PETALING JAYA, July 16 — Traffic diversions will be phased throughout the building period of the new SMK Taman Sea footpath, which starts next week and will last six months, said Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei.
She said the diversions and road closures will involve Jalan SS 21/34, Jalan SS 21/35, Jalan SS 21/36 and Jalan SS 21/37, adding that the contractor will publish a road diversion/closure schedule to ensure minimal disruption.
“I think we have enough space to leave at least one lane (open),” she said when met at the Safer School Streets project community engagement session here yesterday.
Lim said at least two to three road crashes involving students had been recorded in the area over the past two years, with one occurring near the Taman Bahagia LRT station and landing the victim in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The student could only return to school about two months later.
“For us, one crash is already too many. That’s why we want to prevent them.
“This is a comprehensive project to ensure paths around SMK Taman Sea is safer for all pedestrians,” she said.
Meanwhile, state executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said the project is being undertaken to improve pedestrian safety in the area, which also houses public transport stations, and because the area has high foot traffic but concerning safety levels.
“What will be built is not just a new crossing or painting the road; this project will instead employ self-enforcing street design, which is natural street design that requires drivers to slow down without depending on enforcement.
“Among the main project components are continuous walkways, storeyed pedestrian crossings, safer intersections, traffic speed controls, and the 30kph school-zone (speed limit),” he said during the engagement session.
Ng added that SMK Taman Sea was chosen as a pilot location as it has over 1,300 students and is 500m from the Taman Bahagia LRT station, making it among the most active first-and-last-mile connections in Petaling Jaya.
He said mobility studies logged around 800 pedestrians using paths around the LRT station in just 90 minutes, while around 500 were recorded near the school.
“The same study found that 76.2 per cent of respondents felt unsafe using paths around the school, besides there being vehicles driven up to 85kph even though the road sees many students and pedestrians.
“Roads don’t belong to just vehicles, but are public spaces that must be shared equitably with all,” he added.
Ng said the project won’t just benefit students, but also residents, senior citizens, wheelchair users, cyclists, and micromobility users who use this path every day.
“We want to measure the success of a road based on how safe it is for a child walking to school, how safe it is for a senior citizen crossing the road, and how easy it is for a wheelchair user to use,” he explained.
He expressed hope that the pilot project becomes a benchmark for more Safer School Streets endeavours statewide.
“I want to convey my utmost appreciation to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) for its courage and commitment in leading this project,” Ng added.
The Safer School Streets project at SMK Taman Sea is operating on an RM1 million allocation from the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) as well as RM500,000 from MBPJ.
Technical support is provided by the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia), the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), and Commute Initiatives.
