No more sharrows: Ayala Avenue bike lanes are here to stay

Cyclists belonging to various groups gather here on Ayala Avenue on Feb. 12, 2023, to protest the planned removal of bike lanes in Makati’s major thoroughfare. However, Makati announces on February 24, 2023, that bike lanes are now here to stay. (Photo from a video by Tim Vargas of Electric Kick Scooter Philippines)

MANILA, Philippines — Protected bicycle lanes along the stretch of Ayala Avenue are here to stay after the plan to convert it to shared lanes or “sharrows” ignited an uproar among cyclists, commuters and groups.

Make It Makati announced this on Friday in a joint statement with the Ayala Land Inc. and Makati Business Club, vowing to collaborate on exploring and implementing street designs that would lessen the burden of commuting.

“After a series of conversations in the past two weeks, all parties agreed that it is everyone’s benefit that Ayala Avenue remains a safe, convenient and inclusive transport corridor for all road users–including pedestrians, commuters, cyclists and motorists,” it said.

According to Make It Makati, Ayala Avenue will continue to have “a physically protected and enforced bike lane–with bollards to separate cyclists from other vehicles, road studs for better visibility, and with enforcement through the Makati Parking Authority–supported by an intensified information campaign.”

A technical working group, an open dialogue to discuss improvements in the Ayala Avenue transport scheme and studies on the bicycle lane designs will also be established, it added.

MNL Moves, a group pushing for better transport systems in Metro Manila, hailed the decision but pointed out that there is more to fight for in the journey toward making the capital region “safer and equitable.”

“Citizen-led efforts to create more ways of moving around the city, reintroducing human vitality into streets that we have lost to cars for decades, have seen successes in many places around the world,” it said in a social media post.

The group then challenged the public “to continue pushing local leaders, political and business, to take risks, change direction, test ideas based on evidence, and implement changes to build a genuine people-centered urban transportation for Metro Manila.”

Over the past weeks, transport advocates and groups came together for community bicycle rides, solidarity walks and other initiatives to express their opposition to the bid to turn Ayala Avenue bicycle lanes into shared lanes.

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JPV