The Manila Times
METRO Manila’s busiest thoroughfare EDSA will serve as the main route for a full 42-kilometer marathon for the first time on Independence Day, June 12, placing the bus carousel lane and one regular lane under traffic adjustments during the overnight race. About 6,000 runners are expected to join the Runrio Manila Marathon, which will start at 11:30 p.m. on June 12 and run from the SM Mall of Asia area to SM City North EDSA and back. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes said the agency will manage the traffic flow during the event. “We will try to make the effect on traffic minimal. What we will do is not a total closure — only the bus carousel and one lane will be affected,” Artes said. The MMDA said the outermost lane beside the sidewalk will temporarily serve as the bus lane while runners use the EDSA bus carousel corridor. Some lanes will remain open to regular vehicles as authorities manage traffic along the marathon route. The race will begin at Seaside Boulevard in the Mall of Asia complex, pass through Diokno Boulevard and Marina Way, enter EDSA northbound, make a U-turn at SM North EDSA, then return southbound to the Mall of Asia area for the finish. Head organizer Coach Rio Dela Cruz said the marathon is part of the Independence Day celebration and is intended to stage the first full 42-kilometer race using EDSA as its main course. Motorists traveling along the EDSA corridor on the night of June 12 and early June 13 should expect lane adjustments and possible delays in sections covered by the route. Opposing voice A mobility group opposed MMDA’s plan to use the EDSA bus carousel for the marathon. In a statement, Move As One Coalition co-convener Robert Siy criticized the MMDA traffic arrangement for the June 12 race. “The proposed arrangements of MMDA for the marathon reveal that MMDA prioritizes private motor vehicles above all other road users, and places the welfare of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users at the bottom of its concerns,” Siy said. James Daniel Danio He said a better approach would be to close the entire EDSA to private vehicles during the marathon while allowing only pedestrians, cyclists, light electric vehicles, and public transportation to use the highway. Siy said such a setup would make EDSA safer and less polluted for runners while also supporting fuel conservation. “Private motorists already have a means of independent transport; they can find alternate routes if EDSA is not available,” he said. He added that making EDSA car-free for a day would also give Metro Manila a chance to try more sustainable modes of travel. Siy said the MMDA still has time to revise the plan and turn the event into an opportunity to encourage Filipinos to reduce dependence on fossil-fueled vehicles. The MMDA earlier said the Runrio Manila Marathon on June 12 would use the EDSA bus carousel and one lane, not involve a total closure of the highway, and try to keep the impact on traffic to a minimum.
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