Another 30km of bike lanes next year: BMA
BANGKOK CITY HALL is working hard to finish the initial phase of the bicycle lane project at Rattanakosin Island in time for the celebration of His Majesty the King's birthday in two weeks.
“I will try to complete it by this year’s end, or by December 5 if possible,” Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.
The first 8-kilometre route starts at the Civic Plaza in front of City Hall and winds through Inner Ratchadamnoen Avenue, the Jessada Bodin plaza, Tanao, Kanlayanamaitree, Sanam Chai, Thai Wang, Maha Raj, Na Prathat, Rachinee and Phra Arthit roads, and ends at Suan Santi Chaiprakarn Park.
Good progress with this project has been achieved, he said.
Enforcement of the parking ban on bike lanes must be stepped up, and all of those agencies involved in reducing violations will have a hand in this effort.
Improvement work includes painting the lane green, installing more traffic signs, cutting down sidewalk borders so that bikes can easily get on them, and turning the direction of sewer lid grills from parallel to the lanes to perpendicular.
A Bangkok Metropolitan Administration source said four more bicycle lanes would be made available by the end of next year covering a distance of 30km.
The selected lanes will be built near or along Sathorn and Lat Phrao roads, both in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district, as well as Bang Khunthien Beach Road and a rotary around the King Taksin the Great monument on the Thon Buri side.
The BMA bicycle-lane |project will complement the Nation Bike Thailand project of Nation Broadcasting Corporation and its partners, which promotes the blossoming of bike lanes throughout the country and a national network of cycling enthusiasts.