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Motorcycle lanes along EDSA?
The MMDA is implementing a one-week dry run of its motorcycle lane scheme along EDSA starting today, February 14. The scheme is the same as that implemented along Commonwealth Avenue where motorcycles are assigned to use only one lane of a road – in the case of EDSA the 4th lane from the curbside. To guide riders and drivers of other motor vehicles, the MMDA used alternating white and line blue pavement markings for the motorcycle lane similar to what was done along Commonwealth.
Following are photos taken last week along EDSA and a few observations on the traffic conditions with respect to the motorcycle lane scheme.
Light blue lane markings can be seen designating the 4th lane from the curbside for motorcycles. The yellow markings are for the two outermost lanes that are designated as bus lanes. While bus lanes are supposed to be for the exclusive use of buses, many private vehicles use the lanes throughout the day and are not apprehended by traffic enforcers for this encroachment.
Sign for the motorcycle lane already installed along EDSA before the MRT Santolan Station as of February 9 – this photo was taken around 3 PM (not yet the afternoon peak period).
Close-up of sign for the motorcycle lane but with “fine print” indicating that the same lane may be used by private vehicles – herein lies the problem as private vehicles are sure to mix it up with motorcycles, with the high likelihood that riders will revert to lane splitting or using other lanes. This will be an enforcement nightmare.
Motorcycle lane sign installed on pedestrian overpass between Aurora Blvd. and Kamias. Notice the provincial bus encroaching upon the adjacent lane designated for private vehicles.
Motorcycle lane prior to the Kamias-East Avenue overpass along EDSA.
The middle lane is designated as the motorcycle lane along the overpass
Motorcycle lane along EDSA beneath the EDSA-MRT GMA Station
Bus and motorcycle lanes along EDSA past the the MRT GMA Station. Traffic is typically light along this stretch as many vehicles turn towards East Avenue or Timog Avenue.
Typical light traffic between East Ave. and Quezon Ave. along EDSA northbound
Motorcycle lane ascends the flyover crossing the junction with Quezon Avenue – the lane is again the middle of three lanes. That’s the EDSA-MRT Quezon Avenue station on the left and downstream in the photo and the Centris mall on the right.
If the implementation of the motorcycle lane scheme along Commonwealth is to be the basis for assessing the likelihood for success along EDSA, I believe that we can be expect significant behavioral changes along EDSA. For one, motorcycle riders along Commonwealth have been generally diligent in following the scheme. This can also be expected for most riders using EDSA should the MMDA be strict, firm and fair with their enforcement duties. Meanwhile, drivers of private vehicles have been becoming more aware and respectful of motorcyclists rights of way along Commonwealth and we are hopeful that such will eventually be the case along EDSA, although both enforcement and management will be much more challenging due to the sheer volume of vehicles involved and the more restricted space for traffic flow. It is to be expected that there will be many stubborn private vehicle drivers who even without the motorcycle lane are already encroaching on the bus lanes. Even more challenging will be the behavioral change required of buses given their propensity for reckless driving. I wanted to emphasize behavioral change here because I strongly believe that this is a critical factor for the improvement of traffic and transport in Metro Manila where many issues have roots on driver, rider and pedestrian behavior.
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School traffic generation – Part 2
It’s been quite sometime since I wrote Part 1 on school traffic generation. I had been unable to get a few photos to describe congestion in another area where school trip generation frequently causes severe traffic congestion. This is along Ortigas Avenue in the Greenhills where another private school generates so many vehicle trips that it is able to clog both sides of the road almost every weekday of the school year. This is the case of La Salle Greenhills (LSGH), which, like Ateneo along Katipunan causes so much negative externalities with respect to traffic along a major thoroughfare.
The problem with La Salle Greenhills is more severe considering it has very limited space in its campus to be able to accommodate parking, unlike Ateneo, which has a sprawling campus (sadly, its being occupied by more cars these days). The result has been cars occupying the curbside lanes along either side of Ortigas Avenue and cars parked on the sidewalks (I have to get photos of these.). This has caused a lot of congestion during the weekdays and has so far been unaddressed by local authorities who seem to be helpless despite the fact that they only need to enforce general traffic rules to rid the streets of parked and standing vehicles. The solution is quite simple but very difficult to implement considering authorities will be up against LSGH. But then, the majority here are not LSGH constituents but the general public who are inconvenienced on a regular basis.
It took us some time to cover less than 400 meters from the EDSA-Ortigas intersection to the median opening to turn left into the DOTC driveway on the other side of Ortigas Ave.
At this point, the three lanes from the intersection narrows to 2 lanes, necessitating some jostling for position among the vehicles.
There are 3 median openings (one after the other) under the San Juan-bound overpass from EDSA-Ortigas. One slot is a U-turn slot for vehicles returning to EDSA-Ortigas, while the second is for vehicles turning back to LSGH or the Greenhills shopping district. Another opening is right after the second slot and is for vehicle turning left towards the DOTC main office.
Yes, that’s right – the DOTC main office is located in the area and LTO officers are regularly in the area due to meetings of their officials. It’s a wonder how these seem to be blind to the congestion on the ground. Perhaps the current Secretary should look into this as a test of his commitment to solving transport problems?
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Weekday EDSA
I chanced upon an uncongested EDSA one day during noontime along the northbound direction. I was traveling from the airport and saw that my usual route along C5 was very congested. I decided to take EDSA instead considering it was noontime and there would probably be less vehicles along the highway during that time of day. I was right and the following photos speak for themselves in as far as describing traffic between 12:00 NN and 1:00 PM.
Section past Orense Street and the MMDA headquarters
Section approaching Guadalupe
Guadalupe Bridge, crossing the Pasig River, the MRT 3 runs along the steel bridge above
Approaching A. Bonifacio/Renaissance, in the background is the G.A. Tower, the Boni MRT Station and condos under construction including SMDC’s Jazz
Section across the Renaissance Tower where many FM radio stations are based
Section past Robinsons Cybergate Mall
Section across the SM Megamall and approaching the ADB
Section across the ADB and approaching Ortigas Ave. One of Galleria’s buildings is seen behind the giant billboards. The MRT
Section descending the Ortigas Flyover and across from Corinthian Gardens
Section across Camp Aguinaldo (between the Aguinaldo and Crame) and approaching the Camp’s EDSA gate
Section approaching Boni Serrano Avenue
Section approaching the EDSA underpass crossing P. Tuazon and approaching the Cubao commercial center
Section past the Cubao commercial center and across from several provincial bus terminals lined up along EDSA northbound
Section approaching Kamias – taking the flyover means I won’t be able to turn towards East Avenue so we shifted towards the outer lanes
Now, if only EDSA and the other main arteries of Metro Manila could be like this more frequently…
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Pedestrianizing Session Road
When visiting Baguio City, one should never fail to go to Session Road whether to have a meal or just to take walk along the street. It is perhaps the city’s most famous street and a landmark itself where it used to be that a lot about Baguio is going about along Session Road. Here you will find shops, restaurants, bars and other establishments. Since my first time to go to Baguio in 1995, I have seen the city become more crowded and Session Road become more congested. There have been proposals for the street to be pedestrianized but I am unaware of any detailed study concerning pedestrianization and its implications on traffic and commerce in the area. This, I think, should now be among the things Baguio City should look into with more urgency and perhaps a study can be initiated among the universities there, together with the local chapters of planning, architecture and civil engineering societies.
The following article is from the Business Mirror entitled Road Revolution, which appeared in the newspaper’s February 4, 2012 issue:
BAGUIO CITY—Architect Joseph Alabanza keeps a long-held dream: to see Session Road pedestrianized.
As early as 1972, when Alabanza, former head of National Economic and Development Authoriy-Cordillera Administrative Region (Neda-CAR) was head of the city planning office, policies then had pointed out strongly that something had to be done about Session Road as it was predicted to soon become polluted and congested, and lose it aesthetic heritage, being at the heart of the city’s central business district.
A scene that is exactly what Session Road has become.
Then there were not too many cars and the population was much lower than the almost 400,000 mark today, and there was a lack of urgency to control the traffic situation in the city.
In more recent years, as lecturer and consultant of the architecture department of the St. Louis University, his class drafted, as their theses, a layout plan for the streets of the city. The central blueprint was that of Session Road pedestrianized.
Some consultations were made, but this was strongly opposed by business establishments around.
The yearly “Session Road in Bloom,” a market event for Panagbenga (meaning a season of blooming in the Igorot Kankanaey dialect) on Session Road, which stayed closed for a week, was used as a vehicle to test the plan. But it proved to be too hectic and the pedestrian is too heavy to be desirable for a longer period of time.
Even if it seemed that Alabanza’s dream was far from becoming a reality, the glimmer of hope remains as he continuously lamented the continuing deterioration of Session Road—the heavy pollution, the unkempt façades, the heavy traffic, crimes, the insane cat-and-dog chase of the police with sidewalk vendors. Life in the heart of the city was in shambles, but business thrived as usual.
Road Revo
THEN a group of environmental advocates heard of this dream. Something that was a success in Cebu. They came to tell the people of Baguio about their winning game plan in a forum on January 27.
It is called Road Revo—a revolution to change the way people think about the way they transport themselves.
Road Revo is a concept developed by lawyer and environmental activist, Antonio Oposa, a 2009 Ramon Magsaysay awardee in environment.
