HCMC's Mai Chi Tho Boulevard set for dedicated bike lane

According to its Department of Construction's Urban Traffic Management Center, the 20-meter-wide lane will be built along the median between Nguyen Co Thach and D1 streets.

It will have traffic signs and markings to separate it from cars and motorbikes.

It will also have parking areas and public bike stations at locations near residential areas to enhance accessibility.

It is expected to cost VND14 billion (US$570,000).

The center is set to name a contractor for the construction, expected to start in October and take 90 days.

Mai Chi Tho Boulevard is some seven km long in all and has 10 to 14 lanes.

Opened in 2010, it is part of the East–West Highway axis (Mai Chi Tho – Saigon River Tunnel – Vo Van Kiet Boulevard) that links the city center with the eastern gateway comprising the An Phu Interchange and the HCMC–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway.

The city had earlier considered a plan to also build a lane for bicycles and pedestrians along Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard, formerly Hanoi Highway.

This would span nearly four kilometers between the Rach Chiec and Saigon bridges beneath the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line. The plan has not been implemented until today.

To enhance connectivity between buses and the metro and to encourage the use of eco-friendly transport, the city launched a public bicycle service in the downtown area in 2021, and it has gained popularity, particularly among young people.

Hanoi has a four-kilometer bicycle lane along the To Lich River and passing through Cau Giay and Dong Da districts. It connects Lang Station on the Cat Linh–Ha Dong rail route and Station No. 8 on the Nhon–Hanoi Station metro line.