My final stand

from www.skyscrapercity.com forums

One thing that is rather obvious during the last 30 pages of this thread (www.skyscrapercity.com Cebu City and Province Forum archives, link to the beginning of discussions, link to the most recent thread at the time of this posting) is that, the SSC forum members who were PRESENT during the BRT seminar last Sept. 26 are 100% in favor of the BRT. I was reviewing the presentation materials which I have right now and I realized that the woes of some close-minded LRT proponents are being addressed in many of the slides. I realized that some proponents of the $602-Million system are just simply uninformed about the system. Even several writers from the print media, especially in the opinions section would still need to be properly informed of this "NEW" mode of transportation.

If one would have been comprehensively informed about the whole system, where in such information is acquired through diligent research, or in the case of SSC-Cebu, through seminars and not just from pictures and videos, then one would easily understand the benefits that can be brought by the Bus Rapid Transit.

Many of the points presented by those posters who are clearly experts in the field of urban planning, transportation, technology and politics are all valid. Some who are not really in the said fields are just commenting on what they "feel" or what they see right in front of them and we can not blame them because this particular issue can only be intelligently debated and discussed by people who have first hand experience in this type of undertaking.

At any rate, I guess one thing that the BRT proponents should realize that Light Rail is not all that bad. It's sophisticated, it has been advancing in terms of technology, it also presents a lot of valid long term benefits. It's just that we understand that based from the proposal of DOTC, it wouldn't really do good at all for Cebu City and for the Cebuanos. There could have been several ways to make it better, a better proposal like those presented by @Eastern Dragon, but at the end of the day, if we allow DOTC to push through with their proposed project, then in my opinion, I guess we would just have to say goodbye to beautiful Cebu.

To the LRT proponents on the other hand, try to study and research some more about BRT. I have with me a number of the presentation files from the seminar, I guess this is public property, you could get a copy of it if you want, send me a PM and we'll arrange a meeting para akong mahatag ninyo. Read through the slides and try to understand and envision the society this whole concept of BRT is trying to create or would usher in. And if you are like me or many others in the forums or even those outside the forums, who dream of equality, who dream of a genuinely democratic society, then I guess your minds would also be opened. Believe me, many of your woes like narrow roads and maintenance and costs and equipment types are all in these files so perhaps you might wanna take a chance to learn from this.

Personally, the reason why I was brought to the skyscrapercity forums a couple of years ago was because of a google search I made when I was stationed outside Cebu City. The google search I made was: Plans for Light Rail Transit for Cebu City. Google took me to this sight. I read through some articles and I read somewhere that Tomas Osmeña is proposing this Bus Transit system. I said to myself, why would Tomas always endorse projects that are low end? And what came to my mind is similar to what @viva la raza has always been ranting about, the Kaoshiong Buses. But that was only because I know nothing about BRTs back then.

Ultimately, I guess we all agree that there is a dire need for a public transport for Cebu City. (Ay, not all diay kay naa may usa nga nivote ug None of the above) I think this would be my last post about the issue on BRT and LRT and after having read all the discussions, I stand firm in my belief, that as an advocate of

TOURISM (to be able to go around the city in a very pleasant manner),

URBAN DEVELOPMENT (to live in a city where urban living is synonymous to safe communities for the most vulnerable citizens: the children, the elderly and the

PWDs, an unpolluted atmosphere, efficient mobility and a people-friendly community where children can run around and play outside),

HERITAGE PRESERVATION (nga dili gub-on ang Osmeña Blvd. ug Fuente Osmeña)

and

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (to aim for car use reduction and to effectively reduce fossil fuel consumption),

FOR CEBU, I believe that the Bus Rapid Transit System is the best Transit system for a City that was built 400-years ago. A city where the streets were originally built for people and not for cars. A city that was built long before cars even existed. A city of humble dwellers, who only want to live in dignity, simplicity and equality.

To a better Cebu, I remain.

LRT proposal fine prints

The LRT proponents keep on repeating that the $602-Million would come at no cost to the government. This, i believe is one of their selling points.

The COST to BUILD is $602-Million. I can't seem to find anywhere in the print media reports showing the public the cost to maintain and operate.

Consider this analogy (if you know anything about cars): Given your economic standing is that of the ordinary Filipino to represent the economic standing of the Philippines. What if someone gives you a Ferrari, would you accept it? Most probably you would because it's pretty, it's sophisticated, it's fast. But would you have the capacity to operate that Ferrari? Gasolina pa lang daan, pildi na ka! Now, ibutang ta nga gipasubsidize nimo imong gasolina sa imong credit card para makaoperate ka. Years later, your pretty, sophisticated and fast mechanical piece would start to deteriorate. There will be dents and scratches, parts start to bad, would you then have the capacity to get that Ferrari fixed when you barely had enough to operate it to begin with. Now tell me, was it wise to recieve that Ferrari?

Kung pananglitan Honda Civic ra ang gihatag. Economiya, comfortable, rides just as smooth, may not run as fast but still serves the same purpose... Need I say more? I think obvious na siguro kaayo akong point.

Now, on the issue on fare. Basing lang sa mga testimonies sa nakagamit na sa BRT and sa press release sa DOTC, Php15.00 and Php0.50 per kilometer versus a possible fixed rate when taking the BRT. Mura diay ka'g gataxi kung mag LRT ka, flag down ug 15 unya 50 ang patak. Sa BRT, mura ra ka'g gajeep kay imong plete parehas ra, regardless kung asa ka naug.

And again, they offer THE SAME TYPE OF SERVICE

Back to the basics with BRT

For over 5000 years the streets or roadways are being utilized by the people, it was only during the early 20th century that cars driven by the dirty internal combustion engine dominated the roads. Now, since we want to go back to the basics, why don't we return our streets to the people instead of building or in this case widening the roads for our cars.

Cebu City has 18th Century narrow streets which makes it a lot more ideal for the BRT. Again, what we are aiming at is to become a People Friendly city, not a car friendly city. If the streets would instead be 100% dedicated for collective transport such as the BRT coupled with ample paths for pedestrians and non motorized transport such as bicycles and leave no more room for cars, then we would then have achieved the goal of becoming people friendly. We do not need to widen our road ways, we simply need to take away the cars from the road. Kung wala nay kaagian ang auto, wala nay ganahan magauto.

Pollution would go down and our children can enjoy playing outside once again. The streets can once again become a safe place for the people to converge. The more we interact with the peole around us, the more harmonious our society can become.

BRT or LRT? Cebuanos decide

It is very difficult to sell technical data which can prove the efficiency and effectivity of a system to a non-technical person especially if he is a politician. I say, leave the policy making to the lawyers, but leave the megaprojects and infrastructures to the engineers.

I believe it is time that the people take control of the politicians and no longer the other way around. For a very long time now, we are led to believe that we are a democratic society, when reality is, our society is just being controlled by the elite - the politicians, the capitalist who are friends of these politicians and the people owning the media who bares grudges on the current political leaders because their political ally is not in the seat of power.

I would just like to express my sentiments on the LRT-BRT issue ahead of my explanations/questions: If dili madayon ang BRT, we would get stuck in this uncomforatable and inconvenient status quo, and it will get worse in the coming years. If we insist on Light Rail, we will become the next Metro Manila. So, Cebuanos decide, do we want to become another Metro Manila? If your answer is YES, then by all mean, support the LRT. If your answer is NO, then I invite you to open your minds and study both BRT and LRT. If after studying both systems and you are absolutely convinced that one is better than the other, then support what you believe is the better option.

Ako technical nga tao so I would not try to argue on the financial aspects or the subsidies, etc. I am a resident of Cebu and an ordinary working class so I don't really care much about the systems in the United States or Australia or any other First World Cities for that matter. I do not wish for Cebu City to become another Hong Kong or Singapore or even another Bogota. My basis for the following observations/explanations/questions is what I experience everyday living in Cebu.

From the route mentioned sa news:

Tabunok, Bulacao, Pardo, Cabreros, C. Padilla, Cebu Institute of Technology, V. Rama Avenue, South Bus Terminal, Cebu Normal University, Osmeña Circle, Capitol, Gorordo Avenue, Ayala Center, J. Luna Street, SM City, North Bus Terminal, Tipolo, Quezon and Super Metro Mandaue.

Question 1. How would you suggest these line be built? On-grade (Sa dalan mismo)? or above-grade (Parehas sa Manila nga naa sa taas tuod sa dalan pero ang foundations nikaon ra diay gihapon sa dalan)? Please take into serious consideration nga gagmay kaayo ang dalan sa Cebu and kasagaran ana duna na'y dagko nga buildng natukod. Kung makabuhat mo ug Rail nga maglutaw sa hangin, pakit-a ko.

