I think the terminal for buses going south should be in Alabang. Besides, Alabang has always played that role as far as I can remember. FTI is way too far and inaccessible. The point here is that these provincial buses should never be inside MM because they only add to the congestion of EDSA and other main roads. And I also think that it's the practice in many countries to have their terminals for provincial/rural buses on the outskirts of their cities/metros

Alabang would be ideal if there was a mass transport service aside from the PNR to connect with the city bus lines that pass through EDSA. Since this won't happen in the near future, the closer the bus terminals are to the major city thoroughfares like EDSA would be a better solution.

FTI at this stage doesn't seem a good option, just as you mentioned. If PNR sells its property there, as well as the large grounds of FTI itself, the government can make a lot of money although I guess we could see another big mall and residential area developer like Ayala, SMDC or Robinson's Land (including Megaworld) show that much interest in this. But please, no Camella and Palmera Homes and other mass market housing developers, please. They will just add to the congestion since C & P never really built the infrastructure leading to most of its subdivisions. An integrated development would be the best bet and would allow the government to maximize the sale of its properties.

Let's face it, EDSA is still the major artery of Metro Manila. Any provincial bus needs to connect there, not at the fringes of the metropolis.

^^Then where would it be suitable for the south?

I guess the city buses going south to Alabang could serve that route in addition to PNR. Besides, I see a lot of buses going to Alabang that uses the Skyway. I think that would be enough.

I am also looking for another superterminal that could serve the southwestern side of MM or the southernmost part of EDSA. There's a lot of provincial terminals there as well. I think they should be relocated somewere else.

I was gonna say the same NTprime and I agree also with Le Reine. If they would build a provincial bus terminal, it should also be connected to a Mass transit system, I don't care if it's PNR or LRT/MRT as long as there are better means for the passengers to conviniently go to these terminal. Southern provincial buses should be station somewhere in Alabang (if Pasay, it should be close to close to the skyway and not be allowed in the main highway) while the Northern provincial buses should be around Balintawak, close to NLEX.

^^ Agree. Basta merong accessible na rail link doon sa provincial bus terminal, ok sakin.

^^Then where would it be suitable for the south?

I guess the city buses going south to Alabang could serve that route in addition to PNR. Besides, I see a lot of buses going to Alabang that uses the Skyway. I think that would be enough.

I am also looking for another superterminal that could serve the southwestern side of MM or the southernmost part of EDSA. There's a lot of provincial terminals there as well. I think they should be relocated somewere else.

I was gonna say the same NTprime and I agree also with Le Reine. If they would build a provincial bus terminal, it should also be connected to a Mass transit system, I don't care if it's PNR or LRT/MRT as long as there are better means for the passengers to conviniently go to these terminal. Southern provincial buses should be station somewhere in Alabang (if Pasay, it should be close to close to the skyway and not be allowed in the main highway) while the Northern provincial buses should be around Balintawak, close to NLEX.

Having gone through both your observations, maybe we can further subdivide the classification of provincial buses. I say this because bus lines like JAM, BBL, etc. (which serve San Pedro, Binan, Pacita, Santa Rosa areas) are also considered provincial buses in addition to the likes of the long range provincial bus lines like Philtranco, etc. Same goes for bus lines from the provinces north of Manila but that isn't as big an issue as those from the south.

For now your suggestions will surely be objected to by the bus companies and the commuters, especially those from Binan and closer to Alabang. Imagine, one would need to have 2 rides going to Makati when in fact currently it is just one ride? Second, bus rides are best for medium to long range travel, i.e. travel greater than 5-10 km. To transfer twice just to cover a distance of 30 km will be much of a hassle so I don't see the practicality of having all provincial buses unload and load at a super terminal in Alabang, whether or not it is connected to a mass transport system like the PNR or even Skyway. In fact, one of the main draws of buses coming from the south is that they use the Skyway (for obvious reasons to save commute time). So let's exempt those lines who service the nearby towns and cities outside Metro Manila from the provincial bus terminal.

Now with the other provincial lines (those that travel more then 30-40 km. from Metro Manila one way), a provincial bus terminal should be in order. By doing so the bus lines will be able to save money by avoiding the traffic prone routes (SLEX), which then translates into faster turnaround time for them.

What I see likely happening in the near to mid future is that provincial bus terminals will be relocated away from EDSA and Taft Avenue. Their buses are the ones that cause traffic in the areas near their terminals.

Expect heavy traffic in metropolis next week -- MMDA
:ohno:

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 10/30/2010 11:13 AM | Updated as of 10/30/2010 11:13 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Saturday that returning residents of Metro Manila should expect heavy traffic next week as it may authorize hundreds of petrol trucks from the northern and southern provinces to travel back and forth the metropolis.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino announced over radio dzMM that 1,000 petrol trucks may be allowed to travel daily along major thoroughfares of Metro Manila, including the Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA), to fetch petroleum products.

Tolentino said that this is connected to the leaking pipe of the First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC) in Makati City's Bangkal area.

The FPIC has been ordered to temporarily shut down the pipeline following the discovery that it was the source of the gas leak that has been affecting residents of Barangay Bangkal since July this year.

The FPIC's pipeline transports fuel products from Batangas to Pandacan oil depots in Manila. The pipeline stretches from the Osmeña Highway in Makati City, Laguna province and all the way to Batangas province.

Tolentino said he is expecting the Department of Energy (DoE) to send a written request to his office for a blanket permit for the oil tankers to travel back and forth Metro Manila starting next week.

The MMDA chairman said that he may have no choice but to grant the request because of economic concerns.

"Kung hindi pagbibigyan, [ang] mga taga-Batangas mawawalan ng supply ng gasolina. Malaki rin ang epekto nito hindi lang sa NCR (National Capital Region) kundi pati sa ibang region," he said.

Tolentino, meanwhile, assured that the MMDA will not allow the petrol trucks to enter secondary streets because they pose danger to communities.

He said the trucks will only be allowed to travel along EDSA and other major thoroughfares.

"Pinapauna ko na ang abiso. Kung may traffic jam ay ito ang sanhi," he said. Tolentino also called for cooler heads, particularly from those who will be returning from the provinces.



He said the traffic jams may start next week and may affect majority of areas in the southern part of Metro Manila, including Makati and Pasay cities.

Magallanes digging halted :ohno:

BusinessMirror
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 13:33
by Paul Anthony A. Isla and VG Cabuag / Reporters

IT gets worse. Efforts by the First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC), operator of the Batangas-Manila fuel pipeline, to pinpoint the exact spot that is springing a leak by digging around the busy Magallanes interchange in Makati City, stalled on Wednesday on concerns the diggings will imperil the stability of the infrastructure.

At press time, diggers and officials of FPIC were still awaiting clearance from the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to resume work underneath the Magallanes Interchange Flyover, in hopes of finding, and plugging, the leak’s source—a task they said earlier would take at least 24 hours of clamping and welding.

The suspension of digging, after a girder of the flyover was accidentally hit, meant that alternatives to ferrying oil from Batangas to the oil depot in Pandacan, Manila—on which over half of the metropolis relies for its sources—would have to be resorted to indefinitely. These include the use of more barges and more on-road transport, which accounts for the temporary lifting by the MMDA of the truck ban for petroleum tankers on Tuesday.

DPWH Undersecretary for Regional Operations Romeo Momo said the suspension of the digging will give the government time to assess its effect on the foundation of the overpass, used by thousands of vehicles going to and from the southern part of Manila every day.

Momo said there is no sign yet that the 35-year-old overpass has been weakened by the digging measures of FPIC, which later denied earlier reports that the diggers had accidentally struck a girder of the overpass.

Momo pointed out that the soil foundation may also have been weakened because of the recent rains.

“The vibration [from the vehicles] might disturb the retaining wall and lead to the possible collapse of the southbound ramp going to the South Luzon Expressway, of the overpass,” DPWH-National Capital Region (NCR) regional director Reynaldo Tagudando told reporters.

“As of now, there had been no signs of cracks on the structure that would lead to its collapse,” Tagudando added.

FPIC workers have been digging along the stretch of Osmeña Boulevard, at the foot of the Magallanes overpass, to repair the damaged portion of the Batangas-Manila fuel pipeline. It will reportedly last for three weeks.

The pipeline was shut off last week following the discovery of a leak in the tube that caused the three-month-long fuel seepage at the basement of the West Tower Condominium in barangay Bangkal, Makati City.

The foundation of the flyover is also reportedly attached to a footing to shield the pipeline from the weight of the overhead structure and the passing motorists.

As of press time, DPWH has not yet conducted its site inspection, but officials said that it may allow the resumption of FPIC’s diggings if it was determined that the operation is not affecting the integrity of the overpass.

The FPIC’s 117-kilometer tube transport fuel products from Batangas to Pandacan oil depot in Manila. It supplies around 60 percent of the Metro Manila’s fuel requirement.

Ireneo Raule Jr., FPIC senior vice president, said on Wednesday digging underneath the Magallanes Interchange was temporarily halted by the DPWH and the MMDA because they wanted to assess the integrity of the structure (Magallanes Interchange Flyover) and traffic flow, respectively.

“At around 4 p.m. yesterday, I spoke to our people at the site; DPWH and MMDA officials have yet to give us the green light to resume our digging operations, as they are still assessing the structure’s integrity considering the excavation that we’ve made. MMDA even made detour or road signs to warn motorists of their possible diversion routes going south,” he said.

Raule also made it clear that the temporary-stop order is just for the DPWH to assess the Magallanes integrity, and not because a part of the flyover had been damaged, as reported earlier.

Raule said they were still hoping that digging operations would be resumed by Wednesday night.

“If we get the go signal to resume, then it will take us another 24 hours to break in a portion of the concrete casing and determine if the 120-meter segment of the pipeline underneath the Magallanes Interchange is the source of the fuel leak. If not, then we will have to dig elsewhere until we find it,” Raule said.

Shell contingency

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. activated its business contingency plan following the shutdown of the FPIC pipeline which supplies petroleum products to its Pandacan depot.

Shell has arranged for alternative supply arrangements, by positioning a mother supply ship off the Pasig River for the barging of petroleum products to the Manila depot.

Shell added that long-distance supply sourcing by lorries from its Tabangao refinery and Poro depot is also being resorted to, for direct deliveries to its customers in Metro Manila.

“We continue to work closely with First Philippine Industrial Corp., pipeline owner and operator, to monitor the developments in order to fully assess the impact of the issue on our operations and the public that we serve. We remain hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon,” said Roberto Kanapi, Shell vice president for communications.

Energy officials earlier raised the possibility of setting up a bypass line in order to bring fuel to Metro Manila from Batangas, as experts struggled to determine the exact source of the leak at the pipeline of the FPIC in barangay Bangkal, Makati City.

The leak from FPIC was confirmed on Friday after an interagency task force was tapped by the Makati City government in order to help plug the unexplained surge of a mix of liquids at the basement of the West Tower Condominium in the area, from where hundreds of tenants had been evacuated since several months ago.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras broached the idea of FPIC setting up a bypass line even if excavation activities have already started to determine the fuel leak source.

“I proposed that [bypass line] to prepare for the possibility that they cannot find the leak within the pipeline that is underneath the Magallanes Interchange Flyover,” Almendras said in a text message to the BusinessMirror.

^^ Heavy traffic along Magallanes interchange. Trucks and other heavy vehicles are not allowed to use the interchange. Tapos they will close one lane pa.

On Shell, hindi kaya nagkakairingan lng ang gobyerno at Shell sa mga kasong pinapataw nila sa bawat isa? Nangangailangan ng pera ang gobyerno kya sinasabi na hndi dw nagbabayad ng buwis ang Shell... Nanindigan ang Shell, at sabi nagbabayad nmn dw sila at may proofs dw sila. Kung may proofs at nagbayad nmn dw ng buwis, ibigsabihin may kurakot dyan. Nauwi sa pagsara ng pipeline na pinagkukunan ng gasolina ng Shell para pulitikahin ang business nila. hehehe
Hmmm ????? pwde.... pwde...

Patrol cops to reinforce MMDA traffic enforcers on EDSA :lol:

By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)
Updated November 04, 2010 04:32 PM Comments

MANILA, Philippines – Starting tomorrow, scores of policemen belonging to the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) will team up with traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to help man traffic and strictly enforce traffic rules along the entire stretch of EDSA.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the days of erring motorists who continue to wantonly disregard traffic rules and regulations are numbered following the joint agreement between the MMDA and the PNP-HPG to put more teeth on traffic enforcement along Edsa and other major road arteries in Metro Manila.

“Together with the PNP, we are buttressing our efforts to put a stop to the horrors of congested roads, traffic moving at a snail’s pace or even stops to a standstill especially along Edsa. We will throw the book at undisciplined drivers who are so brazen in violating traffic laws,” Tolentino said.

“We have decided to join hands with the PNP and other concerned agencies to find honest-to-goodness answers to the perennial traffic problem and breakdown of discipline drivers,” he added.

The MMDA is now readying the deputation of PNP-HPG personnel to form part of the strengthened composite teams of enforcers who will man traffic along choke points, including portions of Pasay City, Baclaran in Parañaque City, and Taft Avenue in Manila, which lie along the north- and southbound lanes of EDSA.

Some PNP policewomen, together with their counterpart MMDA lady enforcers, have also been tapped to beef up the teams, Tolentino added.

^^ Yung mga pa Alabang, sumakay na sa PNR :D Tiisin nalang ang siksikan...

^Yung portion ng Ortigas , sa may outerlane ng north bound, wala ba iyon balak ayusin ng MMDA iyon?:ohno:


^^ Yung mga pa Alabang, sumakay na sa PNR :D Tiisin nalang ang siksikan...

Pwede kung marunong sila mag-antay.:nuts:

dapat sana hindi mrt/lrt ang ipinatayo ni tabako king...dapat skyway...ay gets ko na...gusto nya mapunta lahat ng convenience dyan sa tinitirahan nya sa former squatter resettlement area na ayala-alabang na inagaw ng mga mayayabang na dogyut

they should put nails or spikes as lane dividers in Edsa.

Reminds of the road spike attack in Manila's key thoroughfares a few years back. :nuts:

Reminds of the road spike attack in Manila's key thoroughfares a few years back. :nuts:

G@gong Ely Pamatong yun...dapat sinagasaan ng mga motorista yun eh.

MMDA, PNP-HPG to team up for EDSA traffic management (http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/mmda-pnp-hpg-to-team-up-for-edsa-traffic-management)


09 Nov 2010

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has teamed up with the Philippine National Police - Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) in managing traffic along EDSA.

"We have decided to join hands with the PNP and other concerned agencies to find honest-to-goodness answers to the perennial traffic problem and breakdown of discipline drivers," said MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino. "Together with the PNP, we are buttressing our efforts to put a stop to the horrors of congested roads, traffic moving at a snail's pace or even stops to a standstill especially along Edsa. We will throw the book at undisciplined drivers who are so brazen in violating traffic laws."

The MMDA is in the process of deputizing some members of the PNP-HPG who will form part of the strengthened composite teams of traffic enforcers. These teams will man choke points like Pasay City, Baclaran in Parañaque and Taft Avenue in Manila.

Some PNP policewomen, together with female MMDA traffic enforcers have also been tapped to beef up the teams, said Tolentino.

Tolentino added that though the combined forces of the MMDA and other concerned government agencies can increase the number of apprehended traffic violators, "procedures alone will not kill the problem."

"Our collaborative effort with the PNP is part of a long-term task that refers to the general picture, to educate our countrymen on obeying the law and instilling discipline on them," Tolentino said.

i took the opportunity to drive along edsa today to see what the effect of having minimal buses on traffic flow.

some observations:

1. obviously, traffic was light. especially northbound. i think this disproves the insanely ridiculous argument that private vehicles are causing heavy traffic.

2. while traffic was generally light, there are two chokepoints that require some traffic engineering solutions. curiously, both of these are located on the southbound portion of edsa (this is why northbound is a lot lighter).
a. going up the boni serano flyover, the lanes go from 5 lanes to 3 lanes. this is compounded by the fact the right side of the road have taxis and buses swerving into the lanes going up the flyover. even on a "bus-less" day, this chokepoint caused traffic to back up to the cubao underpass.
b. going up the edsa-ortigas flyover, the same thing happens. from 6 lanes, it narrows to 4, then gradually expands to 5 (2 lanes going up and left to ortigas and 3 lanes going to mandaluyong). this is also aggravated by the MRT pillars that were inexplicably positioned to block one lane of EDSA (additional proof that the mrt was poorly designed).

my two cents... i hope people will put up their observations as well :D

Are the chokepoints caused by stranded passengers? Since i saw on the news that stranded passengers are standing on the road itself.

i don't think so.. talagang imbudo lang. there are portions of EDSA that are badly designed and should be modified, IMHO.

Recto proposes ‘new EDSA’ to ease Metro Manila traffic :lol:
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:04:00 11/18/2010

MANILA, Philippines -- How about another EDSA to ease the traffic in Metro Manila?

Senator Ralph Recto on Thursday raised the possibility of constructing another EDSA or C6 that will connect the North Luzon Expressway and the South Luzon Expressway as one option to address the traffic problem in the metropolis.

The other option, Recto said, is to have additional coaches for Metro Railway Transit (MRT), which can be done within a year.

The construction of a new elevated EDSA, meanwhile, could be completed within three years, said the senator.

“Mahalaga din para mas madaling sumunod ang lahat ng mamamyan sa Metro Manila ay magbigay tayo ng solution sa trapiko, hindi lang sa short term, kundi medium term at long term (It’s important that we provide solutions to ease the traffic, not just short term solutions but long term, so that people in Metro Manila will easily follow),” he said during a regular forum in the Senate on Thursday.

“Nang sa ganoon, makikita ng mga tao na may pag-asa, (This is so people can see that there is hope), may light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak,” he pointed out.

Recto said the government should consider both his proposals to ensure a steady growth of the country's economy.

“There must be a sense of urgency dito sa ating bansa para patuloy na lumago ang ating ekonomiya. Magkakaroon ng kumpiyansa ang tao, nakapagbigay ng trabaho sa mamamayan at maging competetive ang ating economy (There must be a sense of urgency here in our country so our economy will continuously grow. People will have confidence in the government, more jobs will be generated, and our economy will be competitive),” he said.

“At the end of the day, it's about creating jobs and making our economy more competitive so napakahalaga dyan yung usaping pang imprastraktura (infrastructure is also important). You will not be able to sustain the growth without the necessary infrastructure,” said the senator.

^^ elevated EDSA is a good idea

^^ elevated EDSA is a good idea

i had this idea too, but i think its absolutely NOT feasible

i guess the senator got the idea from the Bangkok double decked BTS, and the new york brooklyn bridge

EDSA now is alright as long as the NLEX SLEX connector gets built

Recto proposes ‘new EDSA’ to ease Metro Manila traffic :lol:
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:04:00 11/18/2010

MANILA, Philippines -- How about another EDSA to ease the traffic in Metro Manila?

Senator Ralph Recto on Thursday raised the possibility of constructing another EDSA or C6 that will connect the North Luzon Expressway and the South Luzon Expressway as one option to address the traffic problem in the metropolis.

The other option, Recto said, is to have additional coaches for Metro Railway Transit (MRT), which can be done within a year.

The construction of a new elevated EDSA, meanwhile, could be completed within three years, said the senator.

“Mahalaga din para mas madaling sumunod ang lahat ng mamamyan sa Metro Manila ay magbigay tayo ng solution sa trapiko, hindi lang sa short term, kundi medium term at long term (It’s important that we provide solutions to ease the traffic, not just short term solutions but long term, so that people in Metro Manila will easily follow),” he said during a regular forum in the Senate on Thursday.

“Nang sa ganoon, makikita ng mga tao na may pag-asa, (This is so people can see that there is hope), may light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak,” he pointed out.

Recto said the government should consider both his proposals to ensure a steady growth of the country's economy.

“There must be a sense of urgency dito sa ating bansa para patuloy na lumago ang ating ekonomiya. Magkakaroon ng kumpiyansa ang tao, nakapagbigay ng trabaho sa mamamayan at maging competetive ang ating economy (There must be a sense of urgency here in our country so our economy will continuously grow. People will have confidence in the government, more jobs will be generated, and our economy will be competitive),” he said.

“At the end of the day, it's about creating jobs and making our economy more competitive so napakahalaga dyan yung usaping pang imprastraktura (infrastructure is also important). You will not be able to sustain the growth without the necessary infrastructure,” said the senator.

C-6 as a solution is just plain silly! You can't build your way out of congestion, which is what the senator is proposing. The correct solution is to simply beef up the MRT line and increase its capacity. They can start by moving forward with letting trains run along the MRT3 and LRT1 line in EDSA continuously! THat is something they can literally do TODAY!!! :rant:

I have a lot of respect for Ralph Recto but he really has a lot to learn about solving the traffic problems and the only way to do that is to get people out of cars and into trains!

C-6 as a solution is just plain silly! You can't build your way out of congestion, which is what the senator is proposing. The correct solution is to simply beef up the MRT line and increase its capacity. They can start by moving forward with letting trains run along the MRT3 and LRT1 line in EDSA continuously! THat is something they can literally do TODAY!!! :rant:

I have a lot of respect for Ralph Recto but he really has a lot to learn about solving the traffic problems and the only way to do that is to get people out of cars and into trains!

Agree with your assessment. More roads within Metro Manila means that the government will divert resources which could have been used to upgrade the mass transport services (MRT, LRT). And more roads will just encourage more motorists to bring their cars.

What they should build in addition to the MRT expansion are parking buildings connected to the MRT station. That way, passenger car owners can just park their vehicles for a fixed daily fee (say P100) instead of spending time and money wasted on fuel, traffic, depreciation of vehicle, etc. etc.

And when I mean parking buildings they can also include those along the soon to be built MRT-7, not just along EDSA. EDSA will see more high rises (residential, commercial and office space) but they should also consider building parking areas far away from the main thoroughfares.

and i second the motion....:cheers:
so why can't we increase the capacity of EDSA MRT? double its capacity, i think this is really a good immediate solution. in my case, i tried riding mrt going to office. but then, when i reached cubao station i rode the third batch of coaches. the volume of the passengers is really huge. meron pa nga nagtutulakan at nag-aaway kasi nag-uunahan. :ohno: with this scenario, i'd rather use my car and drive to office.

Agree with your assessment. More roads within Metro Manila means that the government will divert resources which could have been used to upgrade the mass transport services (MRT, LRT). And more roads will just encourage more motorists to bring their cars.

What they should build in addition to the MRT expansion are parking buildings connected to the MRT station. That way, passenger car owners can just park their vehicles for a fixed daily fee (say P100) instead of spending time and money wasted on fuel, traffic, depreciation of vehicle, etc. etc.

And when I mean parking buildings they can also include those along the soon to be built MRT-7, not just along EDSA. EDSA will see more high rises (residential, commercial and office space) but they should also consider building parking areas far away from the main thoroughfares.

^^ well, as i understand it, it's not that simple to upgrade the coaches. and while it is technically feasible to do that, i doubt that the new operators of MRT3 will do so unless the ticket fees are increased.

so let's wait for next year. the DOTC already announced that there will be no more fee increases for this year. i'm almost convinced that the fare hike will happen as there is no way MVP will come in without him being assured of some kind of profit.

overall, next year looks promising for infra.. now, if there was only some way to shut those activists up...

^^What MRTC can immediately do is increase the frequency of the trains. Instead of every 3 - 5 minutes, they can have it at 2 - 3 minute intervals. Plus they should also extend the operating hours, 1030PM isn't late enough for those who have odd work hours (like call center employees).

EDSA is normally crowded even past 10PM. Even though large trucks aren't allowed along EDSA, their being on other major roads like C5 and SSHiway still contribute to the congestion at points which intersect EDSA.

no matter what vehicle reduction scheme our government does, it won't improve the traffic flow along edsa because at several points, the lanes merge, or if its the same number of lanes, the lanes become tighter, forcing vehicles to slow down, all the so called choke points. The government has to find a way to keep the flow straight through. All these band aid so called solutions just makes it worse in the long run.

^^What MRTC can immediately do is increase the frequency of the trains. Instead of every 3 - 5 minutes, they can have it at 2 - 3 minute intervals. Plus they should also extend the operating hours, 1030PM isn't late enough for those who have odd work hours (like call center employees).

EDSA is normally crowded even past 10PM. Even though large trucks aren't allowed along EDSA, their being on other major roads like C5 and SSHiway still contribute to the congestion at points which intersect EDSA.

good point sir! but why do they not do this? correct me if im wrong, but doesn't this mean more income for mrtc?

Agree with your assessment. More roads within Metro Manila means that the government will divert resources which could have been used to upgrade the mass transport services (MRT, LRT). And more roads will just encourage more motorists to bring their cars.

What they should build in addition to the MRT expansion are parking buildings connected to the MRT station. That way, passenger car owners can just park their vehicles for a fixed daily fee (say P100) instead of spending time and money wasted on fuel, traffic, depreciation of vehicle, etc. etc.

And when I mean parking buildings they can also include those along the soon to be built MRT-7, not just along EDSA. EDSA will see more high rises (residential, commercial and office space) but they should also consider building parking areas far away from the main thoroughfares.

^^ i agree on this. the parking bldgs such as in Trinoma is very helpful. I'm thinking why haven't Makati and Ortigas build such. Like if you're coding, you can just park your car in a EDSA Makati Parking Bldg. They could have built this in the San Lorenzo Place Lot. Now for Maakti they can build this on the parking bldg at the back Intercon or the lot across it EDSA cor Ayala Ave.

i had this idea too, but i think its absolutely NOT feasible

i guess the senator got the idea from the Bangkok double decked BTS, and the new york brooklyn bridge

EDSA now is alright as long as the NLEX SLEX connector gets built

^^ Recto is delusional. Double Decked EDSA will look horrendous and will totally waste funds available. Extend the MRT to the North and South and build parking buildings and transit station.

Making the commuter convenient shall encourage less cars on the roads, hence less congestion. The alternative is if they pass a law to make vehicle ownership as expensive like that in SG.

The alternative is if they pass a law to make vehicle ownership as expensive like that in SG.


i will have to disagree on this one:) alreadly car prices in philippines are expensive especially the premium ones..

Philippines is a car loving society and should remian unless you wanna upset the millions of Topgear and C! fans out there hehe

i think better way is, Govt must provide reasonable alternative to driving by having public transport as good and classy as singapore's. that way, the rich will not mind riding public transport

^^What MRTC can immediately do is increase the frequency of the trains. Instead of every 3 - 5 minutes, they can have it at 2 - 3 minute intervals. Plus they should also extend the operating hours, 1030PM isn't late enough for those who have odd work hours (like call center employees).

EDSA is normally crowded even past 10PM. Even though large trucks aren't allowed along EDSA, their being on other major roads like C5 and SSHiway still contribute to the congestion at points which intersect EDSA.

good point sir! but why do they not do this? correct me if im wrong, but doesn't this mean more income for mrtc?

^^ i agree on this. the parking bldgs such as in Trinoma is very helpful. I'm thinking why haven't Makati and Ortigas build such. Like if you're coding, you can just park your car in a EDSA Makati Parking Bldg. They could have built this in the San Lorenzo Place Lot. Now for Maakti they can build this on the parking bldg at the back Intercon or the lot across it EDSA cor Ayala Ave.

I don't know why MRTC doesn't want to extend the hours, probably they don't have enough funds to pay for overtime?

Seriously, they should look into this. Christmas is fast approaching and there will be more commuters on the road late at night. Some of the malls will hold midnight madness sales, and a number of them are connected to MRT stations (SM Makati, Trinoma, Shangri-la, Araneta Center). The malls at the end of the MRT line (Trinoma and the one at EDSA corner Taft) should expand their public transport terminals and taxi stands, so that commuters don't have to walk far away from the MRT station they alight from.

Trinoma is the best area to expand for a mega carpark. They should evict every single one of those squatters in the area and then NHA (owner of the lot) should build a huge basement or transport depot for those who wish to leave their vehicles and take the MRT. A connecting walkway should also be built going towards the future MRT7 Grand Central Terminal.

But then again, first rule of the day ... evict those IS!:bash:


Making the commuter convenient shall encourage less cars on the roads, hence less congestion. The alternative is if they pass a law to make vehicle ownership as expensive like that in SG.

Agree. They don't need to pass a law IMO. They should just enforce restrictions to entry at the CBDs similar to what Singapore has. However that's easier said than done unless there are a lot of feeder vehicles going into the CBDs (like monorails from Global City, etc. etc.). That seems unlikely because the nearest areas for such a project are occupied by the extremely wealthy (Forbes Park and the surrounding rich villages).

Urban poor demand 3-year moratorium on demolitions


INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:06:00 12/01/2010

Filed Under: Housing & Urban Planning, Poverty, Government

MANILA, Philippines—Various urban-poor groups under the banner of Kilos Maralita on Wednesday staged a caravan-march to different government agencies to demand their right to the city and a three-year moratorium to forced evictions and demolitions in cities throughout the Philippines as government firms up its housing plans for the poor.

Around 500 urban poor leaders joined the caravan-march that started at North Triangle and that went around the offices of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Quezon City Hall, National Housing Authority, Commission on Human Rights, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

The caravan-march was to launch the December 2-8 Urban Solidarity Week, and served as a pre-event to the International Human Rights Day on December 10.

“Naninindigan kami na may karapatan kami rito sa kalunsuran, na hindi iinog ang ekonomiya rito kung wala kami—mga karpintero, kargador, at maging pulis, sundalo at guro na di kaya ng kakarampot na mga sweldo ang mga nagdaramihan at nagtataasang condominium na pabahay sa marami ng mga bahay (We maintain that we the poor have a right to the city, that the economy here will not move without us—carpenters, stevedores, and even policemen, soldiers, and teachers who with our meager salaries cannot afford the many condominiums that shelter those who already who have houses),” Kilos Maralita said in a statement.

The government would be doing its job only if it is able to provide for its citizens’ basic needs, including housing, it said.

Kilos Maralita demands that the Aquino government, which won on the platform of change, would work to change the insecure and precarious living conditions of the millions of urban poor Filipinos.

“The government should identify the gaps in income opportunities and basic services in our existing communities rather than relocate us to inadequate relocation sites,” Kilos Maralita asserted.

“We demand that President Noynoy issue an executive order declaring a moratorium on forced evictions and demolitions,” the statement further said.

Kilos Maralita argues that the moratorium would serve as a rectification period.

Amendments to the flaws of Urban Development and Housing Act or even the enactment of a new law to guarantee adequate housing for the poor should be done during this period. Mechanisms to implement the law should also be made at this time.

Kilos Maralita is a broad coalition of urban poor organizations including the residents of North Triangle (organized as San Roque Coordinating Council-North Triangle Alliance), which stopped traffic on EDSA last September in a violent demolition attempt that prompted President Aquino to declare a moratorium on demolition in the community.

Those who joined the caravan-march included Lakas Manggagawa, Claret Urban Poor Apostolate, Pasig-Akbayan, Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Pilipino, League of Urban Poor for Action, UMALAB-KA, Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino, and C-5 Alliance.

Maybe what the government should do is fence off the side of EDSA and the IS area which is owned by NHA with high concrete walls so that they get get rid of the eyesores in the service road near Trinoma (e.g. the kambingans which don't even have health and sanitary permits). Then they can start demolishing the IS shanties from within and have the residents move out in smaller groups instead of having a major demolition.

^^ Gigibain lang ng mga IS yung pader na yun. Sayang lang pera IMO po.

Yes! For the EDSA exclusive bus lane (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=634920&publicationSubCategoryId=72)
MOTORING TODAY By Ray Butch Gamboa SPMJ (The Philippine Star)
Updated December 01, 2010 12:00 AM

It was well over a decade ago or even probably close to two (if my memory is serving me right) when the idea of an exclusive bus lane with barriers along EDSA was suggested. The blueprint was described in a letter sent to me, which, pardon me I can’t find right now in the heaps of letters that I have received since the TV show Motoring Today started its first broadcast in 1987 and the column coming out a few years after. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the hard task of going through a file of letters accumulated in a span of twenty-three years and the inability to locate a particular one pardonable. I think it was from a certain Mr. Yulo that the letter came from and likewise the idea of adopting the said system along EDSA also originated. I also remember having supported the concept in my column but then the people on top of the metro’s traffic management then thought otherwise, so I guess that was the end of it.

When I got word that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is presently mulling the idea of putting up an exclusive bus lane in EDSA, which would be delineated not merely by a yellow line but with something more permanent like barriers, I felt that perhaps the concept had finally found its time.

If you are a keen observer of how things are in EDSA traffic-wise, you would know that the real culprit behind the traffic congestion and the reason for most gridlocks in the metro’s main thoroughfare is the presence of too many buses (more than what the experts know it can actually accommodate). And this is exacerbated by undisciplined and uninformed drivers that weave in and out of their designated lane and maneuver their behemoth vehicles like they were sub compact sedans and floor their accelerators like they were in a drag race.

And if you would look a little deeper into the other causes behind such demeanor, you would find out that slowly, but surely the market forces are already working in this soon-to-die bus transport industry – with the supply (of buses) far outnumbering the demand (of bus commuters) as the commuters’ preference has been established to go to the mass rail transit system – and why not?

Commuters have realized that the mass rail transit system, although not that comfortable especially during the peak hours, is a lot safer (have there been any metro rail holdups?), faster and reliable. Now, because of the stiff competition among the bus drivers (borne out of the play of market forces) and the manner in which they are compensated, which is based on the number of passengers that they would be able to take, it’s an “every man for himself” kind of life while plying their routes in EDSA for them to survive – therefore near chaos.

So, I guess the most politically right thing to do is to let the business equation take its natural course and see if the bus transport system could still survive despite the market forces, but let them fight their battle without affecting the other motorists and road users. This can be done by giving them an exclusive bus lane that is bordered from the other motorists by cement barriers. These cement barriers should be movable so that they can be lifted to allow for movement of buses in case of stalling or accidents. Now, for other motorists to gain access to side streets there should be limited openings that should be situated only in main intersections (the sacrifice should be borne by all) where vehicles other than buses can gain entry to or exit from.

This idea can be experimented on without much expense, that is, if the agenda is only to find out if it can work and not to make money out of the experimentation. Much of the expense would be in the fabrication and installation of cement barriers and the purchase of stand-by forklifts or similar equipment to immediately lift these barriers in cases when it would be needed.

The putting up of elevated bus terminals can come later or while the experimentation is underway to allow time to get rid of glitches in the system. The best designed systems would always have glitches when they are finally implemented. The important thing to do now is to immediately give the buses their exclusive lane and for the commuters to learn get on and off the bus only at the designated places. It would be easier now to spot buses that do not follow the loading and unloading rules for it would surely cause a long line of buses behind and it would be egged no end by the other buses on the queue.

Can we finally see some order along EDSA?

^^ Dumbest idea!

Making the commuter convenient shall encourage less cars on the roads, hence less congestion. The alternative is if they pass a law to make vehicle ownership as expensive like that in SG.

Increase fuel taxes? Okay pa ako siguro dyan.......pero to implement road pricing/congestion charging dito sa Pinas. I'd disagree with that.

