Have you ever reflected about our lack of real sidewalks? In Metro Manila, what we generally have are either pseudo-sidewalks or the total lack of it. Just looking at the term itself, one does not have to be a genius to know that a sidewalk is a paved path at the side of the road where pedestrians can walk. Sidewalks are occupied by parked cars, invaded by the construction a condominium, or queues of tricycles or pedicabs. Ergo, pedestrians are left walking on the road. Are barangay offices or outposts meant to be built along sidewalks? Is a sidewalk meant to be a market for sellers and food vendors? A place where people should stay long (“tambay”), to run a parlor business cut peoples' hair or a carinderia, or even a home for the homeless? I am not saying that they should lose their livelihood. On the other hand, don't they deserve a more decent place, and not the sidewalk? Here are seven questions you might want to ponder on and ask if we need real sidewalks in Metro Manila. 1. Is mobility an essential part of our daily life? Metro Manila has a population of almost 12 million. A lot of people including workers and students from as early as elementary school commute and walk along the streets every day. For any person out in the street, a real sidewalk is necessary for mobility. Isn't it where we should find people and not on the road itself? 2. Do we care about pedestrian safety and health? Isn't it a safety hazard both for pedestrians and motorists when pedestrians end up walking on the road either because there is no sidewalk at all or because it is occupied by what shouldn't be occupying it? Functional sidewalks also contribute to better well-being. Wouldn't people have a better disposition and experience less stress if they can skip that uncomfortable and unpleasant experience of walking on the road and fighting for space with cars? Isn't the last thing that we want to do before getting home after a whole day’s work? Is this what we deserve from the taxes that get deducted from us? 3. Do we need better traffic flow? The lack of sidewalk contributes to the poor traffic conditions. If sidewalks are devoted for pedestrians, wouldn't our streets be less congested and wouldn't that help ease traffic? 4. Do people with disabilities also deserve the freedom to be mobile? In Europe, people with disabilities (PWDs) can be seen in the streets and are integrated in society. Foreigners once asked me where our PWDs are, as they barely see one, aside from the beggars along the streets. Our streets are not for them. Doesn't it come across to people that they need proper sidewalks to be mobile? This and our public transportation system are not PWD-friendly. How can they use the MRT or LRT with non-functioning elevators? Even riding a taxi alone is difficult for them. Sidewalks should be functional for all types of pedestrians, including people with disabilities like those using wheel chairs. 5. Do we want organization and better-looking streets? Aside from being big enough for the number of pedestrians passing by and functional enough for all types of pedestrians, there are lamps and trashcans along real sidewalks. Streets will look cleaner and there will be more organization in the streets. 6. Do we want progress? One characteristic of development is the existence of sidewalks. Here in Metro Manila, real functional sidewalks can be found in Bonifacio Global City, which is a center of economic growth right now. Having sidewalks is a sign of good urban planning and organization, factors that investors consider when they choose an area to establish business. The Makati Business District also has real sidewalks, although there are areas where a person using a wheelchair ends up on the road itself like along parts of De La Rosa Street. Metro Manila is the business center of the Philippines. If we want progress, shouldn't we look like it to be it? 7. Do we want to promote a lifestyle of good health?
Real sidewalks promote walking and jogging. We don't want to jog in polluted areas, but there are areas where people can actually go out just to have a walk or to jog or run, but the lack of sidewalk doesn't permit people to do it. In the University of the Philippines Diliman campus, they even devoted one whole side of the street for people who want to walk for leisure or run for fitness. If you mostly answered "no", maybe we shouldn't demand for sidewalks. Maybe that's why nobody protests. Why should we demand for real sidewalks if we have been used to what we have right now? If you mostly answered "yes", then it's time to rethink our lack of sidewalk culture. Don't we all want and deserve something better? We need it. If we want it, there's a way to achieve it.
4 Comments
Kaya naman kasi baguhin kung gusto, with a leader na talagang may strong will na ayusin ang mga kalsada natin (and more). Di tayo pwedeng makuntento nalang with this status quo. Pag ganun tayo mag-isip, hindi tayo uunlad at walang magbabago. At kailangan, yung mga rules, policies etc. natin encourage and reinforce the behaviors that we want people to exhibit and the kind of mentality that we want to instill among our citizens.
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Tania
7/27/2015 05:14:06 am
I really like this post, Ms. Jem! I hope we get the sidewalks we deserve. And I wouldn't mind if we had more decent parks either!
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About the AuthorThoughts on politics, economy, education, development and policy while stuck on traffic and what not. Archives
August 2015
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