Cyclists outraged over conversion of Ayala Avenue protected bike lanes into shared lanes
“It was good while it lasted,” tweeted one netizen in response to Make It Makati’s announcement that protected bike lanes on Ayala Avenue will be turned into sharrows, or shared lanes for use by bicycles and motor vehicles, starting February 15, to accommodate the increase in commuter traffic in Makati City.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page and Twitter account, Make It Makati explains that the initiative is “being done to better serve the commuting public and in preparation for the provision of more and bigger transit sheds along Ayala Avenue.”
“We remain cognizant of everyone’s needs, especially the biking community, and this is why the city is implementing an organized way of accommodating more commuters through sharrows.
Makati continues to be a bike-friendly city with all the available biking initiatives in place, from the bike racks, bike repair stations, various sharrows in the MCBD, to the Moovr app bike rental service, and NBO Bike Lessons during the Makati Street Meet,” the statement added.
When the national government halted public transportation as part of health protocols at the COVID-19 pandemic, many commuters transitioned to cycling as a means of going to and from their offices and work areas.
With the re-opening of the economy and many employees returning to on-site work, the number of commuters in the district has increased to a point that Ayala Avenue has to “make more room for public transport and commuters,” as Make It Makati’s follow-up advisory stated.
But the bike commuters are having none of it.
The move has left many people who cycle to work in Makati City in a spin. For many, removing protected bike lanes makes a mockery of much-trumpeted “sustainable development” goals of the country’s premiere financial district.
Netizens expressed their frustration and outrage over what they see as car-centric planning that will jeopardize the safety of cyclists in the city. Some are also calling the move as “anti-worker” and “anti-poor.”
Cycling advocates are organizing a community ride to call for a safer Ayala Avenue and more protected bike lanes in Metro Manila. The “Make It Safer Makati” community ride will meet up on Sunday, February 12, 7:00 A.M. at Jollibee Ayala Avenue and will set up at 8:00 A.M. at the corner of Paseo and Makati Avenues.
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