What works in Singapore works for them and gusto naman ng mga tao dun. Also Singapore is smaller than Philippines (and their population relative to total land area also says the same thing).

It's better to proceed with the idea of improving rail transport networks (in terms of capacity, efficiency and frequency).

Pero personally, congestion pricing is not the solution. I will not support any form of road pricing and I believe that many will do so as well.

:)

that portion of EDSA by Taft Ave with the MRT station badly needs a flyover

Increase fuel taxes? Okay pa ako siguro dyan.......pero to implement road pricing/congestion charging dito sa Pinas. I'd disagree with that.

What works in Singapore works for them and gusto naman ng mga tao dun. Also Singapore is smaller than Philippines (and their population relative to total land area also says the same thing).

It's better to proceed with the idea of improving rail transport networks (in terms of capacity, efficiency and frequency).

Pero personally, congestion pricing is not the solution. I will not support any form of road pricing and I believe that many will do so as well.

:)

I also don't agree with increasing fuel taxes. As you said, it won't decongest Metro Manila roads unless fuel prices hit P100 per liter. In 2008 when gasoline hit over P60 per liter we saw fewer cars on the road, probably because of carpooling and more car owners riding the MRT. But with the sorry state of the MRT right now, whatever gasoline costs that would have been wasted due to congestion will be minimized, thus making the cost of a car trip cheaper in km. traveled per liter although it won't mitigate greatly the effect of a very high per liter cost of fuel.

The solution that the authorities could implement is to make owners of less fuel efficient cars pay equivalently more to register their vehicle compared to those who buy brand new (also a Singapore style solution). Some cars get only 4 km. per liter of fuel compared to the newer ones that can get double that amount. Not only that, it becomes more expensive to maintain older vehicles. If the gas guzzlers were made to pay more, then the use of the vehicle would decline and we'll start seeing more fuel efficient cars like Prius on the road (of course the price of the Prius has to go down dramatically first).

But that is a solution for which implementation is going to be a challenge, given the track record of government agencies in enforcing the rules and regulations. And to some extent it is discriminatory against older vehicle owners but hey, it really takes political will to implement something like this. That which many government officials and administrators don't have.

I think Hong Kong has a 10-year rule. After 10th year, you need to pay 300% of the original purchase price of the vehicle as additional fees I think (or else you cannot use your vehicle under a regular vehicle license).

Kaya nga, less than 1% lang ang mga kotse dun na more than a decade old kasi yun nga, it's cheaper to buy a brand new vehicle that to continue using a super antique automobile.

Hehe actually parang mas gusto ko yun hehe (na majority of cars sa Pilipinas ay brand new). Hopefully sana by year 2020, phase-out yung mga homemade jeepneys (at saka mga kotse na wala man lang airbag......kahit isang airbag man lang) :D :lol:

^^ EXACTLY. better to buy a new one than to maintain an old car.

I think Hong Kong has a 10-year rule. After 10th year, you need to pay 300% of the original purchase price of the vehicle as additional fees I think (or else you cannot use your vehicle under a regular vehicle license).

Kaya nga, less than 1% lang ang mga kotse dun na more than a decade old kasi yun nga, it's cheaper to buy a brand new vehicle that to continue using a super antique automobile.

Hehe actually parang mas gusto ko yun hehe (na majority of cars sa Pilipinas ay brand new). Hopefully sana by year 2020, phase-out yung mga homemade jeepneys (at saka mga kotse na wala man lang airbag......kahit isang airbag man lang) :D :lol:

2020? And suffer another 10 years?

The vehicles that do not meet emission standards should be the first to be phased out. Let's start with jeepneys, two stroke tricycles, old buses before moving on to cars. The first three I mentioned above are public conveyances, thus safety should be the primary concern, in addition to pollution reduction. Of course, old cars that consistently don't pass the emissions tests should be taken off the road if they don't do anything to improve exhaust quality.

I'm for the proposal that buses along EDSA be limited to a certain age, I think it was 10 years.

:bash: Brace yourself for more traffic during holiday this time along secondary road.

Easing EDSA's traffic woes :ohno:
By Caroline J. Howard, ANC
Posted at 12/04/2010 4:26 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) estimates as much as 115,000 vehicles ply the country's major thoroughfare on a regular day, with vehicles spiking to as much as 200,000 during the holidays.

To help ease traffic on Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), especially during the Christmas season, the MMDA urged private motorists to use alternative routes to their points of destination.

"We're calling it `Christmas lanes' for Christmas but it’s pretty much a permanent thing overtime," MMDA spokesperson Tina Velasco told ANC's "Dateline Philippines" on Saturday.

Velasco said these so-called "Christmas lanes," which will utilize secondary streets beginning next week, are meant to decongest EDSA by some 40%.

Driving vehicles away from EDSA

Velasco hopes, with the Christmas lanes in place, 85,000 motorists would start looking elsewhere for passage.

"We need to drive people to look beyond EDSA, and our job is to make sure there is compelling reason for them to reconsider other routes. It’s a public campaign more than anything. There's no way we can guarantee people to do sacrifice. As we go along it’s an experiment of where we can heighten re-enforcement in strategic areas."

The MMDA is working with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), local government units and other stakeholders, to speed up road repairs and clear obstruction in these alternative routes.

Road clearing efforts

"Directionally, what we want to do in clearing the road is to clear illegal parking and one of proposals in the summit was to discourage buying vehicles if you don't have enough space in respective residences and building areas," Velasco said.

"It's a balancing act were trying to do right now through regular dialogues with stakeholders," Velasco said, adding they have spent P7 million for road clearing efforts. "There are definitely big investments for us. This is not just Christmas. A German Filipino is trying to coin `Mabuhay Lane' just to make it permanent."

On Friday, traffic was heavy along Christmas lanes for motorists from Makati going to Quezon City.

In an interview over radio dzMM on Saturday, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said they expect vehicle traffic to surge as people troop to malls for the Christmas shopping rush and the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Independent films are set to run beginning December 16, while the annual MMFF parade is scheduled on December 24.

Tolentino said the MMDA also plans to coordinate with Manila authorities for traffic routes to Divisoria.

The MMDA said it is also looking at long-term solutions such as additional infrastructure like the Skyway along C-5, a single-ticketing system, and more stringent rules for 10-year-old vehicles to help ease metro's traffic woes.

In the search for other solutions, Velasco said the DPWH is now doing a validation study on the viability of some 96 U-turn slots across the metropolis.

^^Wow, 96 U turn slots in the metropolis? Each of which will automatically take away at least a lane or two of the major thoroughfares?

They should just enforces rules and regulations at the intersections properly and without fear or favor. Then the traffic should improve. The reason for the U turns was primarily because intersections get clogged because many motorists do not follow traffic lights!:bash:

^^ Yup, very, very, very true. Especially with people who see "yellow" as "hurry up" rather than slowing down, anticipating the "stop" sign. :ohno:

Intersections with properly-working stoplights (and with useful traffic enforcers) are way better than U-turns for the most part, IMHO...

^^ Yup, very, very, very true. Especially with people who see "yellow" as "hurry up" rather than slowing down, anticipating the "stop" sign. :ohno:

Intersections with properly-working stoplights (and with useful traffic enforcers) are way better than U-turns for the most part, IMHO...

I agree with your statement.

Naisip ko, hindi kaya pwedeng gawin sa Metro Manila yung mga traffic lights ay katulad sa Subic/Clark, meh countdown timer?

I agree with your statement.

Naisip ko, hindi kaya pwedeng gawin sa Metro Manila yung mga traffic lights ay katulad sa Subic/Clark, meh countdown timer?

Many of the new traffic lights have countdown timers, usually at the pedestrian light. In Bonifacio Global City I use these countdown timers as a gauge whether to slow down or speed up when nearing an intersection. I also use it to anticipate if I should shift from "D" to "N" or "P" on my car's transmission.

What is needed are more enforcers on the road who earnestly implement traffic rules and regulations, without fear or favor. Issue tickets to the violators, and apprehend those who are repeat offenders and hard headed! And impound those who cause major traffic snarls and congestion!

What is needed are more enforcers on the road who earnestly implement traffic rules and regulations, without fear or favor. Issue tickets to the violators, and apprehend those who are repeat offenders and hard headed! And impound those who cause major traffic snarls and congestion!Ay ganun? Sige mag-traffic light na nga lang talaga tayo. :lol::lol::lol:

Many of the new traffic lights have countdown timers, usually at the pedestrian light. In Bonifacio Global City I use these countdown timers as a gauge whether to slow down or speed up when nearing an intersection. I also use it to anticipate if I should shift from "D" to "N" or "P" on my car's transmission.

What is needed are more enforcers on the road who earnestly implement traffic rules and regulations, without fear or favor. Issue tickets to the violators, and apprehend those who are repeat offenders and hard headed! And impound those who cause major traffic snarls and congestion!

hi there,

this sounds vague. all of traffic lights in Manila are without timers. only pedestrian lights have it

before, the Roxas blvd ped xing has a timer but then they decided to turn it off to save time. what a waste of money:bash:

I agree with your statement.

Naisip ko, hindi kaya pwedeng gawin sa Metro Manila yung mga traffic lights ay katulad sa Subic/Clark, meh countdown timer?

hindi ba Clark lang may counters ?

that portion of EDSA by Taft Ave with the MRT station badly needs a flyover

i think thats impossible. that will need a very high flyover to clear the LRT yellow line

simply no space there. only hope is when Skyway stage 3 finishes so motorists can bypass edsa all together

hindi ba Clark lang may counters ?

OT: Meron din sa Subic. Dito sa Laguna, sa San Pablo City intersection sa Maharlika Highway, naglagay na din.

Sa tingin ko, if mapapalitan ang mga traffic lights sa Metro Manila, magkakaron ng improvement sa traffic flow. :D

---

Hmmm, natandaan ko tuloy, what the hell happened to the SMART traffic light system program in Metro Manila in the 90s???

DENR reviews Edsa traffic solutions

By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:15:00 12/06/2010

MANILA, Philippines—For the sake of cleaner air, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) wants to achieve what Metro Manila residents have long considered an impossible dream: To cut down travel time from Makati City to Cubao in Quezon City to just 15 minutes.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said his department and other agencies like the Land Transportation Office and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were reviewing several proposals to decongest traffic on Edsa in order to effectively lower pollution levels on the major thoroughfare.

Paje said motor vehicles were the main source of pollution in the metropolis, accounting for as much as 80 percent of air pollutants. The rest come from industrial sources.

According to him, if they could reduce traffic on Edsa, there would be fewer gas emissions and lower pollution levels.

He expressed frustration over the snail-paced traffic on the major thoroughfare, saying that slow-moving cars were hugely to blame for air pollution in the metropolis.

Paje noted that without traffic, vehicles could go to Cubao from Makati City within 15 minutes. But this is nearly impossible in Edsa’s current state, with motorists taking nearly an hour to get from one place to another.

“Even if your car is very clean, your pollution load is still high,” the DENR secretary said. “The ultimate solution [to clean air] is to make the cars move faster,” he added.

Based on DENR data, Metro Manila's air quality has worsened in the past years.

In the first semester of this year, the total suspended particles (TSP) in the air was at 163 micrograms (ug)/normal cubic meters (Ncm). TSP refers to the solid and liquid particles in the air.

In 2009, it was 134 ug/Ncm, which was 48 percent above the normal standard of 90 ug/Ncm. The DENR wants to cut the pollution level by 30 percent next year.

Paje said he wanted to see the average vehicle speed on Edsa to accelerate to about 50 kilometers per hour (kph) from the usual 10 kph on a bad day.

The MMDA, in a 2009 study, said the average speed of vehicles on Edsa was 36 kph. The volume of vehicles also grew from 272,389 in 2008 to 316,345 in 2009, it added.

In addition, Paje said the DENR and MMDA wanted to remove bus terminals on the major thoroughfare, adding that these contribute to chokepoints in areas like Pasay City and Cubao in Quezon City.

According to him, he was in favor of the idea that these terminals be transferred to the northern and southern parts of Metro Manila to decongest Edsa.

“All terminals should be outside Edsa,” he said. The proposal, which was raised during the transport summit sponsored by MMDA last week, was being seriously studied, he added.

The DENR chief also said he supported the idea that only motorists with parking spaces should be allowed to register their vehicles to reduce the number of car owners who use sidewalks as their private parking spot. Cars parked on city and national roads slow down traffic and create chokepoints, he pointed out.

On most countries, subways, and trains are subsidized by the local government. To get funds to subsidized the trains and make the people use them, they should raise the bus franchise cost and remove the bus fare caps so buses could freely charge fares to make profit. This will make the people use trains instead.

On most countries, subways, and trains are subsidized by the local government. To get funds to subsidized the trains and make the people use them, they should raise the bus franchise cost and remove the bus fare caps so buses could freely charge fares to make profit. This will make the people use trains instead.

I agree with your assessment. People will move off buses if prices are allowed to find their mark, by removing the fare caps. However we are seeing the opposite here in Metro Manila...people are staying on the trains because it is cheaper and there is a fare cap. Both the buses and trains should let the forces of supply and demand dictate how pricing should be, provided that abuses of overcharging and trip cutting, etc. aren't allowed to happen.

I agree with your statement.

Naisip ko, hindi kaya pwedeng gawin sa Metro Manila yung mga traffic lights ay katulad sa Subic/Clark, meh countdown timer?

Kahit na may countdown timer, baka mas malala pa ang trapiko, alam mo naman ang pagmamaneho dito sa Philippines... Baka pagnag countdown within 5 seconds, imbis na magslo-slowdown, eh lalo pang bumilis... :nuts:

DENR reviews Edsa traffic solutions
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:15:00 12/06/2010

MANILA, Philippines—For the sake of cleaner air, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) wants to achieve what Metro Manila residents have long considered an impossible dream: To cut down travel time from Makati City to Cubao in Quezon City to just 15 minutes.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said his department and other agencies like the Land Transportation Office and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were reviewing several proposals to decongest traffic on Edsa in order to effectively lower pollution levels on the major thoroughfare.

Paje said motor vehicles were the main source of pollution in the metropolis, accounting for as much as 80 percent of air pollutants. The rest come from industrial sources.

According to him, if they could reduce traffic on Edsa, there would be fewer gas emissions and lower pollution levels.

He expressed frustration over the snail-paced traffic on the major thoroughfare, saying that slow-moving cars were hugely to blame for air pollution in the metropolis.

Paje noted that without traffic, vehicles could go to Cubao from Makati City within 15 minutes. But this is nearly impossible in Edsa’s current state, with motorists taking nearly an hour to get from one place to another.

“Even if your car is very clean, your pollution load is still high,” the DENR secretary said. “The ultimate solution [to clean air] is to make the cars move faster,” he added.

Based on DENR data, Metro Manila's air quality has worsened in the past years.

In the first semester of this year, the total suspended particles (TSP) in the air was at 163 micrograms (ug)/normal cubic meters (Ncm). TSP refers to the solid and liquid particles in the air.

In 2009, it was 134 ug/Ncm, which was 48 percent above the normal standard of 90 ug/Ncm. The DENR wants to cut the pollution level by 30 percent next year.

Paje said he wanted to see the average vehicle speed on Edsa to accelerate to about 50 kilometers per hour (kph) from the usual 10 kph on a bad day.

The MMDA, in a 2009 study, said the average speed of vehicles on Edsa was 36 kph. The volume of vehicles also grew from 272,389 in 2008 to 316,345 in 2009, it added.

In addition, Paje said the DENR and MMDA wanted to remove bus terminals on the major thoroughfare, adding that these contribute to chokepoints in areas like Pasay City and Cubao in Quezon City.

According to him, he was in favor of the idea that these terminals be transferred to the northern and southern parts of Metro Manila to decongest Edsa.

“All terminals should be outside Edsa,” he said. The proposal, which was raised during the transport summit sponsored by MMDA last week, was being seriously studied, he added.

The DENR chief also said he supported the idea that only motorists with parking spaces should be allowed to register their vehicles to reduce the number of car owners who use sidewalks as their private parking spot. Cars parked on city and national roads slow down traffic and create chokepoints, he pointed out.

Making travel fast in EDSA would only be solved IF they close all the ground level crossings and make it a closed freeway as it was originally designed by the americans. Also, if they provide more clear roads and fast alternate routes, it would reduce the load on EDSA alot. At the moment, almost all our roads are blocked or full of obstructions.

Also, isn't there a law already where you're required to have a parking space before you can register? What happened to it?

The only thing i liked about this article is, looks like they're reconsidering former MMDA Chair BF's plans in removing / relocating the terminals OUTSIDE metro manila.

BF had a lot of good ideas na kinontra ni GMA. ironically, BF might be more effective now than before.

one good thing about the terminal being transferred is that now, there is more hope that this will become reality. wala nang kapit si Claire "Sayang" Dela Fuente and B-IMBOA :D

...

The DENR chief also said he supported the idea that only motorists with parking spaces should be allowed to register their vehicles to reduce the number of car owners who use sidewalks as their private parking spot. Cars parked on city and national roads slow down traffic and create chokepoints, he pointed out.

Making travel fast in EDSA would only be solved IF they close all the ground level crossings and make it a closed freeway as it was originally designed by the americans. Also, if they provide more clear roads and fast alternate routes, it would reduce the load on EDSA alot. At the moment, almost all our roads are blocked or full of obstructions.

Also, isn't there a law already where you're required to have a parking space before you can register? What happened to it?

The only thing i liked about this article is, looks like they're reconsidering former MMDA Chair BF's plans in removing / relocating the terminals OUTSIDE metro manila.

