MRT Phileo Damansara

 The basic details:

MRT Phileo Damansara
Line: Kajang	Station code: SBK12
Ground level: 52.0m	Platform level: 65m (TBC)
Bike parking: Yes	Lifts: Yes
Location:	Google maps

Another station in a poor location.  This one is next to the highway, with a golf course on one side, and awkward access to the housing and commercial areas nearby.

Similar to many other stations, this one is high in the air, with the platform level way up above ground level.  The nearby housing areas are up a hill, so to get there, you first have to come down from the station, and then go uphill to your destination.  A simple fix would be to put some paths or raised walkways from the high level station concourse directly connecting to nearby roads.

Time-saving paths for commuters to Section 16 and beyond

On the other side of the highway, there's a huge car park, supposedly meant for park-and-ride.  But once in the car on the highway, how many people will then choose to stop, pay to park in an unpleasant multi-story carpark, and then pay to use the MRT?

Something that would help the area is a dedicated cycle lane to connect Section 16 with other areas, such as Mont Kiara, Bangsar or Bukit Damansara.  The bridge across the highway here could be part of that cycle network, with segregated bicycle paths installed alongside the highway.  The highway layout in that area currently makes cycling extremely unpleasant and inconvenient.

As usual, simple improvements to walkways would go a long way, although more should really be done to tackle the last-mile connectivity issue.  Let's see what happens if you try to walk to the station...

Don't expect any facilities to cross the road.  Pavements are scarce, too.

Side road to housing area gated off.  Classic.

Plenty of obstructions to make life difficult for those with bicycles, push-chairs, wheelchairs.

The 'pavement' disappears into a fire hydrant.  Who designed this?

A strange addition to station - an unused bicycle/ motorcycle loop (complete with speed strips).

As usual, many of these issues are not solely down to the station design.  It's partly about how the station is integrated into the area - something that needs co-ordination and co-operation between different bodies.  That is probably the trickiest part.  The interventions themselves are more straightforward and obvious - properly planned pavements with complete routes between destinations, crossing points for pedestrians and bikes, easy access into housing areas - simple stuff for a competent planning department.