After protest and discussions, parties agree to keep 'protected bike lanes' in Ayala Ave.
MANILA, Philippines — Representatives from the #MakeItSaferMakati movement, Ayala Land, Inc., and the Makati Business Club's Business for Biking Program have agreed to maintain protected bike lanes in Ayala Avenue after plans of scrapping them were met with street protests.
In a joint statement sent to the media, the three entities on Friday said they agreed to maintain the protected bike lanes and to "jointly study and implement various street design solutions."
"After a series of conversations in the past two weeks, all parties agreed that it is to everyone's benefit that Ayala Avenue remain a safe, convenient and inclusive transport corridor for all road users — including pedestrians, commuters, cyclists, and motorists," said the statement.
"Moving forward, Ayala Avenue will continue to host a physically protected and enforced bike lane — with bollards to separate cyclists from other vehicles, road studs for better visibility, and with enforcement through the Makati Parking Authority — supported by an intensified information campaign."
Bikers mobilized last February 12 against the plans of Make it Makati — a collaboration of the city government, Ayala Land Inc. and Makati Commercial Estate Association Inc. — to remove the protected bicycle lanes along said road in favor of shared lanes or "sharrows," reducing bike lanes into paint markings.
Tina Batalla, convenor of the protest ride, earlier said that "paint" does not physically protect people on the road. Removing protected bike lanes exposes cyclists to various road hazards.
"ALI, the #MakeItSaferMakati movement, MBC and other stakeholders will establish a technical working group and open dialogue to ensure continuous improvement of Ayala Avenue's transport schemes including further studies on the bike lane widths," continued the statement.
"Moved by a common vision and commitment, ALI, #MakeItSaferMakati, and MBC commit to making this partnership a model for collaboration between people, local government units, and developers in promoting bike- and commuter-friendly places and cities all around the Philippines."
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