“We cannot have a Hollywood kind of transportation system, one of individual and expensive mobility. They have eight-lane highways and their roads are like moving parking lots,” he said.
Our insistence at individual mobility has resulted in serious collective mobility, he said.
“Kanya-kanyang galaw kaya lahat di makagalaw [Everybody wants his own way to move that’s why all could not move],” he said, referring to the traffic congestion that has also resulted in serious air and noise pollution.
The road is supposed to be for everyone, that is why Road Revo is for making road use fair. This would mean a turn-around in priorities.
“There’s a need to change mindsets. Road use and policies must have a bias for people, not for cars,” he said.
A World Bank study shows that only 300 out of a thousand own a car in the country. Oposa pointed out that only 3 percent own cars, and they occupy 97 percent of the road, while showing an image of a street jammed with cars in chaos, while people walked on narrow sidewalks.
He said Executive Order 774 specifically cites the new paradigm that the movement of men and cars must follow the principle that “those who have less in wheels must have more in roads,” and that the system must favor nonmotorized transportation and collective transportation.
EO 774 also ordered the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Department of Public Works and Highways to follow the same principle in transforming the road system.
Oposa said that ideally a good public transport system provides 30 percent for all-weather walkways, 30 percent for bicycle lanes, and 30 percent for a greenbelt and what remains would be for cars.
EO 774 also directs all public open spaces along sidewalks and roads no longer needed to be devoted to urban agriculture, something that has been done in Cebu.
“If we could do it in Cebu, so can you,” Oposa said.
Alabanza said that the city has lost its sense of space, referring to walking and open spaces.
“People used to have a sense of belonging here. Now we feel like strangers in our own place,” he said.
Session Road closed: Music, dining on road, sidewalks
AS an experiment, one side of Session Road was closed from 3 p.m. to midnight the day Oposa and his group of environmental activists were in the city on January 27.
And it did happen. Families dined on tables set on the road and sidewalks. Young people were seen just hanging out with one another. Lovers strolled leisurely. Musicians and poets drew a crowd as they beat on their percussions and read poems. Passersby even stopped to do a few dance steps.
For those few hours, the spirit of community was palpable, one of the aims for pedestrianizing Session Road.
Alabanza said that minimizing pollution was one of the first objectives of the proposed road closure as Session Road has become but a passageway for cars and people between the market and the SM Mall on opposite ends. The safety of pedestrians is also compromised as the sidewalks have become too narrow for the crowd who had to walk on parts of the road.
Oposa showed some examples of the ingenious Filipinos’ inventions of environment-friendly modes of transportation. There is the blueprint for a rail bus. There is already a carousel where people pedal to make it run. There is the idea of giving discounts to volunteers who pedal trolleys on train rails. A prototype for a wind-powered bamboo train is on the works, which can run both with an electric motor or the option for pedaling.
“We are a unique place and we cannot but just copy the transportation systems and models of other places,” Alabanza said. The transportation crisis can give rise to opportunities, something that will serve the city well, he said.
Change attitudes
OPOSA pointed out that the world is now experiencing so much disasters because of climate change and it becomes everybody’s responsibility to change attitudes about transportation systems, as this is the sector that emits one of the highest volume of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
He reminded that people need to think out of the box and to get out from the inertia of collective insanity, of doing the same thing because everybody else is doing it, no matter how senseless it has become. To illustrate, he said that the bicycle runs on fat and saves you money, while the car runs on money and makes you fat. But all the cars suffering the cost of insurance, stress and productivity lost to traffic jams, loss of a healthier lifestyle indicate that habits are hard to break.
Road Revo will help decrease man’s dependence on oil, restore sense of community, reduce criminality as this allows visibility of one another and, most of all, give people a sense of belonging and owning the space which is a secret tip to keeping it clean.
Oposa is on a nationwide campaign to promote Road Revo. Pasig City opened a road for a day on July 8 last year and Ongpin Street in Binondo became a festival road for the Chinese New Year celebration. After Baguio, Oposa will do the rounds in Subic, Dumaguete, Marikina, Davao and Puerto Princesa.
Alabanza’s dream may not even happen in his lifetime, but the wisdom of keeping the air clean, of enlivening the spirit of community and giving importance to people rather than cars has been sown in the few hours of not closing Session Road but opening it for people.
Perhaps pedestrianization will be more beneficial to the stakeholders of Session Road. It would not be an easy task to convince people that a car-free session road will be the way to go. There probably would also be other options, even a middle ground between status quo and pedestrianization. But doing nothing and letting Session deteriorate further is surely unacceptable to most people.
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Single ticketing at last?
