Makati City boosts sustainable mobility, safety network
Makati Central Business District (Photo from Ayala Land Website / MB)
Makati City is boosting its efforts to make public transportation and infrastructure in the city, especially in the central business district (CBD), sustainable and safe for the public by investing in the creation of mobility and safety networks. The Makati local government, in cooperation with private partners, has been striving to widen the scope and improve alternative transport options. To date, Makati has four-kilometer long protected bike lanes along the main thoroughfares of the CBD. To ensure the safety of cyclists, safety infrastructure such as additional bollards and signages have been installed. The Makati Parking Authority is also enforcing its rules, preventing motor vehicles from using the bike lanes. Active engagement with local commuter and biking groups such as the cyclist coalition “Make it Safer Makati” is also being conducted by the local government and the private sector to settle disputes and exchange optimal solutions to improve the commuting experience of the public. In particular, the government, the coalition, and the Ayala Land group formed a technical working group to ensure the safety and equal access of roads in Ayala Avenue for pedestrians, commuters, cyclists, and motorists. Aside from biking infrastructure, Makati is also implementing better traffic mechanisms to protect commuters in the streets. Currently, there is a 12-meter-wide carriageway per direction divided into four lanes in Ayala Avenue, which caters to 600,000 bus and jeepney passengers, motorcycle riders, private car owners, and 2,600 bikers daily. A 1.5-meter protected lane was formed in the avenue for the safety of bus and jeepney commuters. To aid the local government’s sustainable transport initiatives in the CBD, Ayala Land said that they have begun a transport infrastructure study. The outcomes of the study will be complemented with an urban plan review of the CBD. Ayala Land, as the main private partners of the local government for the Makati CBD, added that they are committed to building inclusive and safe communities, and asked for the patience of the public as they continue developing the CBD to become more conducive to sustainable living.