Commute time from East Coast to Raffles Place during peak

[DrZoidberg]

Hi I am considering a move to Singapore towards the end of this year and was looking at the East Coast area. My work is at Raffles Place and I was wondering what the commute time from say Bayshore Park to Raffles Place is during peak times? The property websites seem to suggest 25 mins but is this really realistic or only possible on a fine day when the moon is bright? One option would be for DW to drive me to work, would this cut the commute time significantly? How about from the Mandarin Gardens area, would I be better off on that end of the East Coast?

[nakatago]

Try gothere.sg where you can set starting and end points, and what time you would travel. It will give a conservative estimate of travel time. Ditto for google maps.

[DrZoidberg]

Try gothere.sg where you can set starting and end points, and what time you would travel. It will give a conservative estimate of travel time. Ditto for google maps.

Ta very much! For driving from Bayshore area gothere suggests 17mins whether I select peak hours around 8-9am or off peak, and google agrees with this as well, would you say this sounds about right?

Both are much better than my current commute in London though (63 mins door to door), but the public transport commute time is 45 mins by bus or bus + train which is still doable I guess. Mandarin Garden area is a much more palatable 29 mins. Thanks again for the tip, gothere is awesome

[psli]

You may be interested to know that there is the executive bus plus service in that area as well that can do the trip in about half hour.
http://www.busplus.com.sg/serv_541.asp?route=amschedule
You can use the schedule as a guide to driving times.

At $5 per trip, its convenient and cheaper than driving (pricy ERP gantry cost during peak hours and expensive parking costs in CBD area) or taxi charges. Go green.

[BillyB]

Try gothere.sg where you can set starting and end points, and what time you would travel. It will give a conservative estimate of travel time. Ditto for google maps.

Ta very much! For driving from Bayshore area gothere suggests 17mins whether I select peak hours around 8-9am or off peak, and google agrees with this as well, would you say this sounds about right?

Both are much better than my current commute in London though (63 mins door to door), but the public transport commute time is 45 mins by bus or bus + train which is still doable I guess. Mandarin Garden area is a much more palatable 29 mins. Thanks again for the tip, gothere is awesome

My mate lives in Bayshore and there is no chance you'll get to RP in 20 minutes. It's at least 45-60 mins in peak time due to traffic and a minimum, although you'll be lucky to do it in that time, of 20-30 mins off peak.

Traffic is hectic around the CBD from 8.00-9.30 so factor that into your planning. You're better off taking the bus to the nearest MRT - Bedok - and jumping off at Raffles Place MRT, and you don't even have to change stations. Result!!

[trumpet]

Bayshore Park has a shutter bus service that leaves every 15 to 20 mines in the morning, it takes you to the Bedok mrt where you can take a direct train to town.

[DrZoidberg]

Thanks psli, trumpet and BillyB, so it looks like if I can get to Bedok MRT in around 15 mins travel time will be around 40 mins which is definitely doable.

On a only very slightly related note, when new condos have ETAs for completion, how accurate is it? Do they typically overrun by a year or so like in most of the world? I was looking at silver sea which looks most excellent in terms of size, facilities and location but its not ready till 2014

[JayCee]

Thanks psli, trumpet and BillyB, so it looks like if I can get to Bedok MRT in around 15 mins travel time will be around 40 mins which is definitely doable.

On a only very slightly related note, when new condos have ETAs for completion, how accurate is it? Do they typically overrun by a year or so like in most of the world? I was looking at silver sea which looks most excellent in terms of size, facilities and location but its not ready till 2014

They've been talking about building silversea for years now, I'd be surprised if it's up by 2015. So to answer your question - yes they do overrun on construction here, a lot!

Silversea is also right next to the ECP so you'd have constant traffic noise, it's nothing like that lovely advert they show on the tv with the building right next to the pristine beach as they missed out the big 6 lane highway seperating it from the (pretty crappy) beach. The ads for condos here are outrageous, they just outright lie

[DrZoidberg]

Thanks psli, trumpet and BillyB, so it looks like if I can get to Bedok MRT in around 15 mins travel time will be around 40 mins which is definitely doable.

