Marikina lights up bike lanes

The Marikina City government illuminated key bike lane corridors with 92 LED lamps as part of its continuing drive to strengthen active mobility in the city.

Mayor Marjorie Ann "Maan" Teodoro, together with Marikina First District Rep. Marcy Teodoro, led the ceremonial lighting of the newly installed bike lane lamps on Friday night, 27 February.

Organized by the Marikina Bikeways Office, the event gathered local biker groups and cycling enthusiasts to traverse the newly lit bike lanes stretching from Champagnat Street in Barangay Marikina Heights to Goodrich Village Subdivision in Barangay Concepcion Uno.

According to Mayor Teodoro, the project focuses on lighting bike lanes near creeks and beneath tunnels to provide safer passage for cyclists during nighttime rides.

“This is more than beautification of our bikeways. Lagi kong sinasabi. Hindi ito decorative lamang. Ang gusto natin ay magamit ng maayos at safe ang ating mga bike lanes,” she said.

“A total of 2.6 kilometers ng bike lane stretch ang ating inilawan. There’s a total of 8 kilometers pa na ating aayusin, pero according to our Bikeways Office mayroon nang more or less 70 kilometers na existing bike lanes sa buong Marikina, at gusto natin mas damihan pa po ito,” she added.

The local chief executive emphasized that developing an integrated mobility ecosystem through expanding and maintaining the city’s bike lanes benefits not only bikers but also joggers and pedestrians.

“Bike lanes are something intentional. It should be planned. Dapat pinopondohan. It should interconnect our barangays, our streets, and it should be sustainable,” Mayor Teodoro said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Teodoro said the refurbishment of bike lanes forms part of the local government unit’s broader citywide drive to strengthen active mobility infrastructure, citing the End-of-Trip facility near City Hall and the continuing Car-Free Sundays program.

He also underscored the importance of preserving green spaces and fostering a strong sense of community among residents.

“Ito ‘yung nakakalimutan natin sa governance pero dito sa Marikina kasama yung pag-develop ng mga playground, mga parks, open space development. We’d like to develop a sense of community among people,” he said.

With the ongoing refurbishment of its bike lanes, the city government hopes to encourage more residents to take up cycling, whether for transport or leisure, and is inviting cyclists from across Metro Manila to use these spaces.