Hanoi plans to pilot two bicycle lanes along the To Lich River and around Hoa Binh Park, according to a proposal submitted by the Hanoi Department of Transport to the city's People's Committee.

Bicycle-sharing services are available at some public places and tourist attractions in Hanoi. Photo: Huy Pham/ The Hanoi Times

According to the proposal signed by Nguyen Phi Thuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Transport, dedicated or priority lanes for bicycles will ensure safe and convenient cycling.

In addition, the selected pilot routes will be connected to public transportation systems such as city railways, buses, and public bicycle stations. The pilot project will have a budget of nearly VND10 billion (US$411,690).

The To Lich River route (from Nga Tu So to Cau Giay) selected for the pilot scheme will have a three-meter-wide two-way bicycle lane, with the remaining one-meter lane reserved for pedestrians, according to the proposal.

According to the Hanoi Department of Transport, this route will connect to the Lang station of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong city railway (Line 2A) and the S8 station of the Nhon-Hanoi railway line.

In addition, Hanoi will have six public bicycle and bus interchanges along the route to facilitate transfer to bus lines on Lang Street.

The second pilot route will be around Hoa Binh Park and Hoang Minh Thao Street in Bac Tu Liem District. To create a separate bicycle lane around Hoa Binh Park, the department said it would need to repair sidewalks and create a three-meter-wide priority lane for two-way bicycle traffic.

Hanoi currently has no dedicated or priority lanes for bicycles. According to the Hanoi Department of Transport, the lack of bicycle infrastructure is responsible for low bicycle ridership and hinders the development of public bicycle services.

Starting in September, the public bicycle-sharing service was launched in Hanoi's central districts of Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, Thanh Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh, and Tay Ho for a period of 12 months. In the second phase of the project (2023-2024), the service will be expanded to more districts, providing approximately 3,000 bikes at 350 bike racks.