Traffic Problems in Manila

Traffic Problem and Situation in Metro Manila

I. Highlights of Online Sources

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will rehabilitate the stretch of the EDSA (Epifanio Delos Santo Avenue) and the construction of a flyover to cross over the EDSA-Taft Avenue intersection. It will begin in May 2013 and estimated to be a Php 3.7 billion project with expected 23 months of completion. The project has three phases, first, it will start from Roxas Boulevard in Pasay to Julia Vargas Avenue in Mandaluyong; the second phase will then continue from Julia Vargas Avenue to North Avenue in Quezon City; and the final phase will cover the stretch from North Avenue until the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City.4 This rehabilitation project is targeted to be finished before the 2014 World Economic Forum to be held in Manila. According to Engineer Roy Cruz of the DPWH-Urban Road Projects Office, four alternative routes can be taken by motorists to address bumper to bumper traffic during the rehabilitation project. The alternative routes are (1) Katipunan C-5 Route: Ateneo Katipunan to Blue ridge, Libis to Brgy. Ugong, Pasig, C-5 East-West Rembo, Makati to Fort, Taguig, then C-5 SLEX; (2) QC Circle – Makati Route: QC Circle to Quezon Avenue, Timog Avenue to Tomas Morato, New Manila to Gilmore, Wilson St. (San Juan) to Welfareville Avenue (Brgy.Addition Hills), Mandaluyong Bridge in Makati; (3) A. Bonifacio to Makati Route: G. Araneta to Magsaysay Boulevard, Padre Zamora to Osmena Highway, then to Makati; (4) From Malabon & Navotas: Malabon to Navotas, North & South Harbor to Roxas Boulevard going to SM Mall of Asia.1 Complaints are increasing regarding the traffic situation in EDSA. Romualdez mentioned in his article in the Philippine Star, that over 120,000 cars were sold in 2012, excluding trucks and vehicles. The EDSA rehabilitation plan, that will somehow ease the traffic, will be postponed by the government unless new alternative routes will be opened. There are numerous plans and proposals to address the regressing traffic. Some of the plans that were feasible are building a skyway, adding more trains/coaches in MRT, and removing some buses. There were also creative solutions such as brand coding scheme, which could reduce the estimated 400,000 vehicles plying ESA everyday. The current volume of vehicles has become too heavy for EDSA to take in. Even experts declared that in less than two years, traffic will only get worse not better and the condition in EDSA will be at halt and will even look like a parking lot.2

II. Application of Management Science Models

Article I. DPWH Alternate routes in EDSA Rehabilitation in May 2013

Problem: How many vehicles can these alternate route accomodate?
Objective: Identify the maximum number of vehicles that can pass through these four alternate routes in order to ease future bumper-to-bumper traffic in EDSA during the road works.
Recommendations:
Given the different routes identified by DPWH, we are recommending the application of a Network Model - Maximal-Flow Technique in order to determine the maximum number of vehicles that can pass through the four alternate routes. Since, currently, there are around 700,000 vehicles pass through EDSA daily, carrying more than 2 million commuters, thus making EDSA as the busiest highway in the country.3 In order to find the maximal flow it is important to investigate or examine first the current and the future capacity of various routes. This will help avoid traffic congestions in those alternate routes. Aside from the Network model, DPWH and MMDA must strictly implement a traffic control system and deploy high-tech equipments that can help control, monitor and provide accurate traffic information to motorists.

Article II. EDSA traffic worse today than yesterday

Linear Programming is a great tool to address the traffic problem and situation in Metro Manila as it employs
Problem: Arrival rate of vehicles
Objective: Minimize the sum of the travel time of all vehicles plying EDSA
Cause of traffic:
High density of vehicles
Centralized business in Manila
Lack of Discipline of among PUV Drivers
Constraints:
Poor enforcement of PUV/EDSA Bus lanes/Bus stops

Recommendations:

III. References

1Nina Corpuz report, The ABSCBN News, published in February 5, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtfjjxRzB1Y 2Romualdez, B.G. (2013, Feb 16). EDSA traffic worse today than yesterday. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/02/26/913091/edsa-traffic-worse-today-yesterday 3Tribune, Preparation for P3.7-B Edsa rehab being finalized, published in Monday, February 11, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro-section/item/10317-preparation-for-p37-b-edsa-rehab-being-finalized.html
4Kris Bayos report, Alternate Routes for EDSA Rehabilitation, Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, February 5, 2013 article. Retrieved from http://ph.news.yahoo.com/alternate-routes-edsa-rehabilitation-105919499.html
5http://www.mmda.gov.ph/ExecutiveSummary-AnnualAccomplishmentReport-CY2009.pdf

References: 1Nina Corpuz report, The ABSCBN News, published in February 5, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtfjjxRzB1Y 2Romualdez, B.G. (2013, Feb 16).  EDSA traffic worse today than yesterday. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/02/26/913091/edsa-traffic-worse-today-yesterday 3Tribune, Preparation for P3.7-B Edsa rehab being finalized, published in Monday, February 11, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro-section/item/10317-preparation-for-p37-b-edsa-rehab-being-finalized.html 4Kris Bayos report, Alternate Routes for EDSA Rehabilitation, Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, February 5, 2013 article. Retrieved from http://ph.news.yahoo.com/alternate-routes-edsa-rehabilitation-105919499.html 5http://www.mmda.gov.ph/ExecutiveSummary-AnnualAccomplishmentReport-CY2009.pdf