Question 2. If, for example I am from Tabunok and would want to go to, say Basak, where would I get off? Pardo right? So from Pardo, what would I need to take so that I would reach Basak? Would I be taking a tricycle that would traverse along the South Highway? Or would I be taking a jeepney? It is a rhetorical question, obviously, I'll be taking a jeepney. Picture if you will, jeepney routes running parallel the Light Rail that has already enrouched the South Highway. What do you think the traffic situation in that area would be? So as a follow-up question, can you have a train station/stop every 400meters whilst having an express train traversing the same corridor? I believe it is obvious what I am trying to point out sa akong question. If we establish a Mass Transit System, it should render jeepneys as the inefficient system/mode of transport thus its removal from certain corridors can be justifyable.

Question 3. On issue on the environment, we may see Light rail trains or monorail to be CLEAN because we do not see smoke coming out of it. So I guess my question here is, how then would you power the trains? Puwede kaha ta na ipatayhop sa hangin aron mudagan? Can we build Wind Power plants or Huge solar power plants along side building the light rail infrastructure para mupower sa Trains para mapanindigan dyud nato nga it is a CLEANER mode of transport? Or are we going to consume power from the dirty and existing fossil fuel power plants? If it will not be powered by renewable energy, then claiming that it is a CLEANER transport system is invalid.

Question 4. Some LRT proponents raised the issue on flooding. They preferred the LRT because it was above grade and impervious to flooding. But I believe that it would be better if we build an entirely different project that is aimed on flood control? Kay sa ako lang pung point of view, I believe that if Cebu City gets flooded, the safety of those trains being spared from the floods would be the least of our concerns. I know its not exactly a "long term" point of view, pero sa tinud-anay lang bah, kung bahaon ang Cebu city, ambot ug duna ba pu'y usa nato diri nga muingon, "Sus! May gani naa sa taas ang train, at least dili bahaon." Mintras tanto, tua na ta gabugsay-bugsay sa atong inflatable bed nga gihimong na natong banka guroy nato atong anak sakay sa usa ka ice bucket. Siguro what I am trying to say is, if we want to prevent property and infrastructure damages caused by flooding, I believe it would be better if we create infrastuctures such as flood control drainage systems to address that.

Question 5. On the issue on the travellers from the other municipalities outside Metro Cebu. Kay duna may gaingon nga kitang mga taga syudad, atong kaugalingon ra atong gihunahuna. Granting mao na, akong question is this: Would it really make a significant amount of difference if the north and south bound travellers be served with BRT or LRT? Eitherway, both are still Mass Transit Systems, both systems transport people at high speeds, both are free from the usual vehicular traffic and both would have to be subsidized anyway bunga sa kagamay sa ilang pasahero compared sa Cebu City market. And, what if Cebu City would refuse to have the LRT installed, musugot kaha ang mga LRT proponents nga ang South line muputol sa Bulacao unya ang North line muputol sa Mandaue? Obviously not, because 95% of the aimed market of LRT is from Cebu City. Therefore, the type of Mass Transit System to be installed in Cebu City should be the prefered transit system of the people of Cebu City.

Final Question. What then is the preferred Transport system of the people of Cebu City? This should neither be dictated by Tomas Osmeña, nor ever should this be dictated by Cong. Gullas. This has to be dictated by the People of Cebu and so I urge the people of Cebu to make a choice. Look into the technical and financial data and look deeply into both systems. We have to understand that we are not just trying to build an ordinary transport system. We are rebuilding a City. We need to have a complete paradigm shift on how our cities should turn into. Learn from the mistakes of our past and use it to guide our future. Again, if you are convinced that one system is better than the other, then channel it to your Government. As a side note, I think that is one of the unwritten advocacies of SSC-Cebu; to make sure that the government of Cebu listens to the people of Cebu.

I only hope that in this what we call a Democratic society, we would be able to achieve genuine Democracy. Return to the people what is for the people. These are the right times to make the right choices. Elections are coming and project proposal are now revisited. Some politicians are now obviously grandstanding. For Cebu, I can only pray that the Cebuanos are still the intelligent people we bragged ourselves to be. Think, think deep, evaluate, measure, assess, dissect, make a choice and fight for what you believe in.

To a better Cebu, I remain.

Metro Cebu Mass Transit Mock-up Revision 4

REVISION 1

I made quite a few revisions on the routing mock up I created. This was my first mock-up. Initially, these were intended to be subway lines.

