Bike Ride-5 - A most enjoyable outing

The weather was fine and everyone was there except Sean who had to go to school and his Dad couldn't make it due to a hand injury.

Here's everyone milling around obstructing half the width of the cycle track outside the Lifestyle Recreation Bike Kiosk in area C, East Coast Park.....












.... besides trampling on the green patches on both sides of the 'driveway' of the bike kiosk.





Cementing up the green patches would alleviate cycle track obstruction; and, no need to repair damaged turf!




Getting to know you while waiting for HoiYing who just called to say that he is on Benjamin Sheares Bridge.

The Ironman in yellow in centre of pic is Koh Poo Kiong, an Asst Director, and OiC of Park Connectors/ Special Projects Branch of the Parks Mgmt Division.

EngSeong and MengTong (Director, Parks Devlpt Division).

MengTong has come with 8 staff to ride with us who will show them where the PCN signage is poor or inadequate.








Thomas Yee ChungYao (Head of Park Connector Cluster I) is all smiles waiting to lead us on the ride.



First bad sign. At start of Siglap Park Connector.

Not far from the overhead pedestrian bridge over the East Coast Parkway, we came upon this junction. Ground sign indicates left turn.

So why is that information board over there?
















Can you guess what this is?

It is supposed to be a sign that tells you how far you have come from the last park and how far you are from the next park. Very sadly, there was no such useful information here.




Still on the Siglap PC, we came across this rare sign. This is the only one of its kind that I've come across after cycling the full ECPCN 4 times.

As I was going straight ahead in the direction this photo was taken, I had to go past the sign and turn around to be able to see it easily.


Sadly, easily it was not. Badly faded. Unclear information. It seemed to indicate that the path is for cyclists or skateboarders, and that it's a one-way path and we were going in the wrong direction!








Here is a very clear sign that tells us we were 1300m from the last park and 600m to the next park.

Which parks? Very clear sign "not".










Click on this photo to enlarge it.

That is not a bamboo pole with washing hung out to dry. It is a 10mm diameter iron rod that's normally used as concrete reinforcement. Perhaps it's a substitute for bamboo poles that are constantly broken by joggers and cyclists running into them?

This danger is at just the right height to spear small children on kiddie bikes and tricycles, right in the face.



Worse! It's from a temple premises; so I reminded PooKiong to go check up on a similar temple story at a park connector in the northern PCN. That case, the encroachment really got out of hand. But that's another story.



Our friends from NParks quickly spotted this visual obstruction and I heard one instructing another to arrange for it to be pruned ASAP. So I took this photo, and of the corresponding sign across the road (below) which was also not surprisingly similarly obstructed.

Nice clear signs. But what's the significance of the word "TO" that required the emphasis?






Click on photo to enlarge it and you can see a motorcyclist and pillion rider on the park connector! See the faded No Entry road sign with the faded words?










This notice board erected ON the park connector had no indication as to its ownership. "Oh it belongs to the Town Council".

Considering the jaded condition of the sign, it's clear why the TC prefers not to have its name on it!





This is one the best signs on the ECPCN.

Why is it on only a few sections of the ECPCN, and not throughout the ECPCN?


Those are NParks guys carrying their bikes and going down the staircase to the road pavement.

Didn't or couldn't they see the ramp on the left?

Or did they simply follow the big signs on the pole and on the tiled floor which pointed straight ahead to the steps? And missed the small PCN words at the head of the ramp?

Click on photo to enlarge it to see everything that is so strange.

I took the ramp and crossed the road following that last sign with the arrow pointing vertically skywards and the words "This way to Park Connector".

And found a very long bus stop and shelter in front of me! And those NParks guys were nowhere in sight!

This photo showed where we came off the PCN onto the road ie Sims Avenuie East.



Scanning ahead, I saw them; still on that side of the road! They were making their way to the next pedestrian crossing. Unobstructed by bus stop, bus shelter and people milling around waiting for their buses.

Alamak! I shouldn't have followed those PCN signs. They are so indecently atrocious that even NParks staff ignore them!

Click on photo to enlarge it and you can see those guys, who did not follow their own signs, just in front of that blue pickup truck.

I threaded my way through the crowded bus shelter and found MengTong and the rest at the traffic lights. They had come through the "misguided" route like me (cheers!) and were annoyed, like me (cheers again!) and were discussing how to rectify that terrible situation. Hope they get it done quickly.


Here, the PCN traffic ie cyclists and joggers have to stop and give way to vehicles (from the road on the right) entering or leaving the HDB estate on the left. Quite strange, hence, to have the bollards removed. Didn't they help bring the PCN users to a stop? And, are those triangles supposed to be directional arrows?




