Airport Yes! Brt Or Buses No. Flyovers???

[Geoff Thomas]

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III had good and bad news for Cebu during his visit yesterday.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/316157/aquino-approves-mactan-airport-expansion-but-defers-brt-project

[Call me bubba]

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III had good and bad news for Cebu during his visit yesterday.

http://newsinfo.inqu...ers-brt-project

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III had good and bad news for Cebu during his visit yesterday.

In a meeting with political alies, he announced the approval by the National Economic Development Authority of the proposed second terminal of the Mactan Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City.

But he said approval of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which would replace several jeepney routes with dedicated bus lines, has been deferred.

“Medyo may kulang,” he told reporters, referring to the result of the pre-feasibility study which was presented to the NEDA board.

“There is a need for segregated roads for buses to minimize the stop and go. Pero meron ba talagang lugar sa Cebu na mas segregated tayo?”

Aquino said that the government “cannot experiment” on a project like the BRT which would cost at least P10 billion.

“If we experiment, not on billions worth of project. Pero doon din tayo patungo kaya ayosin natin ito,” he said.

Although he acknowledge the mass transport system as a cheaper and faster alternative to the Light Rail Transit, there is still a need for further study on the project proposal.

He also praised Cebu City north district Rep. Cutie Del Mar who advocates building more flyovers.

“My special tribute to Rep. Rachel del Mar for looking for a solution to the traffic problems in Cebu City,” said the President.

His remark was seen by some as leaning toward the option of new flyovers, which is being opposed by citizen groups who advocate better urban planning and the protection of the evnrionment and heritage value of the city.

While Aquino said he was not an urban planning expert, the President said having flyover may address congestion in road intersections.

A moratorium on flyovers was declared in October last year by the Department of Public Works and Highways, but critics suspect the order may soon be lifted.

Meanwhile, BRT advocate Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña, said in a separate interview that he would not mind a delay in the bus project which was supposed to start next year.

“I’m very deliberate when I do things. I don’t care if I wait. You don’t do the next thing unless you master the next thing,” he said.

Proponents of the BRT were earlier confident the $210 million project would be funded by the World Bank ones it gets necessary approval from the Philippine government.

In his visit to Cebu last Oct. 20, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault expressed support for the project.

He said the French government through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) can provide $50-million soft loan to co-finance the project.

Rafael Yap of the BRT Technical Working Group said he was informed by Transportaion Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya of the NEDA’s deferment last Thursday.

He said they are waiting for Neda’s recommendation.

For the Mactan airport expansion, President Aquino said the NEDA board approved the terminal 2 project.

This will augment terminal 1 which was built in 1995 . With the expected increase in tourism arrivals to 10 million in 2016, Aquino said a new terminal is needed.

Aquino also told Cebu allies he was gratfeful to the Cebuanos support for his family and his presidency.

[Mike S]

Flyovers are great ..... BUT .... they can't stay up there for ever and when they come down and merge with the traffic ones again ... guess what .... another traffic jam ..... it will help one spot and hurt another ..... so if you want your route to be less congested you will vote for it or if perhaps you have friends or relatives in the road building business than of course you want it or perhaps you own property somewhere along the route ...... there could be any number of reasons someone could be motivated to want a flyover ..... just use your imagination and it is probably doable here .... :hystery: :hystery: :hystery: IMHO ..... :cheersty:

[i am bob]

I guess it all goes back to properly engineering the flyover... We have a street setup like this in Hamilton (Canada) and it works really well. Especially when traffic is heavy!

[Dave Hounddriver]

We have a street setup like this in Hamilton (Canada) and it works really well. Especially when traffic is heavy!

I'd sure like to see a picture of that and see if it is anything like a Philippine flyover. Here is what Philippines calls a flyover.

[Geoff Thomas]

Roundabouts on all crossroads and a one way inner city system would work better IMO. Cheaper quicker easier, but that would not create excess funding for other luxuries away from inner city development of roads

[Bil Brock]

Regarding above photo: There is not a flyover in Cebu that looks that nice.

[i am bob]

Nor the one here in Hamilton. Sorry Dave but it's exactly the same thing. Google Burlington Street, Hamilton, Ontario and you can see what I mean. It's the part that runs through the industrial part of town - all the steel mills and such. It's also the main route across the bayfront to get to the highway to Toronto.

Or you could look at the really big flyover we have - it's called the Burlington Bay Skyway... :mocking:

[Dave Hounddriver]

Sorry Dave but it's exactly the same thing.

I googled as you suggested. The pics I see are as close to Cebu flyovers as filet mignon is to a big mac. I guess you will have to see both as I have. (Don't forget I drove anywhere in North America that you can get a Greyhound bus to and never saw anything like the Cebu flyovers but if yours has been built in the last 10 years I admit I have not seen it).

[i am bob]

If you look a the far end, it is doing the same as the picture you showed above - coming back to join the main road and then back up for the next flyover. These were put in as this is the main road for the central part of the city to access the main highway to Toronto - and with the 18-wheelers crawling along loaded with tons of steel, traffic was backing up very severely. There are several of them and then a short stretch of elevated highway. Dave, if you were coming in by bus, the normal route was to come in from the Burlington side on the 103 and exit at Main St for the newer terminal or York Ave for the old days. You would have missed them entirely. Anything proceeding to Niagara area goes through the city using Main St the other way.

Hmmm.... Can't copy the picture to here for some reason... Here's the link to you can see what I"m talking about.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14413615@N00/3940001492/