Singapore, Jan 15 Singapore has announced plans to upgrade 10 streets across the island by 2026 to enhance walking and cycling commutes, particularly for seniors and young children.
Work on these 'Friendly Streets' will commence progressively in the first half of 2025, with completion targeted for 2026, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said at the launch of an event held in Holland Village, where one of the programmes is located.
The streets are located in residential areas with high pedestrian traffic and are close to essential amenities such as markets, hawker centres, community clubs, schools, and MRT stations. These areas often have a higher concentration of seniors or young families, according to a statement from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Proposed pedestrian-friendly enhancements include lower speed limits, barrier-free pedestrian crossings with priority for walkers, road markings and treatments to calm traffic and promote courteous driving, as well as wider and more accessible footpaths where feasible.
The specific locations and features of these streets were determined in collaboration with local communities after consultations with stakeholders and residents, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Construction works will progressively start from the first half of 2025 and complete in 2026. Where possible, works will be conducted together with other projects in the vicinity to minimise disamenities to the residents. When completed, residents can look forward to more barrier-free crossings, traffic-calming features such as road humps, green road markings to encourage drivers to slow down before these crossings, and pedestrian-friendly zones marked with the signature Friendly Streets icon," read a statement issued by Singapore's Land Transport Authority.
Launched as a pilot in 2023, the 'Friendly Streets' initiative began with five streets. Four have already been completed, and another is slated for completion by March this year. The LTA reported positive feedback from residents, with nine out of 10 respondents indicating that their walking and cycling experiences have improved.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor