Safety on the Road: Making the City Nicer for the Pedestrian

One of the more frustrating parts of city life is pedestrian-unfriendly design. I can see it in EDSA-Buendia northbound side, when we travel from Ayala to Kalayaan on some mornings. People walk along EDSA in a sidewalk just over a meter wide. That's only enough for one person with an umbrella. Two people meeting along the way would need to scoot; two people with umbrellas would need to engage in a dance so the umbrellas wouldn't tangle.

I say this as a commentary after reading an editorial in the Inquirer about the end of an era—that of Mt. Kamuning, the “much derided footbridge in Quezon City.” The steel foot bridge spanned EDSA and went over the tracks of the MRT. It was 9 meters high. Being high and narrow, only able-bodied pedestrians could climb it. The bridge was also nicknamed “stairway to heaven.” I remember when some mountaineers scaled it as a joke, pretending to set up camp in mid-climb.

The truth is, there is much to be desired when it comes to making walking safe for pedestrians in the city. I think the problem stems from the way we Filipinos generally like to travel. The Philippines being an archipelago influences how we travel; we like to ride to places. To demonstrate this, think about how to commute to a specific location without a car: first, you take a bus or a train to travel through a main thoroughfare, then transfer to a jeep to traverse the roads connected to it, and finally take a tricycle through neighborhood streets to reach a specific house or building. Doesn't it illustrate a tendency to take smaller and smaller modes of transport, or a preference for riding? Could it be that our culture makes us think of riding first, because walking is not an option in the seas, straits, or rivers?

Car-centric design

Much of our lack of creating better pedestrian walkways stems from how we stubbornly look at riding. And this shows in how we design as well. Look at most of our Planned Unit Developments. These developments are already designed from a blank slate (or as good as a blank slate, if you think about it), and yet people keep implementing car-centric design. This means most people think of roads as if only vehicles ply them; and pedestrians are people who merely dare to be on foot.

It feels like this because when you try to walk a stretch of road—even a stretch of road with a sidewalk provided—you notice things like a lack of ample shade, uneven walkways (a stretch of ramp here, a stretch of flat there, a dip that turns into a puddle on rainy days…), and sometimes even a super thick post right in the middle of the sidewalk, occupying the whole sidewalk.

As a pedestrian, I have my own wish list for spaces to walk on, mostly based on my own comfort and safety. Here, I list a few—considering that most of the time, I walk carrying a child and a big bag, and sometimes an umbrella, too.

What do pedestrians need?

1. Safe and spacious sidewalks. Sidewalks would be nicer if they are safe and spacious, so you don’t bump into anyone as you walk. I don’t like it when the sidewalks are overrun with obstacles: plant boxes, tree roots, electric posts, telephone posts, vendors, and driveways. Some sidewalks feel like an afterthought; they are laid out at an angle to accommodate a driveway ramp. This poses more challenges for pedestrians pushing a stroller or pulling a wagon.

2. Ample shade from sun and rain. Shade is also a factor in making walking more comfortable. If the sidewalk doesn’t have it, there would be fewer people walking on it, never mind if it checks safe and spacious. I once read about one commuter who complained online that the trees that are placed along sidewalks in BGC are not shade trees at all. Perhaps more shaded walkways would help? Just a thought.

3. Separate lanes for bikes. As I normally walk around the city with children, I do not appreciate having bikes zip by us in the sidewalk. Once, a biker almost run us over while we were waiting to cross the street at the crosswalk, because the bike went up the ramp into the sidewalk from the road.

4. Safe spaces for crossing the street… and working signs. This is where we put structures like the EDSA-Kamuning foot bridge. But I hope, learning from that, we can build better bridges that don’t look like an afterthought. Locating zebra stripes in the right places helps a lot, too. It would be great, too, if the time alloted for crossing the street is enough to walk the length of the crosswalk while trying to avoid motorists who keep turning right without looking out for pedestrians.

Safety when walking

Now that the price of fuel has gone up, I think more people will choose to walk instead of taking the car, especially if their destination is within the city or at walking distance. This is where better infrastructure for the walking public will help. Look at this post on the Brooklyn Bridge, as an example.

But of course, building such things takes time, so for now maybe better implementation and observation of rules on the road (even by pedestrians) can help improve our travelling situation—motorists, commuters, and walkers alike.

"It seems that most people [who plan the city] think of roads as if only vehicles ply them; and pedestrians are people who merely dare to be on foot. It feels like this because when you try to walk a stretch of road—even a stretch of road with a sidewalk provided—you notice things like a lack of ample shade, uneven walkways, and sometimes even a super thick post right in the middle of the sidewalk, occupying the whole sidewalk."