More comments on EDSA and C5 traffic

In response to our latest column on the traffic problem in Metro Manila, we received a number of letters from readers. Let’s hear from two of them in this column. The first comes from Robert “Ogie” Esguerra who introduces himself as a motorist. He writes:

“I read your article today about the horrendous traffic that we’ve been experiencing everyday especially in EDSA. I wrote to you to lament my disappointment with what’s going on at our main thoroughfare.

Mega projects needed

“First of all, the efforts of MMDA would be inappropriate. No matter how hard they implement rules on the road, it won’t work because what we need in EDSA are mega projects. 

“Even a simple engineering student can think of the best solution. What we need to do is to tear down all flyovers on EDSA. Those structures do nothing to ease the traffic. As you can see everyday, the flyovers are becoming a big parking lot. 

“After tearing down the flyovers, we should replace them with a skyway linking the existing skyway in the south. By the way, we also need to demolish the MRT. The trains should be under the new Skyway in EDSA – a subway train.  

“Exits points of the EDSA skyway are Balintawak Market, Munoz, Kamuning, Crame, Ortigas, Guadalupe, Ayala, Magallanes, Edsa Taft and SM Megamall. The new MRT subway stations should be constructed at SM North, Quezon Avenue, Cubao, Ortigas, Crossing, Ayala, Magallanes and SM Megamall. 

“The government should also build a subway for light vehicles parallel to subway train. To save on the cost of building these subways, they should include ventilation facilities in the middle of EDSA where the posts of EDSA Skyway are located. This will also serve as the emergency exits. 

“These are the permanent solution to the traffic in EDSA. We cannot ignore the fact that we are moving forward, faster than our neighbors in the ASEAN. As the economy is growing, the demand for new vehicles also improves.

“The government can include the EDSA Skyway, MRT subway and EDSA subway to the list of PPP. Yes, there’s still hope to the historic EDSA traffic.  Attention, Sec. Rogelio Singson!”

Removing constrictions

The next letter sender is Rene Montemayor who will deal in some detail about his observations along C5, a diversion road running parallel to EDSA. Please read on.

“I read with great interest your column on traffic woes in the city. In my humble opinion, I do not see any iota of effort on the MMDA’s (Metro Manila Development Authority) part to address in a systematic way the traffic mess in Metro Manila.

“A few years ago, I discussed this subject with a senior engineer in Toyota Motors Corp. in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. He simply said that “any engineer worth his salt will automatically use engineering principles to study in a logical and systematic manner the traffic problem. An engineer will examine for example the traffic in any thoroughfare and determine what is consistently causing the slowdown of vehicles in any part of the thoroughfare. Normally, it is a constriction and an engineer will find ways of removing that constriction.”

“In my almost daily route starting in the Libis area going south, the first major constriction I see is the two-lane “overpass” that starts after the Caltex gas station after the Green Valley Country Club. From three or four lanes, people who are going to Kalayaan and the Bonifacio Global City are forced into this two-lane overpass.

“I guess we can’t do much about this reality in the near term. However, this situation is exacerbated by the usual presence of traffic cops who try to catch motorists who are in violation of the number coding. To me, the number coding is an attempt to lessen the traffic mess. However, the presence of these cops worsens the traffic mess because motorists are naturally curious and their attention is always drawn to these traffic cops.

“MMDA should try to experiment whether the absence of these traffic cops will tend to lessen the slow down of vehicles. These cops should instead position themselves in other areas where their presence will not slow down vehicles.

“The second possible area is the point near the place where the overpass goes over the Pasig River and the C5 traffic merges with the vehicles from the surface level cars coming from the Pasig area. It is good that the barrier separating these merging lanes has been shortened.

“When there was an experiment to make longer the barrier, the traffic along C5 became much, much worse. That makes sense because the cars along C5 now have a chance to go into more lanes. The more you prolong this possibility, the slower the flow will be.

“In some expressways in the (United) States, when the oncoming traffic from entrances slow down or impede the traffic along the expressways, there are traffic lights installed in these entrances to control the cars flowing into the main stream.

“I do not think there is any need at this point to do something like this because the system of traffic lights in the intersections below the overpass already in a way restricts the traffic that comes from below and merges with the traffic going south along C5.

“The next minor constriction I see is the four lanes of the overpass over the Pasig River that go into three lanes because of the first of two elevated U turns. I guess we cannot do anything about this elevated U turn. Anyway, there is another lane somewhere below the elevated U turn that allows vehicles that are turning right on Kalayaan to take.

“The next and last constriction, and perhaps the most serious one is the area just below the second elevated U turn just before the first entrance to Bonifacio Global City. Here the slower vehicles coming from the service road merge with the ones traveling faster or should be traveling faster on C5.

“Unfortunately, sometimes there are garbage trucks that are parked in this area or jeepneys that are traveling slowly. Also, the cars that are taking the first among a few entrances into the Bonifacio Global City somehow slow down or are slowed down by the traffic that has backed up to this area.

“Compounding the problem is the fact that the grade or slope of the road starts to go up and that naturally slows down the cars. Finally, this is the area also where there are some potholes that are repaired occasionally, but the repair has not been done well enough and cars are not able to speed up as much as they can.

“If I were an engineer, this is the major constriction that needs more study and changes. I have mentioned some problems in this particular area that slow down the cars and are probably the major cause of all that traffic along C5.

“Should not the national government and MMDA spend some resources to study these particular constrictions? The MMDA should publish the detailed results of their studies on C5 and other major roadways in the city.

“I have seen a particular study done by Japanese consultants from a more macro view of the needed facilities and major infrastructures that will have to be built in the next few years to ease the traffic mess, but even before that, there are solutions that I feel can significantly reduce the amount of traffic that all motorists are experiencing everyday.”

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.