Road Rev brought back spaces to people! Liberation from fossil fuel will allow us to enjoy human relations again.
Cebu barangays back bike lanes, veggie patches
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
SIX barangays in Cebu City now support the campaign to reduce carbon emissions through the establishment of bicycle lanes.
This, after lawyers Antonio Oposa Jr. and Tara Rama of the Law of Nature Foundation Inc. (LNF) met with Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president Michael Ralota at City Hall to discuss the possible creation of bicycle lanes, pathways and vegetable gardens along the city’s streets.
Yesterday morning, three skaters braved the rush-hour traffic as they traveled along Osmeña Blvd. toward City Hall to express support for the emission reduction campaign, called Road Revolution
The campaign was launched on June 12 with the 16-hour closure of Osmeña Blvd. to motor vehicle traffic.
Support
Barangays that support the campaign are Sambag 1, Sambag 2, Kalubihan, Sta. Cruz, San Antonio and Capitol Site.
But even before the Road Revolution launch, Barangay Sambag 2 adopted Resolution 121-11, which supports carbon emission reduction measures. The barangay submitted the resolution to City Councilor Nida Cabrera on June 10, 2011.
Rama told Sun.Star Cebu that the ABC Board of Trustees expressed support for the campaign during their meeting yesterday afternoon.
The ABC board members assured they will convey the message to their villages and draw up a resolution of support for the campaign.
Alternative
Carlo Rodriguez, a longboarder and one of the Road Revolution organizers, said their one-kilometer trip to City Hall took less than 30 minutes.
“We want to show, through Road Revolution, that there is an alternative (means of transportation) for everybody,” said Ro-driguez, a member of the skateboarding group Fly Fish.
Rodriguez was accompanied by Carlo “Bien” de Asis, a 25-year-old businessman who usually rides a bike to his store at the Ayala Center Cebu; and Niconiks Ybañez, a member of Grupo Nupo.
The Road Revolution campaign has obtained 10,000 signatures from people who support its petition for government to establish all-weather sidewalks and pathways, bicycle lanes, Filipino-made “collective and non-pollutive” transportation systems and vegetable gardens on the city’s streets.
Pilot
The City Council will hear the petition during its executive session on July 20.
Vince Cinches, 350.org country coordinator, said there would be a pilot project implementation at the barangay level.
The Road Revolution organizers would be assisting each barangay by identifying areas where there is heavy vehicular traffic.
But apart from bicycle lanes and vegetable gardens, Rodriguez said they hope commercial establishments will be more open about alternative modes of transportation.
He said their boards, for instance, are not allowed inside malls where such items are sold, unless they place these in a bag.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 05, 2011.