Here's another fine set of icon signs and a distance marker sign. Nice and clear.

Except that they're "upside down" to us and as they're spread across the entire width of the track, gave the impression that it's a one-way street and we were going against the direction of traffic flow.


This is the pedestrian bridge over the PIE.

It's the only one which has this little blue wheelchair sign. The first bridge we crossed at ECP Area C (near carpark 4), over the East Coast Expressway, did not have such signs even though it had wheelchair friendly ramps.


Here're somthing else you wouldn't expect on an OHB - a 'look-around-the corner' mirror, and a location signboard.

I can see the need for the mirror, but the location signboard?
Same bridge; with a familiar sign - no cycling. Bearing the NParks logo.
Here's another similar type no cycling sign, installed by the LTA, on another bridge.





Click to enlarge photo to see someone riding on the bridge.


Off that bridge and onto this very narrow two-way cycle track cum footpath which is a "forced stop" when users hold up traffic to read this location signboard.


EngSeong's getting worried that traffic's piling up behind him, but HoiYing can't get a move on because he's having difficulty trying to read the signboard.


This is one of the nicest sections of the Siglap Park Connector.

It is within an HDB housing estate. The blocks of apartments are on the right in this photo but you can't see them for the trees. And that's Bedok North Road on the left.


Here we go again. This is the overhead pedestrian bridge across the last named road.

There are two flights of steps up and two flights down. And no decent means to push the bike up or down.







It's a killer bridge all right.




It seems the bridge is affected by a proposed train line and or station. Hence it stays as it is, until it goes or is replaced.

Our friends from NParks however weren't helpful to lead us to the traffic lights about 500 mtres away where we could cross this road much easily.









Click on photo to enlarge it and see ChoyChim and EngSeong leading the tough way across.





NParks' PooKiong fetching Florence's bike across. A really chivalrous gentleman, this chap.










First-timer LumSang effortlessly.

It's strange, you know, this tough crossover is not that difficult the first time you do it.

I practically ran across with bike first time in January, but this time around, it almost killed me.




OK, so what's going on here?

That's Thomas. He had just run after me to tell me that I should have turned around under the bridge and go in the other direction.

Now why didn't I do that?






There was a little sign with the words "PCN" and a line with an arrowhead on the ground just after the last step down. But I was keeping my eyes on that ridiculous bike ramp along the railings coming down, and once down had eyes on the construction work in front of the steps. So I missed that little sign. Bet you'll miss it too.



PooKiong and SiuTin confirming the need for some signage here.


Everyone was in agreement that the sign pointing left towards Bedok Reservoir Park was not sufficient. Because all of us had kept eyes ahead and on the ground and missed it!

MengTong said that a ground sign was essential here.

Perhaps that sign on post should also be relocated from behind that palm?







Now is this a great sign or not?

Click to enlarge photo.

It says "Bedok Town Park - 0 m" !

Creative design, not!













I was told that the downward pointing arrow (beside the words East Coast Park) indicates the direction that we had come from ie look backwards, that's where that arrow is pointing to. Alamak! cheem, man.

I didn't ask why the 'to Bedok Reservoir Park' arrow was pointing to the right. Isn't that the reservoir right there in front of us?







Nice new widened roadside footpath, a stone's throw from the beautiful track in Bedok Reservoir Park on the right. Is it necessary?


Had yewcharkway and cold towhwaychwee at Bedok Reservoir Park thanks to thoughtfulness of MengTong.

MengTong, PooKiong, HoiYing and EngSeong.


ChoyChim multitasking.

Lots of grub; no one left behind hungry.


This is another extremely narrow stretch of the Tampines Park Connector; on HDB grounds opposite the Tampines SAFRA clubhouse.

Mind you, this stretch is two-way, for joggers, walkers skaters and cyclists.

A set of to and fro arrows painted on the ground would certainly help make it a lot safer for all users.

These two photos show the black bitumen surfaced cycle track cum jogging track cum skate track Park Connector parallel to a very wide, like an airport runway, footpath of colour paver blocks.

Cyclists, skaters, joggers are to use the PC while "regular" local resident pedestrians use the other. PCN users are shown the "correct" track to use through the usual helpful PCN signs.
My NParks companion informed that the local Town Council was against the idea of combining the tracks into one, blah blah blah. Here we go again, the classic case of organisatons that waste public funds because they cannot see beyond their noses.

Mind you, the Advisor to the TC here in Tampines is the Minister for National Development, the same who officially opened the East Coast Park Connector Network, and whose ministry oversees NParks.

