San Juan City to launch pop-up bike lanes

San Juan’s bike lane. Map courtesy of San Juan LGU

MANILA, Philippines — The local government of San Juan is set to launch pop-up bike lanes in the city as public transportation is still limited in Metro Manila because of the general community quarantine (GCQ).

In a statement on Tuesday, the San Juan City LGU said that phase 1 of the pop-up bike lane is from N. Domingo to Ortigas Avenue to the intersection of Connecticut St., which will pass through San Juan Medical Center (SJMC), the San Juan City Hall, Greenhills Shopping Center, and near Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

The bike lanes, which is a program of the local government in partnership with Edsa Evolution — a group of individuals and organizations from all over country aiming to “make bicycles and other forms of active mobility a staple on roads” — will be formally launched on Wednesday, June 3.

According to San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, the bike lanes will “protect the frontliners as well as the people who have gone back to work using their bikes this week.”

“This is in line with the initiatives to provide our beloved people with a safe transportation option now that only 50 percent of public transportation will be allowed during the implementation of the GCQ,” Zamora said.

“Bicycles are a reliable means of transportation during this pandemic, which requires social distancing. It does not only enable the public to observe social distancing, it also is a sustainable or an environment-friendly mode of transportation that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle,” he added.

As Metro Manila relaxed quarantine measures on Monday, several commuters experienced difficulty going to work due to a lack of public transportation.

The Department of Transportation previously said that the resumption of public transportation will be done in two phases.