DAGUPAN CITY - The city of Dagupan will phase out some of its pedestrian lanes and in their stead will install a number of stoplights at various street intersections in a bid to unclog the daily traffic bottlenecks in all its major thoroughfares, especially in the downtown area.
This was bared by Carlito Ocampo, chief of the Public Order and Safety Office, who spoke during a public hearing on Wednesday on a proposed ordinance seeking to amend Ordinance 1748-2002, otherwise known as the Revised Comprehensive and Mandatory Traffic Code, in Dagupan and prescribing penalties for violators.
Ocampo said the City Government already installed a digital stoplight at the intersections of A.B. Fernandez Avenue, M.H. Del Pilar Street and Arellano Street and is currently installing one at an intersection on Mayombo road in a bid to bring about a smoother flow of traffic in the area.
But the current pedestrian lanes in these street intersections will be moved a little so as not to be in conflict with the stop lights, an observation he noted after his office was allowed by the city council to conduct a one-month traffic experiment.
He noted some pedestrian lanes are too close to each other, necessitating the phase out of a few of these.
He cited in the proposed amended ordinance, he is recommending only two pedestrian lanes for Arellano Street, one in front of the University of Pangasinan and the other in front of the Region 1 Medical Center.
No pedestrian lane was prescribed in front of Colegio de Dagupan and Nepo Mall because there is already an existing pedestrian overpass in the area.
Ocampo added stoplights will also be installed at the busy corner of A. B. Fernandez Avenue and Rizal Street and the corner of Rizal Street and Perez Boulevard as well as in four other busy street corners in the city.
Ocampo hailed the plan of Mayor Belen Fernandez to build one overpass pedestrian lane at the intersections of Mayombo Road, Perez Boulevard and M. H. del Pilar Street which he said will undoubtedly put more order to the city’s daily traffic. (PNA)