tehsiewdai

[weather update 16.3 🌥️]

Recently, I had fun moderating a dialogue session hosted by Climate Interfaith.

During the event, I met several religious leaders in Singapore: Ustazah Hidayah from Al-Mizan Singapore, Master Adrian Long, Taoist Federation Singapore, and Parvitar Singh, Exco - Sengkang Harmony Circle, Head of Sikh Affairs - Interfaith Youth Circle (IYC)

We discussed how faith is relevant in our sustainability journey. Some topics include switching to clean transportation at an individual level to systemic changes that can help make these transitions the easier choice.

That was followed by my favourite part of the event - a bicycle ride in East Coast Park.
Having conversations and meeting new people along the way, cycling brought us all together!

Thank you Climate Interfaith for having me!

📷: Climate Interfaith

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1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 36

tehsiewdai

[weather update 16.3 🌥️]

22 September is World Car Free Day!

It's a celebration of people and cities that support eco friendly modes of transport. On foot, by bicycle, bus, tram, or train, each and every one of us help to nudge cities to be more people friendly.

Leading up to this day, I drew a postcard featuring all things Singapore! With buses, bicycles, trams, and trains, it's an imaginary doodle that transports us back to the future.

To celebrate this occasion, I'm happy to give away my doodle postcard to 10 commuters who walk-cycle-ride!

Stand a chance to get one, by making a post on Instagram by 26 September sharing why you enjoy car-free commuting! Drop in the hashtags #carfreeday, #onelesscar, and tag me @itsvareck

I'd love to hear your story and share them on my socials.

Wishing everyone a happy World Car Free Day and let's keep the movement going!

(Photo 1 taken by my lovely mother, photos 2-7 by me)

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1 month ago | [YT] | 61

tehsiewdai

[weather update 16.2 🌥️]

I'm Singapore's Guerrilla Wayfinder!

(I'm still editing the video for this one, but my heart nudged me to share it as soon as I can, so read it on Substack first! 📖)

For a few years, I've been designing wayfinding signs for walk-cycle-ride navigation. Starting with a humble park connector sign in Lorong Halus when I was 20, my guerrilla wayfinding journey has been a rough yet exciting one.

From navigating bureaucracy to getting bashed online, losing hope and dealing with emotional pain... then finding hope in a land 6 degrees south of the equator, meeting likeminded people, knowing that I'm not alone.

I'm thankful to the people who have supported me - activists in Southeast Asia for keeping me sane through tough times, my friends for giving me design suggestions, and people abroad for reminding me that there's a bigger world out there!

The journey towards better navigation is a roundabout one, but some day, I'm sure we'll find our way.

tehsiewdai.substack.com/p/im-singapores-guerrilla-…

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2 months ago | [YT] | 102

tehsiewdai

[weather update 16.1 🌥️]

Jane's Walk in Tampines Town

Thanks for joining me on my Jane's Walk in Tampines! It was a pleasure bringing everyone around and discussing how ground up action can make neighbourhoods better.

Want to find out where we went and the planning process behind the walk? Head over to my Substack sharing at tehsiewdai.substack.com

There are more walks happening this month, so join one if you're interested at @janeswalksg

Thank you Eisen Teo and Tiak for organising Jane's Walk Singapore!

📷: @janeswalksg

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3 months ago | [YT] | 36

tehsiewdai

[weather update 16.1 🌥️]

Transport Advocacy in Singapore and Indonesia 🚲🚌🚃

I had the privilege of sharing my experience of transport advocacy in Singapore at Transport for Jakarta's event: "From Jakarta to the World, How Jakarta Inspires Others for Change?" at Museum Bank Indonesia, Kota Tua, Jakarta on 22 June 2025.

My sharing includes the journey of YouTube content creation to co-forming groups (Safety for Active Mobility Users), organising street redesign workshops with Singapore Youth for Climate Action, and bringing people out on two wheels (Bike Commute Singapore). Advocacy and activism has been such a wild rollercoaster ride and I'm so happy to be able to meet passionate individuals across Southeast Asia!

