BAGUIO CITY December 25 – The city government will be conducing more traffic experiments along different roads in the city to help in easing the traffic jams suffered by residents and visitors alike.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the city government started the implementation of some traffic experiments in some major roads in the city as short-term solutions to the prevailing traffic congestions but more traffic experiments are yet to be implemented.
He added that if these experiments do not work, then the same will be cancelled and replaced with other measures aside from working on possible adjustments on the existing congestions.
The city chief executive claimed the traffic experiments are stop gap measures while the city is awaiting the outcome of the comprehensive traffic study done by traffic experts from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
According to him, one possible solution to the prevailing monstrous traffic congestions in the city is the eventual construction of multi-level parking structures in strategic areas in the city to accommodate the huge volume of vehicles that flock to the city during weekends and peak tourism months to help lessen the inconveniences of both the residents and visitors.
Earlier, MMDA traffic experts came to the city a number of times to study the prevailing traffic situation after which they will submit their comprehensive report within three to four months or by early next year with their recommendations on how to improve the current traffic situation in the city.
One of the administration’s 15-point collective agenda is the formulation of effective traffic management to help curb the traffic jams around the city brought about by the rapidly increasing number of vehicles in the streets.
Based on the data from the city’s traffic management division lodged with the City Engineering office, various roads in the city have a capacity to accommodate slightly over 18, 00 vehicles but the number of registered vehicles in the Land Transportation Office (LTO) already reached more than 64,000 and still counting, aside from the vehicles that flock to the city during weekends and holidays.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, MMDA donated around P1.5 million for the recent traffic study.
Part of the on-going activities of the city government is the re-designing of pedestrian lanes and intersections of the different roads to reduce the impact of traffic to the daily lives of the people living in the city’s 128 barangays. JBM