Among the big news on transport and traffic in Metro Manila this weekend is the resolution by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) to adopt a single ticketing system for traffic violations in Metro Manila. It took some time for this to be realized and such a system should be favorable to motorists and LGUs alike. The biggest issue in the past was how to divide the revenues derived from the penalties imposed on erring motorists (though some quarters will deny this). Many MM LGUs balked at the original proposal of the MMDA that the agency should get the bulk of the revenues. The MMDA explained that their enforcers were and are deployed along most roads and manage traffic in most of Metro Manila. Perhaps they were right in proposing for a substantial cut of the total revenues as many LGUs were dependent on the MMDA for traffic management.
Following is the news article from the Philippine Star:
MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila mayors have approved the resolution for the adoption of a uniform or single ticketing system for traffic violations in the metropolis.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino said the resolution was approved after a dialogue between Metro Manila mayors and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo at the Pasay City Hall last Thursday.
Representatives of transport groups – the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers, Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association, and Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide – also joined the dialogue.
Tolentino said Robredo would present the resolution to President Aquino for approval.
“Without the single ticketing system, Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) and the MMDA use their respective traffic violation tickets. This runs counter to the 1995 MMDA Charter, mandating the MMDA to install and administer a single ticketing system,” said Tolentino.
He said the resolution paves the way for the implementation of a uniform traffic violation ticket bearing the MMDA logo and that of the 17 LGUs of Metro Manila.
“The uniform ticket will be issued by all traffic operatives within Metro Manila and shall be recognized metrowide,” he said.
Tolentino said a technical working group composed of the traffic heads of the 17 LGUs of Metro Manila, representatives of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the MMDA would be created to resolve the issues concerning the implementation of the unified ticket system.
The transport sector and the LGUs have until Feb. 2 to submit their comments and proposals on the matter, the MMDA said. – By Mike Frialde (Philstar News Service, http://www.philstar.com)
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We look forward to the implementation of the single ticketing system for traffic violations in Metro Manila. Perhaps after the usual confusions and misunderstandings at the start of the integration, we will see a more systematic (and maybe stricter?) way of handling violations. This should, however, translate to better behavior among motorists as the system should influence how people drive. Otherwise, all the hype for single ticketing would have been to naught.
Perhaps the next single ticketing project should be for public transport fares?
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The Marcos Highway predicament
Just when I thought I’ve experienced the worst traffic jams along Ortigas Avenue Extension (De Castro to Junction) last year, I am greeted with even worse congestion along Marcos Highway as 2012 began. I have featured this highway in previous posts first on August 24, 2011, then in September 2, 2011, again in September 13, 2011, and then as late as December 18, 2011, as I have been able to basically monitor the progress of pavement “re-blocking” and drainage works along this highway (I live in a subdivision along the highway.). The project stretches from the Santolan area near the Marikina River to Masinag Junction, and affecting traffic in at least 4 cities (Quezon City, Marikina City, Pasig City and Antipolo City) and 1 major municipality (Cainta). The problem, it seems to me, is that the contractor seems to be behind schedule and is now trying to make up for lost time by practically digging up entire sections of the highway without first finishing the job in other sections they have already started rehabilitating. In fact, there are sections that already have new concrete pavements that are still inaccessible to traffic despite already over 2 weeks of curing time! The concrete barriers preventing vehicles from using these sections occupy about a fourth of the adjacent lanes, contributing to the reduction of what is already limited road capacities for the high volume of traffic along Marcos Highway.
I am aware of the traffic management plan for the highway as it is posted online at the DPWH website. But this is something that is on paper (or online) and one that seems to have been thrown out the window given the discrepancies with what’s on the plan and what we actually see and experience on the ground. The current work along the highway has effectively turned the stretch from Filinvest East to Santolan into a sort of slalom or obstacle course that has led to much inconvenience to commuters and motorists. Factor in the wasted fuel and the resulting emissions due to the congestion and you have economic losses piling up everyday.
I took the following photos I took one late weekday afternoon only this week as I traveled from Masinag to Imelda Avenue. The photos clearly show the work in progress along the highway that has been that main cause of congestion throughout most of the day.
Beginning of section being rehabilitated with work concentrated on a middle lane in front of the Marian Memorial (funeral) Chapels along Marcos Highway. Note the barriers on either side of the lane and the heavy equipment. Notice, too, the few people working on this section. Vehicles will have to split into two streams, one on either side of the affected lane.
End of the lane mentioned in the previous photos. There is a gap between this affected lane and the next one (start is indicated by the red barrier downstream in the photo) allowing vehicles to weave along sections between work sites. The pick-up in the middle of the photo is doing just that – shifting from the shoulder lane to the median lane.
This is again the end of the section Unfinished section is flooded due to the sudden rainfall that afternoon in the area. Many sections have already been filled with base layer material and compacted. However, I am wondering why the contractor has not poured concrete when I reckon it has already taken enough time for consolidation of the base layer. From the same photo above, you can see the beginning of another section under rehab, but this time two lanes (inner lanes) are closed to traffic on one side of the highway. There are 2 other lanes also closed to traffic on the other side of the median island.
