More traffic experiments set in Baguio City after holidays ‘carmageddon’

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government will be conducing more traffic experiments along different roads in the city to ease traffic jams like during the Yuletide Season which motorists said was horrendous.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the city government started the implementation of some traffic experiments in some major roads in the city as short-term solutions to the prevailing traffic congestions but more traffic experiments are yet to be implemented.

He added that if these experiments do not work, then the same will be cancelled and replaced with other measures aside from working on possible adjustments on the existing congestions.

The city chief executive said traffic experiments are stop gap measures while the city is awaiting the outcome of the comprehensive traffic study done by traffic experts from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

According to him, one possible solution to the prevailing monstrous traffic congestions in the city is the eventual construction of multi-level parking structures in strategic areas in the city to accommodate the huge volume of vehicles that flock to the city during weekends and peak tourism months to help lessen the inconveniences of both the residents and visitors.

Earlier, MMDA traffic experts came to the city a number of times to study the traffic situation after which they will submit their comprehensive report within three to four months or by early this year with their recommendations on how to improve the current traffic situation in the city.

One of the administration’s 15-point collective agenda is the formulation of effective traffic management to help curb the traffic jams around the city brought about by the rapidly increasing number of vehicles in the streets.

Based on the data from the city’s traffic management division lodged with the City Engineering office, various roads in the city have a capacity to accommodate slightly over 18,00 vehicles but the number of registered vehicles in the Land Transportation Office (LTO) already reached more than 64,000 and still counting, aside from the vehicles that flock to the city during weekends and holidays.

The recent traffic study conducted by the MMDA costs around P1.5 million which was donated by the MMDA as part of its corporate social responsibility to provide assistance needed by other city governments in addressing traffic problems in their areas of jurisdiction.

Part of the ongoing activities of the city government is the re-designing of pedestrian lanes and intersections of the different roads to reduce the impact of traffic to the daily lives of the people living in the city’s 128 barangays.