Proposal: Shared Bus and Bike Lane in Singapore.

The Implementation of Bus-Bike Lanes on Singaporean Roads Singapore has an extensive train system, bus network, and automotive roadway system to make travel safe and easy for most people. One segment of the population, however, cannot travel safely in Singapore. Cyclists only have limited options available to them to ride to/from work or for recreation. The Singaporean government attempted to solve this issue in 1992. “The authorities started to develop a 300km round-island green network called the Park Connector Network (PCN), for cycling, jogging, walking and other recreational activities” (Land Transport…). Although this extensive network was developed in many communities, it remains unfinished. Also, cyclists are often frowned upon when they travel on the PCN, as they interfere with people who are jogging or walking. As a result, cyclists found their way back onto the roads because fewer obstacles stood in their way of a good ride. How can the government make cycling safe in Singapore for pedestrians, cyclists, and private motorists? Underground tunnels? Isolated bike-only paths in Tuas? A shared bike and bus lane on the road? It doesn’t require much brain power for one to see that all but one of the options above are either too expensive, impractical, and/or a waste of space. A shared bike and bus lane is the perfect solution. Devoting one lane of each road to be a bus-bike lane is beneficial to pedestrians, cyclists, private motorists, and bus commuters. Shared bike and bike lanes are valuable to cyclists for a wide range of reasons. These specialized lanes provide cyclists, both commuting and recreational, with a safe place to ride. In addition to being safer, bus-bike lanes will encourage others to take up cycling. The recent burst in popularity for “going green” and “be healthy” movements has encouraged many to start cycling. Unfortunately, once one realizes the many dangers in modern day cycling, one often refrains from cycling to/from work and for recreation. In London, the removal of a bus lane on Kew Bridge caused cycling on the bridge and in the surrounding area to decrease, despite an overall increase in cycling around London ("Shared Bus and”…). Many cyclists in the area biked to/from work and for recreation as the facilities provided a place for a safe and efficient ride. Once those facilities were taken away, many cyclists did not feel safe cycling on the road or on the sidewalk forcing them to stop cycling. Not only does a shared bus-bike lane provide cyclists with a safe, obstacle free place to commute or exercise, this lane will also encourage others to cycle and eliminate most boundaries one has to enjoying a green, self-benefiting ride. In addition to supporting current and potential cyclists, a bus-bike lane will also benefit private motorists and bus commuters. One of the worst nightmares of a driver is hitting a pedestrian or a cyclist. Fortunately, the majority of pedestrians stick to walking on the sidewalk. Cyclists, on the other hand, constantly weave in-between cars and create a dangerous driving experience for many. With a bus-bike lane, cyclists will be restricted to staying in their one lane. This relieves any previous stress caused by cyclists on drivers, creating a more pleasant drive. In addition to the removal of bikes from the majority of the road, the removal of slow busses also creates a better drive. The lack of busses allows cars to travel at a faster speed as busses often have a speed limit less than the road speed limit, thus slowing down traffic. An exclusive lane for buses and bikes also benefits commuters using busses. During rush hour, many streets in the CBD and roads going to and from primary residential and business areas of the country are consumed by traffic. This separate lane will allow busses to pass the traffic and still transport commuters effectively. A bus-bike lane in Singapore would require guidelines on the size, location, and usage of the lane. • Every road with no fewer than 2 lanes (excluding exit and entrance lanes) over a distance of 500 meters or any road with an existing part time or full time bus lane is to devote the leftmost lane to be a shared wide (4.2m) bus and pedal cycle lane. A bus-bike lane is the ideal solution for pedestrians, cyclists, bus commuters, and private motorists. With a space to ride, cyclists will stay off sidewalks and off the rest of the road, thus not endangering pedestrians or private motorists. Furthermore, a shared lane is safer for cyclists as fewer obstacles are present. With an exclusive bus-bike lane, bus riders no longer need to worry about rush-hour traffic slowing down the bus. Most importantly, this safe place to cycle will encourage more Singaporeans to exercise creating an overall healthier Singapore.