Metro Cebu Expressway?

I have always maintained my advocacy for public mass transportation as the key to better urban economic growth. And that’s the reason we’re always supporting the faster rollout of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). I am not against any rail alternative, either, just a matter of preference, based on operational and economic viability comparisons and better service delivery. Metro Cebu needs mobility and needs it now. Unfortunately, we can’t have many of these things --they’re very competitive and the presence of one almost usually negates another, especially in a linear city like Metro Cebu.

But we can’t just focus on public mass transport without looking at the “other” modes, too, even if these might have lesser number of users in terms of people. Private cars do exist, a minority maybe (in number of commuters). In our society, the minority prevails because they’re the ones elected or appointed to positions of decision-making, both in the public and private realm, more often using private cars, while the majority use public transport. And we need to address their needs, too.

The old paradigm is “mixed” traffic --everybody uses the same roads/system. Efficiency dictates differentiation --especially for public transportation to have their own “separate” rails or lanes. That’s why MRT, LRTs and BRTs are faster and more efficient. But other vehicular traffic needs to be segregated, too, according to origin-destination, and trip-purpose, and time-of-day, and that’s why expressways are built on rapid-growing metropolises. And for Metro Cebu I think it’s already delayed.

The question is why? Well, the first answer that comes to mind is because nobody’s on top of it. The advantage of Metro Manila is they have a Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which looks at the broader transportation and mobility needs. Of course, we need to add the glaring fact that all government agencies have their central offices there, especially DPWH and DOTr. It may just be a bit harder for us in Metro Cebu but not impossible. The question is, who/which mayor and congressperson would take the cudgels for us in sourcing out funds for an expressway from Talisay to Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu cities and beyond?

Let’s be candid about it and I have written this fact many times --we can’t beat Metro Manila in getting these projects, and we shouldn’t intend to. All government agencies have central offices in Metro Manila, and their secretaries, usecs, and asecs, live there. Senators and congressmen work in Metro Manila, too. They all work there, every day, and experience traffic congestion daily. That’s a natural advantage, and that’s why LGUs outside of Manila should work harder to get these expressway projects. I hope our Cebuano congressmen can work harder in helping us.

Our mayors and legislators could help a lot, too. The Manila government listens to noise, and those who constantly and persistently ask for projects usually get more. But we have to be specific --at least with a basic description of what is asked-- alignment from where to where, width, description, expected traffic demand, among others. Per my experience, the one who gets it is usually the one who asks.