Nee Soon grassroots advisers ride in support of the SG Green Plan’s Sustainable Living goal of tripling Singapore’s cycling path networks by 2030.
Nee Soon residents can look forward to a more connected town and a more sustainable form of living with an additional 10km of cycling paths to be added to the current cycling path network spanning 16.5km.
Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam, who is also a grassroots adviser to Nee Soon GRC, took to the wheels on Saturday morning, 21 August 2021, as he cycled and explored various amenities in Nee Soon Town connected by the existing cycling path network. Fellow Nee Soon grassroots advisers, Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Louis Ng, Derrick Goh, and Carrie Tan, joined him on the ride.
The 4km cycling path route covering Yishun Ring Road and Yishun Avenue 9 started from Blk 627, Yishun Street 61, and ended at Nee Soon East Community Club. The approximate 40-minute ride passes eight major amenities such as Wisteria Mall, Yishun Park Hawker Centre, Yishun Park, Blk 414 Yishun Mall, Khatib Bongsu Park Connector, Yishun Nature Park @ Greenwalk, Junction 9 Shopping Mall, and Yishun Polyclinic. The end point Nee Soon East Community Club is a 5-minute walk from public transport nodes like Yishun MRT station and the Yishun Integrated Transport Hub.
Having over 26km of cycling paths means greater and safer connectivity for residents when the full network is completed in 2023. Amenities like schools, shopping malls, sports facilities, and parks are conveniently accessed through this vast network of cycling paths. Cyclists and pedestrians’ safety is also improved with enhanced features such as dedicated bicycle crossings. These bicycle crossings have pavement markings to give clear visual indicators of separate waiting and crossing areas for pedestrians and cyclists.
Showcasing the highly connected cycling path networks in Nee Soon, residents are encouraged to explore alternative modes of transport. This is in line with the SG Green Plan’s Sustainable Living goal of having 75% of trips during peak periods to be on mass public transport, and to triple the cycling path network to 1,300km by 2030.
Sustainability is a main focus in the various projects and initiatives in Nee Soon. Currently undergoing an upgrade, Nee Soon South Community Club will be the first CC in Singapore that aims to be a net-zero energy building. The development of the 40ha Khatib Bongsu Nature Park is also engaging in the collaborative efforts of the grassroots, educators, students, and residents.
“Earlier this year, my fellow MPs and I kayaked to Seletar Island where we picked up 381kg of trash in one hour. Today we explored the cycling paths in the GRC.” said Mr Shanmugam. “We do this to increase awareness, and encourage people to be more environmentally conscious. To make a greater impact, we hope the community comes together to co-create solutions to help build a more sustainable town.”
