Estrada mulls installing bike lanes in parts of Manila
Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada EDWIN BACASMAS
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada is considering putting up bikes lanes in some streets in the city following a road rage incident that killed a cyclist.
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Estrada said he would discuss his plans with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and various groups of cycling enthusiasts.
“There may be areas here where we could install bike lanes. We’ll look into it,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Estrada cited that many streets in Manila are narrow, owing to its Spanish-era design when the “kalesa” was the main mode of transportation before.
“This is why we have narrow roads, which is often the cause of traffic congestion, and in rare instances, road rage cases like the one that happened in Quiapo,” he said.
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He said the installation of bike lanes would be good not only for bikers, but for the environment as well.
“Biking is a healthy exercise and is environment-friendly; less use of motor vehicles, the lesser air pollution is,” he said.
A dedicated bike lane would encourage others to try biking as an alternative urban transportation, he added.
The Manila Police District-Traffic Enforcement Unit (MPD-TEU) has also expressed support for Estrada’s plan.
Chief Supt. Olivia Sagaysay of the MPD-TEU said any measure aimed at decongesting Manila’s streets was welcome.
“One less car in the street is a huge reduction in the volume of traffic,” Sagaysay said. “We are with the mayor in this idea to install bike lanes in the city.”
MPD is eyeing a citywide no parking policy for employees in Manila to discourage them from bringing their cars to work.
In Manila, the MMDA has put up two bike lanes in Manila — one runs from Remedios Circle to M. Adriatico Street and another along Roxas Boulevard from Rajah Soliman to US Embassy.
But the city government said these bike lanes have mostly been left unused. JE
