An Overlooked “Inside the Box” Solution to the EDSA Traffic Congestion…and Then Some.
David Celestra Tan, MSK
8 August 2018
It seems overall the Duterte Administration is on the right track for long term solutions to the traffic congestion in all major thoroughfares of the Manila Metropolis. The Build Build Build, the subway project, more bridges across the Pasig River, the expansions of the current MRT and LRT systems. I swear those skyways linking Makati and Alabang to the Airports have saved me a lot of missed flights.
Indeed, our growing population and teeming metropolis will need an efficient pro-people mass transit system to decongest the roads leading to the central business districts of Makati, BGC, Ortigas, Greenhills, Eastwood, Cubao, and all the new townships. We cannot all be living in P100,000 per square meter Condo’s along EDSA that had been shrinking to 24sq from 32 and 49sq meter only a few years ago. Workers need to be able to get to work without harrowing 2 to 3 hour commutes, each way.
It is great that the Duterte Administration found a way to improve the operation and maintenance of the existing MRT with now more running coaches than before. Let’s hope they sustain it. The point to point bus systems I am sure have helped encourage many drivers to leave their cars at home. News reports say 70% of the cars along EDSA are single passengers. And now they want to ban driver-only vehicles?
We cannot just ban these single and even 2- occupant vehicles. We need to offer them an alternative. What is needed is a solution that convinces car owners who commute in private cars to leave their cars at home. Such a solution will sweep tens of thousands of private cars off-the main streets specially EDSA and specially during the rush hours.
A Ready Now Decision?
The point to point luxury bus reserve seating buses is one solution. It avoids being rumpled in crowded buses. But it still gets stuck in traffic.
There is a solution that is actually “inside the Box” that for some reason has not been explored yet. If implemented it properly will encourage 100,000 car owners to take the MRT. That’s a lot of decongestion in EDSA alone.
How we wish we can take the MRT in comfort and “fly” over the car drivers on the ground in EDSA. I will get to my office in Ayala from the projects in Quezon City in probably about 30 to 45 minutes and maybe faster in off-peak hours. I would save P200 in gasoline each way and the wear and tear of my car not to mention the daily wear and tear from the stress of driving. My driver can stay at home and pick up the kids and go to the grocery.
A “door to door” inter-modal commuting
If they offer me a place to park at a start area in Caloocan and Quezon City where I can drive to and park safely. If they can assure me of reasonably predictable commuter schedules and an uncrowded seat along the way where I can read the papers or smart phone or even have coffee. If all I do at the end in Ayala is hop on a properly scheduled feeder bus or vans just going up and down Ayala avenue, I will not mind walking the rest of the way.
Then you have cut my commute from 2hours to only 1 hour from Quezon City to Ayala Makati. And you saved me P200 in gasoline. If I leave my car in Ortigas, I can get to my Makati Meeting in 20 minutes via MRT. There is probably more than 100,000 cars in similar situations like mine and all of us taking a “seamless commute” on MRT will decongest EDSA so much, you think it is Moses parting the red sea.
I will also not mind paying P150 “door to door” inter-modal commute to MRT, by itself or a franchise holder, can offer this service by attaching a luxury coach or two at the end of its existing train system. Retrofit some existing coaches. This seamless commute can be operational in 4 to 6 months. A welcome relief while waiting for all those bridges, skyways, and subway systems and longer term solutions.
A public transport system is not intended only to give rides to the “masses” but also to strategically reduce traffic congestion on the roads and highways so that business, commerce, government, professions can move about freely.
If you can have an MRT in Bulacan and also offer this seamless commuting in that area, then you have decongested the horrific Valenzuela exit. You can do the same in Alabang, Sta. Rosa, Rizal, and other strategic parts of the Metropolis.
Metro-Manilans have long been suffering from the uncontrolled number of cars on the streets and the similarly uncontrolled number of unruly busses all along EDSA.
Many contributing factors to the traffic
Surely there are many contributing factors to the traffic congestion in Metro-Manila specially EDSA. Our population growth and sheer number of cars. Our economic growth and evolution. The Uber-Grab factor. Private cars are probably on the road 8 hours a day. Private cars used by Uber-Grab are using our roads an estimated 16 hours. Old cars need to be phased out of EDSA at least.
The other one is our roads and highways exit and entrance designs are western. After 70 years planning our own roads, we still have not incorporated jeepney waiting and unloading areas causing them to occupy highway entrance and exits and block the traffic. Similarly, we need to recognize the increasing use of motorcycles and have to provide for public parking for them.
We have to figure out a way to reduce provincial buses that have to use EDSA because their terminals are simply on EDSA. There are a reported 47 of them on EDSA alone. To start these Shopping malls must expand their provisions for bus terminals. We need political will to move those EDSA bus terminals. On the subject of business, why do we continue using post-liberation buses? We need bus designs along EDSA to that are double deckers or bi-articulating tandem buses.
Color coding is only working partially. We only succeeded in increasing the demand for vehicles for use as “coding” cars” by those who can afford. Or the use of Grab during those days thus feeding the Uber-Grab problem.
World class ride-sharing
There is something we have done right that we can take credit for that is actually impressing developed country observers. Our aircon UPV vans that bring people from outlying Metro-Manila areas to the business and shopping centers. It is a highly successful form of ride-sharing that are only partially successful in California. More important it is giving millions of Metro-Manila commuters a convenient and affordable option. Now if only they don’t get stuck in traffic.
Mother of all Solutions
Of course we cannot forget the mother of all decongestion solutions which is economic and population dispersal by reducing the concentration of business, government, and educational activities from Metro-Manila. Since our real estate industries are on a building binge, why not offer them incentives to build mixed use townships outside Metro-Manila? Include a plan on expanding our mass transit towards those new townships.
Speaking of urban planning and decongestion strategies, one of the most cost effective one for the National Capital Region would be a Laguna Bay coastal circumferential highway and an MRT around Laguna Lake. It easy to build on those shallow shores. Parts of it are included in the current BBB but we hope they will extend it further northeast towards Rizal and Laguna and southeast towards Batangas and Laguna until the two meet in Caliraya to complete the loop. This can be the NCR Metropolis of 2040, that I would like my children and grandchildren to see and enjoy. This is not only decongestion but asset creation to people and a powerful inclusive growth strategy. Can you imagine!
For now, on our “inside the box” idea for “door to door” inter-modal commuting via reserve seating coaches hitched to the current number of trains, we can encourage people to just park the cars and take the MRT/LRT to work. Major parking areas (for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles) must be a requirement for all future MRT/LRT expansions and new lines. We cannot just tell car owners to do it. It should be an alternative way to commute that makes sense and earn its use.
Implemented properly “point to point” commuting even at P125 each way would be worth the 1 to 1.5 hour each way It would save. People might even take their bicycles to the start parking areas.
We need multi-solutions to our traffic congestion. This “door to door” inter-modal commuting can encourage 100,000 car owners to leave their cars in the parking lot and commute by convenient reserve seat MRT. That is a lot of decongestion in EDSA!
And how are you in these rainy days!
MatuwidnaSingilsaKuryente Consumer Alliance Inc.
matuwid.org
david.mskorg@yahoo.com.ph