The highlighted sentences are one of the most effective ways to counter congestion. I wish CAMPI would also consider supporting proposals like that. The way it is, CAMPI is projecting about 170,000+ new vehicles to be sold this 2010, although lesser next year. Where do you see 170,000+ new parking slots? And BTW, these are just cars, not motorcycles which are worse traffic violators. Good thing they are small so parking isn't a problem for them most of the time.

The government can make good money by just charging for parking on the sidewalks, especially after office hours. They can even make more money by towing and impounding the illegally parked vehicles. All it needs is political will.

BF had a lot of good ideas na kinontra ni GMA. ironically, BF might be more effective now than before.

one good thing about the terminal being transferred is that now, there is more hope that this will become reality. wala nang kapit si Claire "Sayang" Dela Fuente and B-IMBOA :D

Aawayin ka ng mga GMA diehard and loyalist dito. Patay ka:lol::lol::lol:

Ayaw mo ng gulo pero mukhang isa ka sa nagsisimula. :ohno:

hehehe... di naman, so far, while i acknowledge that there are a lot of people here who are pro-gma, most of them are civil naman. and respond well to criticisms. and i think most pro-gma people here also do not like the fact that claire dela fuente got close to their president.

let's get back on topic na lang..

Makati to Cubao in just 15 minutes? LOL! That's already happening from 1am-4am lol! But hmm, for something this big, something drastic has to change! Tunnel!! Woop woop joke lang.

hehehe... di naman, so far, while i acknowledge that there are a lot of people here who are pro-gma, most of them are civil naman. and respond well to criticisms. and i think most pro-gma people here also do not like the fact that claire dela fuente got close to their president.

let's get back on topic na lang..

Nah, people perceived as pro gma are actually people who can distinguish who did a better job between gma and pnoy so no dont worry about that. Anyways BF was and still in the best MMDA chairman. Both judge innocentes although he was reluctant to get the job and the current mmda chair tolentino are really doing very badly. They both lack the creativity, vision and the go go attitude of BF. I hope pnoy would open up his choices of appointees to include people from other political affiliation, people who can really deliver, people like BF.

Ayaw mo ng gulo pero mukhang isa ka sa nagsisimula. :ohno:

:yes:

the pot calling the kettle black. :lol:
From comments I read here I notice some pro Pnoy die hards have really vile mouths while the pro gma are more civil.

:yes:

the pot calling the kettle black. :lol:
From comments I read here I notice some pro Pnoy die hards have really vile mouths while the pro gma are more civil.

Yeah, I've noticed that's always been the case... :lol:

We are now heading off the topic. Please stay on the subject of this thread.:)

Ayaw mo ng gulo pero mukhang isa ka sa nagsisimula. :ohno:

Huh? kailan ako nag simula ng gulo? Sumasagot ako pag may foul or hindi acceptable, pero hindi ako nag instigate kahit kailan, mahilig makipag debate PERO NEVER AN INSTIGATOR THAT SPARKS conflicts, that is what some resent on me. Mag isisp isip ka nga ng pinagsasabi mo. Umiral na naman yang pagiging sumpongin mo at biased na opinion. Kung tinitukoy mo pulitika, review-hin mo ng husto ang political forums kung ako ang nagbibitaw ng salitang nagsisimula ng gulo, pero kung sabihin mo dito na matalas akong magsalita, tutuo pero minsan ang tutuo masakit tangapin. Bakit? hindi ko naman gawa gawaan ang mga corruption ni Arroyo at na recognized ko naman ang weakeness ni Aquino so anong pinagsasabi mo? I'm glad hindi ka na mod dito dahil hindi ka naman fair sa pagiging moderator mo nuon, masyado kang emotional and biased. I don't see the GMA followers are really that civil. They have their way of attacking. Is it even right to use someone's private (sex) life and relationships on the table when the issue in question is Aquino's ability to manage the country, even if his management skill is poor, it's wrong to excessively critisize him, I was never an Aquino supporter because if I am, I would not agree on some criticism about him.


At this point and to go back to the topic. Bayani Fernando did have good projects and his approach was effective. Sadly, Arroyo didn't support him 100 percent. The only thing I didn't like were to color scheme he planted on foot bridges and such but he seems to be in command and is good at it.

^^pre puso mo at iwan mo na si ms.taray :lol:

Anyway, lets go back on topic at baka mag ka EDSA revolution, forum edition dito :lol:

Huh? kailan ako nag simula ng gulo? Sumasagot ako pag may foul or hindi acceptable, pero hindi ako nag instigate kahit kailan, mahilig makipag debate PERO NEVER AN INSTIGATOR THAT SPARKS conflicts, that is what some resent on me. Mag isisp isip ka nga ng pinagsasabi mo. Umiral na naman yang pagiging sumpongin mo at biased na opinion. Kung tinitukoy mo pulitika, review-hin mo ng husto ang political forums kung ako ang nagbibitaw ng salitang nagsisimula ng gulo, pero kung sabihin mo dito na matalas akong magsalita, tutuo pero minsan ang tutuo masakit tangapin. Bakit? hindi ko naman gawa gawaan ang mga corruption ni Arroyo at na recognized ko naman ang weakeness ni Aquino so anong pinagsasabi mo? I'm glad hindi ka na mod dito dahil hindi ka naman fair sa pagiging moderator mo nuon, masyado kang emotional and biased. I don't see the GMA followers are really that civil. They have their way of attacking. Is it even right to use someone's private (sex) life and relationships on the table when the issue in question is Aquino's ability to manage the country, even if his management skill is poor, it's wrong to excessively critisize him, I was never an Aquino supporter because if I am, I would not agree on some criticism about him.


At this point and to go back to the topic. Bayani Fernando did have good projects and his approach was effective. Sadly, Arroyo didn't support him 100 percent. The only thing I didn't like were to color scheme he planted on foot bridges and such but he seems to be in command and is good at it.Wow ang dami mo nang sinabi. Totoo naman eh, ayaw mo ng gulo pero yung mga comments mo na pagtatawanan at aasarin mo yung iba, sa tingin mo hindi makaka-elicit ng gulo? IT reeks of provocation, if you haven't noticed. Tapos ngayon mapipikon ka. Funny. :lol:

I'm not even talking about your Noynoy vs GMA shit. Nakakasawa na, sinira niyo na nga yung mga threads eh. There's no difference really. Supporters of both presidents are just blinded by pure fanaticism. From a point of view of an ex-mod, it is disgusting. And what's more disgusting, no one even dares fixing the threads. Tama si crappypants, this is just a case of a pot calling the kettle black. :ohno:

People in this forum who reacts violently and full of vile are just activating their defensive mechanism. Because they cant handle the truth because the truth hurts. Their assessment of the present political situation is so clouded by their blind obsession at getting back at the former administration and their almost psycho deranged adulation for the present one. Hayaan na lang sila pasko naman eh. Yan na lang xmas gifts nating mga matitino at bukas ang pagiisip.

Mga bossing, hindi po ito Halalan o Executive Department thread, wag na po mag away-away, magpapasko na :D

Anyway, how is the traffic condition in EDSA now, meh improvement ba doon sa mga binuksang Christmas lanes?

Mga bossing, hindi po ito Halalan o Executive Department thread, wag na po mag away-away, magpapasko na :D

Anyway, how is the traffic condition in EDSA now, meh improvement ba doon sa mga binuksang Christmas lanes?
I avoided EDSA today going towards Quiapo, took Buendia and SSHiway instead. I happened to see a Christmas lane sign (can't recall, but I think it was along Buendia which was slow coming from Pasong Tamo going to Cash and Carry).

I did notice though that on the way back (coming from Magallanes) traffic was light all the way to Bonifacio Global City along EDSA, normally the stretch starting from the underpass at Pasay Road is congested all the way up to Megamall. But I think EDSA going/coming from Mall of Asia is bad on any day, except Holy Week:lol:

Passed through EDSA tonight from Intramuros. As usual, it's congested in EDSA-Roxas Blvd. intersection because of the u-turn slot near Blue Wave. Same thing goes for the u-turn slots in front of Heritage Hotel. Can the MMDA do something about this?

Passed through EDSA tonight from Intramuros. As usual, it's congested in EDSA-Roxas Blvd. intersection because of the u-turn slot near Blue Wave. Same thing goes for the u-turn slots in front of Heritage Hotel. Can the MMDA do something about this?

That's been a problem for at least a couple of years now. The traffic starts at the corner of Taft Ave. and EDSA, and extends all the way to the Blue Wave interesection. You can get stuck in that less than 1 km. stretch for more than 30 minutes, even close to an hour! Even at midnight (it's happened to me no less than 3 times this year, and not even during Xmas season).:bash:

My solution to avoid this is to pass through Buendia (despite the numerous traffic stoplights) since I will end up saving at least 15 minutes, especially at night. Now if you're going south (Alabang or Bicutan), you can pass by Airport Road (go further south at Macapagal, turn left at Uniwide, then turn left going towards the old domestic airport, then enter Andrews Avenue, exit at Nichols going to SLEX. If you are headed towards Las Pinas or Cavite, that same route will work (just turn right going towards NAIA 1). Traffic at the southern end of EDSA is generally bad, caused not only by the narrowing section at Taft but also by the sheer volume of traffic coming from MOA and nearby areas.

Hi Guys,

I didn't know where else to post this question:

Does anyone know what this alignment is? It seems to be a 40m or so wide ROW stretching from the A.Roces-Kamuning area, crossing EDSA, running parallel to Kamias and reaching all the way to Katipunan Ave. Then there also seems to be a "spur line" branching out from Xavierville all the way to Pansol-UPIS area.

All i know is that there are Meralco signs at the Sikatuna Village portion of this alignment. Does anyone have a clue?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=manila+map&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&hl=en&biw=1408&bih=669&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Manila&gl=ph&ei=r86WTNX1H4bQcYurpKQF&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCIQ8gEwAA

Sorry, I dont know how to link to my map.

To those with Google Earth, just look a few meters to the north of Kamuning and Kamias, and you'll see what i'm referring to :)

Thanks guys!



Hi Guys,

I didn't know where else to post this question:

Does anyone know what this alignment is? It seems to be a 40m or so wide ROW stretching from the A.Roces-Kamuning area, crossing EDSA, running parallel to Kamias and reaching all the way to Katipunan Ave. Then there also seems to be a "spur line" branching out from Xavierville all the way to Pansol-UPIS area.

All i know is that there are Meralco signs at the Sikatuna Village portion of this alignment. Does anyone have a clue?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=manila+map&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&hl=en&biw=1408&bih=669&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Manila&gl=ph&ei=r86WTNX1H4bQcYurpKQF&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCIQ8gEwAA

How the heck can we find it? Remember, metro manila have repeating street signs and using "search" is not really helpful at all.

How the heck can we find it? Remember, metro manila have repeating street signs and using "search" is not really helpful at all.

How do i post a picture here?

Hi Guys,

I didn't know where else to post this question:

Does anyone know what this alignment is? It seems to be a 40m or so wide ROW stretching from the A.Roces-Kamuning area, crossing EDSA, running parallel to Kamias and reaching all the way to Katipunan Ave. Then there also seems to be a "spur line" branching out from Xavierville all the way to Pansol-UPIS area.

All i know is that there are Meralco signs at the Sikatuna Village portion of this alignment. Does anyone have a clue?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=manila+map&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&hl=en&biw=1408&bih=669&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Manila&gl=ph&ei=r86WTNX1H4bQcYurpKQF&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCIQ8gEwAA

kung hindi ako nagkakamali, 'yan ung ROW ng transmission line ng NPC. tawag nila diyan ay Botocan line, papuntang Araneta Ave. SubStation...

kung hindi ako nagkakamali, 'yan ung ROW ng transmission line ng NPC. tawag nila diyan ay Botocan line, papuntang Araneta Ave. SubStation...

I see. So from Araneta Ave to Katipunan lang? thanks!

I always take C5 going to and from office. I noticed a dramatic improvement in travel time in the strech of C5 Libis to Taguig. Does this mean EDSA has also improved because motorist will no longer take C5 as alternative route to Makati? Does it mean that number of colorum buses aprehended by MMDA and the introduction of Christmas lanes as alternate routes for EDSA helped the easement of traffic flow? O mahal na kc ang gasolina kaya onti na lng ang gumagamit ng sasakyan... :)

;70099809']I always take C5 going to and from office. I noticed a dramatic improvement in travel time in the strech of C5 Libis to Taguig. Does this mean EDSA has also improved because motorist will no longer take C5 as alternative route to Makati? Does it mean that number of colorum buses aprehended by MMDA and the introduction of Christmas lanes as alternate routes for EDSA helped the easement of traffic flow? O mahal na kc ang gasolina kaya onti na lng ang gumagamit ng sasakyan... :)

Was this observation during the holidays and before classes resumed?

The suspension of classes (or during vacation) will surely reduce the volume of traffic in most roads. I have been passing the Buendia-EDSA section of Makati going to Bonifacio Global City these past few days and there is still a lot of traffic leading towards Makati. Maybe some parts of C5 and EDSA are lighter than usual, but somewhere along the road there is still a bottleneck.

Nakita ko sa QTV, bagong asphalt overlay ata ang EDSA nortbound doon sa meh NLEX entry part. Ang ganda kasi ng kalsada at iisa lang yung lane marking.

Wow ang dami mo nang sinabi. Totoo naman eh, ayaw mo ng gulo pero yung mga comments mo na pagtatawanan at aasarin mo yung iba, sa tingin mo hindi makaka-elicit ng gulo? IT reeks of provocation, if you haven't noticed. Tapos ngayon mapipikon ka. Funny. :lol:

I'm not even talking about your Noynoy vs GMA shit. Nakakasawa na, sinira niyo na nga yung mga threads eh. There's no difference really. Supporters of both presidents are just blinded by pure fanaticism. From a point of view of an ex-mod, it is disgusting. And what's more disgusting, no one even dares fixing the threads. Tama si crappypants, this is just a case of a pot calling the kettle black. :ohno:

Isn't a forum like these is almost similar to a floor for debates? Surely, there would be this intense exchange of opinion, Isn't it why this is called a forum??? Everything that transpired here especially in other thread you were refering from is a product of a "cause and effect reaction" my friend, that's how it started, you give someone a good explaination they respond with it with intrigue and half assed knowledge of a subject matter, it's just a rippled efffect. My only point is that, if they don't like Aquino, that's perfectly alright but don't give me that BS where one is blindly giving credit and reverence to a corrupt officia. The only difference between you and I, is that, my opinion is not predominantly influenced by emotion. Parang "Ay! pinataas naman ni Arroyo ang economy ng filipinas purihin siya, kalimutan na lang na nagnakaw siya...." Para na rin sinabi mo na si Marcos ay innocente at dapat absuweltohin. Good Lord, compare your comments from people like Kalbongdad for one, yours have more substance while his are all purely intrigues, hear say and careless /irresponsible comment on something he seems to have no complete knowledge about what-so-ever. See if our debate before escallated into something ugly. As far as I am concern, I have not seen that, perhaps this is the first.... Anyway, back to the program....

^^Easy lang pre :lol:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/01/25/11/7-hurt-bus-explosion-along-edsa-report
4 dead, 14 hurt in bus explosion along EDSA

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 01/25/2011 2:39 PM | Updated as of 01/25/2011 6:44 PM

Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) inspect the Newman Goldliner Bus that exploded at the northbound lane of EDSA near Buendia, January 25, 2011. (MMDA photo)



MANILA, Philippines (7th UPDATE) – Four people were killed and 14 others were injured in an explosion that ripped through a passenger bus along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Makati City on Tuesday afternoon.

Director Nicanor Bartolome, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said that the fatalities include 3 males and a female passenger of Newman Goldliner bus with plate number TXJ 710.

In a radio dzMM report, 4 of the 14 injured victims were identified as Lino Antonio, Victoriano Jeffrey, Anabelle Gozon and Mary Grace Borondia.

Bartolome said the injured victims include 9 females and 5 males. The victims were rushed to the Ospital ng Makati and St. Luke's Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City.

Bartolome declined to name the fatalities since they have not informed their next of kin.

The bus was at the north-bound loading bay of EDSA corner Buendia when it was hit by a strong explosion at around 2 p.m..

Bartolome said he has organized a special investigation task force to look into the bus explosion. He added that the city government has also formed a crisis management committee.

He said investigators are now reviewing footage of closed-circuit television cameras installed along EDSA.

Bartolome said investigators have yet to determine what type of explosive material was used. He said the police's immediate concern is to swiftly gather evidence, including parts of the bomb and parts of the bus' body, so they can remove the bus from EDSA.

He said the bus will be moved to the Southern Police District headquarters for further forensic investigation.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay Jr. said earlier, based on initial briefing given to him by the police, there is a strong indication that the explosion was caused by a bomb.

Binay said that when he arrived at the scene, he saw blood and some body parts inside the bus. He said he also saw a severely injured man through the big hole created by the blast on the passenger bus.

The mayor said a man and a woman were initially killed by the blast.

Bartolome said the explosive device was planted under a seat on the 6th row of the bus' right side.

"Gitnang-gitna ito eh. Sa ilalim siya malamang inilagay," he said.

He said the location of the explosion indicates that the people who planted the bomb wanted a lot of people hurt.

Footage taken by ABS-CBN News showed a huge hole created by the explosion on the right side of the bus. Windows on the left side of the bus and its windshield were also damaged.

Metro on full alert

He said police investigators are interviewing the surviving passengers, as well as the driver and conductor of the bus.

Police closed the affected north-bound lane of EDSA-Buendia. The Ayala flyover going to Cubao area was also closed. Other parts of EDSA remained open.

Bartolome announced over government-owned radio station Radyo ng Bayan that he has placed all police units in Metro Manila on full alert.

