DOTC: LRT Line 1’s Roosevelt Station now open

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on Friday announced the opening of another station of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 at the corner of Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City. “Ito na nga ay isang pruweba na magbibigay tayo ng karagdagang serbisyo (This is proof that we are giving additional services)," DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco said in a speech during the opening of the LRT 1 Roosevelt Station at Friday noon. The newly-opened station is the second part of LRT 1’s three-part North Extension Project. Last March, the LRT 1 Balintawak station was opened, extending the train line by 2.2 kilometers. With the opening of the Roosevelt Station, the Light Rail Transit Administration (LRT) is only a station away from closing the LRT-Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 loop, which is expected to be fully linked next year with the construction of a common station in front of SM North EDSA in Quezon City. The LRT Line 1 currently runs along EDSA from Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Monumento in Caloocan City, then along Rizal and Taft Avenues from Monumento to Baclaran in Pasay City. The MRT 3 line stretches along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.
Public consultation before fare hike During the opening of the new LRT station, Velasco likewise said that the DOTC will not yet implement an increase in train fare until the plan undergoes public consultation. “Magmi-meeting ang LRT board within the next few weeks, but after that, hindi pa rin ipapatupad. Magkakaroon muna ng public consultations," he said. (The LRT board will meet first within the next few weeks, but after that, we won’t implement it yet. We will first conduct public consultations.) The DOTC earlier said that it plans to increase fares in the LRT and MRT lines to up to P44 to ease the government subsidy on the train system, which will amount to P7 billion next year. (See: MRT fare may increase from P15 to P44) The current MRT ceiling fare amounts to P15, while an end-to-end trip from the LRT 1 Roosevelt Station to the Baclaran Station will cost P20.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV