The Quezon City government clinched the bronze award in the National Bike Lane Awards conducted by the Department of Transportation and Department of the Interior and Local Government to recognize the LGU best practices and innovations in establishing bike lanes.
Entries across the Philippines have undergone national validation, the selected qualified LGUs were judged based on the following criteria: background profile of bike lane network and policy initiatives; bike lane network/s; and other data and information requirements.
The QC Bike Lane Network is maintained by the Green Transport Office under the Department of Public Order and Safety. QC prides itself with the 93-kilometer bike lane network, traversing major and secondary roads in the city. Soon, the city will complete its 161-kilometer bike route, providing longer and safer bike lanes for active transport users in the metro.
“We really put our effort into making our bike lanes safe and convenient for all cyclists and alternative transport users in our city,” DPOS head Gen. Elmo San Diego (Ret.) stated.
Aside from the extension of bike routes, the city has also implemented various ordinances on safe cycling and active transport, ‘no bike helmet’ policy, and the voluntary bike registration program to help owners with missing bikes.
Mayor Joy Belmonte accepted the award on behalf of the Quezon City government.
“In QC we would like to be considered as a bike-friendly and eco-friendly city, that is why we want to make sure that from infrastructure to the policies, we do it all. And we have to really make our bike lanes safe for everyone,” Mayor Belmonte said.
On November 28, the QC government also joined the rest of the country in celebrating the National Bicycle Day at the Quezon Memorial Circle.