On a recent trip to Bangkok, I noticed how the city transforms the unused space beneath its elevated BTS tracks into long, shaded walkways lined with trees. These simple corridors give people a safe, pleasant way to move without having to battle heat, pollution, or traffic.

Metro Manila can do even better — by building a Skyway for cyclists and e-bike users, a protected elevated mobility network connecting Bulacan to Alabang and the Mall of Asia to Antipolo.

For decades, we’ve relied on the same traffic “solutions” --- road widening, flyovers, coding and enforcement. None of these work because all — cars, jeepneys, buses, motorcycles and pedestrians — are trapped in the same congested ground level. What we need is what Bangkok created: a second layer of movement, free from the chaos below.

Use what we already have

This network does not require building anything from scratch. Like Bangkok, we can build most segments directly under existing elevated structures: under Skyway pillars, under MRT-3 and LRT-2 tracks, along the NLEX/SLEX connectors, along bridges, riverbanks and drainage easements.

Stand-alone elevated segments need to be built only where no elevated structures exist. This hybrid approach drastically lowers cost and avoids right-of-way battles that plague major infrastructure.

Health solution disguised as transport

A safe elevated cycling network is not just a mobility project, it is a public health intervention.

1. It reduces road crashes and deaths. Over 12,000 Filipinos die in road crashes annually — many of them cyclists and pedestrians. A dedicated elevated lane removes bikes from dangerous intersections, away from trucks, jeepneys and fast-moving traffic. It eliminates the largest source of road trauma for cyclists.

2. It reduces Non-Communicable Diseases (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease). Most Metro Manila commutes are 8-15 kilometers — perfect for daily cycling or e-bikes. Regular active mobility reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, obesity.

This aligns directly with the country’s NCD prevention agenda and the DoH’s Health Promotion Strategy.

3. It reduces exposure to pollution. Street-level air quality along EDSA, Commonwealth and C5 is extremely poor due to diesel exhaust. An elevated skyway separates cyclists from the most polluted layer of the city, reducing long-term respiratory risk.

In short, this project cuts congestion and disease at the same time.

Cost and a realistic phased plan

Using cost benchmarks from the EDSA Greenways Project and elevated pedestrian decks:

P1.3–P1.7 billion per km for elevated segments; P150–P300 million per km for at-grade connectors.

A full 70–80 km network would cost P120–P150 billion (fully elevated) or P50–P70 billion (hybrid using existing structures). This is one-third the cost of building a comparable elevated expressway.

Phase 1 (P30–P40-B): 20 km under existing structures (Balintawak–QC, MoA–Makati, Ortigas–Antipolo). Immediate high impact.

Phase 2 (P15–P20-B): Stand-alone connectors where structures don’t exist. Expand networks into a real grid.

Phase 3 (P10–P15-B): Outer extensions to Bulacan, Alabang and Marikina/UP/BGC.

The Fastest Way to Reduce Congestion

If even 10–12 percent of commuters shift to e-bikes and bicycles, major road traffic is immediately eased. Traffic is a volume problem. Removing a small percentage of road users creates a large improvement in flow.

An elevated skyway removes cyclists entirely from the road — the only solution that directly frees up space for buses, jeepneys and cars.

Mobility upgrade for ordinary Filipinos

This is not for hobby cyclists. It will benefit: students, BPO and office workers, delivery riders, factory employees, low and middle-income commuters.

These are the Filipinos who currently spend the most time and money battling traffic.

A safe elevated corridor gives them a clean, affordable and predictable alternative.

Bangkok has shown the way, but Manila can surpass it

Bangkok proved how repurposing space under elevated structures can reshape how a city moves.

Metro Manila can go further by dedicating that space to the most efficient, inclusive and health-promoting modes: bicycles and e-bikes.

This project is not just about transport.

It is about road safety, NCD prevention, clean air, equity and urban dignity.

If our government is searching for a legacy infrastructure project that delivers maximum benefit at minimum cost, this is it.

Metro Manila is ready for a mobility revolution. Let’s build the skyway that finally puts people first.

(About the Author: Dr. Jaemin Park is the Founder and Managing Partner of Heal Venture Lab, a Singapore-based venture builder focused on medtech, biotech, and health innovation across Southeast Asia. He advises investors, startups, and governments on health systems and urban infrastructure, and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Public Health.