ID :
42574
Sun, 01/25/2009 - 13:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/42574
The shortlink copeid
Dubai to build cycling and pedestrian tracks
Dubai, Jan 25, 2009 (WAM) - Dubai will have some 580 kilometres of cycling and walking tracks on various roads in a bid to encourage people cover short distances without using private cars according to a report in “Gulf News.”
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has already completed a 14.6-kilometre walkway and cycling track on Jumeirah Beach as part of its plans to encourage walking and cycling culture in the city.
"The walkways have been designed to link pedestrian crossings and metro stations with nearby buildings. Majority of the walkways within the congested parts of the city and commercial areas will be air-conditioned to enable people to use them even during extreme hot weather conditions," said Abdul Mohsen Ebrahim, Chief Executive Officer of the RTA's Strategic and Corporate Governance Sector.
He said the pedestrian walkways would be connected to one another to facilitate pedestrians walk from one area to the other with ease. "We are working on plans to make Dubai as a pedestrian-friendly city and it will have a total of 72 pedestrian crossings by the first quarter of 2010," he added.
The RTA is also working on plans to improve the existing walkways by widening the current footpaths for safety of the pedestrians in the city.
"We considered walking one of the safest transport modes with great benefits. The objective of the RTA is to reduce the dependency of the residents on vehicles for short-distance travels," said Ebrahim.
The RTA has reviewed the available facilities for cyclists in the city and has decided to have parking spaces for cycles in addition to dedicated lanes for cyclists in some parts of the city, especially in the crowded Central Business Districts of Deira and Bur Dubai.
It will also help reduce traffic congestion in busy areas in addition to providing a healthy activity to residents.
The RTA is planning to devise ways to encourage malls, entertainment clubs, schools, colleges, hospitals and other companies in both the public and private sector to provide parking spaces for cyclists according to specified standards.
"We will seek to devise a comprehensive plan for the development of the cycling network that will include laying cycling tracks, providing the requisite facilities and framing guidelines and legislations for the use of bicycles," said the official.
He said the RTA will soon provide parking spaces for bicycles in the souq areas in Deira and Bur Dubai, where a lot of people use cycles. The RTA will also assess the viability of setting bicycle parking spaces near bus stations, metro stations and the Abra stations.
Cycling tracks will be built at different locations as part of the first phase of the project. There will be tracks on Jumeirah Road from the Jumeirah Beach Hotel to Al Diyafah Street, on Al Mina Road, Al Mankhool Road, from Al Diyafah, to Khalid Bin Waleed Street, and the Dubai Creekside.
There will also be cycle tracks along the service lane of Shaikh Zayed Road.
According to RTA figures, there are more than 100,000 bicycles used in city mainly in commercial business districts of Deira and Bur Dubai areas as well as in labour camps.
Most bicycles are used as a means of transportation while the remainder is used for purposes of exercise and entertainment.
Currently, cycling is prohibited on main roads and cyclists are also fined for parking their cycles on pavements and locking them up with lamp posts because there are no parking spaces.
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has already completed a 14.6-kilometre walkway and cycling track on Jumeirah Beach as part of its plans to encourage walking and cycling culture in the city.
"The walkways have been designed to link pedestrian crossings and metro stations with nearby buildings. Majority of the walkways within the congested parts of the city and commercial areas will be air-conditioned to enable people to use them even during extreme hot weather conditions," said Abdul Mohsen Ebrahim, Chief Executive Officer of the RTA's Strategic and Corporate Governance Sector.
He said the pedestrian walkways would be connected to one another to facilitate pedestrians walk from one area to the other with ease. "We are working on plans to make Dubai as a pedestrian-friendly city and it will have a total of 72 pedestrian crossings by the first quarter of 2010," he added.
The RTA is also working on plans to improve the existing walkways by widening the current footpaths for safety of the pedestrians in the city.
"We considered walking one of the safest transport modes with great benefits. The objective of the RTA is to reduce the dependency of the residents on vehicles for short-distance travels," said Ebrahim.
The RTA has reviewed the available facilities for cyclists in the city and has decided to have parking spaces for cycles in addition to dedicated lanes for cyclists in some parts of the city, especially in the crowded Central Business Districts of Deira and Bur Dubai.
It will also help reduce traffic congestion in busy areas in addition to providing a healthy activity to residents.
The RTA is planning to devise ways to encourage malls, entertainment clubs, schools, colleges, hospitals and other companies in both the public and private sector to provide parking spaces for cyclists according to specified standards.
"We will seek to devise a comprehensive plan for the development of the cycling network that will include laying cycling tracks, providing the requisite facilities and framing guidelines and legislations for the use of bicycles," said the official.
He said the RTA will soon provide parking spaces for bicycles in the souq areas in Deira and Bur Dubai, where a lot of people use cycles. The RTA will also assess the viability of setting bicycle parking spaces near bus stations, metro stations and the Abra stations.
Cycling tracks will be built at different locations as part of the first phase of the project. There will be tracks on Jumeirah Road from the Jumeirah Beach Hotel to Al Diyafah Street, on Al Mina Road, Al Mankhool Road, from Al Diyafah, to Khalid Bin Waleed Street, and the Dubai Creekside.
There will also be cycle tracks along the service lane of Shaikh Zayed Road.
According to RTA figures, there are more than 100,000 bicycles used in city mainly in commercial business districts of Deira and Bur Dubai areas as well as in labour camps.
Most bicycles are used as a means of transportation while the remainder is used for purposes of exercise and entertainment.
Currently, cycling is prohibited on main roads and cyclists are also fined for parking their cycles on pavements and locking them up with lamp posts because there are no parking spaces.
