'I feel even safer now': Ang Mo Kio residents welcome new 'Friendly Streets' with raised zebra crossings

The new raised zebra crossing on Ang Mo Kio Street 31 is good news for residents like Lim.

The 64-year-old facility manager is partially blind due to an operation on his right eye 30 years ago.

"I can't really see oncoming traffic that well," Lim, who declined to give his full name, told AsiaOne on Thursday (July 18).

"Since the zebra crossing has a hump that forces vehicles to slow down, I feel even safer while crossing the road now."

The raised zebra crossing is one of the new pedestrian-friendly features in Ang Mo Kio — the first to be completed out of the five locations under the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Friendly Streets initiative.

In an Instagram post on Monday (July 15), the LTA said that other amenities include reduced traffic speed limits, green road markings to alert motorists to slow down ahead of traffic lights, and kerbless crossings.

They added that works in the other locations — in Bukit Batok West, Tampines, Toa Payoh and West Coast — are ongoing and will be progressively completed from the third quarter of 2024.

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Friendly Streets was announced in the Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply debate back in 2023. 

The government had said that the $1 billion of additional funding would see LTA expanding the Friendly Streets project from its five pilot locations to all HDB towns by 2030.

It will also extend the initiative to private estates with high-activity areas and key amenities nearby.

This is part of measures to make walking and cycling commutes safer within more Singapore neighbourhoods over the next decade, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor in Parliament on March 5.

Kok Boon Hua, 57, who has lived on Ang Mo Kio Street 31 for over 40 years, gave a thumbs-up when asked about the new features.

"It's only been a few days, but I feel that the green markings on the road have led to more motorists slowing down earlier for pedestrians," the air-con repairman told AsiaOne.

However, Sadha, 58, observed more residents, especially older folks, jaywalking across the road - even though the pedestrian-friendly street has shorter waiting times at traffic lights.

"I've not seen any accidents here. I'm also not wishing for something bad to happen," the personal mobility aid user said. "It's very risky and dangerous to jaywalk even with the green markings on the road.

"I know we can't please everybody, but I hope the authorities can do something to encourage people to use the zebra crossing and traffic light."

ALSO READ: 'Friendly Street': 5 towns to get pedestrian-friendly zones, 110 overhead bridges to install lifts

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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