Cycling home from the city will soon become easier. The transformation of Bencoolen Street and a series of other infrastructural projects and initiatives aim to make walking, cycling and riding public transport more pleasant and comfortable.
A Car-Lite Bencoolen Street
At the 28 May edition of Car-Free Sunday SG (CFS), road closures were specially extended to the revitalised Bencoolen Street, which has had two of its four original car lanes converted into walking spaces and a cycling path connecting Bras Basah MRT station to the upcoming Bencoolen MRT station.
To inject vibrancy into the streetscape, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) collaborated with students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) to design and install a series of unique benches that now line the 450m street. More than 125 new bicycle parking lots have also been set up along the street, including at the entrances of the new Bencoolen MRT station, NAFA, V Hotel, and Bayfront Hotel.
The dedicated cycling path along Bencoolen Street will connect to existing and future cycling routes all over Singapore. The Bencoolen Street cycling path will link to the Queenstown-City route to the west, the Bishan-City route and the North-South Corridor to the north, and the Central Area cycling network to the south. The Central Area cycling network extends from the Marina Bay area and connects to the eastern part of Singapore via East Coast Park.
Other Car-Lite Projects
Similar enhancement works to make the Civic District more walkable and people-friendly were completed this month. The pedestrianisation of one side of Anderson Bridge now creates a gateway to the arts and cultural precinct. Road space at Connaught Drive, Empress Place, Old Parliament Lane and St Andrew’s Road has also been reclaimed for pedestrian-friendly public spaces. These enhancements support the car-lite vision and have enabled large-scale outdoor events, such as Car-Free Sunday SG, to be hosted for the public to enjoy.
