Tour de Thailand - Bicycling in Thailand Forum

Bangkok Again Considers Bike Routes (http://www.tourdethailand.com/news/thailand-bicycling-news/bangkok-again-considers-bike-routes.html)

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is conducting surveys to build more bicycle trails to promote riding bikes and other environmentally friendly vehicles as part of a campaign to help fight global warming, Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin said Saturday.

Leading a large gathering of famous singers and actors, the Bangkok governor and a procession of assorted celebrities rode their bicycles through busy traffic from scenic Narathiwatratnakarin Road along Sathorn Road to Wireless Road and Lumpini Park as part of a campaign to urge Bangkokians to ride bicycles pass through the traffic and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming.

The governor said that City Hall will build and map more bicycle routes to promote saving energy, the habit of healthful exercise, and visits to tourist sites along the bike trails.

The BMA also plans to boost the number of bicycle parking lots at elevated train stations and subway stations to encourage the public to use the metropolitan areas' expanding mass transit system, Governor Apirak said.

City Hall has been conducting activities designed to promote reducing global warming on the ninth of every month. On Monday (July 9), the metropolitan administration will launch activities focusing on switching off car engines while parked and reducing dust.

A "Lights Off" campaign was carried out in May in the capital to raise public awareness of the contribution of electric light to severe global warming. Not all of Bangkok's at least 10 million residents turned off their lights, but enough joined the nighttime activity to vividly demonstrate life without light. (TNA)

If any city needs a good bike path system to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, it's Bangkok.

It's a nice thought, but it will never work, not unless the public supports cycling and cyclists and the police and politicians enforce a "bicycles only" policy for bike paths.  Call me cynical, but I do not see that happening.

There is a nice bike path along Ekkamai expressway that stretches from Rama IX Road all way to Ram Inthra.  I ride this route regularly but the fact that is is supposed to be a bike path seems to be a totally foreign concept. 

Currently, the main uses for the bicycle path are as follows:

• An alternate route for motorcycle drivers so they do not have to ride on the road
• Retail space for food carts to park and sell somtam
• Storage space for the plant vendors that line it to stack extra plants that overflow their stalls
• Parking for cars
• A place to stand, oblivious to any bicycles on the path
• A way for the soi dogs to have some fun and get some exercise by chasing the rare cyclist

The fact that it is a bicycle path and it was made for people to ride bicycles on, seems to shock people. Every time I ride on the path people look at me like "what the heck is he doing riding a bike HERE?"  Crazy farang!

The only reason it is at all usable still is that there is a low population density and there is not enough reason to drive a motorcycle, park a car, sell somtam, etc. in that area so the path is not completely clogged and it still has some value as a cycle path.  If the paths are built in the city center, do you think there is a prayer that they will be used to anything other than space to build phone booths, overpasses or park somtam carts?  Not a chance.

There is a bicycle path that runs along Lad Phraow Road as well.  It's not good for riding, but it is good for a laugh.  The path is drawn on the sidewalk and where the sidewalk is totally obstructed by overpasses, phone booths, utility poles, etc. (which is about every 50 meters) they just draw a line capping the lane and start it again on the other side of the obstruction.  "See, we have a bicycle path, we are saving the environment!"  Does it matter if the path is usable?  No.  Nobody cares.

I can see the Bangkok streets department extending the concept to build an extensive network of useless paths to discourage bicycle riding all over the city!

Two painted lines on the pavement (sidewalk) do not make a cycle path! There are two main problems with cycle lanes in Bangkok - education and enforcement. Take the 'cycle lanes' off the pavement - we all know that pedestrians and cyclists don't mix! Can we have a different colour tarmac on the inside lanes of major routes and have them specifically for buses & cycles? We could but here is where the education and enforcement part comes into it - keeping other road users out of it  and the police enforcing it but somehow I don't see that happening!
We could have a good cycle path network here in Bangkok that would be quiet, car-free and not too expensive to set up.

Yeah... there is a short run from Sukhumvit (down Soi 0 if there is such a thing) to the 'over head bike path' which links Queen Sirikit and Lumpini... every morning around dawn 100+ people and half a dozen trucks block it with construction workers getting picked up for work.

I mean the pack the truck on the path like it's a mini-road, not even pulling off to the side the cyclist can roll past. I have to go on to the road and ride facing oncoming traffic for 200m for a 10m obstruction.

Pisses my off every morning! I ride down there!

That maybe explains (or is somebody just making good money on) the very many new signs that are posted along Petkasem road, indicating that the footpath is now to be shared between pedestrians and cyclists. There are signs at the junctions to any soi or major entrance indicating the start of a leg as well as warning signs that cars will be killing the brave cyclist soon when the next soi is reached. Very interesting this caring attitude towards the vulnerable group of cyclists and pedestrians.

Has anybody noticed that even the footpath on Sukhumvit (between Nana and Asoke!) now is marked as bicycle lane. Would be fun to try that.

I think we should have a path riding day :) with 50 cyclist all riding along the 'bike lanes' no that would be funny!!! And maybe get the point across...

That the footpath is not the place for bicycles!