Sheikh Hamdan orders construction of 16km cycling track in Dubai

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has ordered the construction of a 16km cycling track alongside Jumeirah Beach in the emirate.

The new track will connect the Jumeirah Street cycling track with the existing one alongside King Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud Street located in Dubai Internet City.

There will soon be a new 16km bicycle path along Jumeirah Beach. We plan to add 276km of bike paths in Dubai, to reach a total of 736km by 2026. Our aim is to create a healthy, happy society and a sustainable environment for all. pic.twitter.com/lUmr23MHyf

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) June 19, 2021

“It is a step to advance sustainable mobility,” said Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

“It also responds to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council, to transform Dubai into a bicycle-friendly city. It involves the provision of suitable alternatives to encourage people to practise cycling. It contributes to the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which aims to make Dubai the best city for living in the world,” added Al Tayer.

“The first sector of the track has a width of four metres stretching alongside Jumeirah Beach in parallel to the existing jogging and walking tracks that extend from Dubai Water Canal to Umm Suqeim Park. The second sector, which has a width of three metres, runs alongside Jumeirah Street and King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street up to Dubai Internet City. It will serve several hotspots alongside Jumeirah Beach such as the Sunset Mall, Open Beach, Dubai Sailing Club, Kite Beach, Umm Suqeim Park, and Burj Al Arab.

“The public can use the track for cycling alongside a beach that boasts a variety of service facilities. They can also benefit from the shared bike services available at the Sunset Mall, Al Manara Mosque and Umm Suqeim Park. The speed limit set for this track is 20kph and is classified among mobility, sports and leisure tracks,” commented Al Tayer.

“The cycling track along Jumeirah Beach is part of a master plan for constructing cycling tracks to link vital areas of the emirate. The Master Plan for Cycling Tracks 2026 envisages the construction of additional cycling tracks extending 276km, which will bring the total length of cycling tracks in the emirate to 739km. The plan aims to link the tracks at the coastal areas, such as Jumeirah, Al Sufouh and Al Marina with the external tracks at Al Qudra, Seih Assalam and Nad Al Sheba via Al Barsha, Dubai Hills and Nad Al Sheba,” explained Al Tayer.

Dedicated cycling tracks constructed till the end of 2020 extend a total of 463km, official news agency WAM reported. RTA is seeking to further extend the total length of cycling tracks to 739km by 2026 to link vital areas of the emirate with various public transit means.

RTA has set a speed limit of 30kph for tracks dedicated to cyclists. Tracks in urban areas dedicated to cyclists or shared with pedestrians have a speed limit of 20kph. However, no specific speed limits have been set for cycling tracks created for training purposes.