IT STARTED off as a pilot project to lead by example, by first inspiring Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) employees to take up cycling as a practical mode of transport.
Soon, though, the local government’s plans for a greener and more liveable city expanded to include an 11.86km belt of blue to mark a dedicated bicycle lane that circles the metropolis’ commercial and tourist landmarks.
The bicycle lane has been rolled out in time for the World Urban Forum (WUF) 2018 which Kuala Lumpur will host early next month.
While the pro-active move to provide the infrastructure is lauded, one does wonder if DBKL and relevant agencies have done enough to further develop cycling as an integral form of travel for commuters, not simply a pastime.
Painting the city blue
The lane is painted using two environmentally friendly materials. DBKL senior deputy director (Civil Engineering and Urban Transportation Department) Sabudin Mohd Salleh said a US-made epoxy paint mixed with ground glass beads for its reflective nature and coloured glass aggregates from Australia are used on the lane.
“Our initial intention was to have a track connecting Menara DBKL 1 and 3. Coincidentally, the WUF was along our route so we connected the two and created a loop.
“Work has taken about three to four months but we are confident the lanes will be ready by Feb 1, Federal Territory Day.
Sabudin said plans for the lane was originally about seven or eight kilometres, but the distance was extended as they had to build the long way around since it was discovered several roads could not accommodate the change.
“Our strategy was to have a continuous 1.5m dedicated cycling path on the road without compromising the number of lanes for motorists, so at certain points it is a shared lane with pedestrians.
“We were able to maintain the road capacity for motorists by reducing the vehicular lane width; roads that were more than 3.6m wide are now reduced to just a little over three metres.
He explained that the three-metre wide lanes for motorists were in proportion to the 50kph limit for roads within the city centre.
“We widened the sidewalks and combined cycling and pedestrian paths at locations in which the roads could not be made any narrower.
The project cost between RM5mil and RM6mil, with several aspects taken into account to ensure safety as a priority.
In addition to the blue paint to designate the lane solely for cyclists, blue signboards are installed.
However, the raised plastic separators with reflective white lines –placed at intervals to act as a divider – have been removed after photographs showing a motoryclist injured after his motorcycle hit the plastic divider went viral.
DBKL executive director (Project Management) Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah said yesterday an option would be replacing it with bright traffic orange flexi-poles as segregators between the bicycle lane and the vehicular portion of the road.
“The most difficult part was to ensure a smooth ride for cyclists,” said Sabudin. “Work included modifications to the alignment of kerbs, building ramps with pavements and mapping the crossings.”
He said it involved several major roads in a closed loop that covered Jalan Raja, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Pinang, Jalan Perak, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and Lebuh Pasar Besar.
“The first step in convincing people to commute using bicycle is to provide the infrastructure; it is very difficult to educate the public without the facilities,” he said in explaining DBKL’s approach toward building a culture of cycling.
He said DBKL was working closely with cycling associations such as Cycling Kuala Lumpur and Bicycle Map Project who have assisted and advised DBKL on fine-tuning their plans.
“We are also communicating with oBike to encourage more users, with possibility of installing proper bicycle bays so the bicycles are not left indiscriminately around the city.
“The next area we may look at for expansion is the Middle Ring Road 1 and around Jalan Tun Razak, besides tightening enforcement to make sure vehicles do not park on the bicycle lanes.
StarMetro reached out to oBike (M) Sdn Bhd, who said the company had submitted all information required for approval to operate in Kuala Lumpur
“We are currently awaiting DBKL’s feedback or advice on the next step,” said oBike’s marketing manager Elaine Chan.
The topic of bicycle racks is yet to be finalised.
“Bicycle lanes will definitely provide a better route for cyclists to plan ahead for their journey.
“Other than the lane, we believe more bicycle parking facilities will help encourage cycling within Kuala Lumpur and make it a car-lite city.
Cyclists’ views
Some cycling enthusiasts are of the opinion that the implementation of enforcement and education go hand-in-hand with the engineering of bicycle tracks.
Akmal Azfar, founder of a café and workshop that acts as a checkpoint on routes for touring group cyclists, advocates the necessity of a clear separator between the lanes.
“It is a good effort on DBKL’s part to make it safer for cyclists, but cars sometimes park on the lanes, making it hard for cyclists to navigateand forces them to merge with the vehicular traffic to avoid the parked car.
“Areas in which the bicycle lanes are shared with pedestrians makes it dangerous for both categories of users.”
He emphasised the importance of introducing the new culture through the 3Es – engineering, education and enforcement as well as planning ahead and maintenance.
He recommended early age exposure by holding campaigns in schools, to help people adapt to the culture.
“Different designs suit different users so Malaysia needs its own design that is not just for sports or recreational cyclists, but real commuters,” he said, adding that the design should make cycling as convenient as driving.
“We need critical mass (of cyclists) so we can change the vibe of the cycling lane,” said Akmal.
He said this was important to encourage more cyclists, and people in general, to see the lanes as an area safe from undesirable activities.
He proposed that the bicycle lane network should stretch from Gombak to Klang by building lanes beside riverbanks.
“The motorcycle lane along Federal Highway was originally designed as a dedicated bicycle lane,” he pointed out.
Ardent cyclist and Kuala Lumpur resident Nadiah Abdul Aziz, 38, bicycle lanes were a positive development but there were several areas to consider.
“I think it (bicycle lane) is great, but it really squeezes the car lanes, so I wonder how it will change motorists’ behaviour to respect cyclists and their right to use the road.”
Like many, the Cycling Plus Malaysia representative pointed to education.
“I have seen a lot of cars and tour buses parked along the blue lane, which means cyclists will have to use the car lanes anyway.
“I think the blue lane will be effective to a certain extent, because it helps me remind motorists that cyclists’ rights are being recognised now.
Nadiah pointed to Taipei in Taiwan as a place to look at for best practices, giving the example of widening the sidewalk to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians so that both are kept off the road.
Taman SEA resident in Petaling Jaya, Koo Wee Hon wrote to StarMetro to give his thoughts on the blue strips. He believes it is a right move in making Kuala Lumpur a world-class city.
“These lanes are in major office, commercial and tourist areas, a boon for them to get around easily.
“Although there have been a lot of thought and planning to implement these lanes in areas of heavy traffic despite the limited space to work with, there are still possible improvements.
Among his suggestions are to firstly educate all road users on the bicycle lanes before they are officially implemented.
“Currently, a lot of cars are parked on the lanes out of habit or just following others. Now is the time to educate the public through social media or sending DBKL officers out on the streets to educate road users.
“Pedestrians too must be told not to stray or walk on the lanes, to reduce frustration and possible mishaps.
“After implementation of the bicycle lane, strict enforcement must be carried out against drivers who park or stop their vehicles inside the lane as well as motorcyclists using the bicycle lanes, either through imposing fines or towing away the offending vehicles.
In terms of infrastructure, Koo cited the example of the Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan P. Ramlee intersection heading to KLCC.
“The pedestrian shelter covers half the pavement and is curved down lower at one end. That is not conducive for cyclists.”
His concerns also extended to road etiquette at crossings.
He explained that at certain points in the city, the bicycle lane intersected with motor vehicles’ path, therefore the authorities needed to educate road users on who had the right of way in order to prevent accidents.
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