The PURPLE line runs along the South Highway from Tabunok all the way to the North in Mandaue City.

The GREEN line runs along the South Coastal Road via the South Road Properties and makes a stop over in Mambaling to meet with the PURPLE line. This is intended to give commuters from the Cebu City South district direct access to Lapu-lapu City. From Cebu City, it is imagined to pass under the Mactan Channel to cross to Lapu-lapu City.

The RED line is the Talamban-CDB line. Basically the line that would serve the Central Business District of Cebu City. It runs from the Cebu City Hall to the Provincial Capitol, access the Cebu Business Park and end in Talamban.

The BLUE line is initially intended to be a residential line. It is initially intended to run along E. Sabellano St. to provide a more convenient access for the residents of Barangays Pardo, Basak, Quiot, Punta Princesa, Tisa and Labangon which are major residential areas. It meets with the RED or the CBD line and continues on to the commercial districts situated further uphill. It basically serves as a residential to commercial access.

Upon reviewing such route, I also realized that a number of schools are at very close proximity to the stops along this line. In Brgy. Pardo, we have University of the Visayas-Pardo Campus and Holy Cross College. In Brgy. Quiot, we have the back gate of the University of San Jose-Recoletos Basak Campus. In Punta Princesa, we have South Western University South Campus and Don Bosco Technology Center. In Brgy. Labangon we have National Science High School and Cebu Institute of Technology back gate less than a hundred meters away from the stop. Along Katipunan Road is the Bible Baptist School. The V. Rama stop is at close proximity to the University of San Carlos-South Campus. Since the line would also run along Gen. Maxilom Ave., we have Saint Theresa's College and the University of San Carlos-North Campus along that Avenue. Along Gorordo Ave., we have Colegeo de la Immaculada Concepcion and the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Cebu Campus. And finally, we have the University of Southern Philippines at close proximity to JY Square which is the final stop of this line.

The YELLOW lines are feeder routes. It provides access to areas which are not along the major thoroughfares.


REVISION 2

Eventually I realized that E.Sabellano St. is not that heavily populated with commuters during the regular hours. I also noticed that on peak hours, most commuters would converge on a particular area; at the radial vicinity of E.Sabellano St. and F.Llamas St. intersection in Brgy. Punta Princesa. This intersection has became a hub for commuters heading for Talisay and Minglanilla. It is also the access point for all commuters residing in the Barangays in the south district of Cebu City. Because the Mass Transit System is demand driven, I made my second revision:

I took away the BLUE line from E.Sabellano St. and replaced it with a feeder route. The BLUE line is bent to run along F.Llamas St. to meet with the PURPLE line. That way, commuters from the south would have easy access should they intend to go to the Central Business District. At the same time, this line is still serving at close proximity to the schools I previously mentioned. This, I believe would create a higher demand for this line.


REVISION 3

Then, in accordance to the color codes provided by the City Planning Officer, Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete, I changed the line colors of my own mock-up.

Along with such changes, I added the South Road Properties Loop and followed the three major routes given by Engr. Paul Villarete. The BLUE line however is slightly different. As I recalled the news about the "Urban Poor City" in Brgy. Toong, the BLUE line would provide access for the would-be residents of Brgy. Toong who are planned to become the builders of the South Road Properties development. More detailed feeder routes are also added to the mock-up.

Labels are given to best describe the Routes:

BROWN is the Feeder route
YELLOW is the Inter City line as is runs from Talisay City to Lapu-lapu City
BLUE is the PEZA line as it connects the major Special Economic Zones in Cebu namely the SRP and MEZ. It also links these Economic Zones to the Airport and Seaports. It also provides a link to the location of another major economic project of Cebu City which is the "Urban Poor City" project in Brgy. Toong.
GREEN is the Central Business District Line
RED is the University Belt as this line runs along close proximity of several Schools in Cebu which I earlier mentioned.
PINK is the SRP Loop
Black and White is Colon St. where in this mock up has become a pedestrianized zone.


REVISION 4

Finally, I realized that Revision 3 it not visually accurate. So, made a more accurate graphic representation that is almost closer to an accurate scale.

Added to such revision are changes I made in the University Belt. The RED line would now run through Urgello St. and Brgy. Sambag II to give access to the South Western University Main Campus and a more convenient access for the students of Univesity of San Carlos-South Campus.

