Rama: Wider roads first before bike lanes

CEBU City needs wider roads before it can accommodate bicycle lanes, Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday.

The mayor said he pushed for road widening precisely to allow  bike lanes to be set up in the city’s roads.

Rama said wider roads are  a viable alternative to flyover projects lobbied by Rep. Rachel del Mar of Cebu City’s north district.

Rama clarified this in response to a City Council resolution approved last Wednesday asking the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to assist in a feasibility study for bicycle lanes in some parts of Cebu City.

The resolution authored by Councilor Nida Cabrera also asked for financial assistance to set up  bike lanes from Plaza Independencia to the North Reclamation Area, along Juan Luna Avenue, in barangay Busay and at the Ayala Heights.

Del Mar and her father, former congressman Raul del Mar, have lobbied for more two-lane  flyovers  in the city despite resistance at the City Development Council chaired by Rama.

The council resolution likewise asked the Department of Public Works and Highways to include bike lanes in their engineering design for road widening and improvement projects which may be implemented in the future.

Rama and the council endorsed the proposal to build bike lanes to the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) office for study.

But Citom chief Rafael Yap said they lack the expertise and resources to conduct the study.

“The establishment of pilot bike lanes in the city will enable the City Government to fulfill its mandate to green the city and ensure sustainable development similar to other cities in the country,” the resolution said. It  mentioned that other cities like Marikina, Muntinlupa, Manila and Pasig already have bike lanes.

The resolution stated the city’s willingness to cooperate with international funding institutions like the World Bank for the feasibility study.

World Bank through its Global Environmental Facility, for example, helped set up the 52-kilometer bicycle lane in Marikina in 2003. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac