Walking and cycling as an urban transport option in Singapore

Abstract

Singapore, facing a land scarcity issue, has been continuously looking for sustainable urban transport solutions to facilitate effective movement within the island nation. With the recent population projection of 6·9 million and the unprecedented national age shift (towards ageing) by 2030, investing more on non-motorised transport (NMT), namely walking and cycling, may be a workable solution. The first part of the paper focuses on assessing the first/last mile trips connecting to rail transit stations and evaluating NMT as a viable solution in the Singapore context. Engineering and behavioural studies aimed at providing adequate NMT infrastructure to the increasing demand of users are discussed next. Safety, accessibility and capacity of the NMT network are assessed by the use of the safety and accessibility index. Current key research findings (such as pedestrian shed, NMT push and pull factors and route choice models) are showcased.