OPINION: Lipa Traffic Solutions

With the influx of low to high cost subdivisions, multinational companies, international and national shops, and schools, Lipa City is drawing more people & vehicles and is creating a growing issue on TRAFFIC.

In unofficial survey in skyscrapercity forum, it is believed that Lipa City is already ahead of Batangas City in terms of population and will continue to be on top as the year passes by if growth rate in the past years will remain the same or pattern will continue to increase.

The once peaceful and in order City of Lipa is fastly becoming a highly urbanized and important City of CALABARZON with enormous economic developments in the last 15 years. With these progression, it seems that Traffic has never foreseen or if it was there has never been any rightful solution yet that was implemented.

To step back, in Mayor Santos-Recto's term the so called "Ayala Highway" has been upgraded into a modern highway with landscape, bright lights, and express way for trikes and single motors with tight implementation of towing vehicles illegaly parked and no jay walking. When Mayor Gozos stepped in, CCTV cameras has been scattered in major streets of Lipa. Between 2009 and 2010, Ayala Highway has been reconstructed to 8 lanes with barriers in the middle and later on, the rest of JP Laurel Highway of Lipa followed.

With the latest development on the streets and highways, Traffic today is still an issue and getting worse but concentrated on commercialized areas of Lipa such as in the vicinity of SM, Robinsons, Poblacion, Puregold, Tambo, LIMA and Fiesta Mall.

I am not a traffic expert and not even a driver but in my opinion through my observation, the following would help:
1. Traffic Lights - it will allow maximum vehicle efficiency at intersections and will eliminate agressive drivers.
2. Footbridge - Lipa has 2 ongoing construction of footbridges in City Hall and Big Ben areas. This will reduce or eliminate people passing the road via pedestrian lanes. The City and Private institutions should also consider footbridges in other crowded areas.
3. High Definition CCTVs - a close and real time monitoring will capture street offenders through Traffic Marshalls and will give drivers idea that the local government is serious in implementing its traffic rules.
4. Loading and Unloading Zones - its about high time to designate areas for Loading and Unloading passengers. Both passengers and drivers should strictly follow the designated areas or sanction will be given similar to developed cities.
5. If Alone Use Public Vehicles - private car owners if driving alone should take public vehicles to help reduce the volume of vehicles in the street other than helping the environment.

In general, the local government must invest on the rightful and long term solutions that will benefit the general public, after all Lipa is earning billion in taxes. While us the people of Lipa should learn how to respect and follow the street ordinances.