THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will hold a dry run starting today, Thursday, up to Sunday on the implementation of the motorcycle lane along Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City.
The exclusive motorcycle lane is located at the third lane from the sidewalk of Commonwealth Ave. and runs from Elliptical Road to Doña Carmen and vice versa.
MMDA chairperson Romando Artes announced the holding of the dry run during the formal launch of the motorcycle lane at the UP-Ayala Technohub footbridge in Quezon City yesterday.
“The dry run is meant to familiarize motorcycle riders traversing Commonwealth Ave. on the said policy. We will have a full deployment of MMDA traffic enforcers and we will be assisted by the local government of Quezon City,” Artes said.
“No motorists will be apprehended during the duration of the dry run,” Artes said, adding the full implementation of the motorcycle lane will start on March 20.
“We will fully enforce the exclusive motorcycle lanes on Commonwealth Ave. after the dry run. Violators will then be fined P500,” Artes said.
The motorcycle lane is meant to reduce the number of fatal road crashes involving motorcycles and improve traffic flow on the avenue.
Data from the MMDA’s Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) showed a total of 1,686 or five cases per day of motorcycle-related road crash incidents on Commonwealth Ave. were recorded in 2022.
Of that figure, 13 cases resulted in fatal injuries, 930 in non-fatal injuries, and 743 in damage to property.
The MMDA Traffic Engineering Center said 154,639 motorcycles and 10,134 public utility vehicles ply Commonwealth Ave. daily.
The 12.4K-long Commonwealth Ave. spans from six to 18 lanes and is considered the country’s widest thoroughfare.
Though it is the longest and the most congested highway in the metropolis, stretching some 23.8 kilometers, Epifanio delos Santos Avenue consists only of 12 lanes, six in either direction.
The establishment of the motorcycle lane was made possible through MMDA Resolution No. 22-15 designating the right outermost lane of Commonwealth Ave. as an exclusive bicycle lane.
The second lane and third lanes of the same avenue will be designated as exclusive Public Utility Vehicles (for jeeps, UV Express, buses) and motorcycle lanes, respectively.
The remaining lanes of Commonwealth Avenue shall be utilized by all other motor vehicles.
