Makati to keep Ayala Avenue protected bike lanes

Ayala Land and the #MakeltSaferMakati movement agreed on Friday to keep the protected bike lanes on Ayala Avenue and to work together on the design solutions to promote safety.

On February 23, 2023, representatives from the #MakeltSaferMakati movement, Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), and the Makati Business Club's (MBC) Business for Biking Program met to discuss the design of the bike lanes.

They agreed to keep the protected bike lanes and study and implement various street design solutions.

"After a series of conversations in the past two weeks, all parties agreed that it is to everyone's benefit that Ayala Avenue remains a safe, convenient, and inclusive transport corridor for all road users -including pedestrians, commuters, cyclists, and motorists," the #MakeltSaferMakati movement, ALI, and MBC said in a joint statement.

They added that Ayala Avenue would continue to host a physically protected and enforced bike lane with bollards to separate cyclists from other vehicles, road studs for better visibility, and with enforcement through the Makati Parking Authority supported by an intensified information campaign.

Moreover, there were plans to establish a technical working group and open dialogue to ensure continuous improvement of Ayala Avenue's transport schemes, including further studies on the bike lane widths.

"Moved by a common vision and commitment, ALI, #MakeltSaferMakati, and MBC commit to making this partnership a model for collaboration between people, local government units, and developers in promoting bike- and commuter-friendly places and cities all around the Philippines," they added.

Last February 13, the Makati City Government announced that Ayala Avenue bike lanes would be changed to sharrows or shared lanes to accommodate both bikers and the increasing number of commuters riding PUVs and help improve traffic flow in the city.

However, many cyclists and advocates protested and hoped Makati would not remove but rather protect bike lanes on Ayala. — DVM, GMA Integrated News