He said he has ordered all vital government installations around Metro Manila and public places secured by cops.

“We would like to ensure that all our policemen will be available and that vital installations will be properly secured,” he said.

He added: “We encourage everyone to go on with their normal schedules. The PNP [Philippine National Police], the government, the local government in Makati, and other law enforcement agencies will continue to get to the bottom of this incident.”

Smell of gunpowder

In an interview with reporters at the Makati City Police Station, bus driver Maximo Peligro said he smelled gunpowder right after the blast.

"Kung normal na explosion yun, walang amoy na pulibura (If it was a normal explosion, there would be no smell of gunpowder)," Peligro said.

Peligro said it was impossible that mechanical failure caused the explosion since the bus was well-maintained. "If it wasn't well maintained, we would have kept it in the garage," he said.

He also dismissed possibilities that the attack on the bus was done by enemies of the bus company's owner.

"Pentecostal kami. Nagde-debosyon kami (We are members of Pentecostal church. We have devotions ," he said.

He said Newman Goldliner bus is owned by pastors of the Pentecostal Mission Church of Christ.

Many passengers got off before blast

Based on an ABS-CBN News interview with the bus driver, 25-year-old Michael Haralde, there were at least 30 passengers on the bus when the blast happened.

According to Haralde, the bus came from Baclaran in Parañaque City and was bound for SM mall in Fairview, Quezon City.

Haralde said they had 20 passengers when they left Baclaran, and it became almost full when they stopped at a loading bay in Evangelista area in Pasay City.

Almost half of the passengers disembarked at EDSA Ayala.

The driver and the conductor said the explosion happened before they reached Buendia corner EDSA.

They said they could not immediately recall the passengers who may have planted the bus. They said 7 people entered the bus at Taft area and 2 of them got off before they reached Buendia.

Haralde was injured on both of his legs by the blast, while bus conductor Peligro escaped the incident unscathed.

The bus driver also told reporters that some of the passengers were injured because they all panicked after the explosion.

He said that the bus' windshield was not damaged by the explosion. He said he kicked open the windshield, and majority of the surviving passengers exited the bus through it. -- [B]Reports from Pinky Webb, ANC; Dexter Ganibe and Charlie Mendoza, radio dzMM and Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News

mho, dapat na gawing brt yang edsa. ipagbabawal ang pag baba at PAGSAKAY kung saan saan. bago pumasok sa terminal, iinspectionin lahat ng baggage, mahaba nga ang pilang dudulot, pero mas okey na yun kaysa masabugan
__________________

passed EDSA Guadalupe earlier, the green fences, as well as the waiting shed's roofs were removed. what is that for?

Just curious, is it me or EDSA (C4) got extended upto north harbour?? But the bottleneck seems to be Gen san miguel and Samson road:

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/6803/edsa.jpg

They should widen EDSA on this part, So that EDSA would finally be a ring road; Since the extension seems to be connected back to Roxas boulevard which in turn is connected to EDSA again which you can see here:

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/9965/edsa2.jpg

^^It is considered a ring road according to your analysis but your diagram is not that accurate though, because it is Taft avenue that you highlighted. Instead, the western extension of C4 should be through Road 10 up to Roxas Blvd until it crosses EDSA in the south near MoA.

"C" stands for "Circumferential" but in Metro Manila's case, they are half circles.

EDSA is a constance jam right now due to the numerous bottlenecks (if you're coming from the south) in Buendia, Quadalupe, Boni, Shaw, Ortigas, Crame, Cubao, um, I think I just mentioned all the spots where there are underpasses and flyovers. :lol:

As usual, it's easy to blame the buses, but they do create more bottlenecks by their habit of hogging almost half of Edsa at certain points. Buses are bigger versions of Jeepneys in terms of driving habits. I think in the absence of self discipline among the drivers strict enforcement really is the key to reduce these "man made" bottlenecks.

Ever notice the bus depot below SM North? I think the design is effective, the buses just drop off and get passengers without obstructing traffic.

Just found in Wikipedia (don't know if it's already posted before tho)
It's circa 2008.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fa/EDSA.jpg

^^

parang ang luwag ng edsa dyan ah.........

^^

parang ang luwag ng edsa dyan ah.........

oo nga... maybe it was taken during the holy week..
:)

Share ko lang ito, mga kaganapan sa EDSA 25

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54216427@N05/5476775055/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54216427@N05/5477374208/in/photostream/
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp310/kenji_harima07/edsa2506.jpg
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp310/kenji_harima07/edsa2505.jpg
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp310/kenji_harima07/edsa2504.jpg
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp310/kenji_harima07/edsa2503.jpg


Sariwain at isabuhay ang diwa ng EDSA Revolution...

here's the link....

http://www.mmda.gov.ph/MMDA-Livestream.html

Sariwain at isabuhay ang diwa ng EDSA Revolution...

No thanks because that's the day when the squatters invaded every piece of land available in metro manila.

jim paredes = hypocrite

No thanks because that's the day when the squatters invaded every piece of land available in metro manila.

^^ I do agree...tamaan ARAY!!!:storm:

If I'm not mistaken, they're actually planning on making EDSA a closed highway system for smoother traffic flow.

Oh yes. For sure EDSA will be a limited access highway system. Just wait until the centennial year of the EDSA Revolution. :lol:

True, that!

Sa Guadalupe, meron nanaman sunog na naganap. Tapos magmamakaawa.. magagalit sa bumbero, sa gobyerno... ewan ko ba...

Una sa lahat, illegal ang pag tira ng mga iyan... indi nmn nagbabayad ng buwis, nagpapasikip pa ng kalsada

Sana talaga umalis na kayo... wag na kayo mangarap na mamuhay dito sa metro manila kung indi rin naman sa legal n pamamaraan ang pamumuhay nyo!:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

^^ Wag nyo naman po kaming paalisin. :))))))

;76323103']Sa Guadalupe, meron nanaman sunog na naganap. Tapos magmamakaawa.. magagalit sa bumbero, sa gobyerno... ewan ko ba...

Una sa lahat, illegal ang pag tira ng mga iyan... indi nmn nagbabayad ng buwis, nagpapasikip pa ng kalsada

Sana talaga umalis na kayo... wag na kayo mangarap na mamuhay dito sa metro manila kung indi rin naman sa legal n pamamaraan ang pamumuhay nyo!:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:


Buti na lang at makikipot yung mga eskinita ng karamihan ng IS community dito sa kalungsuran ng Maynila. Para kapag may sunog, mahihirapan laging makapasok ang mga fire truck at fire rescuer, at madaling masusunog agad yung mga barung-barong nila. This is their just deserts. (Did I already cross the line of meanness? Haha!) :rofl:

;76323103']Sa Guadalupe, meron nanaman sunog na naganap. Tapos magmamakaawa.. magagalit sa bumbero, sa gobyerno... ewan ko ba...

Una sa lahat, illegal ang pag tira ng mga iyan... indi nmn nagbabayad ng buwis, nagpapasikip pa ng kalsada

Sana talaga umalis na kayo... wag na kayo mangarap na mamuhay dito sa metro manila kung indi rin naman sa legal n pamamaraan ang pamumuhay nyo!:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

Ilang beses nang nasusunog yang IS colony na yan sa Guadalupe.

;76323103']Sa Guadalupe, meron nanaman sunog na naganap. Tapos magmamakaawa.. magagalit sa bumbero, sa gobyerno... ewan ko ba...

Una sa lahat, illegal ang pag tira ng mga iyan... indi nmn nagbabayad ng buwis, nagpapasikip pa ng kalsada

Sana talaga umalis na kayo... wag na kayo mangarap na mamuhay dito sa metro manila kung indi rin naman sa legal n pamamaraan ang pamumuhay nyo!:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

hindi sila ilegal kasi may permiso yong pagtira nila from the land owner yon yong sabi sa news....

hindi sila ilegal kasi may permiso yong pagtira nila from the land owner yon yong sabi sa news....

There's still the matter of their ramshackle houses. I would guess none of them would pass building safety codes, or sanitation, or electricals...

Kasalanan yan ng mga Binays, pinalago nila ng pinalago hanggang maging isang country na sila. kaya sila nandon, thirty years na ke Binay ang Makati hindi parin napaalis or napaliit man lang mga shanty colonies. Don't get me wrong these are people too, but they should have been taught or empowered by different means to change the course of their lives in a span of three decades.

The EDSA Project: Featuring Large-scale Paintings of Renowned Filipino Artists


source (http://www.mmda.gov.ph/news.html#apr282011)

The walls and flyover pillars of the 28-kilometer Epifanio delos Santos Ave. (Edsa) will soon be dotted with large-scale paintings of 10 renowned artists in the country that aims to provide a respite from the drab surroundings of smoke-belching vehicles and billboards, and a refreshing contrast that can help commuters and motorists calm down when they're stuck in traffic.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), a leading paint manufacturing company, top-rate science and art have put together an urban renewal initiative, dubbed as the Edsa Project, that will enable not only huge artworks to be posted on eight strategic locations along Metro Manila's main road artery but will also lessen air pollution through the use of a local breakthrough air-cleaning paint as well.

This year-long Edsa Project will be launched on May 7, 2011 at Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City to coincide with village's Community Day celebration..

The artists will compose eight artworks and execute them with the Knox-Out paint by Boysen, a paint that uses sunlight to transform poisons in the air, particularly nitrogen oxide, into a harmless residue that is easily washed away by rain .

Studies have shown that at least two million vehicles traverse Edsa daily, 200,000 of which on both north and south bound directions at a given time especially during peak hours, and many times over the pollution levels of other busiest major cities in the world.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said that with this urban renewal scheme, the struggle for a healthy environment is now scaled up to a level with palpable and visual impact.

"Motorists, commuters and pedestrians, while driving on or walking along Edsa, will be literally connected to the project benefits. Without needing to illustrate an environmentalist advocacy, the artworks will instead chemically embody a fresh anti-pollution strategy," Tolentino said.

For her part, MMDA General Manager Corazon Tecson-Jimenez, who is also the vice-chairman of the Edsa Project, said the program involves 10 cutting-edge and mostly foreign-based Filipino artists, including two Asian artists, who have been selected by Tao Inc., a firm specializing in curatorship and cultural analysis for urban planning, for their virtuosity and interest in social issues, while at the same time maintaining elegance and wit.

They are Jose Tence Ruiz, Neal Oshima, Asuncion Imperial, Damiene Anne, Virgilio Aviado, Brisbane-based Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, the art department of the advertising agency TBWA, Singaporean Erika Tan and Finnish architect Tapio Snellman.

Ruiz' complex and tattoo-like painting is currently being executed on the Edsa-Barangay San Lorenzo Village wall.

Each huge artwork of these artists will cover 1,000 square meters and will be sequentially executed on Edsa's high walls, flyover pillars, undergirdings and MRT and LRT walls and pillars, with one art exhibit every one-and-a half months starting May 7, this year until early next year.

Tolentino said that at a total of 8,000 square meters size coverage of the proposed eight artworks, the toxins in the exhaust of 80,000 cars and public utility vehicles can be neutralized by the painted surfaces for three to five years.

The target sites for the execution of the Edsa project include Bgy. San Lorenzo to Mantrade bus stop, southbound, Edsa-Ortigas interchange pillars, wall from Rockwell going to Buendia, Ayala, southbound, LRT pillars from Monumento to Balintawak Cloverleaf to Muñoz, MRT Boni Ave. station before reaching Guadalupe bridge, southbound, MRT Taft station walls and cylindrical walls of the Tramo flyover, MRT wall from from GMA Kamuning station to Quezon Ave. station, northbound, and both ends of Cubao-Aurora underpass, all along Edsa.

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff419/MichaelGeorgeCacho/KKK.jpg

Nice sana but there is already an international advocacy that will be launched on May 11, 2011 - The Decade of Action for Road Safety. It will be launched worldwide with the Philippines among those countries that will be committing to reducing road crash rates by 50% over the next 10 years. Dapat yung na lang ang common battle cry at di na gumawa pa ng KKK. Seriously, what comes to mind pag binanggit ang KKK? Is it road safety?



http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff419/MichaelGeorgeCacho/KKK.jpg

^^ Hm? That's simply the name translated into Filipino. Nothing wrong with that.

The EDSA Project: Featuring Large-scale Paintings of Renowned Filipino Artists

Tolentino said that at a total of 8,000 square meters size coverage of the proposed eight artworks, the toxins in the exhaust of 80,000 cars and public utility vehicles can be neutralized by the painted surfaces for three to five years.


Tree planting at landscaping nalang. Mas worth it pa kumpara sa boysen paid advertising.

Mas mura at mas maganda sa environment ang halaman kumpara sa mga jologs artwork na gagawin nila.

Katulad nalamang na ginagawa nila sa ilalim ng MRT, tinataniman nila ng mga magagandang halaman dun at sa portion ng North ave. to Balintawak, lalagyan na rin nila ng mga halaman....

^^ I'll give it a month bago babuyin ng mga IS.

Tama, tree planting nalang..

wag lang yung kadena de amor...

AeTbTcslID0

That cheap**** white paint and those cheap**** billboards makes me wanna shoot myself.
They should demolish those railing medians and plant trees instead. Not shrubs.

That cheap**** white paint and those cheap**** billboards makes me wanna shoot myself.
They should demolish those railing medians and plant trees instead. Not shrubs.

MMDA attempted to plant vines 'round the MRT posts... But today, no one's maintaining those shrubs.

That cheap**** white paint and those cheap**** billboards makes me wanna shoot myself.


i'll give you a gun :cheers:

Ngayon lang ulit ako nakapagdrive sa meh Magallanes Interchange area, nagulat ako kasi yung saradong daan na papuntang EDSA coming from Osmeña Highway ay bukas na ulit...Salamat MMDA!

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C7lo.jpg

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C5lo.JPG

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C%202lo.JPG

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/UserFiles/Image/20110802150813896_B+C21lo.JPG


http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/module.php?LM=news.level1&id=1312261136994

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/UserFiles/Image/20110523170520542_knox2.jpg

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/knox.jpg

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/module.php?LM=news.level1&id=1306141545585

That cheap**** white paint and those cheap**** billboards makes me wanna shoot myself.
They should demolish those railing medians and plant trees instead. Not shrubs.



MMDA attempted to plant vines 'round the MRT posts... But today, no one's maintaining those shrubs.

Do you guys want to know why they use the combination of concrete and metal median fence? It's those filipinos who DOES NOT FOLLOW simple traffic and pedestrian rules!!!!!!! If the majority of filipinos are not ignorant, has discipline and has patience. Metro Manila or perhaps all over the country, the surrounding must have been pleasing to our eyes. What I can't stand around the country is how men just flat out relieve themselves whenever they please. They cross the street where ever they feel like. Get off or hail a public transport to where they think they should be dropped off or pick up regardless if this would inconvinience other motorist and passengers in the street. So if you want the surrounding looks atleast semi decent. Help promote discipline and be a very good example if you do not follow the same wrong practices as to the majority.

Actually, those iron/metal fences or median would still look decent if plants are added and the fence itself is painted with something like green to blend with landscape or even just plain green grass that are properly maintained .

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/UserFiles/Image/20110802150813896_B+C21lo.JPG


Fun looking! Where along EDSA are these?

ortigas flyover i think

Ok, thanks!

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C5lo.JPG

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/module.php?LM=news.level1&id=1312261136994

Finally they made something slightly appealing. Compared to those tacky pink/blue squares they do on blank walls. :lol:

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/knox.jpg

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/module.php?LM=news.level1&id=1306141545585


http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C5lo.JPG

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/module.php?LM=news.level1&id=1312261136994

^^ atleast kaaya-aya na siyang tingnan! Salamat MMDA/Boysen, The Number 1 Paint! :lol:

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C7lo.jpg

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C5lo.JPG

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global//UserFiles/B+C%202lo.JPG

http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/UserFiles/Image/20110802150813896_B+C21lo.JPG


http://www.adobomagazine.com/global/module.php?LM=news.level1&id=1312261136994
this is nice but the future is in planting ivies or crawlers to cover all these pillars

^^ I actually do not like that idea. Maybe if they let it crawl up to certain height and build some sort of fence or something that the ivies and crawlers can grow up on instead of the actual pillar because what i've seen in the past doesn't look too impressive especially when it reaches up to the topmost part of the pillars. It looks like it was not being taken care off, much like a mini forest kind of.

yah instead of cadena de amor, they shud have planted crawling ivies to soften up those hard looking concrete pillars of the mrt and lrts.

^^ atleast kaaya-aya na siyang tingnan! Salamat MMDA/Boysen, The Number 1 Paint! :lol:

^^So they used anti-pollution paint? Good news. :okay:

Dapat ang gumagawa ng mga wall art ay ang Teammanila :)

nilalagyan ng tiles yung side ng underpass Cubao...

^^ Nyek, bakit tiles? Parang prone to vandalism yun. In a few years parang tiles sa CR na sa mga opisina ng gobyerno na yun. :D

its a good move, imho. its easier to clean tiles and remove the grime caused by the heavy pollution along edsa vs painted cement. you just have to put some cleaning solutions over it, scrub it, then rinse it and you'll have a cleaner wall. compare that to painted cement which you have to re-coat every now and then. worst is unpainted polluted cement.

im not sure if its in hkg or sg where ive seen underpasses with tiled walls. it looks great at night with adequate lighting. i hope mmda also has installation of lights included on their plan for this tiling project.

