Transportation System in the Philippines James

Transportation System in the Philippines

OVERVIEW

Like many economic undertakings that are intensive in infrastructures, the

transport sector is an important module of the economy impacting on

development and the welfare of populations. When transport systems are

effectual, they provide economic and social opportunities and welfares that result

in positive multipliers effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment

and additional investments. When transport systems are underprovided in terms

of capacity or reliability, they can have an economic cost such as reduced or

missed opportunities. Efficient transportation diminishes costs, while inefficient

transportation upsurges costs. The impacts of transportation are not always

envisioned, and can have unforeseen or unintended consequences such as

congestion. Transport also carries an important social and environmental load,

which cannot be neglected.

THE PHILIPPINES

In early 1940s, there were 50,000 automobiles in the region. The carabao

was used as a primary transportation source. The country's first public mass-

vehicular transportation service was De Dios Transit Bus Corp., providing public

mass transportation in major roads of Manila after the Second World War.

There were 22,960 km of highway in the Philippine archipelago. More than

half of these roads were in central and southern Luzon and three major highways

of this island were, and probably still are, Routes 1, 3, and 5. These routes were

two-lane roads with concrete or asphalt surfacing. Each of these 3 roads enters

the capital, Manila, and their access roads linked the various parts of the island.

About 14 percent of the 158,810 km (98,110 mi) of roads in the Philippines

are paved, this is in spite of the difficult mountainous terrain. In Metro Manila,

there are many modes of transportation available. Buses, jeepneys, LRT, and

taxis are readily available for use in getting around the city.

The most popular mode of transportation in Manila is the jeepney. As the

name denotes, it is basically a colorful jeep that looks like those used by the

Americans during World War II. They have regular stops, as do buses, but will

also stop if they are flagged down.

The LRT (Light Rail Transit) is the best way to get downtown and get

around in Manila. It's relatively inexpensive and is very fast. There were 1,400

km of narrow-gauge track, owned by either the Manila Railroad Company (based

in Luzon) or the Philippine Railway Company (an American company based in

Panay and Cebu). 1,130 km of these tracks were on Luzon, with about 50% of

this amount located in the central plain. In addition, there were some 400 km of

privately owned track in the central plain of Luzon. All of this, with the exception

of a stretch above Manila, was single-track.

In addition, the PRN (Philippine National Railways), which run by the

state, is also an option for those traveling out of Manila. Railroad tracks cover

about 1,060 km (660 mi) of the Philippines, and is limited due to its being mainly

on Luzon. An option for traveling between the islands is to use ferries.

For travelers not wishing to be on water, airline travel is another option

since there are over 40 major provincial airports. The Ninoy Aquino International

Airport (NAIA) is just a kilometer from the Manila Domestic Airport and is about 7

miles from the center of Manila. NAIA also has many amenities from a medical

clinic to banks and postal service in addition to duty-free shops, souvenir shops,

tourist information centers and more. The airport in Cebu, Mactan International

Airport (MIA), is about 45 minutes from the city's center and has duty-free shops,

tourist information centers like the major airports in Manila.

Roughly a fourth of the airports in the Philippines have paved runways -

out of 262 airports, 75 runways are paved. PAL, the Philippines Airlines, is the

national air carrier and serves Manila with links to 12 cities in 7 countries. It also

has daily routes to 17 local cities. Major airlines from other countries also serve

Manila. In addition, Cebu has chartered flights from Japan, Hong Kong and

Singapore.

For chartered travel to smaller locations, there are several carriers

available - Cebu Pacific, Asian Spirits, Mindanao Express Airlines, and SEAir,

Incorporated.

Cruise ships are served by Manila, with inter-island ships connecting

Manila to other major island ports. The busiest seaports are Manila, Cebu, Iloilo,

Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga which are a part of the 3,219 km of

waterways and seaports.

Carabao as system of transportation

De Dios Transit Bus Corp

THE SYSTEM

Road System

The Philippines has 199,950 kilometers (124,240 mi) of roads, of which

39,590 kilometers (24,600 mi) are paved. As of 2004, the total length of the non-

toll road network was reported to be 202,860 km, with the following breakdown

according to type:

National roads - 15%

Provincial roads - 13%

City and municipal roads - 12%

Barangay roads - 60%

Road classification is based primarily on administrative responsibilities

(with the exception of barangays), i.e., which level of government built and

funded the roads. Most of the barangay roads are unpaved village-access roads

built in the past by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), but

responsibility for maintaining these roads have now been devolved to the Local

Government Units (LGUs). Farm-to-market roads fall under this category, and a

few are financed by the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of

Agriculture. However, despite having a large road network built over the country,

large parts of the road network continue to be in poor condition and only 20

percent of the total road network is paved.

Strong Republic Nautical Highway

The Strong Republic Nautical Highway links many of the islands' road

networks through a series of roll-on/roll-off ferries, some rather small covering

short distances and some larger vessels that might travel several hours or more.

Mass Transit

Mass transit in the Philippines range from bangkas (small pump boats

made out of aluminum or wood) to the large and sturdy trains that operate on

Luzon. The most ubiquitous form of transport is the jeepney, affluently named the

King of the Road. Other include buses, tricycles or motorcycles with sidecars,

motorcycles, and trisikads. Buses and jeepneys are lumped together and called

"public utility vehicles" or PUVs, or separated referred to as PUB for "public utility

bus" and PUJ for "public utility jeepney".

Bus Companies

Buses operate throughout the country, and they come in all forms and

sizes, from small, rusty boxes to large, luxury coaches that run through the

highways and roads of the Philippines. Routes run everywhere in the country,

with some companies operating through islands other than just Luzon.

Jeepney

The jeepney (commonly referred to as a jeep) is the equivalent of a mini-

bus found everywhere in the country. It carries between 16 to 30 passengers,

comes both in air conditioned and ordinary (non-air conditioned) forms, and

these usually operate where buses operate less frequently (e.g. side streets in

Metro Manila, provincial highways). The jeepney evolved from the surplus of

World War II jeeps that the Americans left behind after the war.

Railways

There are many railroads around the country but only a few in or serving

Metro Manila are operating.

Other Forms of Mass Transit

Taxis

Mini-buses - Derived from truck chassis.[dubious – discuss]

Tricycles - A type of Auto rickshaw. A typical form of mass

transportation in the Philippines. A regular motorcycle with additional passenger

seating. Designs vary but are usually fairly standard within a municipality.

Passenger seating is usually in a side car attached to the right side, but some

designs seat passengers in a towed trailer or enclose the motorcycle inside of a

body structure. Passenger seating capacity varies for different designs, ranging

from two up to seven or more. One or two additional passengers may be seated

behind the driver, usually riding sidesaddle on the motorcycle.

Kuliglig - Illegal DIY motorcycle using multi-purpose diesel or gasoline

engines, usually with a sidecar attached—similar to a tricycle.

Kalesa - A Spanish-era form of transportation that still exists in the

capital and in some provinces.

Trisikads - A cycle rickshaw or pedaled bike with a sidecar attached to the

side, much like a tricycle.

Wheel chairs - A Salumpo or a bicycle made of metal used to move

disabled people.

Ports and harbors

The main gateway to the Philippines through the sea is through the Manila

International Cargo Terminal and the Eva Macapagal Port Terminal, both in the

pier area of Manila. Other cities with bustling ports and piers include Bacolod,

Batangas City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Butuan, Iligan, Iloilo, Jolo,

Legazpi, Lucena, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando, Subic, Zamboanga, Cotabato,

Allen, Ormoc, Ozamiz and Tagbilaran. Most of these terminals comprise the

Strong Republic Nautical Highway, a nautical system conceptualized under the

term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo where land vehicles can use the roll-

on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ship service to traverse the different islands of the country at

minimal costs.

Inter-island ferries

The biggest inter-island ferry company is 2GO Travel, owned by the

Chinese government through its private equity firm the China-Asean Investment

LRT

Tricycle

Cooperation Fund. It is the successor to Negros Navigation, SuperFerry, Cebu

Ferries and SuperCat..

River ferries

The Pasig River Ferry Service - Used to serve the "Pasig River" from

Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, Manila to Barangay Kalawaan Sur, Pasig City. There

are also river ferries on the island of Samar.

Air transportation

The Philippines transport system relies on its roadways, inter-island

shipping, known as ―ro-ro’s‖ (roll-on roll-off) transport, and aviation. Despite its

archipelagic nature, road transport dominates other forms of transport. In 2006,

its roads served approximately 1.71 billion passengers and 25.9 billion tons of

freight. The Philippines has an extensive network of paved national roads,

municipal roads, and secondary roads especially in the urban areas. Due to

maintenance and rehabilitation costs and other competing priorities of the

government, the Main Line North (266km) and Main Line South (479km) has had

a difficult time and eventually became underutilized and under-maintained. This

is also why most of the freight in the Philippines is transported by road on trucks

and using the ―ro-ro‖ transport to connect to various islands. Integration of the

urban transport system is one of key challenges in the Philippines, especially

considering the existing para-transit modes such as jeepneys and tricycles in

urban areas. Most government effort in the past has been put on road

development and not on providing a more holistic transport system that includes

other motorized modes but as well walking and cycling.

