Two events related to government initiatives to establish a network of bike lanes and encourage more people to choose biking for mobility happened on Aug. 29.
First, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that it is seeking a bigger budget of ₱2.59 billion to fund additional bike lanes, for the maintenance of established bike lanes, and to build end-of-trip facilities. At least 260 kilometers of dedicated lanes for cyclists will be built next year, on the way to achieving the plan to establish 2,400 kilometers of bike lanes by 2028.
Second, the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of active transport infrastructure and the opening of end-of-trip cycling facilities in Marikina City was held on the same day. This ceremony is very significant for it opened a facility that will provide what bikers need at the end of a trip – an area to store their bikes and to change their clothes for work or other appointments.
The event which was led by DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista and Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, inaugurated a changing area with toilets and baths, bicycle racks that can secure bicycles, and a bike repair shop. A dedicated facility for persons with disabilities (PWDs) is also provided.
The DOTr and Marikina project also broke ground for an eight-kilometer bike lane that will connect to the city’s existing bike lanes. Marikina is well-known for being bike-friendly; it started building designated bike lanes in 1995.
“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,” Secretary Bautista said.
These events are welcome news to the bike-riding public. Government is showing its commitment to provide the infrastructure to encourage an active and sustainable lifestyle among Filipinos. It aims to create a biking culture where more people will use this form of transportation to go to work, school, or business activities. Establishing proper bike lanes where bikers are safe from motorized vehicles is a major part of getting the public to choose this form of mobility mode.
“We will construct bike lanes all over the country. We are prioritizing major cities then the adjacent municipalities,” said Secretary Bautista. At present, there are bikeway programs in Laoag City, Manila, Quezon City, Lipa, San Fernando in Pampanga, Davao and Tagum.
The construction of bike lanes is part of the DOTr’s active transport project which is in line with the National Transport Policy (NTP) and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. Aside from cycling, the transport agency is also constructing walkways to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
We laud the DOTr and the Marikina City local government unit for their commitment to building the infrastructure for an active and sustainable lifestyle. Getting more people to bike to work will initiate many good results in our environment and in people’s lives. There will be less vehicles on the road, and less carbon emissions to contribute to efforts to prevent climate change. Most importantly, biking has many well-known health benefits which will prevent disease and will result in healthier citizens.