MMDA eyes shared bike-motorcycle lane along EDSA during rehabilitation

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'There is no road safety guidance that suggests that bicycles and motorcycles should mix in the same road space; the global advice is just the opposite — that there should be physical separation between motor vehicles and bicycles for their respective safety,' says AltMobility in a 2023 statement

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is planning to convert the existing bike lanes along EDSA into shared lanes for both bicycles and motorcycles to manage the traffic during the rehabilitation of the country’s major thoroughfare.

The rehabilitation will require the temporary closure of one lane at a time, which will be enclosed by barriers. With fewer lanes available for vehicles during construction, the MMDA said the proposed shared lane is a way to manage road space more efficiently and ensure the safety of motorcycle riders.

“The lanes will be narrower. And as we all know, motorcycles tend to weave between vehicles. So if the space is too tight, it could lead to accidents which could derail the EDSA rehabilitation,” MMDA Chairman Don Artes said in a press conference on Monday, May 26.

Ahead of the rehabilitation, which begins on June 13, the MMDA will also remove the protective barriers currently separating the bike lanes from motor vehicle traffic. Motorcycles will also be barred from using overpasses and underpasses, though the agency has yet to announce when exactly this restriction, and the lane conversion, will take effect.

The government eyes to complete the rehabilitation of EDSA by 2027.

This is not the first time the idea of shared bike-motorcycle lanes has surfaced. In 2023, active transport advocacy group AltMobility strongly opposed the same proposal, citing increased safety risks for cyclists.

“There is no road safety guidance that suggests that bicycles and motorcycles should mix in the same road space; the global advice is just the opposite — that there should be physical separation between motor vehicles and bicycles for their respective safety. The better alternative is for both motorcycles and bicycles to have their respective exclusive lanes on EDSA,” Altmobility said in a 2023 statement.

“The lives of pedestrians and cyclists matter; they need protection at all times,” it added.

Instead of squeezing bikes and motorcycles into one lane, AltMobility urged the MMDA to convert regular car lanes into dedicated lanes for two-wheelers. “MMDA should not hesitate to convert regular EDSA lanes to establish sufficient space for dedicated motorcycle and bicycle lanes,” the group said in the same statement.

Artes said he plans to consult stakeholders — including motorcycle ride-hailing companies and cycling groups — before finalizing the policy. Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon is also expected to join the discussions.

The MMDA has justified the shared lane proposal in the past by pointing to what it called the “underutilized” bike lanes.

Artes in previous statements in 2023 claims that only 1,586 cyclists use the EDSA bike lane daily, while a study conducted by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project Philippines, MNL Moves, 350 Pilipinas, and Pinay Bike Commuter found over 7,000 cyclists on EDSA in just four hours.

AltMobility emphasized that the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 places pedestrians and cyclists at the top of the road user hierarchy. – Rappler.com