Despite the completion of re-blocking for the median lane, it is still closed to traffic. Meanwhile, it has taken a significant amount of time since they dug up the middle lane shown in the photo and where the section should have been ready for concrete but with the water collecting after the sudden rains that afternoon. Notice the hazards posed by the concrete barriers along the highway.
Section along the westbound direction of the highway and across from Town & Country subdivision shows 2 lanes affected by the pavement rehab works and only 2 lanes available to traffic.
It is really quite difficult to offer solutions in this case considering so much work still to be done in order to meet the March 28, 2012 deadline posted on the project billboards along the highway. For one, I do not know exactly what the reasons are for the delay of the project (perhaps a delayed release of funds?) and why the contractor has been unable to deliver according to schedule and plan considering the amount of time that was available to them. I do notice that there seems to be not enough people working on the project and that there seems to be no one working during certain times of the day when traffic is supposed to be lighter and fewer people to inconvenience. I did write that the contractor was doing a decent job in managing traffic before including their good use of counterflows. That was months ago and it seems that the saying “you are only as good as your last performance” applies in this case where people will be scrutinizing the current state of traffic along Marcos Highway.
People do expect though that the combined efforts of the MMDA, local traffic enforcers from Pasig, Marikina and Antipolo, and personnel from the contractor to make a bigger effort to ease (manage?) traffic congestion during the critical periods. It’s very frustrating and disappointing, however, that instead of managing traffic or facilitating flow, most enforcers seem to be engrossed with enforcing the number coding scheme alone. This seems to be the case for Pasig and MMDA enforcers posted at Ligaya and the Metro East vicinity. Perhaps number coding should be the least of their concerns when traffic is already constricted because of their failure to manage the jeepneys clogging the Ligaya area as well as what seems to be a breakdown in the coordination among these enforcers and the contractor of the rehab works along Marcos Highway.
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Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo Road: San Fernando
The Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo (GSO) Road stretches across 4 provinces in Central Luzon. The road starts from the City of Gapan in Nueva Ecija and passes through the towns of San Isidro and Cabiao before crossing into Pampanga through the towns of Sta. Ana, Arayat, and Mexico, and crossing the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and McArthur Highway along the City of San Fernando. After San Fernando, the road heads west through Bacolor, Sta. Rita, Guagua and Lubao. It exits Pampanga from Lubao and to Bataan via Dinalupihan, and finally to Olongapo City in Zambales. It is also known along major stretches as Jose Abad Santos Avenue.
The GSO used to be the only main route towards Bataan and Zambales from the North-South corridor defined by NLEX and McArthur Highway (also known as the Manila North Road). That was prior to the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), which stretched from Tarlac City in the north and through Concepcion before crossing to Pampanga. The tollway proceeds southwest through Clark (in Mabalacat and Angeles City), the towns of Porac, Floridablanca and eventually crossing into Bataan at Dinalupihan. The SCTEX finally connects to the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFX), which is also known before as the Tipo toll road.
One of the justifications for the Clark-Subic component of the expressway was the need for an alternate route between the industrial centers at Subic, Hermosa, Clark and Tarlac (Luisita?). Unfortunately, the projected rapid developments of those centers were not quite realized and traffic along SCTX remains light for most of the time. Congestion apparently only occurs at the Clark exit where the toll plaza capacity is not enough to accommodate vehicle arrivals. To compound the situation, the national government improved the GSO, increasing its capacity and therefore making this free road a viable alternative to the SCTEX when traveling between Pampanga and Zambales.
Following are photos taken quite recently along the GSO Road and at San Fernando. I will post other photos later, featuring sections along other towns.
Roundabout at the interchange with the NLEX on the west side of the tollway
GSO section leading to what most people think is already San Fernando City proper. The old city center is actually further south along McArthur Highway and is an example of a traditional “bayan” with the municipal/city hall, church and market clustered together.
Overpass along GSO Road over McArthur Highway – prior to the construction of the overpass, traffic junction was the main cause of congestion in the area.
There are actually two overpasses, one beside the other, and each having two lanes and dedicated to one direction of traffic. As can be seen in the photo, there are no shoulders or space for pedestrians. The double yellow also indicates no overtaking along the overpass.
The overpass structure is very similar to those constructed in Malolos, Bulacan and Iloilo City. Similar structures were proposed for a flyover along Quezon Avenue and crossing Araneta Avenue in Quezon City but an underpass is instead being constructed in that area.
After the overpass, travelers pass through an elevated section of the GSO Road. The section was constructed over an embankment that was part of the response on the infrastructure side for disastrous lahar flows of the 1990’s. At the time, many sections of the GSO Road were destroyed by lahar generated by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.
The concrete barriers are quite low and definitely not enough to prevent even a car from taking off from the road (in case of one going out of control) and unto the houses below. The photo above clearly shows how high the carriageway is with respect to the adjacent areas. Notice, too, the narrow strip serving as a shoulder for the road.
8There was significant congestion almost immediately after descending the overpass and along the westbound direction of GSO Road. It took quite a while for us to reach the cause of the congestion – GSO Road’s intersection with Lazatin Boulevard.
The junction is not signalized (no traffic lights) and manned by enforcers who appear to have no formal training in traffic management. I say so since they were applying the “buhos” system of attempting to dissipate queues from each approach (there were 4) without considering that in the process, longer queues were forming along the major road (GSO). Also, it seemed to us that the enforcers were prioritizing traffic along Lazatin when it was obvious that GSO was already congested.
Traffic was practically free-flowing after passing the GSO-Lazatin junction. There were 4 lanes (2 per direction) and sufficient shoulder space on either side of the highway.
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Carlos P. Garcia Avenue
I really haven’t written much about the other segments of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5), choosing to write about the Katipunan Avenue stretch from Aurora Boulevard to Magsaysay Avenue (UP Diliman). C-5 is officially named Carlos P. Garcia Avenue or C.P. Garcia Avenue after the 8th President of the Philippines. C-5 though is more commonly known by its many names for at least 3 long stretches of the road: Katipunan, E. Rodriguez, Jr. Avenue (Boni Serrano Ave. in Quezon City to Pasig Boulevard, Pasig City), and C.P. Garcia Ave. (Pasig Blvd. to SLEX/East Service Road). Following are a few recent photos along C5 along C.P. Garcia Ave. in Taguig.
U-turn flyover at C-5/Kalayaan is among the much maligned projects of a past MMDA administration. There is supposed to be 3 lanes between the columns but the pavement conditions and relatively narrow lanes would usually accommodate only 2 vehicles at a time especially when one is a truck. Should it be demolished to give way to the original scheme proposed by the DPWH for the intersection? The current grade separation project at Quezon Ave./Araneta Ave. will eventually show whether such a scheme could have been better for C5-Kalayaan.
The pink column is a remnant of what used to be a pedestrian overpass at C-5/Kalayaan. There used to be a two span overpass in the area that has since been That’s the second elevated U-turn downstream that is utilized by traffic from Kalayaan (Makati) to Taguig (through traffic if the intersection was not closed to such) and to Pasig (left turn traffic).
Approach to the construction site of an off-ramp/overpass from Bonifacio Global City. The flyover is supposed to ease traffic from BGC to C5-northbound currently concentrated along the overpass at 26th Street and Market! Market!
Close-up of the flyover construction. The temporary columns and barriers in the middle of C5 can be quite tricky even during the day and the space is just enough for 2 cars to fit through the middle lanes. With trucks its again a different situation as they often require more space given the behavior of their drivers encroaching upon the adjacent lanes.
Overpass from Market! Market! and along 26th Street. The pedestrians using the overpass and crossing to and from Target Street in old Taguig are undisciplined and do not follow traffic enforcers at the intersection with the service road. This leads to a high likelihood of pedestrian vs. vehicles collisions due to the conflicts in that area.
The walls at the right side of the highway were constructed to separate C5 from the service roads on either side of the highway. These service roads are notorious for being used by residents of the areas along C5 for parking and jeepneys typically stop anywhere along the road to drop-off or pick-up passengers. Also, there are many incidences of people crossing C5 without care of their safety. Also, there have been cases where some vehicles have been reported to have been stoned by anonymous persons (probably from the informal settlements along the highway). The walls were interventions that are supposed to control such behavior and keep C5 as unimpeded as possible.
Despite objective for the walls, there are many breeches and these result in still a lot of jaywalking across C5 and jeepneys stopping to pick-up/drop-off passengers.
A persistent issue along C5 pertains to the operations of jeepneys along the highway. There is a tendency to congregate at the designated loading/unloading areas that coincide with the pedestrian overpasses along the highway. Jeepneys typically occupy 2 lanes including the shoulder lane adjacent to the wall. The same behavior occurs at wall breeches often causing bottlenecks along the highway.
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On high density development along Katipunan
I saw the tarp below posted along Katipunan Avenue as we drove to UP one Saturday morning. There are actually two signs: one in front of Ateneo Gate 1 and the one below just after Ateneo Gate 2. Both speak out to the Quezon City Council for issuing an exemption to SM Development Corporation (SMDC), part of the SM group of shopping mall fame, for its high-rise condominium development near the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Katipunan Avenue (C5). The development, known as Blue Residences, will not only have residential units but commercial establishments as well. By the name of the project, it is obviously a play on the nearby Ateneo De Manila University, which has blue for its standard color (e.g., Blue Eagles). [Note: For whatever its worth, there is also a Green Residences being developed by SMDC near De La Salle University, which adopts green as its banner color – e.g., Green Archers.]
