#MyVoice Roberto Serrano wrote: MMDAs wrong gift for Christmas TO : MMDA CHAIRMAN FRANCIS TOLENTINO FROM: ROBERTO SERRANO JR., resident of Better Living Subd. I am writing in behalf of the residents of Better Living Subdivision, the second largest barangay in Paranaque City in terms of population, and for your information, the most marginalized sector in terms of government policies and programs. I say that in all honesty, and if you will forgive my temerity, I would like to tell you that your decision to make Dona Soledad Avenue a passing thru “Christmas Lane” for motorists going to the airport is a testament of MMDA’s decision-making process without necessary consultation and study. Mr. Tolentino, this Christmas traffic scheme is apparently the wrong gift to give, and here’s why: First, Dona Soledad Avenue (DSA) in Better Living Subd. is the most congested road in the whole of Paranque City with motorists coming from Sucat, BF, Molino, San Antonio, Moonwalk, Marimar and Sun Valley. We have become, in the last twenty years or so, as the “passing thru” village of ALL villages. These, without proper regulation, maintenance and support from the national government. Second, there are 4,000 motorists plying DSA per hour during peak hours hence from 6 am to 9 am around 12,000 motorists have passed DSA at one point or another, and another 12,000 from 5 pm to 8 pm. This Christmas season (starting end of October), the numbers have doubled, and the peak hours have become an all-day affair. Consider this lament if you’re a resident of BLS, what normally takes you to traverse Russia St. to SM Bicutan in 5-10 mins takes you an hour during peak hours. Marami napo natanggal sa trabaho due to tardiness, and it ain’t funny anymore! Third, if your office collated all info and did the necessary research you would now that there are 294 choke points (problem areas) in DSA alone. The effect of this is that a car moves at a pace of 3 miles per hour every 5 minutes, makes your Christmas Loop plan a bit loopy if you ask me. Fourth, Dona Soledad sir is a private road. This has never been a national, city or friendship route (whatever you call it) simply because there was no Memorandum of Agreement between the developers of the subdivision and City Officials. The avenue, for your information, was temporarily opened during the early nineties when Sucat Hi-Way was being rehabilitated and there was an “open ended” agreement to use DSA as a passing thru. After the projects were finished, lo and behold, what used to be a temporary agreement became a permanent tradition. However, Mr. Chairman, no law supports this and even an ordinance declaring DSA a friendship route is shaky and fundamentally wrong. In effect, your office based its judgment on a flawed notion that DSA has MMDA jurisdiction. Fifth, when I stated marginalized sector in terms of government support I say it with factual accuracy. Since time immemorial no national funding came from the widening and improvement of DSA, so how could you say this is a National Road? DSA doesn’t even have pedestrian lanes, foot bridges for the safety of pedestrians, and a true traffic scheme that would alleviate us from twenty years of suffering. Mr. Chairman, proceed with your loopy Christmas scheme, and you will see an implosion within Better Living, where residents will march thru DSA in anger, and more than a hundred thousand people snarling at the next administrative candidate, whether local or national. That is a guarantee. Mr. Tolentino, please help us instead solve the omnipresent traffic that has already eaten our lives for two decades now. I guess with your new scheme you owe it to us to be our new traffic king. Thank you for reading. By the way, I am prepared to discuss the merits and demerits of your proposal anytime, anywhere.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 04:47:24 +0000
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