The locations for BRT stations

The construction of the lanes for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is steadily proceeding, save for a few setbacks due to minor changes. So far, the amendment was limited to the transfer of the location of one station along Osmeña Boulevard a little farther from the Capitol towards Fuente Osmeña. This was prompted by the observation that it might block the view of the Capitol. Actually, it wouldn’t have affected the view so much if those “special” designs were not used. But those huge pipe structures did interfere with the panoramic view. A simple design wouldn’t have.

It's one of those compensatory decisions we often encounter in project design. There often is a choice between visual and functional aspects of structures and it is the implementor’s burden to find a balance between them. In the case of the Cebu BRT stations along Osmeña Boulevard, this will result in a better view. The downside is that people who are going to the Capitol may have to walk farther than previously designed and anticipated. But it would be good for some other establishments on that boulevard between the Capitol and Fuente.

This is part of the pros and cons of the different kinds of public transportation. I have written before about my son, Samuel, always preferring to ride buses in Singapore, instead of trains. I do, too, especially when I’m not in a hurry – choosing buses means less walking to the nearest station – and I mean a lot less. Trains are much faster but because of that, their stations are much farther apart, which means you may have to use those knees in getting to places. That’s more Singaporeans prefer that, too, 60% of the daily trips are actually by buses even though the subway may seem to be the better and faster option. When you’re a visitor, you’d want to ride the subway all you want, but if you stayed there for a week already, you’d realize the bus is the better option, not all, but most of the time.

There would always be pros and cons in selecting station locations. Firstly, the distance between stations is governed by the kind of public transport itself, mostly by their capacities and speed. Jeepney stops are very near each other, and you have plenty of stops. The MRT in Manila and Singapore have much fewer but are quite far apart. For ordinary buses, it’s somewhere in between, and for BRT, maybe between buses and the MRT/LRT. The station location is decided during the design and depends on the issue being addressed or compensated.

For this particular case, moving the station near the Capitol farther from it will improve the view, but as a result, Capitol-bound passengers would have to walk a little farther to get there. Good if you have a car because it does have ample parking spaces. Riding taxis is okay, too, but constituents and customers who will come by public transport will need to walk a little farther once the station is moved. In public transport design, there is no such thing as a perfect solution, it’s always a compromise among many different issues attached to the numerous, diverse passengers/clientele.