BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Council has raised concerns over the accuracy and reliability of the traffic impact assessment on the pedestrianization of Session Road every Sunday.
During the city council’s regular session on February 24, 2025, Engr. John Vincent Niñalga of the City Engineering Officer-Traffic and Transportation Management Division (CEO-TTMD) presented a traffic impact assessment of the pedestrianization of Session Road on Sundays that was jointly conducted by the CEO-TTMD, Baguio City Police Office-Traffic Enforcement Unit (BCPO-TEU), and Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) in response to a previous request from the city council.
The traffic impact assessment evaluated pedestrian and vehicular levels of service by comparing non-pedestrianized Sundays, pedestrianized Sundays, and regular weekdays.
Findings showed that, during pedestrianized Sundays, pedestrian movement improved along Session Road, particularly in front of DBP Building and Porta Vaga compared to both non-pedestrianized Sundays and regular weekdays.
However, vehicular congestion worsened on Harrison Road and General Luna Road while some roads like Magsaysay Avenue and Governor Pack Road saw improved traffic conditions.
The study concluded that pedestrianizing Session Road on Sundays has more advantages than disadvantages.
It recommended providing additional parking spaces, deploying more traffic enforcers, enforcing road clearing regulations, and installing proper signages to manage traffic conditions effectively.
Councilor Benny Bomogao stated that traveling from Upper Session Road to Sunshine Park or Kalaw Street had become significantly harder, resulting in increased travel time and fuel consumption, particularly for routes requiring detours through Harrison Road and General Luna Road.
Councilor Betty Tabanda questioned the logic behind the requests for additional parking spaces and traffic enforcers if, according to the findings, pedestrianized Sundays had no significant impact on traffic.
Niñalga clarified that the difference lay in how traffic was distributed.
Weekday traffic was spread over longer periods, leading to the depletion of enforcers.
However, Tabanda asserted that further examination of the issue is necessary before making a final decision.
Councilor Peter Fianza questioned the report from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that Niñalga cited.
The report stated that 19,000 vehicles pass through Session Road daily.
Fianza expressed skepticism over the accuracy of this figure by breaking it down mathematically.
He pointed out that dividing 19,000 by 24 hours results in approximately 800 vehicles per hour, meaning that even during non-peak hours, there would still be a substantial number of vehicles on the road.
Niñalga affirmed the 19,000 vehicle estimate but clarified that the peak-hour volume was calculated as 8% of the annual average daily traffic.
Fianza challenged this computation, suggesting that if the number were recalculated to reflect only the hours when traffic is active (excluding late-night hours when fewer vehicles are on the road), the figure would exceed 1,500 vehicles per hour.
He further insisted that the reported 800 vehicles per hour was too low, considering the total daily volume.
Fianza also questioned the accuracy of the traffic count, asking when the data was collected.
Engineer Niñalga explained that counts were taken on three separate days: a pedestrianized Sunday, a regular weekday, and a non-pedestrianized Sunday, assuring that no special events affected the results.
The data was also validated using a traffic counting machine.
Despite this, Fianza expressed skepticism, pointing out that Sunday afternoon traffic near SM and Session Road was always heavy.
Niñalga acknowledged worsening congestion, especially on General Luna and Harrison Road, due to rerouted vehicles.
He presented data showing that these roads had reached critical congestion levels.
Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria Yaranon scrutinized the data collection process, arguing that only a few days were used to present various traffic conditions.
She also questioned whether an annual report from the DPWH is sufficient for validation.
Niñalga replied that they used formulas to derive peak volumes from annual averages.
Yaranon likewise pointed out that proper traffic analysis focuses on six areas or indicators: traffic volume, traffic speed, delays, level of service, queues or queueing, and traffic density.
She said only a few of these indicators were covered in the study.
Yaranon further underscored that the study only considered specific roads and did not include other areas like Kisad Road, Legarda Road, Abanao Street, and Leonard Wood Road.
She said this limitation made the findings questionable.
Niñalga admitted that including the entire central business district would require more resources and manpower.
Meanwhile, PCapt. Harrison Basinga, BCPO-TEU Deputy Chief, said traffic enforcers found it difficult to manage traffic on pedestrianized Sundays due to the significant traffic volume in areas surrounding Session Road.
Despite these challenges, he maintained his support for the findings of the traffic impact study.
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, Councilors Leandro Yangot Jr., Fred Bagbagen, and Arthur Allad-iw pointed out that in gathering data on this issue, authorities should consider not only the impact on traffic congestion but also the environmental factors, urban planning, and economic opportunities for entrepreneurs.
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