NParks to develop 150-km recreational route

Channel NewsAsia 25 Feb 12;

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans will be able to stroll, jog and cycle around the entire island in the near future, with the development of a 150-kilometre Round Island Route.

Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Teo Chee Hean shared plans for the new island route on Saturday.

The Round Island Route (RIR) will be a seamless green corridor that goes all round Singapore, linking up many major natural, cultural and historical attractions to our parks, park connectors, and intra-town cycling networks.

The Round Island Route will not only add a new recreation option for our citizens but also enhance the experience of our park users and tourists.

The route was proposed in 2008 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Last August, NParks sought public feedback on the idea.

Mr Kong Yit San, assistant chief executive officer of Parks Management and Lifestyle at NParks, said: "We have about more than 3,000 feedback to date.

"Some of them are related to how convenient it is to get from place to place, how much shade there can be, and how comfortable the route can be.

"So in general, we can actually group them into certain aspect of how people think RIR will provide a certain experience. For example, they asked for nature trails, more biodiversity, more convenience, or more exciting routes.

The public engagement exercise will end in June and NParks will hold focus groups to develop the suggestions further.

NParks on Saturday officially opened the 26-kilometre North Eastern Riverine Loop, which connects Buangkok, Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang towns.

It's the fourth loop of seven park connectors in Singapore to be ready and has been touted as the most scenic one - with 80 per cent of it running along the Punggol waterways, Sungei Pinang, Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon.

The loop connects six existing park connectors - Punggol Park Connector, Punggol Promenade, Serangoon Park Connector, Sungei Serangoon Park Connector, Buangkok Park Connector and Punggol Waterway, and links four parks together Punggol Park, Punggol Waterway Park, Punggol Point Park and Sengkang Riverside Park.

One-third of the loop was developed by NParks, while portions of the loop were developed by the Housing Development Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Developed at a cost of S$57 million, the loop along the northeast coastline is part of the City in a Garden vision announced by the government last year.

So far, NParks has already completed 200 kilometres of park connectors islandwide.

Over the next five years, it intends to build 100 kilometres of park connectors.

They will be part of the Park Connector Network that links up open spaces around major residential areas to bring nature closer to the people.

Kartini Omar-hor, general manager (Parks), National Parks Board, said: "Optimising urban spaces as well as urban infrastructure for greenery and recreation forms an important part of our City in a Garden vision.

"So we are always exploring and seeking ways to provide residents with new leisure dimension, therefore creating new experiences, sights for residents to enjoy, all over the island."

- CNA/ck

New 26km loop connects parks in Sengkang and Punggol
AsiaOne 25 Feb 12;

SINGAPORE - A new 26km nature loop which links up four parks in Sengkang and Punggol was officially opened today.

The North Eastern Riverine Loop will encompass the towns of Buangkok, Punggol, Hougang and Sengkang and offer residents new commuting and recreational possibilities.

Its park connectors will link up Sengkang Riverside Park, Punggol Park, Punggol Waterway Park and Punggol Point Park.

The loop promises breathtaking panoramic views of the coastline of northeast Singapore, with 80 per cent of it running along the waterways of Sungei Pinang, Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon.

Nature lovers can also look forward to the rich biodiversity found at the park connectors, such as water birds like the Grey Heron or the White-throated Kingfisher.

During the launch on Saturday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean also announced plans to develop a Round Island Route (RIR) in Singapore.

"With a length of about 150 km, or more than three times the length of Singapore, the Round Island Route will connect more than 3.5 million residents along the route to become a recreational destination on a national scale," Mr Teo said.

In the next few months, NParks will be organising exhibitions around Singapore for the
public to give their views on RIR.

The public is also welcomed to give their ideas and suggestions online at www.nparks.gov.sg/ciag

Island-wide green link in the works
Route will connect parks, existing cycling paths and heritage spots around S'pore
Kezia Toh Straits Times 26 Feb 12;

A seamless green corridor spanning 150km that links up heritage areas in the city, coastal spots in the east and rustic greenery in the north and west will be Singapore's next big green project.

