Elevated EDSA expressway could worsen traffic instead, expert warns

MANILA, Philippines – A transport economist warned that the creation of an elevated steel expressway over EDSA to ease traffic could inadvertently worsen it by encouraging private car use.

During the Road and Traffic Expo at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay on Tuesday, Jedd Ugay from AltMobility said the elevated 10-lane highway over EDSA that was proposed by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) could convince the riding public to buy and use more cars.

Citing the annual daily traffic data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, private cars take up 80 percent of the main Metro Manila roads like EDSA, Taft Avenue, Ortigas Avenue, Aurora Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue, while only carrying 20 percent of the total passengers.

“I believe it will create more traffic. As I mentioned, cars carry only 20 percent of the people. That means 80 percent are not yet using cars. Imagine, if you double that to 50 percent of people using cars, then easily, that 10-lane elevated EDSA will be congested,” Ugay said.

For Ugay, who was a Chevening scholar in transportation economics, utilizing urban space is the most efficient way by encouraging more people to use public utility vehicles instead of driving their cars.

“If you really want long-term solutions, we have to shift to more efficient transport modes,” Ugay said.

“Car use is an inefficient use of space. We have to prioritize people movement instead,” he added.

The MMDA supported the construction of the elevated EDSA expressway to ease traffic, but the corporation has to ensure that the steel posts will not be an obstruction on sidewalks, MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said.