Baguio City working double time for 'green' parking buildings

BAGUIO CITY— The Baguio City government said that it is meeting weekly with other concerned agencies to speed up the establishment of several multi-level parking structures.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said several areas have already been pinpointed as sites for parking buildings targeted to be implemented within the year to help ease the city’s lack of public parking spaces and traffic congestion woes.
     
He pointed out that these would be "green" or environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient parking structures pursuant to the city government’s thrust in protecting the environment.
   
During a March 13 presser, Baguio City administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena said that around 21,000 to 24,000 parking slots are needed to address the city’s parking situation.
     
He disclosed that 19 sites have already been identified for the parking buildings located at the city’s outskirts and not at its central business district to ease traffic congestion in the area.
   
The parking structures, the city administrator explained, are part of the ‘park and ride’ scheme that is planned to be in tandem with the proposed Smart Mobility Program to solve the city’s traffic woes.
   
Magalong earlier said the city has about 56,000 registered vehicles, including 15,000 motorcycles and only around 2,700 public parking slots.