Home » Posts tagged 'bike lanes' (Page 2)
Tag Archives: bike lanes
Westbound bike lane along Ortigas Avenue Extension, Cainta, Rizal
I was not able to post these photos of the westbound bike lane along Ortigas Avenue Extension immediately after I shared photos of the eastbound bike lane. The bike lanes, as can be seen from the photos, are painted green.
Bike lane past Valley Golf and STI
Bike lane approaching Brookside (Sunset Drive) with the CK Square as a landmark
Still a big issue for bike lanes is the presence of electric and communication poles/posts that have not been relocated after so many years since Ortigas Avenue had been widened.
Bike lane across from Tapsi ni Vivian
These photos were taken before the solar studs were installed to delineate the bike lanes and make them more visible at night or when its dark.
Also, challenges and concerns for cyclists are parked vehicles and those maneuvering from the various establishments along the road. This photo pretty much captures those two concerns – a parked UV Express van and a truck maneuvering out of a store occupying the bike lane.
Cyclist pedaling along the bike lane approaching the Shell Gas Station (where there is also a McDonald’s)
Bike lane in front of the Ortigas Hospital just outside the Brookside Gate 1 and near Cainta Junction
More photos of the bike lanes soon!
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Quezon City’s bike lane barriers
Here’s a first look at Quezon City’s new bike lane barriers along Katipunan Avenue (C-5). I took these photos while crawling towards Ateneo Gate 3 on my way to the office.
The same or similar barriers/planters have been installed along other major roads including Commonwealth Avenue. This is part of Quezon City’s commitment to building a bikeway/bike lane network and a worthy investment to encourage more people to take up cycling especially for work and school trips. The barriers serve to protect cyclists from motor vehicles thereby enhancing safety along these roads. Hopefully, other LGUs will follow suit and invest in active transport facilities.
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Eastbound bike lane along Ortigas Avenue Extension, Cainta, Rizal
I recently posted about the newly painted bike lanes along Ortigas Avenue Extension between Cainta Junction and Valley Golf in Cainta, Rizal. Here are more photos of the bike lanes along the eastbound direction of the avenue.
Just past Cainta Junction and across from a gas station. The bike lane marking here though should have been for a driveway due to the service station.
Bike lane approaching the Ford dealership
Bike lane in front of the Ford dealership along Ortigas Ave. Ext.
An unusual discontinuity in front of a vacant lot
Another discontinuity
The broken lane markings are supposed to be for driveways and approaches to intersections like this section at a gas station. This was the appropriate marking for the station in the first photo.
Car parking are a concern for cyclists as they often encroach on the bike lane.
Approach to an intersection (J.G. Garcia Street) across from Brookside Subdivision gate
Approach to intersection with Huners ROTC Street and just before STI.
I will share photos on the westbound bike lane along the same section in the next post.
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Bike lanes along Ortigas Avenue Extension, Cainta, Rizal
The bike lanes along Ortigas Avenue end at the border of Pasig City and Cainta (or Metro Manila and the Province of Rizal). This is just after SM East Ortigas if you are eastbound, headed towards Cainta Junction. Last Friday, I was able to take a photo of the newly painted bike lane along Ortigas Avenue Extension’s eastbound side but which starts just after Cainta Junction across from the main gate of Brookside Hills Subdivision.
The new bike lane along Ortigas Avenue Extension used luminous paint, which makes it glow at night especially when exposed to vehicle headlights.
There have been bike lanes in Rizal prior to this development. Marcos Highway and Sumulong Highway have painted bike lanes. The Manila East Road from Tikling Junction also has bike lanes. This ‘missing link’ between the boundary of NCR and Rizal and Tikling is long overdue. Hopefully, this will encourage more active transport users particularly from “bike to work” and “bike to school” trips.