Since we're already on the topic of public art, is it possible to cover those large posts of elevated road along EDSA with something like plaster/cement ornaments? Baka pwede lagyan ng pattern design inspired by local and traditional weave patterns. Para lang pleasant sa mata. Pwede ren patterned tiles
http://mithunonthe.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/abu-dhabi-underpass-night.jpg

Or romanesque-inspired pilars
http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webunits/greecerome/images/columns.jpeg

hehehe.

http://mithunonthe.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/abu-dhabi-underpass-night.jpg


ayan parang ganyan nga afterlife00. sarap magdrive sa mga underpass nyan kung ganyan kaliwanag sa gabi tiyak gising ka kung inaantok antok ka na :lol:

Basta ba hindi kakapitan ng smog o alikabok at kung ano pa man, okay yan :lol:

why do they keep on painting those pillars why not just use poison ivy.....baka isang buwan lang yan gray na kulay nyan.....bakit ba gustong gusto paulit ulit na bumili ng paint ang mga ito....lam nyo na siguro ang rason dyan....:lol: may eco friendly kaya ang pagapangan mo ng ivy yung wala...malamig sa mata....

^^ Nyek, bakit tiles? Parang prone to vandalism yun. In a few years parang tiles sa CR na sa mga opisina ng gobyerno na yun. :D

para hindi na nila pinturahan every few weeks? :lol:

ayan parang ganyan nga afterlife00. sarap magdrive sa mga underpass nyan kung ganyan kaliwanag sa gabi tiyak gising ka kung inaantok antok ka na :lol:

I pass by here everyday. Yeah maganda road system dito sa Abu Dhabi and the road networks of UAE lahat may radar at camera sigurado disiplinado mga pinoy pag nagkataon. Beats me have to pay almost 20,000 php for my fines and violation once I renew my car's registration.

Why wasn't the government able to make EDSA a closed highway system?

^^ it seems it once was...:dunno:

this pic was posted here many times but i'm not really sure if it was a closed highway...

http://redgage-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/rbacareza/highway54edsa.jpg
http://www.redgage.com/photos/rbacareza/highway-54-renamed-as-edsa.html

It'd be so cool if it were a closed highway today.

Meh billboard na nung panahon na yun oh. :D

It'd be so cool if it were a closed highway today.

If EDSA is a closed highway today, that would perfectly serve as an expressway bisecting MM, making travel to and from the provinces even better.

Who else need costly Skyway stage 3 or earth-moving C6 if EDSA only served its greater purpose?

If EDSA is a closed highway today, that would perfectly serve as an expressway bisecting MM, making travel to and from the provinces even better.

Who else need costly Skyway stage 3 or earth-moving C6 if EDSA only served its greater purpose?

But Metro Manila is a primate city, goods and people from the North and South converge here, it is not merely a place that people from North and South pass through, it is where they actually go.

For goods and people merely crossing Metro Manila, the Skyway perfectly fits that purpose. Problem right now is that Metro Manila is having a heart attack, it's main arteries are clogged. I do agree with a closed system, a coronary bypass, maybe an extension of the Skyway would do, right now I'm thinking it should go over C-5 and then have exits in BGC and in Ortigas.

I think that they can still manage to make EDSA a little bit less congested with the proper planning and implementation of resources.

^^ its not closed but you can skip the stoplights by using flyovers and tunnels.

and remove half of the buses!!

I think better lane management would suffice.

The only problem in the entire stretch of EDSA in every single day is the Cubao segment, even in night time. Past cubao and it's a breeze southbound and northbound (except SM North area).

Please make a tunnel starting past Quezon Avenue SB and resurface past Buendia SB. Thanks! I know it's not feasible because of flooding and earthquakes but I just hate the Cubao area every morning and night time. Full of people, metro and provincial buses, cars, jeeps, noise, smoke, cheap billboards, sweaty commuters, sidewalk vendors, beggars, people who look like they have bad odors, petty criminals ugh. Gross.

The only problem in the entire stretch of EDSA in every single day is the Cubao segment, even in night time. Past cubao and it's a breeze southbound and northbound (except SM North area).

Please make a tunnel starting past Quezon Avenue SB and resurface past Buendia SB. Thanks! I know it's not feasible because of flooding and earthquakes but I just hate the Cubao area every morning and night time. Full of people, metro and provincial buses, cars, jeeps, noise, smoke, cheap billboards, sweaty commuters, sidewalk vendors, beggars, people who look like they have bad odors, petty criminals ugh. Gross.Not only Cubao but also the one in front of Starmall.

The best solution for EDSA is to create a better transport system for the entire stretch. There are too many buses on EDSA

I just hate the Cubao area every morning and night time.

Hays

Can we add Pasay Rotunda. I've been wanting to wipe out that area for years! MRT Station has made a bottleneck situation at the intersection. Worse, MMDA during night time seems to be very incompetent in allowing jeepneys to load and unload at prohibited areas. Pasay Rotunda I guess is the messiest junction in EDSA. Far messier than Cubao and Crossing I guess. It frequently floods, its traffic, the station was a bottleneck and it is full of jeepneys plying to Malibay, Alabang, Nichols and Bicutan.

Pasay Rotunda is just...sarap i-annihilate ang jeepneys jan!

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4947/unled1ln.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25434467@N05/6064481341/

wassup with the fish infront of the virgin?:ohno:

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4947/unled1ln.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25434467@N05/6064481341/

wassup with the fish infront of the virgin?:ohno:

Nagaya na rin sa Luneta. Hindi nasakop ng Dept. of Taste! :lol:

Nasobrahan ata sa HDR processing yung image. :ahihihi:

The only problem in the entire stretch of EDSA in every single day is the Cubao segment, even in night time. Past cubao and it's a breeze southbound and northbound (except SM North area).

Please make a tunnel starting past Quezon Avenue SB and resurface past Buendia SB. Thanks! I know it's not feasible because of flooding and earthquakes but I just hate the Cubao area every morning and night time. Full of people, metro and provincial buses, cars, jeeps, noise, smoke, cheap billboards, sweaty commuters, sidewalk vendors, beggars, people who look like they have bad odors, petty criminals ugh. Gross.

KOREK!!!!! SANA KAGAYA NG SA MALAYSIA SMART TUNNEL

Can we add Pasay Rotunda. I've been wanting to wipe out that area for years! MRT Station has made a bottleneck situation at the intersection. Worse, MMDA during night time seems to be very incompetent in allowing jeepneys to load and unload at prohibited areas. Pasay Rotunda I guess is the messiest junction in EDSA. Far messier than Cubao and Crossing I guess. It frequently floods, its traffic, the station was a bottleneck and it is full of jeepneys plying to Malibay, Alabang, Nichols and Bicutan.

Pasay Rotunda is just...sarap i-annihilate ang jeepneys jan!

GRABE RIN ITONG AREA NA ITO! PALPAK ANG PLANNING DITO!

^^^ i love KL's smart tunnel :)

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4947/unled1ln.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25434467@N05/6064481341/

wassup with the fish infront of the virgin?:ohno:

Is this for real or is it photoshopped?

dinagdagan ng hue ang color

^^ Looks like a HDR photo to me.

sorry about that guys. Maybe the owner intentionally overdone it.

War zone na naman ang EDSA-Trinoma/North Avenue area this coming August 31...Iwasan ang area na to.

QC urban poor slam Ayala, NHA for impending demolition (http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/08/14/qc-urban-poor-slam-ayala-nha-for-impending-demolition-%E2%80%A8/)

Published on August 14, 2011
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

Excerpts:

City administrator Victor Endriga announced recently that the National Housing Authority (NHA) will evict 9,000 households on Aug. 31 to give way to a P22-billion ($511 million) joint project between Ayala Land Inc. and the NHA. The project is part of the QC Business District.

guys.. panoorin nyo to.. banda ni Ely Buendia (Former Eraserheads Frontman)
Wala ako masabi sa video.. buti me permission sila sa MMDA at PNP para makapag.shoot ng video sa daan mula EDSA monumento hanggang EDSA Buendia..
nung Holy Week pa ung shoot..

PUPIL-20/20
From the new album: LIMITERS OF THE INFINITY POOL
8LCIb3KASa8

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4947/unled1ln.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25434467@N05/6064481341/

wassup with the fish infront of the virgin?:ohno:

Here you go. Magkaharap sila talaga dapat.
http://www.astrologycom.com/images/zodiac.jpg.pagespeed.ce.kVFqH9mJtT.jpg

pcNgQtcAW-c

guys.. panoorin nyo to.. banda ni Ely Buendia (Former Eraserheads Frontman)
Wala ako masabi sa video.. buti me permission sila sa MMDA at PNP para makapag.shoot ng video sa daan mula EDSA monumento hanggang EDSA Buendia..
nung Holy Week pa ung shoot..

PUPIL-20/20
From the new album: LIMITERS OF THE INFINITY POOL
8LCIb3KASa8
MMDA and PNP was there during the shooting to assist with the traffic. It's real, not photoshopped, maybe some but the point is totoo eto which is extra amazing!

^
partida.. nung holy week pa nai.shoot ang video
lakas ni Ely Buendia!!

^^

Anak nang! How can they even say no to Ely Buendia?? :cheers:

^^ To be exact, Sabado de Gloria nila shinooting yan ng umaga. Napadaan pa kami nyan. Sobrang luwang naman ng EDSA by that time. Sa bus nga lang pinagkaguluhan na nang makita si Ely. :D

Sabay sila ng pagshooting ni Marian Rivera sa CAVITEX, Sabado de Gloria din. :lol:

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232144/nation/dpwh-mulls-constructing-elevated-edsa

:cheers:
DPWH mulls constructing 'elevated EDSA'
KIM TAN, GMA News
09/12/2011 | 11:14 AM

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is considering the construction of a highway either above or below the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) to ease the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said on Monday.

During Monday's Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the DWPH in 2012, Singson said they are considering constructing a 22-kilometer tunnel below EDSA or a highway above it that will traverse Roxas Boulevard to Balintawak.

However, he noted that they might choose an elevated road because a tunnel would have a higher maintenance cost.

"We're starting the technical evaluation whether it should be above or tunnel (but) we really might end up on an elevated," he said.

The estimated cost of the project is P50 billion, he said.

Singson said the highway can have six lanes and three exits: one each in Makati, Greenhills, and Quezon City.

"We are looking at the possibility of a toll system so that we can in fact cover some of the amortization of the project," he said.

The Senate hearing was still going on as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News

^^ Sana ayusin na lang nila ang mass transit sa Metro. More rail lines, truly integrate and unify the bus system, unified ticketing system, etc.

^^Oo nga. Ang mga solution nila puro short-term at big budget. We know why.

Kung inaayos sana nila yung mass transport system bago magga-ganyan eh baka hindi na natin kailanganin ng elevated system. Masyadong car-centric, eh after a few years magiging congested din naman yang elevated road.

And they seem to want to make Metro Manila less livable and less pedestrian-friendly. I can't believe that the government's thrust is to make Metro Manila a car-centric megacity. The pollution and the traffic, I imagine, would be worse as more people would opt to use cars because our infrastructure would be for cars, not for mass transit.

^^ many people would opt to use their own vehicles because of safety reasons.

I agree with @absintee_88,@ Le Reine and @Sulong.

I noticed these with all presidents of the Philippines, they usually try to replicate every infrastructures they witnessed overseas without considering any feasibility studies to address the current issues without jeopardizing the visions for the future.

Lagi na lang, effective sa ganito at ganoong bansa SIGURO effective din ito sa EDSA. Just like what @ Le Reine mentioned it seems that it's always been a short term solution with big budget. Para tuloy barong barong, patse dito patse duon sa simula parang maayos tignan pero sa katagalan, nagiging pampagulo din, sa simula lang maayos.

^^Oo nga. Ang mga solution nila puro short-term at big budget. We know why.

Kung inaayos sana nila yung mass transport system bago magga-ganyan eh baka hindi na natin kailanganin ng elevated system. Masyadong car-centric, eh after a few years magiging congested din naman yang elevated road.

^^ Problema ba yon? Eh di lagyan ng elevated road ang elevated road... :nuts:

Anu pang ineexpect nyo kay abnoy? love life nga nya di nya maayos.. :lol:

I agree with @absintee_88,@ Le Reine and @Sulong.

I noticed these with all presidents of the Philippines, they usually try to replicate every infrastructures they witnessed overseas without considering any feasibility studies to address the current issues without jeopardizing the visions for the future.

Lagi na lang, effective sa ganito at ganoong bansa SIGURO effective din ito sa EDSA. Just like what @ Le Reine mentioned it seems that it's always been a short term solution with big budget. Para tuloy barong barong, patse dito patse duon sa simula parang maayos tignan pero sa katagalan, nagiging pampagulo din, sa simula lang maayos.

Yan problema sa Pilipinas. Walang long-term vision. Laging six years lang. Napa car-centric pa natin. Tignan natin sa ibang bansa, makikita mo kung gaano kaasenso sila by the way we look at their mass transit and rail lines. Buhayin lang nila lahat ng defunct PNR lines at gawin lahat ng planned mass transit sa MM, sigurado decongest na agad MM and spur economic development in the countryside pa.

Ako personally, kaya ako ngssakyan sa MM gawa ang bulok ng Mass Transit system natin dun. Pero kung mala SG or HK yan, sigurado ako maunti na magdadala ng sariling oto. L1, L2, L3 lang pahirapan na sa interchange ng mga stations e.

Teka, parang naging pang LRT/PNR tong post ko. Dapat pala magkaron na rin ng SSC Pilipinas Rant Room Thread. :ahihihi este :D

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232144/nation/dpwh-mulls-constructing-elevated-edsa

:cheers:
DPWH mulls constructing 'elevated EDSA'
KIM TAN, GMA News
09/12/2011 | 11:14 AM

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is considering the construction of a highway either above or below the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) to ease the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said on Monday.

During Monday's Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the DWPH in 2012, Singson said they are considering constructing a 22-kilometer tunnel below EDSA or a highway above it that will traverse Roxas Boulevard to Balintawak.

However, he noted that they might choose an elevated road because a tunnel would have a higher maintenance cost.

"We're starting the technical evaluation whether it should be above or tunnel (but) we really might end up on an elevated," he said.

The estimated cost of the project is P50 billion, he said.

Singson said the highway can have six lanes and three exits: one each in Makati, Greenhills, and Quezon City.

"We are looking at the possibility of a toll system so that we can in fact cover some of the amortization of the project," he said.

The Senate hearing was still going on as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News
wow, sana madaliin na nila para maayos na ang edsa, 3 lanes per direction is really going to partially solve the problem plus sky way nlex-slex interconnection, ayos na!! dapat gawin nila, hanggang 4th level yung 4rth level ay monorail na lang para di masyado mabigat

^^ many people would opt to use their own vehicles because of safety reasons.

And there also people who would opt not to use their cars if only a decent mass transit system is in place.

Ako personally, kaya ako ngssakyan sa MM gawa ang bulok ng Mass Transit system natin dun. Pero kung mala SG or HK yan, sigurado ako maunti na magdadala ng sariling oto. L1, L2, L3 lang pahirapan na sa interchange ng mga stations e.


Same here. I don't really like the "driver's stress" -- poproblemahin mo pa ang parking, ang daming roads na kailangan tandaan, encounters with one way streets na you wouldn't know na one way pala dahil walang proper signage, etc. Pero compared to the stress gained from survival commuting system that we have, I, like you, am forced to take my car on almost all occasions.

Actually I like the idea of an elevated expressway on EDSA. Above is purely for cars (probably a few provincial buses) and below is for mass transportation like city buses. Yes we are car-centric and need a decent public transportation system but unlike HK and Singapore, we have a large land area. Even if we build a vast, sophisticated rail/bus system, having a private vehicle is still the more "sulit" option for a lot of Filipinos.

can someone post the new edsa or edsa 2 highway/tollway?

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232144/nation/dpwh-mulls-constructing-elevated-edsa

:cheers:
DPWH mulls constructing 'elevated EDSA'
KIM TAN, GMA News
09/12/2011 | 11:14 AM


Sorry, but I am not in favor of Elevated EDSA. It will only make our main highway dimmer and dirtier. I still opt for the Skyway over PNR tracks instead.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232144/nation/dpwh-mulls-constructing-elevated-edsa

:cheers:
DPWH mulls constructing 'elevated EDSA'
KIM TAN, GMA News
09/12/2011 | 11:14 AM

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is considering the construction of a highway either above or below the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) to ease the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said on Monday.

During Monday's Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the DWPH in 2012, Singson said they are considering constructing a 22-kilometer tunnel below EDSA or a highway above it that will traverse Roxas Boulevard to Balintawak.

However, he noted that they might choose an elevated road because a tunnel would have a higher maintenance cost.

"We're starting the technical evaluation whether it should be above or tunnel (but) we really might end up on an elevated," he said.

The estimated cost of the project is P50 billion, he said.

Singson said the highway can have six lanes and three exits: one each in Makati, Greenhills, and Quezon City.

"We are looking at the possibility of a toll system so that we can in fact cover some of the amortization of the project," he said.

The Senate hearing was still going on as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News

Matagal na dapat ginawa ito, before pa nagkaroon ng MRT. Kaso bakit 3 exits lang? Dapat lahat ng major thoroughfares na tatawiran ng EDSA may exit. The problem with our system is that it is poorly-planned and succeeding governments do not have a uniform infrastructure plan for our transportation sector. If they want to follow HK and Singapore's example, noon pa lang dapat may elevated expressways in Metro Manila, and there will also be a MRT system. The MRT system and the elevated expressways can complement each other. It worked in Hong Kong.

eh kung ipgrade nila ang MRT at Gawin BRT na yan edsa para 1 lane ang babawasan.... kung eepek nga.......:nuts::nuts::nuts:

remind ko lang po ang "LRT viaduct effect" in Manila, Caloocan and Quezon City (Aurrora Blvd)..

Well Good Luck to EDSA!!! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Elevated EDSA, magiging abot langit nga ang magiging hitsura nito..:nuts:

kababalita palang ngayon sa Saksi yung issue na yan..

