Ya, wearing a helmet on the road is a good thing (unfortunately, I don't, but I might be persuaded to), but elbow pads and knee pads? That does seem a little excessive.
Motorcyclists wearing elbow pads and knee pads is one thing.... but bicyclists? (Yes, I know some motorcyclists would even find wearing elbow and knee pads excessive).

Wearing a helmet while riding somewhere like a park or cycle track is in my opinion safe but unnecessary.

2) Do I see a white rear light somewhere?
I thought rear lights must be red? Dunno about front lights though, someone said that they must be white, mine used to be white until I bought a trippy multicoloured colour-changing light from my school (from a stall set up by the School of business people) and now the front of my bike looks like a rave party.

3) And stay as close to the left kerb as possible? That is just wrong.
Some things I have encountered in the extreme left of the left lane:

* Big puddles
* Long twigs
* A dead bird (yes, a dead bird, I only saw it when my front wheel was inches from it, and I'm lucky it didn't fly up and slap me in the face)
* Glass.
* Holes and cracks and other assorted stuff.

(Yes, I can't bunnyhop, so what?)

In some situations, it would be better to move out a little, such as

* moving out a little does give you somewhere to escape to in case a driver miscalculates the distance needed to pass you, however, it also pisses off some drivers, so use as you see fit.
* when you need to go straight on a left turn or straight and left turn road, so that you don't end up being sandwiched between a left turning car and the kerb.
* When stopping , so that a car doesn't get tempted to stop beside you, effectively blocking your view from other traffic.

And how are you going to overtake (yes, it happens) or make a right turn anyway?

4) And pay attention to the damn traffic when you're on the road.
Yes, even at a red light or whatever, don't stand around and talk cock with your friend. Watch the damn traffic! You can even pick up clues about what risks you may face when you start moving, eg. the driver talking on his cellphone, the guy on the 2B sportbike with the probation plate and the girlfriend riding pillion (most of them speed and ride recklessly, are preoccupied with showing off to their girlfriends, and haven't been in enough accidents to get scared yet), the motorcyclist which won't stop playing with his throttle (Likely to be impatient, aggressive: in my bike lesson, when I end up beside one, I can be sure of one thing: I'll have to give way to him cause he won't).

5) Riding on the pavement is ok IF
* the route is safe for both you and pedestrians sharing the pavement with you (wide pavement, light human traffic, etc.)
* you have competent bike handling skills (no need to know how to bunnyhop or wheelie or what, just need to be able to balance at extremely slow speeds, negotiate tight turns at low speed, stop consistently)
* good judgement
* discipline (no stunts (yes, even if there is a pretty girl you want to impress) or swerving in and out or riding fast or whatever)

However, crossing the road becomes problematic.
Often, one has to check three opposing and difficult to see directions for cars before crossing. For example, to the right directly behind you, to the right in front of you, and to the left in front of you. This is made worse by the fact that cars usually do not expect bikes to move out onto the road at all, especially not at that speed. Plus, need to check in front of you so you don't fall into any hole or hit any pedestrian, especially cause most pedestrians are even more careless than drivers, move unpredictably and don’t look where they’re going.

Can become quite a handful on a moving vehicle.
(Yes, I don't dismount. Hehe)
If you dismount, you may have to stop at the centre to wait for the traffic on the other lane to clear, with your bike perpendicular to the traffic and your bike's big butt effectively blocking the traffic behind you. Cue horning.
Most of my bad encounters with cars happened while I was riding on the pavement and needed to cross the road.

Depending on where you are, riding on the pavement can indeed be more problematic and dangerous than taking the road directly beside it.

And try not to ride on a crowded pavement, duh.

Actually, it depends on the route, some routes are easier and safer by pavement, some by road. It’s up to your own judgement.

What I find even more disturbing is that the video seems to treat bicyclists only as temporary road users and doesn't educate them about things that are far more important, such as what to look out for, where to check, changing lanes, right-turning, what kind of risks they face, etc.

And most importantly, patience, alertness, anticipation, level-headedness, good judgement, discipline and a respect of the people (and animals) that are sharing wherever you choose to ride with you. And whatever you choose to do, be decisive!!!! (this one I learnt from learning to ride motorcycle, hehe)

Just my two cents. (And I’m not anywhere near the world’s most perfect bicyclist, so use at your own risk).


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Singapore Bike Boulevards?

On the New York "Streetsblog" blog I came across a posting of a video on Berkeley's Bike Boulevards. See the link below. It is well worth a look.

Berkeley's Bike Boulevards (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX8wkI7CwpU)
Running time: 8 minutes 12 seconds

"Bicycle Boulevards really gives the cyclist the sense of owning the
road and being able to take the lane and being able to be in the
middle of the street where they can avoid the door zone. Cars are
expecting that they're going to have to wait for bikes and that
they're going to be seeing bikes. It's not going to be a
confrontational thing if a cyclist is the middle of the road because
it's expected on these streets."