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Bike lane master plan for Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) yesterday formally launched the Bike Lane Master Plan for Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. Yesterday’s event was actually the third and last leg of presentations, which were also made in Cebu and Davao. Here are a few photos I got from the DOTr Facebook page (these are public):
Printed copies of the master plan were distributed to attendees (Photo: DOTr Facebook page)
Dr. Ricardo Sigua of the National Center for Transportation Studies presented the highlights or key features of the master plan. The UNDP engaged NCTS to conduct the master planning project for DOTr. (Photo: DOTr Facebook page)
Photo op with participants from the MMDA (Photo: DOTr Facebook page)
While the master plan is most welcome as the country continues to build infrastructure for active transport (mainly walking and cycling), the launch is actually one year late. The project was actually completed last year and though most of the recommendations have yet to be carried out, many items including the inventories are already dated. These master plans though should not be static documents but dynamic in these sense that it would have to be updated regularly. For one, updates would provide the opportunity to reinforce or improve certain aspects of the plan. Updates also provide an opportunity to check whether progress is being made on the targets set in the plan. Also, since the master plan is for three metropolitan areas perhaps it can be part of the foundation for a nationwide plan. However, many plans fail if there is not support or scarce resources allocated for the implementation. Thus, there is a need for resources or allotments especially coming from government to support the realization of the plan.
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Article share: What’s Incomplete About Complete Streets?
The concept of road diets circulated in Metro Manila more than a decade ago. I recall the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) picked up the concept and attempted to apply it in some parts of Metro Manila. Since there are no evidence of that endeavor surviving now, then we can assume that it was a failure. There is no wonder there as I also recall the effort to be half-hearted and more to get media mileage (cheap talk or lip service) out of it. Road diets eventually evolved into the complete streets (though the literature now will state road diets as part of complete streets). That experience and similar initiatives of varying success (or failure) rates are not unique to the Metro Manila but is actually happening elsewhere including cities in countries where the complete streets have been applied more comprehensively and yet somehow found to be lacking or not as effective a solution as expected. I am sharing an article here that discusses what seems to be lacking or ‘incomplete’ as it is referred to.
Source: What’s Incomplete About Complete Streets?
Quoting from the article:
“What’s missing? First of all, even the best Complete Streets policy can’t solve the problem of fiscal scarcity. Even in a city committed to Complete Streets, street redesign must fight for public dollars with other worthy goals such as education and public safety. As a result, Indianapolis’s improvements are a drop in the bucket. The city maintains 3,400 miles of streets and roads, so its 100 miles of bike lanes affect only 3 percent of the city. Similarly, 2,000 miles of the city’s roads still lack sidewalks.
Second, the quantitative benchmarks seem to focus on sidewalks and bike lanes (Sec. 431-806), and the policy doesn’t mention traffic calming or similar policies. So if the city had a six-lane road with traffic going 60 miles per hour, the Complete Streets policy would not affect that road except to the extent necessary to build a sidewalk or a bike lane.** Thus, even the best Complete Streets policies don’t really address some of the most dangerous features of American street design.”
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On the need to change mindsets about bike lanes
Public acceptance of bike lanes has grown during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, there were few supporters especially among local government units and national agencies that seem to be comfortable with the status quo. Few like Iloilo and Marikina had any bike facilities worth mentioning. The pandemic was supposed to change that and it did for many. However, the acceptance and the gains seem to be eroding as we return to face-to-face activities and the ‘old’ normal situation.
I’m sharing below an article on the need to change mindsets about bike lanes and cycling in general:
Thompson, C. (January 24, 2023) “The Battle Over Bike Lanes Needs a Mindset Shift,” Wired, https://www.wired.com/story/the-battle-over-bike-lanes-needs-a-mindset-shift/ [Last accessed: 1/27/2023]
To quote from the article:
“Maybe bike lanes will always be fraught, until enough of the public is finally in a true lather about climate change—and it seems reckless to not have them.
