Former mayor backs flyover projects, says ‘it’s realistic’

Better said than done.

That was how Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district described a proposal by Cebu City businessmen and Mayor Michael Rama to draft a transportation master plan and road-widening in place of two flyover projects lined up for bidding in the city this year.

The former mayor said road widening requires huge funding and years of implementation  and cited as an example the widening of N. Bacalso Avenue in the south which took five years to negotiate with 8,000 affected residents.

The widening included V. Rama Avenue, B. Rodriguez St., Imus Road, P. del Rosario St.,  F. Cabahug St. and A. S. Fortuna.

He said acquisition of lots alone cost P15,000 to P20,000 per sq. meter for the widening of Escario Street which isn’t even complete.

“You want to widen the road all the way to Talamban? Both the national government and the city government will go bankrupt,” he said.

Two flyover projects are being readied for M.J. Cuenco-General Maxilom Avenue and Archbishop Reyes-Gorordo Avenue in the city.

Online support

A citizens movement called “Stop Cebu Flyovers” by “stakeholders in Gorordo Avenue” and ecology advocates led by Joel Lee of Permaculture Cebu are gathering signatures and mustering online support to stop implementation of the flyover projects.

The movement pushed for “sound, long-term planning geared for a sustainable and liveable Cebu City” through the drafting of a transportation master plan.

A resolution filed by the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) opposed the flyover projects.

In its resolution, the board said “it is not against flyovers as a whole, but only against flyovers without rationalization.”

They said traffic and transportation require “proper engineering and land use planning” and should be “above partisan politics.”

The board said the flyovers will pose new road hazards for motorists and pedestrians.

Citom chief Rafael Yap said a study done by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the flyovers was “incomplete” and “flawed” since it didn’t consider the impact on other intersections.

More realistic

Yap said the data had insufficient basis to conclude that there’s a need to build new flyovers.

Mayor Rama wrote President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III asking him to reconsider funding of the two flyover projects.

He said Cebu City is a “heritage city filled with historical landmarks” which doesn’t need flyovers.

In response, Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar also wrote the President asking him to continue implementation of the projects.

In yesterday’s press conference, Osmeña said those who opposed the flyover projects  should recognize the fact that they can be widened to four lanes in the next decade or as the need arises.

He said a more realistic, long term solution to Cebu City’s traffic problems is the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system here.

“They (those who oppose the flyover projects) are living in a world where they can only blame other people.  But to get something done is very different,” he said.

Crab mentality

Osmeña said contrary to Rama’s claims, the city’s master plan was already done even before the South Reclamation Project (SRP) started in 1995.

He said the SRP and the south coastal road (SCR) are part of the city’s master plan.

The SCR was also placed in the south to bring traffic to the south and decongest the north district.

“What are they talking about? It’s built already (the master plan) while they were sleeping,” he said.

He said there is also no comparison between Davao and Cebu City since Davao does not even have an SRP.

The congressman also challenged Rama to substantiate his claims that the city doesn’t need flyover projects.

He said Rama couldn’t even identify what roads needed to be widened, what survey needs to be done, the assessment of the value of properties affected, program of works and traffic count among others.

“They don’t like flyovers but they did not prepare any plan.  We did the plan. Do they have a plan?  What is that? It’s all propaganda. (But) all he (Rama) says is that I don’t like it. That is crab mentality,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña said Rama opposed the flyover projects because he wanted to get the funds for his own projects.

“If you are the funder will you give P600 million because somebody says that widening is better than flyover? It does not work that way,” he said.

The former mayor pointed out that Rama even refused to widen a road leading to the Guadalupe bridge which in turn connects to barangay Lahug.

He said the area had not been passable for about a year now since it was hit by a landslide.

The last flyover project was opened in barangay Mambaling in April this year and back in 2008 in Banilad.

Protests by Banilad land owners, subdivisions and businessmen led by Bunny Pages failed to stop construction of the Banilad-Talamban flyover.

The Ban-Tal Traffic Task Force headed by Mayor Rama pushed for a Traffic Master Plan for Metro Cebu.

No study

An official of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) admitted there was no study done on the Ban-Tal flyover.

Engineer Nonato Paylado, DPWH-7 assistant chief for planning and design division, said no post-construction study was done to determine if the Ban tal flyover reduced traffic congestion since it would entail high cost.

Paylado said they would rather focus their budget on other road development projects especially road widening.

“I don’t think that that the Ban-Tal flyover is useless,” he said, adding they received positive feedback despite opposition by businessmen.

He said they only conducted a traffic data study before the Ban-Tal flyover construction began.

Paylado said flyovers in Cebu City alone won’t solve traffic congestion if it isn’t complemented with good traffic management.

“We are obligated to address the needs of the public immediately. If we wait for the master plan, that would take a long time,” he said. Correspondent Edison delos Angeles and Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya