To ensure the safety of cyclists in the city, especially at night, the local government of Marikina installed 92 LED lamps along the bike lane corridor stretching from Champagnat Street in Barangay Marikina Heights to Goodrich Village Subdivision in Barangay Concepcion Uno on Friday, Feb. 27.

Mayor Maan Teodoro, together with Marikina First District Rep. Marcy Teodoro, led the ceremonial lighting of the newly installed bike lane lamps. The event, organized by the Marikina Bikeways Office (MBO), gathered local biker groups and cycling enthusiasts who traversed the newly lit bike lanes.

The mayor said the project focuses on lighting bike lanes near creeks and beneath tunnels to provide safer passage for cyclists during nighttime rides.

“This is more than beautification of our bikeways. Lagi kong sinasabi. Hindi ito decorative lamang. Ang gusto natin ay magamit ng maayos at safe ang ating mga bike lanes (I always say that this is not just decorative. We want our bike lanes to be used properly and safely),” she said.

She said a total of 2.6 kilometers of bike lane stretch were illuminated.

“There’s a total of 8 kilometers pa na ating aayusin, pero according to our Bikeways Office, mayroon nang more or less 70 kilometers na existing bike lanes sa buong Marikina, at gusto natin mas damihan pa po ito (There are still a total of eight kilometers that we will improve. According to our Bikeways Office, there are already more or less 70 kilometers of existing bike lanes across Marikina, and we want to expand this even further),” Teodoro said.

The local chief executive emphasized that developing an integrated mobility ecosystem through expanding and maintaining the city’s bike lanes benefits not only bikers but also joggers and pedestrians.

“Bike lanes are something intentional. It should be planned. Dapat pinopondohan. It should interconnect our barangays, our streets, and it should be sustainable,” Mayor Maan said.

“Ito po ang isa sa mga gusto nating proyekto para ang active mobility talaga ay maging lifestyle na ng ating mga taga-Marikina and ang mga bikers sa iba’t ibang lugar.”

Aside from cyclists, the local chief executive emphasized that developing an integrated mobility ecosystem by expanding and maintaining the city’s bike lanes will also benefit joggers and pedestrians, as the project is also part of the ongoing drive to promote active mobility in Marikina.

“Bike lanes are something intentional. It should be planned. Dapat pinopondohan (It should be funded). It should interconnect our barangays, our streets, and it should be sustainable,” she explained.

“Ito po ang isa sa mga gusto nating proyekto para ang active mobility talaga ay maging lifestyle na ng ating mga taga-Marikina and ang mga bikers sa iba’t ibang lugar (This is one of the projects we want to implement so that active mobility truly becomes a lifestyle for our residents of Marikina and for cyclists in other areas),” Teodoro continued.

Aside from promoting active mobility, Rep. Teodoro also said that the project is part of the LGU’s initiatives, citing the End-of-Trip facility near City Hall and the ongoing Car-Free Sundays program.

He also underscored the importance of preserving green spaces and fostering a strong sense of community among residents.

“Ito ‘yung nakakalimutan natin sa governance, pero dito sa Marikina kasama yung pag-develop ng mga playground, mga parks, open space development (This is often overlooked in governance, but here in Marikina, it includes the development of playgrounds, parks, and open spaces). We’d like to develop a sense of community among people,” he said.

With the ongoing refurbishments of its bike lanes, the city government encouraged more residents to take up cycling, whether for transport or leisure, and is inviting cyclists from across Metro Manila to use these spaces.

“You are all welcome in Marikina as long as our core values—discipline, cleanliness—ay sinusunod po natin,” the mayor urged.

Inviting the public also helps the local government gather feedback on what other improvements can be made for the betterment of the city.

“Gusto po namin ang madaming siklista kasi pag kayo po ay umiikot, you can give feedback to us. Nalalaman namin kung ano pa ang dapat natin i-improve sa ating bike lanes, and that is important to the city government (We encourage more cyclists because as you ride around, you can provide feedback. This helps us identify what needs improvement in our bike lanes, which is important to the city government,” she explained.