The questions going in my mind after seeing the signs include the following:
1) Isn’t it too late for this, a campaign against a development that is already under construction and months after a decision has been made to approve the project?
2) What is Ateneo’s and its allies success rate for such? [The high density developments just across the university seem to be concrete evidence and reminders of such actions falling on deaf ears.]
3) Given this seemingly renewed (not new-found, I hope) interest in urban development in the area, wouldn’t it make more sense to also campaign against another development, this time by another real estate giant in Camella/Vista Land that already has set up shop across Ateneo?
4) And, as a follow-up perhaps, has that strip along Katipunan already been ceded to high density development and Ateneo and its allies have already conceded that a long time ago? [There’s SMDC’s Berkeley Residences, Prince David, Burgundy, etc.]
A colleague put forward an opinion that such developments are actually beneficial to Ateneo and its allies. In fact, many of the residents of the high rise condominiums in Katipunan have children studying at Ateneo and Miriam, their addresses being conveniently located minutes away from school. In other cases, units are rented by university students who similarly take advantage of the building’s proximity to their schools. I wouldn’t be surprised if enterprising people have purchased units not for them to reside in but to rent/lease out to students or other wishing to live near the universities or the nearby LRT 2 station (Katipunan Station).
From the traffic perspective, such developments definitely require full-blown transport or traffic impact studies due primarily to their trip generation characteristics. Such studies should clearly show how to address potential transport and traffic problems including who will be responsible (hint: the proponent should not pass on responsibility to the MMDA or local traffic enforcement) for traffic management. I reproduce below excerpts from a report submitted by a stakeholder community in opposition to a proposed high-rise, high density mixed-use (commercial, office, hotel and residential) development at the corner of EDSA and Ortigas Ave. where a huge excavation is still present and can be clearly seen when riding a Makati-bound MRT train:
“The EIS Report failed to consider the traffic impact once the project starts to operate hence necessary measures were likewise not discussed. Many projects will, at first glance, give an impression that a traffic impact study would not be required. The Skycity development, however, immediately gives the layman an impression that it would indeed have a significant and long-term impact on traffic in its direct vicinity. While its influence area can only be clarified via a thorough study of the characteristics of the development, the description and hype alone by the project proponents give us an idea that Skycity will impact people from as far as Rizal province.
In the process of attaining these objectives, this paper will identify the deficiencies and weaknesses pertaining to transportation and traffic and establish the need for detailed traffic studies, specifically the requirement of a Traffic Impact Study (TIS). The TIS will entail traffic impact analysis (TIA) to satisfy the questions or concerns regarding the traffic generated/attracted by the Skycity project and the consequent problems that will be caused by the project from its construction to eventual operation.
A traffic impact assessment (TIA) would be imperative, if truly the effects of the development would be quantified. The TIA would be able to answer the following questions, among others that would crop up in the minds of stakeholders:
- What are the transportation improvements needed to serve the traffic generated by the new development?
- How much will the improvement cost be and who will pay for them?
- Will the new project impact traffic on any existing residential streets and how will those impacts be mitigated?
- Will the new development aggravate any existing safety hazards or create new ones and, if so, how can those hazards be corrected?
- Can the proposed development be served by public transportation and does the design encourage ridesharing?
- Is the design of the development friendly towards bicyclists and pedestrians who need to access the development or who need to pass through or by the development?
- Is the on-site parking sufficient or is there an opportunity to share parking with other adjacent uses?
- How many driveways are needed, what design should each driveway have and is there a long enough throat for each driveway that is clear of parking spaces and other cross aisle traffic?
- If any driveway is proposed to be signalized, is the traffic signal really needed and can on-site circulation handle the traffic that will be queuing to wait for a green light? (
Conduct of TIA will deal with deficiencies in traffic analysis as well as provide a platform for a package of measures to deal with issues: what measures? who will pay? what level of development? Until then, it’s not possible to concretely evaluate the EIS.
Concerning traffic, the GEA letter raised the following points:
- That traffic congestion at EDSA-Ortigas intersection is already a nightmare even without the Skycity on that particular corner;
- That the traffic congestion problem can be attested by key agencies such as the Mandaluyong City Mayor’s Office, the MMDA Traffic Management Group, the Barangay 27 Wack Wack Greenhills East and the nearby DOTC, all of which are helpless in providing solution to the problem;
- That the already grave traffic congestion will even worsen due to obstructions and additional traffic during construction and operation of Skycity;
- That Ortigas Avenue is too narrow to accommodate the high volume of traffic; and
- That provision of several parking floors as presented in the EIS cannot be a solution.
“Manpower requirement will be high during the operations phase. It is estimated that about 12,000 persons will be required to for the operations and maintenance of the Skycity Project. These would include the general administration, manpower for the utilities and security, and employees for the hotel. Man power for the commercial, office establishments and other development use of the project will add a few thousand more jobs.”
The above quotation is from a report submitted as part of the response of stakeholders that scrutinized the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted by the proponents of the project to the DENR-EMB. The latter was presented at a stakeholder conference held as a prerequisite to the approval of the project (i.e., prior to granting an ECC). There are other aspects of the project including drainage, water supply, structure, foundation, environmental, etc. that were discussed with proponents and stakeholders arguing about the pros and cons of the project. However, the most important element here is timing since the discussions occurred prior to the granting of an ECC to the project and after the stakeholders have presented their case before the DENR-EMB’s EIA Review Committee assigned to the project. I am not aware of how SM Blue went about securing the approval for their project including the ECC and if the process was followed according to the guidelines. I am also not aware of whether there was a stakeholder conference held and if Ateneo and its allies were invited and participated in that meeting. Was this organized by the EIA RevCom or was this hosted by the QC Council (because of the zoning issue)? Such matters are important since it would help in establishing whether certain people are at fault and whether certain processes and requirements were indeed followed with regards to the project being questioned.
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Revisiting Marcos Highway: a work in progress?
I was able to take some photos along Marcos Highway before the rains came over the weekend just to have a handle on the current state of roadworks along that road. I had written recently about the progress along Commonwealth Ave., particularly the stretch connecting to Quirino Highway. In that project, the contractors constructed a culvert across Commonwealth that took quite some time and yet has been completed many weeks ago.
Unfortunately, for those using Marcos Highway, it seems the inconvenience (to use a diplomatic word) will continue on considering the seemingly chaotic approach the contractors have been employing in digging up the pavement. Of course, it is a major project and I am sure many people will ultimately be thankful for the new drainage (hopefully, it’s maintained well) and the brand new pavement that will make travel smoother. But then the completion of the Marcos Highway works seem quite far in the horizon and has effected tremendous losses in travel time and fuel.
Section across Burger King and in the vicinity of a U-turn slot intended for traffic generally coming from Imelda/Felix Ave. The site is a bottleneck for traffic coming from Masinag and the villages along Marcos Highway. Due to the road works and the U-turn slot, there are only 2 lanes effectively available for through traffic that originally flowed along 4 lanes.
Past the bottleneck, the Marcos Highway seems quite spacious with the equivalent of 3 lanes suddenly available to motorists. At right, there is the work area of a water concession who is supposed to coordinate with the road project contractor.
Newly paved lane at the approach to the junction with Imelda Ave/A. Tuazon Ave. The works at this intersection has affected turning traffic to and from A. Tuazon Ave. At one time, right turns from Marcos Highway were prohibited due to construction affecting the entire intersection exit to A. Tuazon itself.
After passing Dela Paz and approaching Ligaya, motorists will usually encounter another bottleneck due to the U-turn slot for vehicles generally coming from Amang Rodriguez (Pasig) and bound for Marikina. The area is usually constricted even with traffic enforcers present. These enforcers are usually found engrossed in checking for number coding violators than managing traffic. At present, there project contractor has paved the innermost lane of the section and this morning that lane is already passable to vehicles. Problem is, the same vehicles will discover that they will eventually run into the U-turn slot and motorists would have to swerve right to converge with through traffic.
At the intersection of Marcos and Rodriguez, the traffic enforcers (probably in coordination with the contractor) made an opening to allow for counterflow during the peak periods. This is supposed to alleviate congestion at the intersection where aside from the still unfinished works, jeepneys tend to congregate and constrict the flow of traffic. Such occurs on a regular basis and one wonders how Pasig and MMDA enforcers can just stand around and not do anything about this predicament.
After Ligaya, traffic flow is split with vehicles maneuvering left and right to avoid road works along a middle lane of Marcos Highway. The pavement on the right most lanes are newly constructed and have been passable for some time now. From the looks of the pavement on the left, these two will soon be scheduled for re-blocking. Perhaps the lane under construction now will be finished by then.
There are also drainage and road works ongoing on the other side of the highway and right in front along the LRT2 station. Often, commuters can be seen taking one lane of Marcos Highway as they try to get their rides from jeepneys who occupy yet another lane or two. During the night-time, another counterflow scheme is used for eastbound traffic with an opening just after the bridge.
Of course there is hope for those using Marcos Highway regularly. Perhaps the project will be completed before school opens in June 2012 and by then flow will be smoother and congestion more bearable. We only need to look at Ortigas Ave and its extension to know that we are still quite lucky. It is far worse along that road.
Caught (up) in traffic 