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Tag Archives: active transport
“Nobody Walks Here. It’s Too Hot or Cold or Wet or Dry.”
I’m sharing this article as it provides a clear response to the question about walking under different circumstances. Those circumstances include weather conditions. How many times have we heard people saying “people won’t walk because it’s too hot or rainy” ? Maulan (rainy)! Mainit (too hot)! And yet we find a lot of people walking, even when its extremely hot or the rains are pouring.
Source: “Nobody Walks Here. It’s Too Hot or Cold or Wet or Dry.”
Quoting from the article:
“The human ability to adapt is the key to our spectacular success on this planet. Our problem is that the people who lead our public conversations, our elites of wealth and opinion, are often some of the least adaptable people on earth. And when societies assume that we should listen to those people, we all end up internalizing the message that there’s something wrong with us if we even try to walk…
…Sometimes walking a few blocks is the key to liberty and prosperity in someone’s life. Most people do what makes sense in the place where they live. Only if we recognize that will we make the investments in urban design to make walking more bearable in extreme weather. And only then will our cities include everyone.”
Here’s another quote and a take on what certain people say that often influences our choice for walking:
“The functionality of a city, and of its transport system, arises from the sum of everyone’s choices about how to travel, not just the preferences of elites. When elites make pronouncements about what “people” will tolerate, while really speaking only of themselves, they mislead us about how cities actually succeed. They also demean the contributions of the vast majority of people who are in fact tolerating extreme weather to do whatever will give their lives meaning and value.”
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Still towards a car-oriented future?
Saw this photo being circulated on social media.
Again, there are many versions of this including the original from a town in Germany that compared 50 people on cars, a bus and on bicycles. The bottom line in the latest images (do these qualify as memes?) is that all these efforts in developing the car, whether regarding the engine or fuel, or perhaps autonomy or connectivity related, ends up being still car-oriented or car-centric. I
t doesn’t really solve our transport problems despite what is being packaged as environmentally friendly. The discussions about this is timely and relevant as electric and hybrid cars are now quickly replacing conventional ones. And there’s a kicker for those driving in Metro Manila, hybrid and electric vehicles are exempted from the travel demand management scheme that is number coding.
How do we veer away from this temptation from technology? How do we keep mode shares in favor of active and public transportation? How do we influence mode choice for the latter options?
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Early morning walks
I’ve been waking up earlier so I can do my morning walks before leaving to drop off our daughter to school. These days, what were bright mornings at 5:30 AM are now dark. The nights are longer as we approach December. Here is the view along my walking route.
Unlike previous mornings when I can do at least 3 rounds along my usual route, I now can only do at most 2 rounds. I guess I have to wake up earlier to add 1 or 2 rounds. Afternoons to evenings are usually rainy and prevents me from walking. I treat this as a bonus if ever we are able to take afternoon or evening walks.
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Quick comments on the NCAP
The No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) is finally being implemented in Metro Manila. The results so far has been dramatic in terms of the number of violations recorded and the images being shared so far about how motorists are behaving. Below is one of those photos being shared on social media to which I added some annotations. I will use this later to comment on the NCAP and how we can use the outcomes to assess the transportation situation and determine what interventions can be done. Some are already obvious from the photo – the lack of public transport options lead to people depending on private motor vehicles like cars and motorcycles for their commutes. MRT7 is yet to be operational and road public transport has not been rationalized.
More on this topic soon!
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On the ‘silent walk’
My first post this May is an article share on what is referred to now as a ‘silent walk’. That means leaving your gadget at home or work to take walk whether in park, the city or your neighborhood. We all seem to be dependent on our gadgets these days, with many panicking when discovering they left their gadget. It’s as if their world has stopped without the gadget at hand.
Bull, M. (April 30, 2025) “The power of a “silent walk”,” Medium, https://blog.medium.com/the-power-of-a-silent-walk-93ffdd70dbcb [Last accessed: 02/05/2025]
To quote from the article:
“For many of us who rely on laptops, phones, and apps throughout the day, it can be easy to reach for those same devices when we need to relax — if they solve our productivity issues, the thinking goes, they must solve our stress, too. But just as spending the first hour of your day screen free will have an outsize effect on your inner peace, leaving the phone and headphone at home while you head out for a walk will return you to a saner place in record time.”
Granted that you bring your gadget for ’emergency purposes’, perhaps the key is not using it. Keep it in your pocket. Refrain from checking or glancing at the slightest temptation. It may be difficult at first but it will gradually build into your routine. And perhaps, too, you will feel a bit of liberation from these gadgets and reconnect with the world around you to help your well-being.
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On safe school zones
We’ve been working for safer roads since I started practicing as a transportation engineer/planner. Most recently, we were working on a program supported by UNICEF on Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention (CRTIP). The work towards safer roads especially for those who are most vulnerable is always challenging but it is something that is definitely worthwhile. As we approach May, which is Road Safety Month in the Philippines, I will try to write more about road safety.
Here is an infographic shared by the Road Safety Research Laboratory of the National Center for Transportation Studies of the University of the Philippines:
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On step counts towards health and wellness
I’m sharing here an article about step counts. I guess the jury is still out there so to speak when it comes to the number of steps per day. The key is really to be active rather than just sit or lie down for most of the day. And there are many ways to be active and be able to measure it so you can monitor your movement.
Loudin, A. (February 28, 2025) “Why step count remains the most impactful fitness stat,” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20250228/why-step-count-remains-most-impactful-fitness-stat [Last accessed: 4/14/2025]
To quote from the article:
“For decades, the goal was 10,000 steps a day — but further research has shown that step counts as low as 2,500 still deliver long-term health benefits that increase as your step count rises — even past 10,000. The bottom line, however, is that more movement is better for you and serves as the best measurement of longevity.”
You can walk to start your day. You can walk in the middle of the day (say lunch time). And you can walk after dinner. And that’s just walking. Of course, you prefer to jog, run or bike, even swim, then that should do it for you in terms of being active. Walking though is really for most people who are physically able. And you can do it outdoors or indoors (yes, even in a building). So that’s where you should start in terms being more active towards health and welnness.
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Planning for True Transportation Affordability: Beyond Common Misconceptions
How much do we spend on transportation as part of our budgets? Is it 5% of your monthly budget? Is it 10%? Or is it eating up a substantial part of what you’re earning?
Source: Planning for True Transportation Affordability: Beyond Common Misconceptions
To quote from the article:
“This research indicates that many common policies favor expensive transportation and housing over lower-cost alternatives, which drives the cost of living beyond what is affordable, leaving too little money to purchase other necessities. The result is immiseration: growing stress, unhappiness, and discontent.
The solution is simple: planning should favor affordable over expensive modes and compact development over sprawl. This is not to suggest that automobile travel is bad and should be eliminated. Many people are justifiably proud of being able to afford a nice car, and automobiles are the most efficient option for some trips. However, automobile travel requires far more resources and is far more expensive than other modes, typically by an order of magnitude, so true affordability requires an efficient, multimodal transportation system that allows travelers to choose the options that truly reflect their needs and preferences.
Affordability requires a new economic paradigm; rather than trying to increase incomes or subsidies we need to increase affordability and efficiency so households can satisfy their basic needs consuming fewer resources and spending less money. Our planning should be guided by a new goal: how can we help families be poor but happy.”
I share this article because it provides a more complete narrative and assessment than those just focusing on transport. Home choice locations and affordable housing are part of the equation. Looking at transport alone can be myopic and leads us to think it is the only problem to solve.
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On whether bike lanes cause more traffic congestion
I previously share articles on whether bike lanes cause more traffic. This question has been asked so often as we have returned to the “old normal” levels of traffic and bike lanes that were put up during the pandemic have been neglected or removed in favor of motor vehicle traffic. The perception for those in-charge of traffic and transportation in local government units is that the space occupied by bike lanes take up the space demanded by motor vehicle use. Thus, the view that bike lanes cause congestion. Here is another article share in support of bike lanes:
Mortillaro, N. (October, 2024) “Do bike lanes really cause more traffic congestion? Here’s what the research says,” cbc.ca, https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/bike-lanes-impacts-1.7358319 [Last accessed: 01/11/2024]
To quote from the article:
“One would think that building more roads with more lanes for cars would reduce congestion, but research shows that’s not the case, thanks to something called induced demand. The more traffic lanes that are put in, the more it appeals to people who may not otherwise have chosen to drive, thereby putting more cars on the roads and increasing congestion.
“So for a short period of time, there might be a slightly improved [reduction], but within a year or two, or perhaps three, traffic is as bad or worse than it was before the lanes were added in the first place,” said David Beitel, data services lead at Eco-Counter, a Montreal company that collects and analyzes pedestrian and bicycle traffic data.
Conversely, if you put in more dedicated bike lanes, people tend to feel safer and demand for use increases, said Shoshanna Saxe, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s department of civil and mineral engineering and Canada Research Chair in sustainable infrastructure.
“As soon as you build a bike lane, within a year, two years, the latent demand shows up,” she said.
Bike Share Toronto statistics show that ridership on its network of shared bikes has increased dramatically since 2015, when 665,000 bike trips were made annually. In 2023, that shot up to 5.7 million trips.”
I think many people here are already aware of the concept of induced demand. However, this is usually shrugged aside as realities in their situations (e.g., commuting options, locations of residences and workplaces, etc.) lead them to choosing private vehicles (i.e., cars and motorcycles) over public or active transport. The last paragraph there is significant though as there never was and so far a decent estimate of bike trips in any city in the Philippines. Granted that there are attempts to measure bike trips but the volumes published so far are not as reliable as we want them to be in order to be convincing decision-makers to put up more bike lanes. Of course, the convincing part is always challenging if decision-makers have already made up their minds in favor of the car.
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Designing a “Runnable” City
I’m sure you’ve read or heard about walkable cities. But have you read or heard about “runnable” ones? Here’s a quick share of an article about cities where you can run, jog or walk.
Source: Designing a “Runnable” City
To quote from the article:
“Several urban design principles can enhance the runnability of a city:
Connectivity and accessibility: This means developing a network of interconnected running paths and trails that are easily accessed from various parts of the city (especially neighborhoods). Even better if can be green corridors that connect to other parks and open spaces, and support continuous movement.
Safety and security: Ensuring running paths are well-lit and separated from vehicle traffic is crucial. Traffic calming measures such as vehicle lane narrowing, wider footpaths, and appropriate landscaping enhance runner safety. Street trees also help reduce car speeds, as they alter our perception of how wide the road is and provide a psychological cue that we’re in a residential area. Redesigning urban infrastructure to include dedicated running paths alongside walking paths and bicycle lanes, is a great idea.
Inclusive design: City design should encourage active mobility, which means including benches, water fountains, and restrooms along running routes. It means building footpaths that enables running, and avoiding uneven, slippery or unfavorable surfaces such as cobblestones. It also means making it easy to find your way around — even in unfamiliar environments.”
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Caught (up) in traffic 