• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance promoting walkability in Bacolod City was passed on first reading by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.
Authored by Councilor Em Ang, the proposed ordinance said the City of Bacolod envisions a safe, accessible, and sustainable urban environment that prioritizes pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and promotes the well-being of its citizens.
Walking in the simplest, most sustainable, and cheapest medium of locomotion. Recent studies show that humanity walks an average of 200 kilometers (130 miles) per person per year- barely seven minutes per day. We drive seven times as much as we walk. Walkability is still associated only with leisure and recreation in most urban areas around the world. However, the notion of walking as sustainable urban mobility is increasing, it said.
Improving walkability in cities is a powerful way to reduce emissions, while improving the quality of life for residents, the ordinance said.
Walkable cities use planning, designing, and retrofitting urban environments to encourage walking and minimize driving, thus, reducing carbon footprints. Emissions decrease as pedestrians take the place of cars. At the same time, making walking easier in cities can make other sustainable modes of transport more attractive: bicycling, e-biking, and mass transportation all stand to gain from improved walkability in cities, it said.
Walkable cities have been shown to boost local economies, improve public health, promote greener environment and enhance the overall quality of life, it added.
The proposed ordinance provides for installation of pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalk improvements, marked crosswalks, and installation of pedestrian signals at all major intersections, as well as the implementation of traffic calming measures, speed limit reduction, pedestrian-friendly land use, and public spaces.
The city will develop a comprehensive implementation plan to achieve the goals outlined in the ordinance.*