Owing to the threat of air pollution, climate change, and fuel security, the

President of the Philippines issued an Administrative Order instructing the

Department of Transportation and Communications to develop a national

Environmentally Sustainable Transportation (EST) strategy for the Philippines in

30 January 2009. This has resulted to an action plan proposed by government to

establish targets and indicators for elements under the EST framework as

developed under the Aichi Statement of the UNCRD. The government has

allocated funds coming from the Special Vehicle Pollution Control Fund of the

Motor Vehicle User’s Charge in funding activities related to this. In addition, the

government has proposed under the Clean Technology Fund the inclusion of

projects on developing a BRT system for Metro Manila and Cebu as one of its

projects. Most of the current efforts and plans of the government are geared

towards improving passenger transport as compared to freight transport.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources are responsible

for the Climate Change Act (2009).

Mitigation policies/measures with high potential to deliver reductions in

transport GHG emissions.

THE TRANSPORTATION

The main way to enter the Philippines is via Manila’s Ninoy Aquino

International Airport (NAIA), which will welcome you with long lines at the

Taxi

Bus

immigration counter. The second busiest (and much nicer) airport of the country

is Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu City, which receives flights from

Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul.

Francisco Bango International Airport (DVO) in Davao and Diosdado

Mascapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Angeles City both also receive

international flights from different Asian countries. Depending on your

destination, entering through one of the smaller airports may make more sense

and be more convenient for you.

Inter-Island Travel

Travelling by water is the main way of inter-island travel and the backbone

of the Philippine’s overall transportation system. Virtually any mode of water

transportation is available, ranging from high-class, air-conditioned ferries and

catamarans to small bangkas or pumpboats. Bangkas are the basis of inter-

island transportation in the Philippines. These small wooden boats run on

automotive engines. While bangkas lack the luxury provided by ferries and

catamarans, they are cheap and widely available.

If you prefer to travel on land, you can use one of the many reliable and

cheap bus services, which offer island hopping as well. Departures are frequent;

however, drivers sometimes tend to leave early if their bus is full. Alternatively,

you can also rent a car and drive yourself. Keep in mind though that traffic is

crazy in Manila and in Luzon’s central mountains. In other cities and in the

countryside, it can be quite a pleasant alternative.

City Transportation

In most cities, jeepneys, a cross between a jeep and a bus, are the main

mode of transportation. They are popular both for local travel and long-distance

journeys. Unfortunately, jeepney drivers like to wait until they have enough

passengers before they depart. As a result, you may have to wait a while before

the jeepney leaves for your desired destination.

Jeepneys travel on set routes for the average price of about 7 pesos. If

you choose to travel long distances with a jeepney, try to find out the fare in

advance. Other modes of transportation in the cities are light rail (in Manila),

tricycles or pedicabs and vans or minibuses.

Pedicabs are very traditional and cost from 5 pesos per trip. This is the

price for locals however and may be considerably higher for you as a foreigner.

Vans and minibuses are becoming a popular alternative to jeepneys and buses.

They are operated privately and cost you at least twice the fare of a jeepney. On

the other hand, they are more luxurious than jeepneys and come with air-

conditioning.

Land Transport

Despite the difficult terrain, the Philippines has an extensive road system.

However, only about 14 percent of roads in the Philippines are paved. The land

transportation system consists of roads, and railway networks, and modern

transit systems. There are about 200,000 kilometers of roads in the Philippines.

About two fifths of this mileage is paved. The rail system in the country,

concentrated on the northern region of Luzon, is limited and is used by only a few

people. The more popular light-rail transit system known as Metrorail was

opened in Manila in 1985 to help reduce traffic congestion. Other modes of

transportation for commuters include buses, taxis, pedicabs, horse-drawn

carriages, and the popular and colorful jeepney.

Rail Transit Systems

Light Rail Transit Authority (LRT-1/Metrorail/Yellow Line), from

Monumento, Caloocan City to Baclaran, Parañaque City.

Light Rail Transit Authority (MRT-2/Megatren/Purple Line), from

Santolan, Marikina City to Avenida, Manila.

Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRT-3/Metrostar/Blue Line), from North

Avenue, Quezon City to Taft Avenue, Pasay City.

Main Highways

Pan Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway)

North Luzon Expressway, from Balintawak, Quezon City in Metro Manila

to Santa Ines, Pampanga.

South Luzon Expressway, from Manila in Metro Manila to Calamba City in

Laguna.

Metro Manila Skyway, an elevated tollway that complements with the

South Luzon Expressway and runs from Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. (Buendia) in Makati

City to Bicutan, Parañaque City. It will extend from Bicutan to Filinvest.

Manila-Cavite Expressway (Manila Coastal Road), from Parañaque City

in Metro Manila to Bacoor, Cavite

Manila North Road (MacArthur Highway), from Caloocan City to San

Fernando City, La Union

Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, from SM Mall of Asia to Caloocan City

Water Transport

Both Manila and Cebu are hubs of interisland shipping. The Port of Manila

is a major international harbor. It is divided into three areas: North Harbor, which

serves the interisland vessels; South Harbor, for international shipping; and the

Manila International Container Terminal. It is Cebu City however that has a

greater number of interisland ships at its ports. Other cities with bustling ports

and piers include Batangas City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City, Davao City,

Guimaras Island, Iligan, Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi, Lucena, Puerto Princesa, San

Fernando, Subic Bay Freeport, Zamboanga, Matnog, Allen, Ormoc, and

Dalahican.

Air Transport

The national air carrier of the Philippines is Philippine Airlines (PAL). The

country’s international airports are Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila

and Mactan International Airport near the city of Cebu.

Airports

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila)

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Cebu City)

Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao City)

Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark Special Economic

Zone, Pampanga)

Subic Bay International Airport (Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales)

Laoag International Airport (Laoag, Ilocos Norte)

General Santos International Airport (General Sant (General Santos

City)

Zamboanga International Airport (Zamboanga City)

(General Santos City)

Zamboanga International Airport (Zamboanga City)

Local Airlines

Air Philippines

Asian Spirit

Cebu Pacific

Interisland Airlines

Philippine Airlines (national flag carrier)

South East Asian Airlines

IMPROVING TRAFFIC PROBLEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines and the World Bank recently signed agreements for a

US$60 million loan and a US$1.3 million equivalent grant from the Global

Environment Facility (GEF) today for the Metro Manila Transport Integration

Project (MMURTRIP).

Traffic and related environmental problems have reached serious

proportions in Metro Manila, affecting its more than 10 million residents, with

vehicles traveling on the average no faster than 15 kph on a weekday along

Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

Metro Manilans who often walk, use buses, jeepneys, and tricycles, are

the worst affected. The project is expected to improve traffic management,

thereby saving travel time for many pedestrians and commuters from the lower

income groups, who account for 75 percent of all trips in Metro Manila. A major

benefit, too, will be an improvement in the environment and safety of the city. The

project will provide good pedestrian interchange facilities, public transport lanes,

and will also focus on landscaping and improving the overall urban street

environment. The project will also build on the advances the government has

made recently in urban transport, for example phasing out leaded gasoline.

"It is my privilege to sign today the agreements for MMURTRIP—my first

to sign in my capacity as World Bank Country Director for the Philippines," said

the new World Bank Country Director for the Philippines, Robert Vance Pulley,

who assumed office in July. "I hope that, in due time, with the diligent

implementation of DPWH, MMDA and the City of Marikina, the general riding

public will reap maximum benefits from the Project, in terms of travel time

savings, safety on the street, and in the case of Marikina residents, a cleaner air

to be brought about by less motorized traffic and congestion," he said.

The Project is a unique collaboration among the Department of Public

Works (DPWH), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, (MMDA), and

the City of Marikina. DPWH is the overall executing agency.

MMURTRIP includes the following 5 components in the 12 cities and 5

municipalities that make up the Metro Manila area:

Traffic Management Improvements along the EDSA, Light Rail Transport

(LRT) 2 and 3 and South Luzon Expressway corridors to improve street level

collection and dispersal of passengers. MMDA is the implementing agency for

this component.

Marikina-Rizal-Pasig (MARIPAS) Access Improvements in the Marikina

Valley, including the Marikina Bridge and access road component and the

Marcos Highway and Ortigas Avenue Extension. DPWH is the implementing

agency for these MARIPAS access improvements.

Secondary Roads Program for 15 road sections, including pavement

rehabilitation, drainage and sidewalk improvements, traffic management, and

construction of missing links for comprehensive corridor treatment so that there

will be better traffic dispersal and lesser congestion in arterial roads. DPWH will

be the implementing agency for 10 of the roads while MMDA will implement for

the other 5 roads.

Nonmotorised Transport in the City of Marikina under Global Environment

Facility funding which will pilot a bikeways system to connect communities with

employment centers and LRT stations. The City of Marikina will implement this

component.

Institution Building/Technical Assistance to establish and strengthen

institutions responsible for future urban transport management in Metro Manila.

This is targeted at and will be implemented by the MMDA.

The Global Environment Facility was established to forge international

cooperation and finance actions to address four critical threats to the global

environment: biodiversity loss, climate change, degradation of international

waters, and ozone depletion.

The National Center for Transportation Studies is research and training

center originally created as the Transport Training Center in 12 July 1976. It is

attached to the University of the Philippines Diliman and was tasked mainly to

upgrade the capability of government personnel concerned with transportation

through intensive and practical training in the fields of traffic engineering,

planning and management. It has been one of the missions of NCTS to

contribute to national growth and development by supporting academic

instruction, conducting and promoting scholarly research, training, information

and other extension services in the field of transportation. The NCTS offer

technical expertise on traffic engineering and transportation planning, and

advocates environmentally sustainable transport (EST), including low carbon

transport, road safety, and people-friendly transport infrastructure.

