Huge 12 parking buildings in city parks, lots to ease traffic

Metro Manila developers propose plans

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The city government is planning to put up twelve parking structures in prime areas of the city to address increasing number of motor vehicles and ease worsening traffic jams, especially in the central business district.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the city government is planning initial three huge parking structures in strategic areas of the city to jumpstart the proposed additional private and public parking structures to address the parking needs of residents and tourists.

He added that developers of big parking terminals in Metro Manila have already signified their intention to build some of the city’s proposed parking terminals outside the central business district area to help decongest the city proper by bringing to the outskirts some of the parking terminals.

Aside from the proposed parking structures in the Ganza pay parking site, the old city auditorium and the Baguio Athletic Bowl, other sites where the parking structures are proposed include the back of the Baguio Convention Center, the existing property of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the Slaughterhouse Compound, a private property in Irisan, a portion of the ceded property to the city government in the Baguio Dairy Farm, the proposed 8-storey city hall expansion building and some private properties within the central business district area.

The construction of multi-level parking structures has been a long-standing proposal of the city government and some sectors to help address the worsening traffic congestions around the city, especially the central business district area, but the areas where the parking structures will be erected had been a major hindrance to the realization of the project in the previous years.

The city government is contemplating to undertake the construction of the parking structures through public-private partnership (PPP) as the city does not have sufficient funds to simultaneously implement the said projects aside and there are several private companies  interested to partner with the city for the construction of parking structures in strategic areas in the city.

Based on the data obtained from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Baguio City field office, there are already over 64,000 private and public motor vehicles that are registered in the city and these  contribute to daily traffic congestions in major roads aggravated by the inadequate parking spaces.

The put up of parking structures in strategic areas in the city is one of the programs, projects and activities of the city government to implement the present administration’s 15-point collective agenda on aggressive traffic management.