Pasig City has been showing off quite a bit of its new infrastructure lately, earning a toned-down but ultimately approving one-word tweet from Mayor Vico Sotto.
Anyone who’s gone down the length of Shaw Blvd would be familiar with the Kapitolyo intersection, which sits near where the old Pasig City Hall used to be. With the Capitol Commons development on one side and the booming Kapitlyo neighborhood on the other, it’s become busier than ever before, and the old, undersized rotunda was just not cutting it, either for motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians.
The Pasig Transport department has been on the case for a while, and the new intersection opens permanently starting today, September 15.
The Pasig Transport department, headed by Robert Anthony Siy, has been championing safer, more inclusive (and ultimately faster) road systems—which means designing roadways that are designed for humans, not for motor vehicles. The Kapitolyo intersection seems like a great example of what their vision for the future of transport looks like:
The Kapitolyo intersection will open permanently starting today, 15 SEP 2021. Additional painting and installation of bike lane bollards in the coming days.
Do you want to see more human-centered infra in the city? Tell us where you’d like to see improvements in the city! pic.twitter.com/CS82zxpib6
— PasigTransport (@PasigTransport) September 15, 2021
While there are a few more cosmetic changes to be done, in the form of bike lane bollards and painting, the new intersection is already a vast improvement that features at-grade crossings (instead of overpasses), ramps for PWDs, and bike boxes. It makes sure that this intersection is accessible to pedestrians, persons with disabilities (PWDs), bikers, and everyone else.
And in case you don’t know what a bike box is, or how it’s supposed to work, Pasig Transport also has this video guide:
How to use a bike box:
Bike boxes are extensions of bike lanes and must not be obstructed by motorists; Obstruction of bike lanes and bike boxes carry a penalty. pic.twitter.com/e7CT2FEkuC
— PasigTransport (@PasigTransport) September 14, 2021
It’s good news for pedestrians and bikers—but ultimately, this human-centered design is also a big win for motorists and commuters.
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