Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved a package of future projects to be developed by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The projects, aimed at enhancing the happiness of residents, include a Sky Garden, bicycle lanes and promenades at Sheikh Zayed Road, Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah Beach.
He also endorsed road and public transport projects as well as a five-year plan for constructing internal roads in residential districts, a statement said.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA, briefed Sheikh Mohammed on the Sky Garden project, a new footbridge measuring 380 metres in length and 60 metres in height and spanning an area of 3,422 square metres.
Sky Garden is slated to be a new tourist destination for residents and visitors and will connect many of the city’s landmarks along the shores of Dubai Creek.
It has a green environment extending along the bridge together with multi-level lanes for cycling and running. The project will offer a panoramic view of old and new Dubai.
It will also feature new commercial outlets and naturally shaded areas that encourage the practice of outdoor activities, the statement added.
Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed details of the Sheikh Zayed Road promenade located between Dubai World Trade Centre and Financial Centre Metro Stations.
It uses the area underneath the Dubai Metro viaduct and transforms it into a green space stretching 2.5km open for visitors to engage in walking and cycling.
The walkways include three main points – Bazaar Street, Technology Park and Urban Park spanning an area of 54,000 square metres.
A project undertaken by RTA in cooperation with Careem to operate 3,500 bicycles at 350 stations in Dubai was also reviewed by Sheikh Mohammed.
The project will be the first bicycle-pool phased programme of its kind in the region. Careem will use smart features to track bicycles, predict high occupancy areas, and connect all bicycles through GPS, besides using environmental sustainability methods by operating solar-powered bicycle racks and connecting them to a wireless network.
Customers will be able to hire bicycles with their credit cards, NOL cards or smartphone apps linked with the S’hail system.
The Dubai ruler also reviewed the Sunset promenade project, a new beachfront area spanning 80,000 square metres connected to Jumeirah Beach Walk focused on promoting family entertainment.
It includes beach areas and unique models of several floating islands with a total beach area of 107,000 square metres, in addition to designs of green hills, sandy hills, parking lots, public facilities and retail spaces.
Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed Deira Plaza project, which spans an area of 35,000 square metres and provides an urban public space for entertainment. It seeks to create new spaces for social engagement and features spaces for events, hiking, public rest areas and multi-storey parking.
Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed about the Skypods project, a suspended transit system that links vital spots such as the Dubai Financial Centre and the Downtown with the Business Bay.Passing through the Happiness Street and runs up to City Walk, through tracks extending 1 km in length, the project, which has 21 stations and the capacity to transit 8,400 riders per hour per direction, offers an urban transit experience.
The ruler also attended a briefing about the Umm Suqeim promenade to be located between Mall of the Emirates and Madinat Jumeirah running 1,500 metres in length over an area of 28,000 square metres.
It has three main recreational areas for families – City Hub Plaza, Time Out Plaza and Village Plaza. The project includes a landmark 110-metre pedestrian bridge above Jumeirah Street with dedicated cycling and running lanes.
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