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RTA plans to extend cycling lanes to 850 km by 2030

Dubai - Currently, Dubai has 316km of cycling lanes.

Cycling lanes in Dubai will expand almost threefold to 850km by 2030 from the current 316km cycle track and only 10km in 2006.
This was announced on Tuesday by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) during the three-day MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition in Dubai, organised by the RTA and International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
Mona Al Osaimi, RTA director of strategic planning, said: "The RTA has strategic plans to make Dubai one of the best cities in providing cycling lanes and supporting non-mechanical mobility means. It is anticipated that the total length of cycling lanes in Dubai will reach 850 km by 2030 from 316km this year, and only 10km in 2006."
Al Osaimi said that the RTA has a comprehensive plan to support walking and cycling mobility in Dubai based on six key pillars: "Development of modern cities, caring for pedestrian services, developing legislation for using private vehicles, paying attention to cycling lanes, supporting public transport mobility, and improving the benefits relating outlets and pavements in the emirate"
Al Osaimi also elaborated on the improvement of mobility operations in Dubai, especially through public transport which had witnessed a quantum shift over the past years. She noted that public transportation in Dubai reached 551.7m rides last year.
On Monday, an international transport expert said "more bike lanes and walking paths should be created in Dubai to make it "the most walkable warm city in the world."
"As Dubai's population grows, the challenge is to provide mobility to the people with less space, less public cost and the solution is not to build more roads for cars," Brent Toderian, founder of Toderain Urban Works from Vancouver, Canada, told Khaleej Times.
Meanwhile, Kristian Brink, director of business development at nextbike GMBH in Germany, a panelist in the session titled: 'Mobility through Walking and Non-Mechanical Means,' said: "bicycle sharing system has become common in several global cities whose respective governments have adopted a proper environment for encouraging people to use cycling."
Antony Rinaldi, business development manager at PBSC Urban Solution in Montreal, Canada, also stressed the importance of walking and cycling. He cited medical statistics revealing that cyclists are six times healthier than non-cyclists.
Rinaldi also noted that encouraging people to use cycling "is directly linked to the construction of cycling lanes and associated facilities." 
He pointed out that soaring temperature is not an obstacle for the use of bicycles in summer as winter freeze do not stop people in Canada from cycling.
angel@khaleejtimes.com