According to Lao Dong, on Mai Chi Tho Street, many machines have been mobilized to the construction site. The site for the bicycle lane is being cleared and peeled off to prepare for construction.
This project has a total length of nearly 5.8 km, extending from Nguyen Co Thach Street to D1 Street, designed to be 2 m wide (the section across the bridge is 1.5 m wide), and will be clearly separated from the motor vehicle lane by paint, identification symbols and accompanying infrastructure such as lighting system, drainage, parking lot, public bicycle station.
Many people living around the area are excited to see the project gradually being implemented. Mr. Le Minh Cuong (residing in Thu Duc ward) shared that he has long wanted a safe lane for bicycles.
I often cycle for exercise but am very afraid of going in the same lane as a car or motorbike. Now that there are separate lanes, I believe more people will switch to bicycles, especially if they are connected to metro and buses. Hopefully, this lane will be used to its full potential, he said.
Ms. Phan Thi Ngoc Tran (Binh Trung ward) also hopes that the bicycle lane will be completed soon so that the family, especially the children, can cycle safely without worrying about dangerous traffic.
"I see public bicycles but I don't dare let my children use them because they don't have separate lanes and are afraid of dangerous vehicles. Later, I may let my child use a public bicycle to walk around," Ms. Tran shared.
The project is the result of a long research process since 2022, proposed by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport (now under the Department of Construction). This is also a move to address the shortcomings of public bicycles, a model that was once expected but gradually lost its appeal due to the lack of supporting infrastructure.
With this project, Ho Chi Minh City will not only restore confidence in public bicycles, but also create a premise to expand the bicycle network connecting metro and residential areas in the future.
It is expected that after completion by the end of this year, the Mai Chi Tho bicycle lane will be expanded by nearly 4 km, connecting to Saigon Riverside Park and An Phu Metro Station. Ho Chi Minh City hopes this will be an important shift, contributing to changing people's traffic habits, towards a green, environmentally friendly city.
