Baguio starts pedestrian-friendly Session Road trial on Aug. 4

THE UPHILL side of Session Road in Baguio City will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 4, starting off the trial period for making the street pedestrian-friendly every Sunday. “This is an experimental scheme in support to the plan to pedestrianize Session Road in an aim to revitalize the environmental condition at the Central Business District,” the city’s Public Information Office office said in its social media post announcing the plan. The car-free area would be from the Development Bank of the Philippines to the rotunda. Vehicles will still be allowed to pass from Gen. Luna Street towards Harrison Road. The Baguio City Police Office will lead the implementation of the scheme.

TERMINALS
Meanwhile, the city government announced on Thursday that it plans to set up at least five transport terminals “in strategic areas around the city to help decongest the central business district from the monstrous traffic jams daily.” In a statement, Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said among the site being eyed are: a four-hectare (ha) portion of the eight-ha Dairy Farm property that has been given to the city by the Agriculture department; an 8,000-square meter private property of Dwight Bello in Barangay Irisan; and the slaughterhouse compound. The city government also has a plan to build a six-storey parking structure at the back of the city-owned Baguio Convention Center to be funded under the Department of Public Works and Highways’ budget. Mr. Magalong said some investors have already “signified their intention” to finance the construction of the terminals.