It made me wonder if there are any opportunities for something like this in some places in Singapore.

Relatively few I guess, since Singapore has few places with grid street layouts and few non-arterial options to cycle on. But there might still be a few places that might one day become Singapore Bike Boulevards. We can always dream.

Reuters feature "Singapore fold-up bike goes against Asian tide."

"Singapore fold-up bike goes against Asian tide," by Gillian Murdoch. Reuters (Features), 20 Dec 2006.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chu Wa feels the small thrill of breaking Singapore's notoriously strict rules and getting away with it every time he wheels his pretend "shopping trolley" through a shopping mall or along a train platform.

The contraption is actually a fold-up bicycle, which Wa designed to look like a shopping cart so he could take it through the many prohibited zones in the city state.

"Singapore is absolutely not fair for cyclists," said the 46-year old product designer.

After years of biking to work in the Netherlands, Wa gave up and bought a car when he moved to Singapore, finding its motorways and shopping malls bike-unfriendly.

"If you love cycling in Singapore, you have to accept the status of a secondary citizen, many places are 'restricted zones' and you are simply not welcome," he wrote on his blog, www.jz88.com.

At the same time as European cities are back-pedalling from cars to bikes in a bid to clean the air and ease congestion, rising affluence has seen bikes ditched from Beijing to Bangkok. Bikes have been banned from parts of Shanghai as have bike rickshaws in Dhaka, and bikers in Jakarta and Bangkok have mounted protests to campaign for better facilities.

The lack of top-level support makes returning to cycling more difficult than it should be, said Wa, who had five regular bikes stolen from unguarded bike stands in Singapore.

His solution? The JZ88: a thief-proof bike that flips from shopping trolley to cycle in 8.8 seconds.

With a shopping bag strapped over its handlebar, and spokes concealed under clear plastic shields, Chu's folding bike goes everywhere he does. Weighing nine kilograms (20 pounds), it is small enough to fit under train seats and in taxi boots.

Shoppers stare as he loads groceries into his trolley, and pedestrians sometimes laugh as his long legs pedal the little wheels. But Wa says his bike is more than a gimmick.

"My ideal is to see more Asian cities become bicycle friendly ... The hurdle is so high, in terms of road safety, too much effort, or bad weather, that even the authorities can't do much," he said. "(But) the folding bike can be a bridge".

FOLDING BIKES

First patented in 1899, a decade after the modern bike was invented, folding bikes have long been a feature in Europe.

While brands like England's Brompton are well known abroad, Hong Kong-born Wa says most people in Asia don't know they exist. His folding bike customers are two-to-one expatriates to locals.

In Singapore, like much of Asia, bikes are seen as poor man's transport, he says.

With a record 117,000 more new cars on its roads this year, Singapore seems to have declared the car the winner in the Asia-wide car versus bike transport battle.

Local lore has it that a car is one of the must-have "5C's" - car, cash, condo, credit card and country club membership. Even the Director of the Singapore Environment Council has called the country a "nation of car lovers".

Government statistics say the proportion of households with cars increased to 32 per cent in 2000, up from 28 per cent in 1990. Bicycles don't feature in future transport plans.

By contrast, London's Cycling Action Plan has chalked up a 72 percent increase in cycling over the past four years. And New York's Bicycle Master Plan is almost doubling its bike lanes over the next three years.

Professor John Whitelegg, who works at the University of York's Air Pollution in Asian Megacities project, says some Asian officials are in denial about the environmental costs of car culture such as air pollution and congestion.

"Unlike in Europe, growing car ownership is seen as very virtuous, in improving quality of life and job creation in car manufacturing and road-building," Whitelegg said.

"It's just part of rapid economic growth and urbanisation, which they associate with removing poverty. And what's happening in China is also happening in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand..."

"The economic escalator is so strong nobody can think of a way to get the benefits without the disbenefits".

STARBUCKS FOR BIKES

Despite the odds, a few "rebels" are trying to buck the trend.

In 2005, Singaporean entrepreneurs Alex Bok and Lynton Ong opened the first in a chain of Bike Boutique stores they plan for Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila and Australia.

Housed in an old shop-house, the concept store they hope will become the "Starbucks for bikes", charges sweaty bike commuters S$150 a month to store their bikes and take a shower before work.

Customer Mark Goh, says cycling's image problem is a worse barrier than tyre punctures, the tropical heat, or heavy rain.

"The problem with Singaporeans is one of perception, not motivation," the 39-year-old law firm managing partner said.

His colleagues think he is a "clown" for giving up his air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz to pedal half an hour to work.

"They prefer to spend their weekends in air-conditioned malls, eating out and moving about cocooned in air-conditioned cars," he said.

