[sustran] Bicycle promotion efforts by KL City Hall and STAR LRT

[Barter]

Dear Azlan

As requested here are some comments for the Malay Mail newspaper on DBKL's
and STAR's initiatives to promote cycling.   I will be cc'ing this to some
other cycling contacts to let them know what is going on.. I hope you don't
mind.

BACKGROUND on SUSTRAN Resource Centre
The SUSTRAN Resource Centre is coordinator for an Asia-wide network of
people who are interested in promoting sustainable transport, especially
public transport, bicycles and walking. We also provide an information
service on these issues. Therefore the consumers association and STAR LRT
asked us to come along to the meeting on their bicycle project to give some
feedback. We have two staff (myself and Sreela) and Tamim is a visiting
advisor.

CONGRATULATE DBKL AND STAR ON MAKING A START ON PROMOTING BICYCLES
First I would congratulate DBKL and STAR for taking the initiative to try
to promote greater use of bicycles.  It is great that they recognise that
bicycles have many advantages as a means of transport in cities.

Bicycles are especially suitable for short trips of about 4 km or less.
People of all ages can cycle. Bicycles produce no pollution or noise and
contribute almost nothing to congestion.  Cycling is a very healthy
activity when there are safe routes to cycle on. Bikes also take up very
little parking space (one car parking lot can be converted easily to take
12 bicycles). This is one reason why bicycles are particularly good for
getting to railway and LRT stations.

BICYCLE PROMOTION NOT JUST ABOUT BICYCLE TRACKS
Many factors can discourage people from riding bicycles.  Creating safer
bicycle routes (on tracks or along streets) is just one of many ways to
address these factors and to promote bicycle use.  Other strategies
include: promotional campaigns and educational materials; shade trees along
cycle routes; providing secure bicycle parking (at railway stations,
shopping complexes, large work places); requiring new buildings to provide
showers for employees who cycle to work; and slowing down traffic (traffic
calming) on streets where there are many cyclists.

DBKL's EFFORTS SO FAR - LET US LEARN FROM MISTAKES
DBKL has begun its efforts to promote bicycles by building a network of
bicycle/pedestrian tracks alongside streets in Wangsa Maju and Bandar Tun
Razak. Some of the tracks do appear to fulfill a useful role and are used
by cyclists - especially the tracks that run alongside busy streets and
especially the ones near schools.

Unfortunately the example that we saw in Bandar Tun Razak near the LRT
station was a poor example so I don't think we should judge the whole
project on that one. Some of the other tracks are also now in a state of
disrepair because of damage from heavy vehicles parking on the tracks.
This was not forseen and I think that the relevant officers in DBKL will be
the first to admit that they made some mistakes in their first try.
However, I understand that they are very keen to learn from these mistakes
so that their next efforts can avoid the same problems.  Such a willingness
to learn from mistakes is a good attitude and it is neccessary in any
transport planning.

STAR LRT has also already taken some initiative building bicycle parking
facilities at a number of their stations.  Now it is important to assess
these and to try to improve on them in other stations.  I hope the other
rail operators will also take an interest in STAR's efforts to promote
cycling to stations. If this is a success it can be part of the solution to
their parking problems.

FEEDBACK FROM CYCLISTS MAY BE A GOOD NEXT STEP
Even if their first efforts have not been wildly successful yet, I hope
that DBKL and STAR will not lose heart or abandon the idea of promoting
bicycles. Perhaps a good step might be to do a survey of people who already
cycle in KL (old AND young; fast AND slow) to find out what problems they
face and how their cycling can be made safer and more comfortable.

Klang Valley Sustainable Transport "FORUM" to form soon
SUSTRAN Resource Centre and a number of other people including cyclist
clubs, people with disabilities, and the consumers movement are working on
forming a "forum" to promote public transport, cycling and walking in the
Klang Valley. When this forum is established, it would be an ideal body to
help DBKL and STAR with their bicycle promotion efforts.



A. Rahman Paul BARTER,
SUSTRAN Resource Centre
P.O. Box 11501
50748 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Fax/Phone: +603 274 2590
E-mail: sustran at po.jaring.my
URL: http://www.geocities.com/Rainforest/Canopy/2853
The SUSTRAN Resource Centre hosts the Secretariat of SUSTRAN (the
Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific).