Traffic Problem In Metro Manila (Merged Thread)

[manishbombee]

DOTr, Spanish design firm to sign P1.4-B MRT-4 contract | Philippine News Agency (pna.gov.ph)

September 30, 2021, 7:03 pm

 

MANILA – A rail system linking the province of Rizal with the eastern part of Metro Manila is nearing reality as the signing of a contract between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Spain-based design firm IDOM Consulting Engineering, Architecture, SA (IDOM) is set to happen on Friday.

In a Viber message to reporters on Friday, the DOTr said the design contract of the rail project, to be dubbed the Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT-4), will have a total cost of around USD28.967 million (around PHP1.4 billion).

The DOTr, in a press release, said IDOM initially received the Notice of Award for the project on Sept. 17.

The firm will be tasked as the “detailed architectural and engineering design consultant” of the project and will prepare the MRT-4’s preliminary design, detailed engineering and tender designs, the loan processing documents, financial and economical assessments, the project/loan safeguards documents, and bidding documents.

“Under the agreement, IDOM is also tasked to determine the proper mode of transportation along the alignment and provide the methodology on ridership validation,” the DOTr said.

The project, to be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is a proposed mass-transit railway system that will cut across the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon, Pasig, and municipalities of Cainta and Taytay in Rizal to address the “massive traffic problem and limited road capacities” in the area.

[Gtayo11]

On 9/17/2021 at 11:26 AM, redbomber said:

Tama. Ilabas ang commerce and business from the Metro. Ang lawak-lawak ng other regions eh

Might be too far ahead but would love if we had railways going to the provices kahit to Pampanga or Laguna muna then hitting those cities on the way. Dun palang we’ll see progress on that point

[redbomber]

20 hours ago, Gtayo11 said:

Might be too far ahead but would love if we had railways going to the provices kahit to Pampanga or Laguna muna then hitting those cities on the way. Dun palang we’ll see progress on that point

Tama bro, cebu city is a good prototype actually. 1 mayor had done it in 1 or 2 terms only. And boom, look at cebu city now

[RED2018]

Traffic Congestion: Solutions

1. Urban Planning and design. Impose car free days in specific areas of major cities
2. Reduction of demand (i.e. motivations for using cars) More parking restrictions
3. Increase of Supply (more roads and capacity enhancement)
4. Traffic Management

[lone23]

subway

[amazingguy25]

Malaki tulong ng Skyway

[camiar]

53 minutes ago, amazingguy25 said:

Malaki tulong ng Skyway

More skyways and MRT project completions to come!

[iam222]

More roads needed to be built

[manishbombee]

MRT-7 partially operational by Q4 of 2022: PRRD | Philippine News Agency (pna.gov.ph)

By Azer Parrocha December 16, 2021, 6:23 pm

 

MANILA – The national government will ensure that the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) will be “partially operational” by the fourth quarter of 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday.

Duterte made this remark during a ceremony to unveil the new MRT-7 train sets along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.

“We can proudly say that this new metric rail transit system which spans more than 24 km from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan is a world-class mode of transportation for the benefit of the people. The project is more than 60 percent complete and we are committed to make it partially operational by [the] 4th quarter of 2022,” he said in his speech.

He noted that the MRT project will provide the public with a “fast, efficient, convenient, safe, and reliable” transportation system that would result to the increased productivity of workers and businesses in Metro Manila and its nearby provinces.

Duterte said he is also pleased that the MRT-7 is expected to be a pollution-free mode of mass transit for commuters.

“It is also good to know that this new train system will help minimize air pollution as it is a greener and more energy efficient means of transportation,” he added.

He said the MRT-7 project is proof of his administration’s commitment to delivering long-lasting infrastructure development in the country amid the prevailing health crisis.

"The arrival of the trains and the significant progress made on MRT-7 project confirm this administration’s strong commitment to pursue critical infrastructure projects even amidst the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duterte enjoined all government agencies to ensure the prompt implementation and completion of significant government projects while still upholding the transparency, integrity, and accountability in its operation.

“Let us fulfil our promise and commitment to the entire nation to accomplish sustainable projects that will continuously improve the lives of Filipinos even beyond the term of the president,” he said.

He also thanked workers of the officials and workers of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), San Miguel Corp. (SMC), and other partners for their role in making a new milestone possible.

The SMC is the concession-holder for the project and is fully-funding construction of the 24-kilometer mass transit system that links up with the existing MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) via a common station in North Avenue.

The MRT 7 is a PHP77-billion project that started construction in April 2016. Currently, the project stands at 62 percent overall progress rate.

A total number of 108 rail cars or 36 train sets were acquired from South Korea that will traverse 14 stations.

It is expected to serve around 300,000 passengers in its first year of operations and will reach up to 850,000 passengers daily on its 12th year.

The MRT-7 is a modern train system that also involves the construction of electric power systems, computer and communications system, signaling systems, and automatic fare systems, among others.

Once completed, the MRT-7 will significantly cut travel time between North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan from two to three hours to just 35 minutes and will eventually contribute to the reduction of traffic in Metro Manila.

The project also aims to decongest Metro Manila and make the commuting experience of passengers coming in and out of the Metro more convenient and comfortable. (PNA)

[sikreto lang]

dapat naglagay sila flyover sa EDSA when MRT was built malamang ngayon luwag ng EDSA

[manishbombee]

MRT-3 reaches 200,647 passengers amid pandemic | Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) recorded carrying 200,647 passengers on Friday since the government increased the capacity of mass transport amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was the first time that the rail line carried more than 200,000 passengers in one day since reopening to the commuting public in June 2020, it noted.

The MRT-3 abided by the government mandate to increase the capacity of trains to 70 percent as new COVID-19 cases continue to decrease, meaning 827 passengers could ride a train set.

The last time the MRT-3 carried over 200,000 passengers was on March 11, 2020 – days before the government banned all forms of mass transport at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – with 234,614 people.               

 

 

[manishbombee]

Trains-forming the Philippines | The Manila Times

WHILE seated on my office swivel chair, a question suddenly boarded my inquisitive train of thought. Is the country on the right track in realizing the vision it has set for the future of Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems? Have we done enough to harness the potential that LRT holds in solving traffic woes in the metropolitan areas?

Going back 41 years ago, the Light Rail Transit Authority was created as a government-owned and controlled corporation by virtue of Executive Order 603, dated July 12, 1980, when then president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. created the LRTA to be primarily responsible for the construction, operation, maintenance and/or lease of LRT systems in the Philippines.

LRTA first confined its activities to determining policies, regularization and fixing of fares, and planning of extensions to the existing system before it became the Authority we know today. The study for its construction dates back from 1976 to 1977 when the World Bank funded a study conducted by Freeman Fox and Associates suggesting a street-level light railway that was later reviewed and revised by the then newly created Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) as they introduced an elevated version because of the numerous intersections along the alignment.

Now, the LRT-1 and LRT-2 systems under LRTA are in full swing. LRT-1 has 20 stations traversing Baclaran in Parañaque to Roosevelt in Quezon City and is now only being overseen by LRTA after its management was turned over to Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), a private operator, starting in September 2015. LRT-2, on the other hand, has 13 stations traversing the Antipolo station in Antipolo City, Rizal, to Recto station in Manila. These LRT systems are set to expand further with the LRT-1 Cavite Extension currently under way and the LRT-2 West Extension painted on the horizon.

It is indeed high time that we refocus construction of LRT systems outside NCR and spur the development of other urban areas outside Luzon.

Thinking forward

In the 2018 JICA Final Report for the Davao City Infrastructure Development Plan and Capacity Building Project, the congestion forecast for road network is projected to become severe by 2030. The report said Davao City is expected to suffer daily congestion that would severely affect intercity traffic movement.

For Central Visayas, population grew to 8.08 million as of 2020 with a 188 percent growth rate for the past five years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Cebu City was recorded as the most populous city in Central Visayas with a total population of 964,169 (PSA Central Visayas). Cebu has also reached an "unhealthy level" of air quality, according to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) with 56 micrograms per normal cubic meter, which is above the safe guideline value of 50 micrograms per normal cubic meter. (Palaubsanon, 2019)

With this in mind, the cities of Davao and Cebu will certainly need a mass transportation system that will cater to their growing needs — something massive, efficient, fast, safe and environment-friendly. "Build them before we need them!" should be our mantra. While land is still relatively cheaper, with environmental considerations of course and with concrete plans for preventive maintenance and railway technology revolution, we should prepare to build LRT in highly populated and developing areas of the Philippines.