The Round Island Route, which is more than three times the length of Singapore, will connect more than 3.5 million residents.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced this yesterday at the launch of the North Eastern Riverine Loop at the Sungei Serangoon park connector.

'The Round Island Route will allow us to embark on journeys to look at Singapore in new and wonderful ways, as it passes through popular recreation nodes and also the less seen and explored corners of our island,' said DPM Teo, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, which oversees the Riverine Loop area.

NParks is seeking the public's views on areas where the route would pass through. The route will also link some parts of the existing network of park connectors, which now spans 200km.

The route could also host larger community and sporting events, such as marathons, said DPM Teo.

He added: 'Perhaps one could enjoy a two-day cycling tour round the island using this route, and include an overnight camp at one of our parks.'

The project, one of the National Parks Board's (NParks) biggest infrastructural undertakings to date, is still on the drawing board. NParks could not say when it will embark on construction works or when the project could be completed.

It is now seeking public feedback through its online portal (www.nparks.gov.sg/ciag), as part of its City in a Garden (CIAG) engagement exercise.

The feedback is for ideas to optimise urban spaces for greenery and recreation, and rejuvenating urban parks, for example.

The online exercise has received more than 3,000 ideas to date.

NParks will also seek views from the public during roving exhibitions to key parks, housing estates and shopping centres.

It will then set up focus groups to evaluate these ideas.

The idea to build the route was first mooted in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's island-wide Leisure Plan in 2008.

One of the plans was to build a 150km round-island route for people to stroll, jog or cycle around Singapore.

During its ongoing CIAG consultation exercise, NParks also received suggestions in favour of a continuous green corridor.

Cycling club Love Cycling SG's co-founder, Mr Woon Taiwoon, 37, is excited about the round-island route, as it offers a more complete biking experience.

But a key factor to its success would be how it links to park connectors.

He told The Sunday Times: 'Park connectors need to be linked in a relevant way such that you connect paths where people will use them, like in areas with high traffic, for example.'

Waterfront loop a biodiversity haven
It hugs waterways for much of its route and is home to water birds and a family of otters
Kezia Toh Straits Times 26 Feb 12;

Water birds such as the grey heron and the white-throated kingfisher caught the eye of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean when he took a stroll along the Sungei Serangoon park connector yesterday.

'NParks also told me there is a family of otters which makes guest appearances at some points along the loop,' he said.

DPM Teo, who is an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, was in the area to launch the 26km North Eastern Riverine Loop.

He was impressed by the biodiversity found along the loop, saying that it is important to enhance this amid Singapore's dense urban landscape.

'Such biodiversity is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of city life, and provides opportunities for recreational activities like bird-watching,' he said.

Built at a cost of $57 million, the project was undertaken by three agencies - the National Parks Board, or NParks, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Board.

This latest loop links park connectors and parks within the Sengkang and Punggol areas for greater accessibility.

It is the fourth of seven loops completed, and also the most scenic to date.

For example, 80 per cent of the route hugs waterways, linking up waterside developments such as the Lorong Halus Wetland and the Sengkang Floating Wetland.

The array of flora - large clumps of lemon grass, Spanish reed and firecracker plants - scattered along the loop also performs double duty. Besides making the area more attractive, it is well-placed to treat storm water, help prevent soil erosion and to act as a flood-prevention measure.

The new loop also links up with the Punggol Waterway and the Punggol Promenade - a 4.9km stretch that links Punggol Point and Punggol East - opening up previously inaccessible stretches along the coast.

A new feature is the 2.4km Nature Walk, which has been left as rustic as possible, with existing trees and vegetation retained.

The promenade was also the site of a charity bike ride yesterday, which raised more than $55,000 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (SPMF).

More than 100 cyclists took part in the event, organised for the fourth time by Mr Han Jok Kwang, 57, an avid cyclist who last year became a SPMF Trustee.