A 5.39-kilometer pedestrian corridor project in Quezon City is expected to boost the city’s economy once it is completed by January 2021, Mayor Joy Belmonte said Saturday (December 12).
“The project will greatly benefit the general public especially now that we have limited transportation and limited mobility due to the pandemic. Part of our 14-point agenda is to promote sustainable development, interconnectivity and reduce air pollution. We stand firm on our commitment to make our place a walkable and bikeable city,” Belmonte said of the pedestrian corridor which is part of the city’s Green Open Reclaimed Access (GORA) Lane project
“We expect the project to be more than 70 percent completed by end of December and 100 percent by January 2021,” she added.
The GORA Lane project, which will pass through Doña Hemady Avenue, Scout Tobias Street, and Mother Ignacia Avenue is expected to improve the economic activity in the city by connecting commercial areas such as Gilmore, Robinsons Magnolia, Tomas Morato and Timog Ave.
The project will also enhance the walking experience of the public by providing access to three major roads, namely Aurora Boulevard, Quezon Avenue and EDSA, and connecting major transport hubs -- LRT-Gilmore Station, MRT-GMA Kamuning Station, and MRT-Quezon Avenue Station.
According to Landscape Architect Irene Morales, Special Operations Officer II of Parks Development and Administration Department, the project was solicited by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in 2018 through a budget circular on “Green, Green, Green” program. It is a parallel program of the national government’s “Build, Build, Build” Program.
Quezon City’s proposal was among the applications approved for funding by the DBM from more than 130 cities.
The project includes the creation of wider sidewalks and pocket parks with better lighting, way-finding signage, planting strip and public art installations to make the streets more walkable for the public.