Yes, it is possible. Granted, KL is no Amsterdam yet, but with the promotion of cycling culture, coupled with the provision of better cycling infrastructure in the city by DBKL, we are definitely getting there.
Yes, it is possible.
Jeffrey Lim started the ball rolling with his effort to promote cycling in KL four years ago; an initiative so prolific even The Guardian ran an article about it. Lim, a designer by profession, first conceived the idea of mapping cycling routes in KL with the aim to “get people on bicycles again, one way or another”, citing the city’s reputation as a bicycle-friendly city in the 1960s. Determined to show that cycling is not something one does simply for leisure but also to get around the city, Lim spent two years to compile a comprehensive cycling map in KL. Cycling Kuala Lumpur, published in Malay, English and Mandarin in September 2014, proved to be popular, with a print run of 10,000.
While Lim’s comprehensive cycling map ignited public interest in turning to cycling to solve their daily commuting woes, it also showed the loophole in KL’s cycling infrastructure, or the lack thereof. Dedicated bicycle routes were completely absent from the city’s landscapes, and most of the routes required cyclists to share space with KL’s motorists on busy roads. Lim himself had to cycle through the Penchala Link tunnel regularly, an intimidating stretch of six-lane highway of fast-moving traffic.
Cycling Kuala Lumpur therefore became a platform for cycling advocacy. KL’s mayor at that time, Tan Sri Ahmad Phesal Talib, an avid cyclist, quickly approached Lim for consultation. Seven months after Lim’s cycling map was published, KL’s first dedicated bicycle line was opened. Costing RM 4 million, the 5-km cycling corridor, dubbed by DBKL as a bicycle highway, connects Petaling Jaya to the heart of Kuala Lumpur, enabling suburban commuters in one of KL’s largest satellite cities to cycle comfortably to work.
DBKL’s effort did not stop there. RM 5 million additional allocation was made in 2015 to expand the network of dedicated cycling paths in the city. These cycling paths are designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing and future transit lines. LRT stations began to be equipped with bicycle parking slots to promote cycle-and-ride concept.
Granted, KL is no Amsterdam yet, but with the promotion of cycling culture, coupled with the provision of better cycling infrastructure in the city by DBKL, we are definitely getting there.
Photo Credit: Jeffrey Lim, The Guardian
