BIKE LANES IN THE PHILIPPINES
None, nada, wala!!!
Except in Marikina with its own Marikina Bikeways System. Spearheaded by the former mayor of Marikina and now MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando (BF). To date around 50 kilometers of bike lanes have been built looping the entire city. This project was partly funded by US$1.3 million World Bank grant which enabled Marikina to build a network of 19.3 kms of bike lanes. On its part, the city government put up its own counterpart fund amounting to Php14.9 million which enabled it to build an additional 27.3 kilometers of bike paths — cool right! Marikina was chosen since it has successfully implemented several traffic solutions and has the political will to see this through — and they did.
Before this project, 1 out of ten road users in Marikina was a bike rider. With the full development of this project they estimate this ratio to run 5 bikers out of 10 road users. A significant accomplishment indeed. This doesn’t only help ease the traffic congestion in the city but most importantly help in the protection of the enviroment and less reliance on the ever increasing fuel prices.
So with this in mind, when can we see our beloved BF replicating the bike lanes along Edsa (Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare) and other cities in Metro Manila. It is about time! We very much welcome this other than his huge scandalous posters lining thru Edsa ;(.
