Letter from Helen Lim Acting Director, Media Relations, Land Transport Authority
Today Online 27 Sep 11;
WE REFER to Mr Jose Raymond's letter "Improve our public transport system to reduce reliance on cars" (Sept 20) and Mr Goh Si Guim's letter "Making way for more roads not the solution" (Sept 14) (all letters in this post).
We agree that improving our public transport will help to reduce reliance on cars. This is why, to keep our roads smooth flowing, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) adopts a holistic approach in building Singapore's urban transport system.
This includes expanding our public transport network, building roads as well as managing traffic through measures such as the Vehicle Quota System and Electronic Road Pricing.
Given land constraints, our priority is to make public transport an attractive option for more Singaporeans. But even as we promote the use of public transport, roads are still needed to serve new developments and support economic growth. Buses also need smooth flowing roads to serve commuters.
Lornie Road is part of the Outer Ring Road System, which allows motorists to travel between the eastern and the western sides of the island without having to go through the city centre. It is also an essential road connection with the Pan-Island Expressway for motorists from residential estates in the central and northern parts of the island, such as Ang Mo Kio and Bishan.
Today, with increased traffic, Lornie Road experiences heavier traffic than before, especially during morning and evening peak hours. Poor traffic conditions are also observed on its slip roads connecting with PIE.
The alignment of the new road to alleviate this traffic was drawn up carefully with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the National Parks Board, taking into consideration immediate transport needs, future development plans for Bukit Brown and environmental factors.
Care was taken to avoid adversely affecting MacRitchie Reservoir Nature Reserve and the acquisition of private land.
When completed, the new road will increase road capacity to facilitate East-West travel. It will also provide connectivity for future housing developments in the Bukit Brown area.
To preserve the heritage of Bukit Brown Cemetery, the URA and the LTA will work with the Singapore Heritage Society and relevant stakeholders to identify and document key heritage elements of the cemetery. We thank Mr Raymond and Mr Goh for their feedback.
Cemetery's heritage value considered in Lornie Road changes, replies LTA
Straits Times Forum 27 Sep 11;
WE THANK Mr Liew Kai Khiun ('Rethink road widening affecting cemetery') and Mr Jacob Tan ('Why allow traffic lights to serve a private road at huge public inconvenience?') for their feedback on Sept 16.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) adopts a holistic approach in building Singapore's urban transport system. This includes expanding our public transport network, building roads, and managing traffic through measures such as the vehicle quota system and Electronic Road Pricing.
Given land constraints, our priority is to make public transport attractive for more Singaporeans. But even as we promote the use of public transport, roads are still needed to serve new developments and support economic growth. Buses also need smooth-flowing roads to serve commuters. Lornie Road is part of the Outer Ring Road System that allows motorists to travel between the east and the west without having to go through the city centre. It is also an essential connection with the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) for motorists from residential estates in the central and northern parts of the island, such as Ang Mo Kio and Bishan.
Today, with increased traffic, Lornie Road experiences heavier traffic, especially during the morning and evening peak hours. Poor traffic conditions are also observed on the slip roads connecting PIE and Lornie Road. The alignment of the new road to alleviate Lornie Road traffic was drawn up in careful consultation with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board, taking into consideration immediate transport needs, future development plans for Bukit Brown, and environmental factors.
Care was taken to avoid adversely affecting the MacRitchie Reservoir Nature Reserve and acquiring private land.
When completed, the new road will increase road capacity to facilitate east-west travel. It will also provide connectivity for future housing developments in the Bukit Brown area.
To preserve the heritage of Bukit Brown Cemetery, URA and LTA will work with the Singapore Heritage Society and relevant stakeholders to identify and document key heritage elements of the cemetery.
Mr Tan asked about the traffic lights located along Sime Road. The traffic lights do not operate during the morning peak hours.
Besides providing access to Sime Road, the lights provide motorists, who wish to make a U-turn along Lornie Road, with the necessary traffic gaps to turn.
We will review the need for the traffic lights when the new road in Bukit Brown is completed.
Helen Lim (Ms)
Acting Director, Media Relations
Land Transport Authority
Building new road not the solution ...
It could become part of wider problem in future
Letter from N Varaprasad Today Online 3 Oct 11;
I THANK the Land Transport Authority for highlighting, in the letter "Building roads only one part of urban transport solution" (Sept 27), that Lornie Road is part of the Outer Ring Road System.
This is an important aspect of the ongoing debate on the proposed road cutting through Bukit Brown. Leaving aside the environmental impact for a moment, it becomes clear that the new road should not be seen in isolation, but as part of a wider system.
Hence my question is, what will happen further downstream? Farrer Road is already an eight-lane, two-way road and is heavily used and congested during peak hours. What will happen when the additional flow hits the narrow underpass under Commonwealth Avenue?
Do we keep on widening our roads and expressways ad-infinitum as we are doing now? Building the new road is not the solution; rather it will become part of a wider problem in future.
The solution lies in reframing the issue of land transport from one of speed and mobility to one of accessibility. If we can all access what we need with less travel, I am sure we will all do so. Driving around Singapore is not a touristic experience, unless you are a tourist.
Car ownership as a luxury
Today Online 3 Oct 11;
I refer to the letter "Building roads only one part of urban transport solution" (Sept 27). It is heartening to note that the Land Transport Authority "adopts a holistic approach in building Singapore's urban transport system".
However, measures such as the Vehicle Quota System and Electronic Road Pricing do not address an underlying problem behind the increase in car ownership: The easy access to car purchase through low monthly instalments.
As long as this continues, no matter how our public transport is improved, our roads will be overcrowded as the population increases.
It is hoped that the LTA takes steps in this regard, as the VQS and ERP measures seem more effective in collecting revenue than in containing the car population. Let us treat car ownership as a luxury, and make payments for car purchases felt heavier than at present.
Letter from M Lukshumayeh
