I FIRST encountered bicycle lanes in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. And even more surprised as my environmentalist Linda Grandinetti rode to work on a bicycle. She sold her car, not because she was poor, but to lessen her carbon footprint.
This was in 2002, or 20 years ago. Every one of us, members of Footprints International, were then aware of global warming. In our own small way, we were making a statement on climate change.
It was not too much of a sacrifice for us Negrenses. The five Filipino members were all middle-class street theater performers. We commute in Bacolod. We were environmentalists by force of circumstances. We cannot afford a car.
For the Canadians though, biking is a matter of choice. The second largest country in the world, I can understand why many of these North Americans ride cars.
With wide open spaces, our troupe has to travel by using Colin Funk’s old but serviceable van with our cross-country trip from British Columbia to Alberta. His green statement is to refrain from buying a new car. Consumerism creates a big hole in conserving the environment.
In our own small way, we have to practice what we convey thru our performances. It is what we call in Catholic charismatics “witnessing.”
So now we have by force of circumstances follow the example of the Canadians here in Bacolod. I am sure Noel Keough, an environmental city planner and a member of our theater group, would be pleased.
After all, the real drama in our performances was not in the play itself but in our real lives — in and out of our troupe.
Although we planned to organize Footprints - 2 with millennial members, it failed to get off the ground. But what’s flying is the implementation of the 60-kilometer bicycle lane project along national roads in Bacolod City with a budget of P60 million.
The budget includes the installation of several road signs, painting of existing roads, and removal of illegal structures along the highways. The bicycle lanes are located on both sides of the road along the Bacolod - Circumferential Road, north and south Circumferential roads, Bacolod-San Carlos Road, and Sum-ag–Abuanan roads.
Bacolod City has an existing ordinance establishing bike lanes or bike-friendly zones along Burgos Street-Circumferential Road up to Brgy. Alangilan and Bacolod-Murcia Road, Brgy. Alijis to Bacolod-Murcia boundary, and Brgy. Mansilingan.
In that sense, Footprints International lives, in the day-to-day lives of Bacolodnon, as we are a witness of how in our small way reduce our carbon footprints.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)