(HNM) - It is expected that urban railway line No. 1 (metro, Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) will be operational by the end of 2023. For the line to operate effectively, Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating the connection of routes and forms of transport associated with metro line No. 1, thereby increasing traffic capacity for the entire line and the city.
The first time she experienced the metro train at the end of April, Ms. Le Thanh Ngoc (Thu Duc city) shared: "The train is beautiful, modern, smooth, comfortable and safe. In the future, I really hope the city will build more pedestrian overpasses connecting the line to facilitate and attract people to travel on the metro line."
According to records, the route of metro line No. 1 from the city center to the Saigon bridge area has parking lots and connecting bus stops. In addition, pedestrian bridges at Phuoc Long Station, Binh Thai, and the High-Tech Park are under construction. The remaining bridges are also being urgently carried out by construction units to be able to construct and put into use synchronously with the metro line by the end of this year.
For metro line 1 to operate effectively, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Passenger Transport Association Le Trung Tinh said that the city needs to soon connect the metro system with bus routes. In particular, building synchronous infrastructure along the metro line such as pedestrian overpasses; bus shelters, pick-up and drop-off areas for buses and taxis; parking lots for buses and private vehicles, etc.
To increase connectivity with road infrastructure, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) Nguyen Quoc Hien said that MAUR urged the construction unit to speed up the construction of pedestrian bridges, to be completed by the end of 2023 at the same time as metro line 1 is put into operation. Accordingly, 9 pedestrian bridges will be built connecting metro stations across the road (elevated). Pedestrian overpasses will be built connecting Tan Cang, Thao Dien, An Phu, Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long, Binh Thai, Thu Duc, High-tech Park and National University stations. Each bridge is about 78m long and 3.5m wide.
The pedestrian bridge has two ends, connecting the two sides of Hanoi Highway and two parallel roads to the station. This makes it easy for people to move from residential areas and commercial centers to the elevated station. In addition, the pedestrian bridge also connects to bus stops to increase accessibility to the station.
At the same time, in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Public Transport Management Center (investor, under the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City) will implement and complete the project "Enhancing accessibility and organizing connections between bus routes and metro stations No. 1". Accordingly, around the 10 elevated stations of metro line No. 1 running along Hanoi Highway to Van Thanh Station (Binh Thanh District), bus stops and waiting rooms will be built. Along with that, inside the elevated stations, there is a design of about 1,500m2 to make a motorbike parking lot, expected to accommodate about 500 motorbikes/lot.
In particular, the Van Thanh Station area will be built with a parking lot of more than 1,600 square meters for buses to wait for passengers after picking up and dropping off passengers in front of the station. Along with that, the sidewalks of the parallel road and Hanoi Highway will be renovated, increasing accessibility for pedestrians to the metro stations.
“The Public Transport Management Center will also open new and adjust the routes of many bus routes to create conditions for people to access metro stations more conveniently,” said Deputy Director of the Public Transport Management Center Le Hoan.
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