Some cyclists in the City of Marikina expressed their gratitude to the local government and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) following the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of active transport infrastructure and the opening of end-of-trip cycling facilities in the city on Thursday, August 29.
Through their partnership, the Marikina LGU and the DOTr broke ground for an eight-kilometer bike lane that will connect to the city’s existing bike lanes.
“This is an eight-kilometre bike lane, iko-connect doon sa existing bike lane ng Marikina. Matagal na silang mayroong bike lanes. Nadaanan natin, napakahaba ng bike lanes nila. Pero naisip namin na dagdagan pa ito, and sa tulong ni Mayor Marcy ay pinayagan niya kami na i-expand ‘yung bike lane dito sa Marikina at the same time magkaroon tayo ng tinatawag na end-of-trip facilities (It will be connected to the existing bike lane network in Marikina. They've had bike lanes for a long time now. We've seen how extensive their bike lanes are. But we thought of adding more, and with the help of Mayor Marcy, we were allowed to expand the bike lanes here in Marikina while also establishing what we call end-of-trip facilities),” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
According to Mayor Marcy Teodoro, Marikina already has designated bicycle lanes around the city, which were established in 1995.
“With this program, ine-expand natin sa iba pang lugar, dinudugtong natin ang bike lane para connected (With this program, we're expanding to other areas, connecting the bike lanes so that they are linked together),” the mayor said.
Bautista said that the end-of-trip cycling facility features a total of 35 bicycle racks that can safely secure 70 bicycles, a bike repair station, changing areas, seven toilet stalls, 14 shower facilities, and a dedicated toilet and bathroom for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
"Ito ay mag-se-serve para sa mga nagbibisekleta na employees ng City of Marikina at ‘yung mga mamamayan ng Marikina na may transaksyon sa City Hall. Hindi na kailangan magdala ng kotse, magbibisekleta na lang. Iiwanan nila ‘yung bisekleta dito sa end-of-trip facility (This will serve the employees of the City of Marikina who use bicycles, as well as the residents of Marikina who have transactions at City Hall. There's no need to bring a car; they can simply bike here and leave their bicycle at the end-of-trip facility),” Bautista added.
The DOTr stated that Marikina paved the way for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, and even before the pandemic, the city was among the cities in Metro Manila that continuously prioritized and improved active transportation options for everyone.
Importance of bike lanes
Meanwhile, cyclists shared how important bike lanes are to them and how the local government gives importance to them.
“Ang pagbibisikleta sa Marikina, generally mas safer, kase tayo nga ang model city sa Metro Manila eh dahil may mga bike lanes tayo, sana madagdagan pa and generally 'yung mga public utility natin mas kinder sa mga siklista hindi gaya sa ibang city na nang c-cut (Cycling in Marikina is generally safer because we are considered the model city in Metro Manila, mainly because we have bike lanes. Hopefully, these can be expanded, and in general, our public utility vehicles are kinder to cyclists, unlike in other cities where they cut across the cyclists' path),” cyclist Stephen Oliver So said.
“Thank you sa DOTr at sa pamunuan ng Marikina sa pag-recognize sa mga siklista, na nakikita nila kami so na pi-feel namin na appreciated din kami and truly sini-serve nila 'yung people for, 'yung lesser carbon footprints environment and para mapagaan din 'yung buhay (Thank you to the DOTr and the leadership of Marikina for recognising cyclists. We feel seen and appreciated, and it truly shows that they are serving the people by promoting a lesser carbon footprint environment and making life easier for everyone),” the cyclist added.
A cyclist mom, Melfhie Salonga, also shared her experience biking in the city.
“Nung dumating kami rito sa Marikina, sobrang ibang-iba… may bike lanes tapos very generous ng mga tao sa labas, mostly ng sasakyan. Nagbibigay sila (sa daan) kapag dadaan 'yung bike (When we arrived here in Marikina, it was completely different... there are bike lanes, and people, especially motorists, are very generous. They give way when a bike passes by),” she said.
“Sobrang thankful ako with the DOTr na meron silang project with Marikina na ganito. Salamat po sa Marikina LGU kase siya 'yung naging model city ng lahat dito sa Metro Manila para gayahin, para i-emulate na it's possible na magkaroon ng bike lane, and it's possible na magkaroon ng magandang kalsada para sa ibang community hindi lang sa mga may kotse, kundi para sa mga katulad din namin (I'm very thankful to the DOTr for having this kind of project with Marikina, and also to the LGU for becoming the model city for everyone here in Metro Manila to emulate, showing that it's possible to have bike lanes and good roads not just for those with cars, but also for people like us),” she added.
Active transport involves walking, cycling, and other physical modes of travel in a bid to encourage the public to embrace an active lifestyle and reduce carbon emissions. It will be supported by infrastructure that will protect bikers and pedestrians, which is in line with the National Transport Policy (NTP) and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 (PDP).
Related story: https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/14/bike-lanes-and-walkways-do-tr-pushes-active-transport-infrastructure