DOH..duh?
“The proposal to build bike lanes may sound good to ease the impact of the rising cost of fuel products to motorists. But roads in Metro Manila are not safe for biking and the air quality in the cities is so dirty,” said (Health Secretary Francisco H.) Duque.
This Manila Times article reports DOH officials saying that encouraging biking in Metro Manila is not a good idea -because the pollution is bad for the cyclists.
So, let me get this straight: pollution from cars is bad for the cyclists so we should just all ride inside pollution causing cars so we are protected from pollution?
Is it just me or did logic take a vacation somewhere?
And why does Manila Times allow Jonathan Vicente (the reporter) to publish an article that is such an awkwardly disguised press release?
"The use of the Khaos Super Turbo Charger (KSTC) is being pushed by the government and several environmentalists to save on fuel consumption and promote clean-air quality in Metro Manila."
Seriously folks. Let's get with the program here.
10 comments:
Interview of Muntinlupa City Administrator Henry Reyes in Village Voice.
The proposed creation of bikes lanes in major thoroughfares in the metropolis is a marvelous idea but cannot be implemented in many of our cities and municipalities.
"It is a great idea that cannot be implemented in our city as our roads are not that wide. And from what we can see, it cannot be implemented in other cities and municipalities due to the same reasons: the lack of needed infrastructure," Reyes told Village Voice.
It looks like Muntinlupa City already ditched the idea of bike lanes ! :-(
Of course it is always easy to find reasons why things can't be done.
It's the logic behind it that statement that bothers me: the roads are not wide enough for what? for cars and bikes to have their own lanes. -because they can't imagine allowing bikes to impede auto traffic.
they can't quite grasp the idea that slowing down traffic actually makes it more efficient.
let the cars share the road with bikes!
If they are cautioning cyclists that pollution levels are high why implement it or why don't make a plan to lessen air pollution. Give free gas masks perhaps.
It's actually a leap of faith for most people (myself included) that slowing down traffic is actually making it more efficient (from a traffic management point of view perhaps?) rather than the reverse.
It's pretty counterintuitive, especially since we've all been raised on the notion that "bigger roads = higher speeds = less traffic."
It would probably be fun to bike to work. I really hope the MMDA's proposal to have bike lanes push through.
lord of the morning, (..uh, do I have to genuflect?)
it is counter-intuitive. the model we have in our heads is all about volume and flow on a single channel (number of cars, speed, one street)-- but its really about pressure in an open system -- the more you widen a road, the more it attracts volume, the faster you try to make it go -the more you increase the pressure -- and since your roadwith will NOT be uniform throughout the system (i.e. -you've got to get off EDSA at some point into a smaller street) the high pressure coagulates at the smaller street -and backs up the system.
lowering the pressure - slowing down the cars - makes the flow smoother.
from another take: a slower moving road (emphasis on the moving) can take in more cars because thedistances between travelling cars is shorter.
Genuflect? Definitely not. I shudder to think at being "genuflected" at. Hahahaha.
I'm thinking -- is it even possible to move to a different paradigm for transportation here in the good old metro, seeing that there's so much infrastructure already for the "faster wider" concept?
do we have that many cyclists here willing to bike to and from work (or at least from the MRT stations)?
btw, this is nina with the squiggly logo. we need more bloggers like you for the manila metroblog!
nina,
I guess it's a question of "if you build it, will they come?"
It certainly means that the infrastructure to encourage biking goes beyond bike lanes to bike racks in the MRT stations or in front of buildings.
(as to metroblog -I'd love to but I'm currently not based in Manila)
You're right on that account. I think having bike lanes and encouraging cycling is a good suggestion. Usually these have trial runs anyway, right? If bikers drop dead after inhaling the potent Manila air, it can be discontinued after the trial. Interesting that the ones against this suggestion are those who usually travel with at least two humongous SUVs.
(From your posts, I never thought you weren't Manila-based. Too bad. Well, if ever you do come back to Manila, join us :) )
i intend to be back. sooner than later I hope.
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