pedestrians are road users too.

Our driver made a comment yesterday that really bothered me:


"Our government sure love to spend millions for a jogging space," he said, reiterating what he heard on the radio earlier.


It was about the boardwalk (not to be confused with the Iloilo Boardwalk complex). The local radio station has been lambasting the local government about not opening that stretch of road to vehicular traffic.

Taking the safe side, I explained that that road is not really supposed to be used as any ordinary thoroughfare. That 2-lane space is in an easement that should not be opened to regular traffic, nor should it be used as an alternate route. AND, I still feel that if there's a way for us not to use easements to build our homes, our restaurants, our stores and our roads on, we should go ahead keeping it an open, free space. There is a reason for it's “non-use”.

Secondly, I don't really feel we need wider roads than the roads that we have now, nor do we need more roads within the city. Circumferential roads, yes, i agree to that because it will largely reduce the need to go through the city as much of our adjacent LGUs are not "safely" connected to each other. Safely, meaning, the roads that connect them are more often narrow dirt roads devoid of street lamps and other road safety devices. It;s even more dangerous during rainy season because pot holes could go as deep as the center of the earth.

Didn't anyone ever think of "regulation"? You know, where you regulate the number of cars on the road, or maximize the use of these cars. And i don't mean number coding because that has been proven ineffective for long term application. High occupancy vehicle. safe, comfortable, convenient and efficient public transportation. walkable blocks--o lazy people won't need to ride a jeep to get to the place they want to go, three small blocks away.

But the driver didn't buy it. He told me, "Why build a road in the first place--if you won’t open it to vehicular traffic?"

"Well, because that road is not a road for that kind of traffic. It's built so that the engineers can conveniently access the area for regular maintenance. It is not for people like you to use," I explained, keeping the last sentence to myself.

"Because you see,” he continued, “if it is opened, it won’t be subjected to heavy traffic because only private cars will use it. There's no franchise for public jeepney serving that route. It will certainly reduce the traffic congestion in the major roads." 

Says who?





The number of private cars out in the roads in Iloilo City are catching up with the number of public transport servicing their franchised routes. Rapidly.

(Along with the med reps whose number are, i'm pretty sure, steadily increasing. If the city regulates its parking system, I'm sure these assess are the first to complain.)


I recall what PF (initials used with permission from the one who had it copyrighted) told me the first time we went to boardwalk. "The number of people flocking to these public open spaces is a clear indication that the City has long neglected the need for a third space[place]." 


With our plazas in pitiful state, not to mention the security issues that has long been associated with them, people are now starting to look for alternatives to the HIDEOUS MALLS. PF and I are among those. For one, we are not fans (and fond) of boxed, air-conditioned malls, and we greatly appreciate how then boardwalk turned out to be. Last summer, we dragged our 3 year-old son for weekly walks until the mornings became unbearable because of the El Nino. But it is also welcoming at night.


I wish though that drivers of 2-wheeled vehicles remain conscientious when they use the road – and they use it despite the area being thick with pedestrian. They use it like they are the king of boardwalks. And the inevitable happened. At one point, a motorcycle did knock a harmless pedestrian down in boardwalk.

Bike lanes.

Pedestrian crosswalks.

Pedestrian-dedicated sidewalks. Not sidewalks for free-parking of these rich people’s SUVs.

Tree-lined street.

More open spaces for people.

A city that values road equity.



Because tragic as it may seem, very very few know that pedestrians are road users, too.