HAVE you always wanted to try outdoor cycling but don’t know where to start? Here is your chance to learn how to ride on two wheels.
The local government of Pasig City announced the return of its free bike lessons along Emerald Avenue in Barangay San Antonio on August 26.
The bike lessons will be led by the city’s transport arm Pasig Transport, along with Bicycle Friendly Philippines and Pinay Bike Commuter Community.
Interested individuals do not need to register for the bike lessons. They just have to show up and go straight to People’s Street along Emerald Avenue from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
COVID-19 measures will still be implemented during the event, the local government said.
The city has been providing free bike lessons to individuals from all walks of life since 2022.
The use of bicycles became popular during the pandemic since public transportation at that time was severely affected by movement restrictions. Since then, cycling has become one of the main means of transport for many Filipinos, including the young generation.
Car-free streets
Safety on the streets has been one of the main concerns of cyclists, especially those who use the two-wheeler as their mode of transportation in going to school or work.
Chelsea Pineda, a young cyclist, previously talked with republicasia about this concern, as she herself had experienced getting hit by a motorcycle. To lessen the risks that cyclists face on the road, she hopes that the national government would build “better infrastructure” for them.
In Pasig, cyclists won’t need to worry when have their bicycle lessons because Emerald Avenue is among the city’s “People’s Streets,” which means that it is car free and is exclusive for pedestrians, bicycles, and other light personal mobility devices every Saturday from 6 a.m. up to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The Pasig government started the People’s Streets initiative in 2021 to maximize the use of the roads for outdoor activities while minimizing vehicle-related accidents.
Other People’s Streets in Pasig are the East Bank Road in Barangay Manggahan (every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Caruncho Avenue in Barangay San Nicolas (every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), MH del Pilar Street in Barangay Sto. Tomas (every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 12 nn), Lopez Jaena Street in Barangay Sumilang (every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Oranbo Drive in Barangay Oranbo (every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and Kamagong Street in Barangay Bagong Ilog (every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 12 nn).
Other cycling initiatives
The local government approved a city ordinance in 2011 to promote biking as a “healthful and environmentally sound mode of transportation.”
Section 3(d) of City Ordinance No. 13 mandates the City Engineering office to install bicycle parking racks in all public schools and city government-owned facilities. Private establishments should also construct their own bicycle parking racks within their premises, it states.
Pasig Transport recommended bike parking that is “at street level or a maximum of one floor above or below accessible by elevator.” Cyclists should also have free access to this, it added.
The Pasig Ordinance also requires the City’s Environment and Natural Resources office to undertake “Araw ng Siklista” activities during the observance of Clean Air Month every November.
In 2021, Barangay San Antonio installed the city’s first-ever free bike repair station along F. Ortigas Jr. Road, near Ortigas Park. The second repair station in the village can be found along Emerald Avenue.
