5 traffic lights to cross one intersection: Bishan-to-city cyclists bear with busy junctions

SINGAPORE – To cycle to the city for family outings, Bishan resident Norzamaria Zainal, 44, has to stop at up to five traffic lights at the busy intersection of Upper Serangoon, MacPherson, Bendemeer and Serangoon roads.

“It’s like we have to stop at every traffic light just to cross that short distance,” said the housewife.

Since she rides a cargo bike with her children in tow, Ms Norzamaria has to take extra care to ensure her bike does not topple or accidentally hit other people on the small traffic islands.

Stopping at multiple traffic junctions to cross the intersection is among the inconveniences cyclists riding between Bishan and the city have to make do with, to get across the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).

Other inconveniences include pushing bicycles across long bridges, and hauling them up and down overhead bridges.

But come 2027, a new elevated bridge will make these cyclists’ commutes easier.

This

upcoming 682m-long cycling bridge,

spanning a 14-lane section of the PIE, is the final piece of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) plan to turn the Kallang Park Connector – and by extension, the Bishan-to-city cycling route – into a 10km-long seamless commuting path.

URA called a tender for the construction of this bridge on Oct 5. The authority had first proposed the bridge in 2015 as part of improvements to the Kallang Park Connector, and presented it to the public for feedback in 2017.

Meanwhile, cyclists said their current alternatives are the traffic intersection under Woodsville Flyover that Ms Norzamaria uses, an overhead bridge near Block 195 Kim Keat Avenue in Toa Payoh and a bridge near St Andrew’s Junior School.

The Straits Times visited the alternative routes last Friday from 8am to 10am, and observed a steady flow of recreational and delivery cyclists using them.

ST also saw bike commuters at the traffic intersection under Woodsville Flyover and on the overhead bridge across the PIE in Toa Payoh.

Cyclists told ST they have grown accustomed to using these routes despite the inconvenience.

They said they are looking forward to the enhanced connectivity offered by the new bridge. Many of them admitted that they were not aware, until they were told, about this upcoming addition to the Bishan-to-city cycling route.

Cycling across the busy traffic intersection can be dangerous, time-consuming and disruptive, according to Ms Norzamaria and other riders.

Data governance manager Josh Loh, 47, said that as a recreational cyclist who has to “fight for space” on the traffic islands, he has to deal with “dirty stares” from pedestrians during peak hours.

Mr Chan Jie Yong, 37, a member of recreational cycling group Love Cycling SG, bemoaned the many traffic junctions he has to cross at the intersection, which adds 10 to 15 minutes to his total travelling time and “breaks (his) momentum” of cycling.

However, like many others, the secondary school teacher said he is used to travelling through this intersection.

Similarly, cyclists said that pushing their bikes across the overhead bridge near Toa Payoh with barrier-free access ramps can be time-consuming and exhausting. Cyclists are not allowed to ride across the bridge, and there is a closed-circuit television camera that keeps them in check at the centre of the bridge, which spans the width of a 10-lane segment of the PIE.

Mr David Ty, 39, a member of interest group Rapha Cycling Club, said that crossing the bridge with his bike takes about 10 minutes, which is “way too long”.

The architectural designer added that pushing his bike slows his travelling speed significantly, on top of his walking a longer distance up and down the barrier-free ramps, compared with walking across the road on the ground.

Comparatively, the overhead bridge with bicycle wheeling ramps near St Andrew’s Junior School turned out to be the least used route by cyclists in the area.

When ST was there last Friday morning, no cyclists were using the bridge.

Part-time delivery cyclist Jimmy Tan, 50, avoids this bridge as the “sheer height” and “steep incline” of the staircase make it challenging to push his heavy bicycle up and down the bridge safely.

Similarly, Mr Ty said that he would rather carry his bike up, as it would be faster than pushing his bike using the “small grooves” on the slope.

Among the many cyclists looking forward to the new cycling bridge is Mr Wayne Lai.

The 44-year-old IT manager said it would bridge the portion of the Kallang Park Connector that runs from Potong Pasir to Geylang Bahru, and bring potential time savings of 10 minutes.

Business owner Francis Chu, 63, who is a co-founder of Love Cycling SG, welcomes the seamlessness the new bridge will offer. But he pointed out that some elderly cyclists may still prefer to use the traffic intersection as they find it less strenuous to ride on flat terrain.

Software engineer Tend Wong, 51, said the bridge’s 14m elevation – the height of around five floors of a Housing Board block – may not be very accessible for some and that its additional circular loops require cyclists to ride longer distances.

Other parts of the Bishan-to-city cycling network were

opened to the public in October,

including improvements to an underpass beneath the Central Expressway near Toa Payoh Lorong 8, and new underpasses in Upper Boon Keng and Kallang Bahru.