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Study on Green Transport in NUS Kent Ridge Campus Tong Yiu Yan Office of Environmental Sustainability July 2009
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CONTENTS Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................................................3 Modes of Green Transport ............................................................................................................................................................3 Cycling ................................................................................................................................................................................................3 Electric Vehicles ............................................................................................................................................................................3 Existing Routes within the KR Campus ..................................................................................................................................4 Data Collection ....................................................................................................................................................................................6 Proposed Routes ................................................................................................................................................................................6 Proposed Route 1 .........................................................................................................................................................................7 Proposed Route 2 .........................................................................................................................................................................9 Discussions.........................................................................................................................................................................................10 Route 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................10 Route 2 ............................................................................................................................................................................................10 Considerations for Electric Vehicles ................................................................................................................................10 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................................................................................11
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INTRODUCTION Green transport refers to any means of sustainable transport with low impact to the environment, and includes human or animal muscle-powered vehicles, low-carbon fueled vehicles, or any kind of vehicle using a renewable source of energy for its propulsion. The form of green transport that this study will focus on is cycling, with considerations for electric vehicles kept in mind. The main reasons for choosing cycling as the focus are:
No air pollution (zero CO2 emissions) Convenience as bicycles are common compared to the newer green vehicles Adaptable to existing roads, paths and bicycle stands
Since most of the NUS populace occupies the Kent Ridge campus, it is therefore sensible to focus on this campus. The study will first go through the general status of the existing routes to see if they are suitable for cycling. Then, the more suitable routes will be identified. Lastly, suggestions will be made for future considerations of implementing smaller green vehicles in the campus.
MODES OF GREEN TRANSPORT CYCLING It is common to expect a startled reaction when asking a person in NUS about cycling in campus. Reasons given for not cycling include the hot, humid weather, unforgiving slopes and the efficient shuttle bus system. Also, cycling is as much a physical exercise as it is a culture. A cycling culture is developed through a practical need of transportation. As this need is lacking here, the cycling culture here is non-existent. In addition, cycling as a means of transport around campus was left out in the planning process. The steep gradients and narrow path widths are unsuitable for both pedestrian and cyclist traffic. The local hot and humid climate is an issue as well, and is one beyond our control too.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES Electric vehicles are powered by electricity which can be derived from the mains, or for from a renewable energy source such as solar panels. The advantages of EVs over bicycles are:
Less human effort required, especially on slopes Passengers are sheltered from the elements Possible to have more than one passenger per ride
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EXISTI NG ROUTES WITHIN THE KR CAMPUS The KR campus is a hilly one. The map (Appendix A) shows roads that are highlighted according to their ease of cycling: green being the most effortless, yellow being moderate and red being strenuous. An easy path generally require it to be flat, smooth and wide; lacking in one of which classifies is as yellow, and a severe gradient leads to red. At a glance, one may observe that there seem to be an even spread of each colour. However, there are routes that are used more frequently than others. Tabulated below are five such key routes.
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Kent Ridge Crescent
Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Arts Faculty of Dentistry School of Computing Faculty of Science NUS Business School School of Design and Environment Central Library University Cultural Centre Yusof Ishak House Sports and Recreation Centre Office of Estate and Development Raffles Hall Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University Hospital University Hall Ridge View Residences Eusoff Hall Temasek Hall Kent Ridge Guild House Kent Ridge MRT Station
✔
Lower Kent Ridge Road
Kent Ridge Drive
Engineering Drive 1
Computing Drive
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✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
TABLE 1: BUILDINGS THAT EACH ROAD PASSES BY
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
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DATA COLLECTION To begin, I cycled along the roads in campus starting from the Kent Vale bus stop, making my way around the campus in an anti-clockwise direction. Along the way, I took pictures of the roads (found in http://picasaweb.google.com/yiuyan86/PhotosAroundKRCampus?feat=directlink) and measured path width. The criteria in descending importance in grading are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Gradient “Population density” – Usefulness of building, occupancy rates Path width Length Shelter Parking availability
PROPOSED ROUTES Having looked at the several conditions listed above for a plausible route, I have proposed two such routes below. Route 1 connects the Faculty of Engineering, School of Design and Environment, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Eusoff Hall and Temasek Hall. Route 2 connects Yusof Ishak Hall, University Hall, Faculty of Science and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
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PROPOSED ROUTE 1
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PROPOSED ROUTE 2
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DISCUSSIONS ROUTE 1 Route 1 makes use of an existing parking lot to start with, and proceeds along Engineering Drive 1 towards SDE. At the first junction, the rider may choose to turn left upslope to Engineering Drive 2 that will lead to Techno Edge. Continuing along Drive 1, the rider will pass by CP1 to reach the junction with KRC. After that, it is a flat path along Kent Ridge Drive that leads to the southern part of FASS and the two halls, Temasek and Eusoff. Route 1 ends at the junction of Kent Ridge Drive and Computing Drive, due to the steep gradients of both roads.
ROUTE 2 Route 2 serves the northern part of the KR campus, and can link YIH to the Kent Ridge Station when it is completed. Starting from YIH towards the Faculty of Science, there is a short downslope that flattens out at the University Health Centre. Halfway along the gradual upslope towards the University Hall, there is a small road branching off to the left that leads to the field. If the rider follows this road, and cycles along the field, he can bypass the mound in front of the University Hall entirely. Thus I propose a path (shown as a brown line on map) that links this two spots of similar altitude as part of Route 2. From then onwards, the gradient of the LKKR towards the YSL School of Medicine (and KR Circle Line MRT) is moderate, but the uneven red bricks and narrow pedestrian path makes for poor cycling.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES A major consideration for EV will be the path width if they are to share the pedestrian paths. This, however, will require widening a large portion of pedestrian paths as they average two metres only. Assuming that EVs are to use the roads like the normal vehicles, a new set of regulations would be needed for them to share the roads with regular traffic.
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CONCLUSION The underpinning rationale of implementing green transport is to contribute towards mitigating climate change. Narrowing down from the various types of green transport, bicycling is chosen as the focus due to its immediate applicability. After surveying the campus, two plausible routes are identified: from the Kent Ridge MRT to YIH (along Lower Kent Ridge Road), and from CP2B to CP15 (along Engineering Drive 1 to Kent Ridge Drive). These routes fit the criteria of being suitable for cycling: generally flat, smooth and wide. Summing up the findings, green transport in NUS has a long way to go. Hardware includes good cycling paths and parking stands. Software includes publicity of the cycling infrastructure and the multiple benefits that cycling brings about. As solar and grid technology progress in the coming years, even the slopes can be embraced into system, furthering the vision of a sustainable green transport in NUS.
Appendix A