Chiang Mai to build 4 major bike lanes

[webfact]

Chiang Mai to build 4 major bike lanes
Ayuthai Nontnithirat
The Nation
Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI: -- Provincial Authority will spend Bt40 million building four bike lanes across the city to cater for the cycling boom there.

Chiang Mai residents and tourists will soon be able to enjoy the first bike lane, a 5km route between Chiang Mai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Huai Tueng Thao reservoir, which is slated to open in April.

The move to the build the lanes is a bid to boost residents' health, as per government policy.

There are more than 70 bicycle clubs in Chiang Mai province and the number of cyclists has shot up over the past few years.

The lanes include a 13.5km route around the canal inside the city that will cost Bt20 million; a 9.7km route to the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam in Saraphi district (Bt3.7 million); and a 18km link from Royal Flora Ratchapruek Park to the Doi Kham pagoda and Night Safari (Bt7.4 |million).

When they are finished people will be able to travel by bicycle to several areas across the city, Chiang Mai Governor Suriya Prasartbandit said.

After meeting local officials, Interior Ministry permanent secretary Wiboon Sanguanpong said he wanted the local authority to speed up work so people can use the lanes as soon as possible.The president of the Chiang Mai-based Sunday Bike Club, Boonchin Sawamoon, expressed support for project, saying the lanes will promote a healthy lifestyle while being kind to the environment.

"I hope these bike lanes will be a good standard and really usable," he said.

The president of Chiang Maibased Sunday Bike Club, Boonchin Sawamoon, expressed support for the bikelane construction. He pointed out that these lanes would be good not just to health but also the environment.

"I hope these bike lanes will be of good standard and really usable," he said.

Boonchin, so far, emphasised that when a huge budget was involved, relevant authorities and the people's sector should be informed of the budget allocation too.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Chiang-Mai-to-build-4-major-bike-lanes-30253655.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-09

[canuckamuck]

I was impressed there for a minute, I thought they meant motorcycle lanes to help with traffic congestion.

But Bicycle trails can be a nice feature too, hopefully they won't be full of vendors and motorcycles.

[LivinLOS]

I theory its a great idea.. Tourists often prefer them over scooters.. Its fitting with the style of the city.. Etc etc..

Reality though is Thai driver will need to respect the rights of cyclists, currently smallest weakest vehicle has to give way and gets pushed aside.. Traffic crossings routinely ignored.. Etc etc..

To make this work, its not only installing them, but making drivers respect cyclists as equal vehicles.

[villagefarang]

Great idea but I can’t imagine how it will be implemented. I think I will stick to riding backcountry roads and leave the city riding to others.

[bushwacker]

Education in the area of the need for a helmet when using a motor cycle has clearly failed. So the government is now going to try and educate the population on the concept of a lane. Me thinks the 4 lane will quickly shift between 1 and 7 lanes on a minute by minute basis.

[Johnnie99]

This is a brilliant idea.

Free parking for everyone is great.

Silom enjoys the delights of cycle lanes filled with cars, 'vendors', cones, chairs and just about everything except bicycles.

[Loptr]

Great idea if implemented in the Old City to keep the Chinese tourists from riding up the center of the traffic lanes...

[phanu]

Stupid idea...

Traffic will be worst...

Road will be more dangerous...

[cmsally]

I guess if you survive the traffic the pollution will then kill you!

[Thailand]

If it's a health thing they are after the 140 million would be better used to reduce the burning.

Cycle lanes won't work unless they put them where there are no other vehicles.

[stephen terry]

Nice idea, but typically, it hasn't been thought through. I'm realistic enough to bet a pound to a penny that the largest group of riders will be motorbikers (mostly going the wrong way). Without enforcement it just won't work. And it won't be enforced.

[masuk]

I was impressed there for a minute, I thought they meant motorcycle lanes to help with traffic congestion.

But Bicycle trails can be a nice feature too, hopefully they won't be full of vendors and motorcycles.

A concrete separating barrier would help!

[cmsally]

Small streets are best for bicycles. So use the money to put all the f...... cables underground, then plant some shady trees and voila you have a desirable cycling environment. This might only work for in the city but that is where most people want to ride.

[Jdiddy]

Half the fun of cycling for me is mixing it up with the traffic and lane splitting/filtering the hell out of it, also having something to help push myself to higher fitness levels, eg keeping up with traffic the entire way around the moat road

[MESmith]

Half the fun of cycling for me is mixing it up with the traffic and lane splitting/filtering the hell out of it, also having something to help push myself to higher fitness levels, eg keeping up with traffic the entire way around the moat road

Great fun until you get squashed by someone checking their phone.....

[JulieM]

Great idea but I can’t imagine how it will be implemented. I think I will stick to riding backcountry roads and leave the city riding to others.

Aren't you in Chiang Rai anyway? Backcountry roads are a good option there.

[villagefarang]

Great idea but I can’t imagine how it will be implemented. I think I will stick to riding backcountry roads and leave the city riding to others.

Aren't you in Chiang Rai anyway? Backcountry roads are a good option there.

Yes, I live in the Chiang Rai countryside but I think you will find that many of us pop over to Chiang Mai from time to time so there is some interest in what goes on there. I know a couple of guys who take their bike on the bus and then ride around Chiang Mai on the bike. City riding is not my thing but I wish there were a safer option for those who want to ride in the city. Hopefully this effort will end up being something more than a PR campaign, but I won’t be holding my breath.

[worgeordie]

They have already tried bicycle lanes and they did not work,if i am right they

had them so they went counter to the flow of the traffic,I remember when i first

came to Chiang Mai ,it was delightful to cycle around the old city,now its like

taking your life in your hands when you do it in a car.

Their first priority should be a reliable,regular,public transport around the

town with proper routes and bus stops out to the suburbs,but then they have

also tried that,and the buses are rotting away somewhere now.

regards worgeordie

[wowfactor10]

Nice plan how about in phuket and pattaya foreigners like biking too u know...

[WorkingTourist]

Although not an impressive amount, the money should cover more than just taking the road painting truck for a drive, so I’m awaiting the lanes with optimism and will be sure to make use of them, hopefully others will too, so that it’ll be clear that this is the right direction for Chiang Mai! Then maybe next time, they’ll do better…

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Another Nation article, another piece of writing riddled with obvious mistakes.

I'll wait until we get some actual information.

The lanes include a 13.5km route around the canal inside the city that will cost Bt20 million; a 9.7km route to the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam in Saraphi district (Bt3.7 million); and a 18km link from Royal Flora Ratchapruek Park to the Doi Kham pagoda and Night Safari (Bt7.4 |million).

Someone at Nation don't own a map! (Or just don't care. Or don't fact check. Or all of these.

Edited February 11, 2015 by WinnieTheKhwai