The city continues to actively pursue the implementation of aggressive traffic management following the approval by the Cordillera office of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB-CAR) of the city government’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) which is now for roll out.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong stated in his recent State of the City Address that the modernization of the city’s public transport is already unfolding.
Further, he added that the rationalization of the city’s transport is also being done by the concerned offices of the local government to help address the tremendous traffic jams right at the central business district area and other identified choke points around the city.
The city chief executive claimed that in intermodal transport terminal which will be erected within a portion of the area ceded to the local government by the agriculture department at the Baguio Dairy Farm is being considered to be undertaken through the public-private partnership scheme.
According to him, there are also pending proposals for the implementation of a monorail project in the city, aside from other proposals for the construction of multi-level parking which will be put up in strategic areas around the city, to address the rapidly increasing needs of the motorists for adequate parking spaces right at the heart of the city.
Aggressive traffic management is among the present administration’s 15-point development agenda to help in establishing a better Baguio in the future.
The mayor also announced that the proposed P130 million upgrading of the Baguio tennis court and parking structure at the Baguio Athletic Bowl will soon be bid out by the city government as funds for the said project are available from local sources that can ensure the immediate realization of the project that will provide alternative parking spaces not only for tennis players but also for the increasing number of park goers.
At present, the city’s Public-Private Partnership for the People–Screening Committee (P4-SC) is now evaluating and assessing the unsolicited proposal of a lone proponent for the put up of the inter-model terminal along Marcos Highway to decongest the central business district of south-bound transport vehicles.
Last year, the city government sought the assistance of traffic experts from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to study the city’s traffic situation towards coming out with suggestions and recommendations on how to address the same for the guidance of local leaders and policy makers.
The city also plans to put up a multi-level parking structure at the site of the old city auditorium, which is also being eyed as the proposed creative center. By Dexter A. See
