Background: From the National Cycling Plan to ICN
The National Cycling Plan (NCP) was first announced as part of Singapore's 2013 Land Use Plan. Its stated goal — a cyclist-friendly, well-connected network providing safe cycling for all — was deliberately broad. What followed was a decade of incremental expansion driven by LTA's town cycling network construction, with paths added to Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Tampines, Jurong West, Woodlands, and other residential towns through the 2010s.
In 2020, the Land Transport Authority formalised the next phase under the label Islandwide Cycling Network (ICN), signalling an acceleration in pace and ambition. The ICN is not a single project but a coordinated programme under which LTA contracts individual town network construction while coordinating with NParks on PCN connectors and with HDB on path integration into new and existing estates.
Current status: As of early 2026, Singapore has approximately 730 km of cycling paths and park connectors. The ICN target of 1,300 km by 2030 requires roughly 570 km of new construction over four years — an average of around 140 km per year, compared to roughly 40–60 km per year during the NCP phase.
What the ICN Builds and Why It Differs from the PCN
The PCN and the ICN serve different functions, and distinguishing between them helps clarify what the 2030 target actually delivers.
The Park Connector Network is primarily recreational infrastructure — long-distance loops following coastlines, rivers, and reservoir edges. It connects parks to parks and is optimised for continuous multi-kilometre rides. Most PCN segments are relatively wide (3–4 metres) and run through low-vehicle-conflict corridors.
ICN paths, by contrast, are commuting infrastructure. They connect residential blocks to MRT stations, bus interchanges, schools, and retail clusters. They run alongside or beneath roads, through void decks, and across road junctions via dedicated bicycle crossings. Many are narrower than PCN connectors and designed for directional flow rather than leisure.
| Aspect | Park Connector Network (PCN) | ICN Town Paths |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Recreation, inter-park loops | Commuting, last-kilometre access |
| Typical corridor | Reservoir edges, canals, coastline | Road-adjacent, through HDB estates |
| Managed by | NParks | LTA |
| Typical width | 3–4 metres | 1.5–3 metres |
| Inter-town connectivity | Yes, via major loops | Partial (in selected corridors) |
Inter-Town Connections
Beyond intra-town paths, LTA has announced inter-town cycling connections in selected corridors where demand and geography align. The Tanah Merah Coast Road cycling lane — a dedicated on-road lane operational since 2017 — was an early example. The Sunday Cycling Lane at West Camp Road, closed to cars on Sunday mornings from 5am to 11am since 2022, demonstrates a different model: temporary road repurposing rather than permanent infrastructure.
More substantial inter-town connections are planned as part of the ICN expansion. The logic follows population density: high-density corridors between adjoining towns — Tampines to Pasir Ris, Woodlands to Yishun, Jurong West to Clementi — are prioritised over lower-density cross-island routes where demand does not justify the engineering cost.
Road Repurposing
The Ministry of Transport has also completed a series of road repurposing projects that convert road space into cycling paths, footpaths, or bus lanes. Completed locations include:
- Choa Chu Kang Terrace
- The Civic District (city centre)
- Havelock Road
- Kampung Admiralty
- Tiong Bahru
- Yung Sheng Road
These repurposing projects are assessed as successful by MOT based on usage data and community feedback, and further locations are under evaluation for conversion in the 2026–2030 period.
Bicycle Parking and Supporting Infrastructure
Path construction alone does not determine whether cycling becomes a practical commuting mode. LTA has simultaneously expanded bicycle parking at MRT stations and bus interchanges — the points where cycling ends and transit begins. As of 2025, most MRT stations in residential areas have dedicated bicycle parking structures, and selected stations have sheltered parking to reduce weather-related deterrents.
Bicycle crossings — marked road crossings that give cyclists a designated path across junctions — have been added at several key intersections, particularly where town cycling networks meet arterial roads. These crossings use a combination of green paint marking and signal phases to reduce cyclist-vehicle conflict at what has historically been the highest-risk point in urban cycling.
What Gaps Remain as of 2026
Despite the pace of expansion, as of early 2026 several recognised gaps exist in the network:
- Section breaks where a town network ends before the next begins, requiring riders to dismount or take a longer route via the PCN
- Incomplete coverage in older estate areas where retrofitting paths requires significant road or pavement works
- Limited east-west inter-town connections in the central region
- Some MRT stations, particularly those on elevated or underground lines built before cycling infrastructure was prioritised, with constrained bicycle parking capacity
LTA maintains a public-facing map of planned and completed ICN paths via the MyTransport.SG app and the LTA website. The app's Cycling Routes feature is the most current source, updated as new sections are opened.