MMDA eyes Roxas Boulevard clearway

After the success of the "clearway" traffic scheme implemented on Commonwealth Avenue and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said they are now planning to bring this traffic routing system on Roxas Boulevard which spans Manila and Pasay City.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, said they are currently drawing up a "clearway" traffic plan for Roxas Boulevard which when finished will be presented to the mayors of Pasay City and Manila namely Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad and Mayor Lito Atienza.

Fernando admitted that implementing the traffic scheme along Roxas Boulevard would entail the construction of pedestrian overpasses along the thoroughfare.

The "clearway" traffic system involves the installment of several "U-turn" slots in critical highway intersections in place of stoplights to ensure continuous flow.

Fernando said the "clearway" traffic system has so far proved in cutting travel time along Commonwealth and Quezon Avenues, despite earlier criticisms from motorists.

Fernando pointed out that because of the success of the traffic system on the two major thoroughfares in Quezon City, a problem arose wherein pedestrians had complained of difficulty in crossing the said avenues because of the continuing flow of vehicles.

Fernando said that this was the reason why the MMDA is currently in the process of rushing the construction of at least 15 pedestrian overpasses or footbridges in several critical areas along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Avenue, EDSA, Elliptical Avenue, and in C-5 Road.

MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno said that they hope to finish the construction of the 15 overpasses by December.

In another development, Fernando denied yesterday that the MMDA was "walling off" squatter communities in certain areas in the cities of Manila, Pasay and Parañaque in preparation for the coming visit of US President George W. Bush this weekend.

Fernando, in a press conference yesterday, stressed that the MMDA’s thrust was to open up these communities to oblige residents there to clean up their surroundings to avoid being "eyesores" to their fellow Metro Manilans.

"Building walls is not the strategy of the MMDA. If you build walls to hide them, you encourage them not to clean their surroundings," the MMDA chief said.