Thinking forward, we need better alternatives to prevent bottlenecks and further traffic gridlocks. LRT systems and intermodal networks might thus be our silver lining.

Final thoughts

As we envisage transformations in the railway landscape of the Philippines, we see a time when the air we breathe is healthy and traveling is not anymore as cumbersome. The Cebu LRT Project and Mindanao (MRP) have already reached the proper authorities.

The MRP, a flagship project of the Duterte administration, will span over 1,500 kilometers once finished. It will link Davao to Surigao and traverse key cities and provinces like General Santos, Marbel, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Pagadian, Digos, Dipolog, Zamboanga and Surigao. (Quismorio, 2020)

In time, trains will be the way to go in mobilizing people and freight. I can't wait to see that day.

 

[Aqualung]

Railway, a long-term solution to transportation problems.

[manishbombee]

SM signs deal to build monorail in Pasay

 

By TED CORDERO, GMA News

 

Conglomerate SM Group has signed a deal to construct an integrated monorail system in Pasay City.

In a live broadcast of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing for the Integrated Pasay Monorail and EDSA-Tramo Flyover Extension Project on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said that SM Prime Holdings made a presentation for the unsolicited proposed project on September 7 together with officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the city government of Pasay.

Under its proposal, the company is seeking to build a monorail connecting the corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue to Diokno Boulevard as well as extend the EDSA-Tramo Flyover.

The project will be integrated and will be interoperable with several modes of transport, including LRT-1, MRT-3, EDSA Busway, and EDSA Greenways, according to the DOTr.

Tugade said the project is seen to ease traffic choke points along Taft Avenue and Diokno Boulevard.

[manishbombee]

DOTr inks P142 billion deal for PNR Bicol | Philstar.com

 

MANILA, Philippines — The government can now apply for a loan with China for the financing of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Bicol project after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a deal with a group of Chinese contractors for the construction of the project’s first phase.

The DOTr signed a P142-billion contract with the joint venture of China Railway Group Ltd., China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group Co. Ltd. and China Railway Engineering Consulting Group Co. Ltd. for the design, construction and electromechanical works for the first portion of the PNR Bicol project.

The first 380 kilometers of PNR Bicol from Banlic, Calamba in Laguna to Daraga, Albay will span 39 cities and municipalities, four provinces and two regions.

It will involve the construction of 23 stations, 230 bridges, 10 passenger tunnels, and a 70-hectare depot in San Pablo, Laguna.

“For our kababayans in the south who have dreamt of this project for so long, we are finally seeing the light of day. This milestone is a huge leap toward realizing this long-awaited project – the PNR Bicol or the South Long Haul Project. We are grateful to our development partners from China for supporting us in this endeavor and believing that the Filipino people deserve an improved quality of life,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

With the signing of the contract, the DOTr can now request the Department of Finance (DOF) to apply for a loan with China to finance the project.

According to the DOTr, the DOF will prepare and submit the loan application to China.

Once the DOF successfully negotiates the loan, the agency will then sign the agreement with China.

For Chinese official development assistance projects, the DOTr explained that a contract comes before a loan, unlike with the Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency where a loan comes first before a contract.

“Generally, China may finance up to 85 percent of the contract amount, with the balance to be funded by local counterpart budget. The final terms of the loan, including the percentage that will be financed by China, will be subject to loan negotiations by the DOF,” DOTr Undersecretary for railways TJ Batan said.

PNR Bicol, along with its future segments, will consist of a 565-kilometer railway connecting Metro Manila to the southern Luzon provinces of Sorsogon and Batangas.

The railway project will cut travel time between Metro Manila and Bicol from the current 12 hours by road to as short as four hours.

Passenger trains will run at a speed of up to 160 kilometers per hour, while freight trains will run at up to 100 kph.

The project is expected to generate more than 5,000 direct jobs per year during construction.