A little more info on the Edsa Skyway/Tunnel feasibility study

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/16464-soon-to-rise-edsa-skyway


BusinessMirror.com.ph Home Top News Soon to rise: Edsa skyway
Soon to rise: Edsa skyway
Monday, 12 September 2011 22:23 Butch Fernandez / Reporter
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A P50-billion six-lane skyway alongside the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) is the Aquino administration’s solution to the heavy volume of daily vehicular traffic on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa).

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson revealed this to senators at a budget hearing on Monday.

He said “preliminary estimates” pegged the cost of the proposed 22-kilometer elevated Edsa, stretching from Roxas Boulevard to Balintawak, at P50 billion.

He indicated they are still doing technical evaluation of the project to be funded either by “ODA-Jica,” referring to the official development assistance-Japan International Cooperation Agency, or by the private sector, which would charge toll from users of the proposed Edsa skyway.

He added that also under consideration as an alternative to the elevated roadway is a “smart tunnel” that would double as a cistern to collect floodwaters along Edsa.

“We are rushing the study,” said Singson at a press briefing but declined to give further details beyond saying “this is a multibillion project.”

He also sidestepped questions on the deadline for completing the project study, pleading with reporters to “give us a chance [to finish it first].”

During the Finance Committee hearing on the P125-billion 9/12/11 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) proposed budget for 2012, Sen. Ralph Recto pointed out that the government must spend more on infrastructure to create new jobs and spur the economy

“This is the catch-up decade for the Philippines; infrastructure investments should be spending a minimum of 5 percent of GDP,” said Recto, former chief of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), as he noted that the DPWH budget is even lower than it was in 2009.

“As a percentage of GDP, that is going down as well but if we take a look at the entire government, the DPWH is roughly 1.2 percent. We can repair some roads but we still need public-private projects [PPPs]. We are going
on the second year [of the Aquino administration but] apparently nothing much is happening on the PPP,” he added. “What can we expect from PPPs for the remaining six months? What is in the pipeline, especially after the incumbent PPP head resigned? Where are we today as far as roads, bridges and tollways are concerned?”

In reply, Singson conceded that funding for government infrastructure projects was still inadequate. “Not enough. For total infrastructure [we should be] investing 5 percent to 7 percent of GDP to feel the impact of growth; right now, it is 2.5 percent so we need to augment investments through PPPs.”

Singson said the DPWH is also supposed to undertake the Daang-Hari connector road to the South Luzon Expressway. “The bidding is ongoing and submissions would be by late December,” he said.

Sen. Frank Drilon, who chairs the finance committee, noted that in the budget presentation of the DPWH, it appeared that there was no provision for new national highways, pointing out that “arterial roads today are 15,872 kilometers and by end of 2014, you would still have same number. There is no provision for new national arterial roads.”

Drilon told reporters after the hearing that the finance committee was “generally satisfied” with the budget presentation of Singson, as well as “the efforts he has taken in order to have reforms in the DPWH. We believe that we have now a secretary who fully understands the mission of the DPWH in order to move his department forward.”

Meanwhile, on the proposed Edsa tunnel or elevated highway, Singson said they thought of the project because “Edsa can no longer absorb any widening.” An average of about 300,000 to 400,000 vehicles pass Edsa daily.

He said if it will be an elevated highway, it will be above the Metro Rail Transit (MRT). “It would improve the traffic mobility along Edsa. Right now, during busy hours, the movement of vehicles are bumper-to-bumper,” he said.

“On and off ramps might also be installed to enable motorists to embark and disembark at certain sections along Edsa,” Singson added.

According to the project’s feasibility study, traffic congestion in Metro Manila’s 50-kilometer radius will worsen even more as the metropolis’ population and car volume increases, overtaking the road network capacity. By 2015, population in Metro Manila would have reached 25.72 million and car ownership increasing to 2.34 million, according to estimates.

In the previous administration, the DPWH also studied the possibility of constructing a P34.54-billion Metro Manila Tunnel Expressway along Roxas Boulevard aimed at connecting ports in Manila to the southern part of the country’s capital. Both the Neda and DPWH, however, deemed that the project is not urgently needed and was shelved.

(With VG Cabuag)

smart tunnel is currenlty up and running in KL now. elevated highways are normal in Bangkok. it's time for the Philippines to do something more than the usual. the only problem im seeing here is lalo lang magkakatrapik sa buong edsa for the period of the construction. eto resulta ng very poor urban planning. previous government didnt make sure na kelngan maimprove ang infrastructure lalo na sa manila. when the need arises lang, tsaka lang gagawa. andun yung problema, at ang kalalabasan, walang coordination sa design. kung baga walang masterplan na sinusunod. just my two cents.

Another boondogle for DPWH. Why build? That NLEX-SLEX connection are already being set up. Naghahanap lang sila ng pagkakakitaan.

basta talagang mga ganitong projects bilis kaagad nang announcment at press release... ung Cavite-Bataan Tunnel 10yrs ago, tapos ung Roxas Boulevard Tunnel 3yrs ago, ngayon eto naman EDSA Skyway...:nuts:

imbis na atupagin na lang nila ung mga MRT/LRT, PNR, Monorail, BRT, Circumferential Roads, etc...:bash:

maayos lang sana nila ung bus system sa EDSA, sigurado laking bawas nyan sa traffic, at di pa kelangan ng P50 billion...

to be honest i think this is counterproductive. The goal of the previous administration is to decongest metro manila, kaya both north and south tollways have been rehabilitated, and extended even for just a few more kilometers. Yung northrail nga lang ang nabitin, but thats another topic. anyway, if they just spend these billions of pesos developing transport infrastructure in the provinces around the capital, the returns might have been better. I emphasize mass transport because i want to focus on movement of people. If people can move fast, then its okay to live even a hundred miles away from the center.

and whats their basis for that ridiculous forecast of 25M by 2015??

^^ what they are planning for is an increase in the population of MM which, as you said, is counterproductive... imo, what they should do is encourage the growth of surrounding regions (Central and Southern Luzon, Cebu, Davao, etc) so as to stymie the growth in the metro itself, which will be achieved if they focus on building the support infras instead....:yes:

GMA envisioned it during her term when she tried to move some gov't offices into different provinces...

:cheers:

I suggest strict implementation of traffic rules first on EDSA and the completion of C-5 and C-6. A coordinated bus system would also help.

Don't worry guys, Aquino's term will be over before they even have the results of these studies, and then after that a couple of more years of debates.

^^ what they are planning for is an increase in the population of MM which, as you said, is counterproductive... imo, what they should do is encourage the growth of surrounding regions (Central and Southern Luzon, Cebu, Davao, etc) so as to stymie the growth in the metro itself, which will be achieved if they focus on building the support infras instead....:yes:

GMA envisioned it during her term when she tried to move some gov't offices into different provinces...

:cheers:

I rather the government have branches of government office in many parts of the country instead of spreading all these in different provinces separately, sometimes, there would be many instances where you will have transaction in one government agencies to another, if all of them are so far appart, it would also be a hindrance. I see that in Cebu, there are many government branches which is very ideal, so maybe, this can be replicated in other major cities all over the Philippines just for that same reason, convinience. The only question there would be the funding for government employees they would hire for all these branches but then again, each cities would have to be alloted with funds based on the income in their own cities... that would probably entail charter change as well along with the policies on foreign ownership and investments.

Sorry, but I am not in favor of Elevated EDSA. It will only make our main highway dimmer and dirtier. I still opt for the Skyway over PNR tracks instead.

Dimmer and dirtier? That remains to be seen. Our Skyway (above) and SLEX (road level) look okay - bright and clean.

I think this administration is bent on completing this project to be called as: NEW EDSA and will run above the MRT line. Don't worry, the Skyway over PNR tracks will be built, too. Metro Manila will be different in less than a decade, with flyovers or skyways on top of roads and trains!

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippines/new-22km-highway-planned-for-edsa-1.865569

New 22km highway planned for Edsa

50b-peso project may be underground or elevated

By Barbara Mae Dacanay, Bureau Chief
Published: 00:00 September 13, 2011
Gulf News

Manila: The Philippine government will build a 22km tunnel or elevated highway at a cost of between 25 billion to 50 billion pesos (Dh2.8 billion to Dh4.16 billion) on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), the major thoroughfare where a people-backed military mutiny deposed former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and elevated Corazon Aquino to the presidency in 1986, a senior official said.

"We are still studying if it will be a tunnel or an elevated expressway," said Public Works and Highway Secretary Rogelio Singson during a hearing of the Senate's finance committee.

"Edsa can no longer absorb widening," said Singson, adding the additional thoroughfare will have six lanes and one exit each for Makati, the financial district, Greenhills in suburban San Juan, and suburban Quezon City.

"We are looking at the possibility of a toll system so we can cover some of the amortisation of the project," Singson said, adding the new thoroughfare will be called New Edsa.

Bakit hindi C-5 ang lagyan ng Skyway?

Dimmer and dirtier? That remains to be seen. Our Skyway (above) and SLEX (road level) look okay - bright and clean.


that's because the road underneath Skyway is a closed highway--SLEX (let's just assume Osmena Highway is part of that too)...

a tunnel is good if we dont have the bridge in guadalape and mrt tunnel of both ayala and buendia station, skyway has lesser cost but it will build traffics and rerouting, while tunneling edsa will become pricey,no rerouting,same traffic in edsa, and a record for a 22 km tunnel which will be the longest in the country

that's because the road underneath Skyway is a closed highway--SLEX (let's just assume Osmena Highway is part of that too)...

Osmena Highway is clean. I prefer tunnel.

wesunsled: Yes, that would be the longest tunnel in PH, a record indeed.


For me, since the government won't restrict the addition of new cars, the risk of total gridlock is there. The economy is growing and more people are buying cars. It is good that the government will expand road network but they should push thru with the expansion of LRT/MRT, too.

they should first clean up Edsa and pave the entire length smooth.

Actually I like the idea of an elevated expressway on EDSA. Above is purely for cars (probably a few provincial buses) and below is for mass transportation like city buses. Yes we are car-centric and need a decent public transportation system but unlike HK and Singapore, we have a large land area. Even if we build a vast, sophisticated rail/bus system, having a private vehicle is still the more "sulit" option for a lot of Filipinos.

Metro Manila is like 50/50 like Bangkok and Beijing where it is a combination of pedestrian and cars. The fact I see a moderate to high volume of pedestrian activity in the metro's streets.

Despite only having 3 rapid transit lines and buses. Metro Manila does have a whole lot of jeepneys.

Actually I like the idea of an elevated expressway on EDSA. Above is purely for cars (probably a few provincial buses) and below is for mass transportation like city buses. Yes we are car-centric and need a decent public transportation system but unlike HK and Singapore, we have a large land area. Even if we build a vast, sophisticated rail/bus system, having a private vehicle is still the more "sulit" option for a lot of Filipinos.

That is if you live in suburbia like I do, you are more dependent on cars unlike those living in the city especially within The Makati, Manila and Ortigas areas.

But if you are in the city especially with good rapid transit connnections, then there is no point of having a car unless you are going out of town.

The only thing is the weather but HK and SG can have the same effect as Manila especially during the summers.

And they seem to want to make Metro Manila less livable and less pedestrian-friendly. I can't believe that the government's thrust is to make Metro Manila a car-centric megacity. The pollution and the traffic, I imagine, would be worse as more people would opt to use cars because our infrastructure would be for cars, not for mass transit.

I'm sure the government will come up with the complete package when it comes to infrastructure spending. This includes roads, highways, railways, rapid transit, etc.

This is what I hate about Metro Manila when it city is originally built for people not for cars.

Major ASEAN cities are like that. Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur are very car centric especially Jakarta where the majority of its population rely on wheels and most areas are not walkable.

But again, it is spread out. The good thing though, our central business districts especially Makati, Ortigas and the likes are pedestrian oriented the fact I just park my car somewhere in these areas and just walk to my destination.

Three level EDSA? Hello Kobe 2. Hello Big One.

When other more industrialized cities like Seoul are making ways and developing urban transportation masterplans that will encourage people to not use their cars, we are going the other way.

to be honest i think this is counterproductive. The goal of the previous administration is to decongest metro manila, kaya both north and south tollways have been rehabilitated, and extended even for just a few more kilometers. Yung northrail nga lang ang nabitin, but thats another topic. anyway, if they just spend these billions of pesos developing transport infrastructure in the provinces around the capital, the returns might have been better. I emphasize mass transport because i want to focus on movement of people. If people can move fast, then its okay to live even a hundred miles away from the center.

and whats their basis for that ridiculous forecast of 25M by 2015??

you're right. i think it is better to put the money in transportations like railways. if we can only extend those existing lines (MRT, LRT, PNR) to near provinces of Metro Manila, heavy traffic can be avoided during rush hour.

plus, replacing half-empty buses with BRT buses is very efficient in decongesting EDSA.

Planned EDSA elevated expressway opposed
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 09/13/2011 6:28 PM | Updated as of 09/13/2011 6:28 PM

MANILA, Philippines – An urban poor group has rejected a plan of the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) to build an elevated expressway on EDSA, which may cost the government P50 billion.

"The proposed P50-billion infrastructure project that will not be more useful to the wider public, than to investors and the more privileged sector in the metro's population," the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The group said the funds intended for the project should instead be used to provide housing needs for informal settlers in Metro Manila, and thousands of new classrooms and medical centers.

"Surely, traffic congestion is less likely to be a problem of the urban poor nowadays who don't have food on their table, or those who are threatened by eviction from their homes," said Carlito Badion, national vice chairman of Kadamay, noting the spate of demolition threats of urban poor communities in Metro Manila.

Badion alleged that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program by President Benigno Aquino III does not benefit the urban poor community.

"Aquino's PPP projects, mostly infrastructure ones, are primarily to benefit the upper class portion of the population, the businessmen and foreign investors, while leaving the majority of urban poor settlers in Metro Manila are either left behind, or ending up homeless," he said.

The group also highlighted the situation of thousands of residents living along EDSA, in North Triangle, Quezon City, saying that the government has “allotted billions of pesos for a new business district to rise in the area of the occupied by the settlers" and that the government is “even prepared to handle the violent resistance of the settlers to be thrown to relocation sites in the neighboring provinces.”

“They would be willing to leave their places and settle in a new place only if the government assured them of a secure housing program and employment, just as how the government provides a secure environment and expensive infrastructure projects for the big local and multinational businesses," he added.

guys, may i do the honors of firing the first shot?? ;)

these guys..... @#$%^&*&^%$#@#$%^&^%$#@$%^&&^%$. i can't even put to words...

BRT using double-deck buses,that's decongesting without spending too much:):banana:

There used to be double-decker plying Manila's streets. But some of today's tunnels are too short for them.

BRT is good for some areas but better to extend our metro lines and upgrade some of them to full-metro like the blue line.

As for EDSA, there are always side-streets which are alternatives if the traffic in the former is heavy.

Pangit naman ng mala-Skyway sa buong edsa.

Maybe a combination of elevated hway and tunnel and in sections in badly needed intersections, not the whole thing above EDSA LOL. Pretty much like that in the Buendia-Ayala section of EDSA. It's like EDSA there is semi-underground.

Isn't metro manila generally below sea level plus a whole pelthora of earthquake risks to begin with?

in thailand, they have double decker highway and the longest elevated road or skyway from bangkok to pattaya, the longest in asia or in the world, why not philippines? from edsa 22 km then down south to naga,legaspi or even sorsogon

yup, nothing wrong with elevated EDSA2. it has nothing to do with spreading out development. the fact of the matter is people who live in metro manila will continue to live in manila for the foreseeable future, unless the government forces things ala China forcing people to move to tibet.

in this forum, we have often pointed to bangkok as a model, so why not do what they did in bangkok, with virtually every major road has an elevated counterpart? or KL for that matter?

IMO, the best way to decongest MM is to get people commuting. And to do that a fully integrated mass transportation system has to be put up. It really isn't hard since we already have the bus companies and so on.

same, put a rail or bus transit in every major highway like commonwealth,ortigas,roxas blvd,espana-quezon ave,shaw blvd,c5 and c6, metro manila will be decongested

lower the rental rates in condominiums from 500 per sqm to 100/sqm and assoc dues to 30/sqm, we will have a decongested and livable place in asia

Sabi na eh, alam kong maraming aalma sa EDSA "Skyway" eh. :nuts:

same, put a rail or bus transit in every major highway like commonwealth,ortigas,roxas blvd,espana-quezon ave,shaw blvd,c5 and c6, metro manila will be decongested

lower the rental rates in condominiums from 500 per sqm to 100/sqm and assoc dues to 30/sqm, we will have a decongested and livable place in asia

When it comes to rail or rapid transit, it is better that they serve key business districts and commercial zones instead of key roads. Especially if they travel underground.

But if elevated, then we have to do with main arteries.

:bash: Some portion of EDSA is near Marikina Fault line. Do they want a Kobe type incident.

A P50-B monument? (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=726928&publicationSubCategoryId=64)

CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star)
Updated September 14, 2011 12:00 AM Comments

Since the time of Ferdinand Marcos to present day President Noynoy Aquino, one thing that repeats itself after each “presidential trip abroad” is a manifestation of envy and our “gaya-gaya” nature.

It is not a sin to aspire to have good things such as Cultural Centers, hospitals or even the double deck EDSA as being proposed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). But oftentimes, visionary leaders are either 20 years ahead of their time or P50 billion poorer to afford such a project.

In the case of the proposed P50-B elevated EDSA highway, spending that kind of money to ease the traffic is equivalent to building a new house over a termite infested house. It will only be a matter of time until the termites move up and ruin the new structure.

