Make It Makati announced on Tuesday, Feb. 14, that its plan to turn bike lanes in Ayala Avenue, Makati into shared lanes or sharrows has been deferred to a later date following the protests coming from cyclists and bike-oriented groups.
"The Biking Community is an important part of the commuters we serve and we value their sentiments. We have noted all constructive comments regarding the conversion of Ayala Avenue bike lanes, particularly those that are related to safety. We agree that the safety of all road users should be given utmost importance," Make It Makati said in its Facebook post.
"As such, we will enhance measures to further protect bikers. To give us ample time to implement these enhancements, the conversion of bike lanes will be deferred to March 6, 2023," it added.
Make It Makati first announced that by Feb. 15, all bike lanes in Ayala Avenue will be converted into sharrows or road markings with a sign showing a bicycle under two wide arrows that’s painted on the road and used to indicate a shared lane environment for bicycles and vehicles to further accommodate both cyclists and commuters riding public transportation.
“This initiative is being done to better serve the commuting public and in preparation for the provision of more and bigger transit sheds along Ayala Avenue. We remain cognizant of everyone’s needs, especially the biking community, and this is why the city is implementing an organized way of accommodating more commuters through sharrows,” the group explained.
On Feb. 12, a community ride organized by Move as One Coalition was held in protest of the project.
According to the group, the changing of bike lanes into sharrows is a major step back in ensuring the safety of cyclists and commuters as this will allow motor vehicles to enter into the same space as cyclists.