The country’s national sports association for cycling yesterday welcomed the inclusion of dedicated bike lanes in the soon-to-be-constructed Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) as it will extend the existing bike lane network laid out by the government, even as it emphasized efforts to ensure the protection of cyclists and bikers who are using these thoroughfares to go to work or for fitness and leisure.
Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines, welcomed the possible inclusion of San Miguel Corporation’s 19.37-kilometer PAREX to the 313-kilometer Metro Manila Bike Lane Network that cuts through the cities of Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Taguig.
This bike network, inaugurated last July, is part of nationwide 497-kilometer network that also includes Metro Cebu and in Metro Davao and touted to be longest in the country.
“We thank San Miguel Corporation for the inclusion of bike lanes in this transport infrastructure that will also benefit cyclists and leisure bikers along with car users and commuters,” said Rep. Tolentino, who is also Philippine Olympic Committee president. “The pandemic has rekindled the Filipinos’ love for cycling and biking and it is now one of safest ways to go to work and one of the easiest ways to get fit to protect and gain immunity against COVID-19.”
“Although sports are generally at a standstill during the pandemic, we tend to see it differently in the national cycling association,” Tolentino said. “With more Filipinos taking up cycling and biking whether for competition, fitness, and leisure and the government’s construction of road infrastructure dedicated to them, we are doing very well in the promotion of this sport.”
The PAREX, will be built along the banks of the Pasig River and will connect Radial Road 10 in the City of Manila to C-6 road in Taguig.
Tolentino lauded SMC for taking into consideration not only cyclists but also pedestrians, as the project will also feature pedestrian lanes, which he said can further encourage people to lead healthy, active lifestyles as these can be used by runners and walkers, alike.
“We at Philcycling thank SMC for its efforts, and we call on them to please ensure that these bike lanes will be wide enough, and provide protection for cyclists,” he said. “It is not just a matter of appropriating space for bike lanes, but also making sure these are properly marked, easily identifiable, and protected by barriers.”
The Department of Transportation said that existing bike lanes under the Metro Manila Bike Lane Network measure between 1.5 to three meters. These lanes also feature concrete delineators and flexible rubber bollards to separate the bikers from motor vehicles as well as white and green pavement markings using thermoplastic paint, bollards bolted to the ground, bike symbols and signages, solar-powered road studs, and bike racks