Just ask regular commuters and drivers who pass through EDSA and they will immediately spell out what the problems are:

Set #1: Too many buses fighting over a limited number of passengers; very few bus stops for all destinations resulting in jam-packed conditions; bus drivers cutting off each other and blocking the highway; traffic enforcers not focusing on public utility but on private vehicles.

SOLUTION: Reduce and remove dilapidated buses, transfer non-air-conditioned buses to provincial routes. Use government property along EDSA to set up multi-level bus terminals designed like an airport similar to those in Holland.

Create a special team of enforcers with special incentives to clamp down on drivers obstructing or causing traffic. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino should have independent spotters or a reporting system so commuter can report when enforcers are standing around in groups of four to five men waiting to pounce on private motorists but blind to traffic stalls especially in front of Ateneo and Miriam.

Set #2: The MRT and LRT are not meeting the needs or addressing the concerns of commuters.

SOLUTION: MRT and LRT should have more trains running at shorter intervals and operate one hour earlier from current schedule.

In addition, access to MRT and LRT should be direct and not in or around malls and shopping centers such as in Taft or at EDSA Central where the circuitous walk eats up on the time of commuters.

MRT and LRT should have other ticket offices outside of terminals so people can buy tickets or tokens ahead of time or at their convenience just like cell phone companies.

Set #3: The DPWH should first finish what was started in previous administrations.

SOLUTION: DPWH should concentrate on finishing road projects such as the C-5 from the University of the Philippines in Diliman all the way to Mindanao Avenue before they start talking about borrowing P50 billion to build another highway that will never be finished after P-Noy leaves office.

If DPWH Secretary Singson wants an innovative Public Private Partnership project to ease traffic, he should pitch for an On-ramp and Off-ramp entering UP, Ateneo and La Salle so that the thousands of cars that create traffic along Katipunan Avenue and Ortigas will simply drive in and out of the schools in a smooth way.

Set #4: Review, correct and improve current structures, roadways and policies that directly affect or contribute to traffic build up on EDSA.

One major reason for traffic on EDSA is the build-up created by “funnels” or embudos in the design of roads.

Southbound on EDSA the construction of a two-lane flyover to NAIA took away one lane which is much needed and more used than that going to NAIA. How come no flyover or underground road was made crossing Taft avenue considering it is one of the busiest intersections along EDSA?

While Senators are talking about privatization, the DPWH should study new routes and roads particularly highways that could cut through or go-around Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo as well as Fort Bonifacio and Villamor air base.

Why not expand and develop the riverside roadway along the Pasig and build more bridges so that more towns will benefit from the infrastructure? What about a fly-over from Katipunan Avenue to EDSA south bound to correct the road block that the MRT created.

Two weeks ago I found myself lost in UP Diliman due to a security system that limits the access and entry of vehicles in or out of UP. For starters there were no visible signs that tell commuters WITHOUT UP stickers where to pass. As a result, I had to join the hundreds of trucks, cars and cabs using the Stud farm road going to Katipunan.

I have no doubt that modern engineering and road designs could be used to construct new roads that will benefit motorists but will also insure the safety of government facilities and properties.

As a final thought, my wife reminded me of how the MRT design on EDSA had to be changed because rich people from Urdaneta, North Forbes, San Lorenzo and Dasmarinas Village where up in arms because daily commuters on the MRT would get to see how the rich and famous lived. :D

Does Secretary Singson really believe those same people would sit idly by and allow an elevated EDSA to be built? I doubt very much Mr. Secretary. Those people are too set in their ways to even realize that they are living in the MOST polluted strip of real estate in the Philippines.

So none to worry people, it won’t happen because the rich won’t allow it. In the meantime, let us pray that Secretary Singson, Chairman Tolentino and other leaders would take time to consider our collective suggestions on how to solve traffic without building a P50-billion monument for the Aquino administration.

Just spend the P50 billion on upgrading the MRT-3 into a Heavy Rail underground Subway system. That will also free up space on EDSA.

guys, may i do the honors of firing the first shot?? ;)

these guys..... @#$%^&*&^%$#@#$%^&^%$#@$%^&&^%$. i can't even put to words...

Yeah... I recalled one time DPWH also proposed the so-called "Big Dig" under Roxas boulevard and after realizing that the estimated cost would be humongous, they ate up their words...I'm sure, that may also happen to their planned EDSA 2.

^^ I seriously doubt Php 50B would be enough for that. "Renovating" the current EDSA MRT to be able to handle higher volumes of people might be more plausible with Php 50B.

^^^ exactly.. as if namang matutuloy talagang gawen to para pagtalunan.. after some reality check, i realized muntik nako maloko sa balitang to.. sus

Bakit hindi C-5 ang lagyan ng Skyway?

Yes, correct! Why not on C-5 instead? Easier and more feasible in my opinion, it can have offramps to BGC, Ortigas, Cubao, and further areas in Quezon City, these are probably be be the same off ramps they will be proposing for an elevated EDSA.

all good points by Cito...

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232144/nation/dpwh-mulls-constructing-elevated-edsa

:cheers:
DPWH mulls constructing 'elevated EDSA'
KIM TAN, GMA News
09/12/2011 | 11:14 AM

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is considering the construction of a highway either above or below the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) to ease the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said on Monday.

During Monday's Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the DWPH in 2012, Singson said they are considering constructing a 22-kilometer tunnel below EDSA or a highway above it that will traverse Roxas Boulevard to Balintawak.

However, he noted that they might choose an elevated road because a tunnel would have a higher maintenance cost.

"We're starting the technical evaluation whether it should be above or tunnel (but) we really might end up on an elevated," he said.

The estimated cost of the project is P50 billion, he said.

Singson said the highway can have six lanes and three exits: one each in Makati, Greenhills, and Quezon City.

"We are looking at the possibility of a toll system so that we can in fact cover some of the amortization of the project," he said.

The Senate hearing was still going on as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News

Akala ko ba kaya pinababawasan ni PNoy ang subsidy ng MRT dahil hindi naman ito pinakikinabangan ng mga taga-probinsya? Eh, itong EDSA nagagamit ba nila?

Akala ko ba kaya pinababawasan ni PNoy ang subsidy ng MRT dahil hindi naman ito pinakikinabangan ng mga taga-probinsya? Eh, itong EDSA nagagamit ba nila?

The issue on subsidy is not the same. After the new EDSA flyover or tunnel is completed, the toll fees shall be used to cover the maintenance costs unlike MRT wherein the fares are not enough to pay the loans, repairs, maintenance and other expenses, thus the subsidy.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/16464-soon-to-rise-edsa-skyway


BusinessMirror.com.ph Home Top News Soon to rise: Edsa skyway
Soon to rise: Edsa skyway
Monday, 12 September 2011 22:23 Butch Fernandez / Reporter
E-mail Print PDF

In the previous administration, the DPWH also studied the possibility of constructing a P34.54-billion Metro Manila Tunnel Expressway along Roxas Boulevard aimed at connecting ports in Manila to the southern part of the country’s capital. Both the Neda and DPWH, however, deemed that the project is not urgently needed and was shelved.

(With VG Cabuag)
Not urgently needed daw. Antayin muna nilang mag-ala-Edsa ang Roxas Blvd. bago nila balikan ang ideyang 'to. :nuts:

MMDA chief supports 'elevated EDSA' but also earlier school dismissal
09/14/2011 | 12:58 PM

Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino has expressed support for the proposed construction of an elevated Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), but laid down five conditions that he deemed helpful if the plan would push through.

Interviewed on Wednesday by news anchor Howie Severino on GMA News TV's "News to Go," Tolentino said the proposal for the "additional thoroughfare in Metro Manila" could be a solution to the growing number of vehicles in the area.

"We have more volume of cars yearly, [pero] wala naman pong expansion or creation of new road ways. So ang naisip po siguro ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), which I support, is the construction of an elevated EDSA to accommodate the volume," he said, adding that there are already 1.9 million registered vehicles in Metro Manila.



To complement the various plans that the DPWH will make, Tolentino disclosed his five "conditions" for the proposal, which are:

a traffic management plan;
franchise re-adjustment plans to allow public utility buses (PUBs) to take alternative routes;
re-adjustment of school calendars and early dismissal for schools within the vicinity;
an environmental impact plan that will consider flood control and the level of noise pollution on surrounding villages; and
flexible hours for employees who will be affected by the construction, especially those working in malls and government offices near EDSA.

'Not the ultimate solution'

While he sees that the elevated EDSA can help, the MMDA chairman admitted that it is not the ultimate solution to the congested roads in Metro Manila.

"We also have to consider the expanding urban population, migration, among others. Kasama po siguro ito sa mga nakitang solusyon ng DPWH. It is being done in other countries as well, creating more roads, pero hindi naman po siguro 'yan 'yung ultimate solution," Tolentino said.

"It will not prevent our countrymen from purchasing cars. It will not prevent developers -- with the absence of a national land use plan -- from constructing more commercial areas [on lands] which are supposed to be for open spaces," he added.

Tolentino also said the Metro Railway Transit (MRT) and the number coding help alleviate problems in public transportation, but stresed that they are not enough.

The MRT has "inherent limitations" because the trains and operating hours still cannot accommodate the urban population, while the number coding has only reduced the number of vehicles on the road, he added.

"The problem still is the capacity of the thoroughfare to absorb the volume of vehicles," he said. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ/HS, GMA News

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232341/nation/mmda-chief-supports-elevated-edsa-but-also-earlier-school-dismissal

my idea to ease the traffic in edsa.

just make centralize bus terminals for all designated bus terminal along edsa. with 50 bil budget this should not be a problem. these bus terminals will be on open space along side of edsa either elevated or underground. bus should not be allowed to stop on any point along edsa, edsa should be a NO STOP ZONE all its length. buses when dropping and picking passenger should exit edsa and enter these especially built centralize bus terminal. they should remove these bus stops built right on edsa which are contributing more to traffic.

just my 10 cents idea...

guys, may i do the honors of firing the first shot?? ;)

these guys..... @#$%^&*&^%$#@#$%^&^%$#@$%^&&^%$. i can't even put to words...

My sentiments exactly. :bash: Maybe you should spell out the words, who knows they could be downright simpletons.

MMDA chief supports 'elevated EDSA' but also earlier school dismissal
09/14/2011 | 12:58 PM

Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino has expressed support for the proposed construction of an elevated Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), but laid down five conditions that he deemed helpful if the plan would push through.

Interviewed on Wednesday by news anchor Howie Severino on GMA News TV's "News to Go," Tolentino said the proposal for the "additional thoroughfare in Metro Manila" could be a solution to the growing number of vehicles in the area.

"We have more volume of cars yearly, [pero] wala naman pong expansion or creation of new road ways. So ang naisip po siguro ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), which I support, is the construction of an elevated EDSA to accommodate the volume," he said, adding that there are already 1.9 million registered vehicles in Metro Manila.



To complement the various plans that the DPWH will make, Tolentino disclosed his five "conditions" for the proposal, which are:

a traffic management plan;
franchise re-adjustment plans to allow public utility buses (PUBs) to take alternative routes;
re-adjustment of school calendars and early dismissal for schools within the vicinity;
an environmental impact plan that will consider flood control and the level of noise pollution on surrounding villages; and
flexible hours for employees who will be affected by the construction, especially those working in malls and government offices near EDSA.

'Not the ultimate solution'

While he sees that the elevated EDSA can help, the MMDA chairman admitted that it is not the ultimate solution to the congested roads in Metro Manila.

"We also have to consider the expanding urban population, migration, among others. Kasama po siguro ito sa mga nakitang solusyon ng DPWH. It is being done in other countries as well, creating more roads, pero hindi naman po siguro 'yan 'yung ultimate solution," Tolentino said.

"It will not prevent our countrymen from purchasing cars. It will not prevent developers -- with the absence of a national land use plan -- from constructing more commercial areas [on lands] which are supposed to be for open spaces," he added.

Tolentino also said the Metro Railway Transit (MRT) and the number coding help alleviate problems in public transportation, but stresed that they are not enough.

The MRT has "inherent limitations" because the trains and operating hours still cannot accommodate the urban population, while the number coding has only reduced the number of vehicles on the road, he added.

"The problem still is the capacity of the thoroughfare to absorb the volume of vehicles," he said. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ/HS, GMA News

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/232341/nation/mmda-chief-supports-elevated-edsa-but-also-earlier-school-dismissal

Palagay ko lang, since 1995 dapat pinlano na nila yun bago nila pinatayo ang MRT. Tiyak na tataas ang halaga ng bilyon - bilyones na gagastusin nila sa elevated EDSA dahil andun na ang MRT, mga istasyon, at mga flyovers. Alam naman nila na lalong dadami ang mga kotse sa kahabaan ng EDSA, sino ba ang hindi makakaalam nun? Susuportahin ko ang proyekto pero sayang naman na may pagkakataon na sila noon at sana nalang ginamit nila.

Dapat noon pa lang ginawa na yung EDSA Skyway na yan. Nung wala pang MRT at mga overpass at underpass. If only Cory did not became president or if the opposition chose Doy Laurel to be their presidential candidate before.

Romulo proposes Tunnel Edsa, instead of Elevated Edsa

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/13106/romulo-proposes-tunnel-edsa-instead-of-elevated-edsa

MANILA, Philippines --A lawmaker on Thursday proposed to the government to consider adopting the Malaysian-type tunnel system in its plan to build a new motorway along Edsa to resolve traffic woes in Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.

Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) can look into the feasibility of putting up instead a tunnel similar to the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) that will not only ease traffic flow, but help surrounding communities deal with potential flash floods.

“The only option left is to construct a new motorway beneath Edsa, since it can no longer be widened, and we already have the Metro Rail Transit line over the main road,” Romulo said in a statement.

Romulo was reacting to the DPWH’s plan, bared in a congressional budget hearing, to build either an elevated highway over Edsa, or a tunnel below it, to relieve traffic.

Malaysia put together its 9.7-kilometer SMART, a key national project, at a cost of $515 million, or around P22 billion at the current exchange rate, according to Romulo.

“Assembled over four years, their SMART is basically a motorway and stormwater tunnel in one that could be duplicated here,” he said.

Under normal conditions, Romulo said the two-channel tunnel serves as a motorway for light vehicles.

During the wet season, he said the tunnel has two modes. In the first mode, with light rainfall, some floodwater may be diverted into the lower bypass channel, while the upper section remains open to motor vehicle passage.

In the second mode, in the event of extreme storms, the upper channel is totally closed to all motor vehicle traffic and automated water-tight gates are opened to divert floodwaters.

"We have to change our way of life, even the way we design new roads, if we are to cope with brutal weather conditions, including excessive rainfall and severe floodwaters, in the years ahead," Romulo said.

Once established as workable, he said the SMART project could be among the ventures lined up for implementation under the administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) strategy.

^^ Naging engaged ka lang Romulo kay Shalani ay bigla ka ng visible ah. :lol:

But again, eto ang magandang solusyon sa EDSA. Malaking problema ang baha dito sa MM.

my idea to ease the traffic in edsa.

just make centralize bus terminals for all designated bus terminal along edsa. with 50 bil budget this should not be a problem. these bus terminals will be on open space along side of edsa either elevated or underground. bus should not be allowed to stop on any point along edsa, edsa should be a NO STOP ZONE all its length. buses when dropping and picking passenger should exit edsa and enter these especially built centralize bus terminal. they should remove these bus stops built right on edsa which are contributing more to traffic.

just my 10 cents idea...

Yes, the centralized bus terminals have been approved by the government. MMDA will construct the South Terminal in October 2011. For the North Terminal, they are still finalizing the plan for the location. According to MMDA Chairman F. Tolentino, the facilities would be similar to an airport.

Romulo proposes Tunnel Edsa, instead of Elevated Edsa

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/13106/romulo-proposes-tunnel-edsa-instead-of-elevated-edsa

MANILA, Philippines --A lawmaker on Thursday proposed to the government to consider adopting the Malaysian-type tunnel system in its plan to build a new motorway along Edsa to resolve traffic woes in Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.

Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) can look into the feasibility of putting up instead a tunnel similar to the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) that will not only ease traffic flow, but help surrounding communities deal with potential flash floods.

“The only option left is to construct a new motorway beneath Edsa, since it can no longer be widened, and we already have the Metro Rail Transit line over the main road,” Romulo said in a statement.

Romulo was reacting to the DPWH’s plan, bared in a congressional budget hearing, to build either an elevated highway over Edsa, or a tunnel below it, to relieve traffic.

Malaysia put together its 9.7-kilometer SMART, a key national project, at a cost of $515 million, or around P22 billion at the current exchange rate, according to Romulo.

“Assembled over four years, their SMART is basically a motorway and stormwater tunnel in one that could be duplicated here,” he said.

Under normal conditions, Romulo said the two-channel tunnel serves as a motorway for light vehicles.

During the wet season, he said the tunnel has two modes. In the first mode, with light rainfall, some floodwater may be diverted into the lower bypass channel, while the upper section remains open to motor vehicle passage.

In the second mode, in the event of extreme storms, the upper channel is totally closed to all motor vehicle traffic and automated water-tight gates are opened to divert floodwaters.

"We have to change our way of life, even the way we design new roads, if we are to cope with brutal weather conditions, including excessive rainfall and severe floodwaters, in the years ahead," Romulo said.

Once established as workable, he said the SMART project could be among the ventures lined up for implementation under the administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) strategy.

Tunnel is better.

But again, eto ang magandang solusyon sa EDSA. Malaking problema ang baha dito sa MM.

Nako, sinabi mo. I find it embarassing that even a slight downpour baha na agad. Pag malakas ulan expected na. Ok lang magbaha kun meh bagyo, pero umulan lang?

Lock this thread!

Thread 3
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