"More importantly, the car you drive is a huge status symbol. It benchmarks your social level. Few would dare proclaim that they own a bicycle as against a German-make car".

FACTBOX - Cycling declines in Asia, on rise in Europe

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Bicycle ownership and use has been declining in China and India, while Europe is at the forefront of measures to popularise cycling. Here are some comparisons:

OVERVIEW

There are some 1.6 billion bicycles in the world, 500 million of them in China, 250 million in Europe and 150 million in the United States.

China and India are the world's largest producers of bicycles. China manufactured about 80 million bicycles in 2005, accounting for about 60 percent of global production while India's share was around 11 percent.

The global bicycle industry, including bicycles, parts and accessories, is estimated to have total retail sales in excess of $20 billion.

CHINA AND INDIA

Annual bicycle sales in China have fallen from 40 million in the 1990s to 20 million. Bicycle ownership in India is down from about 45 million in 1995 to 31 million.

The proportion of trips undertaken by bicycle in India is between 15 percent and 35 percent, but cycling is popular mostly in rural areas. The absence of safe cycling paths and parking facilities are the major obstacles.

Sixty percent of the workforce in China's capital Beijing cycled to work in 1998; that is down to less than 20 percent now. Hundreds of bike lanes in Beijing have been converted for use by cars.

EUROPE

In the European Union, bicycles have been included for the first time in the comprehensive transportation plan.

High car parking fees and abundant bike lanes have ensured that 35 percent of local trips in Amsterdam are made by bike. The percentage is even higher in other Dutch and Danish cities, according to Dutch figures.

The United Kingdom has developed a plan to quadruple bicycle use by the year 2012.

The Danish capital Copenhagen provides 3,000 bicycles free for short-term use. One-third of commuters bike to work.

Germany has more than 40,000 km of bikeways. In the city of Muenster, bus lanes can be used by bikes but not by cars and special lanes near intersections feed cyclists to a stop area ahead of cars.

Sources: Reuters; International Bicycle Fund (www.ibike.org); Earth Policy Institute (www.earth-policy.org); Worldwatch Institute (www.worldwatch.org)

Bicycle safety low hanging fruit? Lower traffic speeds!

Do you think I am an oddball for cheering traffic speed enforcment as a way to save bicycle user lives?

Then please check out these short road safety videos (Warning: some of them are a bit upsetting - which is why they are powerful)

Keeping traffic speeds down (especially to 50 km/h or even lower in places that have a lot of bicycles and pedestrians) is one of the key "low hanging fruit" of bicycle safety. It would also make the streets safer and less stressful for everyone.

Slightly lower speeds would save lives even if the LTA NEVER decides to do anything else to help cycling and even if we cannot get ANY road safety messages across to any of those badly behaved bicycle users out there.

And it is low hanging fruit because the traffic police are apparently ALREADY quite keen to do better on speed enforcement, as I mentioned before.



Image from Flikr user GeKow (some rights reserved)

On-line bicycle map service

UPDATE: I recently heard of a new mapping site www.bikely.com. It looks very promising and already has a few Singapore routes! Check it out and add your own favourite routes - it is easy.


WorldChanging blog highlights a new development in the US.

We're pro-bike here, but we do recognize that there are a myriad of challenges bikers face getting around their cities. One of those challenges is just figuring out the most bike-friendly route between where you are and where you want to be. As every biker knows, the difference between riding on street with bike lanes, sensible traffic calming and good safety measures and a sidewalk-less arterial full of speeding cars and road-raging drivers can be the difference between arriving relaxed and on time, or perhaps not arriving at all.

ByCycle is working to create interactive biking maps for North American cities.

We have talked before about our dreams for better information in Singapore to help us find bicycle-friendly routes (here, here and here).

And more official effort here to increase the number of friendly routes would be nice too!

NParks has been leading the way with the Park Connector program and certain Town Councils (like Pasir Ris and Tampines) have shown some interest.

Biking on the roads in Singapore is not as bad as you might think but we need a lot more bike friendly, traffic calmed streets in between the isolated park connectors. In fact, this may be the only way we will ever be able to link all the park connectors up. Any interest LTA?

Singapore's Bike Boutique gaining attention

On Sunday 30 July an article by Dawn Tan in the Straits Times highlighted the use of bicycles for commuting to work in Singapore. (no link sorry subscribers only)

It was a positive article, with nice profiles of real cycle commuters and their experiences. It also mentioned some of the difficulties, like high-speed traffic.

The article featured an interesting business in the city centre, The Bike Boutique, that offers extra services for bike commuters, like showers, secure parking, etc... or what they like to call "Bike Lodging". The Bike Boutique has also been noticed by Sydney bicycle blog Spinopsys! Take a look!

The Bike Boutique folks have also set up a website to promote bicycle commuting which is worth a look too.



Must get down to check them out and have a chat.