THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways has recently released a comprehensive list of bike lane projects across the entire country. This network, according to an open dataset compiled by two mobility organizations, spans 1,778 kilometers.
For context, that's almost as long as 19 SCTEXes. (According to the Toll Regulatory Board, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway measures 93.7 kilometers.)
This network includes 179 routes that have already been completed (covering 784 kilometers or around 44 percent of the total), 87 routes that are ongoing (409 kilometers), and 102 routes that still need to start construction (585 kilometers).
This network was built up by the agency over the past two years, when it signed Department Order 88-2020. During the lockdowns, the Bayanihan to Recover as One act also recognized bicycles as an essential mode of transportation, and earmarked funds to set up special lanes for bikers.
According to the dataset, majority of the current bike lane projects can be found in the National Capital Region, with around 439 kilometers’ worth of routes across Metro Manila. Region 1 is in second place with 279 kilometers, followed by Region 4B at 162 kilometers.
Region 4A, meanwhile, has only 4 kilometers’ worth of bike routes, according to the dataset, followed by Region 9 with just 3 km. The Cordillera Administrative Region and CARAGA have no bike lane projects.
Mobility advocates laud DPWH report on bike lanes
Move As One Coalition co-convenor Robert Siy praised the development, saying that their alliance of mobility orgs is “very encouraged that the DPWH has taken serious steps to integrate active transport in its programming beyond the Bike Lanes program of the Department of Transportation.”
His statement added:: “We hope DPWH continues to keep track of the progress of these initiatives. Active transport can significantly contribute to the agency’s objectives of improving road safety, road quality, and reducing travel time of all road users.”
Meanwhile, Bicycle Friendly Philippines’ Karen Silva Crisostomo also found the DPWH report helpful, and called on the agency’s CAR and CARAGA branches to get the wheels rolling in their own bike lane projects.
"It's interesting to see what regions are actively promoting bike commuting as a sustainable transport mode. For many bike commuters and bike packing tourists, this is good information,” she noted in a statement.
“It is great to know which places are bike-friendly.”
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