Infrastructure for people, not cars

THIS past week, one of the features on "Rise and Shine Pilipinas," a program of PTV4, was a four-level elevated expressway project, an unsolicited proposal, that would cover both EDSA and C5. In my opinion, it is the type of infrastructure project we should avoid in Philippine cities. Such projects foster "car-dependency" by reinforcing urban environments where dignified travel is possible only with a private motor vehicle.

More road space for cars offers only temporary traffic relief. Whenever traffic eases, more people are attracted to using motor vehicles. Greater car use brings more congestion, more pollution, increased consumption of fossil fuels, accelerated climate change and worsening health outcomes. Projects such as Skyway 3 and the new bridges across the Pasig River have failed to deliver on promises of solving EDSA traffic.