In the last days of the year, many people in Ho Chi Minh City are excited to cycle on the newly shaped private lane along Mai Chi Tho Avenue. This is the city's first pilot project in separating bicycles from motorized vehicles, towards green and safe traffic.
Recorded these days, in the chilly weather, the nearly 6 km long bicycle road along the sidewalk of Mai Chi Tho street (section from Nguyen Co Thach street to D1 street and vice versa) has basically been revealed. Amidst the bustling motorized traffic flow of the eastern gateway traffic axis, a separate lane for bicycles has just been formed, bringing a different perspective on urban traffic: slower, safer and more civilized.
After more than two months of construction, the lane about 2 m wide is nestled under the green trees, painted with clear lines, creating a separate travel space from cars and motorbikes.
As a person who regularly exercises, Mr. Quang Sung (35 years old) cannot hide his excitement when experiencing the new route. He said that before, every time he went out, he was always worried because he had to jostle with motorbikes, posing many collision risks.
Having a separate lane like this, I feel much more secure, even able to leisurely cycle and admire the scenery without worrying about the car behind," Mr. Sung shared.
Agreeing with this view, Ms. Kim Sang (29 years old), who maintains the habit of cycling about 20 km per day, said that the new lane has completely changed her experience. According to Ms. Sang, previously walking close to the motorbike line was very nervous, but now cycling on this route is really relaxing, it feels like strolling in the park.
Ms. Sang expressed: "Thank you to the city government for investing in a civilized space so that people have more choices of green travel and motivation to improve their health.
In terms of scale, the project has a total investment of more than 12.7 billion VND with a length of about 5.8 km. The road is designed to be 2 m wide (the section crossing the bridge is narrowed to 1.5 m), allowing a maximum speed of 20 km/h. At intersections, connecting points or sections crossing the bridge, the road surface is painted prominent red to increase recognition.
Notably, at bus stops, the bicycle lane is designed to go around the back, ensuring no conflict with bus pick-up and drop-off passengers. Along the route, there are also 5 public bicycle stations connected via mobile applications, creating maximum convenience for people to access.
Currently, construction units are focusing manpower to complete the final stages such as lane painting and installation of traffic signs to complete the entire project by December 31st.
It is known that Mai Chi Tho Avenue is more than 6.3 km long, connecting the Saigon River tunnel to Cat Lai intersection. The formation of a bicycle lane here is the starting step for Ho Chi Minh City's public transport and environmentally friendly development strategy.
It is expected that in phase 2 (2026), the city will continue to complete the bicycle lane section Nguyen Co Thach - Saigon Riverside Park and the section from intersection D1 connecting to An Phu metro station (Vo Nguyen Giap street), gradually completing the green traffic network in the East area.