NCTS is promotes sustainable development through its researches,

training programs and cooperation with government agencies and non-

government organizations with emphasis on the following:

-Sustainable Transport: NCTS is actively promoting the development and

greater use of sustainable modes of transport, including the Bus Rapid Transit

(BRT) and non-motorized transport (NMT) to address the ever worsening

problems of traffic congestion, road accidents, air pollution and Greenhouse Gas

(GHG) emissions from the transport sector. There are on-going research

activities that tackle the social, economic, as well as, environmental dimensions

in the transport sector.

-Integrated Transport System: The Philippines is an archipelago

consisting of around 7,100 islands and connecting economic centers and

communities continue present a national challenge. NCTS is actively cooperating

with concerned government agencies towards the development of a well-

integrated national tranportation system. On-going research activities are

focused on multi-modal transportation, land use and transport interaction,

planning and decision support systems, and other cross-cutting policy issues.

-Road Safety: Every year many lives are lost due to road crashes in

Philippine roads. NCTS is doing its part in promoting safety on the streets.

Forums involving different concerned agencies, LGUs and NGOs are regularly

conducted to discuss and formulate solutions in preventing and reducing

accident occurrences.

-Institutional Development: There is an urgent need to improve existing

Government processes in relation to the transport sector. Past studies in the

country have highlighted the need for clear strategies for the sector and the need

for institutional change and reforms. Since its inception, the Center has been

conducting training programs aimed at enhancing the capacities and capabilities

of the Philippine institutions involved in the transport sector. At present, the

Center continues to build and strengthen partnerships with concerned agencies

such as the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of

Energy (DOE) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),

academic units, and NGO’s and the private sector in the conduct of responsive

programs in the field of transportation.

NEW standards for Philippine roads have been adopted, allowing them to

last longer, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on

Monday.

In Department Order 22, series of 2011, DPWH Secretary Rogelio

Singson said the thickness for the new construction and rehabilitation, or

upgrading of Portland Cement Concrete Pavements shall be 280 millimeters

(mm).

However, a thickness of no less than 230 mm may be adopted depending

on the Cumulative Equivalant Single Axle Load (Cesal), the primary measure

used for the selection of the appropriate design of roads depending on the type

of vehicle using it.

"The standardized pavement thickness will prevent the early deterioration

of road pavements due to overloading," he said in a statement.

The department will be implementing a new method for pavement

rehabilitation. Under the new standard, new pavements to be overhauled are

required to have a minimum thickness of 260 mm.

For pavement reblocking, the thickness of the new pavement will be the

same as the replaced blocks.

For asphalt pavements, a minimum thickness of 50 mm is prescribed for

overlaying works but on grounds of economy, pavement thickness of more than

50 mm will be considered only if the cost of the asphalt pavement of such

thickness is less than the cost of a 230 mm thick concrete pavement.

On both pavement types, the thickness of pavement will be verified from

pavement design analysis using the American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (Aashto) method as contained on the DPWH Design

Guidelines.

Aashto is a standards setting body that publishes specifications, test

protocols and guidelines used in highway design and construction throughout the

United States.

The Philippines, through the DPWH, is the only country outside North

America authorized to use the Aashto Standards.

For pavement width, minimum width of the carriageway will be 6.70

meters. For rehabilitation or upgrading work involving for a road that is at least

500 meters, the minimum width of the carriageway to be adopted will also be

6.70 meters.

MANILA, Philippines -- A new standard for national road pavement

thickness has been adopted by the Department of Public Works and Highways

(DPWH), which aims to ensure quality and longer life span for national roads and

highways.

DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said the standardized pavement

thickness will prevent the early deterioration of roads due to overloading.

The DPWH has launched a campaign against overloaded trucks and

vehicles in Metro Manila, after studies show these contribute to the early wear

and tear of roads and highways.

Based on a department order, the thickness for the new construction and

rehabilitation or upgrading of Portland Cement Concrete Pavements from now on

shall be 280 mm.

However, a thickness of less than 280 mm, but in no case less than 230

mm may be adopted depending on the Cumulative Equivalent Single Axle Load

(CESAL).

CESAL is the primary criterion used for the selection of the appropriate

design of roads, which is dependent on the daily average effect of each vehicle

type passing on the pavement.

For pavement rehabilitation works using the crack and seat method, a

minimum thickness of 260mm is prescribed for the new pavement that will be

constructed on top of the deteriorated pavement.

For pavement re-blocking, the thickness of the new pavement will be the

same as the replaced blocks.

Singson said a minimum thickness of 50 mm is prescribed for overlaying

works. But on grounds of economy, pavement thickness of more that 50 mm will

be considered only if the cost of the asphalt pavement of such thickness is less

than the cost of a 230 mm thick concrete pavement.

