On March 26, the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, in coordination with the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, held a press conference to provide information on socio-economic issues in the city.
The press conference was chaired by Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Tang Huu Phong, and Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Ngoc Hoi.
At the press conference, Mr. Nguyen Kien Giang, Deputy Head of the Department of Traffic Works Maintenance and Operation, Department of Construction of Ho Chi Minh City, stated that after three months of operating the dedicated bicycle lane on Mai Chi Tho Street, it has initially created a safe space and encouraged residents to use green transportation for short-distance travel, connecting different residential areas.
According to the National Technical Regulation on Infrastructure Works System QCVN 07:2023/BXD, bicycle lanes may be arranged on sidewalks, shared with pedestrians and other non-motorized vehicles, or within the roadway of urban streets, provided that the specified technical standards are met. Among these, the minimum width of a bicycle lane is 2.5 meters.
Deputy Head of the Department of Traffic Works Maintenance and Operation Nguyen Kien Giang also reported that many existing streets have high traffic density and narrow sidewalks and are often encroached upon, leaving no space for pedestrians as required (minimum 1.5 meters). This situation poses challenges in developing dedicated bicycle lanes according to the city’s network.
Nevertheless, the Department of Construction will continue to study and implement dedicated bicycle lanes to enhance connectivity, facilitating convenient and safe movement for residents and tourists across different modes of transportation, including walking, cycling, buses, and the metro.
He stated that, based on the outcomes of converting vacant land into temporary parks and flower gardens during the Lunar New Year 2026, the city has identified the transformation of vacant land into temporary public spaces as an effective solution that should be further promoted.
Accordingly, the Department of Construction is studying and advising the city to review, classify, and clearly identify which land plots will continue to be maintained as temporary public spaces and which will be allocated for project development in order to adopt appropriate plans.
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