[blockquote author=”The GUIDON News Staff” pull=”center”]“Do you prefer the old traffic scheme in Katipunan over the new one? Why or why not?”[/blockquote]
“I think I prefer the old one, because I’ve not really sensed the traffic improvements around the time I commute to and from class. I experience huge waiting times of greater than four minutes at the intersections while the traffic lights cycle through all the directions. The diversion of traffic through [the] Ateneo itself is also somewhat lengthy, and generally, it’s more difficult to travel by cab because I pay more for [the] waiting time and for the greater distance traveled.”
Anton Chua (2 BS MIS)
“Honestly, I prefer neither the new nor the old traffic scheme. The heavy traffic is still terrible [anyway], often causing me to arrive late at school. However, ever since the new traffic scheme was implemented, traffic at [the] intersection going to [the] Ateneo campus and to Cubao seems worse. I’ve noticed that instead of riding tricycles to Ateneo from the terminal station, Ateneans have opted to walk instead because it’ll save more time. Maybe it’s because everyone’s still adjusting so the new scheme [that’s why it] doesn’t seem to be effective. But really, whether it’s the old traffic scheme or the new one, it seems that there will always be heavy traffic in Katipunan.”
Acee Leonardo (2 BFA CW)
“I am not loving the traffic scheme with the traffic lights because the traffic lights, I think, are red way too long, given the traffic volume coming to Ateneo from the south. The U-turn slots ensure that traffic is moving continuously albeit slowly. The main issue is traffic volume, and for people traveling from the south via C5 [Avenue], public transport is too inefficient to be an option. And Ateneo’s only accessible for cars via Katipunan, right? I think a possible solution to this—and I’m thinking outside the box again, so this may not be acceptable—is for [the] Ateneo to open a gate that isn’t on Katipunan Avenue. That, I think, will distribute the traffic volume coming from the south.”
Rosa Paula Cuevas, PhD, Part-time lecturer, Biology Department
“To be honest, nung una, iniisip ko, walang mangyayari or walang kuwenta kahit anong traffic control sa Katipunan, kahit baguhin ‘yung traffic scheme, kasi sobrang dami talagang nagdadala ng car sa schools in Katipunan, kaya walang way para ma-control ‘yung traffic. [Datapwa’t] napansin ko na ‘yung traffic, heavy lang sa mga papasok and lalabas ng schools, pero ‘yung mga cars na dumadaan lang talaga ng Katipunan, mas naging okay ‘yung flow nung traffic kasi na-control [ng Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)] ‘yung galaw ng cars sa bagong left turns na ginawa, instead na mag U-turn ‘yung mga papasok ng Ateneo. So, for me, mas okay ‘yung bagong scheme kasi hindi mas nabigyang attention ng MMDA ‘yung mga dumadaan lang talaga ng Katipunan. Tingin ko kaya lang naman sobrang pangit ng feedback ng mga tao sa new traffic scheme kasi people from inside schools lang ‘yung mga tinatanong. Kung titignan sa perspective ng mga normal na taong dumadaan lang sa Katipunan and hindi pumapasok sa school, malaking tulong ‘yung new scheme.”
Bugsy Bairan (4 AB IS)
“I prefer the old one. As a commuter who takes all types of transportation to get to school, the new traffic scheme made getting a tricycle at 7-Eleven near the LRT station very difficult. Many of the tricycles shake their head when you say that you want to go to Ateneo as they want to avoid the traffic of Katipunan and inside Ateneo. Also, if you do manage to find a tricycle that goes to Ateneo, they’ll ask you where inside, and if it’s far, like Gonzaga or Bellarmine, they’ll instantly say no. I was lucky enough to get tricycles that go to my destination—JSEC and Bellarmine, but I’ve seen lines as long as 15 to 20 people vying for a tricycle during rush hour. I’ve also heard from my friend that her friend was charged P50 by a tricycle driver in compensation for the hassle and traffic of getting to Ateneo. Furthermore, with this new traffic scheme it’s become imperative for me to leave even earlier for school—I leave at 9:00 AM for my 10:30 class as I live in Makati—and the consequences of this new traffic scheme, as many people have already experienced, is that we [become] late for our classes.”
Christina Monica Sibug (4 AB EU)
“I’ve experienced the new traffic scheme for around four days, and I’m not sure if I’ve been on the road at the ‘right time,’ but I like how it’s going so far. Just last week (before the new traffic scheme), I was late to my first class because I was stuck in traffic for two hours as I was coming from Commonwealth; now I got to class in around 20 to 30 minutes. I hope I’m not speaking too soon.”
