‘Session Road redevelopment, a solution to urban issues’

May 7, 2022 Metro BLISTT

The redevelopment of Session Road will help solve several urban issues in the Central Business District, according to city planner Arch. Donna Tabangin.
During the Baguio City Council’s regular session last Monday, Tabangin said the proposed redevelopment will encourage more pedestrian activities and will reduce the presence of vehicles at Session Road. Based on the plan presented by Tabangin, on the farthest side of each sidewalk is the walk zone.
This provides pedestrians unobstructed and continuous access to their destinations. The surface is firm, stable, slip-resistant, and PWD-friendly. It is also where stall/business signages, street cafes, and shaded walkways will be placed.
Besides the walk zone is the auxiliary zone where urban furniture, benches, and art fixtures will be installed/constructed. It is also where street performers will be stationed. This is for the enjoyment of all pedestrians. The width of each sidewalk is 3.9 meters. Once expanded, it will be 6 meters.
A green zone on each side will be placed to separate the pedestrian zones from the travel way. Trees, street lights, and other street facilities will be placed in these green areas. On the left side of the road (going up), a bike lane will be installed.
Consequently, with the expansion of the road’s sidewalks and with the presence of planting strips on both sides and the bike lane on the left side, the width of the travel way will significantly be reduced. There will only be one lane for cars going up and two lanes for cars going down.
The center island of the road will be removed. According to Tabangin, the trees at the center island will be earth-balled, temporarily relocated, and will be transferred back to Session Road to be planted along the road’s green spaces.
The city planner assured the council that the number of trees will be doubled or even tripled once the development is completed.
The removal of the center island will give more space for parades and Sunday market encounter activities, she said. The redevelopment of Session Road, the city’s main artery, will address urban problems in the Central Business District such as urban congestion and poor air quality, the city planner explained.
Likewise, she said it will lessen people’s reliance or dependency on private vehicles as it will further encourage people to walk and use different forms of micromobility.
“Road right of way is not only for vehicles, but it is also for pedestrians. We need to walk and commune with nature,” she stated.
Emphasizing the need to expand the city’s public transportation, she added that it’s high time for the city government to consider the possibility of allowing hop-in hop-off electric cars and trams to traverse the city roads, including Session Road.
Once the redevelopment plan is implemented, road-side parking at Session Road will discontinue in order to give more space for pedestrians. One car occupying a 12.5-sqm slot can accommodate 20 physically distanced people. With 163 car slots removed, 1,630 pedestrians and shoppers will be provided with quality space at a given time, she explained.
Previously, an amount of P20 million had been earmarked by the city government for phase one of the project which is the improvement of the right sidewalk (going up). The plan had been revised to address certain concerns raised by citizens.
Majority of the citizens’ comments expressed disagreement on the putting up of a shed over the sidewalk. They claimed that the shed will obstruct the skyline which is an aesthetically pleasing view.
Others also claimed that the added structure may impede the mobility of pedestrians. The details of the plan had been fine-tuned based on the constructive comments given by the constituents. The city legislators raised several concerns on the possible impact of the proposed project to the traffic flow along Session Road and nearby roads.
They urged the concerned offices to come up with a comprehensive traffic plan. Moreover, they suggested that a traffic study and an experiment/simulation be conducted to test the proposed project’s feasibility, especially that the width of the carriageway will be reduced to accommodate only three lanes (one lane going up and two lanes going down).
Tabangin said the city government had purchased a road simulation software to track or monitor the impact of these traffic changes to other roads in the city. The city council also proposed the formulation of a contingency plan addressing the negative impact of removing road-side parking at Session Road.
Furthermore, the council raised concern on the possible amendment of traffic ordinances covering Session Road should the proposed project push through. Under Ordinance 68-2020, roadside parking is allowed on certain roads within the Central Business District including Session Road. Meanwhile, Ordinance 66-1948, as amended, prohibits motorcycles or tricycles from “roads, streets, or bridle paths within city limits except on specified areas.”
Two days after the plan was presented to the city council, a public consultation was held at the Baguio Convention Center to give the citizens the proper venue to air out their concerns and recommendations regarding the proposed project.
Sangguniang Panlungsod/JH