Many cyclists thanked the government for the Laguna Lake Highway bike lane project, which provides them a worry-free biking experience.
Enrique Tija, a 43-year-old resident of Barangay Napindan, Taguig City, said the newly designated bike lane was a great help for him and his friends.
“Every Sunday, they would bike here to practice… Some people who also pass through here going to work avoid getting sideswiped by motorcycles and cars,” Tija said.
He said before roads were safe for bikers, one of his children lost two fingers in an accident while on a bike. A jeepney ran over his fingers after he propped it on the road to avoid falling flat on the ground.
From Pasig, jeepney driver Reymond Banaba, 49, comes to Laguna Lake Highway to bike: “Taguig has been the best because it has this protected area where we can bike for fitness. Before, this really wasn’t a great place to bike but after it was developed, the bike lane is now entirely separated from the main road thus giving bikes protection from speeding vehicles.”
Launched in February 2019, the 3-meter-wide stretch of road which spans 5.8 kilometers was the first protected bike lane along a Philippine national highway, a prototype for new roads and existing roads wide enough to accommodate a bike lane.
The lane is separated from the highway with a planting strip, ensuring a permanent structure protecting bikers against high-speed traffic. Streetlights and road signages are added safety features.
“It’s such a great initiative to have a bike lane like this in the city,” said Primo Longos, 62, a biking enthusiast since the 1980s.