Nikki Bonuel (1 AB COM)
“Para sa akin, hindi [ako pabor sa bagong traffic scheme] kasi [malaking] epekto ‘yung traffic flow dito sa loob ng Ateneo. Naranasan ko ‘yan nung Tuesday, nung nag-conduct kami ng traffic. Kapag 7:45 [AM] or 7:30 [AM], normal na [nandito na] kami sa loob ng Ateneo. Eh ‘yun, umabot kami ng pasado alas-8 [AM]. Kaya marami [sa aming] na-late dahil lang doon sa traffic sa Katipunan. Kaya hindi ako pabor.”
Edgar Cammayo, Security personnel, Megaforce Integrated Security Agency
“I do not, because I come from the south. Even before the scheme, the traffic from the south was pretty bad. This traffic scheme made it worse. From around 10 to 20 minutes, it started to take 30 to 50 minutes to traverse Katipunan. In my knowledge, they used to have a stoplight scheme, and they scrapped it in favor of the U-turn because [the stoplight scheme] didn’t work. Now that they brought it back, it seems like it’s doing more harm than good.”
Carlo Pascual (3 BS CS)
“I do. I believe that the implementation of traffic lights is always important, especially for busy main roads, because it is necessary for maintaining [the] proper flow of traffic. What I do disagree with is the thought that it is the traffic scheme’s fault [for causing the traffic in Katipunan]. I still feel like, despite whatever traffic scheme we will have, the real cause falls on the driver’s responsibility to be… smart car users.”
David Mercado (4 BFA TA)
“I definitely prefer the old traffic scheme. In fact, my friend and I were just talking about how the traffic situation was already getting better two weeks before they even changed it. Now, it takes me about 30 to 40 minutes to get to Ateneo from Katipunan, northbound, whereas it only took about 10 to 15 minutes before. The new scheme also caused traffic inside Ateneo, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to get out from Gate 3 due to having only a 30-second-long green light. I understand that, theoretically, this scheme was implemented to alleviate the Katipunan traffic problem, but based on my experiences, I don’t think it improved at all.”
Naomi Senga (3 BS ME)
“I prefer the old Katipunan traffic scheme, mainly because there was a more ‘free-flowing’ choice for designated drivers, rather than an influx of cars that only continues to build up due to the stoplight’s time limit. There’s no denying that the newly installed stoplight has allowed safer passage for cars exiting northbound and/or southbound, especially from the Ateneo, but then again, I am unaware of any serious reports regarding accidents caused by the old traffic scheme.”
Justine Narciso (2 BFA CW)
“It doesn’t really affect me because I don’t have a car; but then for me, as a commuter, it’s difficult, because the tricycles don’t want to bring people to Ateneo because it’s traffic; it’s difficult for them to get anywhere. So for me, I had to adjust my schedule that I have to commute until Regis only and I’m going to walk to school, so it’s kind of more stressful for me. They also moved the pedestrian lane [near] Leong, and that’s also kind of inconvenient, because if you wanted to go [to] the library, you have to go around. I’d give it time, but right now, it’s an inconvenience.”
Camille Bisuña (3 AB MEC)
“To be honest, I don’t like the new traffic scheme because it didn’t really make any difference in the traffic. Because no left turns are allowed, the U-turn slots are now very far. It becomes a hassle for the drivers, plus the trucks are all out at the same time, especially during rush hour. It’s not a solution to the traffic.”
Camille Palomares (1 BS ECE)
“[I prefer the] old [traffic scheme]. The new one causes tons of problems, especially in the streets surrounding Katipunan Avenue and even within the schools [along] Katipunan Avenue—Miriam College and [the] Ateneo de Manila University, to be exact. Dagdag hassle lang para sa mga estudyanteng nagmamaneho kasi kailangan din problemahin ‘yung nakakadismayang bilis ng mga stoplight at ang ‘di makatarungan na trapiko.”
Gabriel Querubin (3 AB IS)
I prefer the new traffic scheme. Mas mainam na sa loob ng Ateneo campus nagkukumpulan ang mga kotse ng Ateneo students/visitors kaysa nakikipag-gitgitan sila sa ibang sasakyan lalo na pag magme-merge na sila sa Katipunan.