The other changes are simply adjustments that had to be made for a more accurate visual representation. Most stops are labelled according to the name of the Barangay while some are known Landmarks.

These are the four revisions of my mock-up for the Metro Cebu Mass Transit System.

Metro Cebu Mass Transit Mock-up

When I was stationed outside Cebu over a year ago, I keep missing my dear hometown. So I searched for articles about Cebu, particularly about plans and developments, yada yada yada. I ran across an article in a website of the Philippine Congress that Cebu would be having its own LRT. I didn't know about BRT back then, nor was I aware about the skyscrapercity forums (I wasn't into online forums back then... hehehe). Anyway, a few months before that discovery, I had the opportunity to travel to HK. It was then my first time to ride a train, the subway (I haven't really had the chance to ride the Manila MRT.) Moving on... when I was in HK I thought to myself, "Nganong puwede man ning mabuhat diri, sa ato-a dili man?" (Why is this development so easily done here when back home, it's almost like its impossible?)

When I learned about the Cebu LRT, I created a mock-up of my dream for Cebu, it wasn't for a surface rail system thought, but for a subway. I bought a Map of Cebu (katong EZ Map), a few Stabilo Boss Highlight Markers and started creating routes. I considered a few things like the law in our country that if you own a piece of land, you own it from the bottom core of the earth up to the sky (or so I could recall, grade school paman siguro ko nga nakadungog ko ani nga law). I also tried recalling my own driving routes when I go around town, and jeepney routes as well. Then identified places that were at close proximity to busy establishments--these were to become the subway stations. I established quite a number of possible routes until I came up with something I was happy with. So, in the light of the discussions of the upcoming transit system of Metro Cebu, this was what I came up with which I would like to share. I did make a few changes when I made this on the computer. I added some of the few new things I learned from the skyscrapercity forums.

The Purple line runs along the south highway all the way to Mandaue and beyond. As what was described in that LRT article I read.

The Green line would run along SRP and would meet with the Purple line at Mambaling. Since my mock-up was intended for a subway, this line would run beneth SRP and Inayawan along Tagunol Road then goes back to the SRP area. Crossing to Mactan Island, the subway would have to run underneath the Opon Channel.

The Blue line would run beneath E.Sabellano St. I figured, since this is a major residential area and with school campuses of UV, Holy Cross College, USJ-R, SWU and Don Bosco with in these areas, it could give a convinient access for the students.

The Red line I believe is similar to the BRT Pilot route. Although this passes through a different corridor, the start and end terminals are the same.

The Yellow line I imagined were Trams, originally single surface rail line with no two different line crossing one another. But, when I learned about feeder routes, I made a few changes imagining road based e-jeepney feeder routes.

Below is the initial plan of the projected corridors that would be served by the Pilot routes of the Metro Cebu-BRT; care of the Cebu City Planning and Development officer, Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete:

Click here to see the explanation from the Cebu City Planning and Development officer.

With these plans at hand, it is my hope that the people of Cebu would support this new development as it would surely benefit all constituents and at the same time, become another step for Cebu to become a more livable place for the Cebuanos.

Mobility

Ever since the start of the industrialization age, cities have been designed around cars. Unfortunately, the internal combustion engine was a mistake at the offset. It's dirty, it's noisy, it consumes too much. Us here, in the Philippines have adopted so much to the American way of life of being so reliant on cars. Perhaps if we can redesign our city that would be more people friendly rather than investing to make it vehicle friendly. Focus more on the mobility than roadway availability. If we would gear towards collective rather than individual mobility, then I think expanding of our roadways would no longer be necessary. Investments should be made to place collective transport systems that would take you to all the destinations in the city/province/island without using your own vehicle. Collectively, individual vehicles serve very little purpose. Most of the time, it's just for glamor. It mobilizes only a very few people at any given time and consumes a lot of space on the road resulting to collective immobilization.

The alpha concept of walking on the other hand serves more distinct advantages. Walking gives opportunities for more social exposure and its good for your health. And because of its most fundamental concept, it's definitely environment friendly.

Perhaps in redesigning our city, planners should focus more on making distances shorter, like the concept of Fuente Triangle for instance, where you would find everything you need in one location that is so close to where you live and where you work. Or planners would make pedestrian spaces wider rather than widening road ways for cars. And most importantly, installing a transport system that would serve a metro wide scope that cars, run by the noisy and dirty internal combustion engine would take its place in history and rest peacefully in our museums.