What is the new QC 'buffered bike lane' and how should you use it

By now, you've already seen the new road markings popping up all over Quezon City: arrows with a bicyclist below and diagonal white stripes next to them.

Are they telling a cyclist where he can ride his bike? Are they some kind of new traffic signs for motorists? And what's with the white diagonal paints?

In case you don't know it yet, these are called buffered bike lanes and you can only see them in Quezon City. The diagonal paints are - yes, you guessed it right: buffer zones. They're extra spaces between cyclists and passing cars, and a visual signal that the road is meant to be shared by multiple users, be it on two wheels or in four. They are there purposely to prevent motorists and bicycles from coming into contact with or harming each other.

Buffered bike lanes also tell drivers to strictly stay on the left side of the buffer while driving and can only cross the bike lane when making a turn or entering an adjacent property - after checking to be sure there are no people biking in the lane, of course.

According to Ramir Angeles - Quezon City's traffic engineer who partly designed and implemented the buffered bike lanes - though a buffer zone is part of the bike lane, cyclists are cautioned to stay only in the designated bike lane (the one with the white arrows) and only use the buffer zones when necessary. In the same manner, motorists are also urged to stay on their lanes and to avoid using the buffer zones. Motorized vehicles are also prohibited to park at the buffered bike lanes.

'Ang buffer ay kasama sa bike lane mismo, pero bilang separator ng bike lane sa katabing lane, subukang wag magbike sa buffer to be safe (in short, pwede daanan if kailangan, but otherwise stay in the lane/out of the buffer). Similar concept for cars, bawal dumaan sa bike lane, pero kung pipilitin na daanan (kahit bawal), subukan na sa buffer lang. Bawal pa rin mag-park sa bike lane', Angeles said in his Facebook post.

Quezon City Ordinance SP-2988

In Quezon City, it is illegal for a motorist to use and obstruct the bike lanes, according to City Ordinance SP-2988 or the QC Safe Cycling and Active Transport Ordinance. The city government imposes penalties for motorists found in violation of this ordinance. The fines are P1,000 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense.

Use of for-hire pedicabs in the bike lanes are also prohibited with a fine of P300 or a day of community service for the first offense, and P300 or a day of community service and attendance to a seminar on safe cycling for the second and succeeding offenses.

To date, the local government of Quezon City has already apprehended a total of 616 car drivers who have overtaken and/or illegally parked in the bike lanes in the first two months of the year (from January 1 to February 6, 2021).

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Images from Ramir Angeles

This post originally appeared at https://emongsjournals.blogspot.com