On a only very slightly related note, when new condos have ETAs for completion, how accurate is it? Do they typically overrun by a year or so like in most of the world? I was looking at silver sea which looks most excellent in terms of size, facilities and location but its not ready till 2014

They've been talking about building silversea for years now, I'd be surprised if it's up by 2015. So to answer your question - yes they do overrun on construction here, a lot!

Silversea is also right next to the ECP so you'd have constant traffic noise, it's nothing like that lovely advert they show on the tv with the building right next to the pristine beach as they missed out the big 6 lane highway seperating it from the (pretty crappy) beach. The ads for condos here are outrageous, they just outright lie

Ah so there are no swaying palm trees, powder sand beaches or windsurfers right in front of Silversea.

How far does this stretching of the truth goes? e.g. Costa del Sol says that they have windsurfing practice facilities etc, can you generally trust these or are they also generally inflated?

[sundaymorningstaple]

They probably have an arrangement with the local windsurfing shop. Not facilities of their own. An arrangement. But they won't have their own facilities. In fact it might be some distance away. I've not been out there for years so I may be wrong but I kinda doubt it as I wouldn't think that they would want to take on the insurance liability themselves.

[nakatago]

Ah so there are no swaying palm trees, powder sand beaches or windsurfers right in front of Silversea.

Please...

[richie303]

If you want to move to the East coast, although Bayshore is near ECP and East Coast Park (also ECP) if you look at Tanah Merah (the area), it's got an MRT station that goes directly to RP in 20 mins. no train change, nice and easy, there are some nice condos there, cluster houses and landed properties and you don't have to get a car!

Parking and driving in CBD at any time of the day is horrible and expensive at best! After you've paid upwards of $100K on a car nearly $70K for a COE and road tax at $1500 for the year, you then have to pay ERP (electronic road pricing) and parking (around $30+ per day around RP I imagine)

All of this information is in gothere.sg though, you'd be as cheap to get a taxi as drive and much quicker on a train

[thismyvoice]

Try taking MRT. It is a great way to integrate with the local community. You will be packed together like sardines.

Jokes aside, heard from many colleagues that they prefer taking express bus if it is available. You get a seat and it is a lot more comfortable. Maybe $3 a ride?

[dpot]

i'm at bayshore park...looked at the bayshore, which was nice, but bp had a much larger land footprint--a plus if you have kids. anyway, there is a shuttle that picks up people here, goes to the bayshore, then to casa del sol, and takes you to bedok mrt or to parkway parade. also, there is the 541, which is a private (mini) bus, also picks up in the compound and cost $5...i believe it goes straight to shenton way...not sure if there are any stops along the way. there are at least one or two other private busses in the area, which do the same thing.

[DrZoidberg]

i'm at bayshore park...looked at the bayshore, which was nice, but bp had a much larger land footprint--a plus if you have kids. anyway, there is a shuttle that picks up people here, goes to the bayshore, then to casa del sol, and takes you to bedok mrt or to parkway parade. also, there is the 541, which is a private (mini) bus, also picks up in the compound and cost $5...i believe it goes straight to shenton way...not sure if there are any stops along the way. there are at least one or two other private busses in the area, which do the same thing.

Thanks dpot, Bayshore Park and Bayshore are both places that seem to be mentioned a lot in these forums so we will definitely have a look at both and costa and casa merah as well. The bus to raffles is supposed to take almost one hour so that probably is too long. Bus to MRT and then MRT might be the way to go, although we are strongly leaning towards a car since we have a small child, and I would like to be able to drive to Johor for kitesurfing etc, and we have mentally prepared ourselves for the cost of a car. If we do get one, DW will be able to drop me off at the MRT and occasionally drive me to work when traffic is acceptable.