DOTr to expand protected bike lanes to 2,400 km by 2028

FILE: BIKE TO WORK. Cyclists pedal on their way to work at the designated bicycle lane along Elliptical Road in Quezon City on Monday (Dec. 28, 2020). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting to expand the protected bike lanes network to 2,400 kilometers by 2028.

To date, 564 kilometers of this network have been established so far in Metro Cebu, Metro Manila and Metro Davao.

The agency made the announcement as it celebrates Road Safety Month which aims to promote road safety and raise awareness on the health impact and economic costs involved.

“As we rethink mobility and shift our focus on the most vulnerable road users, the call for responsibility and accountability on the road is further reiterated,” the DOTr said.

“Everyone is also enjoined that all road users, particularly those who are most at risk, deserve uncompromised safety on the road.”

The protected bike lanes is under DOTr’s active transport program — one of the agency’s flagship programs — that is in accordance with the National Transport Policy and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The use of protected bike lanes was implemented at the height of the pandemic in 2021, when there was limited mobility due to the pandemic restrictions.

The bike lane network augmented public transportation and helped people safely get to work during the pandemic.

Based on a 2020 survey from Social Weather Stations and Department of Health, 87 percent of Filipinos agree that roads in cities and municipalities will be better if public transportation, bikes, and pedestrians are prioritized over private vehicles.