The May edition of Car-Free Sunday SG takes on a special significance with the launch of the Families for Life Celebrations 2016 that comprises a myriad of family-friendly activities such as the Families for Life Walk, Breakfast Picnic @ Empress Lawn as well as an evening “Drive-in” movie screening and picnic at the Civic District on 29 May 2016.
Held every last Sunday of the month from February to July, Car-Free Sunday SG is an initiative in which roads within the Civic District and parts of the Central Business District (CBD) are closed to traffic, transforming the area into a walkable, cyclist-friendly, and activity-filled precinct for families and friends.
In the May edition, organisers and the Families for Life Council are presenting special programmes and activities to encourage families to bond and spend quality time together.
Families for Life Celebrations Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan Jin will flag off the first activity for the day – the Families for Life Walk – in front of the National Gallery Singapore at 7.30am. This will be followed by a breakfast picnic at Empress Lawn featuring heritage hawker delights from 8.00am. In the evening, from 5.00pm, Empress Lawn will host an outdoor movie screening of “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” as well as music performances by celebrity couple Alfred Sim and Tay Ke Wei.
Participants of the Families for Life Celebrations also stand to receive free giveaways, win prizes, and have their family portrait taken by roving photographers. Attractive prizes await families who are spotted as the “Largest Family Contingent” and “Best Dressed Family”.
Other new activities Besides the Families for Life Celebrations, SportSG will attempt to set the Singapore record for the “Most Number of People Bouncing Basketballs”. Participants will receive a free basketball each.
Other new activities by Car-Free Sunday SG partners include: Tchoukball, Kin Ball and Speedminton sports try-outs; the Civic District Tree Trail, which takes you through the majestic and interesting trees in the precinct; sketching with professional artist Chankerk; and arts appreciation and crafting sessions at the National Gallery Singapore.
Families are encouraged to upload photos of themselves using an active mode of transport (e.g. cycling or skating), on their Instagram account with the caption ‘#carfreefamilies at #carfreesundaysg’. One lucky family will win up to four EZ-link cards with $25 stored value each.
Please refer to Annex A [PDF, 318kb] for the full list of activities at the fourth edition of Car-Free Sunday SG.
St Andrew’s Road, Stamford Road and Esplanade Drive (the loop within the Civic District) will be closed to traffic from 7.30am to 12noon, and Shenton Way, Robinson Road and Fullerton Road (the loop within the CBD) will have lanes closed from 7.30am to 10.00am. Together, these will form a 5km-long car-free route for the public to enjoy and engage in activities. Connaught Drive will be closed from 7.30am to 7.00pm to host a variety of community sporting events and activities. See table below for details of road closures and Annex B [PDF, 142kb] for the road closure map.
Members of the public are encouraged to take public transport or cycle to the event venue. They can refer to ura.sg/carfreetocity for information on the cycling routes and public transport options to the venue. Participants can bring their own bicycles or rent one on site from one of Car-Free Sunday SG’s partner bicycle rental companies. Rentals can be made on the day (subject to availability) or booked prior to the event via http://ura.sg/carfreesundaysg and collected on site.
Personal mobility devices, including motorised ones, such as hoverboards, are allowed at Car-Free Sunday SG. To ensure a pleasant experience for all, participants are reminded to be considerate towards other users while using the shared spaces.
Visit http://ura.sg/carfreesundaysg and the Facebook page bit.ly/carfreesundaymay to find out more about the event.
Thousands of Singaporeans who have participated in recent events and activities held at the Civic District, such as Car-Free Sunday SG, have been able to enjoy a more open, greener, safer and walkable experience. This is made possible with the host of enhancement works for the precinct that began in 2014. With the first phase of enhancement works completed in end 2015, the resultant new and pedestrian-friendly public spaces have been well-used by visitors to the area, in particular the many groups of participants during major events. These spaces include the Empress Lawn in front of Asian Civilisations Museum and Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (VTCH), as well as the Connaught Drive, which has been paved over.
The second phase of enhancement works for Civic District is ongoing, and more green spaces and public facilities will be completed in the coming months. The landscaping works to further greenery within Esplanade Park will be completed by end June 2016. Families visiting the Esplanade Park can also look forward to a new children’s playground and restroom facilities, which are expected to be ready by October 2016. One side of Anderson Bridge towards St Andrew’s Road will be pedestrianised. The other side will operate as a two-way road, one lane for each direction. To improve walkability, Fullerton Road, Connaught Drive and St Andrew’s Road (from the junction of Esplanade Bridge to Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and National Gallery Singapore) will be converted from the current four lanes to two lanes to provide wider footpaths and more space for pedestrians. Preparatory works have already started. Since 1 May 2016, the northbound bus services along Fullerton Road / Anderson Road have successfully been diverted to ply along Esplanade Drive instead. There is no change to the bus routes in the southbound direction along Connaught Drive towards Fullerton Road. When completed, the pedestrianisation of the current northbound side of Anderson Bridge will create a new gateway into the Civic District from Marina Bay, and enhance the physical and visual link between the waterfront and Empress Place.
These works are part of the larger efforts towards a car-lite Civic District. To allow for these enhancements to take place, access to certain roads will be restricted (see Annex C [PDF, 516kb] for the details of the new traffic arrangements). Upon completion, more outdoor events such as Car-Free Sunday SG can be held in the precinct for the community to enjoy.
Presented by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Parks Board (NParks), National Arts Council (NAC), Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Sport Singapore (SportSG), Car-Free Sunday SG will take place on every last Sunday of the month for six months from February to July 2016.