Crises, after all, have a way of opening people’s eyes to possibilities. During Covid, restaurants and cafés lost so much business that cities nationwide began allowing them to build curbside seating areas where people could sit, safely, in the open air. It greatly reduced parking—but because, well, crisis, shop owners didn’t see any way around it. Patrons loved the outdoor seating so much that cities are making it permanent: A New York City study of several streets closed during Covid found storeowners making more than before, and diners digging the al fresco lifestyle. If data won’t change minds, customers might.”
There are two opposing sides on this matter. On one side are advocates who naturally will push for bike lanes and will promote them as The solution (emphasis mine) rather than one of a cocktail to address the transport mess we are in. On the other side are conservative, status quo types (or car-lovers as bike advocates will call them) who believe cars should have the roads to themselves. Unfortunately, many in government and particularly in transport agencies are with the latter. Perhaps they should be the first ones that need to be converted to favor active transport?
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On getting started on bike commuting
Here is another article on bike commuting. It really is a challenge to get people into bike commuting even if their workplaces or schools are close to their homes. What more for people who have to travel longer distances between their homes and workplaces or schools?
Bassett, E. (December 1, 2022) “The No B.S. Guide to Getting Started Bike Commuting,” Medium, https://erikbassett.medium.com/the-no-b-s-guide-to-getting-started-bike-commuting-5dd0cbb87e5b [Last accessed:
To quote from the article:
“Assume you’re invisible until proven otherwise.
Like every city I’ve lived or ridden in, yours probably paints pictures on the ground and calls them “bicycle infrastructure.” Road designs encourage excess speed; vehicles aren’t meaningfully separated from cyclists and pedestrians; there are conflicting rights-of-way at intersections, driveways, and so forth.
And that is not right. It’s a sad commentary on urban “planning” in most places that anything but car use requires this degree of paranoia. It points to a profound dysfunction that few (with any serious influence) are willing or even interested to change…yet.
But unless or until it improves, the only viable response is to assume you don’t exist in the eyes of whoever’s driving nearby. “If I weren’t here, would they gun it to make a right turn on red?” Well, assume they will. “If I weren’t here, would they merge up there?” You guessed it: assume they will.
This is unquestionably the worst aspect of bike commuting, and if it’s too stressful in your situation, that’s perfectly fine. But in the spirit of a “no-B.S.” guide, I’d be remiss not to drive home a life-saving lesson that all these years of cycling have so deeply ingrained in me.”
The author also states the difference between bike commuting and sports biking including noting the differences in the objectives or goals for each.
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On the future of bike lanes in Metro Manila and other cities and municipalities in the Philippines
My friends and I were talking about the current buzz about the bike lanes including statements made by certain personalities (influencers, advocates, government officials, etc.) about biking and bike lanes. There were many recent pronouncements of motorcycles being allowed to use bike lanes or the outright removal of bike lanes. We all agreed this was backward and the way forward is to build on the current network and facilities. What we have in our cities and municipalities are not perfect and far from ideal but they are a start and perhaps the foundation for a bikeway network that can eventually make a dent on the car-centric transportation we have.
I share below the strategies, actions and targets for bicycle facilities, programs and projects from the Network Planning for the Establishment of Bike Lanes in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao that was completed middle of 2022. The project is DOTr’s with support from the UNDP. The table is from the Final Report of the project.
A Happy Christmas to all!
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Who can design bikeways?
I have read many comments about how bike lanes and other bike facilities are sub-standard or unacceptable because they were designed by non-cyclists. From an academic perspective and perhaps also from a point of view of someone who values empathy, the planning and design of bicycle facilities should not be so limited. The objective of education, and particularly for schools whose graduates become professionals like engineers, architects and planners, should be to have the latter be able to plan and design the most suitable infrastructure and facilities for all users. Suitability here should include equity considering the many elements involved for people of different gender, physical ability or disability, age, health conditions, etc. That said, it is the responsibility of agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to revise and update their design manuals and guidelines to ensure that these are according to International standards and mindful of the best practices in various cities and countries that are now very well documented.
Bike lane in BGC,Taguig City
Bike lane and jogging/walking lane in UP Diliman
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Caught (up) in traffic 