Bicycle Lanes In Cebu City

[sandwichmaker]

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Like anything else here, or for that matter anywhere, if there is no enforcement, it will just be abused.  However, I still like the idea because it is a step in the right direction just to get the paint down.  Use it at your own risk.  Progress may come.  I remember back in the 70s and 80s when the US started putting them in, slowly.  My teenage friends and I laughed at them and said who the heck is going to use those.  Not many did.  It has taken many years for cycling to catch on and the lanes became accepted.

 

We have some bike lanes here in the Freeport and they are used a lot.  We have a lot of bike riders, both commuters and recreational.  The lanes are relatively safe.  One key reason is that we don't have trikes and jeeps, and laws are somewhat enforced here.

 

Which is why I live here.

Well put! Better than I could manage ;)

Now if only they would do anything to slow the rapid rise of private cars.

[robert k]

I am glad that no other foreigner has any say in what I can own. :thumbsup:

[MikeB]

While there are undeniable benefits to bicycle usage, until there is significant road improvement and a semblance of consistent enforcement of traffic laws in Cebu City it’s just more paint on the road. They passed a law a couple years ago that all motorbike helmets must have a special sticker that designates it as being “safety certified” and I understand it’s being enforced at road checkpoints. A common sight is entire families of 5 and 6, including infants, riding on small motorbikes (designed for a max capacity of two) with no helmets or any other safety apparel required by law. But the families avoid the checkpoints so the police ignore them. Really, what is the point of the law except to make some politician look good? Perhaps bike lanes could be used in very limited, specially designated areas of Cebu City, the mayor can have a photo op and all the newspapers will cover it. But city-wide, forget it, jeepneys and bicycles are a real bad mix.

[MikeB]

Follow-up Opinion piece in today's paper.

"Editorial: Respecting a bike lane

Thursday, June 26, 2014

SETTING up shared priority bike lanes is not as easy as painting portions of the streets for the purpose. This is why Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrera needs to be deliberate in her effort to see her bike lane ordinance through. The city council held a public hearing on Cabrera’s ordinance last Wednesday.

Let’s not talk about the benefits of biking because these are a given. Rather, the discussion and further study should focus on the best way of setting up bike lanes in relation to the city’s road conditions.

The Cabrera ordinance wants bike lanes to be set up within the city’s existing road network. That means designating a lane 1.5 meter in width from the curb. The lane is separated from motor traffic using painted markings. This system has advantage and disadvantages. In other countries, though, bike lanes are demarcated by barriers or are placed in areas separate from the road. The latter point was raised by Nigel Paul Villarete, who represented the regional management council of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) in the public hearing. But even if mere painted markings are used, the road situation needs to be considered also. Fernando Cruz of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has a formula for this: have bike lanes only in roads that are at least 11 to 12 meters wide. Traffic is another factor. Rafael Yap of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) is concerned about the effect of the bike lane implementation on the flow of traffic and the safety of both cyclists and motorists. Factor there the fact that the roadsides are usually used for parking and for loading and unloading of passengers. Proper arrangement should be made in this regard or the setting up of bike lanes could result to anarchy and increase in the number of vehicular accidents. Yap put it well when said that the issue is not only about putting up bike lanes but also about convincing people to respect these bike lanes. Would motorists, especially public utility vehicles, respect the bike lanes when many of them don’t even respect traffic rules?"

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2014/06/26/editorial-respecting-bike-lane-350448

[Jack Peterson]

Would motorists, especially public utility vehicles, respect the bike lanes when many of them don’t even respect traffic rules?"

 

AH! and there we have it. DOUBT and Doubt, breeds negativity! 

[Tukaram (Tim)]

That is one good reason our bike lanes are actually 10 foot wide sidewalks!  The bricks make for an uncomfortable ride... but no jeepneys or trikes ha ha  :tiphat: