Bukit Batok West first to pilot 'Friendly Streets'

Singapore is one step closer to having more 'friendly' streets in our neighbourhoods. 

Since the announcement of the Friendly Streets initiative earlier in March, Acting Minister for Transport, Mr. Chee Hong Tat, marked yesterday the commencement of works at Bukit Batok West. This is one of the five locations outlined under the pilot plan. 

Residents of Ang Mo Kio, Tampines, Toa Payoh, and West Coast can expect to see Friendly Streets features rolled out progressively in their estates, as implementation works begin

Other estates that will trial these streets include Ang Mo Kio, Tampines, Toa Payoh, and West Coast. Implementation works for the remaining pilot areas will be carried out in stages, starting this month. 

Not all Friendly Streets will be designed the same. According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), each town will receive customised features specific to the needs of that area. 

Depending on the needs of the pilot town, the streets may get more barrier-free pedestrian crossings with more time to cross the road, or more road humps to slow down traffic

Some of the features that were previously unveiled, and which residents can look forward to, include:

• More barrier-free pedestrian crossings
• More frequent Green Man activations, along with longer time for pedestrians to cross the road

• More calming measures such as road humps, to slow down the speed of traffic

In totality, these features will make daily journeys to key amenities in the towns - by walking and cycling - safer, more convenient, and more comfortable. Towns that are not part of the pilot run can expect to receive a Friendly Street upgrade by 2030. 

Communities are positive that the features introduced by the Friendly Streets initiative will further improve safety and barrier-free accessibility 

The authority said it will draw on insights gathered from its pilot roll-out as it works towards implementing the initiative islandwide. 

"9 in 10 residents felt that the Friendly Streets features would further improve safety and barrier-free accessibility in their community," said LTA, heartened by the positive response from communities in the pilot towns. 

Mr. Chee also launched the Friendly Streets logo yesterday. 

When the works are completed, one can identify a Friendly Street via signages that sport a stylised Friendly Streets logo with a smiling sun emblem. The logo connotes a welcoming environment where the community can move around safely and comfortably. 

The smiling sun emblem will create a familiar visual identity that signals to motorists pedestrian-friendly zones and slow down as they enter these zones

But beyond this, the Friendly Streets logo has an important function.

By distinguishing Friendly Streets from the regular streets of Singapore's roads, it serves as a visual identity that will raise public awareness of pedestrian-friendly zones prioritised for community use, among road users, particularly motorists. Its objective is to signal to motorists to slow down, as they enter a Friendly Street where seniors and children could be crossing the roads. 

Additionally, there will be unique markings within Friendly Streets to remind motorists and pedestrians to look out for one another.