MANILA, Philippines – Good news for Quezon City bikers: the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday, March 12, announced it would be adding more bike lanes in the city this year.

New lanes for bikes will be opened along Katipunan Avenue, starting from Aurora Boulevard to Miriam College. DPWH National Capital Region Director Reynaldo Tagundando said the new lanes will be designed with the help of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Tagudando said the department had previously been in talks with officials from Miriam College and the Ateneo de Manila University – schools located along Katipunan Avenue.

The DPWH will also widen the “carriage way” along EDSA, starting from Santolan to White Planes, created for the MMDA’s bike lanes.

Tagundando said the bike lanes would especially benefit students, as well as people coming from Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Previously, the MMDA set up several bike lanes along EDSA:

• Magallanes to Ayala Avenue in Makati
• University Avenue to Tandang Sora in Quezon City
• Remedios Circle to Roxas Boulevard in Manila
• Santolan LRT-2 Station in Quezon City to Imelda Avenue along Marcos Highway in Marikina

A growing number of Filipinos have been advocating the use of bikes as an alternative means of transportation. House Bill 3827 or the “Bicyclist Act of 2014,” proposes the establishment of Local Bikeways Offices (LBO) in all cities and municipalities across the country.

A group of citizens led by environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr, meanwhile, filed a petition to divide public roads in half – one part for cars, and the other for collective transport systems which include all-weather bike lanes and sidewalks, bus rapid transit (which the country doesn’t have in place yet), and public trains. – Rappler.com