Open letter for MMDA chairman and Manila mayor

Al Vitangcol 3rd

FOLLOWING is the text of an open letter I sent to Romando Artes, chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and Dr. Maria Sheilah Lacuna-Pangan, mayor of the City of Manila.

Re: Maximizing traffic flow along inner roadways, one road at a time

Honorables Artes and Pangan:

Transport and traffic management involves a set of strategies and policies designed to ensure efficient, safe and sustainable transportation systems while minimizing congestion and maximizing the use of available road infrastructure.

An effective transport and traffic management system had always been a dream, probably an elusive dream, to experience within Metro Manila, particularly in the City of Manila. The present system, obviously an ineffective one, has negatively impacted the overall quality of life of those living, and even those merely passing through the streets, in Manila.

There are several key components in a good transport and traffic and management system. However, I would not belabor your Honors on these, since some of these components are already beyond your control (e.g., design and planning of road networks).

I suggest for the MMDA and the City of Manila to concentrate on two crucial aspects — enforcing traffic laws to enhance road safety and optimizing traffic flow. You may counter that these could not be done overnight. I agree with you, but this can be done one roadway at a time.

Assuming that there are 247 working days in a year, then traffic flow in 247 roadways would have been improved for the full year. Imagine how this simple way would drastically improve the comfort, safety and quality of life of the affected citizens of Metro Manila, particularly those in the City of Manila.

Let me cite an example on how this one-roadway-at-a-time scheme can be accomplished. Say, improve traffic management along Pablo Ocampo Street (formerly known as Vito Cruz Street) on day one.

Roxas Boulevard and Taft Avenue are major arterial roadways. These roads are connected to each other via local connector roads and feeder roads. One such local road is P. Ocampo Street. Traffic coming from Roxas Boulevard passes through P. Ocampo Street to reach Taft Avenue and even to go further to Makati City.

P. Ocampo Street is only 3.448 kilometers, but there are times when it takes an hour to traverse such a short road. From Roxas Boulevard, it crosses A. Mabini Street, then Leveriza Street, then Donada Street and finally reaching Taft Avenue. For those traveling to Makati, it connects to Tramo, Bautista, Fernando, T. Ayala, Dian, Jacobo, Espiritu, Alfonso, A. Aquino, Taal, G. del Pilar, Lemery and ends in Osmeña Highway.

Morning rush hour shows that traffic flow along P. Ocampo Street from Roxas Boulevard to A. Mabini Street is manageable, starts to build up from Century Park Hotel to Leveriza and grinds to excruciatingly slow to Donada and even to a halt intersecting Taft Avenue. Sometimes, that less than 300-meter distance from Rizal Memorial Stadium to Taft Avenue takes 20 minutes of driving time.

So, how do we reduce the 30-minute driving time from Roxas Boulevard to Taft Avenue, via P. Ocampo Street, to a mere four minutes? The answer is simple — clear P. Ocampo Street of obstructions, illegal infrastructures and enforce traffic rules and regulations throughout.

There are two types of obstructions there — roadway obstructions and sidewalk obstructions. The sidewalk from Leveriza to Donada are filled with vendors, semipermanent stalls, hawkers’ kiosks and peddlers. These small enterprises conduct their business in the sidewalk to the point that some of them have positioned monobloc tables and chairs for their customers. There are times of the day that these operations spill to the roadway. What is the effect of this? Pedestrians are deprived of the sidewalk and have to walk in the roadway thereby restricting the roadway and contributing to overall traffic congestion.

P. Ocampo Street from Cityland Vito Cruz Towers to the corner of Taft Avenue is partially obstructed at all times. The sides of the median island and the lane fronting Rizal Memorial Stadium are used as “parking spaces” while tricycles have occupied the side corner near Taft Avenue and the middle island between Donada and Rizal Memorial Stadium as their own “terminals.” There are “No Parking” signs along the road, but these signs are ignored — both by the people and the supposed traffic enforcers.

There you are. All you have to do is clear P. Ocampo Street of sidewalk and roadway obstructions (from Leveriza Street to corner Taft Avenue) and enforce the “No Parking” regulation (from corner of Roxas Boulevard to corner of Taft Avenue). Do this and the four-minute drive from Roxas Boulevard to Taft Avenue, via P. Ocampo Street, would be a reality. What roadway would be next then?

Remember that political will is fundamental to creating and sustaining an effective traffic management system. Leaders who champion policies that prioritize transportation issues, efficiency, safety and sustainability contribute significantly to the overall success of traffic management efforts.

May you have that political will.

Al S. Vitangcol

Columnist, The Manila Times

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