Bicycle, pedestrian, speeding and road safety

A couple of news related to bicycle and road safety over the weekend:

1) Chip, or Mr Charles W Goodyear, the new CEO of Temasek holdings was known to cycle to work in Melbourne while being the boss of the world' largest mining company. I hope he will continue to do so in Singapore and give his staffs and the media a much needed "bicycle culture shock". (Weekend Today, February 7-8, front page)

2) Make road safer for the elderly (SundayTimes, February 8, page H10) reflected that most elderly people felt that pedestrian crossing light should stay longer and there should be more traffic light crossing instead of overhead bridges. While Singapore's pedestrian infrastructure is world-class, a lot more can be done for the elderly. There are many area in Singapore, like Toa Payoh, has been transformed from an industrial area to a residential area. However, many of the road design still remind the same, which was good for large trucks, but very dangerous for people, especially elderly and young children. For example, the large radius banding junction from Toa Payoh Lorong 1 into Lorong 1A is good for the cars and trucks to make a quick turn, but very dangerous for people crossing the Lorong 1A. In fact, there is no proper crossing at that spot until 50 meters down the road. The problem is, almost nobody will walk another 50 meter down the road when the food stalls they want to go is just across the road. This is human nature, ask yourself, including the one who design the crossing and foot bridges, can you assure that you never cross a road where there is no pedestrian crossing? In this respect, we are all jaywalker at one point or another.
I would like to see more consideration given to make the road junctions safer for pedestrians and other non-motorists.

3) Putting the brakes on pile-ups (SundayTimes, February 8, page H10) talk about the danger of speeding on the expressway. According to the Traffic Police there were 1748 speed related road accidents and 83 were killed. I read it as: 83 families were ruined due to someone speeding on the road, may be the driver was not careful, or on the phone, or drunk, or angry or whatever, but non of these reasons justify someone got killed, not even for the driver himself. I feel some of Singapore roads are designed for higher speed than the speed limits. I simply don't "feel" driving at 60km/h is 10 km/h above the speed limit in many well paved, wide roads in Singapore. In Europe, many of the road design deliberately make "psychological obstacles" to slow down the car speed for safer roads. Narrower road, more bending, humps, center islands are all easily adoptable. One good example is the pedestrian crossing behind Geylang Polyclinic across Aljunied Ave. 2. There is a large hump, a narrow road and clear zebra crossing. I never saw any car failed to slow down at that crossing.

4)President Arroyo issues order encouraging people to walk, bike, and ride the train
In an effort to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and improve air quality, President Arroyo has ordered transport authorities to craft a national Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) strategy for the country.
"The new paradigm in the movement of men and things must follow a simple principle: Those who have less in wheels must have more in road," the presidential order stated.
Now even the less developed countries are more bold on non-motorized transport. It's time for Singapore to catch up, not only to more developed countries like UK, France and Holland, which already have more solid policy to promote the use of bicycle on road, but also to less developed countries like China, India, Philippines and Indonesia, they too, discovered non-motorized transport is the best way to move on.

Valentine Day's ride on East Coast Park PCN

"Green is the new Pink Bike-a-Thon" - a scenic 28km through the East Coast Park Connector.

An final year project event by the Flying Cows, four final year NTU students frm the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information! You gotta love the URL: makegreenthenewpink.wordpress.com

Registration ends tomorrow so hop over quick.

• Start point: Sun Plaza Park
• End point/picnic ground: East Coast Park Area C4
• Date/day: 14 Feb 2009/Saturday
• Reporting time: 0645hours
• Flag-off: 0800 hours
• Registration fee: $15 (+ bike rental + helmet rental fee + attractive goodie bag)

The exhibition is over, but there is also a blogging contest open until 7th March 2009 with a 7-speed Dahon bike as 1st prize!

Obama out and about on his bicycle

When will we see more of our leaders do the same :-)

Picture source: http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1266

Multi-level automated bicycle parking in Tokyo

Asia is Green recently highlighted this Youtube clip which shows an automated system grabbing a parked 'gentleman bicycle,' sending it underground to be racked up in a space saving, multi-level bicycle garage, and quickly too!



The clip is on Japanese but from other blogs I gleaned that the garage is apparently located at Tokyo Metro's Kasai Station and can hold 9,400 bicycles. The reporter test recorded the system taking a mere 23 seconds to store a bicycle and this single session use cost 100 yen (S$1.65 / US$1.11) and about US$18 for a season pass.

Danny Cho took a closer look.

The garage apparently costs US$67 million. It is nearly full everyday and ther ehas been a 20% in neighbourhood biking according to the Washington Post report (see below).

See this informative report by Blaine Harden, The Washington Post:



See comments and this link about secure, free bicycle cages in Australia.

NTU Bike Rally 2009

The NTU Bike Rally is the best long distance public ride in Singapore and I have ridden with them since 2003.

This year the bike rally falls on Sunday, 15th March 2009 and for the second year, there are two start points - East Coast Park (128km) and Nanyang Technological University (85km).

The 128km route passes by Labrador Park, NTU, Kranji Reservoir, Seletar Reservoir, Pasir Ris Park and Changi Beach before ending back at East Coast Park.

