4 HDB precincts, including new Ulu Pandan estate, to be zoned as car-lite precincts with fewer parking lots

SINGAPORE — Six areas, including four new public housing estates, will be designated as car-lite zones and will feature fewer parking lots than usual, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a joint release on Wednesday (Oct 5).

The areas to be gazetted by LTA on Oct 31 are the housing estates of Ulu Pandan, Tengah, Mount Pleasant, Tanjong Rhu, as well as Pearl’s Hill and Keppel Club in Greater Southern Waterfront.

With Wednesday's announcement, there will be 16 car-lite zones in total across Singapore. The car-lite boundaries of the Bayshore housing precinct in East Coast will also be enlarged.

These precincts are planned from the onset with good public transport, walking and cycling connections, which would allow for fewer parking lots in these areas, both agencies said.

In turn, reducing the number of parking lots provided in these precincts will free up more space for public facilities and greenery, they added.

Residents in these precincts will get priority for available lots, through new parking demand management measures.

These measures include:

• Season parking will be reduced and restricted to residents only and will be prioritised for the first car of resident households
• Residents who buy season parking for their second and subsequent vehicles will be charged a higher Tier 2 season parking rate, which is subject to availability
• Short-term parking for visitors will remain available, though with limited lots. Parking charges may be adjusted based on demand

ULU PANDAN HOUSING ESTATE

The joint statement also highlighted the Ulu Pandan housing estate — which will be part of the upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise next month — as the "first car-lite HDB precinct" to be launched.

The new Ulu Pandan estate will be designed for residents to adopt “green modes of commuting”, the statement said.

Residents of the housing project there will have convenient access to rail and bus services, sheltered elevated linkways connecting them directly to Dover MRT Station, and barrier-free access to bus stops along Commonwealth Avenue.

The estate will also feature a comprehensive network of walking and cycling paths providing connectivity to the neighbourhood centre and key amenities in Ghim Moh via the park connector network.

Vehicular roads will be segregated from the main pedestrian walkway and located at the perimeter of the precincts.

Parking lots in precincts located close to Dover MRT Station will be reduced to free up space for other uses such as shared community spaces, pedestrian and cycling paths, as well as parks and greenery, HDB and LTA added.

Parking demand will be monitored and parking measures refined, if necessary, upon the completion of the new Ulu Pandan housing development.

WHAT PROSPECTIVE BTO FLAT BUYERS SAY 

Prospective buyers who have applied or are applying to get BTO flats from HDB told TODAY that car-lite residential areas will likely not factor in their decisions when looking at housing choices, but other factors such as property prices, location and accessibility to public transport nodes matter more. 

University student Low Wei Xin, who is a first-time applicant looking to apply for a flat under the upcoming BTO sales exercise next month, said that she and her partner will still consider applying for the Ulu Pandan project despite it having fewer parking lots. 

“I don’t see it as a big problem because ultimately, there will still be season parking for the residents (and) I don’t think every resident may own a car as well,” the 22-year-old said. 

She added that the only issue may be when she has visitors and they may not be able to park at the estate. 

“Perhaps, I may let the visitors know beforehand that it will be better if they take public transport,” she added.

Agreeing, 24-year-old Vanessa, who holds a marketing role in an accounting firm and did not want to disclose her full name, said that factors such as whether a housing estate is car-lite does not affect her decision to apply for a certain project. 

“Price, location, floor level — these are more important (factors), but parking for friends is not an important one.” 

Having unsuccessfully applied to get a BTO five times, she is now eyeing the November BTO sales launch as well. The only concern she has with car-lite towns is the relative ease of access to public transport nodes, which could imply higher prices for flats. 

“This means that (the flats) are going to be pricier… I don’t care about car-lite, I care more about the location and price.”