MMDA plan to reduce traffic

[SecretShop]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/01...s-traffic-woes

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is going back to basics in efforts to solve Metro Manila's traffic woes.

The agency proposes to do it by literally going around the problem--by constructing rotunda's or roundabouts.

Considering the cost involved in the maintaining traffic lights on a regular operational basis, and budget cuts, the agency is looking at constructing nine roundabouts in six cities as an alternative measure to ease traffic congestion.

The roundabouts

Initially, two areas are being considered, says MMDA spokesperson Tina Velasco on ANC's "The Rundown" Wednesday. These are the Redemptorist-Taft Avenue and the Baclaran intersection. Other prime spots are also being studied.

"That comes from the simulation study that indicates that there's a 200% increase in the speed in those areas. Essentially, you don't stop, you run smoothly, do a little turn-around and go to your destination smoothly," Velasco says.

The MMDA hopes to conduct the study, sell the idea and roll it out to all the 9 areas as soon as possible. But, Velasco admits, it won't be easy pursuing funding for the project.

"Roundabouts are u-turns that are smoother in design and very efficient when it comes to two or more intersections in major roads," Velasco says.

"On an operational basis, you have less traffic enforcement needed, less operational cost, there's no electricity and it provides an opportunity to beautify the area by greening the area and contributing cleaner air to the metropolis."

"We are not just designing rotundas where we want, it requires a lot of study," Velasco says, adding it involves a visual simulation or traffic simulation which they are also using for u-turns.

Citing studies conducted by the MMDA, Velasco says, the roundabouts also define the behavior of motorists.

"By the symmetrical design of the rotunda, it drives people to be more careful, to slow down and be more responsible."

Alternative measures

"Traffic enforcement is a big concern. Internally, there's a lot we're doing traffic-wise; organization wise, traffic-wise."

Velasco says they are also looking at other alternative plans, citing investment plans raised at the traffic summit last December.

"In Commonwealth, we just can't build more footbridges in the area because we're going to have MRT-7 there. Basically, we're coming out with a BRT [Bus Rapid Transit] Pilot in Commonwealth, creating motorcycle lanes along Commonwealth. If we can do that, we hope to roll it out in EDSA, but now there's an opportunity to do that in Commonwealth given the many incidents [of road accidents]."

Long-term transport plan

Velasco also says it may be more viable to have more roundabouts than build more roads.

"We'd like to discourage investment in [roads for] private vehicles in Metro Manila. Creating more roads in Metro Manila is very expensive. With roundabouts, we don't need to create roads, underpasses, overpasses," she says. "If there are more roads, there will be more cars coming in."

The MMDA would also like to see more investments in trains, which are more efficient and emits less pollution than motor vehicles.

"We'd like to encourage a convincing transport plan that will drive people to go back to mass transport just like in mega-cities and modern cities all over the world."

More parking spaces

Part of the long-term plan, Velasco says, is constructing more parking spaces to encourage the use of mass transport.

"Chairman [Francis] Tolentino met some of the mall owners in the last quarter of last year at the height of the Christmas season where traffic congestion is foreseen. We coordinated closely with mall owners and operators to have their parking spaces available because they're the ones accessible to MRT and LRT stations and we've been getting a lot of cooperation from them. Robinsons even lent their bus stop along Pioneer EDSA."

"It's now actually a bus stop. They're generous enough to lend support in recognition of the mass transport system challenges we have right now," she says.

Parking spaces near trains may even help strengthen family ties.

"[MMDA] Undersecretary [Alex] Cabanilla is talking about a park-and-kiss where the wife can kiss the husband (when she drops him off) at the parking station. It could be a reversal of roles, too."

[av8or5]

Tina Velasco is a great addition to MMDA.

[hondaboot]

madali naman i-solve ang problem sa Baclaran as well as Monumento. stop the jeepneys from plying the Edsa Route, minsan may tricycle pa

if buses, buses lang. confine the jeepneys sa sideroads where they truly belong.

I really can't understand how the Mayor's of these cities can't do that. sa Pasay at Caloocan EDSA side lang may jeepney.

[SecretShop]

madali naman i-solve ang problem sa Baclaran as well as Monumento. stop the jeepneys from plying the Edsa Route, minsan may tricycle pa

if buses, buses lang. confine the jeepneys sa sideroads where they truly belong.

I really can't understand how the Mayor's of these cities can't do that. sa Pasay at Caloocan EDSA side lang may jeepney.

botante din kasi ang mga jeepney driver at tricycle driver, kaya mahirap asahan ang mga mayor na tanggalin sila sa EDSA.

[kotiko]

I think the roundabouts is a good idea, I think in the UK maraming ganto.

The problem is I don't think it's going to be that effective in the Filipino driving culture. Kung dun nga sa Munumento chaotic makaikot sa rotonda e with all the jeeps and tricycles having it their own way. Sa ibang rotonda naman medyo gulangan para lang makaikot ka...

Well I'm not against the idea, but I hope it gets implemented and practiced well.

[Monseratto]

I remember there were several rotundas in MM during the 70's, last of which is the Timog Rotunda in QC. Problem will be if those idiotic PUV drivers make those rotundas into ILLEGAl terminals...

[impulzz]

agree with Kotiko, di nga pwede sa pinoy driver and rotonda kasi di marunong magbigay. tulad sa manumento, kahit barado ang rizal ave. lahat harang so yung papuntang edsa di makaikot. tapos yung mga jeep pa sa edsa dun naka triple park. at wala naman ginagawa ang mga MMDA dun.

[alnr]

+ 2 on kotiko

kung sa intersection nga eh mabibilis pa din ang mga bus dito sa commonwealth (assuming they install it here) eh ano pa kaya sa isang rotonda?

strict implementation lang muna sa mga existing laws and if it is not enough then that's the time to look for other alternative solutions...

[ghosthunter]

The "rotonda solution" is only applicable if the road is wide enough. Given that, it is a solution that has limited application. Roads like Quezon Ave and E.Rod (libis) might not be applicable because of the limited lanes/space.

Shaw Blvd in Mandaluyong has a rotonda and seems to work well. But it only works well because of the wider space to have proper lanes around the rotonda itself.

Wait and see if the MMDA plan works.

The old u-turn idea worked well but created bottlenecks and traffic hazzards (concrete blocks in the middle of the road that are difficult to see at night or rain).

[donbuggy]

The problem is Filipino drivers do not follow the first rule of roundabouts:

The vehicle inside the roundabout has the right of way.

Ignore this principle and the result will be chaos and gridlock.

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The Square Roundabout

Here's a design for a roundabout that will make the vehicles entering give way to those already inside. The layout makes drivers follow the first rule. Result: a self-regulating roundabout.


Red arrows - vehicles inside the roundabout.
Blue arrows - vehicles entering the roundabout.