See their webpage for details: http://bikerally.ntusportsclub.sg

An expat's view of cycling in Singapore

I was sharing my experience of promoting the use of folding bike at work. One of my expat colleague share with me his perspective of cycling in Singapore.
I don't agree with everything he said, but some of his views based on his experience in Japan, Holland and now Singapore is indeed refreshing:

"I was reflecting on cultures that have higher usage of cycles and ahead of Singapore in the affluence wave – Japan and Holland (China is losing its cycling culture in its burgeoning affluence). On the weather I think there are different conditions for cycling for fun and cycling for transport. Whilst Singapore might be more suited to casual cycling it’s less suited to transport cycling as you would need to shower at your destination to be appropriate. Whilst there are a number of weather factors in Singapore that generally appear more welcoming to cycling it would seem that the self-consciousness of Singaporeans is likely not to change any time soon. Also the city’s lack of flexibility toward community changes and thus any change in the number of cyclists is unlikely to change the design of urban corridors and public transport infrastructure in favour of cycles whilst there is a substantial government reliance on oil-based taxes and investment in said industry infrastructure. Something about Japan and Holland is that cycles are accommodated at all manner of destinations and by dedicated paths/lanes or under law (in Japan cyclists have right of way on larger vehicles). Whilst the two cultures have a very different attitude to theft that doesn’t impede on the viability of such transport.

Also the very real lack of care shown by Singaporean drivers and bystanders means that the cost of accident or collision is far greater than one would experience elsewhere. When I have seen cyclists hit in Australia and Japan, people rush to their aid, here people stand by and watch. Also if you’re lucky enough to end up at hospital the first thing you meet is a cashier not a nurse. I’m only beginning to understand this but Singapore’s cultural selfishness in both self-preservation and self-defense means there are a number of industries and pastimes like cycling that have a slim adoption.

I think that the folding option is a decent workaround for the lack of affordance offered to cyclists in Singapore yet it’s not a mass adoption candidate. If say even 10% of people were to take up such a cycle then there would be a noticeable negative difference in the space on the train and whilst shopping in malls.

I’m not trying to be a sour sport but if there was any country in the world that could make an concerted push toward everyone cycling and also switching the entire country to electric vehicles it would be Singapore but it seems that people’s desire for money and status here is too strong for that to change in the short term.

Ok that’s my take at the moment, it might change with time but I do think it’s pretty cool that you’ve got such a tight and viable business happening. I hope it grows too because we need more people exercising!"

Well, wouldn't it be wonderful that the folding bike creates a congestion problem in the MRT?

LTA extends trial to allow folding bikes on MRT and Buses

I was delighted to be amongst the first to learn that the "folding bike trial on MRT/Bus" will be extended beyond the original deadline of 24 Nov 2008 — this was revealed during a meeting organized by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in which sought feedback directly from foldable bike users for their experience on public transport. Together with Vivian and Steven from Diginexx (distributors of Strida and Carryme), the views of some 600 folding bike users in Singapore were represensative.

In the past, most users do not bring their folding bike onto public transport, and they cite the non-peak hour limitation and road danger as the two main reasons.

However, thanks to this LTA trial, foladable bike users experimented with bringing their bikes onto the MRT and buses were pleasantly surprised: "Bus drivers and MRT personnel are pleasant toward folding bike users," said Sun, a foldable bike user. "On the roads, I can see SMRT drivers are more cautious toward cyclists," she said.

Even riders who do not use public transport regularly find it very handy when it rains — they skip riding and take refuge in the comfort of the MRT or public buses, or engage in the more pricy option - taxis.




However, there still are shortcomings. The obvious one is the time restriction to off-peak hour as well as road dangers. A typical problem is the difficulty of getting onto a crowded bus - foldable bike users have to squeeze through the narrow passage of the bus aisle to reach the open space allocated to wheelchair use, at the rear of the bus. The obvious solution? Allow foldable bike users to board from the rear of the bus, so that fewer people will be inconvenienced.

A less common problem is that off-peak hours are no longer peaceful these days — the MRT trains can be very crowded even then, mainly due to increased ridership and the longer intervals between trains during such times. However, foldable bike users who do not want to be a nuisance to fellow-MRT passengers are hardly able to find a less empty cariage! I have waved off two trains on occasion, until a third, less crowded, train arived. But mostly I find I am able to get on the first time — I suppose not all sections and stops are the same,

JZ88 users suggested that a suitable space be created inside specific MRT cabins—in the meantime, a couple of seats in a designated cabin can be removed and the space labelled "For folding bicycles and bulky objects". This arrangement is not too difficult but can circumvent potential conflict before folding bikes get more popular.

In Europe and Taiwan, folding bikes play an important and complimentary role to mass public transport. One can travel a long distance on public tansport and then cycle to one's destination. This convenience is a money-saving combination which does not produce any pollution, requires very little road space yet is a healthier option for the rider.

A pro-folding bike and bicyle policy can help LTA to achieve the goal of increase the ridership of public transport and ultimately reduce private car use. Compared to shuttle buses for short distances, the bicycle has the avantage of being a personal and door-to-door solution. You can reach destinations within two kilometres in just 7 minutes, and eliminates the need to wait for transport and the need to walk to a station.



Incorporating bicyle use in our transport strategy can immediately increase the "catchment zone" of a transport hub by 20~25 times! This is because cycling is about 4 to 5 times faster than walking. This is a better solution thatn solely relying on a shuttle bus system and can help to relief the pressure along some bus routes.

In order to get a balanced view LTA indicated that they need to take into consideration the needs of all stakeholders. This is why they have extended the "folding bike trial on MRT/Bus" untill all feedback are heard.

I was impressed that LTA members were interested in my suggestion to calm the traffic and create a "safety zone" near schools and MRT stations. Their attitude indicates that they are working genuinely towards a total solution rather than pushing the ball around.

Moving forward, I am optimistic that LTA is planning ahead for the increased use of folding bike in public transport. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Next February at the very latest, an official announcement will be made by LTA about their position regarding foldable bicycles on public transport.