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Bikers, bike lanes, and safe roads: It should not be a test to survive a journey
Drive
Bikers, bike lanes, and safe roads: It should not be a test to survive a journey
Bikers, bike lanes, and safe roads: It should not be a test to survive a journey
Published May 5, 2023 09:27 am
The traffic in Metro Manila tests the patience of a motorist. For cyclists, it’s a whole different story. To them, it’s a test to survive a simple journey of getting from point A to B.
The pandemic gave birth to most of the bike lanes we have today. During its peak when lockdowns stopped mass transportation, the government realized the importance of cycling as an alternative mode of transportation.
According to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in 2022, about 10 percent of the population, or 11.2 million people, use a bicycle. In Metro Manila, one out of three households owns a bike, outnumbering car owners who surveys say are five bikers equal to one vehicle owner.
So how are the 11 million bikers faring in a world dominated by motorized four-wheel vehicles?
Bike lanes, in theory, should help prevent accidents and help aid the flow of traffic through exclusive lanes that keep them apart from other vehicles on the road.
*A CYCLIST riding his bike along the Quezon Avenue bike lane in Quezon City. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
“The concept of a bike lane is not just painting lines on the road, or putting cones,” but rather “making cycling a viable alternative means of transportation,” said former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, a Manila Bulletin columnist, and bike enthusiast.
Larrazabal has been cycling for four decades, has organized bike festivals around the country, and advocates cycling as “not only as a sport but as a way of life.”
He said motorists and cyclists are required to follow the rules and to respect each other while on the road. “If you drive a car, don’t drive on the bike lane; as cyclists, when you use the bike lane, you should also recognize the responsibility to follow road rules.”
Despite the bike lanes, however, cyclists are still prone to accidents mainly caused by motorists who are either unfamiliar or disrespectful of bike lanes.
A 2021 report by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on bicycle-related road crash statistics in Metro Manila states that 2,397 cyclists figured in an accident, 33 of them fatal.
Bikers have pointed to the condition of bike lanes as posing a safety hazard for cyclists. Among the reasons are: it lacks barriers, and have potholes, manholes, or grates that can catch the bike’s wheel. Meanwhile, there’s also the problem of bike lanes being used as parking areas which leads bikers to swerve and join the motorists on their part of the road.
*A CYCLIST avoids the bike lane in Lawton, Manila. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
“Most drivers are not too friendly when it comes to driving around with cyclists. They tend to take over the lanes especially when it is not protected by barriers. Other road users tend to take lanes at high speed without any turn signals,” said Kurt Frederique M. Roxas, a workshop specialist at a sporting goods store in Fairview, Quezon City.
Roxas cycles from home in Bocaue, Bulacan to work in Fairview, Quezon City every day.
“I’ve tried other modes of transportation before. Commuting requires a lot of head time, gas prices are higher nowadays so riding a motorcycle is not that efficient for me,” he said.
“Cycling on the other hand saves me money and keeps my mind and body healthy at the same time,” he added.
According to a 2022 report of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metro Manila has around 430 kilometers of bike lanes, with many more to be built this year.
There are signages informing motorists that the lanes are exclusive for cyclists only and that parking, or hugging the lanes isn’t allowed. Yet, these only seem to work when traffic enforcers are present, deterring motorists for the short term.
*MOTORCYCLES PARKED on bike lane along Quezon Boulevard, Manila. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
The design of the bike lanes too, differs from city to city, with some having semi-protected lanes. In portions of Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City, there are small blocks and bollards. In some areas of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, there are large plastic dividers. A short portion of Commonwealth Avenue’s bike lanes near UP Technohub going to QC Circle are placed on the sidewalk with pedestrians, other than its street-level bike lane. In other areas, bike lanes are only marked by paint which allows motorists to use them. Generally, there is no uniform design in the bike lanes, and no permanent form of protection to keep cyclists safe.
Meanwhile, studies on bike lanes continue. There have been proposals to create elevated bike lanes. There are proposals to improve the condition of the bike lanes such as widening them.
“I’m a cyclist in a car-centric jungle. It somehow makes me closer to God because the chances of getting into an accident are high,” said Sigfried Bautista, a multimedia arts student from Marilao, Bulacan who cycles to Kamuning, Quezon City for school.
“I believe there are bike-friendly cities with safer bike lanes. But the majority of bike lanes in the Philippines are terrible. Motorists keep cutting you off, full of obstructions and debris glass, and the road is narrow and uneven,” he said.
Meanwhile, Larrazabal believes that bike lanes shouldn’t be where all the focus goes, but on other infrastructure as well.
“The infrastructure development, it’s not just bike lanes. It’s about making cycling to work, or to the mall, convenient for the individual.”
Among the other issues he presented were the lack of lighting in roads, or proper areas set for bike parking.
*A CYCLIST riding his bike alongside motorized vehicles in Quezon Boulevard, Manila. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
“[Bikes] won’t replace motorcycles, it won’t replace cars, it’s an option for people to use to go from one place to another, especially in short distances,” he said.
This year, the Philippine government has set aside a budget of P700 million for an additional 470 kilometers of bike lanes in its growing networks nationwide, according to the DOTr.
There are also government-led campaigns that are conducted regularly to advocate active transportation methods like cycling when traveling for short distances, as well as for health and environmental benefits.
“We need to educate not only motorists but also cyclists,” Larrazabal said. (
The pandemic gave birth to most of the bike lanes we have today. During its peak when lockdowns stopped mass transportation, the government realized the importance of cycling as an alternative mode of transportation.
According to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in 2022, about 10 percent of the population, or 11.2 million people, use a bicycle. In Metro Manila, one out of three households owns a bike, outnumbering car owners who surveys say are five bikers equal to one vehicle owner.
So how are the 11 million bikers faring in a world dominated by motorized four-wheel vehicles?
Bike lanes, in theory, should help prevent accidents and help aid the flow of traffic through exclusive lanes that keep them apart from other vehicles on the road.
*A CYCLIST riding his bike along the Quezon Avenue bike lane in Quezon City. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
“The concept of a bike lane is not just painting lines on the road, or putting cones,” but rather “making cycling a viable alternative means of transportation,” said former Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, a Manila Bulletin columnist, and bike enthusiast.
Larrazabal has been cycling for four decades, has organized bike festivals around the country, and advocates cycling as “not only as a sport but as a way of life.”
He said motorists and cyclists are required to follow the rules and to respect each other while on the road. “If you drive a car, don’t drive on the bike lane; as cyclists, when you use the bike lane, you should also recognize the responsibility to follow road rules.”
Despite the bike lanes, however, cyclists are still prone to accidents mainly caused by motorists who are either unfamiliar or disrespectful of bike lanes.
A 2021 report by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on bicycle-related road crash statistics in Metro Manila states that 2,397 cyclists figured in an accident, 33 of them fatal.
Bikers have pointed to the condition of bike lanes as posing a safety hazard for cyclists. Among the reasons are: it lacks barriers, and have potholes, manholes, or grates that can catch the bike’s wheel. Meanwhile, there’s also the problem of bike lanes being used as parking areas which leads bikers to swerve and join the motorists on their part of the road.
*A CYCLIST avoids the bike lane in Lawton, Manila. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
“Most drivers are not too friendly when it comes to driving around with cyclists. They tend to take over the lanes especially when it is not protected by barriers. Other road users tend to take lanes at high speed without any turn signals,” said Kurt Frederique M. Roxas, a workshop specialist at a sporting goods store in Fairview, Quezon City.
Roxas cycles from home in Bocaue, Bulacan to work in Fairview, Quezon City every day.
“I’ve tried other modes of transportation before. Commuting requires a lot of head time, gas prices are higher nowadays so riding a motorcycle is not that efficient for me,” he said.
“Cycling on the other hand saves me money and keeps my mind and body healthy at the same time,” he added.
430 kilometers of bike lanes
According to a 2022 report of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metro Manila has around 430 kilometers of bike lanes, with many more to be built this year.
There are signages informing motorists that the lanes are exclusive for cyclists only and that parking, or hugging the lanes isn’t allowed. Yet, these only seem to work when traffic enforcers are present, deterring motorists for the short term.
*MOTORCYCLES PARKED on bike lane along Quezon Boulevard, Manila. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
The design of the bike lanes too, differs from city to city, with some having semi-protected lanes. In portions of Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City, there are small blocks and bollards. In some areas of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, there are large plastic dividers. A short portion of Commonwealth Avenue’s bike lanes near UP Technohub going to QC Circle are placed on the sidewalk with pedestrians, other than its street-level bike lane. In other areas, bike lanes are only marked by paint which allows motorists to use them. Generally, there is no uniform design in the bike lanes, and no permanent form of protection to keep cyclists safe.
Meanwhile, studies on bike lanes continue. There have been proposals to create elevated bike lanes. There are proposals to improve the condition of the bike lanes such as widening them.
‘Closer to God’
“I’m a cyclist in a car-centric jungle. It somehow makes me closer to God because the chances of getting into an accident are high,” said Sigfried Bautista, a multimedia arts student from Marilao, Bulacan who cycles to Kamuning, Quezon City for school.
“I believe there are bike-friendly cities with safer bike lanes. But the majority of bike lanes in the Philippines are terrible. Motorists keep cutting you off, full of obstructions and debris glass, and the road is narrow and uneven,” he said.
Make cycling convenient
Meanwhile, Larrazabal believes that bike lanes shouldn’t be where all the focus goes, but on other infrastructure as well.
“The infrastructure development, it’s not just bike lanes. It’s about making cycling to work, or to the mall, convenient for the individual.”
Among the other issues he presented were the lack of lighting in roads, or proper areas set for bike parking.
*A CYCLIST riding his bike alongside motorized vehicles in Quezon Boulevard, Manila. (MB/Pancho Parian)*
“[Bikes] won’t replace motorcycles, it won’t replace cars, it’s an option for people to use to go from one place to another, especially in short distances,” he said.
P700 million for additional bike lanes
This year, the Philippine government has set aside a budget of P700 million for an additional 470 kilometers of bike lanes in its growing networks nationwide, according to the DOTr.
There are also government-led campaigns that are conducted regularly to advocate active transportation methods like cycling when traveling for short distances, as well as for health and environmental benefits.
“We need to educate not only motorists but also cyclists,” Larrazabal said. (
Pancho Parian
)