Opening Address by Mr S Iswaran, Minister of Transport at the Milestone Completion Event for Cycling Paths in Central Area

Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

1.     A pleasure to be here with everyone this Sunday morning. Thank you for joining us today as we launch the completion of 6 km of cycling paths in the Central Area. As most of you would know, this is part of our plans to extend our cycling network across Singapore, to make active mobility the preferred option for green commutes.

2.     Climate change is the challenge of our generation. There is a global call to take urgent action and in Singapore, we are committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. One of our key strategies to do so is to make significant steps to make our transport sector a greener and more sustainable one. At the core of this strategy is Walk, Cycle, Ride.

3.     Here in the CBD and heritage district, there is great potential to make walking and cycling the preferred way to get around. This is not just about improving infrastructure and connectivity, which are important in their own rights, but is also about improving the urban landscape, enhancing identity and placemaking opportunities.

4.     The new cycling paths will connect various workplaces and amenities to multiple MRT stations in the area, including the new Thomson East-Coast Line stations such as Shenton Way and Marina Bay MRT. This means it is now much safer and more convenient to cycle from the MRT stations to areas such as Tanjong Pagar Plaza, Lau Pa Sat, Market Street Hawker Centre and Hong Lim Complex.

5.     The paths will also connect to popular areas like Marina Bay and Marina Barrage, and users can also ride along the Singapore River towards Alexandra and Queenstown. You can now experience a safer and more comfortable commute in these areas while enjoying scenic views.

6.     To further facilitate more walking and cycling in these areas, we also need supporting infrastructure, including bicycle parking and other end-of-trip facilities such as showers and lockers. Through LTA’s Active Commute Grant, LTA encourages developers to provide these facilities by helping co-fund up to 80% of the construction cost, up to a maximum of $80,000 per development.

7.     We are glad to see more interest from developers supporting active commutes. For instance, Guocoland and Capitaland have been strong advocates of active mobility and they have facilitated the provision of cycling paths and other cycling infrastructure as part of their developments.

8.     Today, there are more than 17,000 bicycle parking lots in the Central area. Even in conservation areas, which as we know are quite tight because of the nature of the precinct, LTA has worked with URA to provide 120 more bicycle lots, by converting them from roadside car park lots into bicycle parking.

9.     Apart from these important efforts, more places in the Central Area will be rejuvenated. Connaught Drive and Anderson Bridge have been recently pedestrianized and will be transformed to vibrant and attractive public spaces of historical and cultural significance. This will benefit not just the many visitors and workers in the area, but also importantly, the residents in the vicinity. In short, as we expand the cycling path network, we are creating more spaces to benefit not just pedestrians and cyclists, but also the broader community.

10.    This is a long haul effort, we have to sustain this, and I want to thank all stakeholders, agencies and the community who have worked with LTA to help us reach today’s milestone, despite the challenges faced due to the pandemic.

11.    We are doing even more to expand our cycling network and work towards our goal of making our transport system greener. We look forward to working with all our partners and stakeholders in this endeavour to promote more active and sustainable commutes and lifestyles.

12.    Thank you very much for joining us this morning.