94% of Pinoys demand more bike lanes

MANILA, Philippines — An overwhelming majority of Filipinos reportedly want more bike lanes and pedestrian walkways, placing pressure on legislators to increase the active transport budget to at least P1 billion.
Citing a Pulse Asia survey, Mobility Awards – an award-giving body that recognizes efforts of active transport pioneers, led by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities – said 94 percent of Filipinos agree with proposals to invest more on active transport infrastructure to support cyclists and pedestrians.
The survey, conducted in May, also reported that 93 percent want public transport lanes, similar to the EDSA busway, expanded to speed up commuter travel.
Further, the survey said 82 percent demand the government boost transport subsidies.
Mobility Awards national coordinator Amber Garma appealed to policymakers to view the results as a call to hike the active transport budget to at least P1 billion.
“The 94 percent carless majority has spoken, and our leaders must step up to protect them. First, the President must declare active transport an economic and labor priority in his upcoming State of the Nation Address,” Garma said.
“Second, Congress must reverse years of fiscal neglect and lock in a minimum of P1 billion as a budget for active transport for 2027,” she added.
Garma lamented the declining capital for active transport in the pandemic aftermath, from a high of P2 billion in 2022, to just P105.38 million in 2026.
She also pressed local government units to assign funds for their own bike lanes and pedestrian walkways in response to the ballooning demand for active transport infrastructure.
Garma reminded policymakers that for most Filipinos, the shift to biking and walking was never just a lifestyle choice. She said they are forced to save money in a challenging economy.
In an earlier interview with reporters, Transportation Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor said the Department of Transportation is seeking an active transport budget of up to P1 billion for 2027.
The government aims to develop a bike lane network of 2,400 kilometers, but the DOTr has delivered just 1,100 kilometers to date.
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Facts Only

* Ninety-four percent of Filipinos agree with proposals to invest more on active transport infrastructure to support cyclists and pedestrians.
* Ninety-three percent want public transport lanes, similar to the EDSA busway, expanded to speed up commuter travel.
* Eighty-two percent demand the government boost transport subsidies.
* The Mobility Awards national coordinator appealed for the active transport budget to be increased to at least P1 billion for 2027.
* The Department of Transportation seeks an active transport budget of up to P1 billion for 2027.
* The Department of Transportation aims to develop a bike lane network of 2,400 kilometers.
* The Department of Transportation has delivered one thousand one hundred kilometers of bike lanes to date.
* Capital for active transport declined from P2 billion in 2022 to P105.38 million in 2026.

Executive Summary

Ninety-four percent of Filipinos support increased investment in active transport infrastructure, including bike lanes and pedestrian walkways, as reported in a Pulse Asia survey. Additionally, ninety-three percent desire expansion of public transport lanes similar to the EDSA busway to improve commuter travel times. Furthermore, eighty-two percent demand that the government increase transport subsidies. The Mobility Awards national coordinator called for policymakers to raise the active transport budget to at least P1 billion, citing a decline in capital allocation since 2022. This appeal was made in the context of the Department of Transportation seeking an active transport budget up to P1 billion for 2027, while having only delivered one thousand one hundred kilometers of bike lanes against a goal of two thousand four hundred kilometers.

Full Take

The data reveals a significant divergence between public demand and current governmental fiscal allocation regarding active transport. The assertion that ninety-four percent of the population supports this infrastructure shift suggests a widespread, albeit unaddressed, societal preference, which acts as a powerful socio-political lever for change. The gap between stated desire—a P1 billion investment—and the actual capital allocated highlights a systemic tension between stated public will and institutional budgeting capacity. This dynamic raises questions about prioritization frameworks within governance; why has the shift from high infrastructure spending in 2022 to minimal allocation in 2026 occurred, despite an explicit call for immediate action? The framing of the issue as mere infrastructure deficit neglects the context mentioned by the coordinator regarding economic necessity for most Filipinos. Further inquiry is needed into the historical pattern of fiscal neglect and how political mandates translate into concrete budgetary execution, especially concerning long-term goals versus short-term fiscal constraints.