To each and every transport advocate and activist I met, thank you for sharing your zest and passion with everyone. To every individual who has supported me along the way, thank you for cheering me on.

Choosing the route of advocacy is like carving a desire path through tall grass. It is the hardest at the beginning, and the more people join along, the better it gets for everyone.
"If you only keep walking, you never will walk alone" - Jacob Collier

There's so much more I wish to share - so come read my Substack article at:
open.substack.com/pub/tehsiewdai/p/hello-jakarta-t…

Huge thanks to Transport for Jakarta (FDTJ) for organising the event and many other passionate souls I've met for making advocacy oh so beautiful.
Terima kasih dan sampai jumpa!

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4 months ago | [YT] | 58

tehsiewdai

[weather update 16.0 🌥️]

Loving Ho Chi Minh City! Anyone wants to see a video about cycling in HCMC? (:

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4 months ago | [YT] | 55

tehsiewdai

[weather update 15.9 🌥️]

Selamat petang! How's everyone doing?
I've been working on explainers to show how transport in Singapore has come to be, and what we can do to make it better.

Here's a snippet of my post about Singapore's bike lanes - and why we don't (really) have them!

There are other posts I've worked on such as the mysterious shortening of Bencoolen Street's bus only road, and more will come soon.

Want to see more? Go follow my Instagram account! (www.instagram.com/itsvareck)
Cheers and wishing everyone a good weekend!

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5 months ago | [YT] | 124

tehsiewdai

In 2021, I made a video documenting the state of cycling infrastructure in Singapore.

It’s disheartening that even in 2025, many of the issues raised still resonate. A new piece by RICE Media released today echoes many of the same concerns.

It's said that "You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it". With millions of dollars poured into cycling infrastructure, it's time to go back to the drawing board and relook at what goes behind the infra.

Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) has released the following statements. I believe they deserve scrutiny, referencing cycling cities abroad.

"A grade-separated path, such as a raised cycling path, can be a tripping hazard for path users and make it difficult for wheelchair and personal mobility aid users to navigate the level differences between cycling paths and footpaths".

Such is the gold standard in cities like Brussels, Utrecht, and more recently, Beijing.

"On-road cycling lanes are feasible only at locations where vehicular traffic is low"

Southeast Asian cities with downtown bike lanes like KL, Jakarta, and Manila prove otherwise.

Singapore needs a relook at the way it's designing its transportation system. From recent bus lane removals (Bencoolen Street) to the construction of expensive yet substandard cycling infrastructure, I can’t help but wonder if the Car Lite campaign is genuinely about making walk cycle ride quicker and more convenient, or just a coping mechanism for those priced out of car ownership.

I believe it's time for Singapore to start embracing active travel and public transport research. Designing bus priority and bike infrastructure for the vast majority of Singaporeans is more than just moving people from A to B. It's about making a city equitable, accessible, and liveable for everyone.

Thank you Lim Ding Wen for speaking up!

Sources:
1. https://youtu.be/cmqPref2cME?si=qw9Xx...
2. sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=writ…##
3. www.mot.gov.sg/news/details/written-reply-to-parli…
4. www.ricemedia.co/singapore-bike-paths-commute/

5 months ago | [YT] | 63

tehsiewdai

Far too often, conversations about imagining street redesigns end with "oh that's not in a guidebook... Then How?"

But what if our streets have been designed precisely wrong than vaguely right, by imposing mathematical models and traffic simulations onto public space that's supposed to be human and dynamic?

It's time to take the step forward and say "Why Not?", because the future lies in our streets.

Thanks TEDx Bencoolen St Youth for the opportunity!

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7 months ago | [YT] | 100

tehsiewdai

[weather update 14.7 🌥️]

Hello everyone, I'll be speaking at TEDx Bencoolen St Youth this Saturday, 22 March, at 5.10pm
Find out more at instagram.com/tedxbencoolenstyouth
See y'all there and thanks for coming to my TED talk (in advance)!

📷 Image Credit: TEDx Bencoolen St Youth

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7 months ago | [YT] | 56