We're in Tampines New Town where the park connector consists of roadside footpaths along two of the MAJOR roads right in the heart of the town. Where vehicular traffic, bicycle traffic, and pedestrian traffic are heaviest. Along these roads.

They should have run the PCN through the Tampines Town's neighbourhood parks and open spaces away from the densely vehicular trafficked roads. Besides being safer, the surroundings are much prettier and less stressful.

LamSang is getting off a detour around a bus stop and shelter, onto the footpath (which is the park connector) and is advised by a "creatively designed" PCN sign to (keep an eye open for and) give way to pedestrians.

There they are, well at least some of them.

And they're walking on both sides of the path.

Tampines Town by the way, is the subject of a study to see how pedestrians and cyclists use shared paths (ie common user paths). The study, ended in May 2008, was organised by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Tampines Town Council (TC).
So, should cyclists keep to one side of the path and pedestrians to the other?

Or should "to" traffic (consisting of both footies and wheelies; with footies keeping to their left at all times) keep to one side and "fro" traffic to the other?

According to the ground signs here, the LTA, TC, and NParks prefer to segregate cyclists to one side and pedestrians to the other.



Here's a pedestrian showing what she thinks of that arrangement.

Better yet, click on photo to enlarge it, and see NParks officers riding three abreast taking up the full width of the path, and unaware of their own advice to keep to the right half of the path.

Is this the better alternative? You tell me.

Tell me too, the reason why that blue sign is installed smack in the holding area?



Here we are again visiting this old abandoned bike with punctured tyre almost 6 months after feedback click here to the NParks.

I'll keep you posted on this bike next we ride along this stretch.

Any bets it'll still be there by then?






One of the many visitors to SunPlaza Park in Tampines New Town.















A strange sighting - a sign at SunPlaza Park being erased. Strange because it was one of those clear ones we highlighted previously.





Here we are on the Pasir Ris park connector in Pasir Ris Town looking for for signposts to get to the Pasir Ris Town Park.

First-timers on the PCN, LamSang, CharLee and Florence had the honour to be pointmen.








"Why is it over there?"








Still, it's a nice place for a cycle ride.
PooKiong taking photos of a container truck that totally obstructed view and access to this part of the Loyang Park Connector.

We gave feedback to NParks previously when we found this obstruction by its contractor.

NParks warned its contractor; but that's not good enough as in this case it's not one of its contractors.

Click here for our previous feedback and more photos .


That little dead end road should have been kerbed up, and the tarmac removed to enlarge the adjacent green area.

This was how things would be done thirty years ago during the days of the GCAC (ie Garden City Action Committee) when people really do their jobs, instructions not required.


We are on the Changi Park Connector, more specifically on Netharavon Road heading towards Changi Village and Changi Beach Park.

The park connector IS THE ROADSIDE FOOTPATH all the way from Tampines Town Park to Changi Beach Park.

So here at Turnhouse Road junction, you follow the zebra crossing across, to that footpath which narrows to about 60 cm wide!


PooKiong informed that the PC actually detours safely through that carpark and wondered why there is no proper signage, especially with all the other "signs" showing the "wrong" way.


Despite feedback (click here) about this situation to NParks in January.




This is the view from the other side of the safe detour.

Not a sign of any essential helpful sign anywhere.







Beware of dangerous hazards such as this rubbish bulk bin from establishments along the road.

Why is it so difficult to get them to keep their bin off the footpath?



The culprit.

Should get the assistance of the National Enviroment Authority (NEA) which licence eating houses to have a word with the culprit.






CharLee and Florence.





PooKiong, SiuTin, Florence, CharLee, LamSang and ChoyChim





and me.







Single file push across the bidge over Changi Creek. From Changi Village to Changi Beach Park.






Changi Beach Park with its park shelters inhabited by inconsiderate park visitors and vagrants.








Bougainvilleas in full bloom along the Changi Beach Park promenade.







This piece of construction work has been finally completed.

Rusted reinforcements are now sealed and out of sight.

How good is that?





As seen in January, 4 months ago.




Nice and cool among big trees.






This is excellent signage.

On the ground where it cannot be missed.

Tells you to keep left as this is a two-way traffic path.



Why not have such signs at narrow sections such as this along the Tampines Park Connector seen earlier?








No more photos as a heavy storm caught us.

Still, it was a most enjoyable ride.

The next - BIKE RIDE-6 - will be on Monday 23 June 2008. Meet at carpark C3 in East Coast Park at 8.00am for ride at 8.30am.