SINGAPORE — The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is calling for ideas to see if the Kallang Park Connector, which links Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Kallang Riverside Park, can be improved such that it can serve as a commuter cycling route.
The route, which was completed in 1992, has several crossings that require cyclists to dismount and push and carry their bicycles, such as overhead bridges.
For example, to cross the Pan Island Expressway, cyclists must dismount and push their bicycles 250m to cross the Kallang River along a narrow footpath alongside PIE, cross a high pedestrian overhead bridge, and cycle 300m on narrow sidewalks in a landed housing estate before they re-join the Kallang Park Connector.
The URA called for an Expression of Interest today (June 30), inviting consultants to undertake a planning study to propose design and technical solutions to improve the experience.
“Due to its alignment, this Park Connector has the potential to serve as a key commuter cycling route from central Singapore to the south,” said the URA in a media release.
The URA has identified seven locations along the 10km-long park connector where pedestrians and cyclists’ journeys are currently affected or interrupted by major roads and expressways.
Possible solutions include cycling-friendly ramps and bridges over roads and waterbodies in constrained sites, which would also meeting vehicular height clearances.
The construction process cannot adversely compromise drainage or vehicular capacity.
For proposed underpasses, studies must be conduced to ensure the stability of the existing Kallang River drain wall, existing vehicular bridge footings, or existing underground services are not compromised.
Interested teams can submit their proposals and other information by Aug 24. From this, the URA will shortlist up to five teams of consultants to participate in the second stage in October. The successful team that will undertake the planning study will be announced in the second quarter of next year.
The study is expected to take a year to complete. The URA also said that its an “exploratory study”, and the course of action thereafter will be determined based on the findings and the costs involved.
More information on the tender process is available at http://ura.sg/bishantocity
URA calls for ideas to turn Kallang connector into seamless cycling route
ASIAONE 30 Jun 15;
SINGAPORE - The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has called for ideas from the consultants on how the Kallang Park Connector can be enhanced for a better cycling experience.
The 10-km long route connects Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Kallang Riverside Park. Due to the connector's alignment, it could potentially serve as a key commuter cycling route from central Singapore to the south, said URA.
Seven locations have been identified where pedestrians and cyclists' journeys are currently affected or interrupted by major roads and expressways.
Some ideas URA hopes to implement include innovative design and technical solutions for cycling-friendly ramps and bridges over roads and waterbodies, or conduct soil and structural investigations to ensure proposed underpasses to do not compromise existing structures.
URA said the exercise will be a two-stage tender process. Interested teams are required to submit their proposal and information, such as team composition and track record by Aug 24, 2015.
URA will evaluate the proposals and shortlist up to five teams of consultants to participate in the second stage in October.
The successful team that will undertake the planning study will be announced in 2nd quarter of 2016. The study is expected to take one year to complete.
Bishan to CBD on a bicycle?
Danson Cheong The Straits Times AsiaOne 1 Jul 15;
Cyclists may be able to ride from Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to Gardens by the Bay, and then into the Central Business District (CBD) in future - without having to get off their bicycles at all.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) plans to study whether the 10km-long Kallang Park Connector, which starts in Bishan and runs along the Kallang River, can become a seamless commuting route for cyclists.
Yesterday, it called for consultants to come forward to find solutions around the seven obstacles that now interrupt the route.
These include pedestrian crossings, an underpass with low head room and overhead pedestrian bridges, such as the 14m-high one spanning an eight-lane stretch of the Pan-Island Expressway.
In a statement, the URA said it would shortlist the external consultants by October and select a team to conduct the study by the second quarter of next year. The study will take a year to complete.
URA executive planner Joycelyn Yik said this could be the birth of Singapore's first seamless cycling route into the heart of the city - one that would pass through 11 housing estates and serve 400,000 people.
If completed, it could take a cyclist about 30 to 45 minutes to ride from Bishan to the heart of the city, compared with about one hour to 11/2 hours now. "We feel this will help improve quality of life by helping us move towards a car-light future for Singapore," said Ms Yik.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan first mooted the idea for a seamless connector in April on his Facebook page, saying that it would help achieve "a great social outcome".
Possible solutions to the obstacles include elevated cycling-friendly bridges with gentle ramps or underpasses, said Ms Yik, who noted that these have to be studied for feasibility.
There are challenging technical constraints, she added.
"Given that the Kallang Park Connector and Kallang River run through very built-up areas, there's really not much land for us to play with around here."
NParks assistant director of park planning Henry Hee said the biggest obstacle along the route is the bridge over the PIE, near St Andrew's Junior School.
Cyclists have to carry their bikes up and down eight flights of stairs to get to the other side.
The Kallang Park Connector, which was built in 1992 by the National Parks Board, is the oldest in Singapore.
Both URA and NParks said they would study the route before turning their attention to other park connectors in the future.
Singapore's cycling-path network will expand to 700km in 2030, with more than 300km of paths built so far. It is part of a shift towards getting more people on bicycles and away from cars.
Mr Pierre Chew, an engineer who cycles from his home in Bishan to the CBD to attend upgrading courses, felt the bridges are the main hindrance. "If you are not strong enough, by the time you carry your bike to the top, you will already feel the strain," said Mr Chew, 42.
He added that although the overhead bridge at Braddell Road had a "bicycle gutter" for cyclists to push their bikes up, this could still be hard work for old folk.
"If they could get around these obstacles, it would be a very pleasant, scenic route to ride," he said.
Experts agreed. Associate Professor Wong Yiik Diew, director of the Centre for Infrastructure Systems at Nanyang Technological University, said the initiative would set up an important "trunk route" for commuting cyclists.
Dr Alexander Erath, a transport researcher at the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, noted it would be important to see how individual towns can be best connected to the upgraded Kallang route.
"Intra- and inter-town cycling depend upon each other. Only if people consider the entire trip to be safe and convenient for cycling, will they start considering it as a relevant travel option," he said.