Mandaue eyes bicycle lane on S.B. Cabahug

CEBU, Philippines - While many of its roads are heavily congested, Mandaue City’s S.B.Cabahug Street is still a free way where vehicles are crisscrossing, prompting the local government to cut a portion of this road to be made into a bicycle lane.

“Gi-review namo ang effect, (we) focused sa city core nga ma-one way ang traffic, and now we have noticed ni-improve ang traffic. Sa una hapit na mo-standstill. Pero sa among assessment, nisobra sa kakusog,” said City Planning and Development Coordinator Florentino Nimor.

Nimor said this is why they came up with a solution, which is to provide a two-meter, two-way bike lane in this street.

He said the bike lane, which is eyed to be implemented by early December, is said to make this street  pedestrian-friendly like the rest of the city core roads.

He said they could also not blame the vehicles to crisscross while running on top speed as the two-lane road has become one-way and there are no lane markings.

“What we are trying to do now: hinayan ang traffic, put order by providing lanes, and butangan og bicycle lane,” he said.

The move will also reportedly prevent vehicle owners to park their car along the streets.

He said the bike lane starts at the City Hall to Bagsakan through the S.B. Cabahug stretch. It will be through going the north. The bike lane will be on the left side of the road, he said.

For his part, city administrator James Abadia said this is part of their “traffic experiment” and urged the public to air their sentiments with regard to this plan.

“This is a traffic experiment. We would like to hear the public's sentiment as we are still looking for ways to our traffic system,” he said.

Nimor said the bike lane will also “ease mobility” in the area,especially those where there are schools, offices and residences. The children, he said, can also use the bike lane, which is exclusive to non-motorized bikes only.

Instead of railings, he said, they will place concrete barriers to block motorists from getting into this new lane. — Liv G. Campo (FREEMAN)