A June 2, 2011 press release by the Department of Public Works and Highways
A detailed road inspection reveals that Commonwealth Avenue is 100 percent high risk to accident for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio L. Singson said that based on preliminary result of the road assessment conducted by the especially equipped vehicle, Multi-Infrastructure Distress Analyzing System or MIDAS and highly trained Korean and Australian road analysts under the International Road Assessment Program or iRAP Philippines, the entire Commonwealth Avenue has generated a star rating of one (1) to two (2) stars, considered to be high risk, for bikers and pedestrians.
With five-star roads the safest and one-star roads the least safe, Secretary Singson said that star rating for Commonwealth Avenue provides a simple and objective measure of the level of safety “built in” to the road for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
For vehicle occupants, 69 percent of the Commonwealth Avenue has generated 1 to 2 stars while 89 percent of this highway also obtained similar star rating for motorcyclists.
iRAP’s Star Ratings are based on road inspection data collected through digital images and geo-referencing and analysis of design features known to influence the likelihood of crashes as well as their severity including intersection design, road cross-sections and markings, roadside hazards, and pedestrian lanes.
Secretary Singson said that Commonwealth Avenue has become high risk because of the high level of activity along the highway, with 27 percent of road has neither footpaths or with footpaths but are obstructed.
It was also observed that there are numerous pedestrian bridges without accompanying pedestrian fences while some of the pedestrian bridges end on traffic lanes.
Ninety-seven percent of the Commonwealth Avenue has medium or high level of obstruction encroaching on the road, majority of which are ambulant vendors, and almost the entire road has severe roadsides with poles, trees, and end barriers occupying within the five-meter pavement.
With the high volume of traffic along the highway, there are also few intersections without traffic signals.
On a positive aspect, Secretary Singson said that the presence of center median has helped avoid the occurrence of head-on crashes.
In the worthy effort of reducing the risk of road accident along Commonwealth Avenue, a total comprehensive approach focusing on infrastructure, speed management, and behavior will be needed, added Secretary Singson.
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