The department order further states that on both pavement types, the

thickness of pavement will be verified from pavement design analysis using the

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

method as contained on the DPWH Design Guidelines.

AASHTO is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test

protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction

throughout the United States. The Philippines, through the DPWH, is the only

country outside North America authorized to use the AASHTO Standards.

For pavement width, the minimum width of the carriageway shall be 6.70

meters, while for rehabilitation or upgrading works involving at least 500 meters,

the minimum width of the carriageway to be adopted shall be 6.70 meters.

Are you sure that you’re living with environmentally safe surroundings? In

the Philippines we have Environmental Impact Statement System under

Presidential Decree 1586 which was ratified on June 11, 1978. The main

objective of this law is to maintain the balance between the environment and

socio- economic development in the country. It aims to protect the environment

despite of the increasing demand of natural resources and development to attain

sustainability.

Every proposed environmentally critical project or project located in

environmentally critical area shall prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to

justify why the project should be implemented. The Environmental impact

Statement also contains the predicted impact which is most likely to occur and

affect the environment and the surrounding communities as well. Along with it are

the proper mitigation or environmental measures to minimize if not prevented the

said negative impacts to the environment. However, the EIS or Environmental

Impact Statement does not end with that. It covers the monitoring program for

different environmental media such as air, water, soil and development program

for the existing community. When EIS is already approved, Environmental

Compliance Certificate will be issued by the Environmental Management Bureau.

On the other hand, the non- environmentally critical project or projects that

are not located in environmentally critical areas are required to submit Project

Description Report which indicates the environmental measures basic

information about the proposed project. When it is already approved, Certificate

of Non- Coverage or CNC will be issued by the Environmental Management

Bureau. Failure to comply with this law has a corresponding punishment like

Suspension or cancellation of certificates or fine not exceeding Php 50,000.00.

It is essential to comply with this law to protect the environment. Through

EIS, the likely adverse ecological impact of the project that might occur will

properly be mitigated. It is also for the benefit of the people in the community that

will be affected if the project will cause negative impact on the environment. The

permits like Environmental Compliance Certificate or Certificate of Non-

Coverage that will be issued by the DENR-EMB will certify that the project is

environmentally safe. With this, do you or your company have ECC or CNC? Do

you understand your duties and responsibilities on having those environmental

permits.

The practice of transportation engineering and planning has employed trip

rates to determine the number of trips generated by developments. Trip

generation serves as an input to modeling transportation requirements and traffic

flows influenced by the development. For example, a condominium may directly

impact traffic within a 10 km radius. Meanwhile, a shopping mall can impact an

area of over 50 km in radius. These trips generated and attracted are

represented by standard rates for trip generation like those published by the

Institute of Transportation Engineers. This paper discusses the trip rates used in

transportation research and practice in the Philippines. The paper also describes

the current efforts in the development of trip rates for various land use types. An

assessment of issues and concerns pertaining to local trip and rates are

examined, and recommendations for future research directions are also

presented.

TRAFFIC ANALYSIS

Traffic analysis is the process of intercepting and examining messages in

order to deduce information from patterns in communication. It can be performed

even when the messages are encrypted and cannot be decrypted. In general, the

greater the number of messages observed, or even intercepted and stored, the

more can be inferred from the traffic. Traffic analysis can be performed in the

context of military intelligence or counter-intelligence, and is a concern in

computer security.

Traffic analysis tasks may be supported by dedicated computer software

programs, including commercially available programs such as those offered by

i2, Visual Analytics, Memex, Orion Scientific, Pacific Northwest National Labs,

Genesis EW's GenCOM Suite, SynerScope and others. Advanced traffic analysis

techniques may include various forms of social network analysis.

MANILA, Philippines --- The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority

(MMDA) reported a marked improvement travel time along Epifanio de los

Santos Avenue (EDSA) in its latest survey, following the traffic schemes

implemented for the 24-kilometer highway.

MMDA Traffic Engineering Center (TEC) Director Noemi Recio said they

conducted a survey before the end of last year, citing that prior to the

enforcement of the new schemes, buses are usually at a crawling pace along

EDSA.

From a slow 16.82 kilometers per hour (kph) average speed, buses have

improved their travel time to 25.26 kph for Alabang-bound buses; 22.39 kph for

Baclaran-bound buses; and 19.12 for bus C or all-stop buses.

Also covered by the survey was the travel time of private vehicles traveling

between Roxas Boulevard and Monumento in Caloocan, with Recio citing

noticeable improvement from the previous 30 kph speed to the current 33.89 kph

speed.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said he is asking the Special Traffic

Committee of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) headed by Quezon City Mayor

Herbert Bautista to extend the implementation of the modified truck ban which

lapsed yesterday (January 6) after nearly one month of enforcement.

