Officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) spearheaded today, September 11, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new exclusive bicycle lane in Lipa City that will soon reconnect the cities and towns in Batangas and Rizal provinces.
According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the expanded bike lane in Lipa City will benefit the so-called “active transport users” also in Batangas City; and Antipolo, Cainta and San Mateo in Rizal province.
“Itong taong ito ay magkakaroon ng around 400 kilometers of bike lanes sa bansa,” Bautista said in his speech, as he expects more local government units to join the fray.
(Translation: This year, we will have around 400 kilometers of bike lanes in the country)
The DOTr chief declared he fully supports the government’s bike lane concept as he cited its health, environment and growth benefits to the citizenry that prompted the agency to seek additional funding for the program next year.
According to Bautista, he is expecting the completion of the 76.70-kilometer stretch to be undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) by the first quarter of 2024.
The construction of bike lanes in Region IV-A (CALBARZON) has an approved budget amounting to P15.7 million under the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
The Active Transport Program by the DOTr is set to expand the country’s protected bike lane network to 2,400 kilometers by 2028, Bautista said.