SINGAPORE – Cyclists can look forward to commuting conveniently in the west – around areas such as Jurong West, Bukit Batok and Clementi – as well as in Queenstown, as new cycling paths in these locations will be built progressively from 2024.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday called a tender to build 34.4km of new cycling paths in western and central Singapore.

The new paths will improve cycling connectivity to key amenities like MRT stations and neighbourhood centres in areas including Boon Lay, Nanyang, Pioneer, West Coast and Dover.

According to LTA, the construction of these new cycling paths will start in phases, as soon as the relevant feasibility studies are completed, to allow residents to enjoy the benefits sooner.

Based on tender documents seen by The Straits Times, the paths must be ready by September 2025.

About 10.7km of new cycling paths will be built in Jurong West, 9.8km in Queenstown, 7.3km in Bukit Batok, and 6.6km in Clementi. These will contribute to a total of 34.4km of new paths, which will be added to the western and central regions of the island’s cycling network.

The new paths in Jurong West are located in the vicinity of Pioneer, Boon Lay and Lakeside MRT stations. They are spread out along Boon Lay Way from Pioneer Road North to Boon Lay Place, as well as within the neighbourhoods of Jurong West and Boon Lay.

In Queenstown, the new paths will connect West Coast Highway with Ayer Rajah Expressway, Pasir Panjang Road to West Coast Highway, Dover to Buona Vista, and Queensway to Margaret Drive.

In Bukit Batok, the new paths are spread out across the Bukit Gombak and Bukit Batok West areas, including one that connects Swiss Cottage Secondary School via a series of paths to the Little Guilin park, and along Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 near Bukit Batok MRT station.

In Clementi, the new paths include a cluster of connections within Housing Board estates surrounding the MRT station, linkages from West Coast Highway to West Coast Lane, and another stretch connecting residences in West Coast Vale to Ayer Rajah Expressway.

This latest expansion in the cycling path network follows an earlier LTA tender in June to build new paths in the central region, to improve connectivity across areas such as Bukit Merah, Kallang and Bukit Timah, and within the city.

LTA aims to double the cycling path network across the island from 580km now to 1,300km by 2030.

LTA said in this new cycling path tender and all future ones, it will stipulate the use of low-carbon concrete, which has a smaller overall carbon footprint compared with conventional concrete.

It will also look into other sustainable materials for cycling path construction, added LTA.

Cyclists whom ST spoke to are happy that some of these new cycling paths, like those along One-North Avenue and Boon Lay Way, are proposed to be 2.5m wide. Many existing paths are 2m wide.

Mr Stefan Ansorge, a bike dealer and a member of recreational cycling group West Coast Riders who often cycles around Bukit Batok and Clementi to run errands, welcomes the new cycling paths as they will enhance the convenience and safety of cycling in these neighbourhoods.

According to Mr Ansorge, 53, these new paths are “a good start” for now, since they function as short connecting sections within each housing estate.

Even so, he would still like to see more continuous and protected cycling paths – where cyclists are given dedicated and uninterrupted lanes for increased safety – that form complete connections to major neighbourhood amenities and across various neighbourhoods.

Citing the fragmented paths along Boon Lay Way as an example, Mr Ansorge said cyclists have to take “massive detours on twisted park connectors” when they commute between Clementi, Jurong East, Bukit Batok and Upper Bukit Timah.

National serviceman Ong Jia Cheng, a Queenstown resident who cycles regularly in the Clementi and Jurong West areas, said the new paths will ease his commute from his home to destinations in the west.

He noted that these additions to the cycling network will make cycling trips possible not just within each town in the west, but between towns, since these new paths intersect with older ones in Taman Jurong and Jurong Lake.

But Mr Ong, 20, echoed Mr Ansorge’s concerns about the need for continuous and protected cycling paths, especially for those who ride long distances.

He also hopes to see wider cycling paths that can accommodate more cyclists, with better separation of cycling paths and pedestrian walkways to ensure safety for all road users.