SINGAPORE — Pasir Ris is now the third town in Singapore to have its own network of dedicated cycling paths, after Tampines and Sembawang.

With the network spanning 13.3km, residents can use their two-wheelers to get to main amenities in the town, such as the MRT station, bus interchange and White Sands mall.

Cyclists can now also ride to nearby towns, such as Tampines and Changi Village, through the park connectors.

The Government plans to build intra-town cycling paths in all Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns by 2030. The project aims to make it safer and more convenient for people to opt for this green mode of transport.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also plans to build cycling paths that are integrated with the National Parks Board’s Park Connector Networks. Together, the two will form an islandwide, off-road cycling path network spanning more than 700km by 2030.

In December last year, a comprehensive blueprint was unveiled to transform Ang Mo Kio into the model town for being bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly by 2018.

Preliminary ideas include narrowing roads to slow motorists down, carving out an extensive network of dedicated paths segregating pedestrians and two-wheelers, as well as a 2.6km-long all-weather channel spanning Yio Chu Kang MRT Station and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park for pedestrians and cyclists.

One of these ideas, signalised bicycle crossings, has been put in place in Pasir Ris. Cyclists can now cross roads without dismounting, using dedicated crossings next to pedestrian crossings on Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Drive 1, which see more traffic to and from the city centre.

Cycling “ambassadors” have also been designated to educate residents on safe and responsible cycling.

At the launch of the Pasir Ris cycling network yesterday, Parliamentary Secretary (Transport and Health) Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said a set of rules and norms for cycling conduct and behaviour was being pieced together.

“With these in place, I believe more people would find it safer and more convenient to cycle as a mode of transport, especially for short trips within the HDB town,” he said.

Meanwhile, the LTA said residents in Yishun can also expect new dedicated cycling paths by the second quarter, while those in Taman Jurong and Changi-Simei will see cycling path networks completed by the end of this year.