Fighting traffic: Over and under

Speech delivered by Rep. Raul V. Del Mar, 1st District of Cebu City at the Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry Induction of Officers, Marco Polo Cebu, April 19, 2018.

Traffic jams exact a heavy price. Lost time. Increased spending on fuel. Higher transport cost means higher prices of goods or less profit. Wasted productivity and opportunities for profit. How many hours a year are wasted on being stuck in traffic?

The count varies: 42 hours in L.A.,38 hours in Manila, according to 2010 figures. In terms of money, which most of us appreciate better: P3.5 billion daily in lost opportunities in Metro Manila alone. Computed for Metro Cebu in 2016, it’s P132 million daily. And it’s getting worse.

JICA in 2015 estimated the cost in the Philippines to go up to P6 billion daily starting in 2030. And we must add on the “the hidden cost”: not quantifiable yet as damaging: psychological burden from traffic. Research links traffic to negative mental health. Stress, aggression: road rage or, at home, domestic violence.

We already have on the surface infrastructures aimed to ease traffic congestion: new roads, road widening and flyovers which have been validated and recommended to address congestion along intersections by the JICA study on the Metro Cebu Roadmap for Sustainable Urban Development released last March 25, 2016. This is a vindication of our position on the issue.

We’re going to have eventually the BRT and the LRT so enough of these maneuvers of delaying or discarding the BRT and substituting the same with the LRT. Let’s get it up and running and the LRT can follow. We need them both as we consider other mass transport system and other modern traffic mitigation which may be found viable and how best this can be undertaken to complement each other in my proposed “Over and Under” Program creating twice more roads and rails. “OVER AND UNDER” PROGRAM: CREATING TWICE MORE ROADS AND RAILS The construction of the LRT/monorail over; the subway or tunnel under TUNNEL AS BENEATH THE SURFACE SOLUTION:

We are now looking at beneath the surface roadways: tunnels. I proposed tunnels that will have three routes to the more congested areas in my congressional district:

• Route 1. D. Jakosalem - F. Sotto Drive - Archbishop Reyes Ave. - Gov. M. Cuenco – Talamban.

• Route 2. Salinas Drive. Pope John Paul IV Ave. -Serging Osmeña Jr. Blvd.

• Route 3. Cardinal Rosales Ave. - F. Cabahug St. - Hernan Cortes St. (Mandaue)

Going beneath the surface is practical and cost-efficient. No existing structures on the ground are demolished. The annoying and hugely expensive right-of-way process is not required. Disruption of traffic on the ground will be held to a minimum.

Status of project

The project is already in the construction phase under the DPWH program for 2018. Construction includes the feasibility study, which is very much a part of any project. The RDC, however, would like to go back to feasibility study phase, ignoring that DPWH is already undertaking and spending for it.

Long overdue

Given the long and tedious process for any big ticket project to gestate, given the competition of various communities for precious national funds, we should welcome opportunities for projects that will ease the traffic problem. To be completed by DPWH in the last quarter of this year, the study will show if it can be done or not.

I keep an open mind on proposals, including those of my own. Nothing, I said, is cast on stone. That’s why we have consultations like this. Twenty-five years ago, I have filed bills for the construction of the third Cebu to Mactan Bridge and the LRT/monorail projects. The Cebu-Mactan third bridge is now being undertaken by a private sector proponent.

Whereas, proposals for the LRT/monorail projects are being submitted. I only take pride in starting a plan, a dream you may even say. I am a firm believer that an idea, no matter where it comes from must be heard and not shut out.