The Quezon City government has opened a new bike park and trails at the Payatas controlled disposal facility designed to provide more green and open spaces for its residents.
After the closure of the Payatas dumpsite in 2010, Mayor Joy Belmonte created a technical working group in 2020 tasked with the redevelopment of the area into a public open space for recreational and environmental awareness purposes in line with her 14-point agenda to build a livable, green and sustainable city.
“The facility turned into a bike park is a living proof to the whole world that Quezon City can put up a safe and green community. This former mountain of garbage is now a recreational park,” Belmonte said.
The bike park would have four designated lanes utilizing its asphalt roads and off-road trails consisting of a 900-meter beginner route with three detours to the view deck route with a scenic view of the park.
The other two are the beginner trail and perimeter trail featuring pathways for mountain biking, gravel routes, and mild steep ascents and descents.
The city has established 167 kilometers of protected national and city bike lanes, 15 bike ramps strategically located in overpasses and underpasses.
As of April, the city has over 200 parks and open spaces.
The goal of the local government is to double the number by 2030, Belmont’s said,
The former dump would have a bamboo park, a dog park, an open-air museum and a plant nursery.
The city government is conducting a geotechnical investigation and slope stability analysis of the facility being undertaken by its Engineering Department, along with Woodfields Consultants Inc., to ensure the safety of the area.
The study revealed that under normal conditions with no extensive rainfall or any seismic activity, the Old Mound and portions of the landfill can be utilized for various activities, such as biking, jogging and Zumba, but with strict limitations on the number of visitors to avoid crowding.