BAGUIO CITY – The City Engineering Office (CEO) has prioritized the repair and recovery of sidewalks especially along school zones to provide schoolchildren and pedestrians safe and convenient access and mobility along walkways and roads.
City Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo said more than ten sidewalk repair and recovery projects are being implemented in different parts of the city as part of the road safety program of the department.
He said the various projects cover more than 100 kilometers of sidewalks scheduled for implementation this year and the next.
The program has three prongs: sidewalk repair for existing walkways that are dilapidated; sidewalk recovery for those that are within the road right-of-ways but are encroached upon; and sidewalk construction for areas that have no existing footways.
In some areas, the office undertook partial recovery by designating a walkway with paint and symbols that signify that that strip is off limits to vehicles.
Olpindo said these partially recovered sidewalks will later be improved either by elevating it or partitioning it through bollards.
“I think it is effective as vehicle owners now avoid occupying those spots for parking,” Olpindo said.
Road safety was one of the components of the department’s priority traffic and transport management program which include the traffic enforcement program with emphasis on the towing operation, traffic signal program (traffic signals and road signages), traffic engineering capacity building program and traffic education program.
Projects lined up under said programs were the construction of towing storage facility, upgrading of traffic signal controls and installation of new ones, replacement of old or non-standard signs, installation of speed limit signs, motorcycle parking area signs, informative sings for alternate routes and tourist sports and public building signs.
For capacity buildings, the department aims to procure traffic modeling software and conduct trainings on traffic direction and control at the city’s barangays and basic traffic rules training in public schools.
The traffic and transport management program is under the department’s Traffic and Transportation Management Division headed by Engr. Januario Borillo. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
