MMDA: Motorcycle lane along QC’s Commonwealth Ave. ‘approved in principle’

FILE PHOTO: Trucks, cars and motorcycles negotiate the Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City in this file photo taken on August 6, 2021. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines —  The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday announced that the resolution on the creation of a motorcycle lane in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City has already been approved, albeit with a few revisions.

In a press briefing, MMDA chief Carlo Dimayuga III said that the revisions aim to address the inconsistencies in lanes, “meron pong lumiliit tapos lumalaki meron lang pong portion doon siguro po na napagusapan na well it’s still an exclusive pero baka kumipot po at lalapad po sa dulo.”

“‘But all the mayors agreed na nararapat na rin po na maglagay tayo ng sariling [motorcycle] lane sa Commonwealth,” said Dimayuga.

(But all the mayors agreed that it is appropriate that we put our own [motorcycle] lane in the Commonwealth.)

“We all agreed but there are revisions, so aayusin pa po namin (so we will fix this) before we pass the resolution, but it is already approved in principle,” he added.

Dimayuga explained that once the motorcycle lanes have been started, motorcycles will not be allowed to exit the said lanes while traveling, except when nearing an intersection or going to an establishment.

Violators — both exiting motorcycles and entering non-motorcycles — will then be fined P500.

“Sa tingin ko mas bibilis po ang daloy ng traffic ‘pag exclusive na po sa motorcycles, and sa motorcycle summit ‘yun din po ‘yung kanilang hinihingi,” explained Dimayuga.

(I think the flow of traffic will be faster when it is exclusive to motorcycles, and that is what they are asking for at the motorcycle summit.)

The lane exclusive for motorcycles will then be painted blue. Cat’s eyes or road studs will also be installed in these lanes.

It will be located in the third lane from the right, preceded by the lane for public utility vehicles (lane painted yellow), and the lane for bikes (which will be painted green).

Once the revisions have been finalized, the implementation of the said roads will take place 15 days after its publication.

“It would take 15 days after we post it, doon na rin gagawin (that is where we will also make the) necessary preparations,” he said.

Meanwhile, the next roads being eyed for the implementation of motorcycle lanes are the Edsa and Ortigas Avenues, but Dimayuga said that this is still being carefully studied.

RELATED STORIES:

MMDA eyes return of motorcycle lane along QC’s Commonwealth Avenue 

MMDA mulls designating rightmost lane of Edsa for motorcycles 

JPV