Underground bicycle parking to be available at 3 new Thomson-East Coast Line stations
Marine Parade, Marine Terrace and Bayshore stations will be the first MRT stations to feature underground bicycle parking.
Underground bicycle parking lots at Marine Terrace Station on the Thomson-East Coast line on May 2, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Justin Ong Guang-Xi)
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SINGAPORE: Cyclists who are looking to find parking for their bicycles away from the elements when they take the MRT will soon have several options to do so.
Underground bicycle parking spaces will be provided at three new Thomson-East Coast Line Stage 4 (TEL4) stations which are slated to begin operation on Jun 23.
The three stations will be the first MRT stations to provide underground parking for cyclists.
There will be almost 800 underground bicycle parking lots in total, with 364 lots at Marine Parade Station, 202 lots at Marine Terrace Station, and 204 lots at Bayshore Station.
The other new stations on TEL are Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park, Tanjong Katong and Siglap.
CNA on Thursday (May 2) visited the underground bicycle parking spaces at Marine Terrace and Bayshore stations.
The parking spaces at both stations are about the size of a tennis court and are air-conditioned.
The underground bike parking spaces at the two stations feature two lifts that are bigger by design so that people can take their bicycles from the ground level down to the parking space.
If cyclists prefer a more active option, there are specially designed stairs that lead from the ground level to the parking space that are sloped at a gentler angle so bicycles can easily be wheeled down or up.
At Bayshore Station, an unoccupied kiosk is tucked at the side of the bicycle parking space, which is slated to be used for retail space.
The three stations with underground bicycle parking are located near East Coast Park, which is a popular leisure spot for cyclists.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement in 2018 that it will expand the existing cycling network to connect to the new TEL stations.
It added that some of these stations will also feature underground bicycle parking facilities “which offer sheltered bicycle parking for cyclists”.
It was announced in March by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat that the seven TEL4 stations would be operational in June.
Ahead of the official start date, commuters can preview and travel for free along these seven stations during an opening event on Jun 21, from 10am to 9pm.
With the seven new TEL stations, commuters can expect travel time savings of up to 50 per cent on TEL, said LTA in March.
