THE proposed ordinance establishing bicycle lanes in Baguio City’s roads has stalled out as the City Engineering Office (CEO) is waiting for the input of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regarding the identification of appropriate roads to share between vehicles and bicycles.
According to the CEO, the ordinance has been stalled as the DPWH has updated its guidelines, necessitating the reworking of the ordinance to conform.
According to the DPWH Department Order No. 263, Series of 2022, bicycle facilities are classified as follows: Class I or Shared Bike Path where the path being shared by pedestrians and bikers is separated from the carriageway by erecting a fence or other forms of protection; Class II or Separated Bike Lane where the lane is separated from the carriageway by using pavement markings; and Class III or Shared Roadway where the entire carriageway is shared between motorists and cyclists.
Traffic and Transportation Management Division (TTMD-CEO) Head Januario Borillo said that based on the volume of vehicles and the width of the carriageways, most roads in the city can be utilized as shared roadways (Class III) by motorists and cyclists.
Borillo suggested that to accommodate bicycle space, from 3.20-3.70 meters, the carriageways’ width will be reduced to 3.05 meters to provide more space for cyclists.