Dry run for exclusive motorcycle lane starts March 9

FILE: Heavy traffic is seen along the southbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Monday morning (Sept. 5, 2022) as thousands of people head to work and school. Since the start of in-person classes, traffic volume has increased. (PNA photo by Ben Briones)

MANILA – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will hold a dry run for the implementation of the exclusive motorcycle lanes along Commonwealth Avenue on March 9 until March 19.

The exclusive motorcycle lane is located at the third lane from the sidewalk of Commonwealth Avenue, from Elliptical Road to Doña Carmen and vice versa.

MMDA acting chair Don Artes announced the dry run during the formal launch held at the UP-Ayala Technohub footbridge in Quezon City Wednesday.

“The dry run is meant to familiarize motorcycle riders traversing Commonwealth Avenue on the said policy. We will have a full deployment of MMDA traffic enforcers and we will be assisted by the local government of Quezon City,” Artes said.

No motorists will be apprehended during the duration of the dry run, he added.

The implementation of the motorcycle lane aims to reduce the number of fatal road crashes involving motorcycles and to improve traffic flow, Artes said.

Based on MMDA’s Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System, a total of 1,686 or five cases per day of motorcycle-related road crash incidents along Commonwealth Avenue were recorded in 2022.

Of that figure, 13 cases resulted in fatal injuries, 930 in non-fatal injuries, and 743 in damage to property.

The annual average daily traffic count by the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center showed that a total of 154,639 motorcycles and 10,134 public utility vehicles ply along Commonwealth Avenue.

Artes added that stricter implementation of exclusive motorcycle lanes on Commonwealth Avenue will commence on March 20.

“We will fully enforce the exclusive motorcycle lanes on Commonwealth Avenue after the dry run. Violators will then be fined PHP500,” he said.

For his part, 1-Rider Partylist Rep. Bonifacio Bosita welcomed the development, adding that he appreciated the special attention given to the riding community.

“I am thankful to the leadership of chairman Artes as he prioritized the safety of motorcycle riders. As an advocate and representative of 1-Rider Partylist, I am appealing to all motorcycle riders to maintain order and discipline on the roads,” Bosita said.

Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, also of 1-Rider Partylist, who is also present during the event, expressed support for the agency’s rider-friendly initiatives.

“We have high hopes for the success of the implementation of exclusive motorcycle lanes,” Gutierrez said.

Under MMDA Resolution No. 22-15, the right outermost lane of Commonwealth Avenue shall be designated as an exclusive bicycle lane.

The second lane and third lane of the same avenue will be designated as exclusive public utility vehicles (for jeeps, UV Express, buses) and motorcycle lanes, respectively.

The remaining lanes of Commonwealth Avenue shall be utilized by all other motor vehicles.