In mathematics and civil engineering, traffic flow is the study of

interactions between vehicles, drivers, and infrastructure (including highways,

signage, and traffic control devices), with the aim of understanding and

developing an optimal road network with efficient movement of traffic and

minimal traffic congestion problems.

Human crowds and pedestrian groups exhibit complex and coordinated

spatio-temporal patterns such as the spontaneous organization of pedestrian

flows into lines and the oscillations of fluxes at gates or intersections.

Understanding these phenomena requires a deeper knowledge of the laws

governing the interactions of individuals with both themselves and their

environment. Although a number of experiments can be found in the literature,

the available data does not lend itself well to systematic study. The lack of

completeness and varying quality of available experimental data make it nearly

impossible to identify the fundamental principles underlying pedestrian behavior.

Motion capturing techniques have become available in the recent years and

permit more complex experiments, yielding comprehensive recordings of

individual positions. Such experiments generate a formidable amount of data.

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation can facilitate the extraction of

information from such data, helping to identify relevant observables by which a

set of biological hypotheses can be validated. Such a dialectic use of experiment

and simulation results in the ability to extract from traffic data an ensemble of

behavioral rules, which can then be inserted into individual (agent)-based

simulation models. For crowds involving several thousand (or more) individuals,

continuum fluid-mechanical-like models are attractive, from both the

computational and theoretical viewpoints. Deriving these models from the

individual behavior by means of statistical physics guarantees their biological

relevance and opens the way to qualitative analysis and understanding of many

observed emerging phenomena in crowds.

The workshop is aimed at bringing together experts from different fields

with the main objective to systematically develop and analyze a hierarchy of

pedestrian traffic models. The studied hierarchy of models consists of three

levels: (i) Microscopic description, (ii) Mesoscopic description and (iii)

Macroscopic PDE description. The microscopic description is similar to spin-flip

models, an interacting system of cellular automata. All modeling assumptions are

only made at the microscopic level. Mesoscopic and macroscopic models are

rigorously derived through appropriate averaging and limiting procedures; no ad-

hoc assumptions on the density and velocity of the flow are used in the

derivation. One of the main goals of the workshop is to naturally link three levels

of description, allowing for a detailed analysis of how various terms in the

macroscopic PDE model are affected by the microscopic assumptions.

Level of service (LOS) is a measure used by traffic engineers to determine

the effectiveness of elements of transportation infrastructure. LOS is most

commonly used to analyze highways by categorizing traffic flow with

corresponding safe driving conditions. The concept has also been applied to

intersections, transit, potable water, sanitary sewer service, solid waste removal,

drainage, and public open space and recreation facilities.

A branch of civil engineering that includes planning, design, construction,

operation, and maintenance of roads, bridges, and related infrastructure to

ensure effective movement of people and goods. Highway planning involves the

estimation of current and future traffic volumes on the road network. For

purposes of design, traffic volumes are needed for a representative period of

traffic flow. The capacity is the maximum theoretical traffic flow rate that a

highway section is capable of accommodating under a given set of

environmental, highway, and traffic conditions. The capacity of a highway

depends on factors such as the number of lanes, lane width, effectiveness of

traffic control systems, frequency and duration of traffic incidents, and efficiency

of collection and dissemination of highway traffic information. Traffic conditions

arising from the interplay of volume and capacity are perceived by road users in

a way that is quantitatively termed level of service.

Highway facilities often cause adverse effects on the environment, such

as noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution, and ecological impacts.

Tire/pavement interaction, vehicle exhausts, and engines cause traffic noise.

Highway engineers strive to predict and mitigate all possible impacts of highway

systems.

Through highway design, the most appropriate location, alignment, and

shape of the highway are selected. Highway design involves the consideration of

three major factors (human, vehicular, and roadway) and how these factors

interact to provide a safe highway. Human factors include reaction time for

braking and steering, visual acuity for traffic signs and signals, and car-following

behavior. Vehicle considerations include vehicle size and dynamics that are

essential for determining lane width and maximum slopes, and for the selection

of design vehicles. Engineers design road geometry to ensure stability of

vehicles when negotiating curves and grades and to provide adequate sight

distances for undertaking passing maneuvers along curves on two-lane, two-way

roads.

Location involves fitting the road efficiently onto the surrounding terrain

and environment. Horizontal alignment is represented by an aerial view of the

highway. It consists of straight lines and curves. Curves are fitted to provide a

smooth transition between straight highway sections.

Intersections and interchanges occur where two or more highways cross

each other at the same level. Since various vehicle maneuvers (turning, crossing,

and through movements) all occur within a limited area as the volumes of these

movements increase, there is increased likelihood of traffic conflicts and crashes.

One way of reducing such danger is to use channelization to limit each stream to

a unique path. In high traffic volume areas, movement of streams can be

separated in time using multiphased traffic signals. The vertical alignment of a

highway is represented by its longitudinal profile, which gives the elevation of all

points along the length of the highway. The purpose of vertical alignment design

is to determine the level of the highway at each point in order to ensure adequate

safety and drainage.

