[sustran] UP Diliman to have light rail transport

[Roselle Leah K. Rivera]

Yesterday at Trigo cafe at UP Diliman, i crossed paths with colleagues from the other side of our huge campus, some of them i hadnt seen in  5,10  years. We were exchanging about the horror story of last month -- two young students from the University High School ( where i studied decades ago)  were hit  by motor vehicles while crossing the Katipunan avenue in front of the school. Well, decades ago, my naughty friends and I used to cut classes and cross that street very safely. 
The conversation moved into a amusing disagreement about the utility of a pedestrian overpass crossing on that road. Since one of my co-faculty at the university believed that pedestrians should cross the overpass ( even if the road is like a very narrow 2 lane road stretched to become 4 lanes) because motor vehicles will never stop. Pedestrians should adjust, she implied. But obviously, to this day, most pedestrians choose to dash to cross instead of being inconvenienced to climb that huge cement structure which costs millions. Maybe to their minds, "Im late, so how come motor vehicles get priority over mere me and my feet?"  Then I said, "In Marikina City where I live, there are 2 people wearing green uniforms,stationed by the local government right on  the pedestrian lanes, especially in front of public schools. They stop the motor vehicles  so that people, mostly children, can cross safely." 
Then she shared with me the news that by April next year, a monorail will be built inside our campus. Hmmm, I said. Thats in like less than 3 months, its already been decided and where are the public consultations? But this is the Philippines and many miracles and disasters happen.
 

 ROSELLE LEAH K RIVERA Faculty Department of Women and Development Studies College of Social Work and Community Development University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City PHILIPPINES




UP Diliman to have light rail transport
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011/january/3/news4.isx&d=2011/january/3

by Rio N. Araja

A TWO-KILOMETER monorail is on the drawing board to serve the University of the
Philippines-Diliman campus and nearby areas in Quezon City starting this year,
the Science Department said over the weekend.

The department will build the planned electric monorail, to be called automated
guideway transit, in a joint venture with the UP management, Secretary Mario
Montejo told the Manila Standard.

The monorail is expected to complement the jeepney shuttle service plying the
493-hectare Diliman campus, which has a student population exceeding 23,000.
The Diliman area extends up to Katipunan Avenue, the site of the Ateneo de
Manila University, Miriam College and other private schools.

P50 million has been earmarked for the project, including the construction of a
500-meter test track within the campus in April, Montejo said.

The monorail will use two electric coaches with a capacity of 60 passengers each
and an estimated cost of P10 million.

The department’s Metals Industry Research and Development Center will build
the coaches and the test track. Private groups will be asked to bid for the
construction of the two-kilometer track.

The proposed mass transit will be similar to the people-moving systems in the
airports in Beijing and Miami in Florida, Montejo said.

“The [Science Department] is on top of the project to develop a low-cost mass
transport system. That is our primary purpose,” he said.

The rail transit initially will ply the passenger-rich UP campus in the Diliman
and Philcoa area. It will have a provision for a link-up with the planned light
rail transit line to be built in the Commonwealth-Katipunan area.

The Science Department will foot the P50-million bill to develop the mass
transit system, including the construction of the first 500-meter track,
Montejo said.

“The Department will look for more funds to bankroll the remaining 1.5
kilometer network,” he said.

President Benigno Aquino III is bullish about the project, Montejo said.

“He is looking forward to the success of the project,” he said.

The UP administration is tasked to hold public consultations with various
stakeholders, such as the jeepney drivers plying the UP-Philcoa route and the
community, before the project goes fully operational.

Assistant Secretary Roberto Dizon said the department and the UP administration
firmed up their joint venture by way of a memorandum of understanding.

“We are building a test track and the target completion is April 2011,”
Dizon said.






 









      
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