Highway cross section refers to the profile of the road, perpendicular to

the direction of travel and extending to the limits of the right of way within which

the facility is constructed. Highway cross-section elements may include driving

lanes, bicycle/pedestrian lanes, shoulders, medians, barriers, cross slope for

drainage, and superelevation.

Pavement design is the process of selecting pavement layer types and

thicknesses in order to withstand expected traffic loads in a cost-effective

manner. Each pavement layer usually consists of mineral aggregates such as

natural river or pit sand, natural gravel, and crushed rock. For rigid pavements,

portland cement is mixed with water and aggregates to produce a viscous

concrete mix that is poured into prepared forms and vibrated. See also Cement.

There are generally three types of pavements specified for pavement

design. Gravel pavement is the simplest type of pavement and is often designed

for lightly traveled roads. Flexible pavement is a multilayered structure that

includes a subbase, a base, and an asphaltic wearing course. Rigid pavement

consists of a plain or steel-reinforced portland cement concrete slab laid on a

prepared crushed-stone base course. See also Gravel; Pavement; Precast

concrete.

Highway construction usually follows planning and design, and involves

new or reconstructed facilities such as pavements, drainage structures, and

traffic control devices. Road construction is often preceded by detailed stakeout

surveys and preparation of the subgrade. See also Construction engineering;

Construction equipment.

Traffic signals are the most important traffic control devices. The typical

traffic signal for an intersection displays a sequence of green, amber, and red.

One complete signal sequence is called a cycle. Traffic signals are either

pretimed or demand-actuated. Flow-concentration controllers are capable of

sensing detailed demand information and responding to it by revising the cycle

length and phasing patterns of the signal.

The performance of highway infrastructure is measured in terms of

pavement and bridge condition, level of service, and safety. Pavement condition

is monitored over a period of time using a condition index or serviceability rating.

Through the development and implementation of bridge management systems,

many agencies have in place a decision support tool that supplies analyses and

summaries of data, uses mathematical models to make predictions of bridge

conditions, and provides the means by which alternative policies and programs

may be efficiently evaluated. Congestion management is maintained by

implementing measures to mitigate the magnitude and duration of traffic

congestion. Safety management is a systematic process that has the goal of

reducing the number and severity of traffic crashes by ensuring that all

opportunities and identified, considered, implemented as appropriate, and

evaluated in all phases of highway planning design, construction, maintenance,

and operation.

Traffic Management

"Traffic management is a term used to embody the activities undertaken

by a highway transportation agency to improve roadway system safety,

efficiency, and effectiveness for both providers and consumers of transportation

services. There are two distinct types of traffic management. The first one utilizes

traditional traffic engineering tools or simple devices to regulate or control traffic.

The second relies more on advanced technology through the use of Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS)." (Sigua, 2008)

In the Philippines, there are several government agencies which deal with

traffic management. These agencies include the Metropolitan Manila

Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Transportation and

Communications (DOTC), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),

Traffic Engine­ering Center, Philip­pine Na­tional Police-Traffic Management

Group, and the Land Transportation Office. According to Lidasan as mentioned

in a news report, poor coordination among government agencies occur since

their functions and responsibilities often overlap. Moreover, even if policy making

and implementation or enforcement are assigned to specific agencies, these

organizations usually disregard or bypass one another in the performance of their

functions. The following paragraphs further identify the key roles of the different

agencies for an effective traffic management.

MMDA’s role is primarily to coordinate and integrate the efforts of local

governments and the central government in drawing up policies and plans and

implementing transport projects within Metro Manila. The responsibility for road

construction and maintenance is divided between DPWH for national roads and

LGUs for local roads. The DPWH Traffic Engineering Center has taken the

responsibility for road planning that requires traffic engineering. DOTC is in

charge of regulating vehicle fleet and driver licensing through its Land

Transportation Office. The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board

regulates public transport services and fares. DOTC also plans the extensions to

Metro Manila’s rail systems through the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and

the Philippine National Railways.

Responsibilities for traffic management, however, should not just be relied

upon the government agencies but a collaborative effort among the policy

makers, implementors as well as the ordinary people - even children in grade

school to senior citizens. Every citizen has to be educated about road traffic

safety rules and signs. Rep. Narciso D. Santiago III has filed House Bill 4745

which aims to have a separate subject integrated in the grade school and high

school curricula that includes the teaching of road traffic safety rules and signs

since young people are the easiest to train.

Road Signs & Symbols

UNIVRSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM

MORONG CAMPUS

GOLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

ENGR. JOHN JOWHELL H. VILLEGAS

INSTRUCTOR

JAMES RUSSEL L. BRIONES

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